"Lord Jelann, the Duke is looking for you."
In a castle on a high mountain, Jerran was teaching his two younger brothers the tricks of swordsmanship and fighting in the courtyard when the butler came over.
"Looking for me?"
Jelann wondered what it might be. He put down the unsharpened broadsword in his hand and let his two younger brothers practice on their own. Then he took the towel handed to him by the servant to wipe the sweat from his hands and asked as he walked.
"I don't know either." The butler shook his head and followed Jerlane towards the Duke's study.
He walked along the long corridor in the castle, climbed the spiral staircase, and as the two White Lion Knights bowed their heads in salute, Jelann knocked on the door.
"Is that Jelan?" A slightly hoarse voice came from the room.
"It's me."
"Come in."
Jie Lann pushed open the door and walked in. The housekeeper poured him some tea before carefully closing the door and leaving.
Sitting in front of the coffee table, Jelan looked at his father.
Compared to Jelann, the old duke already had a lot of white hair and his body showed signs of aging.
Jelann is only about 30 years old now. In the eyes of the upper echelons of the empire, he is still a young man of the younger generation and cannot be considered very mature. However, the old duke is now nearly 70 years old.
This age is very old among ordinary people, but the practice of the extraordinary sequence has delayed the effects of aging, allowing the Duke to still maintain a certain amount of energy.
"What have you been doing recently?" The old duke asked about Jelann's recent situation.
"Practice the Transcendental Sequence. In addition, according to your request, travel among the various territories in the Western Territory to get to know and familiarize yourself with the various vassals."
"Hmm." The old duke leaned back in his chair, put his hands together, and closed his eyes slightly.
There was silence in the room for a while before the Griffin Duke continued speaking.
"What do you think of the current state of the Western Territory?"
"On the surface it seems prosperous, but people's hearts are unsettled," commented Jelan.
"How do you know?"
"We have gained a certain amount of wealth through the customs, the Blue Stream River, and other trade routes, making the territory much more prosperous than before."
"However, various changes are taking place within the empire now."
"After the reforms in the central region, although it appears that there are constant disputes and conflicts, the actual strength beneath the surface has increased significantly compared to the past."
"A large number of people from the northern border have migrated to the central region, and various workshops and schools in the central region have also flourished. This will undoubtedly bring some shocks, but if it can gradually stabilize, the central region will still be the most powerful place in the empire, with the largest number of nobles, the most extraordinary people, and the largest population."
"On the other hand, although we in the Western Territory have gained wealth through trade, this wealth is not stable."
"Very good, very good." The old duke slowly opened his eyes and looked at his son.
"You know why I said it was good?"
"It's not because you see the problems in the Western Territory. These things will eventually become apparent. The real value lies in the fact that you don't completely consider the Empire and us as one."
"This is what I'm most pleased about. I once thought that your overly upright and upright education in your early years would turn you into a noble knight obsessed with justice, but fortunately, that's not the case."
"The relationship between the Empire and us, or rather the Western Territory and the rest of the Empire, is very different."
"The rest of the empire was conquered piecemeal during its expansion, with the Emerald Forest being the result of marriage. We were brought under the empire through an alliance or agreement."
"The mountain folk of Griffin Territory have long been renowned for their bravery. This area is close to the Sighing Mountains, with numerous magical beasts and little land for food, so conflicts often occur."
"In some of the family's old storage rooms, you might still see some decorations left by past ancestors, such as giant deer head pendants, dragon heads, cave lion fur, and so on."
"In the past, when our ancestors met guests, they would invite them to view these ferocious and powerful trophies. This represented a kind of honor."
"But this traditional custom has gradually disappeared in the past two hundred years."
"Like the nobles of the Central Powers, we also wear gorgeous clothes, study poetry, appreciate art, and explore the noble way of chivalry."
"In fact, I only gradually discovered and understood this transformation in recent years when I was looking through the ancient books recorded in my family."
"Although it's not a big deal, it shows that we are gradually forgetting many things from the past."
As he spoke, the old Griffin Duke stood up, slowly stretched his body, and then looked out the window at the lush mountains and valleys, and the figures of several Griffin Knights passing over the distant forest.
"We are now very dependent on trade and we are obsessed with this prosperity."
"The minerals and magical beast materials in the mountains can be easily exchanged for food from the central region and Cransia. The people will no longer have to bear so many taxes, and they can have the leisure to practice the Transcendent Sequence or do other things."
"This situation is not bad at all, haha." He smiled, but his voice was a little dry.
"If our family is truly loyal to the Imperial family, this will be a wonderful era. The new emperor is young and promising, and the empire is gradually improving."
"But how could a lion that grew up in the wilderness be content to live in a low house?"
"The Emperor is currently only implementing these new policies in the central region, but as long as he can slowly resolve the internal conflicts and find a stable system over the next few years, this system will soon be implemented throughout the empire."
"Isn't this a good idea?" Jelann seemed puzzled.
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