Chapter 299 — Santis's Mission

"As long as I myself do not return to the royal capital, neither the king nor those capital nobles have any right to interfere in the affairs of the Cecil family. The ducal title is quite useful in that regard," Gao Yang said as he drew a sheet from the parchment reserved for noble certification documents, quickly wrote out a certificate, and pressed his seal upon it. "Master Santis, take this. You are my envoy sent to the royal capital to recruit mages—that is your public identity. As for Cecil Territory's 'secrets,' you will have to find a way to organize secret gatherings. The Bureau operatives will instruct you on how to handle such things. Don't be nervous or feel pressured. As long as you hold this, you represent a duke—it's the 'little mages' standing before you who ought to be nervous."

Santis took the document Gao Yang handed him with some fluster, and in the process, just as last time, tore off one of his buttons: "Y-yes, my lord!"

"Remember, they must be of clean background, with no 'worries left behind.' We don't need mages to serve as fighting strength, and even less do we need noble mages to serve as figureheads. Those with family entanglements or school backgrounds can be absorbed as well, but you must understand their true circumstances clearly. It's all right if you don't know how to probe—the Bureau operatives will know how to draw them out. Give weight to their opinions."

"I understand," Santis said, tucking the document carefully against his chest. Then he hesitated a moment and voiced an idea that had long been circling in his mind. "My lord, in fact I was hoping... this time I could bring my family over as well."

"Your family..." Gao Yang thought back briefly. "Ah, your parents, right?"

"Actually... there's also a younger brother apprenticed to someone, and a young sister," Santis lowered his head. "I hope to bring them all over."

A genuinely pleased smile spread across Gao Yang's face. "Of course, no problem at all. In fact, you're hardly the only one who wants to bring family over. More than half of the hundred people who came with you from the royal capital have already applied to me to bring their families to Cecil Territory, and I've approved them all—I just haven't had time to organize an escort party. This trip of yours is a perfect opportunity to take care of it."

Santis and Kamael departed satisfied, and Amber, studying Gao Yang's expression, could not help saying: "You look to be in a good mood."

"Do I?"

"You're smiling too obviously," Amber raised an eyebrow. "Someone wants to bring his family over—why are you so happy about it?"

"Wanting to stay here oneself is different from wanting to bring one's family here as well," Gao Yang explained patiently. "The former can be loyalty, can be a sense of honor, can be driven by duty or profit. But the latter admits only one explanation: Cecil Territory has truly become a wonderful place in their eyes. They have put down roots here for good."

"Is that so..." Amber blinked, seeming to understand. "Even though this place borders the Gondor Wasteland, and not long ago was attacked by monsters, they're still willing to bring their families over... that really is diehard loyalty."

"I'd say it's more that our wiping out every last monster outside the walls not long ago, with no casualties on our side, is what truly strengthened the confidence of those craftsmen and scholars from the royal capital," Gao Yang nodded. "In this era, people's sense of security comes from whether the lord and his army can protect them. If they can, then even the Dark Mountains can be a livable paradise. If they cannot, then even living on the Holy Spirit Plain, one's life remains precarious."

Seeing Amber begin to ponder with a serious expression, Gao Yang could not help but laugh. "All right, stop mulling that over. Keep an eye on things for me a while longer—I need to 'meditate' once more."

"Again? Same as last time?"

"Free Wi-Fi—why pay when you can mooch off it?"

"...Ugh, there you go again with that weird nonsense nobody can understand!"