After the announcement of appointments and removals, everyone took the oath of office as requested by Roland.
This procedure was a first for the officials, but despite its novelty, they all performed it meticulously, many deliberately puffing out their chests.
The oath itself was nothing special, "Loyal to the King, dedicated to duty" – words that every subject often uttered, but in such a formal setting, spoken aloud in unison, it seemed to take on a tangible form, as if imbued with undeniable significance.
Roland knew they were gradually merging into a single entity.
"Now that you have completed the oath of office, it's time to get to work." He rose from the head of the table, slapping the large map on the wall behind him. "To completely clear the Fertile Plains of the demonic threat, to ensure the safety of Neverwinter's northwest, and to lay the foundation for humanity's return to the mainland – this is Graycastle's primary goal for next year!"
The failure of two Battles of Divine Will had pushed people to the brink. With the sea at their backs, there was no retreat. Westward expansion was the only way out, both in terms of survival resources and strategic importance.
To gain a foothold in the vast plains, Tachila, this thorn in their side, had to be removed. Without godstone mines, the demons could not erect obelisks, and Graycastle could truly secure a safe frontline territory. Afterward, whether focusing on development or waiting for an opportunity to counterattack, the initiative would be in their hands.
After all, humanity's actions did not depend on the red mist.
When technological power reaches a qualitative change, the range of weapon attacks will also make considerable progress.
"As you command, Your Majesty!" Everyone placed their hands on their chests in unison.
After the meeting, Roland returned to his office. Nightingale had already placed a cup of freshly brewed black tea on his desk.
"Thanks for the hard work."
She still wore that relaxed expression, the twitching dried fish indicating she was in a good mood.
"Ah... thank you," Roland said, picking up the fragrant teacup. Anna's words from last night suddenly came to mind, and he couldn't help but give her a second look.
Anna hadn't elaborated on what the agreement was, but Nightingale had been with everyone during both the coronation ceremony at noon and the wedding banquet in the evening. It didn't seem like she could have completed the "agreement."
This puzzle truly baffled him.
And Roland had a nagging feeling that if he asked directly, neither of them would tell him the real answer.
"What's wrong?" Nightingale's voice suddenly came from beside him. "Do I look particularly good today?"
"No... uh," he quickly took a sip of tea to hide his confusion. "I mean, yes..."
"So is that a 'yes' or a 'no'?" she leaned closer, her face inches from his. Roland could even smell the fragrance of her hair. "Your mind is distracted."
Before he could reply, Nightingale had already darted away, leaning back in the lounge chair and chewing on her dried fish with a smug look.
Realizing she was teasing him, Roland shook his head helplessly, but also felt a sense of relief.
No matter what, there was at least one thing he could be sure of.
She was still the Nightingale he knew.
*******************
Western Region, the desolate snow plains.
"What's our current speed?"
There was no reply.
Lightning's ears were filled with the howling of the wind, making it difficult to even open her mouth. If she spoke into the wind, her tongue would likely be torn apart by the blade-like turbulence. She had to activate her magic and initiate Synchronization.
In an instant, the biting cold disappeared from her face, and the wind noise dropped to a tolerable level.
"Maisie, what's our current speed?" she asked again.
"Let me see, goo!" The latter poked half her head out from under her collar. "About twice as fast as a gray eagle, goo."
Perhaps it was related to her animal instincts, but Maisie had an excellent sense of speed.
Compared to estimating speed based on magic consumption, it was obviously more convenient to fly with her.
"Three hundred kilometers per hour?" Lightning sighed softly. When a gray eagle dives from high altitude at its prey, its speed can reach one hundred and fifty kilometers per hour, and few targets can evade such an attack. Now she had far surpassed the gray eagle, but she couldn't bring herself to feel happy.
Three hundred kilometers... this was the limit of her flight without relying on Synchronization.
Since her ability evolved, she had spent a great deal of time familiarizing herself with her new abilities and mastering the skill of actively controlling magic synchronization. In other words, as long as she could endure the various discomforts of high-speed flight, she could always keep consumption to a minimum.
In this regard, His Majesty Roland had also updated her entire set of equipment, such as arc-shaped windproof goggles, double-layered insulated lining, and a more streamlined backpack, achieving the ultimate within the weight constraints.
This series of measures allowed her to continuously break her own level flight records, but the limitations of the body still existed. Now it seemed that a speed of three hundred kilometers per hour might be an insurmountable barrier.
And once Synchronization was activated, the rate of magic consumption would increase dramatically.
Lightning couldn't help but envy the robust bodies of the Extraordinary witches.
Of course, her ability had been determined at the moment of awakening, and the only thing she could rely on was her hard work in training.
Perhaps after returning to Neverwinter, she could ask Rogge for some advice on how to develop a more robust body?
"Watch out, goo!" Maisie suddenly shouted in her arms. "We are less than one hundred kilometers away from the Tachila ruins!"
"Is that so..." Lightning closed her eyes, carefully sensing the amount of magic remaining in her body, then curled the corners of her mouth. "Then let's give the demons a surprise."
After mastering her new abilities, His Majesty had finally agreed to her request to scavenge for wild game... no, to scout – even maintaining the lowest cruising speed, she was far faster than those clumsy dire beasts, and as long as she planned her magic well, the possibility of encountering danger was minimal.
But Lightning wasn't satisfied with that. She always remembered the embarrassing scene three years ago when she first explored the barren lands and was scared witless by the demonic ice sculpture in the stone tower ruins. As an explorer, to be defeated by fear was a disgrace that had to be compensated!
Fear stemmed from the unknown, and now the demons were no longer the terrifying monsters they once were to her.
"Lightning, full power!"
Hearing these words, the pigeon immediately shrank its head into her collar.
The little girl began to increase her speed constantly. Even with the protection of Synchronization, she could feel the wind growing sharply, changing from a shrill scream to a deep roar. The white earth seemed to transform into a sticky, viscous liquid, not only blurring its outlines but also making the signs of flowing backward increasingly obvious.
Until that moment arrived –
With a loud bang, all sound ceased.
She seemed to have broken free from the world's restraints, leaving wind and snow behind, free to roam the entire sky.
In His Majesty's words, she had become the trailblazer of sound.
No matter how many times she repeated it, Lightning would never tire of it.
She even felt that she was born for this moment.
A few minutes later, the Tachila ruins appeared on the horizon.
However, to her surprise, the land surrounding the ruins seemed to have suddenly changed color, at first glance resembling muddy soil after the snow had melted. But when she looked closer, she realized that it was actually a mixture of blood and flesh! A black mass of evil beasts pressed toward Tachila from the end of the horizon, crashing against the demonic defenses like a tide.
And then shattered to pieces.