"Ha…" Duke Lorelei let out a long sigh, looking at Noel and Anna. "To think that you would do something like that… Do you know my current position right now?"
"Of course." Noel nodded with a serious expression. "You will look like you're on our side instead of maintaining your neutrality. However, it doesn't change the fact that the reason is that they left the crown prince and Anna alone in that room."
Duke Lorelei sighed. With that kind of justification, it should be enough to explain it to the king. But it didn't change the fact that the situation became tense.
Duke Lorelei asked, "So, what are you going to do from now on? I'm going to let this slide, but I hope that there won't be a day where I have to cut you down with my own hands."
"I'll listen to your warnings." Noel raised one finger. "Of course, I have prepared some compensation. First of all, we will be extending the highway to the place you want. In addition, I'm thinking about creating a container truck for you."
"A container truck?"
"Yes. They already have official names. The long trailer is called a train, and it's divided into passenger, cargo, and hybrid types. Because of their mechanism, we're thinking about creating a station outside the wall that can actually lead people directly into the town.
"Of course, the legal process for each city will vary depending on their mayor or lord. The train is very long, so it's hard to turn, forcing us to make the road as straight as possible. This way, it can also decrease the travel time. I will ask my people to build up the road plan for this train.
"In addition to the water storage that I promised you, I'm thinking about adding two Container Trucks for you. This container truck is two times bigger than a normal wagon, but with the help of the rune, it should have no problem bringing eight to ten tons of goods at once.
"And because they are smaller, they can move easier than the train, meaning it will be very useful for transporting goods between two neighboring cities or the nearby villages.
"Well, we're planning to create more variations like a smaller truck that can actually pass through rough terrain for a village that is hard to reach or used inside the city and a family carriage that can be used by nobles or even common families. Nevertheless, you will need to visit our main city to know about it."
Duke Lorelei looked down, contemplating. "If what you said could be realized, I could imagine a civilization like none other. In addition, if the common families can actually move around that much, it will become a dream for the commoners. After all, most people never leave their city or village because of a lack of mobility."
"Yes. I hope that you are satisfied with this compensation."
Duke Lorelei let out a long sigh. "Are you sure I can order things from you when visiting the main city?"
"Yes. But that task will be left to the Runegard Company."
"I see. A company… You definitely know how to utilize the loophole in the rule."
"My father has shown it to me directly." Noel smiled. "Besides, I want to be a good citizen. By using the company, it means that I will have to pay taxes to the kingdom. To build the kingdom better, I'm more than willing to contribute."
Duke Lorelei scratched the back of his head. "Alright. I'm sure you're busy, so I will wait until you're ready to return to the main city."
"Thank you." Noel smiled.
Noel left with the duke, only to find the saintess visiting him.
"Oh my, to think I would be meeting you here." The saintess smiled.
Noel's eyebrows twitched. It was clear that the saintess's hearing was much better because of the lack of her vision, so there was no coincidence for them to meet here.
"Well, I will excuse myself." Duke Lorelei shrugged, knowing what the saintess wanted.
"I will see the Duke off." Anna nodded, telling Noel that he could deal with the saintess.
As soon as both of them left, Noel opened the door while asking, "How about coming first?"
"Sounds good." Layla smiled shamelessly. She easily sat down as though she could feel the entire room. "No need for tea or anything, I will just be brief here."
"In that case, I will start here. Thank you for helping us."
"There's no need to thank me. I'm merely reminding them of the authority that the temple has."
Noel nodded in understanding, so he simply said, "In addition to the new headquarters, I'm planning to give you four container trucks. I believe you've heard about it from Anna."
"Certainly. To be honest, Container Trucks are much more convenient for us."
"Unfortunately, we can only give you the Reducing Impact Rune and the Spiritual Barrier Rune. At the end of the day, the Rune and Spirit Enchantment are the same, so we can't really blatantly produce weapons."
"So, that's why you increased the number to four?"
"Yes. If you still wish for more, I don't mind if you make an order later."
"Oh my, you're not going to sponsor us?"
"The Runegard will definitely open up for the charity section, but not now."
The room fell silent for a moment before Layla asked, "How about the train?"
"It doesn't have any change right now. We're planning to build a road and use it. Unfortunately, I can't give you a discount for this one. You should know that being able to use it alone is already a privilege at the current time."
"…" Layla contemplated. "Alright. I'm satisfied with it. Still, the only problem is how to convince the lords where our branches are located… And the other two headquarters of my Moon Temple are located in the Greenwood Kingdom and the Zaecuria Kingdom."
"I'm currently a Marquis. My territory has been expanded to the north, so the Greenwood Kingdom shouldn't be much of a problem right now. But when they start to meddle, there might be some taxes and other fees later on the border. As for the road around the Greenwood Kingdom… I don't think that's a problem, right?"
"We have indeed had a certain influence in the Greenwood Kingdom. In addition, your disciple is their princess. After hearing about the project, the Greenwood Kingdom will definitely help you in that regard." Layla nodded before raising a finger. "One last thing. Since you are a marquis right now, does that mean you're going to start expanding your territory?"
"That's a given." Noel nodded. "Is the Moon Temple perhaps intending to participate?"
"I'm not very sure right now. But after knowing about your will, I can probably consider it carefully. In the end, with your ability as a marquis, you can develop this area by raising your own nobles. And this will definitely benefit your territory as a whole… Unfortunately, it doesn't seem that you're planning to raise even higher…"
"Duke Position is only for those who are related to the royal family from either marriage or direct relatives. I don't have any intention to go that far."
"I understand. I'm sorry for bothering you, but with this, I have a clear mind for what lies ahead. May I know when we are going to return to the main city?"
"In two or three days, depending on the work I have left here."
"Alright." Layla politely bowed to him and walked away.
When Noel came out afterward, Anna seemed to have been waiting for him. They had a lot of work to do today.
"Let's go meet the mayor."
"Sure."
As soon as they reached the mayor's office, Noel and Anna sat down while the mayor reported everything about the progress of the city.
"The wall repair is about 90% complete. It will only take two more weeks for it to be completed. The city reconstruction is 80% complete. We will definitely complete it and make sure the city is as bright as possible before my lord and my lady's marriage ceremony.
"The main water storage and the secondary water storage have been built. However, the pipes are still in progress, so we will need more time. The central district has taken advantage of the water pipe, and I can only say it's amazing. So, the moment the pipes are completed, I'm sure that the people will be delighted.
"People have grown accustomed to living alongside the Rune Technology. Currently, there is no harm to the people around, so they believe that the Rune Technology is safe.
"The Moon Temple is helping us significantly in the city's reconstruction. In addition, having them here gives them hope in their beliefs, so their arrival has brought a good atmosphere to this city.
"The people have begun to move on from the past, so they are rather excited for the next development that the Lord plans to bring.
"I believe that we can even begin allowing more people to migrate to this city. Of course, I will follow the Lord's arrangement.
"While we're on this topic, I will also continue with the status of the main city's migration. The people that are about to migrate to the main city are residing in the north camp right now. We have taken care of them pretty well, and they seem to be eager to move to the main city." The mayor concluded the report with the migration progress.
Noel, on the other hand, looked serious after hearing the report, making people wonder if the report was bad or not.
