Speaking those words seemed to use up all of her courage. Anno quickly lowered her head, not daring to let Charles see her expression. "Isn't that a little childish?"
Before Charles could reply, she hurried on, "Don't rush to disagree—I actually have my own reasoning. I truly believe this dream can be realized."
Charles held her small hand and answered seriously, "I believe it can come true, too."
Anno jerked her head up, confused, gazing at him.
Charles looked down at her, offering a gentle smile, then lowered his head, touching his forehead to hers, softly nuzzling. "You first, dear—what do you think is the way to make world peace real?"
Anno lowered her head again, cheeks pressed against Charles's chest—but this time, she stretched out her arms and wrapped them around his waist. "I think… there ought to be a place where people from all around the world can gather to communicate, to sit down, talk, figure out what they really want. Understand not just their own needs, but also what their so-called enemies truly need."
"Really, Charles—after reading so many histories of war, and articles in geography journals, I've realized that many wars aren't inevitable. So often, a conflict comes from a simple misunderstanding of each other's perspectives."
"And even wars for survival could be avoided. Think of the primitive tribes on the Red Soil Continent—they sit on mountains of precious minerals, any of which would fetch a sky-high price across the sea, and yet since they can't exploit them, they end up at each other's throats, fighting their own kin for mere survival, despite sitting atop a mountain of gold…"
Her voice grew more passionate as she went on, "I just feel it could all be avoided, if there were a place where everyone could talk, negotiate terms, and trade fairly. It wouldn't end all wars, but at least ninety percent of them could be solved…"
"That place—is it Liberl Port?" Charles asked softly.
Anno gave a shy smile and nodded in earnest. "Yes… It's not just that I love my home. I truly think there's nowhere else that does it better."
"Here, even the gold dragons—symbols of justice—and the authoritarian, even evil blue dragons, can coexist in peace. Their holdings are in the very same districts. In the central district, every day, deals worth hundreds of millions are struck, letting poor lands build prosperity, and advanced ones never lack for resources…"
As she spoke, she slowly raised her head, hope shining in her eyes. "I believe that as long as this continues, one day, peace will truly come, and this world will hold greater wonders than we can imagine."
With a gentle smile, Charles caressed her hair, though in his heart he let out a weary sigh.
So this girl sees Liberl Port as a kind of United Nations…
Actually, not even the UN ever had this much power…
He mused to himself, but Anno noticed his smile and pinched his side. "No mocking me!"
Charles winced. "No, I'm not mocking you—it's adorable, honestly. I'm just really happy, that's all…"
Anno pinched him again—harder this time—then finally let go, puffing her cheeks and glaring at him.
Charles reached over, squeezed her cheek, and asked gently, "So what is it? Why do you suddenly doubt your dream?"
Anno's gaze dropped, her expression dimming. "Because, right during the last battle, it struck me—wasn't Rockseeker's Outpost just a small Liberl Port?"
"It was really good—gave so many Mountain People a place to meet and trade, let tribes escape poverty and find wealth."
"But in the end, it was destroyed. There will always be people in this world who nurse bitter, implacable hatred for others…"
And so, confusion clouded her mind. "Will Liberl Port one day fall to war, too?"
Charles gently stroked her hair and offered comfort, "No, of course not—don't worry."
"Rockseeker's Outpost was destroyed because it lacked the power to defend itself. But Liberl Port isn't without protection, right?"
"We have Blackstaff Tower, Strixhaven University, the security forces of all the major conglomerates… and most importantly, our Lady Laeral Silverhand, the city's lord, is the trueborn daughter of the Goddess of Magic."
"The Goddess of Magic would never abandon this city. If a problem arises that all these powerful groups cannot resolve, then there's likely no one in the world who could. When it gets to that point, the gods themselves will intervene—isn't that true?"
Charles was lying.
He knew perfectly well that after the disappearance of the Goddess of Life, the Goddess of Magic too had vanished. There were great stirrings among the divine realms, but he still told the comforting lie: the gods would not ignore the material world, and one must have faith in the deities.
What else could he do? He couldn't allow his beloved to be consumed by fear.
So, he held Anno's hand, his other hand tenderly stroking her hair, his tone absolutely certain: "The destruction of Rockseeker Camp looked like evil defeating justice, but in truth, it was just an isolated event—one stray shadow among countless corners of the earth."
"But Liberl Port is the world's crossroads—here, viewpoints and races mean nothing. All the defenders of order are gathered."
"To destroy this city would be to make an enemy of the entire world."
"And so…"
He pinched her ear. "Liberl Port could never fall."
Anno's heart began to race; never had she felt such a sense of security. Her face pressed against Charles's chest, wanting only to meld herself into his warmth.
"So… my wish can come true?" she asked softly, barely intelligible.
Charles answered gently, "Of course. We'll protect Liberl Port together. I believe our dreams will become reality."
Anno looked up, gazing into his earnest eyes. Gradually, her hearing faded, as if the world had lost all other sounds but their heartbeats.
Love filled her entire vision—only his face, only his lips remained.
Her mouth parted softly—never had she felt so thirsty. She began to gasp, warm breath brushing Charles's face, sending a forbidden message.
Charles sensed it; he bent slightly, but before he could initiate the kiss, Anno threw her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss herself.
Their lips met, deeply and hungrily.
Outside the tent, Hattie—sensing what was happening inside—suddenly put her hand on her chest, brow furrowed. Beside her, Theresa reached over and put an arm around her shoulders. "What's wrong?"
Hattie closed her eyes, brows pinched in pain but forcing herself to shake her head. "Nothing… just, Theresa, I still can't be as openhearted as you, I can't so easily accept Anno joining us…"
Theresa laughed. "Is that all? It's just a kiss! If you're this upset, how come you weren't the same with Nidalee or Malena?"
Her ability to distort light was letting them project the scene from inside the tent for herself, Hattie, and Nidalee, a live feed they could all witness without entering.
Hattie shook her head, tightly, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. "It's different, Theresa, it's just… different."
"Master's feelings for Anno aren't the same, not as for them, or even for us…"
Theresa's smile began to fade, her expression growing complicated.
Hattie… really, another woman merely ranked above you—or maybe just equal—and already you're in such pain?
But have you ever thought of what it's like for the rest of us, who came after?
We were never by Master's side when he was at his most helpless. By the time we arrived, he was already strong in both power and renown; there's no way for us to ever hold the unique place that you do.
But you already have it. Whenever Master remembers his past, you will always be the first in his heart. How can you not feel content?
Theresa wanted to say this, but looking at Hattie's anguish, she could only send her thoughts with her eyes.
Inside the tent, Charles embraced Anno's delicate body and kissed her with fevered passion, eyes closed. He had never been so excited—every muscle tense, mind purged of all remnants of technique, filled only with maddening desire.
Anno, too, responded fervently. Though inexperienced, she'd read romance novels, and now she parted her pristine teeth, actively seeking out his tongue, craving affection, only to be rendered helpless by his eager dominance.
She was so aroused, the muscles in her face almost spasmed with tension. But she couldn't pull away, savoring a faint, sweet taste that overwhelmed her senses, drawing her further still—
Until Charles's hand slipped under her hem, caressing her firm, smooth waist. Not content, he slid upward, claiming her proud breasts, kneading through her undergarments, even trying to undo her bra, to explore her fullness and mystery. That snapped her to alertness. "No!"
She tore away from his mouth, a thin strand of saliva still linking them, trailing lewdly as they parted.
She pressed his wandering hand in place, suddenly aware of what he was attempting. Her cheeks burned red. "We can't…"
Peeking toward the tent doorway, she lowered her head. "It's still daytime…"
Charles felt a pang of regret but knew she was conservative and unwilling to go further, so he didn't press.
Instead, he withdrew his hands and pulled her into a close embrace, lips at her ear. "Then… we wait for nightfall?"
Anno pinched his side again, making him wince. "Not even at night. I'm… not ready."
She wrapped her arms around his waist. "…Let's wait until after we're married, all right?"
By the time she finished, her whisper was soft as a gossamer thread.
Hearing that word—married—Charles held his breath, a sudden weight pressing hard on his chest, leaving him at a loss on how to respond.
Married?!
Wait, Anno wants to get married already?!
But we're not even eighteen yet!
Then again… in this era, people do marry young…
Suddenly, a different kind of pressure weighed on him. His mind drifted to the real estate prices in the luxurious districts of Liberl Port. Not like the South Harbor District, where a couple thousand gold could net you a sturdy old house…
In those prime areas, you'd need at least two hundred thousand gold to afford anything decent.
And Anno's noble upbringing wouldn't let her live in anything less than a detached little villa. Which would multiply the price several times…
Then there'd be milk for the children, tuition, arts classes…
Just thinking about it left him dizzy.
And that was just the beginning. Seeing the complex look on his face, Anno, pressed close, could feel his hardness—her cheeks blushed red, and she understood what pressure he must be under now.
"I'll try and convince my family," she said softly. "So they'll agree for us to marry soon—and maybe we can have several children—oh!"
She'd actually counted on her fingers earlier and estimated that twenty children might be possible. So now, without thinking, the words slipped out.
Realizing what she'd said, she quickly lowered her head, too shy even to meet his gaze, only showing him her golden hair.
But Charles's sense of pressure only grew more intense.
A terrifying, four-legged gold-devouring beast—and Anno already planning for a brood…
"Ahem." He coughed, glancing away, desperate to dodge the mounting stress. "It's all right, Anno, I'm in no rush."
As he gently stroked her hair, melancholy filled his heart: in both his past and current lives, he was in no way ready to be a father.
But now, the towering peak of "marriage" had just dropped onto his head, and his first instinct was to flee the tent…
"Sounds like something's going on outside," he said, making up an excuse. "I'll just check it out. Are you tired? Get some rest, all right?"
With that, he rose to leave.
"Wait, Charles, don't go." Anno suddenly called. "You haven't said."
He paused.
"You haven't told me yet," she pressed, "What do you think is the path to world peace?"
Charles froze awkwardly. "Er, well…"
Seeing his hesitation, Anno's face grew sullen. "Did you just make something up earlier to comfort me?"
If so, she'd feel quite unhappy. She could understand if he merely wanted to cheer her up, but it would still feel patronizing.
It would mean he wasn't really respecting her.
Charles hurriedly shook his head. "No, no—absolutely not. I truly believe in this."
But seeing her skeptical look, his worry only grew. "Uh… It's just… I don't really know where to begin—how to explain what I really believe, or the method."
Anno blinked. She still thought he might make things up, but some part of her wanted to hear it. "Go on, I'll try to listen."
"Okay. So, have you ever heard of 'the surplus value theory'?"
...
Anno truly had trouble following. It was a new concept, and though Charles explained as simply as possible, it was hard for a paladin who'd never studied the topic, and soon her face was a mix of confusion and distress.
Seeing her struggle, Charles sighed and boiled it down to the simplest point. "The key idea is, every country must achieve fairness within—if wealth pools in the hands of the idle few, war and tragedy are bound to happen."
Only then did Anno nod lightly. "I… I think I understand a little."
Charles let out a long sigh. "That's the gist of it. Of course, fairness is easy to say, but impossible to achieve…"
He shrugged. "Let's drop it for now. You get some rest—I'll take a walk. After two hours, we'll set out again for Liberl Port."
Anno quietly nodded. When Charles left the tent, she curled up under her blanket, feeling dizzy, her mind spinning with his cascade of new words and the logic behind them.
Suddenly, a strange thought crossed her mind: By Charles's logic, are the rulers, nobles, and great tycoons of every country really the cause of all wars?
And…
Does that mean that I, my whole family, are the so-called 'idle few, the vested interests of the existing order'?
Just as these doubts surfaced, her eyelids drooped in exhaustion. Weariness swept over her and she couldn't think any more. She closed her eyes and fell fast asleep.
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