Chapter 111 - 100: The Golden Goddess and Catherine’s Sense of Crisis

Chapter 111: Chapter 100: The Golden Goddess and Catherine’s Sense of Crisis

The reason he called it a defensive war rather than a conquest was because Sophie was not a War Witch. Using any other justification could have easily attracted unnecessary trouble.

Besides, the monsters of the Bone Forest had long been harassing the Southern Territory of Green Shade Territory, so calling it a defensive war wasn’t much of a stretch.

The moment he said this, all the nobles attending the banquet were shocked.

While the position of a Guardian Witch was incredibly respected, it was a hollow honor that came with no real power or land. No one had ever granted a Witch a fiefdom and a noble title.

First, a Witch’s lifespan was short, and they couldn’t have children, so worldly wealth and status seemed to hold little meaning for them.

Second, Witches were terrifying beings. Who would willingly follow a Witch who could lose control and be destroyed at any moment?

Finally, no lord or ruler in history had ever treated a Witch like a normal human being. In their eyes, a Witch could be a weapon, a blade, or a shield—but never a person. Thus, they had never even considered granting a Witch a title and a fiefdom.

"Heavens, did I hear that right? Lord Lian is granting the Ice Witch a noble title?"

"I heard it too. Something like this is completely unheard of. Has Lord Lian gone mad?"

"The Ice Witch could lose control at any moment. Is Lord Lian joking?"

The nobles looked at each other, murmuring amongst themselves.

But Lian ignored them. He turned to Sophie and said seriously,

"From this day forward, you are the Baron of Ice and Snow. You will have your own fiefdom and knights. You may choose your knights from my reserve of knight candidates."

Sophie was stunned. This was even more astonishing than when Lian had raised her hand before the crowd to announce her achievements.

She had never imagined that besides giving her the hope to live, Lian would also give her something she had never dared to ask for.

Though she didn’t need a fiefdom or knights, she was still overjoyed.

Because in this moment, she felt like she was being treated as a normal human being.

She knew Lian wasn’t just bestowing a reward upon her; he was declaring to everyone that the Ice Witch was not only a Guardian but also a citizen of Green Shade Territory. She could earn anything through merit, not just by fulfilling a responsibility or duty.

Catherine was also attending the banquet. She still wore her veil, as she had not yet removed it. Having recently lost all her relatives, the traditions of Blue Moon Territory required her to wear a black veil for a mourning period of at least half a year, and she could not remove it in front of others.

But it didn’t obstruct her vision. She could clearly see the blush blooming on Sophie’s cheeks. She could see Anna gazing at Lian with deep affection, and Annie staring at him, utterly captivated. Even the young Loli Riel from the Romayada family was looking at Lian with hero-worship in her eyes. Countless young noblewomen in the hall were casting fervent glances his way.

She suddenly felt immense pressure. ’I’m surrounded by a pack of wolves.’

It wasn’t just because the men of the Moria Clan were naturally promiscuous, but also because Lian was just too popular.

From Witches above to Maids below, nearly every woman was eyeing her fiancé like a tiger stalking its prey. ’I can’t stay in Green Shade Territory anymore.’

She wished she could leave this very instant and drag Lian back with her to Blue Moon Territory. They would have to stay there for at least three years, until she gave birth to Lian’s firstborn son, and only then would they return to Green Shade Territory!

Catherine downed a glass of red wine, trying to suppress her impulsive desires.

Lian didn’t notice his fiancée’s strange behavior. He continued announcing rewards for the others.

"Captain Cobb, as of today, you are promoted to Level 7 Officer. You are granted lands 1 through 10 in the West District of the Golden Forest..."

Lian promoted Cobb, Jerry, Robson, and the others. With the exception of Cobb, who was already a Knight, the rest were also granted the status of Knight, symbolizing their entry into the noble class.

Of course, there was a fundamental difference between these landed knights and ceremonial knights. Because they had not passed the Holy Empire’s knight examination, they could not prove their combat prowess. Still, they enjoyed prestige, status, and wealth, belonging to the lower nobility and ranking far above most commoners.

This brought the banquet to a climax. The newly ennobled men raised their glasses and cheered, praising their young Lord, Lian.

Lian savored the moment, and amid the cheers and praise, he dropped another bombshell.

"For the next year, Green Shade Territory will abolish all commercial taxes."

He wanted to revive the economy and thoroughly stimulate commercial development. Now that the passage to the Bone Forest was open, the merchant caravans should be free to pioneer new markets. He also wanted to welcome people from other cities to come and do business in Green Shade Territory.

Therefore, eliminating the commercial tax was undoubtedly good news for both internal and external parties.

The nobles’ jaws dropped once again. The commercial tax was a significant source of income, and Green Shade Territory was still ranked among the poorest territories in the nation. For Lian to dare abolish these taxes... what incredible audacity!

Even the Minister of Finance, Omari Hani, nearly choked. He had never expected Lian to make such a move.

Green Shade Territory was thriving; it was the perfect time to *raise* taxes, so why was he cutting them instead?

But when he remembered the two mining veins Lian had mentioned to him before, Omari Hani figured that waiving some taxes wouldn’t be a major issue.

"Actually, there is one more being we must thank for our smooth victory in the Golden Forest."

Lian said slowly.

The crowd, still reeling from the previous announcement, heard Lian use a very particular pronoun—one reserved for deities, not for a "he" or a "she."

As everyone stared in astonishment, Lian continued,

"Yes. We have received the blessing of the Golden Goddess. The Golden Goddess is a Favored One of the True God Tiger, an Angel who presides over the Golden Forest.

"To show our gratitude, I will build a church in Green Shade Territory dedicated to the Golden Goddess, Solaya. You may choose to believe in her. Worshipping her does not conflict with worshipping the God of Tiger. And, well... she will bestow upon you good fortune and wealth."

To give the Forest Spirit Solaya an official identity, Lian had to fabricate her status as a Favored One of the God of Tiger. In any case, it wasn’t like anyone was going to go after Solaya with some kind of divine-title detector.

As long as the God of Tiger didn’t show up to expose the lie, no one would ever know the truth.

Besides, building a church for a Favored One of the God of Tiger was not without precedent, which made the idea much easier for most people to accept.

The title "Golden Goddess" was clearly more appealing than "Spirit of the Forest."

To most people, a "Spirit of the Forest" was just another name for a monster chieftain; virtually no one would dare worship such a being.

But a Golden Goddess was different. Who was to say she wasn’t one of the God of Tiger’s mistresses from among his Favored Ones?

The nobles didn’t find the idea of a god having a mistress to be blasphemous at all. On the contrary, it seemed perfectly normal—after all, they all had mistresses of their own.

Hearing that the Golden Goddess could bring good fortune and wealth—such a specific domain of power—was incredibly enticing. The nobles who were eager to get rich wished Lian would order the church to be built that very moment.

「At the same time, back in the Golden Forest, Solaya also felt a mysterious surge of Power.」

Solaya’s soul seemed to have ascended to a new level. This was completely different from the boost she felt after leaving the Dream Cage; it felt more like an elevation of her very Status.

A small smile played on Solaya’s lips.

"Golden Goddess. I like this title very much."

Having made his final announcement, Lian finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He raised his wine glass and mingled cheerfully with his guests.

While the victory banquet was being held at the Lord’s Mansion, the streets and alleys of Green Shade Territory were also filled with dances and parties celebrating the triumphant return of the Southern Army.

The whole of Green Shade Territory was immersed in a joyous atmosphere, with tales of the young lord’s accomplishments spreading like wildfire.

Many people compared the old Lord to the new one, all agreeing that the irresponsible Old Golden-haired Moria wasn’t worth a single strand of the new Lord’s Golden Hair.

「Far away in Mills Tower, Old Golden-haired Moria couldn’t help but sneeze.」

"ACHOO!"

Moria rubbed his nose and looked up at the High Tower soaring into the clouds.

He had finally arrived at Mills Tower with his Knight Order.

Here resided an unaffiliated Witch who belonged to the Church. The purpose of Moria’s trip was to persuade this Witch to come out of seclusion and serve as Green Shade Territory’s temporary Guardian.

’It would be perfect if I could get this Witch to have a child with Lian, too.’

’Lian Moria isn’t my own son, but Lian Moria’s child will definitely be my grandson.’

Rumor had it that the Witch of Mills Tower was incomparably beautiful and, as one of the few adult Witches, was already eighteen years old.

’Witches can’t marry, but who said they can’t have an Illegitimate Child?’

’Yes, at least, that’s what Old Golden-haired Moria thinks.’