"This time I'm visiting the Empire in an unofficial capacity, so you don't need to worry about those official or formal invitations," Laine said gently. "Just enjoy this journey, that's all I wanted to tell you."

"To put it bluntly, you could just say this trip is a continuation of your honeymoon with Lady Surya, why make it sound so grand~" Veronica unreservedly teased. "I understand you're considering my feelings, but it's really unnecessary; we're all adults here." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

"It's fine if you see it that way," Laine responded with a wry smile.

"Miss Veronica, if you need, I could 'lend' Laine to you for a while," Surya said with a sly smile, holding her teacup while looking at the Jialan Witch, which made Veronica blush deeply.

The Jialan Witch did not refuse, quietly muttering, "Occasionally, depending on the situation."

The evening tea party continued for a short while until Teresa arrived. The female sorcerer, wearing a black turtleneck coat, black straight pants, and brown high-heeled boots, exuded a strong presence. She pushed open the door, respectfully greeted Lady Surya, and then joined them for tea. "The library is closed; we'll have to wait until tomorrow to visit."

"Hmm, since we're on the High Elves' ship, we should follow their rules," Laine said arrogantly, resting his chin in his hand. "Once we get to Brunswick, feel free to buy anything you want, I'll foot the bill."

Laine collected a whopping eighty thousand Gold Crowns from his wedding gifts, with the Duke of Marinburg Schultz alone giving fifty thousand. It was a time of prosperity for Laine, as he had just completed a large ranch between the forest and town and planned to upgrade the stables and knight's training grounds, further expanding the town.

The population was sufficient; it was time to further develop his territory because development is the key.

After the tea party, Veronica and Teresa left together. The two witches retired early to meditate, as they were to return to the library to study magic early the next morning.

Currently, both Teresa and Veronica were at risk of being outpaced by Laine, and Tygris' arrival provided them an opportunity to catch up. So, they focused all their energy on learning from Tygris during this period.

Only Laine and Surya were left in the room. Laine scooped up the smiling female knight into his arms, throwing her onto the bed in the corner of the room. The Divine Chosen Champion of the Lake Fairy laid his hands all over his wife, teasingly asking, "Surya~ Why are you smiling so strangely? It's unlike you."

"Laine, your two female courtiers are both strong-willed," the female knight shook her head. "As for Miss Teresa, that's one thing, but you've been with Miss Veronica for so many years, why haven't you had a child?"

Laine shrugged at her question and whispered in his wife's ear, "It's due to my bloodline constraints. To prevent my lineage from being corrupted by Chaos, Veronica cannot conceive until her Spirit Rune Imprint is fully matured. With us often apart, her imprints haven't fully matured yet."

"Then... how can they mature?" the female knight asked with a flushed face. Asking such a question made the noble Duke's daughter incredibly shy, reminding her of their honeymoon in the tower. She hinted, "Laine, the Lady has repeatedly urged us to have a child soon. You need an heir."

"An heir? Hah~" Laine chuckled internally. Kissing Surya's sweet lips, he said, "It's getting late, my lady. If we want a child, I can't do it alone."

"Laine... together..."

... The sea breeze blew gently...

Sailing was actually quite boring. After the initial excitement, Laine and his group found themselves out of place on the ship. Language barriers, lifestyle differences, and the typically aloof, arrogant attitude of the High Elves made Surya's servants unhappy. They opted to keep themselves mostly confined to their rooms.

Teresa and Veronica devoted their attention entirely to studying magic, while Laine and Surya continued their honeymoon nights unabated, maintaining the peace.

After a week of sailing, Le Anglong was reached.

On the windy sea surface, huge waves crashed against the ship's sides. Surya, dressed in a coat and boots, holding Laine's arm, stood on the deck, gazing at the distant Le Anglong Castle.

Le Anglong Castle is one of the greatest wonders of the Old World. This castle was a testament to the former glory of the Elf Empire and served as the first trading port the High Elves established in the Old World. Later, it was abandoned after the High Elves retreated. When the Brittanians crossed the Gray Mountain Range, a tribe of horsemen discovered this enormous abandoned castle and decided to settle there immediately.

The castle's most magnificent feature is the giant lighthouse over 95 meters tall, said to illuminate the entire sea within 20 kilometers. The castle walls are so smooth that they appear like a massive marble sculpture. The walls extend from the lighthouse to the land, forming a grandeur wall so wide that ten soldiers could walk side by side.

"It's so beautiful. This is the symbol of the former Elf Empire," Surya holds Laine's arm and points towards the distant lighthouse at Le Anglong Castle, "This isn't my first time seeing the castle, but I am always in awe."

"That's because this was the last place the High Elves withdrew from the Old World," Tygris approached from behind. The Supreme Grandmaster of the High Elves stared distantly at Le Anglong's lighthouse and sighed softly, "The last battle of the Battle of Longbeard also took place here. Phoenix King Calado II perished in this battle, beheaded by the Dwarf Supreme King Gaucrux-Shattered Star from that time. The Dragon Rider lineage ended with this battle, and the Dragon Taming Technique ceased its lineage. The Phoenix King's Crown blessed by the Divine Power of the Elf Gods was confiscated by the Dwarves and still resides in the vaults at the Eternal Peak. This incident weakened the collective power of the Elf Gods... since then, the Elf Gods strictly prohibited new Phoenix King's Crowns from leaving Ossuan."

"The High Elves once ruled the world. The Elf Empire at that time governed all peoples, except the Dwarves and Shilan, and all races bowed at their feet. Fleets starting from Ossuan traversed continents, bringing astronomical wealth into Ossuan annually."

"Now, all that remains of the former glory is an illusion, leaving only Le Anglong Castle occupied by humans and the gigantic lighthouse atop it as fragments of that past splendor, for the Elves to reminisce and feel sorrow."

"I am sorry to hear that." After hearing the story, Laine didn't know what to say and chose a moderate response.

"There's nothing to be sorry about, Calado II brought this upon himself!" Tygris scoffed disdainfully, shaking his head repeatedly. "What is truly regrettable is the end of the Dragon Tamer lineage."

"The Dragon Tamer lineage?"