[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-exiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela":3,"chapter-exiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela-exiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela-chapter-77":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Exiled from the Start and Dominating the Wasteland with an Intelligence System",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1688677,2155,"Chapter 77 : Chapter 77","exiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela-chapter-77",77,"\u003Cp>Chapter 77. The Princess Arrives\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A fine day began, as always, with the daily routine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A pale blue light screen silently unfolded within Eli’s mind, and a deep purple beam swept across his vision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Purple: Details on the change of rulership in Runestone City: Sabda Medici used two hundred soldiers to feign an attack and a defeated retreat, luring the main defending force out of the city in pursuit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Gold-Tier Knight Calvin Medici, who had been lying in ambush in the dark, launched a surprise decapitation strike and slew the defending commander.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shattered the defending army and, at the cost of nearly a hundred casualties, successfully seized Runestone City.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli’s fingertips tapped lightly against the desk, and there was no surprise on his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So it was exactly as I thought,” he murmured, confirming his earlier guess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Duke of the Southern Frontier had given Sabda extremely considerable reinforcements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feigning defeat to lure out the enemy, then using a Gold-Tier Knight to launch a surprise decapitation strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At present, this truly was the most effective and least costly method for taking weakly defended strongholds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“With Runestone City as his foundation, and with part of his forces already reduced, he will definitely lie low for a while next.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He will absorb the population, reinforce the city’s defenses, and accumulate strength.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli judged Sabda’s likely course of action. “In the short term, he should not launch a direct assault on the Black Territory.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This confirmation from the intelligence system allowed the tautness in his nerves to ease a little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His thoughts could not help drifting to another piece of purple intelligence, one that had existed for some time already, yet had never been acted upon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Purple: Deep within the Forgotten Rift on the border of the Western Frontier, in an underground cavern, lies the hidden tomb of “Iron Hand” Bardel.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Forgotten Rift, Bardel’s tomb...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after asking Scholar Avar had Eli learned that the legendary “Iron Hand” Bardel was one of the founders of the ancient City-State Alliance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within that tomb, there was very likely considerable wealth, lost martial techniques, and perhaps even secrets concerning this land.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before, his strength had been insufficient and the timing had been wrong, so he could only bury that intelligence deep in his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli’s gaze swept past the increasingly towering outline of the city walls outside the valley window, while the orderly shouts of soldiers drilling on the training ground echoed from afar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bloody battle against the beast tide had tempered veteran soldiers, the population of the territory had surged, and the grain reserves were abundant...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The necessary strength was now in place, at least in its initial form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sabda’s threat had temporarily receded into the background, and now, he also had time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It is time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli made his decision. The exploration of Bardel’s tomb was now officially on the agenda.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that, he quickly began calculating the manpower available to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There are three hundred and fifty veteran soldiers left who have been tempered by the beast tide.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As for the Black Crow Knights, there are forty men remaining under Captain Buck.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The territory’s population is abundant, and the grain reserves are sufficient to support an expansion of the army... I can recruit another two hundred new soldiers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That would not only fill the gaps in the routine defenses of Lucerne City and the Obsidian Territory, so that we can respond to Sabda’s threat,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>but also further absorb the new population and provide more manpower for the next operation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he was immersed in his deductions, there came a light but hurried knock at the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young Master?” It was Estor’s voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come in.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Estor pushed the door open and entered, the expression on his face complicated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord... Butler Sebastian... has returned.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh? The butler is back?” Eli felt a burst of joy. That mysterious old butler had disappeared for many days, and now he had finally returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With him here, the chances of successfully exploring the tomb would increase by several more degrees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He... he did not come back alone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Estor’s expression was somewhat strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At his side... there was also a lady with a very... rather unusual bearing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And... and also a... well, a mouse?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The very noisy marmot that came here before.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A lady? A mouse? Gulu?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli suddenly raised his head. That combination... could it be?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sprang to his feet. “Where are they?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lord Sebastian brought them directly to the Council Hall,” Estor replied at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli did not hesitate in the slightest. He rushed out of the study and headed straight for the Council Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And when he suddenly pushed open the heavy wooden doors of the Council Hall, the sight before him made even his breathing stop for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the Council Hall, the fire in the hearth danced and flickered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sebastian stood in silent attendance in a shadowed corner as he always did, that unchangingly flat expression still on his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And seated upon the place of honor that belonged to Eli...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Princess Irene sat there with elegant poise. That world-shaking face of hers had now been replaced by a more delicate and graceful appearance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wore a comparatively simple light blue robe, and her silver-white hair fell loosely over her shoulders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only those eyes, deep and tranquil like a star-filled sky, remained unchanged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fresh and ethereal, Eli judged in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And on the broad oak table before her, that plump little marmot\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>stood upright on its hind legs. The great Lord Gulu had its tiny paws planted on its hips,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>radiating all the swagger of someone proclaiming, “I, Hu Hansan, have returned!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Her Great Highness the Princess and the great Lord Gulu,” Gulu’s shrill voice broke the silence of the Council Hall,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“have descended upon her loyal Obsidian Territory! Where is the applause?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli: “...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An overwhelming urge to press a hand to his forehead rose within him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He forcibly suppressed his speechless frustration, took a deep breath, and stepped forward a few paces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, facing the figure seated in the place of honor, he pressed his right fist to his chest and bowed deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I, Eli Pendragon, pay my respects to Your Highness.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He automatically ignored the noisy marmot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Irene’s gaze fell calmly upon Eli, yet she did not respond to his salute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She merely tilted her head slightly and signaled with her eyes in Sebastian’s direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having received the princess’s look, the old butler gave the faintest nod toward Eli.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That flat expression on his face seemed... to soften by the slightest trace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, his figure became like ink dissolving into shadow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the blink of an eye, he vanished beyond the heavy doors of the Council Hall, leaving Eli alone with the two unexpected guests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli looked toward the direction in which Sebastian had disappeared, and the corner of his mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That old butler... had simply run off like that!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Helpless, he turned his gaze back toward the seat of honor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Knight Eli,” Irene’s ethereal voice rang out, breaking the silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Will you not introduce me to... your territory?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Introduce his territory? To an elf princess?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli suppressed the strangeness in his heart and organized his thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Highness, this place is called Black Territory Valley. It is the current foundation of the Pendragon Family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At present, there are... nearly three thousand subjects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its main industries include basic farming, mining operations, forging, and some fishing and hunting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for defense, the city walls are currently being raised and reinforced. There are roughly three hundred and fifty standing soldiers, in addition to forty elite knights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From nothing to its current initial form, it has been... roughly three months.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He neither exaggerated deliberately nor affected excessive humility. He simply stated the facts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Three months... nearly three thousand people...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within Irene’s tranquil starry eyes, the faintest ripple passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She truly felt a trace of surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the long perspective of elven life, for humans to establish a settlement of such scale\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>usually required several years, or even longer, of accumulation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The efficiency of this human exceeded her expectations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet her expression did not change in the slightest. She merely gave a light nod, her tone as calm as ever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. In a place like this, to start from nothing and, within only a few short months, manage it to this extent...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She paused for a moment, then finally gave two words that carried no discernible praise or criticism.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It barely passes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the side, Gulu muttered in a small voice, “Barely passes? This is already amazing, all right?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Your Highness the Princess has standards that are way too high...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But its voice was ignored by Irene just as completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rumble— A loud growl suddenly sounded from atop the table, breaking the brief silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gulu rubbed its round belly hard with its little paws and looked pitifully toward Eli with its black bead-like eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey! Human! Did you hear that?! The great Lord Gulu is hungry!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We walked such a long way! I want good food!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheese! Meat! Lots and lots of it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli’s gaze swept over the marmot that was hopping on the table in protest, then turned toward Irene as he asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Highness, why have you suddenly come here, and why did you arrive together with my butler?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Irene reached out and covered the marmot’s mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You may call me Irene. I have only just awakened not long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, I should become acquainted with the outside world. I merely happened to meet your butler friend.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sharp gleam flashed through Eli’s blue eyes, and a bold thought instantly took shape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey! Did none of you hear it? Lord Gulu’s belly just said it is hungry!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He ignored Gulu’s howling yet again, met Irene’s gaze, and revealed a sincere smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Princess Irene,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>you have only just awakened, so I imagine you must also be full of curiosity about exploring the unknown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>May I ask... whether you have any interest in... archaeological expeditions?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Archaeology?” Irene raised a slight brow. “Oh? Let me hear it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It is like this.” Eli stepped closer and lowered his voice somewhat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I obtained a reliable piece of intelligence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deep within the Forgotten Rift on the border of the Western Frontier, inside a hidden underground cavern,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>there rests the tomb of ‘Iron Hand’ Bardel, a legendary pioneer from the early Western Federation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within it, there are very likely buried... some rather interesting relics.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Irene listened quietly. Exploring the resting place of an ancient powerful figure?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That truly did stir the curiosity that had lain dormant within her for a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the spark of a human life was brief, Irene had to admit that there were still brilliant flames among them,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>ones that could often leave behind traces beyond expectation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey!!! Are either of you even listening to me!!!” Gulu finally exploded in fury!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those two were actually completely ignoring the cries of its stomach!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It did not dare vent its temper at the princess, so its rage instantly turned toward Eli.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You hateful human! How dare you ignore the great Lord Gulu!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a shriek, it shot forward with a WHOOSH straight at Eli’s head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Caught completely off guard, Eli only felt a sudden weight on top of his head, followed by several strands of white hair being yanked hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah! You damned marmot! Let go!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Startled and furious, Eli instinctively reached up to seize the ball of fur wreaking havoc atop his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Absolutely not! That is what you get for ignoring me! For refusing to feed me! For abusing small animals!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gulu clung tightly to Eli’s hair, its four little paws kicking and scratching wildly against his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, the solemn Council Hall was filled with Eli’s exasperated shouts and Gulu’s furious shrieks, and the entire scene descended into complete chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the seat of honor, Irene watched the absurd spectacle before her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That white-haired human lord, who always seemed so steady and sharp,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>was now flailing in utter disorder as he “battled” with Gulu, and all of his composure had vanished...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint smile, like the first thread of spring water released from melting ice,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>quietly rippled through her eyes, lighting up that deep and boundless starry sky.\u003C\u002Fp>",2047,"2026-06-06T13:50:45.844Z",1,"novelbin.me","867e14b541f0783070412fe42a358650e7cadf9dc6903ab37f96298395e352df","exiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela-chapter-78","exiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela-chapter-76",112,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fexiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela-cover.jpg"]