Chapter 332: Wishes Are Beautiful!

{Information Two: Thirty li southeast of Dark Goat Island lies a cluster of islets.

Around these islets, vast amounts of coral grow.

The presence of the coral reefs has attracted various marine creatures to settle here, including a school of magical sea clams that produce Water-Condensing Pearls.

{Information Three: Though the Stormhawk has no combat capability, as the first flying beast owned by the Stormlord Domain, its role is undeniable.

Yet for days, the Stormhawks have grown increasingly agitated, leaving members of the flight squad—including Ev Lan—confused and uneasy.

In truth, this is because the Stormhawks have entered their breeding season.

You may temporarily release the archers to roam freely; once mating concludes, they will return on their own and resume their normal temperament.

Moreover, this outing may even bring a surprise!

{Information Four: This world has countless adventurers.

For example, steppe adventurers, forest adventurers, even swamp and desert adventurers.

Yet maritime adventurers are exceedingly rare.

This is because maritime adventurers require extremely high costs: they must possess ocean-going ships capable of riding the waves, and these ships must be equipped with Sea God Stones.

Just this single item, conservatively estimated, starts at five hundred gold coins—a sum beyond the reach of nearly all adventurers.

Furthermore, the gains from the sea cannot compare with its dangers and costs.

Though oceanic resources are inexhaustible, they lie buried beneath the waves.

Thus, the only "treasure" maritime adventurers can find is a newly discovered island.

But as maritime trade grows ever more developed, discoverable islands grow ever fewer; only by venturing deeper into remote and perilous regions might new discoveries be made.

Yet even if a new island is found, whether it holds valuable treasures remains uncertain.

This is precisely why maritime adventurers have nearly vanished to this day.

Recently, however, in a tavern in Iron Wolf City, a middle-aged man claiming to be a maritime adventurer declared he had obtained a treasure map.

It records the location of a treasure in the open sea.

The value of this treasure is no less than three thousand gold coins.

He seeks patrons to fund his treasure-hunting expedition.

As compensation, he will take only two-tenths of the treasure; the remaining eight-tenths' profit may be distributed entirely to the patrons.

Initially, merchants and nobles were highly interested—but upon learning the required funding amount, all lost interest.

For the adventurer's funding condition demanded at least six hundred gold coins.

He needed this sum to purchase a seaworthy vessel and corresponding supplies!

In other words, the adventurer possessed nothing but his claimed treasure map.

Though he repeatedly assured that the ship would be returned after the expedition, the nobles clearly did not believe him.

Everyone feared that if he absconded with such a large sum, their investment would vanish into thin air.

Under these circumstances, the adventurer's expedition plan stalled, nearing abandonment.

Yet none of the nobles or merchants knew: the adventurer's promise was genuine.

And the treasure map in his possession was real.

{Information Five: After Catherine returned to the Hernald family, thanks to the favor of the current Duke of Hernald, the Violet Family flourished.

Yet, like other noble heirs, while benefiting from these advantages, she must also make sacrifices for the family.

For instance, nearly all noble heirs face arranged marriages imposed by their families.

Of course, due to Catherine's special circumstances and the Duke of Hernald's affection, the Hernald family did not force her to obey the family's marital arrangements.

But "not forcing" did not mean they ceased trying; the Hernald family still arranged for its heirs to visit Violet Castle with young nobles from other houses, hoping to match Catherine with them.

Catherine, bound by family courtesy, could not refuse too coldly.

Today, under the escort of Catherine's Hernald cousins, several heirs from other families arrived at Violet Castle.

And upon seeing Catherine's beauty, they immediately launched frantic courtships, presenting her with numerous gifts.

Catherine found this extremely distressing!

{Information Six: The orc raids along the Northern Frontier continue.

Yet prolonged small-scale attacks have lulled the Kingdom's nobles and Northern Legion into complacency.

They mistakenly believe this year's orc incursions will remain limited to minor raids.

But they do not know: the orcs' recent raids were merely probes of the defenses.

Tonight, the Beastmen have assembled tens of thousands of elite troops and marched south.

This means the Northern unrest this year is inevitable—a full-scale Kingdom war is about to begin.

{Ding! Daily intelligence refreshed…

Holy shit! Gervas cried out in astonishment!

What did he just hear?

The Spring of Life?

Though only in its embryonic form, once an embryo exists, is it hard to wait a few days?

Just over ten days ago, he had longed for a way to heal severely wounded soldiers.

Yet the system had found one for him within days.

System, my adoptive father—are you self-aware?

If you are, say something?

I'll serve you faithfully!

Gervas waited a moment; the answer was clearly he had imagined too much.

It was more like a coincidence.

But regardless, his small wish had been fulfilled.

Perhaps in the future, when needed, he could make more requests of the system.

Of course, after the joy faded, Gervas was drawn to the final piece of intelligence.

The Northern orc main force was preparing to march south and raid again; another Kingdom war was unavoidable.

This news was clearly not good for the nobles.

Not only would the Northern nobles be affected.

Nobles from other regions faced the same fate.

After all, the Northern orcs were more than several times fiercer than tribal savages.

When the tribal savages invaded before, only a few nobles from the Southern Region were conscripted.

But if war breaks out in the North, conscription typically occurs nationwide.

Though full-scale national mobilization is rare, conscripting one-third of the Kingdom's nobles is likely necessary.

This means many nobles from the Southern Region will surely be called up this time.

Moreover, the scale of conscription reveals the Northern Campaign is a true meat grinder.

Indeed, historical records confirm this.

If the casualty rate in other Kingdom campaigns is three in ten,

then the Northern Campaign's casualty rate consistently exceeds six in ten.

That is, six out of every four men die.

This is an appalling casualty rate.

"I just participated in the Western Region's Kingdom war—surely they won't draft me again?"

Though war means glory, Gervas believed: if you can survive, survive until you become a god before stepping out to show off.

After all, he had the system—if he could hide for three or five years, then raise thousands of light cavalry, he wouldn't need to stay so low-key anymore.

Of course, wishes are beautiful—but reality may be painfully thin.