I haven't seen him for many years, and when Rhodes came to the place where Lyanna worked, in front of Sarak's Abbey, he couldn't help but feel a little nervous and apprehensive.

He doesn't know how to face this woman, some emotions are so unfair, the person you love doesn't necessarily love you, and giving is never proportional to being paid. The world is full of contradictions and imperfections, and this is the real world.

Rod was nervous, shouldn't he face her? but sooner or later he had to face her. Lyanna followed her all the way, from the abbess of Blackhammer Castle to the current dean of the Erengrad Medical College, the chief priest of Sarak, her position is very important, in charge of the health and medical treatment of the whole Erengrad, and also takes into account the spread of the faith of the goddess Sarak, she is not only the abbot, but also the goddess in white in the hearts of the people...... The last hope of all patients who have no cure and no way out is her. At the same time, her position is a position of real power, and if corruption occurs, the consequences will be very serious. It can be said that Lyanna and Alves jointly propped up this big rear.

It is precisely because of his special identity that Rod has to be more careful in his relationship with her. This is a feeling that cannot be taken casually. If you let a woman invest but don't get anything in return, the consequences are very serious, and with Caroline's relationship, Rhodes knows that he can only keep his distance from Lyanna.

It was getting gray, and as the priestess stepped out of the convent with gentle steps, Rhodes stopped her.

"Rod!"

Lyanna was surprised by what she saw, and she was ecstatic to call out the name of the person in her heart. The voice was full of surprise, longing, sadness and helplessness. She almost trotted towards Rhodes, and when she was only a few meters away from the man, she suddenly stopped again and walked slowly.

Rod could see that the complex emotions were like waves rolling back and forth, stirring in Lyanna's heart, stirring her stubborn and sensitive heart. is also complicated, and Rod himself......

Should I hug her? No, no...... In full view...... Then, you can't be too cold, otherwise, it will seem too ruthless...... After thinking about it, Rod stretched out his calloused right hand and took Lyanna's delicate little hand, this action was so elegant, full of gentlemanly taste, neither indifferent nor ambiguous, just right. Yes, just right......

"I haven't seen you in a long time. ”

He greeted.

Lyanna felt hot and rough at Rod's hand, but she was reluctant to pull it away from the man's hand. She looked up at the tall man, he was a little more vicissitudes than she remembered, the stubble had not had time to shave, it was all around his lips, he was not the most handsome, but there seemed to be a magic that attracted her. She looked at him, wishing that time would stop there.

"yes, I haven't seen you in a long time, I didn't expect you to show up like this. ”

Reluctantly, Lyanna withdrew her little hand, and she walked side by side with the man in front of her in the garden of the abbey. It's as if they were walking together on the banks of the Winter Spring River.

"I thought about it, there is no need for a triumphal ceremony, it is a waste of money, the civil war has left the people of Kislev hungry and destitute, and it would be a waste to hold such a ceremony. The people will not remember you because of a triumphal ceremony, only what you really remember is what you really did for them. ”

Rhodes said calmly, Lyanna just listened carefully, she knew that she didn't have much time to walk side by side with this man, and she wanted to cherish this fragment of time.

"I heard that in front of the Bandargar Palace that day, countless undead stormed the defensive lines of the Northern Alliance, and you, with less than a hundred knights, rushed into the palace...... Caterina almost killed you. ”

"It's a lot worse, I'm a chosen one, and she won't kill me so easily. Besides, life and death have fate, the gods are above, if they want you to live, you can live, if they want you to die, no matter how powerful mortals are, they will not escape death after all. ”

Rod replied with a smile. This is Rod's own life insight, when he was young, he always thought he was very good, but in fact, when he looked back in middle age, he was just a chess piece between the fingers of the god of fate.

"Okay, let's not talk about these heavy topics, let's talk about you, how have you been all these years?"

As soon as the words came out, Rod regretted that he was really a straight man and didn't know how to chat with women. There is no need to ask, and I know that Lyanna is not having a good time, she is under great pressure at work, and she can't see her sweetheart, so she must be having a bad time......

"Normally, a lot of patients have to be treated every day, as well as the wounded who are brought back from the front. I don't know how many people's blood has been stained with my hands. Lyanna laughed at herself. They walked around the corner of a cloister, and the priestess sat down. "But we're all doing our part. ”

"By the way, what about Caroline? Didn't she come back with you?"

Lyanna suddenly thought of something.

"No, I persuaded her to stay in Kislev and become the head of the Academy of Magic. Dennis married Pavel and became Queen of Kislev, but this queen was not easy to be. Arranging some people around her as much as possible is also to protect her. Of course, in turn, Dennis is also protecting Caroline, she can play a much greater role in the Academy of Magic than returning to the North, times are different, Caroline is no longer as simple as the Lord of Heidelberg, and Dennis is no longer the innocent and carefree little girl she used to be. It wasn't until recently that I saw this fact clearly. ”

Rhodes chatted.

"So, are you planning to stay here this time?"

Lyanna looked at the man in front of her and asked seriously. There is no problem with asking this question, Yu Gong, it is normal, whether the king of the north stays in the north or returns to the capital, ordinary people should be concerned. It's okay for friends to ask like this.

Rod could only look into her eyes, and it took a long time to return-

"Here for the time being, and maybe back in the future. ”

Lyanna smiled, but the disappointment in her eyes could not be hidden.

......

The seaport of Erengrad, where Maximian used to come many years ago, when he was a young man. At that time, Erengrad was still unwarned, and the harbor was densely packed with ships, and countless masts along the dock were like thousands of sharp swords, reaching into the sky. Waves of people poured ashore and flowed on Huangang Street. Now, when he came to the city again, it was a different story.

The originally white city walls have been scorched black by several battles, and there are still many ships moored in the harbor, but without the figure of those overseas merchant ships, the merchant ships of the High Elves in memory are now gone. There are also very few merchant ships from the Far East.

There are still crowds of people coming and going on the streets, but there is no bustle and prosperity at all, and people's faces are obviously a little more tired and poor. He saw smoke rising from the factory in the distance, and it was clear that, under the new leader, Kislev was building his own heavy industry. The scene in front of him was not much different from what Maximian had imagined, or even better. He couldn't imagine what his capital would be like after two major wars, at least, Errengrad seemed to retain its original framework. It is like a stubborn northern wolf, scarred all over, but it continues to stick to its own territory, emitting its own sonorous soul.

"My lord, there's something I've always wanted to ask you. ”

At the bow of the ship, Maximian's personal bodyguard, Captain of the Auster Bull Guard, said with a frown. As the captain of Maximian's escort, he is close to the great lord and Elector Maximian, although there is a big gap in status, but there is no estrangement in private.

"Just ask. What are you hiding from me?"

Maximian turned his head and said.

"My lord, as the Elector of the Empire and the de facto leader of the Oster Lord, you don't need to make a trip yourself to a small marginal country like Kislev? I mean—you can have a diplomatic envoy come there, and you don't have to come yourself. ”

Walmir asked truthfully.

"Hahaha......" Facing the questions of his subordinates, Maximian first laughed, then stared at his captain of the guard, and said seriously-

"Who told you that Kislev is a small country? It is true that it is barren and lacks resources, but it has a lot of territory and population, and all of Kislev's territory adds up to nearly a third of the empire. The population is even larger than that of Ostling. Do you think it's a small country?"

"As for the edges, it's not either. The edge can only be used geographically, and when it comes to politics and military, it is not at all marginal. If it weren't for Kislev, we would have been the ones who suffered from the Chaos Invasion back then. Kislev can be said to be the frontier defense line of the empire. Most of the Imperial nobles looked down on it, but know that without Kislev, the people of the Empire would live in even greater fear. Those aristocrats will not live a comfortable and enjoyable life. There must be constant concern about external threats. It can be said that for hundreds of years, Kislev has used his own power to defend the empire and even the entire old world against threats from the north. In this regard, we must also respect our neighbors. ”

After Maximian finished speaking, he straightened his clothes and walked down from the bow of the boat. On the shore, city officials in Errengrad have been waiting on the dock for a long time......