High Above

——I am a dog.

The elderly man was walking on the mottled stone road, and the Marquis Barton, who was wearing a hat to hide his identity, was walking in his own city. He looked around at the clean and tidy streets and the leisurely pedestrians, and he couldn't help but say this sentence in his heart.

——An old dog that patrols its territory and comes out for a walk from time to time.

Lowering his eyes, Marquis Barton heard the melodious sound of the organ not far away. On the street on the sea side, a bard had set up a stage, hung up a sign, and was concentrating on playing.

This is a quite capable bard. Marquis Barton has often hidden his identity over the years to inspect the cities in Nanling, but there are only a few bards who can play different instruments every day like this one. Different tunes.

The stage was somewhat rusty, and passers-by stopped to watch. The old Marquis also stopped and listened to the other party's performance for a while, and then left silently.

Dog is not a derogatory adjective.

In Terra's culture, dogs are symbols of loyalty, responsibility, friends, calmness and intimacy.

The vicious dogs of Dulimbo, the sharp-tooth knights of the East, the watchdogs of the defenders... People praised Barton Henryl for his loyalty and keenness, and no abnormality could escape his sense of smell.

He can always catch all the spies who are sneaking into Nanling with the greatest accuracy, and he can always tell who is not 'loyal' at the first time.

Yes, he could see that.

It was obvious that the handsome white-haired boy had nothing to do with loyalty.

The exiled descendant of the Cejalrovo family, a knight from the exiled port of Harrison, had never received education related to the empire since he was a child. To say that he was loyal to the empire was to be blinded and confused before he could say it.

But he still pushed the young man up. Use your best strength to push up.

Because he could see that the young man had extraordinary abilities.

The old dog smelled it.

The taste of [success and fame].

The humid summer sea breeze swept through the street. An old dog lying in front of the house shook its head and stared at the street entrance with hazy eyes.

It is old. It has fulfilled all its responsibilities and achieved its due achievements. The owner likes it very much and specially made a special kennel for it. It is comfortable and warm enough for it to enjoy its old age.

It has enough food to eat and its abilities are still there. If there are robbers, it will definitely be able to bark like it did when it was young to alert its owner and protect its house.

But it's dying. In other words, it saw its own end and smelled danger... The old dog was a little scared.

Afraid of death?

Of course not. If it was afraid of death, how could it not stay in its own kennel but continue to lie in front of the house?

What it is afraid of is ‘no guarantee of late holidays’.

Nowadays, the environment is getting worse and worse. Some time ago, an outsider wanted to invade the house, and the momentum was fierce. Fortunately, it was already prepared to introduce the thief into the house and take it down in one fell swoop - but this was just once. He was already old and could not do it again. Played at full strength several times.

It's going to die.

It's okay to say now, but in a few years, if outsiders want to invade the house, will it still be able to move? Can you still knock people down? Can you still scream and protect your family?

The old dog had no other unnecessary thoughts. It has always been loyal, courageous, calm and reliable. It just wants to have an old age where it can keep its reputation for the rest of its life...

A successor who is strong enough and smart enough.

As for loyalty, that is none of his business. It is loyal to its master, and other people have nothing to do with it.

"What will my name become when I die?"

Staring at the old dog in front of him and thinking like this, Marquis Barton couldn't help but laugh: "Henryle's Bai Yan, or the mediocre governor of Nanling?"

"If it weren't for Ian, I'm afraid this would be the result. I would be a governor on the border of the empire, retire and die with little fame, and everything would be forgotten. But in general, I can be regarded as enjoying my old age."

"but……"

He still wanted a better name engraved on his tombstone.

Soon, the Marquis came to the seaside.

He stood on the beach and looked up at the sky above the blue sea.

There, in the far distance of the sky, an airship is slowly flying over - Canaan Moore and the Empire have exchanged airship channels. This is a signal that exchanges between the two countries will become more frequent in the future.

But now, its arrival only means one thing.

The young man he chose, the talker of the people of Nanling Mountain who secretly supported him, the patrol knight, the messenger of the Dragon God... the lord of Xiahui Territory, the Earl of Yinfeng, the prophet of Nanling was about to return.

——Can he understand the meaning of what I do? He is so young, can he really understand why I support him, and why I let my son take a step back and let him take the lead?

——Can this clever little fox, this soaring eagle, understand the profound meaning of me, an old guard dog?

——Can this ambitious white citizen really understand the future he faces?

The Marquis of Barton did not know.

He couldn't see through Ian, just as he couldn't see through his Majesty.

The only people an old dog can see through are those with clear goals and clear interests - if the enemy wants to invade, he can smell hostility; if there is internal corruption, he can smell greed.

However, his Majesty, the prince, princess, and this prophet... are all extremely complicated things.

They are all monsters whose thoughts are far different from those of ordinary humans.

They are all strong men who have surpassed the 'human limit' and reached the 'fourth energy level', as well as a 'genius' who is destined to advance to the fourth energy level in the future.

The Marquis of Barton didn't know the answer.

So he waited.

Waiting for the arrival of the prophet.

Time passed, the sun slowly set, and under the glow of the setting sun, the airship also slowly landed.

Not far away in the square in the city center, people were already waiting. Nauman City Hall has arranged drinks and fruits, as well as free access to bread and cheap meat. This is a celebration to celebrate the return of the prophet.

Officials from the Gnostic Academy and the Imperial Noble Hall stepped out of the airship one after another, and stood respectfully on both sides one after another, forming a road. The knights were silent, guarding with spears, and behind them, a slender young man with a smile walked out of the airship.

His eyes are warm aquamarine, and his long hair is pure white and clear, hanging down around his waist. The white robe on his body has the Yinfeng family crest tattooed on it, a layer of ice blue that is difficult for ordinary people to see, but the Marquis of Barton can see it. Ripples enveloped his body, and a hazy star formed faintly behind him.

He surprisingly already has a mind-light body, and the aura of the goblin is even stronger... Yes, he is indeed more like a goblin than a human being. How could Falling Star City let such a genius go?

Fortunately, it was a fairy and the empire could accept it. If it were Dragon Island, even if there was an ancient contract, the empire would be angry.

The prophet smiled and looked around at all the people who greeted him, the knights and officials who bowed to him and stood on either side of him - even the nobles were among them.

Most of the nobles in Nanling are barons, with only a few viscounts, who are in charge of the penal colonies at the interfaces of the South China Sea, Southeast China Sea and the Western Mountains. There are no counts in Nanling, only a marquis governor. This is proof that Nanling has not been fully developed and is not a 'royal land'.

And now, the first earl of Nanling was born.

Right before their eyes.

Therefore, even those ascended nobles who are also earth emperors in their own territories did not bother to come to Nauman City to welcome the return of the earl who represents a new signal, a new era... to welcome the prophet who guides their path. .

The Marquis of Barton is old, and everyone knows who will rule Nanling in the future.

The Marquis of Barton stood at the end of the carpet in the airship passage, while the white-haired Earl walked down the stairs of the airship and stepped on the carpet.

The young man raised his head and saw the old man.

——Will he respect me?

——Can he understand me?

——Can he know the meaning of this welcome?

——Can he understand what I, Barton Henryl, am trying to say by summoning all the nobles and officials in Nanling to come here to greet him?

All thoughts are like dandelions in the wind, spinning and drifting away.

Because the young man’s voice of surprise shattered all myths.

"Your Majesty the Marquis!"

The prophet, who should have been solemn, calm, and assuming the posture of a great nobleman of Nanling, opened his arms cheerfully after seeing his old superior, and stepped forward quickly with a look of joy on his face: "You actually came to greet me, this is really true. It makes me so happy and ashamed.”

"I wanted to take the initiative to visit you, but you really don't need to come to pick me up!"

He was so sincere, so heartfelt, so sincere - if Barton hadn't been able to tell that this was too real, and therefore somewhat fake acting, he would probably have been moved by it.

No.

Even though he could see it, he was very moved.

"well."

Taking a step forward, Marquis Barton reached out to hug the young white citizen who was walking quickly, and patted him hard on the back. The old man whispered in the other person's ear: "You are still so smart, so sensible, and so thoughtful."

"I know clearly that you are acting and you actually have bad intentions, but you still like you from the bottom of your heart."

"That's ridiculous, my lord."

In response, the young man's sincere voice sounded: "You are so sensible, so cautious yet dare to make choices, which makes me admire you deeply."

"Only a smart person like you deserves my heartfelt respect."

Both sides let go of their hands and broke the embrace.

Ian Silverfeng didn't seem to care at all about his status as an earl, which was a prophetic status that was on par with any great nobleman in the empire. He bowed his head deeply to the Marquis of Barton and saluted as a junior to an elder: "If it weren't for the Marquis, With your love and support, I will never be able to achieve what I am today."

——He lowered his head.

-He still respects me.

——He completely understood what I meant and what I was thinking.

Therefore, in his heart, Marquis Barton also lowered his head.

So the smarter and cunning a person is, the more they respect others.

This may be the original meaning of respect - both parties bow to each other, understand each other, and achieve each other.

Therefore, we can cooperate and climb to greater heights.

——My king, do you still respect me? That’s why I honored Ian as an earl, so that he could prevent me from wasting all my previous efforts and risking my life in the future?

maybe. The Marquis of Barton no longer thought about these things.

"This is all due to your own efforts and talent. Earl Yinfeng, please come, everyone is waiting for you."

Patting Ian on the shoulder, Marquis Barton motioned for everyone else to follow him, then turned around and walked side by side with Ian towards the city hall: "The people in the square are still celebrating. You will have a speech later. It's early morning." Just what was agreed upon.”

"Are you ready?"

"certainly."

In response to Marquis Barton's inquiry, the young earl smiled slightly. He seemed to be impatient and said: "I have made all the preparations."

"It's just that, Lord Marquis, I have one more thing that I need you to help me prepare."

"What's the matter?" Marquis Barton said, "You said others would take care of it."

"That's right, Lord Marquis, I need a large amount of raw materials for the 'Clear Heart Potion' and a large amount of raw materials for the 'Fear Potion'."

The youngest alchemy genius in the empire, and even the master of alchemy, made a request that made Marquis Barton feel a little confused: "The quality must be good, and there should be no impurities."

"Don't worry, there will be no problem. I will be of great use."

Marquis Barton looked at Ian carefully.

After understanding what the other party meant, he stared at the young man's face seriously and questioned: "Is it necessary?"

"Face is not enough."

The prophet said calmly: "And since it is a lie, it is better to exaggerate it."

"Trust me, there are no side effects, I promise."

"...Young people are really having fun..."

Marquis Barton sighed, waved his hand, called a messenger, and then issued an order.

After giving instructions, he turned his head and looked at Ian: "The materials will be delivered later. You can refine it yourself and don't make any mistakes."

"Yes. Prepare some atomizers for me, and I will control them myself with source matter."

After all the prerequisites were prepared, Ian came to the Nauman City Political Alchemy Room.

And here, while he was waiting for the "lecture potion materials" to arrive, he didn't think about how to speak or use the "script" or "potion" next.

In front of his forehead, a crown of stars lit up.

The cross stars intersect with each other to form the shape of the crown. These cyan gems are dim in color and have no light shining in them... However, at the very front of the crown, there are two star cores that flicker slightly, lighting up from time to time, illuminating That scarlet and blazing white core.

And now, the third gem on the left side, the scarlet insect path, lit up with a brilliant golden light.

This brilliance is like the explosion of a star... no, it was created by the explosion of stars.

【Guiding Star】

【The Path of Star-Falling】

"...I really didn't expect that before I even started my speech, the people of Nanling were already being 'guided' by me?"

Sitting on the chair in the alchemy laboratory, Ian opened his eyes slightly, with a half-smile on his lips: "It seems that this is the result of Marquis Barton sincerely considering me as his 'successor'... Yes, I am already an earl." , is the second largest nobleman in Nanling."

"And the largest aristocratic governor, the Marquis Barton, will no longer govern and interfere with me. So using my ability to guide the entire Nanling, isn't it just a matter of rebellion?"

Smiling softly, Ian's eyes also lit up with cyan light: "It's good that the Guiding Star becomes stronger, which also allows me to see more truths and gain more skills."

This was the first time he fully activated his inner light body 'Guiding Star' after knowing his true nature and transforming into a fairy.

And at the moment of activation, the young man's expression changed slightly: "Oh? There has been feedback?"

"This is... the battle report of that swarm path? Did he listen to my opinion?"

In the Guiding Star, within the scarlet gem, there is information vaguely originating from parallel time and space.

It was the roar of the insect swarm, as well as the grateful ‘likes’ and ‘good reviews’, as well as the ‘rewards’.

Obviously, He was very satisfied with Ian's previous opinions and technology. Ian, the insect swarm in parallel time and space, now estimated to have overcome a difficulty, so he began to 'give back' to Prophet Ian as 'reward'.

The true ability of the Guiding Star is officially beginning to operate at this moment!

My work schedule has recently resumed! However, my body and update time have not fully recovered. I will take a day off tomorrow to adjust and think about the next new plot, and then resume updating at 8 a.m.! The number of updates will slowly come back, you can trust me!