Chapter 477: The Past Is Long Gone

Thinking of these schemes, Rod couldn’t help but smile bitterly. He could only sigh inwardly—old foxes remained old foxes; they had accounted for everything, with every move calculated to serve multiple purposes. Truly ingenious.

What was more, even though he knew of their plans, Rod still couldn’t resist being attracted by this condition! It seemed like there would be no loss for him—on the contrary, it appeared to offer many benefits, making it quite tempting.

After all, they had no intention of leaving the continent, so the Dark Duchy had to be preserved at all costs. At the very least, they needed to retain a few cities—this was their bottom line and everyone’s consensus. Just this alone was enough for the Lance Empire to reap significant benefits. But it was also inevitable.

For the Source of Darkness, doing so was equivalent to opening the doors to the outside world, allowing them to stop living in isolation within the Source of Darkness. It would create a trading zone, giving them more space to live in the outside world.

As for the threat of magical beasts, there was no need to worry. With several magical beast clans stationed here, how could those beasts act recklessly? Clearly not possible—this meant no future troubles.

Additionally, forming an alliance with the Lance Empire would further stabilize the Source of Darkness’s position on the continent, eliminating the fear of being betrayed by other nations. It was truly a win-win situation.

This could be considered a mutually beneficial alliance! At this thought, a faint smile appeared on Rod’s lips.

“How about it? These conditions should be quite good, right?” Okaaz grew uneasy seeing Rod frowning and deep in thought after hearing his words. He knew his plans well—would he have angered the Source of Darkness?

Finally, Rod managed to smile slightly, causing Okaaz to breathe a sigh of relief. At least nothing terrible had happened. He quickly asked, seeing hope.

Meanwhile, Lucia and the others were utterly silent, watching Rod attentively. They had come here with this mission, hoping for his support. Everyone knew Rod’s status within the Source of Darkness, and if he agreed to support them, the cooperation would be almost certain. They couldn’t help but feel nervous.

At the same time, having experienced the power of the Source of Darkness and witnessed the achievements that Viski and his group had made over the years, these people were even more eager to gain Rod’s support and form an alliance. An idea arose in their minds, filling them with excitement. If the empire could send a team here every year to receive training from the Source of Darkness and engage in exchanges, the benefits would be immense—even just one or two people would suffice, as having an additional strong warrior greatly enhances a nation’s strength. An empire with several god-tier warriors at its disposal could undoubtedly intimidate many nations, especially the ambitious Meister Empire. Moreover, they would still need to take into account the power of the Source of Darkness.

“How about it?” Seeing that Rod hadn’t replied, Okaz asked anxiously.

Rod couldn’t miss the expressions on everyone’s faces. Smirking inwardly, he took a deep breath to calm himself before looking up at Okaz. “Our bottom line is to preserve this Duchy of Darkness. Of course, specific details and matters related to cooperation need to be discussed before a decision can be made. I can’t make decisions alone. The Source of Darkness belongs to those powerful families; I’m just an outsider!” Rod said this with some reflection.

“But… you…” Realizing Rod’s intention, Okaz became anxious and pressed further.

“Hehe, I can only propose this idea. Besides, it seems there’s more than just the Lance Empire’s delegation on the continent—there are other nations as well. At the very least, this matter directly affects the interests of the Meister Empire. Even if we reach an agreement here, we don’t know what their attitude will be. It’s better to bring this up during negotiations. As for the Lance Empire’s sincerity, I’ll take it back. I’m sure everyone will be interested!” Interrupting Okaz, Rod smiled, deferring the issue to others.

“Alright, in that case, I hope you’ll speak more about it. Don’t forget, the Lance Empire was once your homeland too, and it will surely open its doors to you in the future!” With a sigh, realizing Rod was avoiding the issue, Okaz could only say that helplessly. But he was certain there was hope—after all, when he heard the proposal, Rod thought carefully, smiled, and didn’t reject it outright, which meant there was great potential.

“Homeland?” Rod said, feeling somewhat emotional about the concept of homeland. Was it still his homeland?
“Cough, cough… Well, if that’s the case, I’ll leave first. You should really think carefully about this—it’s a win-win situation for us. Alright, you young people go on chatting. I’m too old to keep up with your topics!” Seeing Rod’s expression, Okaz gave a wry smile and said helplessly. He then signaled to Kiro and the others before turning to leave.
Okaz’s departure once again created a somewhat cold atmosphere. Rod, Alice, Lucia, Kiro, and John stood in the back garden. A gentle breeze brought a cool sensation, and the chirping of insects added to the quietness of the surroundings.
“Those girls just now…” Lucia finally spoke, her voice still lively and soothing to hear. It was undeniable that such beautiful tones could attract anyone.
“That’s right!” Rod took a deep breath and spoke calmly, no longer avoiding the question. He felt something for them, and they felt something for him—that said it all.
“Then congratulations!” Lucia said softly, her expression becoming more complex as she glanced at Rod, her eyes showing a hint of disappointment and resentment.
“Are you still holding grudges against us?” Lucia asked, somewhat unwilling, seeing Rod’s indifferent attitude.
“Grudges?” With a wry smile, Rod looked up at them. “So much time has passed. It’s not really about holding grudges. The past is past; there’s no need to dwell on it! We’re just on different sides doing different things. Right now, I’m on the side of the Source of Darkness, so of course I think for its benefit!” Rod was now convinced of this.
But while he was at ease, Lucia and Kiro looked worried. The idea of having to think for the Source of Darkness seemed ironic. Was it implying that since the Lance Empire abandoned him and he joined the Source of Darkness, he was now turning back to negotiate with the continent to gain benefits for it, helping the Source of Darkness seize more advantages from the empire? It felt like a blow to the face.
“You’ve all made great progress over the years!” The conversation seemed awkward, so Rod changed the subject.
He could instantly tell how strong they were—almost all of them had reached the quasi-saint or saint level. Kiro had already reached the saint level, while the rest were at the quasi-saint level. They could be considered powerful figures on the continent! After all, they were all students of the Holy Light Academy—truly the pride of the Lance Empire.

“You can’t compare to me!” When it came to strength, Kiro said with a bitter smile, “Back then, you were just a Silver Warrior. And now?” He was filled with emotion—once, that person was nothing but an insect to him, but now they had reached a level that made him look up to them. The changes in just a few years were enormous.

“It’s just luck!” Rod said with a bitter smile, feeling somewhat ashamed of himself as well.

“Since we’re here for a while, why not have some fun? Viski and the others are here too. If you have nothing to do, you can spar with them. I believe it will be of great help to you!” After thinking for a moment, Rod said to the group. For people at their level, it was rare to find someone of comparable strength on the continent to spar with!

Yet such spars played a crucial role in their improvement, and Rod wasn’t stingy about helping them out.

“Then we won’t hesitate. Let’s see just how strong that kid has become!” Kiro said with a smile.

Once the conversation started, the atmosphere became much warmer. The group began to chat and laugh, but the feeling from before could no longer be found.

“The members of the Swift Wind Mercenary Group have also come to the Dark Duchy!” After a while, Kiro said to Rod.

Hearing this, Rod was stunned for a moment before showing a slight smile. “Jerome and the others have arrived! How is the Swift Wind Mercenary Group now?” He asked casually, feeling a hint of excitement as his brothers were coming.

“They’re all here. I told them about you here!” Kiro said with emotion.

“Over these years, we’ve taken good care of them. Boss, you might not know, but the Swift Wind Mercenary Group has now turned into a full-fledged mercenary group. They have many members, including many strong fighters. We’ve assigned many graduates from the Holy Light Academy there, and we also send Holy Light Academy students there during their trials. It’s one of the largest mercenary groups in the empire!” John became excited when talking about the Swift Wind Mercenary Group.

“Hehe, I’m now the deputy leader of the Swift Wind Mercenary Group. How about that?” John said proudly.

Rod was a bit surprised. He didn’t expect it to develop so quickly in just a few years. It seemed it was thanks to these people’s help; otherwise, it would have been impossible for them to grow to this level. For a moment, Rod felt grateful to them. It seemed he had done quite a bit without them over the past few years, which brought some balance to his mind.

In a few days, when Jerome and the others arrive, we’ll be able to reunite properly, and my mood improved greatly at that moment.