Heir to the Kingdom of 1.4 billion people

Chapter 141 Dorothy: What, I'm marrying His Highness?

The Northern Frontier, Snow Sheep Village.

Hu Hu Hu.

The cold wind howled as always, stinging one's face like a knife.

In the open space at the village entrance, a girl with long, icy blue hair ignored the chill and simply gripped the Lionheart Sword tightly, repeatedly swinging it.

The girl's swordsmanship was extremely exquisite, like the wings of a butterfly fluttering in a flower field, light and graceful yet concealing deadly intent.

rustle.

The sound of snow falling.

A few crystal-clear snowflakes fell onto the girl's shoulder.

Clang clang!
A flash of emerald green sword light appeared, and in an instant, the hexagonal ice crystals were almost simultaneously and precisely split in two by the blade.

"Hoo." After finishing all this, the girl sheathed her longsword and exhaled a puff of white mist from her cherry-pink lips.

clap clap.

A middle-aged man watching this scene quietly from a distance clapped his hands with a smile on his face.

"One, two, three, in less than a second, a total of seven snowflakes were cut off from the center line."

"Dorothy, your swordsmanship has improved even more. Even on the entire continent, you are definitely one of the top geniuses. Even the Duke, who was once hailed as the number one person under the throne, did not have such martial prowess at your age."

Ransen praised him lavishly.

"You flatter me, Uncle Lansen. There are new continents beyond the mainland, and even more outstanding geniuses beyond geniuses. I am still too weak!"

Recalling Tamerlan, who could easily suppress her, and the unfathomable prince, a sense of urgency flashed across Dorothy's pretty face as she spoke with a hint of disappointment.

Upon hearing this, the smile on Lansen's face froze instantly.

He always had a feeling of unease, because he had once been a genius admired by thousands, but he still paled in comparison to the dazzling Dorothy.

Yet this dazzling person turned around and said he was too weak.
"Dorothy, you are already the best knight in all of Sosia, yet you still maintain such humility. I have never believed more than now that you will surely be able to slay that gluttonous king from his throne in the future."

After a moment of thought, Lansen couldn't help but sigh from the bottom of his heart.

"Let's go, it's too cold outside, we should go back."

“Kari sent someone to tell me today that he has successfully found the trail of the legendary beast of the North, the white lion that freezes everything, the ‘Winter Claw’ Helimda, deep in the frozen forest.”

As they walked back side by side, Lansen hesitated for a moment before finally speaking.

"We finally found it! It was indeed hidden in the permafrost forest!" A hint of excitement immediately flashed in the girl's emerald green eyes.

For a knight's path to advancement, having a powerful mount would undoubtedly make the journey much smoother, not to mention a lion-type magical beast that is compatible with her. If she could successfully tame it, she would have a great chance to advance to the Crescent Moon rank in one fell swoop.

"Uncle Lansen, let's pack our bags right away and head to the Eternal Frozen Forest first thing tomorrow morning," Dorothy said impatiently.

“I’m sorry, but I think it’s too early. The ‘Winter Claw’ should have already reached the peak of the Crescent Moon rank. Even if you have the Mason family’s talent for getting close to lions, it would be too dangerous to approach it before reaching the Crescent Moon rank.”

Lansen shook his head, rejecting the idea.

“A named magical beast will not leave its territory easily. Don’t worry, with your talent, reaching the Crescent Moon rank is only a matter of a few years.”

Seeing the girl's disappointed expression, Ransen comforted her.

"By the way, young master, you're already twenty years old this year. It's time to consider leaving a bloodline for the Mason family."

Then, as if he had thought of something, he frowned and spoke.

Girls from aristocratic families typically marry at eighteen, and those over twenty are considered old and unmarried.

Dolores is the last bloodline of the Mason family. As a loyal knight, in order not to let down his deceased lord, he has to advise her to put marriage on the agenda as soon as possible, that is, to urge her to get married.

Swish!
The girl, who had previously shown no fear even against the infamous named magical beast "Winter's Claw," now seemed to have encountered a raging flood, transforming into a streak of blue light and instantly moving dozens of meters away from Lansen.

“Uncle Ransen, the King of Gluttony is not dead, and the blood feud in the East is still alive. How can I forget the blood feud because of personal feelings for my children?”

Dorothy crossed her arms over her shoulders and asked warily.

Seeing her resistant expression, Lansen took a deep breath, and azure magic erupted from his body.

Swish!
Before Dolores could react, he teleported in front of the young lady.

“Young lord, leaving behind our bloodline will not hinder our revenge. On the contrary, when we have accumulated enough strength to resist the Gluttonous King in a decade or so, your child will have grown up and be able to stand on his own.”

"I'll say it," Lansen said expressionlessly.

"Ahhh, but Uncle Ransen, I really don't want to have a child with a man I don't like at all just to keep the family bloodline!"

Upon hearing this, the girl clutched her head and squatted on the ground in pain.

She'd rather fight a dragon empty-handed than have a child with a man she doesn't love, having never experienced love before!

Seeing the girl he had watched grow up in this state, a hint of reluctance flashed in Ransen's eyes.

“How is Garrid? He’s twenty-three years old and has already reached the Morning Star rank. You grew up with him, so you have some feelings for each other. Besides, his father died protecting the Eastern Frontier.”

"I'll slow down my tone," Lansen said.

"Are you sure he dares to marry me?" Dorothy asked with a strange look after a moment of silence.

When she was a little girl, Garrett was appointed as her sparring partner because they were close in age. Because she was eager to become stronger as soon as possible, she sparred with him very frequently and without restraint.
It can only be said that the fact that the other person had never been married or even experienced love until the age of twenty-three was largely due to the trauma of his childhood.

Recalling the young man's fear of women like a venomous snake, Lansen's lips twitched involuntarily.

"What about Blevin? What about Wally? What about Gowen?"

"No, no, no."

After several carefully selected candidates were rejected, Ransen sighed helplessly.

He knew that he couldn't find anyone in the North who could satisfy Dolores.

But that's normal. In this land with its harsh climate, famine, greedy lords, and even the local lords who believe that the strong should rule everything and the weak are only fit to die, how could you find a man worthy of a young lady?
Wait, the North won't work, but if Lansen's eyes lit up outside the North, he suddenly remembered a rumor he had recently heard.

“Dolovie, I recently heard from the knights who returned from the Southern Territory that a sage has recently appeared there. It is said that he is kind and benevolent, and treats everyone equally, whether noble or poor. He even embraced a mad peasant woman who had lost her child.”

"He used his wisdom to persuade all the viscounts and lords of the Southern Territory, leading them to pursue justice at all costs, thoroughly cleanse the brothels and gangs in their territories, and even try the evil nobles, bringing unprecedented peace and prosperity to the entire Southern Territory." "If we want to grow and develop, the help of a wise man is crucial," Lansen said patiently, like an old father who worries that his daughter will not be able to get married and tries his best to persuade her.

"And most importantly, this sage is about your age, and I've heard he's a handsome man with extremely rare black hair and eyes."

Upon hearing this, Dorothy, who had been covering her ears and pretending not to hear, suddenly froze.

Recalling His Highness's appearance in the Starfire Hall, she had a vague guess in her mind.

"Uncle Lansen, what is the name of that sage?" she asked anxiously.

Lansen was overjoyed, thinking that the girl had finally come to her senses, and quickly said her name.

"That sage's name is Mingyu Xia, which means 'shining the world.' What a name full of profound meaning and ideals!" Lansen praised without reservation.

Upon unexpectedly learning of His Highness's true identity, Dorothy's face lit up with joy, which made Ransen, who was carefully observing her expression, even more ecstatic.

Very good!
The young lady has finally become interested in men, and he no longer has to worry about the Mason family bloodline dying out and toss and turn all night!
“Dorothy, if you’re interested in this sage, why don’t we set off for the Southern Territory first thing tomorrow morning?” Lansen said impatiently.

"Let's forget it, Uncle. Although I am indeed interested, I am not worthy of that person," Dorothy said with a wry smile.

Ah, are there still men in this world whom even a Grand Duke's daughter, a twenty-year-old Crescent Knight, is not worthy of?

Lansen was taken aback, but looking at the bitterness on the girl's beautiful face, which was as picturesque as a poem, he could naturally tell from the fact that the girl's words just now came from the bottom of her heart.

hiss!
Lansen gasped.

He realized that perhaps it was because of the knight training he had undergone since childhood, which was far more intense than that of most men, that Dorothy's values ​​as a woman had become seriously distorted.

Before being a valiant knight, she was also a stunningly beautiful woman!
She should not feel inferior if she falls in love with any man in the world; instead, she should feel that the man is honored!

"It's rare that the young lady is interested in a man. Perhaps I could write a few letters to that sage in her name to get to know him. Then I'd also need to buy her some pretty dresses and accessories so she can try learning to dress up and dance."

Lansen pondered to himself.

Tapping.

At this moment, a somewhat frail-looking young man ran over. Upon seeing Dorothy, he first hugged his elbows and shivered, then cautiously approached and said:

"Young Master, Lord Lansen, the village chief of Ice Deer Village has come again, probably still to borrow grain."

"Our food supplies are running low, and the knights need even more food for their training. Let's find a reason to send him away."

"Wait a minute, Uncle Ransen."

Just as Ransen was frowning and about to instruct Garrid to refuse, Dorothy interrupted him.

"If we suspend knight training, we should be able to save some food, which we can donate to Ice Deer Village," Dorothy said.

"But if we stop training, the strength of our knights will stagnate. When will we be able to accumulate enough power to take revenge?"

"I think if it were my father, he would have done the same."

Lansen wanted to offer more advice, but Dorothy silenced him with just one sentence.

Yes, if it were Grand Duke Mason, he would definitely do the same.

Because he was a man who, like the sun, couldn't bear to see others cry.

It was precisely because he couldn't bear to see others cry that, despite being the most powerful person under the royal family, knowing the heavy price of resistance, and being in dire straits, he still brazenly raised the first banner of rebellion.

In the room where the stove was burning brightly.

"Two people starved to death in our village today, one the day before yesterday, and three were sold to the slave capital the day before that."

The old man, wrapped in a patched-up old leather robe, recounted the events in a sorrowful tone.

The old leather robe was thick, but it couldn't hide his emaciated body beneath.

His neck protruded from the collar of his fur robe like a withered tree root, the cartilage protruding beneath the thin skin clearly visible.

"Lord Lansen, please lend us some more grain. We will definitely repay you next year!"

The old man knelt down on both knees and begged.

"Take it, this is all we have."

Dorothy placed a bag of rye in front of the old man and said softly.

"God above, kind lady, thank you, thank you so much!"

After saying goodbye to the elderly man who was moved to tears, and watching his frail figure gradually disappear into the wind and snow, Dorothy felt a heavy weight in her heart, as if someone were stabbing her in the heart.

"Uncle Ransen, can I go and kill Lucas and distribute the food from his castle to the people of the Icefield Territory?"

After a long silence, Dorothy suddenly spoke.

The Snow Sheep Village where they now live is located in the Icefield Territory of the North, and Lord Lucas Icefield is one of the most tyrannical lords, even in the harsh climate of the North where lords are more greedy than the next.

Lucas was immersed in cultivation, and in doing so, he ruthlessly exploited everyone in his territory in exchange for the resources needed for various advancements.

Staying in the Icefield Territory, there are only two paths: either the whole family will starve to death, or they will be sold to the slave capital to become slaves in exchange for enough food to keep the rest of their family alive for the time being.

Then it's another cycle.

“I’m sorry, Dolores. Killing Lucas would be easy, but if it attracts the attention of Morven Dean, the Lord of the North, everything we’ve worked so hard to build will collapse. We have to hold back,” Ransen said calmly.

"But I really don't want to put up with it anymore!"

A surge of emerald green magic erupted from the girl, and the resulting shockwave caused the blazing flames in the furnace to tremble.

"No matter the reason, I can no longer stand by and watch innocent people fall into hell in front of me."

“I swear in Mason’s name that I will take his head within three days.”

"I want to see if he can stand up to a woman who grew up eating black bread and mushroom soup after drinking so much blood!"

Dorothy said coldly, her beautiful face now filled with a chilling killing intent.

Late at night, the girl tossed and turned in bed for a long time before finally falling asleep.

In her dream, she returned to that magnificent hall that made her feel safe and warm.

(End of this chapter)