It is unclear whether they were frightened by Lydia's sudden arrival of 60,000 troops, or if the reformers finally realized that they would be dead if they did not change, so they finally made a courageous decision——— which was to gather all the remaining forces of the Southern Army and go to Calendric to defend against Lydia's attack and "defend" the city of Calendstral from being recaptured.

Of course, the reformers call this a bold decision, but in Rhodes's view, they are already gamblers who have lost to the point of losing at the table, and now they can't wait to let themselves go bankrupt completely. Although on the surface, the assembled Southern Legion was 40,000 men, and in terms of numbers, as long as they could reach Calendrian, it was still unknown whether Lydia's royal party would lead an army of 60,000. However, if you look closely at the information, you will find that the composition of the 40,000 army of the reformists can be described as colorful, and in addition to the regular army, there are 5,000 civilians.

That's right, civilians.

The strength of the Southern Legion has always been the weakest of all the legions in the Duchy of Moon, because it is located in the south, relatively peaceful, and basically has no influence or threat except for the barbarians in the southern wilderness. Unlike the North and the East. Needless to say, since they are directly bordered by the Night Dragon Country, the inhabitants of the Eastern Plains have been fighting against the undead for generations, and of course, this kind of dispute is private, and has never risen to the level of diplomacy. However, its intensity will not be diminished by this, and because of this, the combat power of the Eastern Mountain Plains is second to none in the Duchy of Moon. And because of their bloody sacrifices all along, the stability and safety of Moon have been secretly ensured, and the royal family has always given Dongfang Yamahara enough care and privileges, and even allowed them to close themselves off, even if it is a matter such as mobilizing the army, they will communicate with each other first. Because of this, although the Eastern Hills are not visible in the whole of the Principality of Moon, their influence is not small, and they have no small power, whether it is within the royal party or the reformers who are currently eager for independence. I didn't dare to alarm Dongfang Shanyuan to avoid causing trouble for myself.

As for the Northern Legion, it's even better to say, because the northern border borders the Night Dragon Country and the Light Dragon Country at the same time, the army stationed here is also the most, because it has to be guarded, so in the Principality of Moon, except for the Eastern Mountain Plain, which has been secretly fighting with the Night Dragon Country, the strength of the Northern Army can be called the first.

And look at the South. The only thing that needs to be dealt with is the barbarians, occasionally dealing with the undead who may cross the border, plus there are mountain ranges, basically very peaceful and there is no incident, so the number of the Southern Legion has always been the smallest, even less than 80,000. Moreover, the strength of the Southern Corps is not in the army, but in the navy. But no matter how powerful their warships were, they couldn't sail on land.

The reformers had not been able to get the results they had hoped for in their previous raid on the Parfield Defence, and if it had not been for the success of Box's subsequent desperate plan, they would have now begun to consider a retreat after defeat. But now, now that Karenster has been captured. Naturally, the reformers did not want to spit out the meat that had already been eaten in their mouths. And in the face of Lydia's army, they can only fight for their lives and grit their teeth to go up.

These 40,000 men are almost all the people that the Southern Army can mobilize, and many of them are even hostile and opposed to the reformers, but now the Southern Council has no heart to pay attention to the ideas of these soldiers, even if they oppose their own actions, their families live in the city, and they can refuse their orders. But can they give up their families?

But. The Southern Council also knew that the soldiers were not very obedient, so they forcibly conscripted 5,000 civilians into the army. Naturally, this decision has made the exhausted people of the South, already messed up by the war, even more miserable, and some have even begun to reflect on whether it was the right decision for them to follow the approach of the reformers. After all, when the uprising was launched, the reformers promised the people that they would bring a better life and more freedom to the people, but looking at the South now, with soaring prices, chaotic law and order, and even forced conscription of civilians, all of this is too far from what they said before. Even the "tyrannical" royal party has never forcibly conscripted civilians into the army!

Moreover, in doing so, the reformers directly drained the troops on the southern wilderness border, and those barbarians also began to invade the towns and villages on the southern border after losing their restraint and deterrence, and several villages have been attacked, with heavy casualties. But the reformers are ignoring this, what they are doing now is tearing down the west wall to make up the east wall, and for the reformers, what does it matter if a few people die in the border villages? Those barbarians did not dare to go straight in, as long as they waited for the Council of Light to send people to mediate, and then they sent people to expel these barbarians.

Although the reformers have not heard of the idiom "lose the pawn and protect the car", what they think is not far from that.

But Rhodes knew very well that since the reformers had made this irreparable decision, their fate had already been decided——— maybe in two months, he would be able to go to the Golden City and admire the corpses fluttering in the wind in the grove behind.

But this has nothing to do with Rhodes anymore.

After destroying the Ice Demon, Rhodes returned to the fortress with the mercenaries, as he still had a lot of important things to solve.

Lijie always likes to think about things, but there is one thing she feels, that is, Starlight has developed too fast, in just a few months, she has jumped from a mercenary group to a mercenary guild, and even participated in battles such as the Battle of Parfield, and now she still has a vague reputation as the number one mercenary guild in Moon, which is not only like a dream for Lijie, but also a little worried for Rod.

Guilds are growing too fast.

Fortunately, in the guild, there are four people in the guild, such as Rod, Marlene, Canary and Bubbles, so that their mercenaries did not get carried away because of this, and they were able to be human with their tails between them. Otherwise, the upper echelons will be proud, and the lower echelons will also lose their way, and this mercenary guild will end up being just a flash in the day. And this is for Rhodes. Apparently not allowed. Now that the Starlight Guild has risen high enough, the next step is to start from the foundation and rebuild it to avoid being top-heavy and falling headlong.

During this time, Rhodes has been busy with his feet on the ground, and after leading the mercenaries to clean up the group of short-sighted Southerners on the Pafield Line, he went directly to Cranmer and the Ice Demon without even returning to the fortress. But Rhodes was busy. The Land of Atonement has not stopped, although Marlene's departure has temporarily halted many important affairs and exchanges in the guild, but with the canary here, at least there is no problem in the operation on weekdays. Sometimes, even if there are some more important issues, the canary can make a decision on his behalf as long as he contacts Rhodes. And now, the situation of the Starlight Guild can be said to be very good.

With the addition of the Silver Celestial Chamber of Commerce and the Keller family, as well as the flow of commerce, more and more people came to the Land of Atonement, many of whom were civilians, and the Land of Atonement was still strictly a place rich in resources, and the reason why no one had come here to develop it before was because it lacked a power as powerful as Starlight. Existence of the shelter to be able to cover. And now, the Starlight Guild has grown here, the Land of Atonement is not as dangerous as before, and those bandits and bandits who are entrenched in the mountains and forests have also been swept away, so many people will naturally come here, eager for opportunities and wealth.

Of course, it's not just civilians who come here, but also a lot of mercenaries who lick their blood.

Lijie didn't understand why many people thought that Rod's Starlight would vaguely become the first guild in Moon. This is because she herself simply doesn't care. It didn't take into account the thoughts of most of the mercenaries. The reason why mercenaries choose this profession is to take money to sell their lives. For them, money, fame is what they want most. And what about after the mercenary industry has a lot of food and clothing? As the saying goes, once the mercenaries are accustomed to the adventurous life and have strong strength, then they are no longer satisfied with standing on the street like a street girl, who pays for it and goes with whomever they pay. For those who have the strength, most of their expectations are divided into two categories, one is to create a new mercenary group on their own, and then develop and grow their own strength. One is to rely on their own strength and skills, to go to those nobles, to get their affection, and then be recruited by them as private soldiers, if lucky, even to become the nobles' cronies and right-hand men, this day is much more comfortable than a simple hard life.

It is precisely because of this that Starlight has become a sweet spot in the eyes of many mercenaries.

Especially after Rhodes was personally awarded the title of knight by Lydia, many mercenaries were jealous, because they all knew very well that as a nobleman and the president of a mercenary guild, if Rhodes wanted to form his own private army in the future, then he would inevitably choose trusted people from his mercenary guild, instead of recruiting people like other nobles. If you can join the Starlight Guild in advance, it means that once you perform well in the future, you are likely to become a retainer of the nobles. This is quite tempting for many mercenaries.

And unlike those old nobles, Rhodes is very young, very strong, and has a very hard background——— now no one knows that the heir of the Shania family is doing subordinate things for Rhodes in the Starlight Guild, and the reputation of the Shania family is famous in the entire Moon Principality, and Marlene. As the number one magical genius in the Principality of Moon, Shania is naturally also a well-known celebrity. Now that such a noble figure is willing to be Rhodes' subordinate, then his future naturally does not need to be considered. Not to mention, it is now rumored that Rhodes is a legendary-level master, and in his guild, there are also two legendary realms. There are even rumors that a few months ago, the Arashi Sword Saint of the Council of Light went to the Starlight Guild to trouble them, but was beaten to cripples by the other party.

Such a nobleman with strength, background, and connections is naturally immeasurable. Able to follow his side, serve him, and eventually become a nobleman's private soldier, retainer, confidant. It's much better than working outside for decades and then going around looking for someone to take you in!

Rhodes' Starlight provides a bright path for the mercenaries, and they naturally expect to join here and succeed.

But it's not that simple.

For this reason, there were some arguments between Shanna and Canary. As the leader of a small mercenary group, Shanna was naturally very happy to see so many mercenaries rushing to join her guild. She even wished that all of them were on board. But the canary directly rejected her proposal, and not only that, but the canary even raised the threshold for joining the Starlight Guild. According to the game's terminology, the current Starlight Guild, mercenaries below level 25 want to join, and they don't even think about it.

Luckily, with the Orb of Mysteries, Canary and Little Bubblegum can now create suitable virtual copies to test these mercenaries, and the losers will be swept away, while those who will be disgraced even if they win will be left to watch, and only those who can pass the test with ease will be eligible to join the guild.

If it's a player. This kind of test is not worth mentioning at all. But if the subject is changed to an aborigine, it will be fatal——— according to the test level of canary and little bubble gum, five or six out of five hundred mercenaries can pass, which is already very good. Because of this, although there are many mercenaries who try to join the guild, there are mercenaries who can really get their wish to enter the guild. But there are very few. So far, only about 70 people have joined.

Shanna felt that the canary's requirements were too strict, although she was not unable to understand the canary's thoughts, but in Shanna's opinion, whether it was a guild or a mercenary group, a certain degree of "low-level personnel" was needed, and if some ordinary mercenaries were not recruited, it would be uncompetitive just like this. Of course, Shanna didn't expect it at all. For the canaries, these are the real "bottom personnel" recruited in, and as for those who are eliminated, in the eyes of the two, they are not even the scum of the fifth combat power.

This was just one of the Stronghold Guild disputes in Rhodes' absence.

"Whew............ Finally back. ”

Recovering from the dizziness of teleportation, and looking at the cold, tall and familiar dome in front of him, Rod couldn't help but breathe a long sigh of relief. A sense of comfort and warmth at finally returning home came to his heart, and after so many days of running, Rod felt very tired, and now he finally returned home. This made Rod finally put his mind at ease. And at this very time. He saw a familiar, petite figure with its arms outstretched. Ran towards himself.

"Rod............!!"

Christie threw herself into Rod's arms and hugged him tightly, and the girl looked up, her purple eyes full of concern and reluctance. Perhaps because of the trotting all the way, Christie's petite body at this moment was trembling slightly, and she couldn't stop panting rapidly, and there were even beads of sweat on her forehead.

“……… You're finally back......... Rhodes ............"

"I'm back, Christie."

Feeling the soft, delicate body in his arms, Rod also showed a gentle smile in the face of the girl's smiling welcome, and then he reached out and gently stroked Christie's hair. Feeling Rod's touch, Christie squinted her eyes comfortably like a docile kitten, letting Rod stroke her hair, but soon, the girl opened her eyes again, excitedly stretched out her hands, grabbed Rod's clothes, and pulled gently.

“……… Good news......... Labis's ......... Golem ......... Done ..............."

"Oh?"

Hearing this, Rod's eyes lit up, and then he stood up and stroked Christie's hair.

"Take me to see it."

"Hmm......... What a ................"

Hearing Rod's words, Christie smiled and nodded, but the girl did not turn around immediately, but turned sideways with a trace of doubt and curiosity, staring at the azure water ball suspended not far behind Rod, still lying in the water balloon, staring at the little mermaid elf of the girl in front of her with wide eyes in the same surprise and curiosity.

“………… Rod......... Who is she............? ”

Then, Christie asked curiously.

…………………………

When Rod came to the alchemy workshop located behind the fortress under the leadership of Christie, he could hear the crisp sound of collision coming from inside, not only that, but the small courtyard, which was originally a little messy and even Marlene couldn't avoid, now looks very clean and tidy, and all kinds of alchemy materials are also placed in an orderly manner, of course, this is not that Labis suddenly learned how to organize and clean up everything in front of her......... Just look at the sea elves who are busy in the alchemy workshop to know who is behind the scenes of keeping this place clean and tidy.

But. It was obvious that this was not what Rhodes was concerned about, and soon, he set his eyes on the huge statue in front of him.

It was a white griffin statue, white all over, more than three meters tall, and the huge griffin sculpture was half-crouched on the stone base, its eyes set with blue crystals shining faintly. The griffin held its head high to the sky, with an unstoppable momentum, while its white wings slowly converged behind it, and the sacred words carved on the pedestal gave people a sense of sanctity and majesty. A huge tail hovers behind it. Suddenly, it was as if the griffon was about to leap up from its base and soar into the sky with its wings spread, giving people an unprecedented sense of deterrence and pressure. Even the little mermaid was frightened to hide behind Rhodes the moment she saw this statue, and it was not until she was sure that it was just a stone that would not move, she carefully poked her head out again, even so, the mermaid elf still stretched out her hands to block her eyes, and looked out carefully from the gap.

"Very good."

Look at the Constructed Golem in front of you. Rhodes nodded with satisfaction, when he left, Rhodes had asked Labis for his request to construct a golem, after all, the reason why he created a constructed golem was to deal with the air troops of the Night Dragon Kingdom, gargoyles and bone falcons. Therefore, Rhodes asked the golem to show the sacred and strong side as much as possible. And now it seems that Labis has carried out his request to the end, and the Holy White Griffin is a treasure in the myth and legend of the Radiant Dragon. In the midst of legends. They have accompanied the dragon of light countless times, dispelling the darkness. Later, due to the brain-dead behavior of the Radiant Dragon itself, his power was greatly reduced. Gone are the mythical creatures that only appear in legends. I don't know if the road is extinct or hidden. But now, even if Rhodes can't get the real thing, it's no problem to knock off a batch of copycats to scare and scare those undead creatures. But.........

Thinking that it was actually the soul core of the undead attribute that drove these holy white griffins, Rhodes couldn't help but feel a little awkward, what was going on............... But awkwardness is awkward, Rod quickly restrained his thoughts, and then lowered his head to look at Christie beside him.

"You designed this?"

"Hmm."

Hearing Rod's inquiry, little Christie puffed up her chest proudly and nodded vigorously.

"I consulted many, many sources......... I also went to church and asked those spiritual sisters............ The ............ was designed," Christie looked at Rod with some unease. “…… Rod......... Do you like it............? ”

"Of course, I'm satisfied, Christie."

In the face of Christie's inquiry, Rod smiled, he was sincerely happy, because Rod could see that Christie had changed these days, her life began to become more fulfilling, and she was no longer the existence that was not needed, even disliked and avoided. She has the ability and the right to do what she can and wants to do, and although the girl's health is still as bad as ever, Rhodes believes that as long as Christie can maintain her current mood and confidence and live a happy, happy life, it will be enough for him.

But.........

"Where's Labis?"

"Sister Labis......... Looks like he's still busy........."

Hearing Rod's inquiry, Christie thought for a moment, then replied. Then she walked over to the wall, picked up an iron bar, and knocked lightly on the door. Soon, Labis's panicked voice rang out from inside the workshop.

"Huh? Is it Christie? What's the matter? Ah, wait, wait......... Wait a minute! Just a bit! One time!!! ”

"Boom !!"

Looking at the smoke rising into the sky and the embarrassed Labith standing in front of him, blushing, Rhodes once again deeply realized what it means to be easy to change and difficult to change, the scene in front of him is almost no different from when he and Marlene came here before——— only the only change is that now there are those sea elves running around to clean up the aftermath for her.

"Ah, Lord Rod, when did you come back......... No wonder Christie ran out of the house in a hurry just now......... I'm sorry to let you see me again........."

"Alright, Labis, I'm not here to make fun of you."

Rod waved his hand, interrupting Labis's somewhat awkward explanation, and then he coughed. Look at the Constructed Golem in front of you.

"I've heard from Christie that the Golem is completely complete?"

"Yes, Lord Rhodes."

As soon as she talked about her profession, Labis immediately swept away the embarrassment and shyness just now, and involuntarily raised her head to explain Rod in detail.

"As you suggested, I used those soul cores to drive it, and now I've finished trying out the Golem. I think, enough to meet your requirements. If it's just a normal battle, it can last for two days, and if you want them to fight with all their might, it can last about a day, after that. The energy of the soul core will be depleted, and if you wait for it to be recharged, it will take ten days before you can continue to move. ”

Ten days is a bit too long.

Hearing this, Rhodes couldn't help frowning, the air troops of the Undead Legion are very difficult to deal with, if his Saint White Griffin can only do it to this extent, then it will not be easy to deal with the opponent's air army. However, Rhodes also knew very well that there was no way to do this, although the gargoyles of the undead legion were also alchemical creatures. But its driving force is to strip their souls from living beings and fuse them into inanimate stone statues. However, it was obviously impossible for Labis to use such cruel methods, and with Lydia's eyes low, Rhodes could not do too much.

"How many were built?"

"So far, only this one has been made, my lord."

Speaking of this, Labis's face was a little helpless.

"Although Tochristi's blessing, we quickly designed the Golem, but after that. It took a lot of time to experiment with how to drive the soul core and maximize the use of energy. It was only in the last few days that we managed to solve all the problems........."

"I know."

Although Labis was a little uneasy and apologetic. However, Rhodes was not as nervous as she was, and as a time-traveler who had traveled from Earth, Rhodes certainly knew that anything was the most difficult when it was first created. And once its technical problems are solved, and there is a set of skilled manufacturing processes and sufficient raw materials, then there will be no problems in mass production.

"At the current rate, how long will it take to make these Constructed Golems?"

"This ............"

Hearing Rod's inquiry, Labis was slightly silent for a moment, and then she gave an answer.

"It took about five days to make one, I'm sorry, Lord Rhodes, although the sea elves can help in many ways, but this is the only ..............."

"It's not your problem, Labis, don't rush, you have to pay attention to your body too, take your time."

Although Labis didn't finish speaking, Rhodes also knew very well what she wanted to say, but Rhodes couldn't solve this problem by himself, in any case, he had no channels now, let alone the manpower to find a group of alchemy apprentices to help Labis. Although it is said that things like sculptures can be completed by craftsmen, the construction of alchemy circles and the inlay core can only be done by Labis alone, not to mention that Labis is also responsible for dispensing potions for the guild............ Rhodes really felt that he was simply a southern slave owner, which was completely using Labis, a master alchemist, as a black slave......

But right now, there's no good solution to this problem.

Thinking of this, Rhodes shook his head and put the thought behind him, then he took two steps back and stared at the Holy White Griffin Golem in front of him.

"Then, Labis, let me see how powerful it is."

"That's good, sir."

Hearing Rod's words, Labis also nodded, and then quickly retreated, and then, the girl took out a beautiful polished gem from her arms and held it in her hand, and then she closed her eyes, and soon, a magical light flashed from the girl's hand.

“………………！！”

And at this time, the whole body of the originally condensed sculpture suddenly exuded pure white brilliance, and then, the two sapphire eyes of the holy white griffin also revealed a bright and dazzling brilliance, and then it let out a long roar, spread its wings and jumped up, turned into a white lightning, and swooped towards Rhodes!

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