Liana's Lingering Aftermath

Time always flies when one is happy. In the blink of an eye, more than a month had passed since Du Chen returned to Durkes City. During these two months, he had introduced Xue Ji to everyone in the Lord's Manor. He said little else, only one simple declaration: "Her name is Xue Ji, and she is your future Matriarch!" No further explanations were offered regarding Xue Ji's origins or her power.

In any other faction, the sudden appearance of an inexplicable Matriarch of unknown origin would undoubtedly spark a storm. But in Durkes City… one only needed to look at Du Chen's core retinue: Deboning, bound by a Spiritual Contract; Harry, whose devotion to his master was paramount; Andy, who knew only eating and drinking; Dud, whose sole concern was the army; and the subterranean Fiendkind Brockman family along with Little Duding. Which of them would dare raise an objection?

Then there were the two children. The mischievous Beibei, after scanning Xue Ji's spirit, discovered she was a genuinely good person. Seeing Xue Ji possessed the same rare black hair as herself, Beibei felt an immediate kinship and sweetly changed her address to 'Mama' on the spot. As for Anya… well, that poor child currently couldn't even count the days in February. It was already remarkable that he could coolly purse his lips and utter, "Master, I finally have a mother."

With no internal issues, Du Chen had already taken 'certain individuals' to investigate the external situation. The current might of the Grand Duke of Durkus was more than enough to convey to 'certain individuals' that the strong need not offer explanations!

Throughout these two months, Du Chen kept little hidden, being candid with Xue Ji. He chose a method readily acceptable in the Battle God World, directly telling Xue Ji that he had been a thief in his early years, but then he encountered a Primordial Divine Fiend who bestowed upon him a Secret Technique, albeit with insidious restrictions… and all the subsequent events. Xue Ji listened, as unselfish as ever, never thinking of herself. Instead, she complained about Master Grape on Du Chen's behalf. This left Du Chen feeling a huge burden lifted, and as he rested easy awaiting the fruition of his plans, he also rejoiced in finding the right woman!

Additionally, Adams underwent a complete transformation, becoming a Brigadier General and Third-Class Earl within the Durkus Legion's sacred artifacts of war unit. Brockman was known for his dashing elegance, and with his new disguise, Adams was certainly no less impressive. For a time, this former bandit, alongside Aliza, became one of the two most popular Generals in Durkes City among women. Of course, he was the favored General among young maidens, while Aliza captivated the middle-aged and elderly women of Durkes City…

However, the Raging Fire Scorcher Cannon was not assigned to Adams. Instead, it was placed on the lowest level of the underground military base, protected by Duding. At this moment, Du Chen stood with hands clasped behind his back, staring at the Thunder Cannon's colossal form. Xue Ji, holding Beibei, joined him, the family of three gathered around the Thunder Cannon.

Over two months had passed. Du Chen had secluded himself with his wife and child to research the Thunder Cannon for more than two months, yet they had made no progress whatsoever in understanding the Mystic Artifact! Neither Beibei, with her extraordinary probing abilities, nor the knowledgeable Xue Ji, could find a solution for this colossal cannon. Du Chen himself had no angle of approach; his mastery of sacred artifacts came from knowledge of their interlocking structures, but the Thunder Cannon had not a single seam. Du Chen couldn't risk shattering this sole experimental material, a veritable overlord among sacred artifacts, just to inspect its interior. So… he could only sigh in dismay while looking at the cannon!

As they were observing, a knock sounded outside the door. Deboning walked in with a wry smile, cradling a stack of documents. Seeing his expression, Du Chen furrowed his brow. "Is there something important?"

Deboning shrugged, unsure where to begin. He picked up the topmost document. "Young Master, this is the financial and tax report for the last quarter!"

Du Chen's brow furrowed even deeper. "Didn't I tell you to take over the State Affairs of Durkes City and not disturb me with minor matters? You should make your own decisions regarding financial and tax matters!"

Deboning let out a bitter laugh. "But Young Master, the report mentions that the Newin River Dam's construction schedule needs to be adjusted due to geological issues, and more laborers need to be dispatched. Also, raw materials are insufficient and urgently need to be procured! But for how many days should the schedule be adjusted? How many laborers added? How many materials to buy, and from where… I don't know any of it!"

Xue Ji covered her mouth with a soft chuckle, then discreetly withdrew with the child, sparing Deboning further embarrassment. This small gesture earned Deboning a look of profound relief, tinged with gratitude.

Du Chen massaged his forehead. "If you don't know, why don't you go and learn?"

Deboning was speechless. "Young Master, I can go and learn, but the construction site is already on the verge of shutting down due to coordination issues! Moreover, Dud has applied for a joint land and sea military exercise, which requires negotiation with the Imperial Naval Headquarters. And these negotiations… what exactly should we be discussing?"

Du Chen gave Deboning a sidelong glare. "You ask me, who am I supposed to ask?"

Deboning quickly added, "It's early June now. The Civil Affairs Department has submitted a report stating that Durkes City experiences unbearably hot summers every year, and this year's heatstroke prevention measures must be arranged early… Young Master, what exactly do these heatstroke prevention measures entail?"

Du Chen remained silent for a long time, then suddenly turned his head and glanced at Deboning. "Can we change the topic?"

"Alright!" Deboning numbly nodded, picking up another dossier. "Young Master, a large number of refugees are applying for citizenship in Durkes City. The Civil Affairs Department is swamped and cannot control the refugees' emotions. With the increase in refugees, public order within the city is rapidly deteriorating…"

Deboning picked up another dossier and read from it: "Furthermore, the Internal Affairs Department reports that over the past two months, Durkes City's economic growth rate has fallen by twenty percent, and the trade balance shows a deficit…"

*Clap, clap!* Du Chen clapped his hands. "Alright, alright, stop listing them one by one. What exactly went wrong in Durkes City during these two months I spent secluding myself to study sacred artifacts?!"

Deboning sighed weakly. "Simply put, after Manager Liana left, Durkes City was left with only Cassian, an immature administrative talent. And Young Master, you forbid entrusting the administrative authority of the territory to people from the Holy Church. So, your territory…" He let out two dry chuckles. "Fortunately, Cassian adheres to Manager Liana's policies, and the Holy Church and Dud's army possess immense deterrent power, so your territory hasn't descended into utter chaos yet!"

Du Chen ran his fingers through his hair, asking Deboning weakly, "Is there no one who can make up for Liana's departure? What about the talents cultivated by the Lotus Foundation?"

"Young Master, the talents cultivated by the Foundation can at most govern a village or town of ten thousand, or a single department. It's impossible for them to replace Liana in managing the entire situation and governing Durkes City, which now has a population exceeding half a million!" Deboning paused, then said helplessly, "One doesn't know the difficulty of managing a household until one manages it oneself. You've asked me to learn how to govern the territory these past two months, but… alas, Manager Liana was considered to possess talent fit for a Prime Minister. For Durkes City's administration to return to its previous level after her departure, I fear Young Master, you would need to bring in Imperial Prime Minister Antoine himself!"

Both fell silent.

Deboning opened his mouth, then closed it. Du Chen prompted, "Say what you want to say!"

Deboning offered a bitter smile. "Young Master, please just let me go back to my duties as Grand Pontiff! To tell you the plain truth, the Scarlet Army is elusive and untraceable, the Fiendkind are tied up with the Huhuhu Beasts, and Margaret is severely wounded. These external enemies are not worth worrying about for now. Our greatest threat currently… comes from within!"

Du Chen nodded in silent agreement.

Deboning continued, "When I left Emerald City, Manager Liana said that with the current might of Du Chen's Divine Cult, our concern isn't military strength, but internal governance! Over the years, Young Master, you've accumulated no shortage of armies, High-level Battle Gods, and sacred artifacts of war. But no matter how vast a foundation you build with military might, you won't be able to hold onto it—you have sufficient resources for external conquest, but no resources for internal administration. Specifically, Du Chen's Divine Cult lacks any true administrative talent for internal affairs!"

Du Chen asked with a hint of reluctance, "Didn't Liana leave any instructions before she left, about what to do with the territory's internal affairs after she was gone?"

"Liana said that with Durkes City's rapid development, policies and decrees must be continually updated and perfected. She could only leave Cassian a few broad guidelines. As for the details… we still have to figure things out ourselves!"

With a *thump*, Deboning placed the thick dossier down, then spoke earnestly and meaningfully, "Young Master, our biggest problem right now is a lack of people! Otherwise… should I go to other countries and abduct a few Prime Ministers or cabinet members, then have the Young Lady force them with a Spiritual Contract to help us govern the territory?"

*Damn it*, what a terrible idea! Du Chen paced with his arms crossed, a face full of worry. People! It was truly ironic. A Lord presiding over a population of half a million actually lacked people! While the territory had many inhabitants, those with both the ability to govern, absolute loyalty, and trustworthiness to whom everything could be delegated… there truly wasn't a single one!

The Holy Church could provide talent, and applying to the Empire to dispatch administrative officials was also an option! But would Du Chen dare hand over his crucial foundations to outsiders? The current Durkes City was the bedrock for tens of thousands of troops, the hidden stronghold of the Fiendkind Brockman family. It absolutely could not be entrusted to outsiders, nor could it be easily abandoned!

People, he needed capable and reliable personnel for internal governance!

Du Chen frowned and asked, "On the Three Continents, how do other factions expand their pool of talent?"

Deboning smiled. "Young Master, this question is actually the main reason I came to see you today. It's June now. You should know better than I what this month represents!"

"Oh?"

Du Chen slapped his forehead. He truly had been confused! June—that was the season for Battle God Academy graduates to seek employment. What was the Battle God Academy known as? The Cradle of Battle Gods! Eldest Brother Steve's second lesson to him back then was about the fervent competition among major factions to recruit Battle God Academy graduates! Now, under Teacher Zigurd's inclusive policy, the Battle God Academy was no longer limited to just cultivating Battle Gods! Du Chen clearly remembered that the Vice Dean of the Pantheon Institute had been headhunted with a high salary by a nation on the Arcania Continent to become their Cabinet Prime Minister! It could be said that the Battle God Academy in June was the largest talent wholesale market on the Three Continents!

"Exactly! The capabilities of Battle God Academy graduates, especially the Graduate Students from the Pantheon Institute, are beyond doubt! Most critically, I have a group of thoroughly vetted and understood classmates and teachers there whose loyalty is absolutely unquestionable! Capable and reliable—aren't these precisely our needs?"

Du Chen laughed heartily, pushed open the door, and gently helped up Xue Ji, who was playing with the child outside. "Would you like to visit my alma mater?"

Xue Ji asked curiously, "Go to Battle God Academy? Is there something important?"

Du Chen smiled faintly. "Recruitment!"