A strange world

Chapter 578 Section 235. Counterattack Offensive Development

In the magnificent and luxurious new palace, King Cloo of the Kingdom of Ruikanle reclined on the throne, listening to his prime minister whisper.

"We don't have to pay attention to those rumors, let's prove it with actions. If we hide here, they will say we are demons. When we defeat the Rats, all criticism will turn into praise. When we regain the old territory, it will be the return of the great Montreal family. Northland.”

"This world belongs to the winner!"

Crowe stood up, walked down the steps on the goose down carpet, and came to the circular terrace outside the palace.

Hundreds of thousands of eyes looked at this place from the streets of the city. The king raised his sword as a symbol of royal power and shouted: "Go north!"

Their cheers were like a roaring tsunami.

…

old wheat city

The basin turned into a black ocean with surging waves.

The cloaked rat priests and elders climbed onto the high wall, overlooking the queue of rat men passing by on the street.

Tens of thousands of elite ratmen raised their spears, exuding a fierce aura. He was close to an orc in stature, holding a shield, and was followed closely by a cloaked rat-guard.

The ground began to tremble, and hundreds of rats clad in sewn leather armor walked scatteredly. The low rat assassins holding double daggers followed quietly behind them.

In the distance, there was a faint sound of uniform shouts, getting closer and closer.

A giant wriggling mountain of flesh resembling a rat-man rose from the end of the street, carried by thousands of slave rats. The abominable shapes all over the caves are squirming, giving birth to rat babies all the time.

The tenth mother rat passed by, and the last few hundred groups of different ethnic groups corroded by Chaos appeared in the queue.

They include elves, dragons, spellcasters, and druids. Exuding a dead atmosphere of ominousness and plague, it followed the rats as they headed south.

…

"Are you Ivana Ser?"

Annan and Olmedo looked at the little girl who was only taller than one end of the desk.

"Master Annan, Master Olmedo, what's wrong with me..." The little girl who had never seen such a battle was a little uneasy.

"Don't be afraid. The professor at school said you are very smart. We are very curious."

Annan's whisper eased the little girl's uneasiness, and she raised her head proudly: "Everyone said so."

"But you are not humble."

"I'm just a kid, modesty is an adult's business."

Good, it seems the "smartest man in Liberty City" isn't an introvert.

"Have you tested your magic affinity?" Annan asked.

Ivana shook her head, and Annan asked the maid Abby to bring a test magic stone.

"Put your hand on it. The brighter the magic stone, the higher your magic affinity." Annan stood up and drew the curtains.

Ivana rubbed her hands on her clothes and covered her little hands on the magic stone.

The magic stone is dark and dull. Although the room is not a dark room, it already shows that Ivana has no affinity with magic...

"It doesn't matter, maybe you are a warlock like me." Annan comforted and asked the mage from the Mage Tower to come over.

Olmedo shook his head slightly. Warlocks are even rarer than mages... How can there be gold in a silver mine that doesn't even have a few pieces of silver?

The mage then confirmed Olmedo's suspicion that Ivana was just an ordinary person.

Ivana, who knew the news, also lowered her head in disappointment.

Annan patted her head: "Don't be sad, this is Liberty City, your talent doesn't determine anything. How about I treat you to a lemon soda?"

"OK."

At this time, Annan noticed that Ivana had a bald patch on her head: "Did anyone bully you in the orphanage?"

"No, I am the eldest sister's military advisor."

Annan often visits Cathy. She likes to sit on the beach and build castles... Does a sand sculpture also need a strategist?

"I do not know how?"

"The eldest sister said that the children in the orphanage should unite to fight against the enemy."

"Who is the enemy?"

"The guard of the orphanage——" Ivana, who lost her words, widened her eyes and covered her mouth.

Sure enough, no matter how smart you are, you are still just a child.

The maid Abby brought lemon soda, and Ivana held the water glass and sipped it.

Annan asked Ivana some more questions. She was indeed very smart and sensitive to numbers. With the basic knowledge taught in school, she can easily calculate the four arithmetic operations of five digits... She is just ten years old.

Regardless, Ivana Thel is one of the smartest kids in Liberty City, if not the smartest.

Annan planned to let Ingrid train her.

Liberty City has passed the stage of shortage of manpower. Annan cannot name many serving officials at the moment, but they must prepare for the future.

Twenty years later, many people except Annan have grown old, but Ivana Ser, who has just turned thirty, is in her prime.

Ingrid had no objection, but Ivana hesitated to speak.

"What's wrong?"

"Boys always bully us. If we didn't have a big sister, we would have been bullied..." Ivana bravely looked directly at Annan, but she concealed cowardice: "I... I want my sisters to be like me."

Olmedo pursed his lips slightly, and Ingrid stared at Annan, wondering what his answer would be.

"Just do it if you want to." Annan gently touched Ivana's head, "But you have to know that rights are always linked to responsibilities. Rights without responsibilities are just castles in the air..."

He said the famous saying: "If you want to wear a crown, you must first bear its weight."

"I see."

Ivana seemed to understand but not understand.

A few years later, Ivana Serre, who took the position of Finance Minister of the Free City, would definitely think of the rainy season in the year 1000 of the Saint Laurent calendar when Annan told her, "If you want to wear a crown, you must first bear its weight."

"Ingrid, please send her back, so that we can cultivate a relationship."

"……good."

Ingrit felt like she got to know her "boss" again, took Ivana's hand and walked out.

"By the way, let the guards of the orphanage pay attention. The little guys want to 'escape'." Annan and the dejected Ivana blinked.

"She's really smart," Olmedo commented after they left.

Just as Annan was about to speak, he suddenly took out the devil's parchment.

There was no change, as if the heat I felt just now was just an illusion.

"What's wrong?"

"Berudona said some time ago that she wanted to surprise me."

"Maybe you have a group of devil fans in hell." Olmedo said with a smile.

"Maybe we have the whereabouts of your father." Annan joked.

Olmedo smiled, with an imperceptible sadness flashing in his eyes: "He was eroded by Chaos... Even if his soul is still there, it is controlled by Chaos and is not in hell."

"It doesn't matter, maybe you will have a chance to kill him again in the future... Why are you staring at me, did I say the wrong thing?"

…

Ivana Ser returns to the orphanage.

Ivana let go of Ingrid's hand, said goodbye to her politely and ran back to Cathy.

"Lord Annan summoned me and praised me for being smart."

"Did father mention me?" Cathy asked happily.

"No...but I hinted to Mr. Annan that we are going to sneak out...Mr. Caretaker will make those boys who run out tonight suffer."

From the corner of the orphanage, two girls could be heard laughing "Jie Jie Jie".