Mystic Overlord: Reading Gives Strength

In the morning, new details were confirmed.

Ronald began preparing for the plan to find Heloise in the afternoon.

So after lunch, all of Ronald's close associates gathered at the Adler residence. Since Il happened to be with Hopkins, the old priest also joined this 'family meeting' along the way.

Seeing everyone gathered together, Ronald adjusted his state slightly and then spoke to everyone:

"The situation is sudden, and I'm not planning to hide it from everyone."

"Taking advantage of everyone being here, I'll speak directly—this morning, Ms. Alya brought me a letter..."

Ronald explained Heloise's situation and his decision to everyone in detail. After just a few minutes of narration, the focus in the living room naturally shifted to the issue of personnel allocation.

A long-term journey across the sea.

Ronald certainly wouldn't take the children at home with him.

This means two conditions must be met.

Someone needs to stay in Kurpis to ensure the village's safety and be able to make decisions about matters here; and those accompanying Ronald should ideally be able to assist during the sea voyage.

Having stated these points, Ronald first gave others the opportunity to speak. He knew that once he, being the most senior, spoke, no one would dare to contradict him.

So if he wanted to hear others' thoughts and opinions, he shouldn't speak first:

"Everyone, do you have any thoughts on this journey?"

"Sir, I assure you that I'll protect Kurpis while you're away!" Costate was the first to answer as soon as Ronald finished speaking.

The maid's thoughts were simple—

As the person Ronald trusted most in the entire village, she naturally had to take on this responsibility at such a time. Moreover, her abilities allowed her to respond effectively to various emergencies.

Costate spoke straightforwardly, while Edward understood the importance of having enough strong companions for an expedition, so he immediately added:

"Mr. Ronald, Ms. Costate's combat strength is extremely valuable and can be crucial in many situations. If you're willing to entrust the home-guarding duty to me, I absolutely won't let you down!"

Ronald had other thoughts about this:

"Uh, I was originally thinking of leveraging your experience in sea living."

Edward wore a bitter smile, not attempting to conceal his shortcomings:

"I'm afraid you'll be disappointed in that regard."

"Even though I have spent a long time sailing the Nameless Sea, that place is not at all similar to a normal ocean."

Upon hearing Edward's response and seeing the butler's expression towards Vilarnika, Ronald understood where his concerns lay, so he decided not to insist.

"In that case, let's have Edward stay in charge of looking after the home, while Costate comes with me. With your experience managing Luduo for so many years, Kurpis shouldn't be a problem either."

Edward and Costate responded in unison:

"Sir, we agree with your decision!"

Perhaps the atmosphere of discussion made it easier for people to become engaged; seeing Edward and Costate's serious expressions, the priest also chimed in with interest:

"Mr. Ronald, perhaps I can also lend a hand."

"Although I haven't fought in a long time, if Kurpis encounters intruders with ill intentions, I do have a few methods to deal with them."

Ronald fully believed Hopkins' words.

This old priest, although he usually stayed in Kurpis, was indeed a formidable character capable of stirring up massive crises, even ranking among the top among original holders.

Not to mention, when Costate went to Springs previously, it was actually Hopkins looking after Kurpis' safety.

With this, the number of problems to solve was immediately halved.

Now, with Edward handling external negotiations for Kurpis and Hopkins ensuring the village's safety from mysterious threats, even if Ronald left with people, there would be no concern here.

"Then I'll trouble the two of you."

Ronald nodded to give his thanks to the two, but his gaze soon drifted to the side.

"Phil, during my absence, you'll learn well from Edward and Mr. Hopkins. They are much stronger in their respective fields than someone like me!"

Phil was as understanding as ever:

"Ronald, I'll be obedient, you can set your mind at ease while you're away."

"..."

With his most pressing concern resolved, Ronald breathed a sigh of relief instantly.

With such a pleasant mood driving him, he quickly had another idea.

Since Hopkins went above and beyond his duties to offer help, he couldn't go without reciprocating in some way. Considering the trouble Il had previously caused the old priest, Ronald immediately decided on his target.

"Il, you're coming with me this time too!"

It turned out that Il didn't care at all about her flower shop.

Upon hearing that she would accompany Ronald on this trip, she leapt next to him, rubbing her cheek against his palm:

"This is the best news I've heard since coming to this village!"

"So… when are we departing?"

"..."

"Settle down first!"

Faced with Il's eagerness to leave at once, Ronald pressed the top of Il's head to keep her in place before addressing everyone else:

"A sea voyage with just the three of us is more than enough."

"During my absence from Kurpis, I'll trouble you all to take extra care of this remote village."

After saying his piece, Ronald stood up deliberately and bowed to everyone in the living room.

Noticing Ronald's gesture, Costate immediately asked:

"Sir, are we leaving right away?"

Ronald nodded:

"Pack your things, we depart this afternoon. Using a flying spell, we should reach Black Mountain Town by dinner, then catch a train to Burgundy."

Ronald already had a complete route planned out in his mind.

Since he happened upon a chance to catch a ship departing from Greede, he naturally planned to hitch a ride. According to Patricia, they weren't setting sail for a few more days, which left plenty of time to get to Burgundy.

Providing some help in exchange for a free passage across the ocean—it was a win-win choice!

Finally, Ronald turned his attention to the Sealer with a message:

"Alya, thank you for going out of your way, but I'm afraid I can't host you properly…"

Understanding Ronald's meaning, Alya smiled and came over to him, quietly giving him an address:

"Ronald, if you encounter trouble during this journey, you can send a letter to this address."

"And I have a feeling, we'll meet again."