Mivana’s excitement was understandable.

Back when Viona was still alive, Knights would occasionally visit the Star Lake Sword, but they treated the Beastmen of Dusk Lamp Territory with utter disdain, not even deigning to give them a second glance.

The Beastmen here had built their home from the ground up. Though seemingly part of the Country of Yonglan, in reality, the territory was completely sealed off, like an isolated island.

Forget migration—even the most basic bartering rarely occurred. A narrow river separated Dusk Lamp Territory from the outside world.

Thanks to Viona’s influence, the Beastmen of Dusk Lamp Territory still saw themselves as Yonglan People and wanted to integrate into the Knight Country. But let alone gaining the acknowledgment of the Gale Heart, even the adjacent Knight Territories were cold and indifferent toward this savage land swarming with Beastmen.

They didn’t even feel the urge to conquer it. Dusk Lamp Territory had never been brought under the Riding God Law, so its purification was incomplete. Only the Beastmen’s unique constitution, with its natural resistance to Chaos, made it habitable. For anyone else, it was no place to live long-term.

But even if the Chaos Corruption here was severe, were the Knight Territories completely blameless?!

Pulanna blinked. "That’s one solution, but won’t there be a problem? The order for your banishment hasn’t been lifted, has it?"

Mivana’s pointed wolf ears shot straight up as she declared righteously,

"My banishment doesn’t mean I can’t return."

The sentence Mivana received at her banishment was "to never set foot in lands under the Riding God Law." And now, not a single inch of the Country of Yonglan remained under the light of the Riding God Law.

Having seen and experienced much by Duke Qinghui’s side, Mivana had, without realizing it, become much more flexible in her methods.

This made her clanmates, who were used to the Wolf-eared Maiden’s straightforward nature, stare at Mivana with wide eyes.

"...Mivana, you’ve really changed."

The Lady Knight said calmly, "Even if it’s against the rules, it can’t be helped. I can’t keep running away... I’m the leader of Dusk Lamp Territory, for all intents and purposes. I have to be the one to negotiate."

The memorial ceremony continued late into the night. Afterward, the Beastmen returned to town, and Mivana went back to her own home.

For the residence of a Knight Lord, Mivana’s home was far too humble, looking like little more than a slightly more refined villa in the town center.

The Wolf-eared Maiden went to the second floor. The neatness of the room showed that it had been consistently cleaned. She took off her duster, draped it over the back of a chair, and stood by the window, gazing at the countless lights of the town below.

’This place will get better and better... It has to.’

If her own abilities weren’t enough, she would ask Westheid for help. Mivana no longer felt any hesitation or burden about seeking aid from Duke Qinghui.

After spending a few more days in the town in Dusk Lamp Territory, Mivana formally set off to negotiate with the neighboring Knight Territories.

Dusk Lamp Territory was already at the farthest frontier of the Country of Yonglan, so the adjoining Knight Territories were naturally not wealthy, major domains. Only two or three of them shared a border with Dusk Lamp Territory.

Mivana arrived at the border with some of her brothers and sisters from her Clan. It was the season of ice and snow, and the river was frozen solid. Throngs of people bustled back and forth across the thick ice, hauling goods behind them.

Bustling, open-air markets had been set up on both banks of the river. Humans and Beastmen alike traded skillfully, and it was clear this cross-border commerce had been going on for quite some time.

Miliburn said, 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"After you left, no one really paid us any mind. Even the garrisoned troops were withdrawn."

Mivana nodded. "Because there was no need. Other than my teacher, Viona, and me, Dusk Lamp Territory held no value worth paying attention to."

A mere group of pacified Beastmen was nothing to worry about.

"Simple trade is one thing, but I heard some of our brethren have also migrated to other places?"

Mivana asked, puzzled, "Dusk Lamp Territory may be barren and backward, but life here should still be better than in the surrounding Knight Territories, shouldn’t it?"

It was no wonder the Lady Knight was perplexed. While the Beastmen of Dusk Lamp Territory might seem to live a wretched existence, they were actually doing quite well. There was no reason for them to flee.

Dusk Lamp Territory was governed according to Viona’s ideals, with the Knight Lord acting as a Night Watcher.

They punished heinous acts like theft, robbery, murder, and arson, upheld basic justice, and led by example to teach and inspire others. As for everything else, they took a hands-off approach. If a matter could be left alone, it was. If taxes didn’t need to be collected, they weren’t.

It was, in short, a laissez-faire approach to governance.

Even though Mivana held the title of Lord, she never put on any airs. The Beastmen followed her because she was Viona’s successor and revered her because she was the Clan’s greatest Powerhouse.

It was this very leniency that allowed for the free movement of the Beastman villages along the border. Dusk Lamp Territory almost never restricted entry or exit.

The Knight Territories of the Country of Yonglan stood in stark contrast. What were things like there?

Words are pointless; a folk song proves it best:

Country of Yonglan, Land of Knights.

Martial virtue abounds, the people live in peace.

The Law is strict, Order reigns supreme.

Of all a commoner earns, nine-tenths must be paid.

The final tenth, you’re free to keep.

The Lords rule, the Knights protect.

The people of Yonglan, who dares not be content?

In a word, a truly "benevolent" regime.

The nature of the Country of Yonglan is clear from this "folk song." Its class divisions were brutally simple: Knights, Free People, and serfs. There was nothing else.

The Knight Clans, having controlled all resources for generations, held the power of life and death over their subjects. If the Imperial at least had the "Prosperity Law" to restrain them, the Knight Lords of Yonglan had no such checks. It wasn’t unheard of for one to stroll into the street and randomly select a "lucky" commoner to test a new blade on.

Even if such depraved Knights who preyed on the weak were rare, the vast majority of Yonglan Knights at least condoned and practiced exploitation that scraped the very marrow from the bones. It was so severe that famines would break out from time to time in the Country of Yonglan.

To be a serf in the Country of Yonglan was a true "blessing." In comparison, the Beastmen of Dusk Lamp Territory were living in luxury—at least they didn’t have to pay taxes.

"It was Aschena and her group. Do you remember her? She was the best student among us, second only to you."

"Ah, of course I remember. How could I ever forget her?"

The smiling face of a tall, lively, fox-eared girl immediately surfaced in Mivana’s mind.

Pulanna clasped her hands behind her back and said with a smile,

"Not long after you were banished, the border restrictions were lifted. She was among the first to lead people across the Boundary River. She then reached out to the surrounding villages and spent a very, very long time earning their trust. These markets you see now are all thanks to the efforts of Aschena and her group."

Mivana nodded, filled with admiration. "That’s just like her."

To show the world that the Beastmen of Dusk Lamp Territory were different, to seek a future of harmonious coexistence—that was Aschena’s dream. Mivana wasn’t the only seed the Star Lake Sword had planted in Dusk Lamp Territory.

"And now? Where is Aschena?"

Pulanna paused for a moment before answering. "Last year, she entered Jinquan Territory."