"So, is this how it ends?" Caslow, riding behind Rynar, asked with a hint of surprise.
"Of course! The war is over, isn't it?" Rynar smiled gently.
To be honest, war wasn't really his area of expertise. Although he had played various war strategy games in the past, he found that his command skills were lacking in this real world.
Stockpiling and farming were the skills that truly ran in Rynar's bloodline.
"Well, you should get some good sleep! I haven't had a solid night's sleep since the war started." Rynar sighed lightly.
The journey had been like walking on thin ice, and a single misstep could lead to disastrous consequences. Now, with everything finally winding down, he could finally rest properly…
"Though it's only been a few days since I've seen Riverguard, it feels like a century has passed," Rynar remarked with a sense of nostalgia.
"Home is indeed the most comfortable place…" Caslow gazed at the towering walls of Riverguard fondly.
"Welcome home, my King!" Reynard led the upper echelons of Riverguard along with a group of Battanian archers on horseback to greet Rynar and his entourage.
"Your Majesty!" Everyone bowed respectfully, their words filled with reverence.
"By the way, Your Majesty, after this battle, many of our people have come to join us... including a sage!" Reynard lowered his voice as he spoke the last part.
"Oh?" Rynar exclaimed in surprise, "The system works fast! Everything is already arranged."
"Let's go meet him. A sixth-tier practitioner deserves our respect, regardless of their profession."
Rynar entered the city first, curious to see whether this summoned sage was a famous NPC or just an ordinary sage.
"Right here!" Reynard brought Rynar to the front of a modest dwelling, speaking with respect.
"Knock on the door!" Rynar instructed.
"Creeeak~" The simple wooden door swung open the moment Reynard reached for it.
"Please, come in, Your Majesty, knights," a gentle voice greeted them.
"Wow!" Rynar was taken aback. The sixth-tier sage was indeed different; though they might be weak in combat, their various magical abilities were astounding.
"Hello, esteemed King of Zaltarion Empire!" A young man raised his head and nodded at Rynar in salute.
"Hello, embodiment of knowledge and wisdom," Rynar replied, unfazed by the man's lack of formality.
After all, when one reached a certain level of power, they were considered nobility.
"Hahaha, Your Majesty is joking. I am Dylan Armstrong, merely an ordinary alchemist, unworthy of such titles. Reaching the sixth tier was merely a stroke of luck," Dylan laughed.
"I have come to invite you to help me restore the glory of the Zaltarion Empire. I hope you can lend your knowledge to my cause," Rynar stated directly.
It would be foolish to try to outsmart a sage known for their wisdom.
"You seem quite confident, Your Majesty. Am I to assume that I must pledge my loyalty to you?" Dylan replied with an amused tone.
"If that were not the case, you wouldn't be here…" Rynar thought to himself. He wanted to say that the system practically threw him here—where could he run?
"Alright, you've persuaded me. However, I'm not good at combat.
My abilities are more focused on potion-making and crafting magical equipment," Dylan declared proudly. "Though I might be weak in battle, my knowledge is formidable!"
"Of course, the current situation of Zaltarion is not such that we can afford to send a sage to the battlefield…" Rynar nodded in agreement.
"Let me clarify my abilities: I can create nearly all potions of epic tier and below, and craft magical equipment of up to epic tier, provided the raw materials are sufficient," Dylan said casually.
Despite his calm tone, the unintentional boasting was quite striking!
"..." Rynar and Reynard suddenly felt a wide avenue of possibilities opening up before them.
Setting aside the potions for a moment, the magical equipment in Middle-earth was in short supply.
Hadn't they seen Thranduil still wielding intermediate magical gear?
The immense power displayed when Vanervi wielded the Elven Holy Sword—Manikati—was well-known to all.
In a sense, Manikati could also be considered a divine artifact (mythical-level equipment).
Let's not forget, Rynar's blacksmith shop had a lava forge! It could churn out low-level magical items at a blistering pace.
"I suddenly realize the future positioning of Riverguard…" Rynar murmured to himself. "By the way, what's the current market for potions like?"
"The prospects are promising. The potions produced by the Elven alchemists barely meet their own needs, while the market demand for potions is far too great," Reynard replied slowly.
"So, can I make use of the magical plantation I have?" Rynar said excitedly.
"What? A magical plantation? Riverguard has such a treasure?" Dylan was astonished.
"Of course! Although it's not very large, only five acres…" Rynar's words trailed off.
"Let's go! Show me! You have no idea how poor the conditions are here! I've lost quite a few precious magical plants already due to lack of space!" Dylan grabbed Rynar and took off running.
For the first time, Rynar questioned the so-called "weakness" of a sage! This physical ability was comparable to that of a great knight! The explosive power left Rynar in the dust.
"System! Materialize the magical plantation!" Rynar hurriedly called for the system to manifest the plantation not far from the River Running.
"Skrrt~" Dylan suddenly came to a screeching halt.
"By the way, Your Majesty, where is this plantation?" Dylan asked with a silly grin.
"..." Rynar.
...
"Not bad, not bad! The mana concentration is ample! The soil quality is excellent! With a little careful nurturing, it'll flourish. How has such a good magical plantation been neglected for so long?
Even the hardiest magical plants could thrive here!" Dylan rambled on, his tone filled with grievance.
For an alchemist passionate about research and creation, witnessing a magical plantation fall into neglect was heart-wrenching.
Seeing the magically enriched soil sprouting thriving weeds nearly caused him a heart attack.
"Ahem…" Rynar quickly coughed a few times to relieve the awkwardness.
"Fine then, I'll leave the care of this place to you from now on." Rynar quickly said. Different fields have their experts; this matter was best left to a professional.
"Okay, Your Majesty, you've wasted this wonderful plantation! It's been left here to wither…" Dylan said, his face contorted with displeasure.
"We didn't have a professional alchemist before, so no one took care of it. And with the War of the Lonely Mountain, we simply didn't have the time!" Rynar had no choice but to tell a small lie.
"Sigh, I'll take over from here. I'll cultivate magical plants and refine potions as quickly as possible.
If you need me to forge magical weapons, let me know in advance; I'll make sure to prepare," Dylan said while summoning magic to construct a simple hut, seemingly intending to stay here long-term.
"You want to live here?" Rynar's eyes widened in surprise.
"Of course! It's convenient for taking care of them!" Dylan said matter-of-factly.
"Alright, I'll send someone to guard this place. You can reach out to them if you need anything." Rynar felt he had no choice but to agree.
"Okay!" Dylan waved his hand at Rynar dismissively, like shooing away a fly, then dashed into the plantation.
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