When the massive silhouette of the Sea Demon Whale vanished from the horizon, the guards at the Ampezel Port Authority nearly wanted to fire cannons in celebration. As the Distant Land docked, Brand and the others weren’t subjected to any inspection, because our Lord Junon was busy concocting how to write his report on heroically repelling the legendary sea monster, leaving him no time for other concerns. Moreover, the ship entering the port wasn’t the only one, and no one would have guessed that a Sea Demon Whale came to escort the newly arrived three-masted ship, Distant Land. Sometimes, the truth is closer to a lie, but if anyone dared to say this to Junon, the head of the Port Authority would surely throw them into the sea to feed the sharks; he didn’t want his subordinates to think of him as a fool.

The Distant Land docked at Dock No.14, and as soon as Brand disembarked, he saw Su waiting to greet him. Su had arrived at Ampezel earlier on his orders and her father’s request. This almond-skinned, braided-haired young woman now manages Tonyger’s trade with the outside world, enjoying considerable independence. During her time in Brags, she diligently completed her tasks, and Brand trusted her deeply, entrusting her with important responsibilities. Now, Su nearly controlled all of Tonyger’s outbound funds, yet when she came to welcome them, she was still wearing the same kind of checkered long dress as before.

When Su saw Brand, she was a bit surprised. Even though she’d already learned of the changes over the past year and knew of Brand’s identity through correspondence with her father, seeing Brand in person again, she couldn’t help but take another look.

Brand gave her a slight smile, feeling quite good about meeting an old acquaintance from Ridenburg.

Keeping a straight face, the girl feigned indifference, of course not forgetting their past relationship. Having heard that the Lord now had several more girls around him, she was determined not to leave Frey in the hands of such a romantic playboy. Her willingness to serve Brand was purely because of her father.

"Su!" Miss Roman hopped down the gangplank, took the girl’s hand with shining eyes, and said, "Thank you so much over these past few months! How have you been? I heard from Uncle Reto that you often work very late; he’s really worried about you!" Little Roman now oversees Tonyger’s commerce and economy, and in some sense, Su is directly under her—though that someone doesn’t have this self-awareness, it wasn’t something Su could ignore.

The girl glanced at Brand and slightly bowed her head, "Miss Roman."

"Come on, don’t be like that. Is there anything you want to say to Roman? I can pass on the message for you!"

Su was amused by the Merchant Lady’s antics and kept her serious demeanor as she asked, "How is Lord Father?"

"He’s great," Brand finally found an opportunity to interject, "As you learned from the letters, everything in the territory is on track, and the war has ended. Though I don’t quite agree, your father has officially switched careers to farming. He’s been quite troubled over the cultivation of the Mintai Region, like a true old farmer, putting aside my military training plans."

"He used to farm." Su replied.

"Alright, so he’s returning to an old trade." Brand responded, slightly playfully.

Thinking of her father’s image, Su’s lips curled up slightly. However, dissatisfied with Brand’s tone, she shot him a glare and asked stiffly, "What does the Lord wish to do next?"

"Of course, take a rest first." Brand replied, speaking the truth. Although he was seasoned with sailing, after a week on the ship, he felt as if the ground was still swaying under his feet. If that’s how he felt, others must have felt worse. Some young men from the White Lion Legion, although fine onboard, were running off to the side to vomit the moment they stepped onto solid ground. Little Roman staggered around nearby, unaware of her own condition.

"I’ve arranged accommodation at the Bauhinia Inn in the city. However, with the Lord bringing so many people, staying all in one inn would be too conspicuous, so I’ve rented the apartment across the street; it’s both safe and less noticeable. Additionally, I’ve purchased a farmhouse, which we can use as necessary." Su looked at him and answered. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Brand was slightly surprised, not expecting the young woman to be so capable. In the past few months, her tasks had been completed by the book, and what Brand valued was her honesty and reliability, but he hadn’t anticipated she also had such cleverness, foreseeing potential trouble on this trip and prearranging not only one, but three places to stay.