Water Mage in the Flame Realm-Chapter 429 - 409: The Weight of Trust

"We still need to provide them with work! We must offer them stable job opportunities!" Andrew thought to himself, "This is the way to truly stabilize this force and make it serve our Wildfire Territory."

In this regard, Andrew’s thoughts coincided with those of An Ya and Ivan.

Ivan was sent to Hunting Wasteland City to indeed provide job opportunities for the hunters there.

Ivan was once a member of Hunting Wasteland City. Although he didn’t have deep friendships with many of the city’s strong hunters, at least they had heard of each other.

At that time, while in Hunting Wasteland City, Ivan faced the gathered hunters, crossed his arms, and said slowly:

"There are no desolate beasts left in the desert; I can clearly tell everyone that there’s not a single one left! Continuing to hunt desolate beasts is a dead end. Don’t even think about it.

However, everyone here has their own skills, and your understanding of our Desert Hunter’s profession is no lesser than mine..."

"What do you want to say, Ivan?" asked an older hunter, who was not the strongest but was the most senior and respected in Hunting Wasteland City, calmly. "I watched you grow up, and you’re not really an outsider to our Hunting Wasteland City. Don’t beat around the bush, just say it straight."

Ivan nodded: "Alright! My point is simple: this city once had another name, didn’t it? Deep Blue Guard. That was the original name of this city. Although that name has been abandoned for a long time, each year during the hunting off-season, don’t you find yourselves, like I once did, seeking bodyguard work at the Scholar’s Fortress or the Warm Fire Commerce Association?"

At this, Ivan paused and surveyed all the hunters at the scene, saying, "We are hunters, but we have never been just hunters. Before becoming hunters, we have always been skilled in guarding... as escorts and bodyguards."

Hearing this, many of the hunters present couldn’t help but have a change in their expressions.

In fact, without Ivan’s words, after the first Twin Fire Wars, there were no desolate beasts left to hunt in the desert. For their livelihood, many hunters had already left the city to seek work as bodyguards and escorts.

But there are still problems.

The first is that the first Twin Fire War just ended, and at this sensitive moment, going to work as a bodyguard for either side in the war carries the high possibility of being caught up in conflicts between the two major camps.

To put it another way, if you go to apply to be a bodyguard, and the mage you’re being paid to protect tells you: accompany me to the Royal Court in a week for negotiations. Do you go or not?

The other problem, which is more fundamental, is that there simply aren’t enough bodyguard jobs in the world for so many hunters.

The leading old hunter did not show any affirmation or denial toward Ivan’s proposal, just asked, "What exactly do you mean?"

Ivan said: "I know everyone is worried about venturing out to work as a bodyguard and getting caught up in the conflict between the two camps, but this is easy to handle—

Work for our Wildfire Territory! I can’t guarantee that working for us will absolutely keep you out of all wars, but at least the risk is significantly lower."

Upon hearing this, the old hunter seemed finally intrigued and asked slowly, "What is the work content? Wildfire Territory can offer you a job, Ivan, but can it accommodate all of us?"

"No, it can’t." Ivan shook his head and smiled, "Wildfire Territory certainly can’t accommodate everyone, but... the Inner Sea Desert can."

"What do you mean?"

"The Inner Sea Desert has over eight hundred cities, towns, and villages, corresponding to over eight hundred mature Water Tower Trees or saplings. Each city and each Water Tower Tree has at least one representative sent by our Wildfire Territory—the personal safety of these representatives, the safety of the local Water Tower Trees, and the stability of the local situation are matters for which we at Wildfire Territory would like to enlist your expertise in guarding and escorting."

Ivan said, "That’s the job content."

This was the "recruitment strategy" An Ya had discussed with Ivan before sending him to Hunting Wasteland City.

No unnecessary words, just a straightforward hiring and being hired, an employer and employee relationship.

Recruiting the hunters to stabilize the entire Inner Sea Desert also meant stabilizing this force of Hunting Wasteland City!

As for money...

Money is not an issue.

An Ya, with keen development foresight, had already started preparations before Andrew even went to the Warm Fire Commerce Association to discuss business cooperation: everyone in Wildfire Territory must not only sit back and relax, enjoying the benefits and returns Andrew fought for.

Everyone must do their utmost to participate in the business cooperation with the Warm Fire Commerce Association!

This was a strict order from An Ya, a rare moment where she was exceptionally firm, even a bit iron-fisted.

The effect of this was that when Andrew actually went and discussed numerous business cooperation projects with the Warm Fire Commerce Association and began establishing production lines—

An Ya and the people of Wildfire Territory were already prepared to provide talent for these production lines and to participate deeply as much as possible!

Active involvement means financial gain.

Once the business cooperation projects began, Wildfire Territory gained not only Fire Extinguishing Value but also piles and piles of gold coins that ordinary people could see and touch!

Andrew, upon "reading" this, couldn’t contain himself, a peculiar emotion filling and stirring within his chest: "Back when the magical production lines were being established, I was puzzled: why did Sister An Ya immediately arrange for several groups of people from Wildfire Territory to be sent to Warm Fire City, to be at my beck and call? It turns out Sister An Ya was already preparing for this!"

To others, An Ya’s preparations merely demonstrated her long-term vision, planning for the future.

But Andrew felt something more profound.

All of An Ya’s preparations were based on one fundamental assumption: confidence, confidence in Andrew.

From the moment Andrew left Wildfire Territory for Warm Fire City, An Ya completely and absolutely believed: their Lord would definitely seal the deal with the Warm Fire Commerce Association on this trip! And not just minor deals, but if there were deals to be made, they would be significant ones!

It was with this confidence that An Ya made those preparations.

This unspoken trust from An Ya was heavier than any gold, more precious than any reward of Fire Extinguishing Value, making Andrew feel its weight profoundly.

He tried to calm his emotions and continued reading—

Hunters are generally wild and unruly.

However, at the same time, as long as the money is right, the hunters are very professional, extremely skilled. This is their way of survival in this Flame Realm.

After discussing with Anya, Ivan organized the Hunters into brigades, dispatching them to towns throughout the desert, serving as bodyguards for every city, every Water Tower Tree, and every Wildfire Territory official.

Ivan himself did not return to the Wildfire Territory but instead stationed at Hunting Wasteland City, selecting a group of the most elite Hunters to come under his command.

The real danger to the Wildfire Territory ultimately lay in the Magic Guild beyond the desert.

In terms of geography, the Inner Sea Desert is actually not far from the Crimson Spear and Dragon’s Nest.

Previously, it was because they were too weak to draw attention that they remained so close to the frontlines of two major factions, rarely affected.

As the Wildfire Territory and the Inner Sea Desert continued to grow, they feared it would soon draw the attention of the Magic Guild.

So Ivan, like Anya, was also taking precautions, deciding to personally guard Hunting Wasteland City, defending the Inner Sea Desert and Wildfire Territory.

Thus, the entire Inner Sea Desert, with Wildfire Territory at its center, towns as its network, and Hunting Wasteland City as its gateway, had formed a preliminary system.

Andrew thought that before he left the Flame Realm to head to the Outer Water God Realm, he had asked President Beiru to take good care of the Wildfire Territory.

At the time, President Beiru had verbally agreed to assign Ivan to be overall responsible for the defense of Wildfire Territory and Warm Fire City, providing enough manpower and authority to ensure the Wildfire Territory’s security.

Andrew never expected: it turned out that Anya and Ivan had already begun to establish Wildfire Territory’s armed forces and defense system for him earlier on!

His eyes involuntarily turned moist.

His heart was filled with immense guilt.

Both Anya and Ivan had given so much for him without him knowing. You couldn’t find friends and partners this good even if you searched with a lantern.

Andrew could almost imagine the two of them managing the Wildfire Territory, and the whole Inner Sea Desert, in an orderly and thriving manner, eagerly anticipating his return after the Royal Court negotiation.

As for himself?

After the Royal Court negotiation, instead of taking the time to communicate clearly with them, he hastily accepted President Beiru’s mission request and went to the Outer Battlefield.

Andrew did not know whether President Beiru had conveyed his whereabouts on his behalf.

Knowing President Beiru’s character and style, it was very likely that he would not tell Anya and Ivan about his true situation.

In other words: from Anya and Ivan’s perspective, their eagerly awaited Lord suddenly disappeared one day.

And disappeared along with Catherine, whose power rivals that of the Earth Fire Scholar.

To a normal person, that was almost equivalent to being dead!

Andrew didn’t dare to imagine how Anya and Ivan reacted when they heard that he participated in the Royal Court negotiation but eventually vanished with Catherine!

The abilities of the Magic Lord, however, continued to operate, presenting Andrew with their reactions as they truly happened:

Ivan was stunned for a long time.

A long, long time without speaking.

As for Anya, she had no particular reaction, spacing out for a moment, then calmly nodded: "Oh, I see."

She just went about her business as usual.

But she went at it for three whole days and nights.

After learning of Andrew’s disappearance, she worked for three days and nights, finally collapsing on the ground while inspecting the plan for a new Wildfire Territory town, passing out.

And then...

The Second Double Fire War broke out.

"The Second... Double Fire War?"

Andrew’s eyes widened, "What’s happening? What’s going on??"

Involving changes to the entire Flame Realm’s situation, merely recognizing and understanding the new Wildfire Territory wasn’t nearly enough to grasp it all.

But at least, Andrew finally understood what major changes happened during his absence.

The Second Double Fire War started just like that?

And it seems President Beiru was the first to act?!

A thought flashed through his mind: "Was it really because they lost the Warm Fire Order that they were at a disadvantage? Being at a disadvantage, was it possible they couldn’t bear the passive beating, so they instead attacked to buy time?"

Wanting more information on the battle situation, but as I said, merely through Wildfire Territory, it isn’t possible to learn too much.

But continued to "read" what Anya did after the war broke out.

Yes, Anya not only took care of the desert towns’ rebellions, not only sent Ivan to manage the Hunters of Hunting Wasteland City.

She did another thing, something truly remarkable. It was that thing that presented Wildfire Territory the way Andrew saw it upon his return.

After the Second Double Fire War broke out, Anya ensured the safety of Wildfire Territory and the Inner Sea Desert while actively and quietly supporting the Warm Fire Commerce Association with a massive amount of logistical work.

Meanwhile, under the tremendous pressure of the missing Lord, the sudden outbreak of war, and the far more intense and thorough conflict than before—

She annexed the Southern Retreat Land.