Dylan is Pathetic

Could there really be someone in the dwarven bloodline who wasn't suited to be a craftsman?

How was that even possible?

Wasn't that as ridiculous as a monkey's child not being able to climb trees, a rat's son not being able to dig holes, or a penguin's offspring not being able to swim?

"Um, Anton, I'm not sure I understand. Are you saying your son isn't suited for the profession of a craftsman? Does he have some kind of congenital defect?"

If there truly was a congenital defect, it would be a bit difficult to find a place for him.

"A congenital defect... No, nothing like that. It's just that he's really not suited to be a craftsman."

Anton scratched his head sheepishly.

"I know it sounds strange. I'm also baffled as to how I sired such a brat."

That choice of words was enough to leave anyone speechless.

However, dwarves had always been a rugged folk, so it wasn't that surprising.

"In that case... Minister Anton, please bring him in. I'll see what kind of position might suit him."

"There's no need for that. I brought him with me. He's been waiting outside the whole time."

Outside?

"Then call him in."

A trace of unease flickered across Anton's face.

"Your Highness, to be honest, my son is a bit of a hothead who doesn't know his place. If he says anything to offend you, I hope you won't hold it against him."

Oh?

For Anton to say such a thing, it seemed his son was quite a handful.

"Don't worry. You should know how much I can tolerate. Let him come in."

I really wanted to see what kind of character this son of Anton's was.

Since she was young, Luo Li understood that no person was useless.

Everyone had their own talent and was unique in their own way.

The only difference lay in whether their position allowed them to utilize that talent.

"Dylan, get in here!"

While Luo Li was still lost in thought, Anton had already reached the entrance of the hall and shouted down the steps.

After a brief pause, a figure appeared from below the stairs.

He shared about seventy percent of his looks with Anton, and their height was almost identical.

However, his face lacked Anton's aged look, instead giving off a sharp, keen vibe.

Young and full of energy.

That was Luo Li's first impression of him.

"You brat, Her Highness the Saintess is waiting for you! Hurry up!"

"I know, I know!"

The boy seemed to be in the middle of a rebellious phase, looking like he had a bone to pick with the whole world.

Anton dragged Dylan all the way to the foot of the sacred bed.

"Kneel down and pay your respects to Her Highness."

"Fine! Tsk."

With that, Dylan dropped to one knee, but he stubbornly lifted his head to look up at the divine platform.

As he looked up, Luo Li took the opportunity to study him.

He had a defiant expression, but his eyes were filled with spirit.

All in all, he was a high energy young man.

While Dylan knelt, he continued to stare stubbornly at the girl sitting above him.

Slowly, a look of pure amazement dawned on his face.

In that moment, it was as if he were seeing something truly unbelievable.

He blurted out instinctively.

"How can such a beautiful woman exist in this world?! Old man, I want to marry her!"

"Holy hell!"

The first sentence was Dylan's exclamation of awe, while the second was his father's soul-shattering cry of horror.

Accompanied by the sound of solid punches hitting flesh, a scene of a father brutally beating his son played out below the platform.

Luo Li blinked her eyes and rubbed her hairless chin.

This kid really didn't have a filter.

He just blurted out whatever truth came to mind.

"Anton, Anton! That's enough."

Looking at Dylan, whose face was already covered in bruises, and then at Anton, whose face was flushed red with rage, she realized things might get out of hand if this continued.

Anton turned around and dropped to both knees on the floor.

"Your Highness, I have failed to discipline my son. I will take him back right now and break both his legs!"

"There's no need for that, Anton. Calm down first."

Luo Li tried to soothe him, but Dylan, despite having just taken a beating, remained defiant.

"Old man, I'm truly in love with her!"

Anton's rage exploded once more! He jabbed his finger hard against Dylan's forehead.

"Bullshit! You call that love? You're just lusting after her! You're pathetic!"

"Is that not love?!"

"Love my foot! If I don't beat you to death today, you'll forget who your father is!!"

Ugh... Could you two not argue so openly about this in front of me?

Seeing the farce about to escalate, and with the veins bulging on Anton's forehead as if he were about to unleash a skill, Luo Li let out a long sigh and turned to Lina.

"Lina, if you would."

Lina stood up with a heroic and proud air.

"Don't worry, I'm an expert at this!"

As she spoke, she reached for the greatsword on her back and slammed it downward!

Clang!

The sound of metal striking stone echoed through the hall.

A massive sword streaked past the father and son like a flash of light.

More than half the blade buried itself upright into the marble floor like a steel plate, standing between the two of them.

Luo Li felt a surge of pain in her heart.

That marble floor cost one gold coin per tile!

She really didn't care about spending someone else's money! That was three marble tiles gone already!

A full thirty thousand vanished just like that.

Lina, however, had no idea that Luo Li was currently cursing her out in her mind.

She looked quite proud of herself.

"How's that? Settled!"

Luo Li's lips twitched as she suppressed her anger.

If I could actually beat you in a fight, I would have crippled you long ago!

I could just heal you afterward anyway!

She let out a long breath and added another mark to Lina's growing debt.

She would settle that later.

First, she had to deal with the father and son below.

"Alright, stop arguing. Anton, be quiet for a moment."

If they kept going, there would be no end to it.

It would be quite a scandal if someone actually died at the foot of the divine platform.

Luo Li looked down at Dylan, who was bruised and bleeding from his nose.

"Dylan, first of all, I accept your compliment. Thank you."

"Secondly, I can officially tell you that you are not within my range of choices for a husband."

"Lastly, your father personally told me that you aren't suited to be a craftsman and asked me to find a job for you. I wonder, what kind of work do you think you're capable of?"

As she spoke, Luo Li glanced at Nara.

"Nara, get some water and a towel so Dylan can clean the mess off his face."

Nara nodded and gave a quick look to a nearby young nun, who immediately brought out a basin of water.

Nara had prepared extensively before this grand meeting, fearing any issues might arise.

So, small tasks like this were handled in seconds.

At the same time, Luo Li raised her hand toward Dylan and cast a healing art.

In an instant, the injuries on Dylan's face vanished.

He glanced at the girl on the platform, turned to wash his face in the basin, and then wiped it clean with the towel.

The entire process was smooth and natural. He wasn't nervous or shy at all.

Even standing before the divine platform, he had dared to say those words earlier.

One could easily see his character from that.

To put it kindly, he was brave.

To put it bluntly, he was reckless and ignorant of his place.

However, wasn't that also a kind of talent?

If someone like this were placed in the government, they would be perfect for a position where they had to challenge others.

If nothing else, he certainly had the guts to speak up. No matter who it was, if he caught them slipping, he would definitely tear into them.

On the other hand, this man seemed to have a wild streak, making him ill-suited for the standard bureaucracy.

He was different from Dean, whom she had brought out of the military camp.

Dylan felt more like someone suited for adventure.

While Luo Li was contemplating how to place him, Dylan finished cleaning up and looked back at her.

"Your Highness, why am I not within your range of choices for a husband? Could you give me an answer?"

Oh?

The first thing he asked after regaining his composure was this?

After being beaten half to death in such a setting, he didn't show even a hint of embarrassment.

This man's heart was truly massive.

"It's nothing complicated. We just don't click."

Luo Li smiled, not holding his words against him.

As the old saying goes, a fair lady is a gentleman's desire.

Pursuing a female was a natural instinct for males.

It was a normal reaction and nothing to be blamed for.

"I see. It looks like I really don't have a chance then."

As he spoke, he didn't look discouraged at all. Instead, he looked up at Luo Li.

"Then, Your Highness, you said I could choose for myself. If I make a choice, will you definitely give it to me?"

"That depends on your performance."

Hearing this, Dylan nodded. He threw the towel aside and looked at Luo Li with determination.

"Your Highness, I heard that naval recruitment has begun and that new ironclad warships are being built?"

"That's correct."

The girl nodded slightly.

"I want to be a captain!"

Luo Li's eyebrows shot up at that.

"And why is that?"

"I like the smell of the sea!"

In a certain sense, I could probably report you for harassment, you know?

However, looking at Dylan's face, there wasn't a trace of any strange expression, only pure resolve.

It seemed he was serious.

A captain?

"Is that really the only reason? I don't think so."

A knowing smile played on Luo Li's lips.

By this point in the conversation, she had a good grasp of his character.

Bold, sharp, and brave.

Even after being rejected by Luo Li, he didn't show any sign of dejection.

This was a man who dared to fight for what he wanted and dared to face failure.

"Hmm? Then, Your Highness, what do you think my reason is?"

"I have a good understanding of your personality now. You are bold, brave, proactive, and unafraid of failure."

Dylan's expression gradually turned to one of surprise.

Luo Li continued regardless.

"For someone like you, simply being a captain wouldn't be enough, would it? You love the battlefield. Am I right?"

No wonder Anton wanted her to find him a position.

So that was it.

The vibe Dylan gave off was clearly that of someone who belonged in the military.

But she had just announced today that the administration, law, and military would be independent and not interfere with one another.

Anton had probably brought him here hoping he could meet some military big shots who could mentor him.

Now, since he couldn't directly contact the military, he had to go through Luo Li.

Dylan looked stunned, as if he couldn't believe he had been seen through so easily.

"I... this..."

He turned to look at Anton.

"Old man, you never mentioned that Her Highness the Saintess could read minds!"

Anton was equally bewildered as he looked at his son.

"I didn't know she could read minds either!"

These two didn't even try to hide it, discussing her so openly right in front of her face.

They really were father and son.

Luo Li let out a silent chuckle and shook her head slightly.

"Alright, rest easy. I can't read minds. Anton, as I said before, the administration, law, and military are now separate. Once he enters the military system, he will be on his own."

"He likely won't be able to discuss military secrets with you. Are you sure you can accept that?"

Hearing this, a look of joy appeared on Anton's face.

"Your Highness, does that mean... it's a done deal?"

Luo Li chuckled and looked back at Dylan.

"Whether it's a 'deal' or not depends on him. I've opened the path, but he's the one who has to walk it."

"Dylan, your father swallowed his pride to beg for this chance for you. I won't ignore Anton's request, so you'll have to prove yourself from here on out."

"There will be no special treatment for you in the military. You'll be treated the same as everyone else. Whether you can make something of yourself is entirely up to you."

At this point, Luo Li turned to Lina.

"Lina, I'm handing this man over to you. Discuss it with Kevin later and have him placed in the navy."

"No problem, leave it to me!"

Lina was as direct as ever.

The people in charge of the navy included Luo Li herself, Lina, and Kevin.

The reason for this was that Lina wouldn't be staying in the Kingdom of the Moon forever.

However, for as long as she was here, Luo Li intended to make the most of her skills!

Establishing a new army was no difficult task for Lina.

After all, she was the one who had built the Black Armored Knights from the ground up.

While she might not be familiar with the navy, she certainly knew people who could lead one.

As for finding someone within the Kingdom of the Moon, she didn't have high hopes.

The Eastern Sea had been closed off for so long that their maritime power was pathetic.

The Kingdom of the Moon hadn't developed a navy in over a thousand years.

As a result, the navy remained one of the kingdom's weaknesses.

Despite having a vast coastline, they had almost no presence on the water.

"Anton, does this arrangement work for you?"

"Your Highness's arrangements are perfect. Thank you for your grace. This has truly put my mind at ease as a father."

Luo Li waved her hand dismissively.

"Enough of that. By the way, regarding the railway construction... based on the current situation, how much can be produced daily? How long will it take to lay the first track to the northeast region?"

The northeast was a fertile land, comparable to the south.

Furthermore, because of the demon race's previous rampages, the northeast region was now entirely under her direct control.

It would be a shame if such a vast area couldn't be revitalized immediately.

Anton lowered his head in thought for a moment.

"Your Highness, given our current capacity, producing two kilometers a day shouldn't be an issue."

Two kilometers a day?

Was he joking?!

The straight-line distance from here to Final City in the northeast was at least six or seven hundred kilometers.

Didn't that mean it would take decades to finish?

Is Anton planning to hold my funeral and the railway's completion ceremony at the same time?!

I...