'Does this count as some kind of test? If I accept it, does that mean I'm agreeing to marry into her family? Probably not...' Anser felt he was overthinking it.
Given what he knew of Iris, she would disdain using that sort of tactic. If there were something to discuss, she would definitely ask him directly.
Besides, it was only a set of clothes. If he had to be wary even over something like this, that would be far too lacking in grace. Iris might even throw him out today.
She was absolutely capable of doing that.
Anser shook his head, casting off those distracting thoughts, and immediately washed up and changed clothes.
Only when he put them on did he realize that every piece fit him perfectly, and even the boots were exactly the right size. Combat formalwear could be adjusted slightly, but ordinary clothes did not have that property.
These had clearly been tailored in advance.
The kindly face of Iris's grandmother appeared in his mind, and he could not help but marvel at how thoughtful the old lady was.
Iris was lazy, so the various affairs inside and outside the castle were probably all being managed by the old lady and the butler.
After getting dressed and standing before the full-length mirror, he actually felt that the person in the mirror was somewhat unfamiliar. His bearing was upright, his posture outstanding, and he exuded nobility. Yet it also seemed as though a veil lay over him, making him deep and mysterious, so that every movement and expression could stir the hearts of those around him.
'If I'd had this kind of charm in my previous life, I wouldn't have stayed single all the time.' He admired himself for a while, then put both the shield and the Rod of Security into the Avaricious Dragonhide Pouch and went downstairs empty-handed.
The petrification magic on the shield had entered its cooldown state and probably would not recover until around midnight.
Along the way, nearly every servant who saw him froze for a moment and even forgot to bow.
As he entered the dining hall, everyone's gaze focused on him. Grandmother nodded in satisfaction. Iris stared at him for a moment, sizing him up, her eyes brimming with laughter.
The butler was smiling the most happily of all. After many years, Fort Jacqueline had finally welcomed new vitality once more.
"This is what proper clothing looks like. Though your hair's a bit too long," Iris commented. "Eat. Didn't you hold a general meeting?"
"Yes." Anser decisively changed the subject. "I'm planning to separate public security from the military and establish a defense force, so they'll stop handling those trivial matters and focus on city defense and combat instead."
"The idea is sound, but that would take a lot of money, wouldn't it?"
"I won't make drastic changes. The establishment will remain the same, and I'll proceed step by step."
"That is fairly prudent."
"..."
The two exchanged a few casual words, then began eating in silence.
By the time they finished, it was already getting late. The two of them headed together to the Durlag Union, but this time Iris did not ride the flying carpet and instead rode a horse with him.
Nornoth was also something of a looks enthusiast. It had been disgusted when Bratt rode it, but as soon as Iris got on, it became delighted instead, behaving as if showing off wildly.
Perhaps it felt that, in the end, it had still beaten that flying carpet.
Leaning against Anser's chest, Iris said softly, "My father is a Sorcerer, an adventurer from the Dragon Coast, and he rarely stays at Fort Jacqueline."
"My maternal grandfather was also an adventurer. He returned to Waterdeep when my mother was four or five years old and never came back. Fort Jacqueline will not bind anyone... you as well."
Anser understood. The Jacqueline family did not need anyone to marry into the family, but it did need its line to continue.
To put it bluntly, he could leave at any time and would not need to take responsibility, but he had to leave the children behind.
Iris did not know whether what lay between them counted as love, but she bore the responsibility of her family on her shoulders. While having the right to choose her own partner, she still had no choice but to steel herself and take the initiative. What if he ran away?
It had been she who single-handedly planned to nominate Anser as president of the Union.
"You may not know this, but I'm not human." Anser felt that this demand was even harder than marrying into the family.
"What?" Iris was startled and turned her head to look up at him.
"I'm a dragon." Anser lowered his head and looked into her watery eyes. "It's not just that my bloodline awakened. I myself am a variant metal dragon, currently in the wyrmling stage. I don't know whether I can reproduce, and even if I can, my bloodline would be rather ordinary."
Only after a dragon enters the young stage does it gain the ability to reproduce. He was different—his true dragon power increased with his level. Perhaps only at the legendary stage would he be able to produce offspring with the strongest bloodline.
"How could that be… then how long would we have to wait?" Iris looked astonished. Who wouldn't want their children to be extraordinarily gifted?
A wyrmling Sorcerer was already this powerful. It was hard to imagine how terrifying Anser would be once he fully matured.
"Within five years." Anser was extremely confident.
"Then… I'll wait for you." Iris sighed faintly, jumped down from the horse, and rode away on the flying carpet.
"Huh? No hugs unless we're having kids?" Anser complained helplessly.
When Anser arrived at the Union and entered the meeting room, he found that dozens of mid- and high-level officials had already assembled. Even Iris sat calmly in the first seat on the inner side of the long table.
Giant Tail and Kaleno were also present.
Seeing him enter, everyone stood to greet him. Their gazes fell upon his formal attire, their expressions difficult to read.
Anser paid it no mind. After sweeping his gaze around the room, he asked, "Is everyone here?"
"Everyone is here," Quentin said, pressing down the corners of his mouth, trying to keep himself as solemn as possible.
"Then let's begin." Anser placed a stack of documents on the table.
"Colleagues, the first item of the meeting will be reports. Each of you will briefly report on your recent work, the problems you have encountered, and your thoughts…"
The notice had already been issued yesterday, so everyone had prepared in advance. Each of them sat upright, hoping to leave a good impression on the new president.
After the Graham incident, everyone had already formed a preliminary impression of the new president: decisive and swift as thunder when he acted, yet reasonable and evidence-based, never engaging in collective punishment.
This was a good start. At the very least, everyone sincerely believed this was far better than the former president's approach—either doing nothing or cutting everything with a single stroke.
The first to speak was the Administrator, Rein, mainly discussing administrative affairs. The second was the finance officer, Little Harold. The third was the sheriff, Pardo…
Durlag had never held meetings in this format before. Many people could not control their pace or time well, so Quentin had to keep reminding them; otherwise, the meeting would not finish even in a full day.
After they finished speaking, Anser had gained a fairly clear understanding of Durlag's situation.
Its management was crude, like a makeshift troupe. Loopholes and problems were everywhere, with nothing resembling rigor or standardization.
And it was not just Durlag—most powers in Faerûn were like this.
The second item of the meeting was Anser's military reorganization plan. It passed unanimously. After all, no one was being demoted, positions were increasing, salaries were rising, and the military's strength would improve.
All expenditures would come from the fiscal surplus. Since the new president had no objections, the others naturally raised both hands in agreement.
The matter of expanding the army was assigned to Quentin, with Sheriff Pardo and Giant Tail assisting.
The final item on the agenda had originally been to discuss the future development direction of Durlag. Unfortunately, no one dared to speak much, afraid of saying the wrong thing and causing trouble, so it eventually turned into a session for handling miscellaneous matters.
For example, they would send a notice to Amn regarding ransom. Those prisoners were priced at 100 gold coins each. If Amn was willing to redeem them, the military expenses for a year would be secured.
There were also inspections for Mind Flayers, reporting measures, and the settlement of incoming refugees…
In many matters, the councilors proposed plans, Anser expressed his thoughts, and the final decision was then made.
He was in high spirits and found it all quite novel. After all, he held in his hands the future of a city and tens of thousands of people. Not everyone could experience something like that.
This was the taste of power.
The meeting ended quickly, and everyone gained something from it.
Previously, they could only hear the voices of their direct superiors and a particular councilor, working in confusion. At least this time things were much clearer, and they also understood who the real leader was.
Anser decided that meetings like this would be held once every week from now on. He would not necessarily attend each time, but at least two councilors would be required to participate and resolve specific issues.
"You seem very familiar with this kind of work," Iris said as she walked beside him in the corridor, her gaze puzzled.
Anser handled everything with clear method and structure, as if he had received a similar elite education.
"Uh, I know a little about it." Anser shrugged. He had never been a mayor, but he was extremely good at attending meetings.
When they reached the door of the president's office, Iris did not follow him inside. "I'm going back to the castle. Be careful."
"The warning magic array in your castle doesn't seem very effective," Anser remarked casually.
"It just isn't fully activated. It consumes a lot of energy." Iris shot him an annoyed look and turned away.
Anser was somewhat surprised. A magic array of such a large scale being able to detect ordinary high-level professionals was already impressive, yet it turned out to be only a partially activated state.
Just as Iris left, heavy footsteps sounded from downstairs.
Quentin appeared at the stairway and quickly came to Anser's side, lowering his voice as he said, "The guards have discovered a werewolf!"
"Where? How many?" Anser's heart skipped a beat. The Emerald Enclave had just warned him yesterday, and today one had appeared.
"We don't know. A young guard stationed at the South Gate came to report. He discovered a fellow villager who had been bitten by a werewolf and then fled…"
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