The armored man was not Beiru, the president of the Warm Fire Commerce Association, but Beiru's professional partner, the chief Crimson Knight of the Warm Fire Commerce Association, Peter.

Beiru himself was injured in the recent double fire battle and is currently in seclusion for healing.

In the absence of the president, Peter is basically the number two person in the Warm Fire Commerce Association.

"Should we send the message to the president?"

A young man resembling a messenger asked on the side.

Peter thought for a moment, then shook his head: "Let the president have a good rest. In the battle for the Dragon's Nest, he was quite seriously injured. Sigh, I hope it doesn't leave any after-effects..."

"Then... should we inform the madam?" the young man asked again.

This time, Peter was silent for a while and said, "Better let her know." In his heart, he added: "Although the madam doesn't like the third young lady, she is her biological daughter after all." He shook his head, seemingly unwilling to think too much about these matters.

The messenger quickly went to deliver the message.

Of course, the message was delivered through the "Heart Net."

Unlike Andrew's modern world before crossing over, this otherworld version of the internet isn't so advanced yet.

Especially now, to prevent risks such as network cut-off or eavesdropping, all important information is relayed by messengers, specialized Warm Fire Mages of the Heart Fire Series.

"Heart Net," after all, compared to the "Fire God Space" of the Magic Guild, is significantly inferior.

It is rumored that the "Fire God Space" is a true virtual space.

As long as one possesses the login device to enter the Fire God Space, the soul consciousness can enter the space anytime and anywhere for information and intelligence exchange with others. It is not limited to text, audio, or video transmission, but is truly a piece of the soul world existing above the real world.

"——'Heart Net' has far yet to reach that level."

Peter took off his helmet, revealing a rugged yet handsome face marred by an eye-catching dark red scar slicing across it.

Even after the Magic Guild proposed a ceasefire and peace agreement, they continued small actions, attempting to reclaim the Dragon's Nest.

From the perspective of the Warm Fire Commerce Association, there's no way we can willingly yield.

This was the reason for the recent battle on this battlefield in front of us.

At this moment, one could see that the team composed of Warm Fire Mages and Crimson Knights has achieved victory and is now cleaning the battlefield.

No Earth Fire Mages or Flame Warriors were captured on the scene.

Because all members of the Magic Guild would commit suicide after being defeated, absolutely wouldn't be captured.

"Actually, in direct confrontations on the battlefield, the gap between our Warm Fire Commerce Association and the Magic Guild is no longer that big.

In many aspects, we've even surpassed them!"

Peter handed over the work of cleaning the battlefield to his subordinates, while he himself sat down quietly on the battlefield, thinking, "In this double fire battle, the real issues revealed by our commerce association are all related to the soft power aspects like intelligence, communication, healing, supply, and logistics that we previously did not pay enough attention to!"

So the question arises, how to make up for these remaining gaps?

"The first way to make up for them... is to not make up for them!

If 'that plan' can be completed."

Peter thought to himself, "Just 'that plan,' though executed for so many years, according to the president, it's not that there are no results, but clearly we're still not executing well enough. If I could, I'd like to help, but... it concerns business aspects that I don't understand and would only mess things up..."

Peter scratched his head.

He raised his hand and pulled up Andrew's recent reply, "Honored indeed."

Then he stared at the reply, his eyes squinted slightly, appearing a bit curious and puzzled.

There was also a hint of disbelief.

"——Before going into seclusion, the president said that to compensate for the gap in soft power, he ought to have a good talk with this Andrew kid. Also said he'd talk to him personally when he emerges from seclusion." Peter frowned, "But I don't see anything particularly special about this kid."

The world as seen through different people's eyes is different.

To the average person, Andrew was not only able to kill Humboldt, defeat Rose, and Fleur, but also solve the three major problems of the Inner Sea Desert!

But to a top expert like Peter, the meaning and value of the same events are somewhat different.

For instance, one of the three major problems of the Inner Sea Desert: lung burns.

Andrew can heal this chronic disease of lung burns — is that impressive?

That is certainly impressive!

But... can lung burns be compared with burn injuries suffered on the battlefield?

Truly terrifying burn injuries would not become chronic diseases.

Rather, they would be directly fatal!!

Can this level of flame magic or flame combat techniques, this kid Andrew, withstand it? Peter doesn't think so.

Furthermore, Barbara mentioned in her letter particularly that the Wildfire Territory has an "exceptionally abundant and high-quality drinking water resource," Peter thought to himself, isn't that just good luck, finding a water source in the Inner Sea Desert that hadn't been found before.

And in a place like the Inner Sea Desert, how good can the water quality really be...

The only thing that genuinely shocked and surprised Peter was the "turning Desolate Beasts back into Flame Warriors."

Yes, among the limited few in the Warm Fire Commerce Association who knew that transforming Desolate Beasts into Flame Warriors was Andrew's work, Peter was one of them.

However, Peter still believed that this couldn't possibly be done by a young mage with a maximum level of Tier Three.

"Most likely he acquired some special magic guidance device left behind by predecessors? Containing magic or combat techniques similar to a 'Purifying Flame Spear'?" Peter speculated in his mind.

In conclusion, he truly did not understand:

Why the president said resolving the various issues with the commerce association's soft power would be related to this Andrew the mage kid?

"Forget it, I won't think about it. When the person really comes to Warm Fire City, I'll see for myself what kind of kid he is."

Peter was never fond of overthinking, he was the kind of muscle-bound fighter well into his years yet still rather simple-minded, he grinned, "No matter what, saving little Barbara's life twice is indeed quite impressive, quite impressive indeed."

Thinking of Barbara, a faint smile appeared on Peter's rugged and somewhat world-weary face, a smile incongruous with his rough and mighty image.

"If I remember correctly, the selection for little Barbara's professional partner should be decided soon, right? But regarding the specific selection, the opinions of the president and the madam always differ... Damn! Why is it still so troublesome?" Peter decided it's better not to ponder these brain-consuming matters.

Standing up again, he waved his hand and said, "Alright, let's withdraw."

Of course, not to withdraw to Warm Fire City.

But to withdraw to the Dragon's Nest.

The Magic Guild over there kept calling for a ceasefire and peace talks while simultaneously playing some underhanded tricks—well, that's nothing.

But if this happens once, it's forgivable. If there's a second time, then there's nothing more to say; we'll terminate the peace talks and just continue fighting!

In matters of commerce, Peter indeed lacks understanding.

But when it comes to military strategy, he is an expert.

"After this failed attempt to retake the Dragon's Nest, the Magic Guild over there probably won't make any moves again for a short while."

Peter took a deep breath.

In his mind, the Twin Flames War had only reached a temporary halt at this moment.

...

...

Inner Sea Desert.

Wildfire Territory.

Barbara, who had always been seriously discussing the Twin Flames War with Andrew, finally showed a trace of joy in her eyes after seeing that Andrew accepted the invitation.

"Uh, so this is fine, right? The message has been sent back?"

Andrew was still quite interested in the magical communication methods of this world.

"Yes, it's done."

Barbara smiled and said, "Within three days, the person to pick me up should arrive. Do you want to prepare in advance over these two days?"

"Yeah, I should prepare a bit." Andrew nodded.

Having just been busy for a month, he had only now relaxed a little, yet needed to set off for Warm Fire City again.

It's not the luggage that's important.

It's the people who matter.

Andrew's current thought is that apart from Ivan, he would take no one else from Wildfire Territory.

Everyone else would stay behind and continue the expansion of Wildfire Territory with An Ya.

If possible, Andrew even hoped Ivan could stay behind to add an extra layer of security to Wildfire Territory, so he could set off with a bit more peace of mind.

Otherwise, there would always be a worry; when he's not around, would Wildfire Territory be vulnerable to intrusion? And those captives...

Having truly decided to venture into the world beyond, Andrew discovered that, unknowingly, he had invested deep emotions into Wildfire Territory.

On the other hand, there was an instinctive worry about whether the journey to Warm Fire City would go smoothly.

Although he had been in the Flame Realm for some time, strictly speaking, until now, he hadn't really seen what any place beyond Wildfire Territory looked like!

Clearly in another world, yet he was inexplicably developing the complex emotions of a rural young man about to head to the city for work, feeling nervous, uneasy, and excited!

"Are you nervous?" Barbara looked at Andrew with a slight amusement.

At times like this, she felt that Andrew's behavior was no different from a young man who had lived in Wildfire Town all his life. He was just a normal person.

"A little." Andrew didn't deny it.

Taking a deep breath, Andrew wasn't in a rush to make specific preparations.

He simply relayed the situation to Ivan through the "Soul Whisper Channel."

Subsequently, Andrew walked over to the window and silently gazed outside.

Under the starlit sky, in the nighttime, Andrew stretched his eye power and "Water Spirit Sensing" to the fullest extent.

As if wanting to pierce through the present Wildfire Territory, through the vast desert outside Wildfire Territory, letting his vision and perception extend to the world beyond that desert, reaching to Warm Fire City…

"Relax a bit, there's no need to be so tense."

A small hand held Andrew's hand.

Barbara's voice, unusually gentle, didn't quite match her usual decisive and valiant demeanor, "The Warm Fire Commerce Association is my home, after all. If anything happens, I'll have your back, just like how you have my back here in Wildfire Territory."

Andrew's whole body felt like his blood was boiling the moment Barbara unexpectedly held his hand. You have to know that the Andrew now was at the stage where seeing Barbara's lips made him want to kiss them directly.

This… this came straight to holding hands?

Isn't she afraid I'll lose control on the spot?!

However, hearing Barbara's surprisingly gentle voice and the comforting words, Andrew couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth.

So he gently held Barbara's soft little hand in return.

It was just… a very pure kind of hold.

Definitely didn't take advantage of the situation to squeeze a bit more!

"So I have your back?" Andrew laughed.

"Yes, what else?" Barbara replied matter-of-factly.

"...Thanks, thank you for the comfort." Andrew turned to look at Barbara.

"Hey, why be so polite with me—mmph!!" Suddenly, Barbara's eyes widened, yet for a moment, she couldn't speak. Instinctively wanting to resist, yet the arm she raised ultimately didn't swing for the boy's cheek, instead gently landing on his shoulder.

When exactly the Twin Flames War would be considered to have reached a temporary truce in the true sense, Andrew surely didn't know as clearly or understand as deeply as Peter did.

Andrew only knew: what follows would be a new journey, a new chapter.

Volume Two "The Lord", Final Chapter.

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