Chapter 480

Chapter 480: Curiosity and Imagination

A few days later, with her father’s help, Jena left the city.

“Alright, this is where we part ways.”

At that moment, the two stood on a small path under the shade of trees. Lund looked at his daughter, patting her shoulder.

“The rest of the way, you must walk alone,” he said.

“Be careful on your journey,” she replied.

“Mm, you too, Father,” Jena said, looking at the tall man before her. She noticed a white hair among his thick black short hair.

She had once thought her father was invincible, but now he was slowly aging. She sighed inwardly.

How merciless time can be.

As she pondered this, she pulled up her hood and started walking forward. She turned back to wave at her father until she turned the corner and could no longer see him.

Due to the need for secrecy when leaving the city, she couldn’t bring her horse. This time, she would have to walk through the mountains. Fortunately, she carried enough money with her; as long as she found a town, she could buy one. With the turmoil in Black Rock, returning to Emanas meant heading south to Clancia’s Red Gravel City, where airships were available.

Jena slowly put away her map and looked up at the overcast sky. She decided she needed to find a village or town soon to avoid getting drenched by rain.

Evening came.

The distant town was lit up with firelight, visible from afar.

Jena hurried closer and then slowly stopped in the shadow of the forest outside the city.

In the burning town, two groups were fighting fiercely, each with about 300 people. One group wielded shields and axes while the other held spears and halberds. Both sides had their advantages; the shield and axe group had archers supporting them from behind, while the spear and halberd group had better armor, giving them an advantage in close combat.

It seemed they were fighting over control of the city. Some residents were anxiously defending their homes.

Suddenly, Jena saw a heavily armored man, the mercenary leader she had seen that night in the burning village.

He was leading his men toward the opposite battlefield, his halberd swinging with a fierce wind sound, shattering wooden shields and cutting down several people.

After assessing the situation, Jena took a deep breath, covered her face with a cloth, and opened her luggage, taking out her long knife.

Though there was some danger, she was gradually regaining her strength and was confident in handling a Sequence 4 opponent.

The key was to choose the right moment to retreat safely.

With her hand on the hilt, she cautiously moved through the shadows, approaching the chaotic battlefield in the city.

“Charge!” the group with shields and axes shouted amidst the flames.

“Shoot the leader!”

Seven or eight arrows hit the armor with a clatter, but failed to penetrate. The leader wielding the halberd seemed to be a specialized defender, capable of reinforcing his armor.

“We can’t hold them back anymore.”

“Ahh, save me!”

A group began to scatter, fleeing in different directions.

“Ha ha.”

“Retreat, go!”

The mercenaries with spears and halberds started chasing in the alleys, causing the formation to gradually break apart.

Watching this scene, Jena slowly slipped into the shadows and approached her target.

—

Lolan Hill’s residence.

As Mira pulled the lever and infused magic power, the floating device inside the airship emitted a faint glow, lifting the entire ship slowly.

Lolan watched the wobbling airship rise and followed it, circling around it to check for any possible improvements.

Initially, Mira was a bit worried, but as the airship stabilized, her heart gradually calmed down.

She sat in the front underside of the airship, offering a good view for her to look down.

The open cockpit lifted, allowing her to feel the flow of air past her ears.

After checking the airship, Lolan entered it and sat next to Mira.

“Let’s begin,” she said.

“Okay,” Mira nodded, following the previous instructions, pushing the lever forward. The airship’s sails on both sides also moved outward, like rowing a boat in water, pushing through the atmosphere and moving forward.

The initial speed wasn’t fast, but it gradually increased as they continued to move.

The orange-red airship glided through the sky like a carp, circling high mountains, passing through valleys, and flying over the wilderness.

“Ya~” Mira became increasingly excited after getting used to the controls.

The airship rose like a bird, then swooped down along a long current of air, the strong airflow pressing against her ears, while Lolan’s hair fluttered in the wind.

Meanwhile, some residents outside Iron Anvil City curiously watched the large fish soaring freely in the blue sky, its nimble movements unfamiliar to them.

There was no particular emotion as they stood in the fields, watching the large carp fly in the sky, just like watching fish swim in water, ants on walls, or birds pecking at insects in their childhood.

Simple curiosity and imagination slowly spread in their hearts.

Not everything had to be about profit and meaning; sometimes, sitting under a tree daydreaming brought a subtle joy.

Flying was a distant and unfamiliar experience for ordinary people. Even in the prosperous era Lolan remembered, many had never flown in an airplane.

Looking at the world from above versus standing on the ground provided a completely different experience, one that was both intriguing and captivating.

Life inherently sought new and interesting things, even animals with little intelligence had their own curiosity.

They tried various possibilities, sprouted from the ocean floor, climbed onto land, leaped into the sky, and finally gazed at the vast and distant stars.

Each successful exploration brought new living spaces and resources, planting the seeds of joy and surprise deep within their genes.

When building this airship, Lolan hadn’t thought much about it; she simply satisfied her curiosity and wanted to recreate something special and full of fantasy from her memories.

Just like when walking home, seeing a new flavor drink in a store and wanting to try it.

Life isn’t long, but she didn’t want every moment to be filled with so-called meaningful activities. Sometimes, driven by interest, she would do things she wanted to try, like new foods, reading books she had never read before, or listening to ancient stories passed down in the mountains.

Perhaps, it was in her nature to yearn for boundless freedom.

After this period of work, the wise young lady also wanted to take some time to play, nothing more.

Wishing you always stay young, always be positive, and always be moved to tears.

(End of Chapter)