Chapter 50

Chapter 50: Conveying Information

The Calites Guild’s caravan finally resumed its journey after having lunch at noon.

Members of the caravan dismantled and rolled up their tents, neatly loading them onto the wagons. The seriously injured were made comfortable on the wagons, while those with lighter injuries rode on horseback. They arrived at the outskirts of Huangye Town, beyond the mountains, not long after.

The commercial alliance of Vergha was largely characterized by mountainous areas in the west and relatively flat plains in the east. After leaving Huangye Town, the road became mostly smooth and wide. Cities and people became more densely populated, significantly increasing safety.

The mayor of Huangye Town looked at the convoy covered in bandages and bloodstains, feeling somewhat alarmed. When did such formidable bandits appear nearby? If the Calites Guild reported this to the alliance guild, his term as mayor would come to an end.

He brought various herbs, white liquor, food, and local specialties, requesting that the convoy accept them and hoping to meet with Miss Lacy of the Calites Guild.

Lolan Hill originally did not want to see the mayor, understanding that he had little to do with the matter. However, she reconsidered and agreed to meet him, seeing it as a good opportunity.

That afternoon, outside Huangye Town, a large sunshade was set up on the ground. The convoy parked not far away, and Lolan Hill invited the mayor to meet there.

The mayor of Huangye Town was a middle-aged man around fifty, wearing slightly rustic brown attire. He was led by two riders to meet the legendary Miss Lacy.

She wore a delicate light red dress, her silky hair cascading over her shoulders. She sat elegantly on a white wooden chair under the sunshade, with a matching small round table in front of her. On the table were two teacups and a teapot, all made of exquisite Eastern white porcelain with intricate gilded patterns.

As the mayor approached, he was captivated by the clear blue eyes of the young lady before him. For a moment, she seemed to radiate unparalleled beauty, causing him to momentarily lose focus.

Chelsea, Lolan Hill’s head maid, coughed twice, reminding the distracted mayor. Although she knew her lady’s beauty was rare, she disliked anyone staring rudely at her.

The mayor snapped out of his daze, quickly lowering his head to introduce himself.

“I am Rudel of Huangye Town, honored to serve as mayor. Upon hearing about Miss Lacy’s ordeal, I felt deeply apologetic and have brought some supplies as a token of my humble apology.”

“Your accent suggests you are not from around here, Mayor?” Lolan Hill’s voice echoed like a clear mountain stream, light and pleasant.

“Yes, Miss Lacy indeed has keen insight. I grew up in the southern Redwood Islands before coming to Vergha with my parents.”

“Are they part of the Redberry Principality? I heard there are many mages there?”

“Yes, unfortunately, I did not possess the talent for the magic sequence. I only learned basic arithmetic and writing before dropping out.”

Rudel revealed a hint of regret. After the Redberry Principality united with the Crescent Council, education was promoted nationwide. Those with excellent qualifications could become apprentices and embark on the path of the magic sequence. This was why the small territory of the southern islands could still stand on equal footing with larger nations.

In terms of overall strength, even compared to the seven countries allied with Snowfall, the Redberry Principality and Crescent Kingdom were still among the upper-middle ranks.

The Crescent Council and the Redberry United Kingdom, abbreviated as the Crescentberry Kingdom, like Rourna, were renowned for their mages. The two nations’ mages had a complicated history due to differing ideologies, viewing each other as rivals.

This rivalry and opposition can be traced back to the ancient Oz Country. After the collapse of the Mercury Dynasty, most of its extraordinary beings in the magic sequence were absorbed by Oz Country, led by two powerful witches from the Mercury Dynasty.

One was the witch Dorothy of Time and Space, and the other was the elusive False Appearance Witch, whose appearance could change in myriad ways and was known as the Chief of the Scarlet Lotus. Her cataclysmic Scarlet Lotus technique could burn mountains and boil seas, destroying everything.

Under the leadership of these two great witches, Oz Country was once the strongest nation in the Western Continent, a holy land for countless mages in the magic sequence. Its Star Observatory Secret Academy could rival the Emanas Institute. The kingdom developed new types of magic warships and combat troops, and it frequently exchanged knowledge with the Eastern House of Plantagenet.

During the early days of the House of Plantagenet, they received substantial assistance in talents and resources. Despite the vast ocean between them, their exchange remained enthusiastic. Later, they jointly established a new academy, profoundly influencing the development of the House of Plantagenet.

However, this powerful nation, which everyone admired, soon fell. It was defeated by the flourishing Emerald Kingdom, which later became the Emerald Empire.

After the fall of Oz Country, its mages had to flee abroad. Some went west and were accepted by the Rourna Kingdom, forming today’s nation of alchemy and mages. Others moved south to the southern islands. Due to the fragmented nature of the southern islands, they split into three councils: the Crescent Council, the Semicircle Council, and the Full Moon Council. Only about 200 years ago, when the Crescent Council defeated the other two councils, did they reunite.

After unification, the Crescent Council joined forces with the secular Redberry Principality, forming the current Crescentberry Kingdom.

—

Lolan Hill observed the mayor, who appeared anxious about his position. She knew he wanted to convey the message that an outsider had attacked the successor of a major guild in Vergha, aiming to dismantle the guild.

Any merchant feared losing their hard-earned wealth to others. Thus, such attacks on guild successors would draw significant attention and strong opposition.

If the mayor could continuously convey the message that the attackers were not bandits but well-trained professional soldiers, he could avoid punishment since it was beyond his control.

But how could there be professional soldiers within the Vergha Commercial Alliance? This would spark extensive discussions, potentially implicating either the High Nobility or other major guilds within the alliance. To avoid suspicion and prevent provoking other major guilds, the hidden enemies of the Calites Guild would hesitate, greatly reducing the likelihood of further attacks and assassinations.

Because if the orphaned successor of the Calites Guild died during this period, it would cause a massive uproar in Vergha. Other guilds would feel threatened and thoroughly investigate and pursue the killer to prevent such incidents from happening to themselves.

This was exactly what Lolan Hill wanted to see.

—

(End of Chapter)