Chapter 750

Chapter Fourteen Next Stop

“There’s something I need to tell you.”

Before leaving, the girl borrowed paper and pen from someone at the coin house and wrote down several addresses, handing them over to the captain.

“Last year in East Continent, well, we dismantled two Netherland gangs’ hideouts and rescued some… women who were forced to work for them. Most of them were street wanderers who were caught, ranging from young to old, and there were also some who had been there for years. There were roughly a hundred of them…”

“It’s possible that there might be more hideouts, but after that, the Netherland gang’s business was hard to continue. I think it can be a clue; you should go there and look for your daughter. She might still be alive…”

The man still couldn’t see her face under the hood, not knowing what she looked like or how old she was. He actually knew nothing about her—except for her clear voice, which he would always remember.

He regretted a little that when the girl handed him the note, he instinctively stepped back.

At that time, the girl didn’t pay attention to his actions. Under the hood, she seemed to smile prettily, finished speaking, and then left without looking back, leaping onto a broken rooftop and quickly disappearing into the night.

But the captain couldn’t let it go.

After coming out of the tower, he had been regretting ever since.

What a pity…

At that moment, neither he nor the navigator, nor any of the merchants present, could naturally say thank you.

If they had another chance to meet, they should indeed thank her…

The man was lost in thought, his gaze wandering over the distant, hazy lights of the port city, gazing at the deep night sky above the city. He stood there for a long while, speculating in his heart about the girl’s identity and her journey.

She…

Who exactly is she? Where is she going alone?

One thing the captain was very clear about.

Such a girl, if he really heard news of her in the future, it would probably only be during one of his voyages or in a tavern, when he was drinking with someone, and he heard from some drunken, babbling drunkard about some shocking events recently. Perhaps, through those events, he could find a trace of her.

This might be the only way their paths could cross again.

…………

In mid-April, the weather began to warm up.

There is an old saying in Silgaya: the most beautiful month is April, the wind of April, the clouds of April, the sunshine of April, and the sentiments of April. In this fertile land, April is the season when the earth revives and flowers bloom.

In the mountains far away, the forest was lush and green, and the breeze made a crisp rustling sound. The pine trees by the river sprouted new scales, like tiny buds. The reeds awakened from their winter’s purity, swaying in the dust, as if singing in harmony.

On the cliffs of Pevensy Gorge, purple and silver flowers bloomed everywhere, stretching endlessly into the distance. The gentle sunlight shone down, outlining the majestic contours of the valley. From above, one could see a small, cloaked figure lying on the flower bed at the highest point, alone, eyes closed, as if sleeping peacefully.

But soon, she opened her eyes.

The teenager blinked, her gaze shifting from confusion to clarity, taking at least ten seconds before slowly sitting up. She scratched her slightly messy hair, her eyes darting around, yawning widely. Her hand reached out beside her, accidentally touching something fluffy.

She was stunned, instinctively grabbing it, feeling it struggle, and looking down.

… It was a spider.

A spider!

Its eight legs were still moving in her hand!!!

“Quack…”

She screamed, jumped up, and opened her eyes wide, flinging the spider away. This was almost an innate human reaction, but the teenager clearly felt it wasn’t enough. After throwing the spider, she directly started running, dodging backward, while petals flew past her eyes, and a tiny fireball shot out from her fingertips!

All in one breath.

Bang!

A muffled sound echoed from the gorge, followed by black smoke rising.

The girl stared blankly at the scorched area nearby, watching the rising smoke, as if she finally woke up. She glanced at her hand, intending to scratch her head, but immediately remembered she had just touched a spider, feeling a chill all over, goosebumps covering her arms.

“Damn spider…”

It scared me.

I hate bugs with too many legs…

But two seconds later, I realized something was wrong.

… Huh?

Was I really scared by the spider?

How could I still be scared by a spider?

No…

Why do I feel scared again?

I must have been scared…

“……”

I pondered for a long time, suddenly feeling uncertain.

It might just be an instinctive bodily reaction…

Thinking about the spider again, it didn’t seem so terrifying… Not like before, when I used to get goosebumps at the sight of spiders, centipedes, and such.

… Is that right?

I don’t know…

… Forget it.

It’s just a trivial matter.

I decided to put it out of my mind, frowning as I stood on the cliff, gazing into the distance for a moment, then turned to gather the package on the ground.

Yesterday evening, flying in the sky, I saw the flower field here was particularly beautiful… Without much thought, I came down, intending to rest for a bit, but ended up… falling asleep until almost noon today.

Now…

The sun was high in the sky.

Wearing a cloak, I felt a little warm.

After tying the package around my waist, I condensed a bit of frost mist underfoot, letting the cold air spread throughout my body to cool myself down, and then

Looking up at the sky, he thought for a moment and felt a bit hungry. He took out a piece of bread from his bag, took a big bite, chewed it, and walked towards the cliff.

What was left to eat…

was already very little.

How many days had it been since I left the port city?

I couldn’t quite remember.

Anyway, after that night when I got off the ship and dealt with a series of chaotic matters, I went straight to the port city—not through the main gate, as most cities in this world lack real anti-air defenses, making it easy to sneak in by flying. After entering, I found a small inn that wouldn’t ask for my identity and stayed there for a few days.

During the day, I searched the city for delicious food, trying some local specialties. But this wasn’t the main thing. Those days, I kept observing the activities at the docks and the merchants, as well as the Sixth Knight Order… The knight leader that night was indeed the head of the Sixth Knight Order, as I later learned; he left the port city with his men early the next morning.

Where they went, I didn’t know.

But no matter what, he did not cause further trouble for the “Carlivale” merchant ship.

For me, that was enough.

As for more complex issues that couldn’t be solved by force, I chose not to get involved, knowing it was best not to. If I just intervened rashly, it wouldn’t solve the problem but would likely deepen the conflict, making things worse.

For now, I could only take care of my own affairs.

And that knight commander…

after he left, would he tell others or the church about what happened that night and seeing me? I considered this possibility, concluding it was unlikely.

At least he wouldn’t report such matters to the church, as he had no idea how to explain it—would he tell Angel that he was attacked by an unknown assassin without even seeing his face, almost dying?

If that were true, it would only make Angel think he was a fool.

That commander was smart and particularly mindful of his reputation.

Perhaps he would privately investigate my identity, but I doubt he’d find anything. With just the Frost Order clue, he couldn’t figure out who I am. There are many girls with the Frost Order, and his suspicion would stop there. If he tried to find me through my movements—ha, I can fly.

Flying means being able to completely disappear, leaving no trace.

So I’m not worried about this.

Actually, deep down, I feel…

even if he finds me, so what?

It’s meaningless.

It would only cost him a few trusted subordinates—possibly even putting himself in great danger. That fox is clever; he understands that as long as I don’t truly affect the core interests, there’s no need to create a powerful enemy for himself.

So, over the past few days, I’ve put the Sixth Knight Order out of my mind. I bought enough water and food, along with a simple parchment map, and then quietly left the port city at night, heading north toward the Northern Territories.

My plan—the term “plan” might be a bit inappropriate, but that’s what I intended—on the journey north, my first destination would be Arethien City, north of Pevensey Canyon. There, I would gather information and replenish supplies. The next place would be the Silent Fortress… I wanted to visit again, just to look around, pay respects at Lady Alastair’s tomb, and then leave. After that, I would head to Woodworth Forest, where the small village is.

I need to see my grandmother and check if she’s safe.

Not necessarily meet her face-to-face.

Just observe from afar, confirm everything is fine, and leave. It’s best not to contact her directly, and there’s no need to send messages through someone else. Let her think I’m dead, which is the best protection for the whole village.

After that…

I would go straight to the border and enter the territory of the Valen Empire.

Whether I would go to the Winter City first or somewhere else, it would depend on the current situation and where my parents are—whether I should go to Victoria first or to my parents. After much consideration, I decided to go to the empire first.

Find my father and mother, and my two brothers.

What to do after finding them…

whether to meet or not, I haven’t decided yet.

I’ll deal with it then…

I don’t know how the war is going. I couldn’t get accurate news in the port city, but I’m a bit concerned about it.

I don’t plan to do something dramatic like seeking revenge. By now, my hatred for Angel has faded. Thinking of his betrayal no longer brings the same resentment and sorrow, so there’s no desire for revenge.

After all, the existence of the church is necessary. Without order, chaos would ensue, leading to more innocent deaths. I never considered directly killing the Pope with divine power.

And whether my return will really change anything…

I haven’t thought about it.

Not yet.

If possible, let everyone believe I’m already dead. As long as they can live well, my death could protect their lives from the darkness of this world.

Isn’t that good enough?

……….

I reached the edge of the cliff, thinking about various things, took a step forward, and stumbled.

Before my cloak could flap, my body plummeted rapidly.

Then, black mist rose from my back, fierce winds rushed past, carrying my body higher into the sky.

Food is running out…

so, I’ll head straight to Arethien City.

…