Chapter 805

Chapter 805: Countryside Town

“Lily Aisote?”

Lan Hilsar exclaimed in surprise within Count Red Kite’s residence.

“That’s right. It’s normal that you two haven’t heard of her before. She comes from a minor noble family in the southern empire. The Emperor met her at a banquet during his southern travels and fell in love with this girl.”

“Three years ago, when the Emperor held his wedding, I was fortunate enough to attend and provided the pastries for the wedding.” Li Lin explained.

“Hold on, the Lily Aisote you’re talking about, isn’t she somewhat petite, with caramel-colored hair, and a graduate of Émanas?” Lan Hilsar asked in quick succession.

Li Lin thought for a moment and nodded, “Yes, Miss Lacy, did you know Her Majesty before?”

“We could say we knew each other; actually, we were friends because we studied together at Émanas,” Lacy confirmed with a nod.

“I see.”

Li Lin looked at the golden-haired girl in front of him, who appeared to be around seventeen years old. He calculated mentally; the Queen had graduated several years ago, yet this girl claimed they had studied together. She still seemed quite young.

Shaking his head, he temporarily set aside the magical topic of girls’ ages and continued to introduce the situation in the Imperial Capital.

“Now, I don’t recommend going to the Imperial Capital, as it is currently under strict lockdown, and it’s very easy to get entangled in the events surrounding the Emperor’s death, becoming an innocent victim,” he said, recounting the recent bloody trials in the capital.

“Is no one stopping Derosa’s atrocities now?” Asimeth became restless upon hearing Li Lin’s description. She had many friends in the Imperial Capital and was deeply concerned about their safety.

“Theoretically, only the Red Queen and Prince Edren can command Derosa, but the Queen is too weak and probably dares not confront Derosa. Prince Edren is currently suppressing the rebellion in the south.”

“The rebels are southern nobles who are dissatisfied with the empire ceding their territories, believing it to be too weak. Unfortunately, if the conflict continues, the empire will only bleed more and see no hope.”

“For the greater good, the empire signing the surrender treaty is a reasonable choice. However, people find it difficult to remain rational when their personal interests are at stake, so Prince Edren must be quite depressed about this rebellion.” Li Lin analyzed the current situation.

“What about the other high nobility? What is the attitude of the four great dukes, who are the leaders among the nobles?” Asimeth then asked with concern.

“The Southern Red Dragon Duke, Duke Basca, died in battle. Without an heir due to his sudden death, his sons are competing for the family inheritance. Two of them even joined the rebellion, causing chaos in the territory.”

“The Northern Raven Duke, House Trei, dispatched tens of thousands of troops in the expedition. After losing the war, they stopped reinforcing their forces and have retreated to the cold north, maintaining a low profile.”

“The Western Griffin Duke, House Salus, was originally the betrothed of the previous Crown Prince. Although they reached a truce during the coup, their relationship remains lukewarm. In the expedition, they only allowed their vassals to freely choose whether to participate, while they themselves did not join. Currently, they are commissioned by Prince Edren to defend the southern border of the empire to prevent a sudden attack from Clancia.”

“Duke Landsworth of the Unicorn, who had a daughter disappear during the coup, has been distant from the royal family for years. Even in the expedition, he sent no soldiers.”

“From recent news from Duke Landsworth’s residence, the Duke remains indifferent to internal matters of the empire, likely not even sending troops to support the royal family if it were to fall.”

After explaining the basic internal situation of the empire, Li Lin picked up his teacup and slowly sipped, the tea having a hint of sweetness from added sugar.

“It sounds quite complicated,” Asimeth rested her elbows on her knees, her pointed ears slightly drooping amidst her golden hair. As an elf, she had little interest in these political machinations.

“Hehe, Princess Asimeth doesn’t need to worry so much. Although there might be power transitions within the empire, it’s likely that after the change, they would seek to stabilize and heal the nation, avoiding involvement with the elven race,” Li Lin comforted her.

“I hope it will be like that,” Asimeth replied, then looked at Li Lin.

“Oh, do you have any news about my sister? How is Etiya recently?”

“Princess Etiya is quite famous in the empire. She advanced to Sequence 7 several years ago. Though she didn’t participate in the imperial expedition, she assisted local troops in resisting the counterattack from Clancia, buying valuable time for the ceasefire agreement.”

“When the news of the Emperor’s death was suppressed in the palace, only a secret envoy was sent to inform Prince Edren at the front line, urging him to quickly reach an agreement with Clancia to prevent the other side from learning of the Emperor’s demise.”

“Sigh, my sister advanced so quickly. If I had been on the Western Continent, I’d probably be at the same level as her.” Asimeth felt cheated. They were twins, yet she felt far behind now.

“Princess Asimeth needn’t worry. I believe you’ll catch up soon,” Li Lin comforted her briefly before clapping his hands to call a maid to the hall to change and add tea.

The three of them drank some black tea, rested for a bit, and Li Lin invited them both to lunch.

“Thank you, Li Lin,” Asimeth agreed graciously, then pulled Lan Hilsar to walk through the garden of the residence.

“So much has happened,” Asimeth remarked, wearing light sandals as they walked along a path covered with fallen leaves. Beside them, the fresh forest slopes dotted with raindrops that hadn’t fully dried caught her eye.

“Yes,” Lan Hilsar nodded. She was now worried about her friends from the past and how this great war had affected them.

If possible, she wanted to help them. With Clancia developing stably now, she felt relieved and no longer needed to take everything personally.

“Let’s sit here, Lacy,” Asimeth saw a sturdy branch suitable for sitting and jumped up nimbly, waving at the golden-haired girl below.

The girl looked at this pure elf in the forest, smiling as she leaped up lightly, as if carried by the wind, and slowly sat down on the branch.

Thus, the two sat close together on a high branch, overlooking the beautiful white harbor through the courtyard and streets.

Compared to other places, the waves here were gentle, and the harbor was deep. Cleanly arranged ships filled with sails docked at the port, and occasionally, shouts could be heard from the distant docks.

What a peaceful and tranquil harbor.

After lunch at Count Red Kite’s residence, Asimeth and Lan Hilsar returned to their lodging at the public house and stayed in Long Dragon Harbor for another two days.

During these two days, they settled the crew members who came with the ship. They would stay in Long Dragon Harbor for 1-2 years before returning to the Eastern Continent aboard the ships once the routes stabilized again.

After handling these small matters, it was time to leave. Asimeth invited Lan Hilsar to visit the Emerald Forest with her.

“I should go back first. Too many things have happened,” the girl with a light sun hat stood at the dock, holding the hand of another girl with dragon horns.

“Then I’ll see you next time. Oh, here, take this,” Asimeth took out an elven-style pendant, its interior a translucent emerald gem, surrounded by metal vines resembling creeping plants, lifelike and vibrant like blooming flowers.

“You can use this to find me in the Emerald Forest. Just say you’re my friend; other elves will recognize it too, so it won’t cause you trouble.”

“Thank you.” Lan Hilsar nodded, then thought for a moment and took out a small badge with a night flower pattern.

“You can also come visit me in Hope Lane. I may not be there, but if you stay for a while, someone will notify me.”

“Alright, I’ve always wanted to see Snowfall Seven Kingdoms. Now that there’s no war, I think I can finally go on a proper vacation,” Asimeth happily accepted it, then waved at Lan Hilsar.

“See you next time, Lan, and Little Night Spirit.”

“Goodbye~” Night Spirit and Lan Hilsar waved together, watching Asimeth and Erin walk away.

“Next, it’s time to start our journey,” Lan Hilsar looked at the girl beside her.

Tonight, Night Spirit wasn’t wearing her usual traditional Eastern dress but instead wore a fresh summer outfit. She wore a sleeveless T-shirt with short sleeves, paired with tight-fitting denim shorts, exposing her healthy white legs and knees directly, running and jumping lightly in the sea breeze.

On the Western Continent where industry was just beginning to develop, the canvas used for jeans became popular due to its durability and strength. However, since it was mostly worn by workers in cities and ports, nobles and the wealthy rarely used it, considering such clothing unseemly or lacking dignity.

But Night Spirit didn’t seem to mind. As long as it was comfortable. Since the awakening of her dragon blood, she had become increasingly independent and opinionated. Few elders in the Night household could control her, except perhaps Lan Hilsar.

Under the sea, although time seemed to stop, Night Spirit’s dragon blood seemed more stable and controllable. Now, she could retract her wings voluntarily, revealing only her two small dragon horns on her forehead. They usually remained exposed, and she sometimes used a hat to cover them.

“Hey~” She walked ahead of Lan Hilsar, effortlessly stepping on the rocks of the dock, jumping up, and landing precisely on the straight line. Seeing her accurate movements, she turned to look at Lan Hilsar, as if waiting for praise like a proud child.

“Night Spirit is amazing~” Lan Hilsar laughed in response, then approached the girl, walking side by side.

“Did you hear from Bumansa where her home was when you were at school?”

“Bumansa sister? Let me think.” Night Spirit blinked her eyes but soon gave up.

“Hmm, I can’t remember. I only remember eating Bumansa sister’s cookies,” she said.

“Hehe, yes. Actually, Bumansa mentioned it was a small town near Long Dragon Harbor,” Lan Hilsar said, adjusting her hat against the sea breeze.

“Recently, I did a little investigation and got some information.”

“Bumansa’s home is in a small town thirty miles north of Long Dragon Harbor. She spent some time in Long Dragon Harbor a couple of years ago, but now she has returned. Do you want to visit?”

“Of course, I miss Bumansa sister too,” Night Spirit raised her hand.

“You miss her cooking, right? She takes good care of you and Lily,” the girl teased.

“Well, that’s true, but Bumansa sister really is nice.”

At school, apart from Lan Hilsar, who was the closest to her, Bumansa was the only one who could manage Night Spirit.

Letyss, Alena, none of them could beat her, and Vimya always remained low-key.

“Alright, that’s decided. We’ll find a carriage first. This is still the empire, so it’s better to be low-key and not transform and fly randomly.”

“Mm-hm.” Night Spirit agreed cheerfully.

Two days later, Lan Hilsar and Night Spirit boarded a hired carriage.

The light carriage traveled down a narrow path through the fields. The two horses, guided by the driver, pulled the carriage over rolling hills and forests, gradually arriving at a peaceful town.

Looking out the window, rows of neat wheat fields stretched out, golden wheat stalks swaying gently in the wind, the scent of dry grass filling the air, and dragonflies flitted between the fields.

The carriage rolled over the road covered with gravel and yellow earth, with rhythmic slight jolts, carrying the passengers closer to the town ahead.

White, light yellow, and reddish-brown bricks built houses that gradually came into view. These houses were built along the hillside, appearing soft and comfortable overall. Beside the houses, wooden sheds housed livestock, with a few cows and sheep mooing and wagging their tails.

Woof woof~

As the carriage stopped at the entrance of the town, two large yellow dogs ran out from the field piled with wheat sheaves, barking incessantly by the roadside.

“Shoo—”

After Night Spirit stepped off the carriage, facing the two large dogs barking at her, her dark brown eyes suddenly widened, and she let out a sound to scare them.

Woo woo~

The two dogs seemed frightened, tucking their tails and whimpering as they hid to the side, glancing back as if afraid this little girl might chase after them.

“Hehe.”

Chirp chirp~ Just as Night Spirit was feeling a bit smug, a slightly plump Dai Ju flew out of the carriage and landed on top of Night Spirit’s head, squatting on her hat.

“Foolish Dai Ju, get down,” Night Spirit ran a few steps forward, reaching her hands up to catch this chubby bird.

Chirp chirp! Dai Ju spread its wings, balancing on Night Spirit’s head, but was quickly grabbed by Night Spirit and brought down.

Holding firmly onto this restless little creature, Night Spirit ran back to the carriage. At this moment, Lan Hilsar was walking down the carriage with a skirt in hand, a blue-black crow perched on her shoulder.

The blonde merchant lady gently shielded her eyes from the sunlight, looking at the peaceful fields and town in the distance. The occasional animal calls could be heard.

“Lorexi, how about we have roasted chicken for dinner tonight?” Night Spirit excitedly held up the Dai Ju she had caught.

“This bird is already so fat, we should eat it before it gets any fatter,”

Chirp chirp~ (I’m not fat!)

unfinished, more to come 0 0

(end of chapter)