Chapter 842

Chapter 842: Lolan Hill with a Lantern

In April, the streets of Hope Lane were caressed by gentle sea breezes, and the soothing sound of waves could be heard from afar.

After the night rain, the streets still had traces of water, and the grayish-white stone bricks gradually turned white and smooth under the sunlight, giving off a refreshing feeling when the wind blew.

On the street next to the Carites Guildhall, Lolan Hill was bidding farewell to someone while holding a wicker box. Today, she wore a light white dress with delicate blue ribbons around her waist, and there were intricate lace patterns at the edges. Beside her was Ye Ling, dressed in summery attire.

“Let’s stop here. I’ve already said goodbye yesterday, no need for any fuss.” Looking behind at Chelsea and a dozen other acquaintances, the girl waved, with her light golden hair fluttering and brushing past her soft cheeks.

“Understood, Miss,” Chelsea responded, restraining herself and standing still, bowing together with the crowd.

“See you all later.”

Lolan Hill took Ye Ling’s hand, and the two leaped into the azure sky, gradually becoming tiny black dots that vanished into the clouds.

Flying in the sky swept by sea winds, they looked down upon Hope Lane, which slowly came into view. The orange-red tiled roofs paired with white walls, rows of houses neatly arranged on both sides of the streets, the entire city embracing the ocean crescent-like, with numerous sail-laden ships docked in the harbor, occasionally interspersed with a few ironclad ships emitting black smoke, adding liveliness and noise.

“I’m a bit reluctant to leave,” Ye Ling said beside Lolan Hill, expressing her thoughts about leaving.

“Did you find good playmates?” Lolan smiled at this little one.

“Yeah, playing games with Lan Li’er at Wind’s home is fun; she knows many interesting things.” As Ye Ling spoke about Lan Li’er’s inventions and games, stars seemed to twinkle in her eyes.

“However, Lan Li’er can’t accompany you recently. Teacher Felicia has her join the troupe for performances.” The girl talked about recent arrangements made by Teacher Felicia. Lan Li’er, currently serving as the accompanying alchemist for the Fenghua Opera Troupe, was responsible for mixing music-related alchemical devices and occasionally performing on stage, learning the operations of the opera troupe in her spare time, keeping quite busy.

“So, come back next time. Actually, I’m quite curious about Lan Li’er’s opera troupe; it seems quite interesting.”

“Mm, we will return. But for now, let’s go home.”

As the two ascended higher, Hope Lane gradually faded from sight. Lolan Hill then relaxed, holding Ye Ling’s wrist, and the two started to harness their powers over wind and atmosphere.

Their speed in the sky increased rapidly, everything becoming blurry, surpassing the speed of sound, almost reaching its limit. They streaked across the clear blue sky like shining meteors, sailing northward, crossing mountains and rivers in an instant.

The earth spun beneath them, the sun moved overhead, and when it reached its zenith, they finally arrived above the capital of Clancia, Soland.

The verdant green fields emitted a fresh and lively scent under the sunlight, the fragrance of grass mingling with flowers and seeds wafted in the breeze. As the two descended slowly, they could feel the slight itch of dandelions brushing against their calves.

Their feet touched the slope lightly, bending some grass leaves, the midday heat accumulated in the grass reached their skin, and some green grasshoppers were startled and fled.

Standing on the outskirts of Soland, they gazed at the magnificent city of Clancia, the towering white city wall coming into view.

Compared to what the girl remembered, Soland had more than doubled in size. The pristine white walls pierced the sky like castle fortresses, with occasional round towers protruding outward, guarding the city like sentinels.

Below the city walls were wide avenues extending from the city, paved with small stones, dry and scorching in the sunlight. Carriages passed by frequently, entering and exiting the magnificent city.

Surrounding Soland was a large river called the Golden Moon River. Over a hundred years ago, the West Wind dug a canal connecting north and south, reviving the nation and allowing the royal family to collect substantial taxes. Countless gold coins flowed into Soland and were stored in the royal palace. Due to its crescent shape surrounding Soland, it was eventually called the Golden Moon River, and the old name was forgotten.

This great river remained prosperous, with long ships laden with cargo constantly entering the city harbor, unloading wooden boxes, and then taking away prepared goods, never ceasing like a long dragon.

Looking at this bustling and thriving scene, Ye Ling couldn’t help but exclaim.

“What a big city, feels even more bustling than Titania.” Just as she exclaimed, a black iron train roared across the field, with a long whistle, entering the city.

“Welcome to the capital, Soland,” Lolan Hill said to Ye Ling as she turned sideways.

Then the two leaped down from the slope and walked toward the magnificent city.

At the base of the thick walls, the gate was long and arch-like, towering and spacious, creating a draft when walking underneath, with echoes audible. Following the enthusiastic crowd, the two entered Clancia’s city.

Passing through the gate, the bustling urban scenery filled their vision with vibrant colors—light green, bright blue, berry red, and sky blue roofs lining the streets, various shops displaying their goods, people of different styles and races walking the streets, shouting enthusiastically.

Seasonal fruits, handicrafts, snacks, barbecues, weapons, tools, alchemical creations from Clancia, nearly every stall had people stopping to look. Here, virtually anything one could think of was available, attracting travelers and merchants from the north and south who stayed to search for items of interest.

Seeing so many pedestrians, Lolan Hill and Ye Ling stood closer together, moving with the flow, curiously examining the surroundings.

A centaur carrying a heavy barrel walked past them, his two-meter-tall figure blocking the sun and emitting a hint of sweat.

“Rum, your beer is here,” he shouted at a tavern, his voice like a lion’s roar, loud and reverberating, causing many passersby to tremble.

“Got it, I’ll be right there.”

A response came from inside the tavern, soon followed by a slightly thin human man stepping out.

“Put it in the back for now. Tonight, many customers have reserved spots, so it might be gone by morning,” he skillfully guided the lion-man to the tavern’s back door, greeting him as if accustomed to such booming voices.

“Ah, did Uncle Fige come today? Did he bring the orange fruit wine I asked for?”

A rabbit-eared girl in a black-and-white vest uniform walked out, seemingly the bartender and server.

“Oh, sorry about that. That fruit wine is sold out; it’s been very popular lately, with lots of orders,” the lion-man rubbed his head apologetically, his thick hands blocking the sunlight from the rabbit-girl.

“Ah, I thought it was settled earlier. Couldn’t Uncle Fige ask the brewery to make more?” looking up at the strong centaur, the rabbit-girl questioned with her hands on her back, her eyes like red jade, her white rabbit ears making her irresistibly cute.

“Well, Miss Officer said recently to limit alcohol because too many people get drunk and cause trouble. Our brewery got the notice too.”

“Hmm, it’s rare when business is good.” Realizing that complaining wouldn’t help much, the rabbit-girl turned away, waving her hand dismissively.

“This, I heard recently the Holy Land brought in some ice-brewed grape clear wine. Maybe I can ask around for you,” seeing the rabbit-girl about to leave, the lion-man thought of another idea.

“Really?” hearing this, the rabbit-girl turned back, jumping excitedly to the lion-man.

“Really,” and they continued chatting.

Watching the two on the street, Ye Ling’s eyes showed curiosity.

“They get along so well, naturally. At school, those centaur classmates always said it was hard for them in human society, being bullied and rejected in many places.”

“Well, maybe it’s different in Clancia,” Lolan Hill gently shook her finger and continued walking with Ye Ling.

Unlike the elegant but classical noble style of Titania, Soland had more life and vibrant colors.

Many storefront signs were painted in light colors on dark brown wooden boards, standing out vividly.

“Perfume Shop ‘Fragrance of Glass’,” “Alchemical Creation Store ‘Ice and Fire Cubes’,” “Eastern Burn Restaurant,” “Elven Seven Breweries Shop,” “Northern Wind Fur Clothing Store,” “Bountiful Ear Grain Store,” “Crystal Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Store,” etc.

Their decor styles varied, blending fantasy and alchemy, a rarity in other parts of the continent.

Walking through the streets, Lolan Hill and Ye Ling saw many students in neat uniforms. Some were buying lunch or chatting about school matters during their midday break. From their appearances, they came from different regions—some northern centaurs with curved horns or ears, some southern coastal residents with brown hair and slightly different accents, and others from the desert cliffs in the west, with two small openings on the back of their student uniforms revealing black-and-white wings.

Despite their diverse origins, everyone spoke freely without regard for race or status, harmonious and occasionally laughing at harmless jokes.

“It feels really nice,” Ye Ling nodded, finding it excellent.

“Lolan Sister is amazing, hmm,”

“Why are you mentioning my name again?” Lolan Hill asked curiously as they walked.

“That’s because Lolan Sister is amazing, which leads to such beautiful scenes,” she praised Lolan Hill, as if speaking of herself, radiating happiness.

“I knew it, Lolan Sister would definitely be great, hehe,” Ye Ling proudly swayed, almost announcing it loudly.

Lolan Hill smiled and shook her head.

“In fact, it’s a result of everyone working together. Many things can’t be achieved by just me,” she looked up at the flowing clouds in the clear sky.

“Even when I wasn’t around, everyone kept moving towards their dreams,”

“But, but, Lolan Sister’s contribution is the greatest, because once there is one, there comes everything else,” Ye Ling insisted.

“Hehe, okay, okay, let’s go with that,” Lolan Hill said, pulling Ye Ling toward the city center.

Passing through the bustling market and the prosperous commercial street, they arrived at the square in front of Soland’s central area, where a square monument stood in the middle, with several soldiers standing straight around it.

The greenish stone monument bore inscriptions of squad numbers, heroic names, and difficult battles, commemorating those who sacrificed themselves in the fight for independence and against the Empire.

Bouquets of flowers were placed beneath the memorial, seemingly left by travelers, and even as Lolan Hill and Ye Ling approached, they saw scattered pedestrians pausing to pray quietly.

After a while, Lolan Hill bought a bouquet of light white flowers, placing them gently at the foot of the monument, closing her eyes to pray.

After some time, the two slowly left, heading toward the palace to the north of the square.

Now, this place was no longer the palace of the West Wind Royal Family but had been transformed into the political center of Clancia. Numerous people in white robes with blue-gold badges came and went, officials and officers affiliated with the state, assisting in managing this vast nation.

“Lolan Sister, look!”

Ye Ling pointed to a statue on a hill behind the palace, a beautiful and pure white statue standing among them. It was a depiction of a girl with three pairs of wings. She wore a long dress, her wings spread slightly bent, as if shielding the rain from the sky, one hand holding a lantern high, gazing into the distant sky, the other hand raised slightly, fingers extended.

Beneath her, a group of differently shaped small statues followed the arc of her skirt, the arc resembling a raised mountain path leading them toward the direction illuminated by the lantern.

These small figures represented various races—a horned centaur, a slender human, a winged elf, men and women with rabbit ears—and their attire and the items they held symbolized different professions—a scholar with a book, a warrior in armor, a sailor with a sextant, a farmer with a hoe, a worker with wrenches and shovels, elderly people, children, and more. Hundreds of miniature figures gathered on the graceful arc of her skirt, ascending step by step toward the direction illuminated by the lantern.

This was Soland, the largest statue in Clancia, named ‘Lolan Hill with a Lantern.’

~End of Chapter 842~