"Jorah Shi, Jorah Shi."
Old Bayard called out from the house next door. The thirteen or fourteen year old girl who was lying on the wooden table answered and looked away from the flickering candle. Not far away, the sky outside the window had been gloomy for the past few days. Dark clouds covered the horizon, and purple lightning flashed one after another. She looked up at the terrible weather and sighed. She walked out of the door and asked, "What's the matter?
"Father, what's wrong?"
"Go get my cloak and bring the carriage out. This weather can't do any work. I'll send the farm tools to the city for Bertos to fix." Old Bayard was putting on his shoes on his bench as he replied.
Jorah Shi stood by the door of her room and looked at the terrible weather outside the living room. She frowned and looked a little worried. She rolled up her sleeves and crossed her white arms in front of her apron. "Are we going out in this weather?" She said reluctantly. Old Bayard could hear the concern in his daughter's voice. He glanced at the weather outside and said with a smile, "It's just a gentle breeze and a gentle rain. After a while, the weather will get worse. At that time, it won't be easy to go out."
Jorah Shi sighed and wiped her hands on her apron. She walked across the living room and took a cloak from the shelf and put it on Old Bayard. "Go and comfort Ansi and Arlo. They're still young. The lightning must have scared them." Old Bayard squinted his eyes and let his daughter put her arms around his neck to help him put on the cloak. He enjoyed this silent warmth as he spoke. "The road is slippery. The carriage won't be able to travel well." Jorah Shi said softly.
"It's alright, my good child. Those bad things won't come out in this weather." Old Bayard laughed.
Jorah Shi knew that her father was saying this to reassure her. Ever since the little lord began to restore order in the early summer, there were very few traces of goblins and bandits in the countryside. She pursed her lips and didn't say a word. "Alright, go." Old Bayard gently looked at his daughter's face that was becoming more and more similar to his late wife's.
Jorah Shi nodded and turned to leave. She walked through the yard in the rain. The stable was at the back of the farm. She pushed open the wooden door. It was very dark inside the small shed. The two fillies were indeed restless in this weather. Stepping on the hay on the ground, Jocelyn walked to the side of the mare named Ansi. She patted its neck gently and tried to calm it down. But today was a little different than usual. The gray-furred mare kept stomping her feet. Her big, moist eyes were especially bright in the dark, and there was a strong light of anxiety in them.
"What happened?" Qiao Shi frowned. She could feel that An Si's fear did not come from the bright lightning in the sky, but from the ground.
She squatted down slightly and stared at the pile of hay on the ground with her bright eyes. In her sight, the hay was trembling slightly. In just a moment, the girl understood: the ground was moving! A very bad feeling rose in Jorah Shi's heart. She immediately stood up and rushed to the wooden fence that locked the horses. Gritting her teeth, she pulled the iron chain out of the lock and threw it to the ground. She then opened the wooden fence and let the two horses out. She then rushed them out of the stable. It was only a moment of delay, but the ground was already shaking. The puddles outside were already rippling. Just as Qiao Shi ran out of the hut, she heard a strange buzzing sound coming from the north.
She stopped in her tracks and subconsciously turned her head back. The Anserra Forest came into view from the north. At the top of the forest, a huge ball of light seemed to rise. The ball of light pierced through the clouds, and because it was too bright and blinding, it seemed to make the world around it slightly dim. Then, a deafening explosion that seemed to tear the air apart swept across like a shockwave, causing a few strands of hair to fly up. The buzzing sound in the ears turned into a loud rumble, and gradually merged into a high-pitched, ear-piercing shriek, like the waves of the sea. But gradually, the sound became a buzzing noise in the ears, and then formed a higher wave that drowned everything. The canopy was still flipping, the branches and leaves were flying all over the sky, lightning flashed, thunder roared, wind and rain intertwined, but the surroundings were like a silent world.
In this silent world, Jorah Shi watched in horror as the ball of light grew bigger and bigger. Bit by bit, it engulfed the sky and the clouds. Its spherical surface began to collapse as it expanded. The incandescent white shell shattered in an instant, and a blinding flame burst out from within. The flame continued to spread in all directions like a cloud. At first, it was very slow, as if it was far away. But suddenly, she saw the cloud of fire appear above Anserra and engulf the entire forest in an instant.
The towering wall of fire continued to move forward. The sharp cedars, the tall black pines, and the rolling hills had already turned into a sea of fire. The scorching heat hit her in the face. Jorah Shi's hair danced wildly in the air. In the blink of an eye, the stable had been destroyed in front of her. Jorah Shi screamed and turned to run.
But it was too late.
With a loud bang, the flames swept across the entire farm like a hurricane, turning everything into ashes.
"Ah —!"
Jorah Shi opened her eyes with a pale face. Her body was already soaked in cold sweat. She propped herself up from the wooden table and realized that she had the same nightmare again. It had been more than a month since the terrible explosion. Although she later found out that the explosion happened in the Deadly Tundra Forest in the north, and the area affected was only north of the Golden Sparrow Mountains and east of the Falling Needle Hills. But in her dream, she dreamed more than once of the flames engulfing the Anserra Forest and the farm. The whole of Anthony was a sea of hellfire.
She raised her head and looked out the window at the road that led to Kirkus. The forest beside the road was lush and quiet. The sky above the canopy was as blue as the sea. Strands of cotton formed a white trail. Ever since the explosion, the weather had been getting better day by day. From time to time, there were riders on the road in twos and threes. Some of them were carrying the banner of nobility. Most of them were Knight from the nearby area. Some were simply adventurers.
These people had been appearing one after another since half a month ago. Although adventurers usually gathered around this time of year, it was rare to see such a scene in a small place like Bernicel. Moreover, they were all heading north.
"Jorah Shi!" Someone shouted.
Jorah Shi looked at the person who greeted her. It was the hunter who lived next door. He seemed to have gone to the city some time ago. "Uncle Becher, you came back from the city. Did you see my father?" She quickly asked. "Old Bayard. I saw him at the blacksmith's. What's wrong?" The hunter replied.
"Nothing, just worried. Uncle Becher, do you know what's going on?" She glanced at the passing Knight and asked softly.
"You mean those Knight lords?" The hunter stood by the fence and looked at the noble Knight on the road. He shook his head and said, "They're looking for someone."
"Looking for someone?"
"Yes, looking for someone."
… …
Fort Vallenden.
It had been five weeks since the explosion, and Eke, Yura, Makarov, and Count Audine could tell that the princess was getting more and more anxious even though she looked calm on the surface. Fortunately, the negotiations with the Duke were smooth. On the surface, Duke Viero was Count Randner's mortal enemy. The two of them had fought on and off the stage countless times. Now that there was a chance to eliminate his enemy, he naturally would not let it go.
But in fact, even a brat like Eke could see that Duke Viero was doing this for the sake of the late king. The Duke's daughter was actually the princess' mother. When they saw Gryphine calling the Duke 'grandfather', even the most senior members of the Royal Faction such as Makarov and Oberwei were stunned. It was as if they just remembered that the Duke had married an Elf as his wife when he was young. However, no one had ever seen the face of the Duchess, nor did they know that there was a Silver Elf Duchess in the Kingdom of Erouine.
However, Makarov and the others slowly realized that the little girl who once obeyed them wasn't as obedient as they thought. In fact, the princess had such a trump card from the very beginning.
King Oberg the Seventh's marriage was arranged by the royal family. Although the fact that the king was marrying a half-elf would inevitably lead to rumors, the old king still displayed his stubbornness in this matter as usual. Moreover, the queen of the kingdom was at least a human, and the Royal Faction did not want to provoke Oberg the Seventh over such a small matter.
But they did not expect that today, Makarov and the others finally understood that the stubborn old king did not pursue some illusory love.
The Highland Knight's side did not know what they were thinking, but they were so enthusiastic that it was incomprehensible. Originally, they wanted to say that the upcoming war had nothing to do with them, but not only did they send an official group of Magi from the Black Tower, they also promised that as long as the princess declared war against Count Randner, they would join the princess' side. This kind of attitude was no longer like an alliance, but more like a pledge of allegiance.
This way, the Royal Faction could not understand. The Highland Knight's political system had always been aloof from the political system of Erouine. Even when the royal power was at its peak, these Knights and Magi only maintained a respectful relationship with the royal family. Since when did they show such a humble attitude?
After all, at this point in time, they were technically the stronger party. After Her Highness had settled the situation in Ampere Seale, she had only relied on her own small territory and the help of that illegitimate Count Trentheim to barely make it to this point. In fact, if Duke Viero was not willing to side with them, the eldest son of the Northern King would have a better chance.
But the situation continued to develop in such a confusing way. Because of the precedent of the Highland Knight, even the Duke of Grinoires's envoy came to express his loyalty. This was because everyone knew that the Duke did not have much ambition. Instead of calling him a noble, it was better to call him a hermit who did not care about the outside world. In fact, before the Duke of Grinoires's envoy came, there were people who maliciously speculated that the Duke could not be so well-informed, and these envoys were most likely arranged by his aides and retainers.
Later on, this guess was proven to be correct. Of course, regarding these details, everyone had a tacit understanding and it was fine as long as they maintained a tacit understanding.
But these details at least made people understand one thing.
Erouine's royal power was about to rise.
The smooth diplomatic process could not hide the uneasiness of Princess Grinoires.
Buga and Oberwei had already returned to Lantonilan. After all, the explosion happened at the junction of Lantonilan and Viero. Everyone wanted to know what happened in the big explosion a month ago. And the news from the front was mostly unsettling. In the report of the scouts, it seemed that the entire Deadly Frost Forest had completely disappeared. In the east of the Gunn Mountains, in the area south of Violet Castle, there was a brand-new area of death magic. The remaining energy proved that there had been a shocking explosion there before.
And there was a lot of evidence pointing to a huge crater in the center of the explosion. But so far, no survivors were found in the explosion.
In the higher circles, especially the princess and the people around her, they knew better what this meant.
The little prince had not returned yet.
Count Tónigel was also nowhere to be seen.
But what made Makarov and Count Audine even more uneasy was that they knew that the first successor of the Cruz family was also missing in the explosion. Their large noble observation group and the commander of the Azure Skies were also missing. In fact, Makarov and Count Audine had already received news from their own channels. The Cruz family's diplomatic group had already left the Empire and was on their way to Erouine.
This was definitely not a good sign.
But not until earlier in the day.
An unexpected guest visited Fort Vallenden.
Without a doubt, this was a guest that Princess Grinoires had been waiting for for a long time.
Outside the window, the vines hanging down from the walls swayed in the shade. In the distance, the Silent Wind Forest and the Gunn Mountains were immersed in the blue background. The warm afternoon sun slowly climbed up the window and shone into the room through the veins of the leaves. Inside the room, behind an expensive black wooden desk, Princess Grinoires was sitting quietly on the red velvet cushion on the long back chair.
She tried to calm herself down, but couldn't help but ask about the time several times. "She's almost there. She's already passed the corridor, Your Highness." The maid smiled awkwardly.
Princess Grinoires nodded and took a deep breath. At this time, there was finally a knock on the door. It was as if the whole room was silent for a moment before she replied softly, "Come in."
The door was pushed open, and Freya was behind the door. She was still wearing Erouine's uniform, but her aura was much calmer than before. Other than her slightly flushed face, she was almost another Maynild. She was startled when she saw Princess Grinoires. She thought it would be Makarov or Count Audine who would receive her, but she immediately gave a Knight's salute.
"Your Highness."
"You don't have to be so polite," Grinoires looked calm on the surface, but she took a few deep breaths to force herself to calm down. "Count … Count, is he alright?"
"Your Highness, Brando, he … he's fine." Freya whispered uneasily.
However, Princess Grinoires didn't seem to notice this. She moved uneasily, and although her subtle expression was almost undetectable, she still asked anxiously, "Then, what about my brother?"
"His Highness Haruz is also fine. He and Count Audine are both fine."
Grinoires let out a sigh of relief. Although she tried her best to suppress her weak expression, her mind was a little messy. She sat there for a while, feeling both happy and a little disappointed, especially for Count Tónigel's senses. After a while, she returned to her cold demeanor. "Why didn't Count Audine come here himself?"
"Miss Maynild and everyone are injured. His Lordship wants to send them back to Frada or Abies first."
Grinoires lowered her eyelids as if she was thinking. After a while, she looked at Freya again. Her silver eyes were clear. "Freya, this is an excuse, right?"
Freya's face turned red. This was indeed an excuse. The real reason was that Scarlet was missing. Brando was trying his best to find clues about the Highlander girl. But that was not all. There were more profound reasons. But there were outsiders here. She remembered what Brando told her. She glanced at the maid next to the princess and nodded.
Grinoires turned her head slightly and said to her maid, "Go and tell the Highland Knight's gentlemen that Count Audine can't come, but he's still alive. Ask them what they think."
The maid nodded slightly and left immediately.
Grinoires then turned around and said, "What happened? And that explosion, I want to know what happened."
Freya took a deep breath.
"It's like this, Your Highness …"
… …
Port Deldtal.
At dusk, a large carriage that seemed to be loaded with goods slowly moved along the crowd towards the port. But the crowd in front of the carriage was getting bigger and bigger. Something seemed to have happened on the road to the port. Not long after, the crowd was so dense that the carriage couldn't move forward. The carriage had to stop. The coachman turned around and asked something. Then, a man covered in a cloak jumped down from the carriage. The man seemed to have been injured recently, so he couldn't move easily. He limped to the front of the carriage and looked at the situation outside. Then, he talked to the coachman for a while before he returned to the carriage.
At this time, a voice came from inside the carriage. "What's wrong, Boymer?" The voice was a little dry and hoarse. It sounded like an old man.
"It's good news, Babarn. We're saved." The former looked happy. He came to the side of the carriage and whispered, "It's our diplomatic party. They've just docked."
There was a silence inside the carriage.
Viscount Babarn was sitting on a pile of hay. His face was pale as if he had a terminal illness. When he heard his companion's words, he could not help but let out a long sigh of relief. Then, he struggled to get up and used his hand to lift the corner of the carriage that was covered by a black cloth. It was a whole piece of crystal. Within the crystal, there was a red-haired girl holding a spear. Her angry expression was still vivid and lifelike. She was so beautiful. But this time, Babarn was not looking at Scarlet, but at the silver halberd in the girl's hand.
He looked at it with fascination as if he was possessed.
… …
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