Chapter 192: A Tour of the Kingdoms

Chapter 192: A Tour of the Kingdoms

The capital city was the first stop on their journey.

Compared to the vast, sparsely populated southern kingdoms, which were mostly undeveloped, and the northern kingdoms, which struggled to grow due to constant demonic invasions, the capital city, as the largest city in the central kingdoms, was always considered the heart of the world.

Sunlight shone upon the gleaming city, and with the arrival of dawn, shop curtains slowly opened, and the calls of vendors gradually filled the air. Adults yawned as they got out of bed, while children ran through the streets, their laughter echoing continuously.

The nobles leisurely sipped their fragrant black tea in their villas, while the common folk busily went about their daily lives. Adventurers of all sorts sought out companions to embark on new quests, and in the taverns, bards strummed their lutes and sang of the great deeds of heroes.

Lu Ke had made a detailed plan in advance. They would first tour the capital city, then skip the trading city of Barum where they had lived for so long and head to the Granz Strait to watch the sunrise. They would admire the magnificent walls of the city fortress Val, and finally visit the Sword Homeland to see the legendary Hero's Sword.

Trela, who had returned to her homeland, seemed delighted. Her bright smile lit up her face, and she enthusiastically dragged Lu Ke's hand, wandering around aimlessly. She tried on various unique trinkets at the accessory shops and changed into different outfits at the clothing stores.

Lu Ke quietly went along with her, feeling a bit sentimental.

It seemed that when it came to shopping, girls entered a god-like mode, never feeling tired.

By noon, Trela finally showed some signs of fatigue, and the two of them found a fancy but tasteful restaurant.

The restaurant was clean and bright, with the melodic strains of a violin echoing through the space. A refreshing breeze blew in from the open windows, and one dish after another was served.

Lu Ke, who rarely got to try new dishes, enjoyed a hearty meal, while Trela, with her smaller appetite, finished her food and rested her chin in her hand, watching the elf eat slowly and gracefully.

When they were almost done, she suddenly asked, "Is the food at this restaurant better, or is the food I make better?"

Lu Ke wiped his mouth with a napkin, his expression unchanged. "Yours is better."

"Then why did you seem to enjoy this food more than usual?"

"Sampling the local cuisine is an important part of traveling," Lu Ke explained, trying to stay on her good side.

Trela's expression darkened, and just as Lu Ke started to feel a bit uneasy, she burst out laughing.

"Clumsy, I was just scaring you. Do you really think I have no self-awareness?" Trela lowered her head, a bit dejected.

"I really don't have a talent for cooking. After doing it for over ten years, I'm still not that good. I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused you."

Lu Ke relaxed a bit and comforted her. "That's not entirely true. It's much better than when you first started, and it's still edible."

Trela looked up, staring straight at Lu Ke. "So you admit the restaurant's food is better than mine."

Lu Ke was speechless.

He had braced himself for an outburst, but Trela seemed to forget about it and continued to shop with enthusiasm after they left the restaurant.

As night fell, the lights of the capital city gradually lit up. The two of them walked to the center of the square and stopped in front of a statue of a four-person group.

"Whose statue is that?" Trela asked.

"Probably a squad of heroes who sacrificed themselves."

Lu Ke glanced at it, feeling that the statue seemed a bit lackluster and rough, not fitting for the heroes who had bravely fought and died.

"Could there be a statue of you too?" Trela winked at him. "You're not exactly unknown, you know."

"If there is, it would probably be at the Magic Association branch." Lu Ke wasn't sure, but he made a guess and was then dragged away by Trela.

In front of the Magic Association branch, a beautifully crafted statue stood, holding a magic codex and wearing a monocle. The elf in the long robe exuded an elegant aura, and there was a label at the base.

[In memory of the father of modern magic, Lu Ke — Zane]



Seeing his own statue while still alive was a strange feeling. Lu Ke's gaze lingered on "Zane" for a few seconds before moving away.

The senior who had said, "A magic association that makes mages feel cold has no reason to exist," had passed away a year ago. Lu Ke had taken the time to attend his funeral.

"Wow, it's really here."

Trela's voice brought Lu Ke back to the present. His eyes moved, and he saw that Trela was looking around, making sure no one was nearby, before slyly touching a certain part of the statue and giving a professional critique.

"Completely unacceptable. The details are all wrong. Just a bump, what's the point? Bad review."

"Act normal!"

Lu Ke felt a sense of shame he had never experienced before. Trela, who had always been graceful and proper after their marriage, was now letting loose.

As if hearing his thoughts, Trela pouted. "If I don't act crazy now, I'll be too old to do it later. When I'm a little old lady, I won't even feel comfortable being crazy."

"You're only thirty, you're far from old."

"I didn't think I'd be thirty so soon when I was eighteen." Trela walked over and tugged at Lu Ke's cheek, grinning.

"Especially since my husband is still as fair-skinned as before."

"...Don't use such strange adjectives."

Lu Ke opened Trella's hand, turned, and walked toward the inn, "We're almost done sightseeing. Let's continue tomorrow. It's time to go back and rest."

Behind him, Trella's smile gradually faded. She stared at Lu Ke's back, dazed for a few seconds before slowly following.

...

After touring the royal city and staying for a while, the two moved on to their next destination—Grenz Strait.

This place is close to Lu Ke's hometown, the trading city of Balum, which is near the sea, rich in seafood, and bustling with merchants.

The coastline offers a broad view and excellent scenery, with sunrise being particularly famous. It's said that countless couples have fallen in love while watching the sunrise together.

Neither Trella nor Lu Ke were the type to oversleep, so they easily witnessed the renowned sunrise.

The rising sun was breathtaking against the sea, with the clouds at the horizon painted in shades of pink, orange, and purple, like a splendid painting, warm and gentle.

"Pretty good, it was worth the trip."

Trella admired it for a while, feeling a tug on her dress. She looked down to see a cute little girl. The little girl held a basket of flowers and held out a flower with a childlike voice.

"Beautiful sister, buy a flower, please. My flowers are as pretty as you, and they will bring you a good mood for the day if you put them in your bedroom."

"What a cute little thing."

Trella smiled and patted the little girl's head. Just as she was about to take out some money, the little girl put the flower back and stared straight at Lu Ke beside her.

The little girl's cheeks were flushed as she offered the flower basket to Lu Ke, looking at him with a serious expression.

"Handsome brother, I'll give you all my flowers. Will you marry me when I grow up?"

Before Lu Ke could say anything, Trella smiled and hugged him.

"Don't even think about it, little brat. He's already mine."

Just a moment ago, she thought this little girl was cute, but now, upon closer inspection, she seemed like a scheming little fox!

The little girl ran away angrily but shouted "Bad auntie" before leaving.

These three words struck Trella like a bolt of lightning. "Bad" didn't bother her, but the word "auntie" almost made her faint.

The joy of watching the sunrise was completely gone, and she was distracted throughout the process.

Lu Ke noticed her state and helped her back to the inn to rest.

Trella lay on the bed, tears welling up in her eyes, looking at Lu Ke, "Am I already very old?"

"Thirty isn't old at all."

"I used to think so too, but when that little girl called me that, I felt inexplicably depressed." Trella clutched her chest, seemingly in great distress.

"Am I already very ugly?"

Lu Ke kissed her lips, a rare initiative, "Don't overthink it. You're even more beautiful than before."

"I don't believe you." Trella winked at him, the previous distress seemingly gone, and she smiled slyly, "Unless you prove it to me."

Lu Ke: ...

Sometimes he really couldn't tell if Trella was genuinely feeling threatened or just trying to trick him into bed.

Perhaps because this place left a bad memory, Trella insisted on moving to the next location the next day.

They walked and stopped along the way. They planted a huge, beautiful flower field in the outskirts of Bred, admired the lush forests in the Vol Basin, and attended a festival in Wyle, where Lu Ke also helped clear out a few monsters nearby.

If you can learn to enjoy life during a journey, time flies.

By the time they reached Val, two years had passed.

The city-fortress of Val is the dividing line between the Central Kingdoms and the Northern Kingdoms. When the demons were still around, this was a very dangerous area, and passage was not allowed.

In recent years, with the demons retreating to Eud, the Northern Kingdoms have started to recover, and this route has naturally opened up.

The grand fortress looks particularly impressive, with dozens of soldiers in armor and wielding sharp swords still standing guard on the walls, looking mighty and majestic from a distance.

"Wow, it looks amazing."

Trella marveled at the towering walls, "No wonder the demons couldn't cross this line before."

Lu Ke glanced from a distance, "It's just for show. The soldiers have already become lax."

"Without external threats, the army has been downsized, and the remaining soldiers are not well-trained. They will likely become even more lax and weak in the future."

Lu Ke shook his head, "It's already like this in less than ten years. If the demons attack again, we might really have to pray for the goddess's protection."

Recently, while reading textbooks, Lu Ke noticed that the description of the demons had changed from "emotionless, skilled at disguise and deceit, fierce beasts" to "emotionless, somewhat threatening humanoid beings."

He spoke calmly, "Time changes everything."

Hearing this, Trella turned to look at her husband, who was gazing into the distance, and silently added,

Except for you.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end