https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-768-Sigrid-Makes-Peace-with-the-Map/12585311/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-770-Lanchi-Begins-to-Understand-Hei-Ri/12585313/
Chapter 769: Lanchi Returns to Little Stone City
Chapter 769: Lanchi Returns to Little Stone City
As night still cast its dark veil, Lanchi drove the reindeer carriage, carrying Sigurei and Talia, towards the independent city-state known as "Glittering Stone Fortress."
This city was also the first Beastman city-state he and Sigurei had ever visited—Little Stone City.
"It's been a while since I've been here. It doesn't seem to have changed much."
Lanchi had been driving for a few hours in the Land of Perpetual Night, and now he could finally take a well-deserved rest.
"Indeed, despite the wars and reconstruction, they seem to have restored it to its original state as much as possible."
Sigurei leaned forward, her arms resting on the front seat back, as she gazed at the approaching Little Stone City.
"I'm hungry," Talia said, rubbing her stomach.
After their long journey, the sight of the city's silhouette signaled the long-awaited breakfast time that she had been anticipating.
"The specialties of Little Stone City are quite good. We can rest here for a while and buy some snacks for the road."
Sigurei turned back to Talia and said, "And we have a good relationship with the Beastman overlord of Little Stone City, Lord Argom. That bear-man overlord adores Rocky. When he sees him, he can't help but shout, 'Friend!' and give him a big hug. If he finds us, he'll definitely send us a bunch of local specialties."
Although she never expected Caliera to slack off like this, the laid-back version of her was oddly adorable, like a little animal waiting to be fed.
"It's the friendship forged through statue restoration," Lanchi acknowledged from the front seat. "You respect their beliefs and help them wholeheartedly, and they will reciprocate accordingly. That's how it is with the Beastman city-states in the Land of Perpetual Night."
Back then, the Pholant Empire, in a dire situation, faced the invading army of the Honing Empire and desperately needed an alliance with the Demon Realm. At the same time, the Beastman city-states along the route in the Land of Perpetual Night were also of great importance as transportation hubs.
So, to demonstrate the Pholant Empire royalty's sincerity, Lanchi, as the royal craftsman, traveled to several Beastman city-states, restoring the statues that the Beastmen cherished. With his sincerity, he gained the friendship of the Beastmen.
Lord Argom was the overlord of the first Beastman city-state they visited, a leader of the bear-man tribe.
Lanchi wondered how the honest and straightforward overlord had been doing over the past twelve years.
"I'm getting excited," Talia said, her eyes lighting up as she looked at Little Stone City with eager anticipation.
Darkness enveloped the city-state, with only the lingering twilight and flickering lights illuminating the path forward.
Under the towering city gate, a layer of snow blanketed the ground, reflecting a faint glow.
A few minutes later, they smoothly passed through the entrance of Little Stone City, their documents facilitating an easy entry.
Just inside the city was the post station.
For a small fee, travelers could provide their mounts with a place to rest during their journey.
Sigurei nimbly jumped down from the back seat and handed over the Snowfield Dark Deer and the sled to the staff of the Holy Pholant Church at the post station.
These caretakers, who seemed to have been newly appointed, quickly fed and groomed the dark deer, ensuring they would be well taken care of for the night.
"It's already 7 a.m., but it's still like midnight here. Daylight is truly a luxury in the Land of Perpetual Night," Lanchi said as he stepped off the sled, pocketing his watch and sighing.
In Little Stone City, even during the summer, daylight hours were scarce, let alone in winter.
This was why this snowy field was known as the Land of Perpetual Night.
Previously, when he was in the Northern Continent, Lanchi had traveled to Bandra City, the northernmost city of the Protoss Empire. If he had gone further north, he would have entered a similar region known as the "Perpetual Night" to the rest of the world.
Askasan had come from that "Perpetual Night."
If a legendary seal master were stationed in the Land of Perpetual Night during this era, perhaps no blood tribe would dare set foot on the snowy fields.
How nostalgic.
"Laosan seems to have a knack for dealing with the blood tribe. If it were a one-on-one fight, he might just devour that blood tribe marquis whole."
Talia responded to Lanchi's thoughts in her mind.
Ever since she figured out who "Laosan" was, she no longer had to struggle with Lanchi's riddles and could now join in on his conversations.
"Who are you thinking about?" Sigurei asked, sensing that Lanchi's mind was occupied by someone but unable to guess who it was.
She was perplexed.
This was the first time she couldn't read the Saint's thoughts.
His mind seemed clouded with confusion.
"Someone who brought me a lot of joy," Lanchi replied, unable to hide his smile.
"..."
Sigurei still couldn't guess who it was.
She didn't press the issue further.
It must be someone she didn't know, which was why she couldn't guess, rather than Saint having some sort of mental episode.
When they were in the Northern Continent, Saint had never been like this, always thinking of his teacher from the Southern Continent.
One day, she would figure out the answer.
"Think positively. Here in the Land of Perpetual Night, you can easily fall asleep at any time, and the sun won't wake you up easily. You can rest properly later; you must be tired from the long drive," Sigurei said, already a step ahead of Lanchi, carrying his luggage as if it were muscle memory, and returning to the previous topic.
Since Lanchi hadn't brought as many statue-restoring tools this time, their luggage wasn't as heavy as before. Together with her own baggage, they had a total of two boxes, while Caliera only had a small, lightweight suitcase, probably containing just a change of clothes.
"You don't have to do all the work yourself. Back then, when you were still a little kid, you carried four large boxes by yourself, and I felt so bad about it," Lanchi said, taking the box from Sigurei's hands.
"One of the reasons Secretary Elm strongly recommended Sigurei was because of her exceptional strength and endurance. She could practically ignore the poor visibility and snowy weather at night, delivering her employers to their destinations as quickly as possible."
"With her as the coachman, the two of them could stop at a Beastman city-state almost every day, for a total of six, and arrive safely in the Demon Realm on the seventh day."
"Now, Lanchi, a sixth-rank cardinal, has discovered that by observing and learning from Sigurei on their previous journey, he too can manage the same feat of driving them to a new city each day."
"Actually, I think it's pretty good. That way, others can tell at a glance that we are an employer-coachman pair, rather than a father-daughter duo."
Sigurei smiled and paused in her tracks to explain to Lanchi.
"Caliera, come over here. We're taking the carriage to the hotel."
She turned back and waved at the gray-haired witch.
In her dream, Sigurei had initially struggled to get along with Rocky when she first came to Little Stone City. However, the other party had offered a price that was too good to refuse—completing that job would provide enough funds for the Church's orphanage to be worry-free for an entire year. Even if war broke out, the nuns could lead the children to flee to a neighboring country, avoiding the fate of becoming refugees.
Now, looking back, she found those dream memories to be especially sweet.
Her state of mind upon returning to Little Stone City was also different.
"Alright, Sigurei, you can go buy some ready-made dishes later. You two should eat and get some proper rest. I'll prepare dinner when you wake up."
Talia, who had rested the longest during the journey, was now in good spirits. On the other hand, Sigurei and Lanchi hadn't rested much, so it was important for them to replenish their energy.
Later, Sigurei would buy some ready-made Glitters Stone Fortress specialties, and they could have a quick meal. Talia would also prepare a more nutritionally balanced meal for them to enjoy a nutritious dinner before their departure.
"Eh? You know how to cook, Caliera?"
Sigurei, who had heard Lanchi talk about Little Black Cat on the road, was surprised to learn that Caliera would be the one cooking.
"Of course. I'll take care of your meals for the next few days."
Talia nodded.
"What kind of dream am I having... Caliera cooking meals for me every day?"
Sigurei covered her cheeks in disbelief, muttering to herself.
She felt that Caliera was becoming more and more like the image she had of her in her mind.
A virtuous and beautiful majin wife and mother!
"..."
Talia read Sigurei's thoughts.
They were all words of praise.
After reading Lanchi's thoughts for so long, she had subconsciously come to expect that others might also be thinking impolite things.
But here was someone who was the complete opposite of Lanchi.
"I'll cook for you. I'll cook for you every day."
Talia looked at Sigurei, the treasure of a girl, with appreciation and made her a promise.
"I can't wait! I really want to taste your cooking, a majin cooking for me."
Sigurei readily agreed.
Such a magnificent, rational, and charming woman, strong and dignified, yet knowing how to be gentle, and with a hidden talent for being considerate—she just kept finding more reasons to like her.
"...It's not that... really, it's not..."
Talia lowered her head, her voice barely audible.
She didn't dare to read Sigurei's thoughts anymore. If Sigurei kept praising her, she would blush.
Hyberian was always praising her too, but Hyberian was more subtle about it. She wasn't as blunt as Sigurei.
This girl was too straightforward!
"This trip has been so peaceful, without any blood tribe around. I'm sure I'll be able to sleep soundly tonight."
Sigurei sighed with relief.
"I remember that as a little child, you were able to analyze the war situation at the time and speculate that the blood tribe might begin infiltrating the kingdoms of Afukuro and Edises, located on the east and west sides of the Pholant Empire. By passing through these two kingdoms, they could reach the snowfields and make advance preparations. Even then, I knew you were no ordinary child prodigy but someone with the potential to be a commander-in-chief."
Lanchi gestured with his palms to indicate eleven-year-old Sigurei's height as he reminisced with the light-haired, purple-eyed woman beside him.
"What are you two talking about? I can't understand."
Talia felt left out and whispered her complaint.
"Ah, we were just talking about how Rocky and I first met in the Pholant Empire."
Sigurei briefly explained to the gray-haired witch.
As they waited for the carriage that would take them into the city, the three of them chatted casually.
She turned to Lanchi.
"Because I knew that the enemy wasn't just the Honing Empire but also the blood tribe, it was easy for me to speculate about the intentions of the blood tribe backing the Honing Empire. At the time, you didn't know about my wolf tribe lineage, but as an orphan who escaped from the Wolf Tribe's Holy Moon Temple, I was well aware of the blood tribe's cruelty and their overwhelming influence."
Sigurei replied.
Many of the prime minister's political opponents before the war twelve years ago didn't believe that the blood tribe was the main instigator, insisting that the Honing Empire was the true mastermind.
"And logically, I didn't want to be the commander-in-chief. If I had to, then you'd have to give me your position as Pope. Maybe then I'd be a little interested, as that would be a position worthy of me."
Sigurei continued her conversation with Lanchi.
"If you want it, you can have it. When I return to the Holy Pholant Theocracy, I'll step down and let you take my place."
Lanchi casually shrugged.
"You'd give it to me if I wanted it?"
Sigurei asked, as if she had discovered something intriguing.
It seemed that after the Saint treated her as Sigurei, he felt that this might be their last time together and so indulged her.
"As long as it doesn't violate any principles, I'll try to satisfy your requests.
Lanchi answered calmly.
After all, he could only accompany Sigurei for twenty-one days in this Shadow World, and he wanted to make her as happy as possible during that time.
Reason dictated that the position of the Holy Pope of the Pholant Church could never be given away so casually, like a promise to a child. But this Shadow World was so unreasonably peaceful that even Lanchi had slowly adapted to this vacation mindset.
"Wolf tribe...?"
Talia murmured as if she had discovered a keyword.
She had heard this term not long ago in the mortal world.
"Sigurei, are you from the Wolf tribe?"
She stared at Sigurei and asked.
"Yes, even Rocky didn't know I was a wolf at first. Later, on the seventh day of our journey, as we were about to reach the border of the Demon Realm, we were intercepted by a Blood Count, and that's when they found out I was a little she-wolf. Woof!"
Sigurei deliberately put on a ferocious look, raising her hands and pretending to be a wolf about to eat them as she answered Lanchi and Talia.
"Aye..."
Talia stared at Sigurei for a while, then averted her gaze and bit her lip.
If only she could bring Sigurei back to the mortal world.
That way, she could save her sister, Iphaeria.
When Hyberian found out that it was her favorite Sigurei who saved her mother, Iphaeria, she would surely be overjoyed and cling to this half-sister, never wanting to let go.
But the more Talia thought about it, the more she realized that the only regret of this Shadow World trip was that she couldn't continue to spend time with Sigurei.
When the twenty-one days in the Shadow World were over, she would also part ways with this perfect girl.
"Caliera, why do you look a little down?"
Sigurei stared at the gray-haired witch, puzzled by her question.
"It's all because of those damn Blood tribes. If it weren't for them destroying the Moon Temple..."
Talia's hatred grew as she thought about it.
Her sister would have been badly injured, the Wolf tribe would have gone extinct in the mortal world, and Sigurei would have had a painful childhood, all because of those Blood tribes.
"Oh dear, we're in a time of peace now, so it's not appropriate to say things that might disrupt the harmony of the world."
Sigurei made a silencing gesture.
But she was still very grateful that Caliera was always willing to share her hatred for the Blood tribe.
The nightmares about the Blood tribe had never stopped in the past, but recently, they had stopped occurring.
According to the current international conventions and situation, it was the eve of the fourth anniversary of the peaceful revival of the Sevilia continent, and it was not appropriate to make such inflammatory statements. She had been informed of this as a grassroots member of the church that afternoon.
"It's alright. You don't have to worry about having nightmares about the Blood tribe anymore. I'll protect you, and if there are any Blood tribes, I'll deal with them properly."
Talia flipped her hair and said confidently.
She was the strongest.
"Caliera, my Demon mother!"
Sigurei was a little incredulous when she heard this, but she immediately happily hugged the gray-haired witch.
With the ninth-ranked Caliera around, she felt overly reassured.
Moreover, Caliera's aura as the strongest Demon race had never changed. Even though Sigured somehow felt that Caliera had become weaker, she still had no doubt that Caliera would be extremely powerful once she got serious.
"Oh dear, how can you call me that..."
Talia looked a little embarrassed but couldn't resist Sigurei's adorable offense, so she blushed and reached out to ruffle Sigurei's hair.
Hyberian hadn't called her mother in such a long time, and now Sigurei had directly called her that, making Talia feel that life was truly wonderful.
"By the way, don't you feel like there's something a little different about this city-state..."
Lanchi had been staring at the streets since a while ago, musing aloud.
"There must be," Talia replied.
This place was in the suburbs of Little Stone City, and it would be hard to notice any changes, especially after twelve years. Some changes were to be expected.
"Do you mean there's a sense of dissonance?"
Sigurei quickly understood what Lanchi meant.
Normal changes couldn't be called dissonant.
It was only when there were strange changes that it could be called dissonant.
"Yes, there's a sense of dissonance that I can't quite put my finger on. I can't pinpoint exactly what's different about Little Stone City from before."
Lanchi agreed.
"Meow..."
Cat Boss poked his head out from the ground and looked around.
The more Lanchi said this, the more anxious he became.
Lanchi's powers of observation and intuition were rarely wrong.
The last time they came to Little Stone City, he had followed Lanchi and Sigurei.
But so far, he couldn't figure out what was making Lanchi feel this dissonance.
After chatting for a while, Lanchi, Sigurei, and Talia waited for a vehicle from within the city. A human driver got out and helped them load their luggage into the carriage, then began driving them through the new Little Stone City.
"Driver, take us to the Snow Bear Hotel," Lanchi instructed the driver.
"No problem," the human driver cheerfully replied to his three passengers and set off.
The scenery outside the window began to pass by.
Under the streetlights, the bustling downtown area of Little Stone City gradually came into view.
Talia gazed at the buildings of the city-state, most of which were made of sturdy stone and specially treated wood, with a solid structure that could withstand the harsh cold and snow.
She was looking forward to trying the delicacies of Little Stone City.
To be honest, this was the first time she had encountered a tourism-themed Shadow World.
They had even provided her with two thoughtful tour guides, one to navigate and drive, and the other to keep her warm.
How could there be so many good things in the world?
(End of Chapter)
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