Chapter 826 The Fallen Battlefield <TOC> Chapter 828 An Unusual Atmosphere
Translator: SumTLMan
“All the coachmen in the territory have been killed by the Sea Wave soldiers, we do not know the way to the Elegant Plum Province.” Rylin expressed regret.
Drew, hearing this news, was quite surprised. During his time on the Revelation Continent, he could ask anyone casually and would obtain the route to Saint Seim City. On the Old Land Continent, even a territorial noble couldn’t figure out the route?
“Do none of you really know the way to the Elegant Plum Province?” Drew looked around, his gaze probing, causing everyone to shy away.
“Most of them are farmers of the territory. They have never left Sumer Territory in their lives.” Rylin explained, “Please don’t blame them, Lord.”
Angel nodded, “Then, what is the nearest city from here?”
“Over this ridge, follow the Antelope River to the northwest to its end, and you will find a city named Black Marsh. However, unless something unexpected happens, Black Marsh has already been occupied by the Sea Wave…” Rylin spoke with a dejected tone.
Drew turned his head towards Angel, “Lord Pat, shall we go to Black Marsh?”
Angel hummed in agreement, even if Black Marsh was completely occupied by the Sea Wave, there should still be survivors.
Next, Drew unlocked the cages confining everyone. After all the people were released, they spontaneously congregated behind Rylin. This indicated that Rylin indeed had not lied. She was seen as a spiritual leader among them.
“What do you plan to do next?” Drew asked curiously. It seemed a bit dangerous wherever these people might go if the Sea Wave had invaded the Black Crow Province.
Rylin pondered for a moment, “Actually, there is an underground cave near Sumer Territory. There are knights arranged by our family, our last stronghold. I will lead my people there to seek refuge.”
Hearing Rylin’s plan, Drew felt slightly relieved. Though the behavior of this group after being rescued had infuriated him, they were, after all, innocent civilians. He couldn’t bear to see these people die in the wilderness.
Angel summoned the Gondola, indicating Drew to get on board.
When Rylin saw the suddenly appearing airship, her eyes flashed with surprise. Suddenly, she seemed to realize something, “Gentlemen, could it be that… you are the legendary wizards?”
Angel casually nodded, “You’ve heard of wizards?”
According to the data Jon collected earlier, the whole Goldfinch Empire was very conservative and would not document any extraordinary events. Therefore, Angel was somewhat curious about Rylin’s knowledge of wizards.
“I have heard!” Rylin nodded excitedly, “Miss Shannon has mentioned it.”
“Shannon… You mean Shannon of the Shannon royal family?” Angel raised an eyebrow and asked.
Although Angel had lived in the remote town of Grud for much of his life, with scant interaction with nobles, it did not signify his ignorance of the esteemed family name of the Goldfinch Royal House.
Rylin’s eyes were filled with hope, “Indeed, I’m referring to Princess Tavel Shannon, the seventh princess of the royal family. Lord Wizard, could you rescue her? She escaped from here under our protection three days ago. We were resolved, even at the cost of our lives, to ensure Miss Shannon’s survival. But now that we have been saved by you, Miss Shannon is likely still exposed in the wilderness. We are concerned for her…”
Angel did not respond. Instead, Drew asked, “Are you referring to a pregnant woman cloaked in animal skins?”
Rylin’s expression stalled, and she nodded, “Lord, have you seen her?”
“I have, she is in that direction. If you wish to find her, you may go on your own.” Drew pointed indifferently. Although he was dissatisfied with Shannon using them as pawns, after all, she was pregnant, and the innocent child within her would certainly be safer among people.
Having said that, Drew prepared to leave.
Suddenly, Rylin interjected, “Miss Shannon was once a prodigy at the Goldfinch Royal Academy. She is highly learned in geography, military strategy, and the arts. She must know the route from the Black Crow Province to the Elegant Plum Province!”
“What are you implying?” Angel fixed his gaze on Rylin.
Rylin promptly knelt down, “I implore you, Lord, to take Miss Shannon out of the Black Crow Province. Just place her in any non-war province. Elegant Plum Province is also fine. Miss Shannon has been to Elegant Plum Province, she even mentioned once that she had attended a solo performance by maestro Mejev in Watford… If you take her, she can guide you.”
Rylin incessantly kowtowed, and Drew glanced at Angel, seeking his opinion.
“Instead of worrying about yourself, you worry about an outsider?”
Rylin responded, “Miss Shannon is of royal blood. Her identity is yet to be revealed, but if she is captured by Sea Wave’s men, it will undoubtedly dampen the morale of the entire Goldfinch Empire…”
Angel pondered for a moment and softly said, “Alright.”
Joy flooded Rylin’s eyes as she endlessly expressed her gratitude. However, when she lifted her gaze again, the fantastical flying boat had disappeared.
“Lord Pat, why did you suddenly decide to take the pregnant woman?” Drew was somewhat displeased with Shannon.
Angel contemplated for a moment, “Perhaps it’s because of her status, and also…”
—She had attended a solo performance by Megev.
Prior to his immersion in the Wizarding World, Angel’s greatest aspiration was to accompany his elder brother Leon to Watford to attend a solo performance by the maestro Mejev. Regrettably, he never had the chance. Now, at the mention of these familiar names from Rylin – his beloved hometown, Watford, and his childhood idol, maestro Mejev, he was flooded with nostalgia and a touch of melancholy.
“She’s just royalty, nothing extraordinary about that. Just another mortal aristocrat,” Drew grumbled.
“Don’t forget, you’re a mortal now too,” Angel chuckled.
“That’s different, I’m going to be the most powerful wizard in the future!” Drew’s voice was deliberately light, but his hands never left the piece of silk in his grasp, ceaselessly wiping the blood-stained blade. His eyes were tinged with regret.
He was meticulous in his cleaning, but Angel noticed Drew’s hands trembling from time to time. It was clear that he was not as relaxed and carefree as he portrayed himself to be.
Angel decided not to expose Drew’s facade and quietly said, “When I was younger, when my father was still alive, he always praised the royal family’s strategy and efficiency. Influenced by him, I developed a fondness for the royal family as well.”
“Is that so?” Drew looked at Angel suspiciously, clearly disbelieving.
Angel didn’t reveal his true thoughts but sighed, “I always thought that Sea Wave was too weak and defeat was inevitable. But to my surprise, Sea Wave actually won. I wonder what unexpected events occurred.”
As Angel was expressing his thoughts, they arrived at the previously discovered fire pit. Shannon, wrapped in the fur Angel had given her, sat beside the fire, nibbling on an unidentifiable fruit. Despite her disheveled appearance, her movements were exceptionally graceful.
“True to their royal upbringing, they still maintain their dining etiquette even in this situation,” Drew’s voice reached Shannon’s ears.
She glanced warily at Drew, but this time, she didn’t draw her dagger.
“Your plot succeeded, I was your pawn. I killed those Sea Wave soldiers and rescued the civilians,” Drew looked at Shannon, noting a brief flicker of panic in her eyes, which was quickly replaced by a hint of joy at his words.
“I admit, I was wrong before. Now that you’re back, are you here to accuse me?” Shannon put down her half-eaten fruit, “I deceived a wizard. I am fully aware of the gravity of my crime. I am prepared to atone with my life, but I ask for a few days. My child is about to be born, and he is innocent.”
“You don’t need to die for your crime,” Angel looked at Shannon, “All you need to do is guide us.”
Some time later, the Gondola gained an additional passenger. As Shannon was pregnant, she was assigned a small compartment at the back where she was shielded from the wind.
With Shannon’s guidance, the Gondola was finally able to reach its full speed.
Aside from thanking Angel for the fur when she boarded the Gondola, Shannon remained silent throughout the journey. She only spoke to give directions.
Drew made a face, “On the Revelation Continent, anyone could tell you the way. Here, neither the nobility nor the commoners know the way, and we have to turn to so-called royalty to find our path.”
Angel responded, “That’s quite normal. In the Goldfinch Empire, those who know the way are basically experienced coachmen or direct nobility. The control over maps here is stricter than any other continent we’ve encountered before.”
“Why is it so strict?”
Angel explained, “Because it’s still in a conservative and rigid era. In fact, all the countries of the Old Land Continent are like this. Take the Feran Continent for comparison, maybe in terms of the level of civilization, the Old Land Continent is not even as developed as the Feran Continent during its Golden Era.”
What Angel spoke of was only a rough comparison. A typical example was that the Feran Continent already had intricate machinery and some prototypes of steam technology from the Vast Continent, while the Old Land Continent didn’t even have widespread use of clocks.
While other continents had already popularized pulp paper as a medium for knowledge, the Old Land Continent still adhered to the parchment of the old aristocratic era. Although there were pulp paper books among the people, they were scarce. This led to a poor level of knowledge among the populace, with most of the people remaining ignorant.
Angel had heard from old Pat that the Shannon royal family had always wanted to promote pulp paper, but all the major aristocratic families opposed it, believing that parchment was the most enduring and culturally rich medium. This caused the current impasse.
Angel used to prefer parchment scrolls, but he didn’t oppose pulp paper editions. As for now, he favored pulp paper editions even more because they were neater.
While Angel and Drew were talking, Shannon from behind suddenly asked, “Lord Wizard, are you also from the Goldfinch Empire?”
Upon receiving an affirmative answer, Shannon asked, “Lord Wizard, judging from your tone, you’re a nobleman? Which family are you from? The Monne family?”
Shannon immediately thought of the Monne family when she heard that Angel was going to the Elegant Plum Province. She had also heard from her father that the Monne family seemed to have the shadow of a great wizard behind them. Because of this rumor, all the great nobles dared not offend the Monne family, which eventually allowed the Monne family to become one of the two great families of the empire, known as the “backbone of the empire”.
“I’m not from the Monne family, but I’ve met a few of their peers,” Angel recalled the figures of Morrow and Alan in his mind.
Chapter 826 The Fallen Battlefield <TOC> Chapter 828 An Unusual Atmosphere