Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Hans did not have many talents, but he was more talented at sniffing out gossip than a nosy old lady. After a good night’s sleep, he had already obtained much news from the streets before the rest of the group had even woken. According to him, he had gotten the news from a female maid, but with his bulbous belly, Yang Ling didn’t think that he had the chance to trade his body for the intelligence. Instead, he most likely spent a large number of crystal coins to purchase the information.
After letting the fat man boast for some time, the group finally understood a little about what was going on.
As it turned out, the City Master had just reached Sitana City from Montson two nights previous when he was attacked by assassins. His guards defended him with their lives, and the City Master had luckily escaped calamity, but he was still gravely injured. He had been pierced through the chest with a sword, and was in critical condition.
“It was said that the killer had three heads and six arms, and vanished completely immediately after his attack landed. He was incredibly powerful!” Hans spoke, glancing around furtively, like he was worried that the killer might emerge from the shadows.
“Oh, that’s just nonsense! Where can you find an assassin with three heads and six arms?”
As Hans paused his recount of the events, and was considering the best route to spread the rumors throughout the city, Halalei strode in, his expression worried. His eyes were bloodshot, as if he had not slept recently.
Halalei guessed that the group must know something already, and so he sent the servants away and began telling them what he knew.
As it turned out, after news of Yang Ling besting the Banto Empire’s army and setting up a Magical Beast Territory by the edge of the Terras Forest spread to the Livenza Alliance, an uproar had erupted.
Some people hoped to get in good relations with the Magical Beast Territory, jumping at the chance to take a piece of the rich resources in the Terras Forest. Some hoped that the alliance would give the newly born Magical Beast Territory their full support, with the wish that the new territory would be able to occupy the attention of the Banto Empire in the future, thus relieving the pressure the Banto Empire had on the Livenza Alliance.
But there were also some people who expressed opposition. They were of the opinion that the alliance should forgo their neutral stance and send their armies to assist the Banto Empire to exterminate the newly formed Magical Beast Territory. This would set a solid foundation for an alliance with the powerful Banto Empire.
As a noble in the upper echelons that had great foresight, the City Master Croix was insistent that they should provide support for the new Magical Beast Territory, unintentionally offending a few high officials who were aligned to the view of forming an alliance with the Banto Empire. After having argued with the other party in the capital a few days prior, Croix had felt a sense of mounting danger, and increased the frequency of patrols the moment he returned. But he was still one step too late.
Having heard Halalei’s summary, Hans asked doubtfully, “That means that all of this is the doing of that old goat, the foreign affairs minister?”
Even though they were not yet established, they had been exposed to similar incidents in their households from an early age. Fatso, Lia and the rest all knew a little about what went on behind the scenes. The mastermind behind the assassination attempt on City Master Croix could be the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who had conflicting political opinions and interests.
“We’ll find out in due time. I heard that the leader of the Magical Beast Territory has come to Montson to attend the Emperor’s birthday banquet. The situation in the alliance is unstable. There are many people of unknown backgrounds that have recently come to the alliance. As a precaution, we should leave Sitana City tomorrow, and return to our family’s castles as soon as possible!” Halalei had wanted to stay a few more days in his uncle’s territory, but because the situation was so serious, he felt that he had no choice but to hasten his return to the capital. He had to consider Lia’s safety, and that of Hans and the others. They would be safer under their families’ protection.
Upon learning that he was being implicated in the very serious situation, Yang Ling remained calm, his expression unwavering. But of course, he was thinking about how to best deal with the situation. Before he came to Montson, he had been warned by Harribell and the Waize family. He still had not expected the situation to be so critical!
It looked like there were many factions determined to take Wissen Town, encouraging the Banto Empire to deploy their army once again to attack his territory. It was no wonder that Harribell and the Waize family were unable to help him all this time even with their influence.
The Nicholas family, to which Halalei and the City Master Croix belonged, had extensive influence and were insistent on supporting his territory. Since the City Master Croix had become injured because of this, if he could save the man, Yang Ling believed that he would be able to forge friendly relations between the Nicholas family and himself, building a foundation for further cooperation!
Yang Ling came up with an idea. He still had half a bottle of Water from the Spring of Life in his Space Ring. He might be able to restore the City Master Croix’s health, even if his life was hanging by a thread.
After the group scattered, Yang Ling looked for Halalei. He set eyes on the man and approached him. “Brother Halalei, while I was passing by a native tribe last year, I happened to trade for a bottle of miraculous medicine that could restore flesh and bones with only a bit of salt. Perhaps it could speed up your uncle’s recovery!”
Halalei caught a faint scent from the tiny vial that Yang Ling produced gracefully from some hidden inner robe pocket, and his heart lifted. His face followed suit, giving away how much hope the other man’s words had imparted. The killer’s dagger had pierced his uncle’s lung, and despite the timely first aid given by the priest, the fact that Croix hadn’t died on the spot was close to miraculous. Halalei knew he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to cure his uncle completely.
With Halalei guiding them, Yang Ling and Yuna passed through villas surrounded by an elegant view, soon arriving at the place where City Master Croix convalesced. Along the way, there were many armored guards and hidden scouts. If not for Halalei leading them, Yang Ling believed that not even a Siberian Field Rat would be able to infiltrate the area.
Even though he was injured, Croix was able to maintain consciousness thanks to the priest’s treatment. Understanding Halalei’s intention for coming, he nodded to Yang Ling and forced a smile, bearing the pain. He granted Yang Ling permission to do what he must.
Just as Yang Ling opened the cap of the bottle and was prepared to pour a few drops of the Water of the Spring of Life into City Master Croix’s mouth, a white bearded priest in the room exclaimed, “Wait, just what is this? Could this be…”
“According to what the elder of the tribe I traded with said, this is a bottle of Water of the Spring of Life. Consuming a few drops will help an injured person recover with speed, as long as he still had breath!”
Yang Ling’s expression did not change. He recited once again the story of him unintentionally trading a batch of salt for a bottle of Water of the Spring of Life.
In his agitation, the white bearded priest took the bottle from Yang Ling’s hands. After confirming that the substance was as Yang Ling had said, he gently poured a few drops into Croix’s mouth. Finally, he handed the rest of the Water of the Spring of Life back to Yang Ling reverently.
As expected, after consuming the Water of the Spring of Life, Croix’s pale face gradually regained color. With is protectors’ assistance, he was able to stand not much later. He was still weak, but the worst of his injuries had been healed.
“Speak, young man. Just who are you?”
The Water of the Spring of Life was extremely rare. Halalei and the priest might have believed the story Yang Ling had told, but Croix did not believe that Yang Ling could trade for a bottle of Water of the Spring of Life using simple salt. No matter how isolated the tribe was, no matter how generous they were, there was no way that they could make a deal like that.
It was also rumored that only the Forest Elves possessed some Water of the Spring of Life, and that they could only gather a few drops from each Tree of Life every year. It was so precious that even the Forest Elves would not use it on themselves unless the situation was truly dire. Croix did not believe that there would be an aborigine that would use a bottle of Water of the Spring of Life. But he could be certain of one thing, and that was that even though Yang Ling’s true identity was unknown, he clearly didn’t mean the City Master any harm.
Seeing that he could not fool the experienced Croix, Yang Ling deliberated for a moment before deciding not to hide things from the man. “My name is Yang Ling. I come from the faraway Terras Forest, and I have a territory there. I came to Montson to attend the birthday banquet of Duke Kaliya. I got together with Halalei and the rest along the way!”
He has his own territory?
City Master Croix was shocked. “What? You… You are the leader of the Magical Beast Territory, Yang Ling?” he stammered.
City Master Croix was shocked, while the priest in white and Halalei were no exception, staring at Yang Ling in disbelief. No one could have expected the leader of the Magical Beast Territory that incited a wave of commotion across the Livenza Alliance to pretend to be a small-time merchant and enter Sitana City in secret.
“Guard the castle gate. No one goes out without my orders!”
The priest and Halalei were tongue tied for a time, but the experienced City Leader Croix calmed down more quickly. There were many things happening behind the scenes in the Livenza Alliance, and he knew that they needed to protect the information about Yang Ling having arrived at Sitana City. Otherwise, no one could guarantee anyone’s safety.
After the guards had backed down, Croix and Yang Ling began chatting, exchanging opinions on the situation. They spoke about topics ranging from the resource-rich Terras Forest to the development of the Magical Beast Territory, from the stance of the Livenza Alliance to the situation in the Banto Empire…
They achieved instant rapport!
After a round of discussion, both Croix and Yang Ling were increasingly excited, understanding that they had found a steady ally in one another.
On a macro perspective, Croix knew that the Kaliya Duchy, and perhaps the entire Livenza Alliance, needed the newly-born Magical Beast Territory to occupy the attention of the Banto Empire and balance power on all sides.
On a smaller scale, while the Nicholas family had fame and looked impressive on the surface, they were also facing several active conflicts. After establishing good relations with the newly born Magical Beast Territory and socializing between the Magical Beast Territory and the alliance, they would undoubtedly gain a further boost in reputation and immeasurable benefits.
On the individual level, he was a City Master, but also the financier of a large merchant association. He would not miss the rich resources like metal ores and Magical Beast Essence Crystals in the Terras Forest.
There were many benefits for Croix, but Yang Ling would also meet his aims.
Obtaining the support of the Livenza Alliance would be beneficial to the development of Yang Ling’s territory. It would attract many merchants to participate in the development of his territory. But he would also be able to secure many craftsmen and laborers, establishing a stable foundation for his territory’s speedy takeoff.
Even though the Boulade Merchant Association, controlled by Harribell, had done him many favors, there were inevitably limitations to the abilities of a single person. The Nicholas family had massive influence, and Yang Ling would not miss the chance to build a good relationship with them.
One more friend meant one more connection!
The most foolish person would surround himself with enemies. After successfully forging a strong relationship with the City Master of Sitana City, and the Nicholas family backing him, Yang Ling knew that he had already partially succeeded in meeting his tactical aim for making the thousand-mile trip to Montson.
