"Dear students, before you stands the wall of Solvellon."

The wall, nearly one hundred meters high, was completely white, as if time had left no marks on it.

Towers scattered along the structure displayed bronze pipes, and through the white steam escaping from them, human shadows could be seen moving.

Under the city gate, Mrs. Judy was giving a history lesson to her students.

"For millennia, it has protected Solvellon. Perhaps you’ve already heard of its legendary stories, but since we are here, I must tell them again: the wall of Solvellon was built during the pre-imperial calendar, at least twelve hundred years ago. It is said that, during its construction, wizards mixed unicorn blood into its foundation. That’s why it is so resilient, remaining white and immaculate even after so many centuries. Throughout all this time, it has never been breached..."

"That's impossible."

The soft voice was irritating to Mrs. Judy, who despised students interrupting her lessons. To her, such students were disrespectful, stubborn, and, worst of all, never listened to her teachings.

Casting a stern glance toward the one who spoke, Mrs. Judy replied, "Then why don’t you explain it to us?" This approach usually worked, as the complaining student would typically become intimidated by the stares of the others and fall silent.

But this time, Mrs. Judy should have thought carefully before reacting.

"During the Witch Wars, it was certainly breached."

Charlotte, although among the students, was not one of Mrs. Judy’s pupils.

"Ah... yes." Mrs. Judy was forced to admit her mistake.

"During the Witch Wars, Count Armand was able to break the wall and free Solvellon from the wizards' control. However, this does not diminish the reputation of the wall. After all, Count Armand had a powerful army."

"But, according to historical records," Charlotte continued, "Count Armand had only a thousand men. They were retreating from the battlefield, without supplies, and being pursued by thirty thousand enemies. Meanwhile, Solvellon had at least ten thousand defenders."

"Excuse me, miss. Who are you?" Finally, Mrs. Judy realized that Charlotte was not one of her students.

"My name is Charlot... mmph?" Just as Charlotte was about to introduce herself proudly, Caroline appeared from behind and covered her mouth.

"Sorry, madam. We are just passing travelers."

Caroline apologized, ignoring Charlotte’s protests, and quickly dragged her into the city.

............

"What are you doing?" The girl, struggling incessantly, drew curious glances from passersby.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Once Caroline released her, Charlotte, irritated, asked, "That woman was distorting history!"

Toppling Solvellon was the greatest feat of the Eiberg family. It was because of this victory that the then-Viscount Armand was elevated to the title of Count. For Charlotte, the heir to this lineage, hearing someone try to erase the deeds of her ancestors was unacceptable.

"Miss, I just want to remind you that our purpose here is to find your parents' remains, not cause trouble. We still don't know how this city views the descendants of Count Armand. Until we are sure, you should not reveal your identity."

Solvellon had always prided itself on being the "unbreakable city" until it was conquered by Charlotte's ancestor. At the time, the Viscount of Solvellon was dragged out of his bed by Armand.

Awake and confused, the Viscount thought it was a prank from his son and even slapped Armand’s rear. Furious, Armand retaliated publicly, pulling down the Viscount’s pants and giving him a whipping.

Only after that did the Viscount agree to surrender. It is said that for the rest of his life, he could only sleep on his stomach.

This event became so famous that it inspired plays, which were hugely successful in the theaters of the empire's major cities. In Kaihaide, Charlotte’s homeland, the play "Count Armand and the Whipping of Solvellon" was staged annually.

For the Viscounts of Solvellon, this episode was a shame, and Caroline didn't know if such humiliation had been passed down to the current heirs of the title.

Charlotte was displeased. She wanted to share this story with the people of Solvellon, but she recognized that Caroline was right.

Irritated, she kicked a stone that rolled down the bronze-paved street and stopped under a spider carriage.

The carriage, releasing steam, passed on, revealing a food cart. The houses behind the cart gradually climbed up the hills, and at the highest point, the bell tower of a church, wrapped in mist, emitted a white light that illuminated the entire city.

The steam revolution had arrived in the city a few years ago, transforming it into something Charlotte recognized.

It was the civilization standard she knew, just like so many other cities in Wenze.

"Miss."

"What is it?"

Charlotte was lost in thought when Caroline asked, "Does the letter mention what we should do when we arrive in Solvellon?"

Charlotte's journey had been motivated by a mysterious letter that had appeared on her desk.

Written in elegant handwriting, it spanned eight pages, which Charlotte, with her linguistic skills, summarized into one sentence: "Come to Solvellon, I will help you find your parents."

After seven seconds of reflection, Charlotte shook her head. "No."

"Did you make any plans, miss?" Caroline asked, almost desperately.

"Yes," Charlotte replied confidently.

"And what would that plan be?" Caroline still had a glimmer of hope.

"Come to Solvellon."

"And then?"

"Find the person who wrote the letter," Charlotte answered as if it were obvious. "And then, hear what they have to say to plan the next steps."

"How do you plan to find them?" Caroline began thinking of return routes.

"Well..." Charlotte hesitated. She hadn’t actually thought about that. In her mind, someone would come to greet them once they arrived. But apparently, something had gone wrong.

"Maybe we should ask around? Someone in the city must know, right?"

"I suggest you start over there," Caroline pointed to a house near the gate. "Knock on the door and ask, 'Hello, did you write this letter?' And keep knocking from door to door until you reach the other side of the city."

"Ahh..." Charlotte murmured, wanting to protest, but lacking any arguments. In the end, she gave up, hiding her face against Caroline's chest.

Caroline looked at the young woman in her arms, unable to handle her stubbornness. But they couldn’t stay in the city for long.

The lord of Solvellon might have hostile intentions toward them, and with the previous attacks, searching without a plan was dangerous.

"Miss, if you don't have a solution, we’ll have to return to Londini. The true culprit behind the attack has not been found, and I can't leave you in a city that might be hostile."

Charlotte remained hidden, reluctant to face reality.

"Miss?" Caroline insisted.

"Okay, okay, I understand." Charlotte finally raised her head and responded, resigned: "Let's go back."

Despite her frustration, Charlotte recognized that Caroline was right. She was willing to take risks, but a directionless search was futile.