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In the afternoon of that day, after a simple farewell ceremony, Mengdie, Nia, and Edward, accompanied by three followers, set off in a carriage. The attendees, including Aiya, repeatedly cautioned Mengdie and Nia to be careful on the road, and also took the opportunity to advise Edward. Due to the urgency of the matter, the three of them had no time for prolonged sentimentality. As the clock struck 3 PM, they bid farewell to everyone and left the Kingdom of Silvermoon, heading northeast.
For over ten days, they traveled relentlessly. Apart from the first day when Mengdie's injury slowed down their pace, they sped through the rest of the journey at breakneck speed. Every so often, Mengdie would jump down from the carriage to closely inspect the surroundings for traces of the Black Flame Snake's members. After confirming their escape route, she would resume the pursuit. Various signs indicated that they seemed to be continuously moving northeast. Until the twelfth day...
Mengdie, examining a pile of campfire ashes in the forest, scrutinized it carefully.
"Mengdie sister, what next? Where did those bad guys who stole from the king's treasury go?" Nia, with Edward's Silvermoon dagger at her waist, squatted beside Mengdie. Edward, caressing his new sword, looked distressed.
Mengdie brushed the ashes off her hands and stood up.
"The ashes are still warm. It seems we are less than half a day behind them. Edward, where does the northeast direction from here lead?"
Edward put down his greatsword and took a map from a follower.
"Um... It leads to a small town called Garulu. It's located next to Lake Misurowa. Also, crossing Lake Misurowa will take us into the territory of the Louvile Empire."
Nia looked at Mengdie, noticing her uneasy expression, and asked, "Mengdie sister, we are less than half a day behind the robbers, why are you still so worried?"
Mengdie smiled and shook her head, dismissing the concern. She was indeed worried. Over the past ten days, she constantly pondered the reason behind Black Flame Snake's theft. She wasn't too concerned about other matters, but feared that after the robbery, Black Flame Snake might sell the jewels to raise funds! The King's Cup should be safe, as Edward had informed her that it was a tool for succession ceremonies and a symbol of the Silvermoon king. The cup's identity alone meant Black Flame Snake wouldn't simply sell it for money, but might use it for something else. However, the fate of the other jewels was less certain. If they were sold to someone unknowingly, retrieving them would be as hard as reaching the heavens.
Anyway, further speculation was futile. The only clue now was the Black Flame Snake. Mengdie sighed, got into the carriage, and patted Edward, who was still lost in thoughts about his new sword.
"Let's go."
The carriage rumbled along the mountain road. After several hills, a bustling town suddenly appeared before them.
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This lively town was filled with melodious organ music in every street and alley. Lake Misurowa to the north brought significant economic benefits, making the town vibrant. Luxurious residences of famous merchants were not uncommon, and many minstrels came to enjoy the liveliness.
"Ah, Prince Edward, please forgive my impoliteness for not welcoming you immediately! You should have signaled me!"
Just as they entered the town, the mayor of Garulu, an old man with a curled mustache, hurried over with several officials. Edward nodded but seemed more concerned about his sword, barely responding.
Conversely, Mengdie perked up upon hearing the mayor's title. She jumped down from the carriage, stood in front of the mayor, and asked seriously, "Mayor, have you seen a group of strange people with a black snake tattooed on their shoulders, or a man in a white suit, white cape, white hat, and white gloves, wearing a white mask?"
The mayor was startled by Mengdie's presence. Then, seeing Edward, he assumed she might be the prince's concubine and respectfully replied, "Miss, although our town isn't a large port city, we still have thousands of merchants passing through daily because of the lake. I... I'm not sure about them. And as for the man in white you mentioned, we haven't seen such a person recently."
Dismayed, Mengdie wondered if she had followed the wrong trail. But then, the campfire couldn't be deceptive. If not this town, where else could Black Flame Snake replenish their supplies? The only explanation was that White Shadow had left his subordinates. And those men definitely came to this town!
Calm down, think carefully. If they came to this town, what would be their next step?
Transportation. Boats! Their only purpose in this town would be to take a boat somewhere! Immediately, Mengdie stepped forward and demanded loudly, "Mayor! Please tell me, which boats have left in the last 6 hours before our arrival? And their destinations?"
The mayor, flustered by Mengdie's intensity, stammered without giving a clear answer. Nia, tired of watching Edward with his sword in the carriage, poked her head out and said, "Mengdie sister, all the boats in this town go between the Louvile Empire and the Kingdom of Silvermoon."
Mengdie was shocked! Did this mean Black Flame Snake had already boarded a boat to the Louvile Empire? She immediately jumped onto the carriage and shouted to the driver, "Quick! To the docks!"
Without waiting for the mayor to respond, the carriage driver spurred the horses towards Lake Misurowa's docks...
"Mayor, what should we do now? We usually don't sail in the afternoon," one of the mayor's subordinates whispered in his ear.
The mayor looked up at the sky, which was soon to darken. He gestured to some subordinates to prepare rooms in his residence and led the others to the docks. They knew these people were destined to stay the night.
※※※
"Darn it!!!"
In the luxurious mayor's residence lounge, Mengdie threw a pillow at the snow-white wall in frustration. The bright light from the luxurious candelabra on the wall only exacerbated her agitation.
As expected, when they reached the shore, all the boats were docked, and none dared to sail at night. On inquiry, it turned out that lake pirates were rampant, having robbed several merchant ships. Without traveling in groups during the day, it was a death wish! Despite Mengdie's pleas and even invoking Edward's royal status, the fishermen were more smitten by Mengdie's beauty and deferential to Edward than interested in sailing. Mengdie even felt like commandeering a boat to chase across the lake.
"Mengdie sister, what should we do now?"
Nia sat on the bed, hugging a pillow, legs dangling.
"What else can we do?! We're unfamiliar with the lake's geography, so stealing a boat is pointless. Darn it... Just when we were closing the gap, this delay will cost us another dozen hours!"
"Tap, tap, tap."
Gentle knocks came from the bedroom door, followed by a maid's voice—
"Miss Mengdie, Miss Nia, it's dinner time. Please come with me."
Mengdie, still fuming, threw the pillow at the door, "No! I'm full of anger!"
Seeing this, Nia jumped off the bed, grabbed Mengdie's hand, and smiled, "Come on, Mengdie sister. We can't fight on an empty stomach～～～ Besides, you promised to teach me how to fight, but we've been tracking non-stop these days. You haven't had the time. Tonight, since we finally have time, why not teach me? So I won't be a burden to you and big brother Edward, okay?"
Mengdie pouted and sighed helplessly. Persuaded by Nia, she reluctantly agreed to dine. Holding hands, they followed the maid to the dining room.
In the dining room, Edward was already seated. Upon seeing Mengdie, he quickly stood up to pull out a chair for her. Mengdie gave him a look and instead sat Nia down in that chair, taking the seat beside her. Edward's expression turned awkward for a moment, but he soon seated Nia and himself.
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