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After Mengdie's explanation, Nia finally came to understand. Despite her extreme reluctance, she was ultimately concerned about Aya's life. Finally, she wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and nodded.
Now that the younger one was prepared, it was time to address the older one. Mengdie stood up, holding Nia's hand, and approached Edward. Upon seeing Mengdie, the prince immediately looked away in a huff. Mengdie didn't mind; she took his hand and placed Nia's hand carefully in his.
“Edward, listen to me now.”
Mengdie’s tone shifted from gentle to serious. Edward was startled, his gaze involuntarily dropping to Mengdie’s serious face.
“I’m entrusting Nia to you. As a prince of Silvermoon, you should know how to treat your people. I hope when we meet again, you’ll return this child to me safe and sound.”
Edward tilted his head, pondering the meaning of her words. Logically, he shouldn’t take a burden on the road. But hearing Mengdie talk about “prince” and “people,” his expression changed. Even if he didn't grasp the full meaning of her words, it was a prince's duty to protect his people!
“Understood! Don’t worry, I’ll protect her, I won’t let Nia get hurt at all!”
“Hmph, it’s not yet clear who will be protecting whom. You, useless prince.”
Before even setting off, Edward blushed at Nia’s taunt.
Before leaving, Mengdie took out the purse she had just snatched, gave Nia one hundred and eighty Sulas, and kept only twenty for herself. After farewells, Edward and Nia finally left, hiring a carriage at the tavern, heading towards Louvier City.
...
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“Ah... they’re gone.”
Watching the dust trail left by the carriage, Mengdie looked wistfully towards the vanishing road. After all, those two had been with her during the earliest part of her rebirth. Parting, even temporarily, brought a touch of melancholy.
Xiu, standing beside Mengdie, watched her sad expression for a while, then smiled, “Missing them already?”
Mengdie nodded lightly, turning around: “Saying ‘letting go’ is easy, but who can truly ‘let go’?” She sighed softly, smiling slightly, “Anyway, it’s not like we won’t meet again. As soon as I retrieve my belongings, I’ll be able to catch up with them.”
Xiu, twirling his staff, walked alongside Mengdie towards the General's mansion. Halfway there, he smiled, “You know, the way you arranged things is quite interesting. The prince, taking care of the little girl, will have to be more cautious in his actions. And with the girl reminded of her primary mission, ‘to retrieve the King’s Cup,’ she probably won’t contradict the prince at every turn. Aren’t you worried they might fight?”
Mengdie just laughed helplessly: “Who isn’t worried? I’m terrified right now. Maybe they’re already quarreling over some trivial matter. That's why I wanted you to accompany them to Louvier City, but you didn’t express interest, and I couldn’t ask you, a stranger headed back to Galuru Town, to venture into danger. Here.”
Saying this, Mengdie took fifteen Sulas from the remaining twenty-seven and handed them to Xiu.
“This is your fare back home, thanks for taking care of me during this time. The adventure ahead is mine alone; you needn’t risk yourself further with me.”
Xiu laughed heartily, pushing away the Sulas Mengdie offered, “Miss Mengdie, what are you saying?! As a genius scientist, how can I let a beautiful lady venture into the ‘wolf’s den’ alone? Success is always higher with two than one. Let me help you this time. Besides, for a scientist, experiencing events firsthand is always more inspiring than theorizing behind closed doors.”
Since Xiu insisted, Mengdie simply smiled, retracting her hand with the Sulas, remaining silent. After some detours, they finally reached what might be the final destination of their journey—
The General's Mansion in Mave City.
The black architectural style of the General's Mansion harmonized with the city in an indescribable way. The smoke-blackened walls were covered with withered roots and leaves, creating an atmosphere of dead silence. The thick, combative aura was palpable even standing outside the gate, affecting the souls of passersby.
Two armored soldiers holding long spears stood in front of the iron fence gate, scanning each passerby like statues. In this recently conquered city full of instability, their weapons were always ready to taste blood. This was why Mengdie and Xiu kept walking around the General's Mansion, discussing how to enter.
“We should wait until dark to sneak in,” Mengdie said, sipping a cup of hay juice bought by Xiu to stay hydrated, “But considering the girl's peril, we need to speed up. We must rescue her before she’s harmed.”
Xiu agreed with Mengdie's statement but couldn’t understand why a 16-year-old girl referred to an 18-year-old as a "little" girl.
“Hehe, you seem quite concerned. Generally, saving a life is already commendable…” Xiu chuckled.
With a nod, Mengdie continued drinking her warm hay juice, “To save someone, save them thoroughly. If it's not possible, I can’t force it. But before giving up, I hope to save as much as possible.” She continued to scrutinize the walls of the General's Mansion, looking for a suitable entry point.
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