Chapter Seventy-Six: The Word “Sister” Has Many Meanings

“Got it? So next, we just need to track the traces she left behind, and we should be able to find the other party’s lair along the way.”

In the lounge, everyone exchanged glances after hearing the black-haired girl’s rough summary. Finally, it was Enrique, [Tree Bow], with the strongest mental fortitude, who reacted first.

“Miss Vilyric, did you just say… that child willingly let herself be captured? Is it possible this was a trap she set on purpose?”

“How is that possible… I had no idea there was even a missing persons case until now. I only felt there were some strange gazes hiding in the guild…”

Seeing the priestess deny it outright, the expression on the youth of the Treant Tribe’s face instantly turned even more bizarre.

“If it weren’t for Miss Vilyric’s arrangement… No, even if it were arranged by you, it’s simply too absurd. That child looks no older than eight or nine. How could she possibly have the ability to protect herself in such a perilous situation, and even leave clues to be tracked?”

Before anyone could respond, he began to mutter to himself with a strange expression.

“Wait… now that I think about it, I’ve indeed seen some long-lived beings who appear no older than ten despite being hundreds or thousands of years old. Could that blonde girl be…?”

Hearing this, Miss Sophie, [Tree Wall], immediately interjected with exasperation.

“How is that possible, bro? Such situations generally only occur with mythological species. Not to mention, mythological species are practically extinct in this era. Even if there were some, what are the odds of running into one, especially a rare type like that?”

Upon hearing her words, Le Qiao Qiao and Hong Yan instinctively exchanged glances, then turned to look at Vilyric with a hint of curiosity in their eyes.

Although they interacted more with a certain little dragon daughter, their understanding was limited to her connection with [dragons]—that she was tougher and more violent than she appeared, had a huge appetite, and could sleep for a long time.

As for her specific origin, identity, and why she suddenly appeared beside Vilyric, Le Qiao Qiao and Hong Yan actually knew nothing.

Despite Miss Thief calling her “little ancestor” all day, deep down, the two girls still viewed Xiao Guang more like an innocent and naive little girl who only knew about eating and drinking, needing someone to look after her.

Strength doesn’t mean being immune to harm. In the dark corners of any world, all sorts of underhanded tactics exist, and with Xiao Long Nu’s impulsive nature, she could easily fall victim to trickery. Not to mention, she’s an adorable girl.

“Uh, how should I put this…”

Faced with everyone’s intense stares, Vilyric pondered internally.

It was necessary to provide a simple explanation and a reasonable story here.

It was rare for Xiao Guang to voluntarily engage in something out of interest rather than under orders, and as her guardian, she naturally needed to provide enough support. If this missing persons case was as serious as Enrique and the others described, it would be difficult to resolve it satisfactorily relying solely on her and herself.

Accepting Enrique’s previous proposal to team up was currently the safest option. If they were to cooperate, she needed to show a certain level of sincerity to ensure the others would agree to her apparently absurd claims.

Moreover, since Xiao Guang didn’t know when she’d return to her original form, creating a reasonable identity would be much more convenient in many situations.

Fortunately, Vilyric had considered similar issues before.

“Mr. Enrique, Ms. Sophie, since you’ve heard of some of my adventure experiences, you must also know that [Priests] also form their own adventure parties, right?”

The green-haired youth nodded slightly.

“Of course, the combination of [Priest] and [Light Scale] is quite famous in the adventuring world, especially among high-level adventurers. According to the guild’s registered information, Miss [Light Scale] should be very skilled in close combat, possessing beautiful golden long hair and a strong personality—she’s the most formidable spear and shield beside the [Priest]…”

As he spoke, [Tree Bow] found himself getting lost in his own words.

“Wait… could she be that [Light Scale] Miss?!”

Sophie slammed the table and shot to her feet in frustration.

“Bro, what nonsense are you talking about?! At this rate, it’s more likely she’s the daughter of Miss Vilyric and that person. Although same-sex marriage and having children are relatively rare, isn’t it already speculated that [Priest] and [Light Scale]…”

“Stop!”

What even is this?! Sophie’s outburst was one thing, but how sharp is Enrique?! Although he merely stumbled upon this, in some sense, he actually guessed right!

“How could that be?! You guys have such wild imaginations…”

Putting on a completely exasperated expression, the black-haired girl hurriedly waved her hand.

Vilyric didn’t want anyone to know Xiao Guang’s true situation. Regardless of whether it was about adults regaining youth or something related to her Divine Spark as a prototype, any leak would be very detrimental to the child. Furthermore, she had temporarily lost her past memories, making it even more complicated to explain; attempting to do so would only make matters worse.

As for the notion of her being a daughter, it was just ridiculous. The priestess couldn’t even imagine the kind of uproar it would cause in her life if such a rumor got out…

“Her name is… um… Xiao Guang! She’s my teammate Xiao Guang’s sister. Recently, Xiao Guang went into seclusion to push her boundaries and has cut off outside contact. Before that, she specifically entrusted me to take care of Xiao Guang.”

“Although there’s quite an age gap between them and Xiao Guang isn’t as strong as her sister, she still possesses some self-protection skills, and her mindset is much more mature than that of an ordinary child. She couldn’t have been taken without realizing or resisting, and since there hasn’t been any subsequent action, it must mean she deliberately concealed herself.”

“Sisters?”

“Darn it, just this level…”

Exchanging surprised glances with Miss Sophie, although Enrique still looked a little confused, he smartly chose not to pursue it further, seemingly accepting Vilyric’s explanation.

“Alright… since Miss Vilyric is so adamant, we definitely can’t miss this opportunity. We also can’t allow young lady Xiao Guang, who’s putting herself in danger, to suffer real harm. So, Miss Vilyric, do you have a way to find the clues she left behind?”

The priestess nodded slightly.

“Of course, but it’s not time yet. As the saying goes, ‘taking long lines to catch big fish.’ The missing persons case in Coastal City of Leila is clearly just the tip of the iceberg. Since we’ve caught a glimpse of the other party’s tail, we need to find out more. So, how much time do you need to gather your team?”

After a brief contemplation, this time, it was the serious [Tree Wall] Sophie who took the initiative to ask.

“Since someone is out executing a mission, we can’t immediately convene, but I can send a bird to inform them and urge them to return quickly… One day, at the latest by tomorrow morning, would that work?”

Expecting the waiting time to feel long, who knew that the black-haired girl merely smiled lightly and calmly shook her head.

“You two are strong, and your teammates probably have equally important tasks, so there’s no need to rush.”

“Let’s do this: we’ll reconvene here in three days, and then head out together to track the traces left by Xiao Guang. However, I need to say in advance that this operation might take a considerable amount of time and could take us quite far from Coastal City of Leila. I suggest you prepare accordingly for long-distance travel.”

“Oh, by the way, could you also give me a list of the core officials in Leila City Empire? Just the top few would suffice.”

   

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