Chapter 36: Whimsical Ideas on the Journey

After leaving Yaniluo City, the envoy group followed the predetermined route, traveling from north to south across the entirety of the Kwei Kingdom.

Next, they would not be entering the central area of the Wasteland Kingdom, Bolt Kingdom. This nation is not a vassal of the United Kingdom, and its central authority is weak, making the situation far too chaotic, which could lead to all kinds of unforeseen events.

Philena’s plan was to take a detour through the neighboring country of Bolt Kingdom, a nation that has stood tall for over three hundred years and ranks among the top three in the entire Wasteland.

Although this country is also not a vassal of the United Kingdom, the two nations have frequent interactions and maintain a cooperative relationship, having agreed to the requests made by the United Kingdom.

Regarding the route to take, Vilyric naturally had no particular concerns since it was impossible to explore the entirety of the Wasteland in one go; as long as they could eventually arrive at the Kingdom of Azure, that would suffice.

The country through which the envoy is passing is called Nobos Ironblood Empire.

Although relatively strong, it is merely a small nation compared to the United Kingdom, with a land area about one-tenth that of the United Kingdom, barely reaching the one million square kilometers mark.

This Nobos Ironblood Empire was originally a territory forcibly seized through violence, and it currently practices semi-militarized governance, with a strong martial culture.

With a population of just over twenty million, most citizens are of mixed heritage, known for their bravery and combat prowess, with many women carrying swords and daggers when going out.

Due to the high proportion of beastmen, this country is also referred to as the “Little Beast Kingdom of the Extreme South.” The legendary “Martial Madman” was a Nobosian who gained fame through his martial achievements by defeating many strong opponents.

Thus, once the envoy entered the Nobos Ironblood Empire, the overall atmosphere around them changed drastically, with the proportion of pure humans noticeably reduced. The beings encountered turned into half-beasts, various hybrids, and even a small number of winged peoples.

However, despite their ferocity, the residents of the Nobos Ironblood Empire were not fools; they could not dare to act out in front of the thousands of armed guards. Instead, they merely watched the grand envoy march forward with curious eyes.

Along the way, although Vilyric mostly stayed in the carriage, she did overhear numerous passersby discussing the miraculous event from a while back when the night was turned into day, purifying the entire disaster forest.

They were likely speaking about the “Eternal Protective Light.”

Even among the various level 10 Holy Light spells, “Eternal Protective Light” is known for its extensive range and loud effects.

Although Vilyric only spread it to cover the entire disaster forest and did not push its power to the limit, it was probably visible to most of the Wasteland and even many surrounding areas due to the massive light dome that was thousands of meters high and covered tens of thousands of square kilometers.

It’s no surprise this caused a significant stir.

However, Vilyric had anticipated such scenarios and had informed her traveling companions, especially Mr. Epunya, the president of the Yaniluo City Adventurers’ Guild, to refrain from spreading the information, particularly to avoid revealing Vilyric’s name.

Otherwise, based on the priestess’s style of action, it wouldn’t take long for her name to become world-renowned, which would undoubtedly be troublesome.

And now, while many people were buzzing with discussions about this matter, even keenly linking the topic to the long-absent “Southern Disaster,” few knew who the original instigator was.

This was exactly the outcome Vilyric desired.

Although the Wasteland might seem perilous to ordinary people, the massive envoy sent by the United Kingdom, with three thousand elite soldiers and skilled guards, would naturally deter ordinary troublemakers, who would even actively avoid confrontation.

Moreover, with strategists Liliya and Philena having already mapped out the safest route, the journey was worry-free.

Compared to the previous leg of the journey where Vilyric and a few others entered Bolt Kingdom, traveling with the envoy was comfortable but somewhat dull.

Although Xiaoguang and Leila, Renée, were still having fun with some card games provided by the priestess, Vilyric herself started feeling restless.

Especially since the convoy had traveled through the Nobos Ironblood Empire for an entire half-month without encountering a single battle or conflict.

Thus, Vilyric decided to seek some amusement… to find something new to do to pass the overly mundane trip.

Inside the carriage, the priestess retrieved a sample of “Disaster” that she had obtained from three adventurers in Yaniluo City, sealed in a special crystal bottle.

Ever since the shard of the Earth Mother Goddess, Xi Fu, hiding underground was shattered by Vilyric, the entity that the “Disasters” had hosted within them had significantly diminished. Even being sealed in the bottle, one could sense that change.

In other words, they were no longer special magical creatures possessing a degree of intelligence, but more like a pure energy entity.

According to another Xi Fu’s sculpture of the God of Sky, “Disasters” are manifestations of the power of the Earth Mother Goddess’s aspect of death, akin to derivative creations or symbols formed by law.

Since the master controlling them has vanished, Vilyric wondered if she could take over, or even cultivate and utilize this power?

Vilyric is indeed strong, no doubt about it.

But she has never been arrogant enough to think of herself as absolutely invincible. The “Disasters” represent a unique power system unheard of in the “Phantom Realm.” Studying it might help the fully-leveled priestess make further advancements in her understanding and development of her abilities.

Although the manifestation of “Disasters” looks terrifying, power itself knows no good or evil; it all depends on the mentality of the one controlling it, right?

Seeing Vilyric take out a small bottle containing a small amount of grey mist, the dragon girl and two winged beings beside her, who were still engrossed in figuring out their card plays, turned their curious gazes her way.

They all naturally recognized what it was.

“Master, why did you take this out?”

“I want to do a little experiment. Can Xiaoguang accompany me outside?”

The Giant Dragon immediately put down the stack of cards she was holding without hesitation, nodding her head.

“Of course, no problem. Right now?”

“Yes, do you two want to join?”

After some thought, the priestess decided to ask Leila and Renée.

“Alright, Lady Vilyric, please allow us a moment to organize.”

Saying this, the sisters quickly tidied the scattered pile of cards on the table and placed them into a dedicated bag, handling hundreds of cards in just about a minute, clearly demonstrating their familiarity with it.

Limited only to shuffling techniques.

Then, they greeted Miss Edwina, who was driving the horned beast outside the carriage, before temporarily leaving the envoy.

After all, the experiment wouldn’t take long, and with the convoy moving at a turtle’s pace, they could easily catch up later.

Considering the “Disaster,” which outsiders might find ominous, it was better to find a secluded corner whenever possible.

   

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