Chapter 237: Missing Kailun – Day 1
The town of Portland, nestled deep within the White Jade Alliance’s territory, welcomed many new residents. Most of these newcomers were at least seventh-rank, with a considerable number of eighth-rank mages among them.
Upon closer inspection, one could even spot a few ninth-rank figures.
To secure control of the town, the Empress had dispatched a third of her elite forces.
Upon arrival, they immediately expelled the original inhabitants and sealed off the entire town, making it impenetrable.
Perhaps out of caution, they set up numerous magic formations to prevent spying.
Since the day of the handover, no one knew what was happening inside the town.
Wilson, the leader of the White Jade Alliance, grew suspicious. He had tried to visit the town with several ninth-rank mages, but they were all blocked by the Empire’s forces.
From beyond the barriers, he could only sense vast magic fluctuations, and a sense of unease grew in his heart.
Logically, he should be happy about exchanging a worthless town for a massive amount of resources, but his intuition told him that he had made a mistake.
Thinking back, Kailun had used schemes to acquire another town. Was there a connection between these two events?
Standing atop a watchtower thirty miles away from Portland, Wilson looked at the distant town.
It was now enveloped in a giant blue sphere, making it impossible to see what was happening inside.
“What do you think that Empress is planning?”
Wilson turned to his friend, also a ninth-rank mage. “Before selling this town, I had people thoroughly investigate it, but the results showed that it was an incredibly ordinary town. The population was barely two thousand, and the strongest person was only a fifth-rank warrior. Nothing significant has happened here for thousands of years. I even had people dig three feet underground, but there was no hidden treasure.”
Wilson’s friend was a scruffy, middle-aged man with an unkempt appearance, but his eyes gleamed with intelligence.
They had met a few years ago and hit it off immediately. However, they were both busy, and their usual contact was mainly through magic letters.
This time, Wilson felt short-handed, so he called his friend over and appointed him as a vice leader.
The middle-aged man leaned against the wall of the watchtower. “Perhaps it’s because of its special geographical location. Portland and the other town are situated at a critical distance from the Xiya Kingdom. The latter can be used to launch a direct assault on the Xiya Kingdom, while the former is slightly farther and requires some travel time, but it’s still much closer than traveling from the Empire to the Xiya Kingdom. If we’re being bold, with Portland as a base, we can even influence the Abyss.”
He took out a candy from somewhere, tossed it into his mouth, and chewed slowly, looking strangely relaxed.
“Vincent, do you know something?” Wilson asked, his eyes serious.
The scruffy man, Vincent, scratched his butt. “Huh? How can you suspect me? If I were younger, I would polish my boots and kick your ass. Impudent fellows deserve to be roasted over a fire for a hundred years.”
Wilson turned his face away, speechless. “Aren’t you worried after seeing this? Although I don’t want to admit it, we’ve been left behind. We can’t keep up with the changes in the world. They’re playing games we don’t understand. We might miss a crucial turning point.”
Vincent said proudly, “I don’t care. I’ll just run away.”
Wilson: “…”
Perhaps realizing that his attitude was too dismissive, he hesitated for a moment and said seriously, “I’m telling the truth. As a friend, I suggest you run away now. You’re too foolish. You can’t outsmart Kailun and the Empress. But it’s not just you. Even that Pope is no match for Kailun. So don’t be sad.”
He walked over and patted Wilson’s shoulder comfortingly. “Don’t be sad. Sometimes, you have to acknowledge your limitations to survive. At least, I don’t think you need to get involved. You’re not on the same level as them.”
Wilson kicked Vincent’s butt. “Stop talking nonsense. You’re the foolish one. There’s no turning back now. Do you want to become a dog for the Pope and the Empress?”
Vincent hesitated slightly. “It’s not impossible, but I still don’t want to lose you as a friend. What are you going to do if the Empress wins in the end?”
It wasn’t that he was being disloyal as a friend, but he was originally from the Empire.
The plan to deploy troops to Portland was led by Vincent. Everything, big or small, had to go through him.
The Empire’s primary goal was to transform Portland into a fortress and then build crucial magic formations on it.
No one, except for the Empress herself, knew the effects of these magic formations. She had only told them that once the formations were complete, the Empire would have a two-thirds chance of victory.
It seemed that the key to victory lay in these magic formations.
Part of what he had just said was true. Once the magic formations were complete, Portland would become a crucial foothold for their next move.
It would be convenient for them to attack either the Xiya Kingdom or the Abyss, but Vincent didn’t know the specific plan because the Empress hadn’t told him.
Besides setting up the magic formations, he was also tasked with misleading Wilson.
He actually wanted to persuade Wilson to switch sides, but unfortunately, this guy was too stubborn.
He couldn’t understand. Were material possessions more important than life?
“It won’t be that easy. Kailun isn’t a pushover. The Temple of the Celestial God hasn’t been able to defeat him in two months. Instead, he’s become even stronger. I think that day is still far away. We still have time to grow.”
Wilson’s voice lacked confidence as he looked away from Vincent.
Hearing his answer, Vincent sighed deeply. Based on the progress of the magic formations’ construction, it would all be over soon.
Perhaps even sooner than he could react.
……
Early the next morning, Chrissy and Illusion stood on the super teleportation magic circle in the Xiya Kingdom.
Kailun had insisted on bringing Illusion along because, without the boost to her sense of existence from him, she might disappear from this world.
Although Illusion herself believed that her disappearance would be beneficial to the world, Kailun didn’t think so.
Princess Vivian was very envious of Illusion’s treatment. They looked exactly alike, yet she didn’t receive such special treatment.
She was just a step too late. What a loss.
Princess Hilna looked at Illusion and Chrissy in the teleportation magic circle with mixed emotions. As time passed, the resentment in her heart had faded considerably.
Moreover, with more and more people in the manor, Kailun had neglected her “care” somewhat.
Hilna, not having been teased by Kailun for a while, felt a bit unaccustomed.
Of course, she still hated him. She believed this would never change.
She still remembered the bet she had made with Kailun, about her and Shirley.
Hilna glanced at Shirley beside her and shook her head. Her personal knight might soon bear Kailun’s “mark.”
Anna, Ella, and Winnie were chatting together. They were from roughly the same era and were closer to each other.
They could not only discuss work-related issues but also chat about everyday trivialities.
Compared to the turbulent past few months, this period was a rare moment of peace.
However, Anna wasn’t happy about this tranquility. Kailun was too busy, and she rarely had a chance to talk to him.
Winnie and Ella shared similar feelings, but they were less intense than Anna’s.
Fox, Bella, and Carol were in charge of controlling the teleportation magic circle, while Isabella and Ottovia were the laborers.
The three little knights, freed from their training, were now working as maids alongside the elf sisters. Without Afra’s brutal training, they felt incredibly free, as if they could fly.
Couldn’t see Phils?
That was because she was still busy dealing with the kingdom’s political affairs. Without anyone to help her, it was difficult for her to leave her work.
Except for Queen Rose, who had been forgotten in the dungeon, everyone had gathered around the teleportation magic circle.
“It’s almost time. Are you ready?”
Carol took out her pocket watch and checked the time.
Chrissy’s face was full of excitement. “No problem! I can’t wait to see Mother Pope!”
“Are you sure you want to see the Pope? I can’t bear to expose you.” Illusion lightly punched Chrissy. “When you see Kailun, are you going to call him ‘Father Pope’?”
“Maybe!” Chrissy’s eyes gleamed.
She was naturally thrilled by this prospect.
“You pervert.”
Illusion waved her hand dismissively and turned to Carol. “We’re ready. Please activate the magic circle. This pervert beside me can’t wait any longer.”
Carol: “Okay.”
She knew that Chrissy wasn’t the only one who couldn’t wait.
After confirming the location of the other anchor point, Carol activated the teleportation magic circle. With a flash of white light, Chrissy and Illusion were transported to Kailun’s side.
After that, Carol looked around. “It’s getting late. Everyone, go back to your work. I believe the next time we activate the teleportation magic circle will be to welcome them back.”
Everyone nodded at Carol and left in an orderly manner. As she had said, they still had work to do. They had come here just in case Kailun needed more help.
Even if Kailun didn’t need it, Afra probably did.
Most people in the manor knew about Afra’s “weakness.” The seemingly powerful knight was actually quite vulnerable.
“Ottovia, where are you going?” Carol grabbed Ottovia, who was trying to sneak away.
As soon as she met Carol’s wine-red eyes, Ottovia immediately lowered her head. “Don’t misunderstand. I wasn’t trying to run away. I’m just going to deliver food to Rose. You forgot to deliver her meal last night. That idiot has been starving all night. I couldn’t bear it, so I wanted to get her something to eat from the kitchen. Really, believe me!”
Suddenly, Ottovia also envied Illusion. Compared to Carol, Kailun seemed much gentler.
Missing Kailun – Day 1.
[Ottovia’s Goodwill +6]
Kailun, far away in Alaye: “???”
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