In a grove of trees outside the Royal Capital, Ryan was already standing beneath a tree, his head lowered as he preened the feathers on his wings.
Three days had passed since the incident of the broken engagement in the Royal Capital.
During this time, Loviki had taken them to explore almost everything the Royal Capital had to offer—all the delicious food, the fun activities, and the beautiful sights.
On the second day, Arthur, the King of Hella, had awakened. Naturally, the Second Prince could not escape the charge of treason. This final act of rebellion caused Arthur to completely lose all hope in his son.
The engagement with the Lawrence Family was terminated naturally, and those who didn't know the truth didn't suspect there was any hidden story behind it.
At this moment, the group from the apartment stood beside Ryan with their packed luggage. Velyan had the most baggage, cradling a large stack of paper bags in her arms. Inside were dried fruits, puddings, and several jars of jam that Irena would supposedly love.
Louise leaned against a tree and yawned. Last night, Velyan had been a bit too excited about buying gifts for Irena before returning to the apartment, dragging everyone into an all-night conversation.
As a result, the five people present had barely slept at all.
Currently, Flora and Loviki were checking the luggage to see if anything had been left behind...
Loviki had practically emptied her house for this departure, even taking all the books from her bookshelves... Fortunately, both Chen Mian and Louise had relatively large storage spaces; otherwise, it would have been impossible to carry everything at once. This departure from the Royal Capital was completely different from her last one. At least before leaving, Loviki had returned to the Lawrence Family home to say goodbye to her father.
Chen Mian was leaning against Ryan.
From the distance, the sound of carriage wheels rolling over gravel drifted over, drawing closer and closer.
A dark gray carriage without any insignia pulled up beside the grove. The carriage curtain was lifted, and Aler was the first to step down, followed by a warrior clad in armor, Norgue, and finally, King Arthur.
The King's face was still somewhat pale, suggesting the curse had only recently been dispelled, but he was in good spirits.
He wore a plain, dark set of casual clothes without his crown, looking like a wealthy merchant who happened to be passing through.
“Lord Chen Mian,” Aler greeted with a slight nod, holding a scroll of parchment in his hand.
Arthur took a step forward, his gaze lingering on Chen Mian for a moment. His voice carried a hint of hoarseness. “Chen Mian, the Hella Kingdom owes you a great favor for what happened this time.”
“Loviki resolved it herself,” Chen Mian replied flatly. “Besides, where did the vigilance you two had as young adventurers go? How did you manage to get backstabbed by a piece of work like your second son?”
Arthur choked on his words, coughing twice. He reached up to rub his nose, a gesture identical to the one he used to make in his youth.
“I thought he was merely incompetent, but I never expected him to be bold enough to collude with the Shadow Cult.” Arthur lowered his hand, his expression clouding with a complex mix of emotions. “It was also my oversight. I shouldn't have been so overly indulgent with him after his mother passed away.”
Aler and Norgue stood nearby, their eyes slightly downcast. It seemed they had no desire to comment on the King's words.
Chen Mian did not pursue the topic.
Arthur remained silent for a brief moment before taking the parchment scroll from Aler's hand and offering it to Chen Mian. “Take this. Consider it a token of gratitude for this incident, as well as a statement of the Hella Kingdom's stance toward you personally.”
Chen Mian took it and unrolled it for a look. It was a formal deed of territory.
Written clearly in the Common Tongue was the decree: the area north of Linyu Port, spanning about two hundred miles around the periphery of the Forest of Death, was designated as a private territory, granting independent administrative, military, and trade autonomy. At the bottom was the seal of the Hella Royal Family, alongside Arthur's personal signature.
“Such a large piece of land,” Chen Mian said, rolling the parchment back up and putting it away. “Aren't you afraid I'll declare independence one day?”
Hearing this, Arthur let out a rare, wry chuckle. “If you truly wanted to declare independence, could I even stop you?”
“If your territory produces anything that needs to be traded, Hella can provide the most favorable channel, shipping directly through Linyu Port tax-free.”
Chen Mian glanced at him. “You've got it all worked out, haven't you?”
“Mutual benefit,” Arthur said candidly. “The things you grow in the Forest of Death have ridiculously high quality. Rather than letting middlemen drive up the prices at every turn, it's better to establish a stable, direct channel.”
Chen Mian simply nodded without committing. “I'll see about the yields after I get back. As for this territory, I'll develop it when I feel like it.”
“Very well. Whenever you need it, just send word through Linyu Port.” After saying this, Arthur turned his head to look at Aler. “Teacher, let us depart.”
Aler bowed slightly to Chen Mian. “Lord Chen Mian, until we meet again.”
Norgue was the last to turn. His gaze lingered on Chen Mian for a beat, and then he nodded before following the others into the carriage.
The carriage gradually receded along the official road...
Chen Mian stored the deed of territory into his storage space and turned to walk back.
“All done?” Flora asked, looking up.
“Yes, all done.” Chen Mian walked over and gently patted Ryan's wing. “Let's go. Time to go home.”
Ryan let out a low cry, lowering his body to let everyone climb aboard.
Velyan was the first to scramble up, carefully placing the paper bags in her arms in front of her. “I am seated!”
Loviki was second. She stepped onto Ryan's wing to climb up, then turned back and extended a hand to Flora. “Come, let me pull you up.”
Flora grasped her hand, using the leverage to pull herself onto Ryan's back, sitting down right in front of Chen Mian.
Louise was the last. She hopped up unhurriedly and sat next to Velyan. Her purplish-gold eyes swept over the distant, barely visible silhouette of the carriage, and then she withdrew her gaze. “That king is quite clever.”
“He was never stupid; he was just too indulgent with his son.” Chen Mian patted Ryan's neck.
Ryan spread his wings, the draft flattening the grass on the ground, and his body rapidly soared into the clouds.
The silhouette of the Royal Capital grew smaller and smaller in their field of vision, eventually becoming completely obscured by the clouds.
Flora sat in front of Chen Mian. The wind blew her light-brown hair, letting it brush gently against his cheeks. Chen Mian gently tied her hair up with the hair tie.
Once her hair was tied, Flora turned her head slightly and said happily, “Chen Mian, after we get back, I want to redesign the garden.”
“How do you want to redesign it?”
“I want to expand the planting areas for the golden tomatoes and Silver-light Fruits, and then set aside a plot specifically for spices. I tried quite a few new spices in the Royal Capital this time, and I want to try cultivating them in the apartment's soil.”
“Alright, do whatever you like with it.”
Velyan's voice drifted from behind. “Flora, can you also grow the spices used for grilled lamb chops?”
“Of course. I've already bought the seeds.”
“Great! Then I can eat grilled lamb chops every day from now on!”
Loviki chimed in, her voice thick with drowsiness. “Once you learn how to make them, remember to call me over to eat.”
“Okay!”
A long time passed.
Ryan flew out of the clouds. The forest below grew denser and denser, and the familiar sea of trees slowly unfurled beneath them.
The silhouette of the apartment appeared at the edge of their vision.
The cream-white roof glowed with an orange-red light in the twilight. The tomato trellises in the garden and the grapevines in the orchard were bathed in a warm hue. A few wisps of cooking smoke rose from the roofs of the demi-human village, drifting into the evening sky.
They were home.
Rate on N.U.
