Early the next morning, the dense fog outside Crow Candle Castle had yet to disperse.
Isolde had already packed the large quantity of gold coins, potions, items, and Rosalind family relics needed for the trip to Red Kite.
She stood before the mirror and raised a hand to touch her face.
The face of “Yu Lingye” had already appeared at Grey Dove Monastery, Grey Oak Village, and near the old trade route.
As an ordinary Descender of unknown origin, there was no problem using it to accept quests or gather information in the city.
However, once she reached Red Kite, the moment she produced the Rosalind family badge and management credentials, she would inevitably attract the attention and investigation of other families.
That would cause inconvenience for the future actions of the “Yu Lingye” identity.
She needed a cleaner identity.
One whose past could be slowly filled in, whose origin could be freely arranged, and who would not be directly linked to Crow Candle Castle or the identity of a Descender.
A thin mist slowly covered her skin, and her original features gradually changed. Her hair color turned a deep chestnut, and her eyes became an unremarkable light brown.
The woman in the mirror looked to be in her early twenties. Her appearance was not eye-catching, yet her eyes held the competence that came from years of traveling alone.
Isolde thought for a moment and decided that from today on, this face would be known as “Celine,” a lone adventurer traveling abroad.
She straightened her collar and walked out of the room.
Lia was already waiting in the hall. The chandelier above swayed gently, and a notification popped up before her eyes.
【Goldie's Mood: Reluctance to Part】
Celine looked up and said softly, “I’m just going to Red Kite. I’ll be back soon.” She patted the wall beside her. “Take good care of the house.”
Celine walked up to Lia and instructed, “After I leave, I’m leaving the castle and the station to you.”
Lia lowered her head. “Lia will manage everything well. Please rest assured, Milady.”
“There’s no need to rush the construction,” Celine said. “Screen the personnel thoroughly first before expanding further.”
“Yes.”
“Miles and the others can be used, but don’t trust them completely just because of a few words. Keep a close eye on them.”
Lia noted everything down.
Celine’s gaze fell on Lia’s gloved hands, and she said calmly, “If you encounter people who don’t know what’s good for them, you don’t have to keep trying to reason with them.”
“The Pressure and Armor-Penetrating Heavy Punch I gave you weren’t meant just for show.”
Lia raised her grey, solitary eye. “Lia understands. Lia will not let anyone interfere with Milady’s plans.”
Celine nodded with satisfaction and turned toward the castle gates.
The heavy doors opened, and she raised her hand to summon Moon.
The black horse stepped out from a golden light, the yellow hairband by its ear swaying gently with its movements.
Moon walked up to her and lowered its head to nudge her shoulder.
Celine skillfully flipped herself onto the horse.
Lia stood before the gate, her right hand pressed to her chest as she bowed. “I wish Milady a smooth journey.”
Moon broke into a stride, heading out along the path revealed in the fog.
For this trip to the Red Kite City-States, she could only follow the trade route all the way east.
On the evening of the first day, Celine passed through the village closest to Crow Candle Castle.
At the village entrance, people had already heard that the old station was preparing to hire workers. A few idle villagers were gathered around a wooden notice board, arguing over whether the promised wages were real or fake.
Miles and his brothers had not yet officially come to recruit, but the news had already spread ahead of them alongside rumors of road repairs.
Celine did not stop. The matter of the old station had been handed over to Lia; there was no need for her to meddle in every detail.
Two days later, she re-entered the Mist-Dwelling Forest.
After the treant’s death, the oppressive feeling in the forest had lessened significantly. Along the way, she could occasionally see the remains of campfires left by mercenaries.
Some daring medicinal herb merchants had already begun sending people into the outskirts to harvest fungi and herbs that no one had dared touch before.
Though the road was still difficult to travel, it was no longer a completely severed dead end.
Celine stayed in the forest for one night and continued her journey the next morning.
The further east she went, the more caravans appeared along the way.
At first, it was just two or three old carriages carrying pelts and timber, but it gradually turned into full caravans composed of over a dozen wagons. Wheels ground against the road, guards on horseback kept watch on both sides, and the patterns on the caravan flags became increasingly complex.
Among them were merchant guild emblems she recognized, as well as family coats of arms she had never seen before.
Several days later, she reached Blackthorn Ferry.
This was a mandatory crossing on the way to Red Kite. The ferry manager sat on a high platform, unhurriedly collecting tolls.
Mounts cost money, wagons cost money, and if the cargo exceeded the weight limit, there were additional fees.
Even if one wanted to pitch a tent by the river for the night, they had to first buy a temporary wooden plate.
After paying the crossing fee, Celine looked at the thin receipt in her hand, feeling the influence of Red Kite clearly for the first time.
Even though she was still far from the main city of Red Kite, the currency, contracts, and fee structures were already being implemented according to Red Kite’s standards.
Moon clearly didn't have much of an opinion on this; it just stared at a wagon full of fresh fruit next to the ferry for a long time.
Celine had no choice but to pay a few more copper coins to buy a small bag of sweet fruit for it.
After another dozen days, the road finally became completely level.
The road surface was paved with neatly cut grey stone, and signposts indicating directions stood at regular intervals on both sides. Even in the wilderness, there were supply points for caravans to rest.
As she drew closer to Red Kite, the boundaries between villages became blurred.
Some small towns that originally had only dozens of households had gradually expanded into large-scale trading markets due to their proximity to the trade route.
Few people here farmed the land. The streets were mostly filled with workshops for repairing wheels, merchant firms for leasing warehouses, and shops selling livestock and dry rations.
Goods from different places were piled together; pelts just arrived from the north might be loaded onto wagons bound for the south in the blink of an eye.
Exactly one month later, Celine finally saw the main city of the Red Kite City-States.
High city walls stretched across the distance, with the tops of several towers peeking out from behind them. Deep red flags fluttered in the wind atop the walls.
In the center of the flags was a red bird with its wings spread wide.
Even from afar, one could see it holding its head high, as if it might soar from the fabric into the sky at any moment.
Celine pulled the reins, grabbed her watersack to take a large gulp, and then let out a long sigh.
One month.
Even though Moon’s speed far exceeded that of an ordinary mount, it had still taken her a full month to get here.
In her past life, she had always shuttled between different parties and dungeons, and she almost never had to worry about travel herself.
Sometimes the guild would prepare a teleportation array, and other times the party leader would pull out a one-time-use teleportation stone.
She only needed to follow the team. No matter how far two locations on the map were, in her eyes, it was just a matter of switching maps and waiting a bit longer.
It wasn't until this time, without a teleportation stone, that she truly realized this world was much larger than she had imagined.
A lot can happen in a month.
It was enough time for a caravan to go missing, for a transaction to end, or even for a family that originally held an advantage to lose their position entirely.
In the future, there would be frequent travel between Crow Candle Castle and Red Kite. she couldn't spend a whole month on the road every time.
At this moment, Celine’s desire to possess teleportation stones reached its peak.
Had she known, she should have included the crafting recipe for teleportation stones in the transaction terms the first time she met Ur.
Celine hung the watersack back beside the saddle and gazed at the red bird flag fluttering in the distance.
It seemed that after entering the city this time, besides finding a suitable buyer, she would also have to keep an eye out for spatial items.
It would be best if she could get her hands on a blueprint for a stable teleportation array or a crafting recipe for spatial teleportation items.
Even if she couldn't build them for the time being, she could at least prepare for the future.
Rate on N.U.
