Chapter 188 The Bordering Village (2) Gathering Information

Chapter 188 The Bordering Village (2) Gathering Information

As they finished breakfast, Aisha suddenly offers Lyan whether he wants her to show him around the village. Lyan gratefully accepted, thinking that it would be an excellent opportunity to gather more information about the Redania Empire in their conversation along the way. Aisha led him through the narrow, winding streets, pointing out the different buildings and landmarks as they went.

Lyan listened intently, asking questions about the village's history, its people, and its customs. He also took note of the guards' placements and the village's defenses, noticing that they were well-maintained and that the guards were vigilant. This observation gave him an idea of the level of security and organization that the Redania Empire had, which was a crucial factor in his decision to settle there.

As they walked, Lyan continued to make a good impression on Aisha, complimenting her on her knowledge of the village and its people. He also showed a keen interest in her, asking about her life, her interests, and her aspirations. Aisha found herself enjoying Lyan's company, appreciating his intelligence and wit.

As they passed by a small marketplace, Aisha stopped to chat with one of the vendors, a woman who was selling fresh fruits and vegetables. Lyan listened to their conversation, subtly interjecting with his observations about the quality of the products and the prices. The vendor was impressed by Lyan's knowledge and ended up giving him a discount on a bag of apples.

"Thank you," Lyan said, smiling. "I always appreciate a good bargain."

Aisha chuckled, finding Lyan's resourcefulness charming. "I guess you really are a good merchant, I think," she said.

Lyan grinned. "I've been known to dabble in a bit of trading myself. It's all about finding the right market and the right product."

As they continued their walk around the village, Lyan steered the conversation towards the topic of the Redania Empire, which he was very interested in learning more about. Aisha noticed his eagerness and was happy to share her knowledge with him.

"So, what can you tell me about the Redania Empire?" Lyan asked casually.

Aisha thought for a moment before replying. "Well, it's a vast and powerful empire that stretches to a wide region of the north. They have a strong military and a well-organized government. It's a prosperous nation, with a lot of trade and commerce. Many people come from far and wide to live there and work in its thriving cities."

Lyan nodded, taking in the information. "That sounds very promising. What is the culture like in Redania?"

Aisha smiled. "The Redanian people are proud of their heritage and history. They value strength, courage, and honor above all else. They are a people of tradition and are very respectful of their elders and leaders. They also have a rich artistic and cultural tradition, with many talented musicians, poets, and artists." n)-0veLb1n

Lyan's interest was piqued. "That sounds very intriguing. And what about the people in power? Are they fair and just?"

Aisha hesitated for a moment before answering. "Well, the Redanian nobility holds a lot of power and influence. They can be a bit elitist and snobbish at times, and there is certainly a lot of politics and intrigue at play,"

Lyan noticed her change in expression and immediately shift to his next question. "How about the military and their diplomatic relations?"

"Hm... The Redania Empire is a powerful Country, with a well-trained army and a skilled diplomatic corps," she said. "We've always maintained a good relationship with the neighboring countries but... It feels like the surroundings are a little bit more tense than before lately,"

Lyan nodded, his mind working quickly to piece together the information. The fact that the Redania Empire had a strong military is something well-known since it's one of the great countries of the continent. But what intrigues him the most is the information about the tension between the empire and the surrounding countries.

(So they are not just some rumors...) (Lyan)

If Aisha that is the village chief's daughter that mentioned about the tension around the empire herself, the probability of the information being the truth is high since her village is located right at the border of the empire.

"I see. Well, talking about countries and politics is energy-draining, isn't

it? Let's just continue our tour, I guess?" Lyan that noticed Aisha's darkening complexion skillfully shift the

As they walked, Aisha couldn't help but feel drawn to Lyan. His intelligence and wit were impressive, but it was his kindness and curiosity that made her heart flutter. She found herself enjoying his company more than she had anticipated, and she wondered if he felt the same way.

Lyan, meanwhile, was focused on gathering as much information as he could. He knew that the decision to move to a new kingdom was not one to be taken lightly, and he wanted to make sure that the Redania Empire was the right choice for him. But as he spent more time with Aisha, he couldn't help but feel a connection to her. He admired her strength and her intelligence, and he found her company to be refreshing.

As they reached the end of the tour, Aisha turned to Lyan. "I hope you found the tour informative," she said.

Lyan smiled. "Very much so. You have a wealth of knowledge about this village and the Redania Empire. I feel like I've learned a lot."

Aisha blushed, pleased with the compliment. "I'm glad I could help. If you ever have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask. You're... Going to say for a little bit longer, right?" She squinted her eyes as she asked the question.

Of course, it's impossible for Lyan to not notice the hint in her expression.

"Of course. I still have lots of things I want to ask, after all,"

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"Huh? There's no one here..." Wilhelmina uttered under her breath as she checked on Lyan's room that is currently empty.

After the breakfast at the guest house, she caught the view of Lyan having a fun conversation with the female guard that greet them at the front of the village when they first arrived at the village.

At first, she searched for him since she wants to praise the food that he cooked for the others at breakfast, but she hesitated when she saw Lyan seems to be absorbed in the conversation with the female guard.

After hesitating, she decided to wait until they finished their conversation, but her friends brought her to the table and she ended up having a conversation with the villagers and the others. And when she realized and finished her conversation, Lyan is already gone.

She thought that he returned to his room to rest after making so much food for the breakfast, but after waiting for a long time, it doesn't seem that there is any sign of him leaving his room, so she went to his room to check whether he's in his room or not.

"But he's not here... I wonder where he went...?" Uttered Wilhelmina under her breath as she furrowed her eyebrows.

"Hm? What are you doing?" Tesha that coincidentally went outside the room of one of the children's former slaves asked Wilhelmina that is fidgeting in front of Lyan's room.

"Ah... Do you know where Lyan went?" Asked Wilhelmina.

"Huh? The female guard offered to give him a tour around the village in the middle of the breakfast, though. Do you need anything?" Tesha asked innocently.

"Ah... Um... Just something that I want to say to him..." Wilhelmina uttered as she scratched her neck awkwardly, noticing that it might be already too late to praise him for his cooking skills. It would be awkward for her to search for him only to praise his cooking. Won't it only make me look like I'm trying to look for his attention too desperately?

(No. What am I overthinking it for anyway? Let's just look for him. I need to maintain a good connection with him in order to achieve my goal. Yes. It's to achieve my goal) (Wilhelmina)

As Wilhelmina stepped outside the guest house to search for Lyan, Aisha, and Lyan are currently standing in front of the village chief's house as it is the last thing that Aisha hasn't shown him yet.

"I see... So this is the village chief's house..." Lyan uttered as he observed the house of the village's chief.

"My father has some business outside the village, so the house is empty right now. Come in!" (Aisha)

___________________________________________________________________________

Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore

Occupation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary

Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers

Weapon: Magic Glaive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow

Equipment: Black leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastplate, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials

Grimoire's Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1), Winter Wolf Alpha (Lv. 12)

Grimoire's Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army