Chapter 168: Homecoming

Chapter 168: Homecoming

TL: Etude

After assisting Captain Quik to hire a temporary navigator from the Adventurers Guild, Ladi bade farewell to the crew of the Southern and set off on her own to return to her homeland.

To save time, she rented a fast horse. After a day and night of travel, she arrived at her hometownthe independent territory of Messiah.

It was 8 A.M. when she entered the town. Despite not having rested for a day and a night, the sight of familiar buildings and streets swept away her fatigue.

However, something did raise her guarda wanted poster found by the roadside, clearly marking the identity of the wanted: a wizard. Normally, only the local lord had the authority to issue such a proclamation. Its presence on the streets indicated that the upper echelons were either in collusion with the church or had reached some compromise with it.

She tried to blend in with the ordinary pedestrians, leading her horse straight to her home.nove(l)bi(n.)com

After walking for nearly twenty minutes, she arrived at a corner of a street where a restaurant named Flying Dragon Pavilion appeared before her.

Ladi took several deep breaths to calm her excited heart and then pushed open the door to enter.

The place was lively, filled with many customers. It seemed the business was as good as ever.

However, she didnt find the person she was looking for. There was a new waitress she didnt recognize, apparently tallying up accounts behind the counter.

Had they hired a new waitress? she thought. It made sense, as the previous one had expressed a desire to resign before Ladi had left home, and several months had passed since then.

Ladi slowly approached the counter.

Is the mistress here? she asked.

Although still dressed as a man, she had removed the fake beard used for disguise and no longer tried to imitate a male voice.

The waitress looked up to see a pretty girl standing at the counter, her green hair and delicate features somewhat familiar.

Are you looking for Mistress Cierra? the waitress asked, appearing somewhat naive.

Seeing the waitresss dazed look, Ladi covered her mouth and chuckled lightly.

Im here to see her, but Im not a customer. Im her daughter.

Ah! The waitress seemed a bit flustered, quickly coming out to bow to Ladi.

So, youre Miss Ladi Im so sorry for my earlier rudeness!

Cierra eagerly asked, How did you come back this time?

I took a ship from Alda, traveled by sea to Horn Bay, landed at Asta, and then came straight home.

By sea?

Cierra was puzzled. If she remembered correctly, the distance from the northwestern bay of Ordo to Horn Bay was over two thousand nautical miles

Mom, you havent seen it. The lords shipyard has created a type of vessel that sails entirely by wind. It doesnt even need rowers; just by opening the huge sails on the masts, it can go incredibly fast. Especially in this season of strong northern winds, we were able to maintain a speed of 8 to 10 knots every day on our way south.

Cierra looked incredulous.

Thats hard to believe.

Having spent some time at sea in her youth, she knew what a speed of 8 to 10 knots meant. Oared ships could reach this speed too, but it was a short-term burst relying on the rowers strength, nearly impossible to maintain for a whole day.

As for the lord Ladi mentioned, Cierra knew she wasnt referring to the lord of Messiah, but the young count in the northwestern bay, whom her daughter had mentioned in her letters.

According to the descriptions in the letters, this lord seemed to be an inventor who had created many incredible things. Although not explicitly stated, there was a tone of admiration in her daughters words about him.

Perhaps due to confidentiality, the letters didnt detail the counts inventions, but it seemed the ship Ladi took was one of them.

There were no dangers on the way, right?

No, the journey was smooth, with no extreme weather or pirates.

And how was your time there?

Cierra asked what she most wanted to know. Although her daughter had assured her in previous letters that everything was fine, and she had now returned safely, she still needed to hear it from Ladi herself.

I had a good time there. My life was fulfilling every day. Count Grayman and my colleagues were very kind to me, so please dont worry.

Ah, they always say the northwestern territories of the Kingdom of Ordo are lands beyond civilization

Mom~ You cant jump to conclusions without seeing it yourself. It may be a bit more backward than Horn Bay or other places, but its not beyond civilization. And Count Grayman is working hard to change the situation in his territory. This time, sending ships to Horn Bay is to pave the way for future maritime trade.

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