Chapter 65

Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW

Chapter 65: Old Friend

“Ge Wei, what’s wrong?” Shandela looked at her.

“Hmm…” Ge Wei’s eyes narrowed as she scanned their surroundings, her senses on high alert. “I think I just sensed an inexplicably powerful presence,” she murmured, her gaze sweeping over the street. “But now… it’s gone.”

“Powerful? Shandela’s brow furrowed slightly. “How strong? Stronger than even you and me?”

Ge Wei gave Shandela a serious glance. “As a great master warrior, you’re naturally formidable. However, the strength I’m referring to… cannot be measured by conventional ranks.”

Shandela tilted her head, curiosity piqued. “How would you assess it then?” Her tone was dismissive, almost challenging. The title of ‘great master’ was something anyone could rightfully boast about—it wasn’t self-proclaimed; one had to gain unanimous recognition from predecessors and pass a series of stringent trials before being conferred this status. She always believed that the less defined the criteria for such accolades, the less credible they were.

Ge Wei shook her head, , a shadow of uncertainty crossing her face. “I might have been mistaken. A presence like that… shouldn’t appear on the streets of Glorious Fortress.”

Shandela sighed inwardly. Perhaps all priests shared this common trait… being rather eccentric. She decided to steer the conversation back to their immediate task. “Once we enter, wait for me in the main hall and under no circumstances cause any trouble. The person I’m meeting is of great importance, and the encounter must not be disturbed.”

“I understand, Commander,” Ge Wei replies while yawning. “I just worry about potential harm from those heretics to you.”

Despite Ge Wei’s words, Shandela could sense the lack of genuine concern in her tone. If anything, Ge Wei seemed to relish the thought of heretics attacking them—it would save them the trouble of hunting them down.

Without another word, Shandela turned and entered the hotel, her mind already on the meeting ahead.

On the other side, Chaoyang watched until the two figures disappeared through the entrance before slowly emerging from his shadows. His mind was racing.

“Is there anything unusual on my face?” he asked, his voice low.

“No, you look quite normal.” Luo Di confirmed after giving him another few glances. “How long do you plan to keep holding onto me?”

Chaoyang blinked, realizing he was still clutching her hand. “Uh… it was an emergency situation just now,” he said hastily, releasing her. “You don’t think I wanted to grab you, do you?!”

“What, do you feel like being watched?” Luo Di asked, rotating her wrist, revealing two red marks possibly from Chaoyang’s tight grip earlier.

“I doubt it.” Chaoyang muttered, frowning. Despite being in his true form at the moment, he was still using Wish Power to disguise his appearance. Currently, both his height and facial features were significantly different from those of “Detective”. So why would she sense something under these circumstances? He momentarily found himself puzzled.

And then there was the other person—the one with the lip piercings and numerous metal studs in their ears. Who were they? The massive cross they carried on their back had given Chaoyang a subtle sense of threat.

“Let’s go.” he said, shaking off his unease.

“You’re not going to meet up with that woman? She seemed ro like you quite a bit.” Luo Di teased, a playful glint in her eyes.

Chaoyang shot her a look. “Just because someone is interested doesn’t mean I have to meet them, right? What kind of logic is this… “I’m afraid if I go, I might not return.”

“Not returning – does that mean staying all night?” Luo Di’s smirk was impossible to miss.

This girl… Chaoyang sighed, giving her a withering look. “Stay out of adults’ affairs and focus on your food.”

***

Shandela ascended to the third floor and entered the exclusive reception room accessible only by invitation. As the attendant opened the door, a familiar figure approached her with open arms.

“It’s been too long, Shandela…” Elise’s voice was filled with genuine affection. “Or should I now address you as Commander?”

Shandela couldn’t help but smile as she embraced her old friend tightly. “Oh, stop teasing, Miss Yi,” she replied, her tone light but heartfelt. “You’ve grown even taller since we last met.”
Seeing Elise now, Shandela couldn’t help but marvel; the young woman seemed to evolve with every encounter, each time leaving a different impression.

The first time they met, Shandela had dismissed Elise as just another pampered, privileged girl.

The second time, Shandela saw a reflection of her own fierce determination in Elise—a relentless spirit who wouldn’t back down.

But today, Elise stood before her embodying the ideal of noble grace: dignified, intelligent, poised, and undeniably beautiful.

“How is your father…?” Shandela asked cautiously, her voice softening as she ventured into sensitive territory. “How has he been?”

Elise’s smile faltered, just slightly, but it was enough for Shandela to notice. “He’s the same as always, talking endlessly about honor and duty. He doesn’t seem to realize the world has moved on. Every other family is fiercely seizing opportunities around them, yet he takes his sweet time, which can be quite frustrating to watch.”

“Uh… is that really how the general behaves?” Shandela was taken aback. In her memories, General Fales Ben was a man driven by ambition; otherwise, he wouldn’t have achieved breakthrough at age fifty to become a great master warrior. He was also relentless—during the peak of heretic activity, he led military campaigns to suppress rebellions and purge remnants, personally executing over a hundred individuals each day, earning him the nickname “Butcher of Bricken.”

However, as his daughter, Elise Ben would undoubtedly understand her father better than Shandela, who had only ever been a student under his tutelage.

Having been away from the old continent for so long, Shandela could only piece together its current state through fragmented reports in transoceanic newspapers.

“Yes, Elise continued, her voice tinged with frustration. “All he cares about these days is attending the military academy. He says it’s to nurture promising talents for the kingdom, but the problem is, once those talents mature, they may not share his ideals. Other families also infiltrate their people into the academy!”

At this point, Elise suddenly looked directly into Shandela’s eyes, the intensity of her gaze causing a shiver to run down Shandela’s spine.

“No matter what happens in the future, you will stand by the general’s side, by our family’s side, correct?”

The quiet desperation in Elise’s eyes unsettled Shandela. What exactly was happening on the old continent? The confident young lady she had once known now seemed to harbor a deep, unspoken anxiety.

Shandela squeezed Elise’s hand reassuringly. “There’s no need for doubt. The general made me who I am today; wherever I may be, I will always support him. And you… my dear Miss Yi, I’ll always be here for you too.”

“Thank you,” Elise said, her smile returning, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I knew I could count on you.”

Was that flicker of vulnerability just a figment of Shandela’s imagination? Unable to suppress her concern, she asked, “Have you encountered some trouble?”

Elise dismissed it with, “Not at all. Father is one of the Three Seats; if he can’t handle an issue, neither could anyone else.”

“If you say so…” Shandela let it drop, though the uneasy feeling lingered.”Then why did you suddenly come all the way to Glorious Fortress? Surely it wasn’t just to see me?”

“Can’t I visit just for you?” Elise feigning innocence before adding with a sigh, “Sadly, I can’t stay long. I have to board a ship to New O City tomorrow.

New O City… another coastal city on the New Continent. Shandela pondered, recalling that most defense commanders of these cities were graduates from military academies.

“How unfortunate… I had planned to introduce someone today.” Elise said, her voice tinged with disappointment as she walked over to the large window, gazing out at the city, now bathed in the soft glow of twilight. “But he likely won’t show up now.”

“Someone else?” Shandela’s curiosity was piqued as she joined Elise by the window. “Is there really someone bold enough to turn down your invitation?Who exactly is this person?”

“I’m not entirely sure,” Yi Lizi admitted with a smile. “We met by chance on the road. He’s… different from most men I’ve encountered, giving off a refreshing vibe.”

“Huh… Refreshing?” Shandela couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. What kind of description is that? The word seemed more fitting for fruit at the market than for a person, but she kept the thought to herself, refraining from voicing such criticism aloud.

“He seems to have a deep understanding of mechanics and wondrous constructs.”

“Aha, now that makes sense.” Shandela nodded. This explanation felt much more plausible. On the old continent, there were specialized organizations dedicated to studying wondrous constructs, and those who mastered this field often earned the prestigious title of ‘Great Scholar.’ “So, he’s a Great Scholar?”

“No, based on his responses, he seemed unaware of what being a Great Scholar even meant.”

“Uh… Miss Elise, could this person be a fraud?” Shandela couldn’t help but voice her . How could anyone not know about Great Scholars? It was one of the most prestigious professions, particularly for children from impoverished backgrounds seeking upward mobility. After all, operating or interacting with third-tier wondrous constructs already required significant innate talent.

“It’s possible, but if he is, he’s certainly no ordinary fraudster,” Elise said, a hint of regret in her voice. “That’s why I wanted to invite him here, so you too could assess him. If he is a scholar, then he might be a rare talent for Glorious Fortress. But if he is indeed misleading us… it would be convenient to apprehend him immediately and send him to prison.”

Recruitment of Editors: https://gravitytales.com/recruitment-of-editors/