Pillar of Yita

On the other side, Desert Knights all dressed in desert robes were much more disciplined; they looked almost identical to the Desert Knights Fang Hong had seen in Bain. It seemed the natives liked to dress this way. The knights were sipping foamy ale, discussing only the once-in-a-decade sandstorm.

Most of Istania’s barley comes from the grain-producing areas of these borderlands like Suquita. Because of thriving trade, the brewing industry wasn’t as withered as imagined.

Fang Hong listened intently for a while; there was almost no news about the Grand Princess. It seemed the royal household had buried the news well; many people didn’t even know that Princess Rupert had returned to Quistack. But the less the news, the more unsettling it was. The Grand Princess was quite popular in Istania, why would the royal family cover it up?

The Half-Person observed his expression while wiping the table, cleaning off the dust, and then asked:

”What does Mr. Ade want to know?”

”The price?”

Fang Hong withdrew his gaze and asked. He wasn’t the fledgling he used to be years ago, though anxious at heart, he had no reason to let these people make another gain.

The Half-Person rolled his eyes. ”That depends on what you want to know.”

”I want to know about Princess Rupert’s news... Um, I have a transaction pending with the royal household. I heard she had returned to Quistack; is that true?”

The Half-Person inhaled sharply at his words and cautiously looked around. Then he carefully lowered his voice: ”This matter cannot be discussed; although we do have some... inside information, it’s... too dangerous. Yes, too dangerous.”

”So?”

”Mr. Ade, you know intelligence is categorized by importance,” the Half-Person chose his words carefully, ”after all, talking recklessly can cost you your head, particularly in Istania... If not for Bishop Faris’s introduction, I might have walked away now.”

”Very important?”

”Quite important.”

”Simply put, you consider me not trustworthy enough?” Fang Hong looked at the other.

”Let’s switch positions, Mr. Ade. Would you trust a stranger you’ve only met once? Though this may be somewhat impolite, I must suspect if you are a spy for the royal household.”

Fang Hong couldn’t help but laugh. ”If I were a spy for the Royal House of Penelope, would I need to waste words with you?”

”That’s hard to say.”

”Isn’t Bishop Faris’s introduction sufficient?”

The Half-Person seemed a bit embarrassed. ”So I said, if not for Bishop Faris’s favor.”

Fang Hong was lazy to waste words with the guy, directly said, ”Name your price.” If it were half a year ago, he might have believed the man’s nonsense, but thankfully the person who brought him had warned him beforehand about what kind of people they are: Well-informed but running in the Grey Area, greed is their nature.

The Half-Person, though hesitant initially, was quite straightforward in this regard: ”One hundred thousand Lycel.”

Fang Hong didn’t think and got up to leave.

But before he stepped out, the other hurriedly called him from behind. ”Wait, Mr. Ade, we can still negotiate.”

Fang Hong turned and glanced at the guy, reached under his cloak, took out a pre-prepared pouch, and tossed it in front of him. ”That’s all I have, whether you will talk or not is up to you.”

The Half-Person raised his eyebrows, shook his head vigorously. ”That’s too little.”

Fang Hong took out another pouch.

The Half-Person’s eyes lit up but still looked at him expectantly.

Yet Fang Hong this time didn’t fall for it, unmoved, spread his hands indicating that’s all there was.

The Half-Person sighed, greedily glanced at the two pouches. But the other held back and didn’t touch them, just withdrew his gaze and lowered his voice to Fang Hong: ”So Mr. Ade, what would you like to know?”

Having paid, Fang Hong didn’t waste words, asked directly: ”First, I want to know how the Grand Princess returned to Quistack?”

The Half-Person cautiously glanced at him, replied: ”Alright, truth be told, the Princess was actually invited back to Quistack by the King.”

”Invited?”

”You could also say captured.”

”From Tansnier?”

”From Tansnier,” the Half-Person proactively answered, ”The King didn’t send many people, so saying invited isn’t really wrong. Some say the Princess returned voluntarily, as per our Istania custom, adult princesses and princes possess their own strength. If she wasn’t willing, it wouldn’t have been easy...”

”How many did she bring back?”

”A few,” The Half-Person thought: ”Definitely not many, roughly twenty. I heard there were some Chosen ones as well.”

Hearing the Chosen ones, Fang Hong’s heart skipped a beat. He felt his uneasy premonition had come true, but what puzzled him was: why did the Seven Seas Travel Group’s people go to Quistack with the Grand Princess? Could it be Hilveld and the others thought he was in this place, hence they had no choice?

Moreover, the saying the Grand Princess voluntarily came to Quistack was dubious. But he frowned, perhaps thought of another possibility. The clues he found in Bain might not be known to the Grand Princess, so if the King of Sand Barbaltan invited her back, naturally she wouldn’t have a reason to refuse.