Pillar of Yita

In the darkness, there was complete silence, but after a while, a pale-faced young girl emerged from behind a stone pillar. Affia nervously looked at her father, her hands clasped together so tightly that her knuckles had lost their color. She bit her lip, her eyes filled with worry and fear.

Barbaltan looked at his daughter, his icy expression softening considerably.

Yet his tone remained indifferent: ”Affia, what are you doing here?”

”The guards said you weren’t here,” Affia whispered, ”I guessed you came here to see Mother, Father.”

”Looking for me, is there something you need?”

Affia lowered her head but couldn’t speak.

Ever since meeting Fang Hong, her mind seemed bewitched, unable to stop thinking about recent events. She felt a deep concern in her heart, yet didn’t know what she was worried about. In her confusion, she had come to this place.

The man before her was the King of Sand, but also her father. She was a Princess of Istania, yet was merely a not-quite-adult girl.

Barbaltan put down the wooden carving in his hand and walked over to look at his youngest daughter. He reached out his hand and briefly played with Affia’s braid, asking, ”I refuse to let you participate in the celebration, are you blaming me for it?”

”Father, Affia wouldn’t dare.”

”You simply don’t dare, that’s clearly how you feel.”

Affia raised her head, tears welling in her eyes as she looked at her father.

”Alright, don’t think too much,” Barbaltan sighed softly: ”I don’t want you to attend the celebration merely because of some worries; if you persist, I won’t refuse you. As for your sister’s matter, don’t worry too much about it. She understands what’s going on, and once this period passes, everything will be better.”

He gently stroked the back of his daughter’s head. ”I’ve already planned for Aleph to succeed as King of Sand. You sisters have always gotten along well with him, and recently, you should interact with him more. After this, perhaps he’ll be the one to take care of you—”

”Counting carefully, it’s been almost twenty years since I took the throne, time really flies.”

Affia looked at her father, a wave of fearful unease rising within her, and softly said:

”Father...”

Barbaltan merely smiled, rubbing his daughter’s hair with his hand.

”Alright, it’s damp and cold down here; go to sleep. It’s not good to stay in this place for too long.”

Affia could only watch tearfully as her father, gazing on the wooden carving on the stone coffin nearby, nodded lightly.

...

”Lady Aierna!?”

In the Artisan Association of Quistack.

Under the bright glass dome of the hall, Fang Hong looked with surprise and joy at the Lady Giant Spirit not far away, unable to help but call out.

Aierna heard someone calling her name from behind and thought it was some ’old classmates’ from the Artisan Association recognizing her, frightfully hiding to the side—her past experiences of living in the sewers were famously known among the craftsmen, becoming a well-known joke.

She rarely returned to Quistack over the years, mostly because of this reason—

However, she turned around and saw Fang Hong waving at her. The wariness in the Lady Giant Spirit’s eyes instantly turned to surprise, then to delight, ”Ade!” She couldn’t help but take large strides forward, grabbing Fang Hong’s shoulders and, in some surprise, asking: ”You’re alive—?”

Ade: ”???”

”No, phew, phew,” Aierna blushed, hurriedly correcting herself: ”I mean, are you okay?”

The Chairwoman of the Tansnier Crafting Association stayed true to her bewildered nature, Fang Hong couldn’t help but smile knowingly. Their first meeting hadn’t been pleasant, he even made the Chairwoman cry, but after clearing up the misunderstanding, he discovered the Chairwoman’s merits.

Straightforward, earnest, and sincere, in the Magic Guided Construct, she taught him many things without reservation, even contributing much to the construction of the Seven Seas Traveler.

The members of the Seven Seas Travel Group had long recognized this sincere Chairwoman—though sometimes unable to turn a corner, once accepted, she was considered quite charming. Fang Hong had long regarded the Chairwoman as a friend worthy of deep connection. Not long ago, he had returned from Bain to Quistack, unfamiliar with anyone besides the Grand Princess.

Alongside a series of mysterious events following the Blind Followers, these days had almost made him somewhat nervous.

And now, suddenly seeing a friend, his heart couldn’t help but feel much brighter.

...

In a café not far outside the Artisan Association.

Speaking of coffee, this thing is also among the imported items, one of the cultures brought by the Invoker. But the wild coffee of Eteliria, it could be considered the ancestor of Earth’s coffee crops, is simply insufficient. Now commercial cultivation is on the rise, but in a short time, there’s no finished product available. Therefore, these coffee shops mostly just carry a name; perhaps they were originally industries of the Invoker, who knows.

Nevertheless, the environment here is quite nice. In fact, Fang Hong rarely sees not-so-beautiful places in Istania—people here seem to really enjoy life.

Holding a teacup in his hands, he faced Lady Aierna’s series of questions, sometimes shaking his head, then nodding.