Pillar of Yita

Wealth and status cannot replace everything.

In the end, people are all the same.

”Don’t worry, things haven’t reached the worst point yet.”

”We can’t help you much, only you can persuade His Majesty the King of Sand.”

”We will only bring the opportunity to your hands, Little Princess.”

The Little Princess nodded with tears in her eyes.

She looked at Pasha not far away, and for the first time felt an emotion of apology in her heart.

The ship sailed on the Sand Sea.

The silver sand sea reflected the lights from the ship.

...

King of Sand Barbaltan watched the last ray of sunlight sink below the horizon.

And then everything in this world fell asleep in a darkness, the distant sand dunes shimmering with a cold green hue, a canopy of stars rising and descending upon the shadows of northern mountains—another shadow lay to the east, behind which was the warm Great Canyon, a place shaded by green trees.

Thus, the two mountain ranges isolated this barren land from the warmth and cold of the north, rain and snow—

Leaving for Istania people’s ancestors a land of cold gravel.

They lived here for generations, yet besides the monotony, at least they possessed peace.

A few hours earlier, the outer sentry reported that there were gatherings of sand thieves nearby, although their numbers were not large.

Perhaps those people were startled by the movement of the army—there were outlaws scattered everywhere in the desert, and over the past ten years, instead of decreasing due to purging, their numbers increased. Not only because of consecutive years of poor harvest on the most fertile southern land of Istania, but more importantly, the turmoil of that ancient kingdom in the north...

Even trade routes were beginning to be affected.

The pirates over the Sky Sea encroached closer to the continent day by day, not long ago the Blood Shark Sky Pirates even landed in Falbans and ventured inland to places like Idus.

He had to let his youngest daughter solve this matter, if not for Fang Hong, he might change his current plans to rescue his daughter.

And also the reason why he viewed the latter differently.

As for the so-called hero Fanric, it was just a saying to shut others up.

Of course.

And that matter—

At this time Nulman pushed the door open and came in from outside.

King of Sand turned around, looking at the latter, and spoke softly:

”Are you ready?”

Nulman nodded, but hesitated for a moment: ”However...”

However, a few ministers were concerned about the defense forces being sparse at the valley entrance.

The Garden of Illusions is located within a huge rocky canyon, about a thousand years ago when it fell, it shaped everything. There are four entrances to the valley, generally, each entrance needs to be manned, especially when King of Sand’s convoy enters this canyon.

But signs of sand thieves appeared to the north, the troops transferred there left the defense at the remaining directions clearly thin—this small loophole seemed insignificant during normal times, even Barbaltan himself seemed to have overlooked this point.

”Governor Chabir is worried about the incident involving the King of the Sand Thieves a few months ago...”

”They believe that for some unknown reason, the sand thieves seem to have found the location of the Garden of Illusions...”

”Then you should tell them that the location of the Garden of Illusions is ever-changing, it was merely a coincidence.”

”Your Majesty, the ministers are not children.”

”No matter, let them know my intention.”

Nulman glanced at King of Sand, nodded.

”Anything else?” Barbaltan asked again.

”Steward Camille believes troops should be drawn from the Imperial Guard to bolster the defense perimeter.”

”Tell them it’s unnecessary, the sand thieves are in the north, just drive them away—”

Finally, he added:

”Nulman, you understand why this is the case, you don’t need to wait for my instructions on everything. As long as you can appease people’s hearts, when it’s all over, they will naturally understand everything.”

Governor Bain bowed down and made a salute.

”Go,” King of Sand said: ”Today, you take me as a brother, just like when we fought side by side in Nogness against the Imperials. At that time I was not yet the King of Sand, today it’s the same, and you’re not yet Governor Bain, I see Aleph and that little fellow, it’s like seeing ourselves back in the day—”

”Your Majesty.”

”Hmm?”

Nulman paused slightly, then changed his address: ”Barbaltan.”

”Very good, Nulman.”

King of Sand adjusted his robe and walked past his close friend.

...

Few know when the Phantom Sea appeared, but perhaps ever since an ancestor of the Queen’s family came to this place, it entered Istania people’s vision for the first time. But its record in this kingdom’s history has to be pushed to a later point in history—perhaps only less than twenty years ago.

The giant canyon is made up of brown rocky cliffs, as if it was a force of incredible Strength that tore the earth apart here, and from here rose a canyon.

But beneath the giant rocks, lush vegetation grows, myriad exotic plants, Flash fruits hang down from the cliffs, fluorescence dances among the palm trees, the ground is covered with a flower sea rare even in desert oases, but this is not an oasis, because here lacks the source of all life—water.

The plants seem to sprout from between the rocks, from the sand, spontaneously growing, the areas shone by the light of green Crystal, they flourish, extending everywhere, yet never stepping outside this canyon.