Pillar of Yita

Rupert looked at the report in front of him, caught between laughter and tears, his slender fingers casually flipping through a few pages of parchment, ”So, in the end, they claimed it was the remnants of Seniman that attacked the shipyard and took ’our’ ship... and fired at Tansnier’s fort?”

Bright and soft sunlight was streaming through the tall stained glass windows, falling on the plaid velvet carpet. In the spacious room, beside a long table, there was a smoke-filled incense burner and a cluster of green short bamboo palms.

The two were sitting opposite each other.

Saisheer also showed a hint of a bitter smile and shook his head, ”Actually, you can’t really call it firing, Your Crown Princess, they used a crossbow cannon.”

Rupert looked at the report and read this passage aloud, ”According to eyewitnesses, the crossbow bolt fell into the Cloud Sea a few hundred meters away from the fort. In terms of casualties... there was only one young man who truly thought it was an attack by the Blind Followers, got scared, and broke his leg?”

Saisheer nodded, ”That’s right.”

”Give that frightened young man some compensation. So what do the Colin people say?”

Saisheer frowned, ”Whether they believe it or not, we have no way of distinguishing who the Blind Followers are, and Captain Ade has taken advantage of that. It’s just that moving forward, their path might not be so smooth...”

”Will the Colin people target them?” The Grand Princess—no, now Istania’s Crown Princess Rupert asked.

”The Colin People’s target is Miss Hilveld, and whether they are really the remnants of Seniman is actually irrelevant. The young king in the north and the ambitious Prime Minister will definitely hunt down Captain Ade and the others. But what I mean is, on the side of the Holy Choosers...”

Rupert fell silent, his fingers lightly tapping on the low table.

...

Lavali Ig Aimee Iben propped her chin with one hand, looking out at the changing clouds in the sky, she let out a sigh, a bit bored as she closed the thick history book.

The sky of Bain was always so monotonous and unchanging, as for those red rocky mountains, she was long bored after more than ten years. Closing the book, she suddenly grew curious about what Miss Natural Historian had told her about the north, about the green forests.

Is there really such a place, an oasis as large as the Silver Sand Sea, so where have Miss Gita and the others gone? Does she still remember me, and did that annoying captain talk badly about me behind my back?

She thought, certainly so.

Count Nulman pushed the door open, looked at the back of his daughter, and sighed with a smile, ”Lady Ainu complained to me again today, Lavali.”

The Count’s daughter turned her head to look at her father, ”Hmph, that sharp-tongued old woman, how does she compare to Miss Gita. Anyway, I don’t want to take her lessons anymore, Father.”

”But it’s hard to find a good history teacher around here.”

”Fa—ther—!”

”Alright, alright, I’ll find you another one.” Even the usually stern Earl softened, ”But I have something to tell you, Lavali, Ade and the others might be in trouble.”

Lavali was just about to say what that had to do with her, but suddenly thought of Gita being involved, and couldn’t help but stand up from her seat, ”What!?”

Count Nulman said solemnly, ”They got into trouble with the Colin people and are now being labeled with the name of Seniman remnants.”

Hearing his narration, the Count’s daughter incredulously said, ”What does that have to do with Seniman, it’s obvious they did it not to cause us trouble.”

She restlessly left her seat, pacing back and forth, looking at her father, ”Father, you have to think of something!”

Count Nulman was helpless, ”What can I do about this?”

”Father—”

Count Nulman patted his daughter’s head, ”Alright, alright, the Colin people are busy with their own troubles right now, Her Crown Princess will think of a way.”

He secretly sighed.

”What a troublesome time.”

...

Time rewinds to three days ago.

Shortly after the Seven Seas Traveler ascended into the sky, cheers started to come through the sound transmission tube. Fang Hong gently set down the Communication Crystal in his hand, looked up, and exchanged a glance with Hilveld in front of him.

The Ship’s Officer’s eyes also held a congratulatory smile. Fang Hong then looked at the maid tidying up the room, and said to her, ”Miss Xiesta, let’s put things aside for now and go out to celebrate with us?”

But Xiesta glanced at him, then turned away in silence, acting as if she didn’t hear.

Seeing this, Hilveld smiled, ”Xiesta is just like that, sometimes she doesn’t even listen to what I say.”

Xiesta paused, uncharacteristically speaking up, ”That’s because what Miss says isn’t always right, especially when it’s prioritized on Miss’s safety and comfort.”

Fang Hong blinked, surprised that the maid actually rebutted Hilveld.

Hilveld smiled playfully and gave him a wink, seemed to say: You see?

But by then, the captain’s room door had already been pushed open, letting in the fragrant air of the Sky Sea with the wind. Following that flood came Tianlan’s chattering voice, ”Brother Ade, what are you still doing in the captain’s room, come out and see!”

”Oh right,” the little girl said cheerfully, filled with excitement, ”Sister Hilveld, Miss Xiesta, you also come out and see!”