The High Priest’s consolation ultimately failed to completely resolve her inner struggle. Nelly stared blankly at the flickering shadows on the inn’s cracked wall. Though clearly meaningless shapes, her floating subconscious filled the blank space, rounding out various strange meanings – upon careful examination, they were all shadows of the past.
She drifted into sleep after wrestling with light and shadow until dawn. Four days later, with all tasks in Hargaburg completed, Nelly tentatively suggested: “We can now head to Mez to meet His Majesty the King.” Melissa’s violet eyes blinked, her eyelashes dropping to cover her gaze.
After a moment of silence, she clenched her fist: “Let’s go.”
A week later, when Nelly and Melissa’s sailboat approached the capital, the morning light was just breaking. The ship slowly parted the waves, and standing at the bow, Nelly could clearly see the outline of the continent’s heart. Melissa half-leaned on the ship’s side, unable to help but make a cryptic exclamation at the scene ahead.
This was a city entirely different from Hargaburg. If Hargaburg’s wealth and elegance were like a pearl draped in expensive gauze, Mez’s momentum was more like an unsheathed sword, with its magnificent palaces carrying an unparalleled noble air. Mez city was located at the mouth of the Frisia River, built around the Red Fortress at its highest point. From afar, layers of dense houses were like fish scales, with beautiful towers interspersed among ordinary stone houses. Flags of five colors fluttered on the rooftops, forming a dazzling sea of color.
Nelly always felt her heart lighten at the sight. Compared to Hargaburg with its unspeakable secrets and traditions, Nelly preferred Mez. This was a city confined within stone walls and high towers, yet with an extraordinarily free spirit.
Nothing was more eye-catching than the Red Fortress standing at the highest point. Borrowing the name of the legendary King Harga’s palace, the entire fortress was built with expensive and hard red granite. Countless high towers stood behind thick stone walls, with armor-clad guards patrolling the walls.
The ship slowly docked, and Melissa strode down the pier, placing one hand on her hip and taking a long breath, looking up at the dense port residences with a somewhat nostalgic expression. She quickly adjusted her expression and turned to ask Nelly: “Where should we go first?”
“To the Chancellor to announce our arrival and seek an audience with His Majesty.”
Melissa narrowed her eyes: “Alright! Destination, Red Fortress!”
After saying this, she was familiar with the route, easily avoiding the crowded port city through a seaside alley from the fish market, turning a few corners to reach near the inner city gate. Nelly was somewhat surprised, and the question escaped her lips: “Is Melissa familiar with Mez?”
Silver-haired girl was stunned, then embarrassedly scratched her hair, lowering her eyes slightly: “Well… I stayed here for a while before.”
Naily didn’t pursue further, took out the marquis’s credentials, and queued with Melissa to enter Mez’s inner city.
The outer city was mostly inhabited by the poor, and the scenery changed once past the city gate: Although not luxurious, the neat two-story residential buildings on both sides of the stone-paved street were far more pleasing to the eye than the dirty, winding alleys and shanties of the port city.
Unlike the Old Empire residents accustomed to commercial city life, Mez people still had a deep attachment to land and production. Behind the ground floor shops and upper-floor small houses, most had stables and vegetable gardens. Thus, amid the street’s clamor, one could hear livestock calls, mixed together in a somewhat comical way.
Melissa walked lightly along the street, seeing a pair of armor-gleaming cavalry galloping on the not-sparse main road, and couldn’t help but whistle: “The city guard is still so arrogant.”
Just then, a hesitant call came from a shop on the street: “Melissa?”
Melissa was shocked, her face turning slightly pale.
Naily sensed something was wrong and quickly pulled the hero to continue walking as if nothing had happened.
But the owner of that voice persistently followed, continuing to call: “Is that you? Melissa? Melissa!”
Naily clearly heard Melissa take a deep breath, then stop, turning back neatly, her hair flying in the air.
She put on a smile that seemed a bit too enthusiastic: “Oh? Is that you, Bella? Didn’t expect we’d meet again.”
The other was a girl wearing a plain-colored headscarf and a navy blue linen dress, her freckled cheeks making her already youthful features more tender, but her expression betrayed worldliness and sophistication. Bella smiled without showing teeth, not lowering her voice: “You left so suddenly, I worried for a long time! Actually, Mrs. Siven never intended to punish you, just stealing a few loaves of bread, it’s not a big deal. By the way, looks like you’re doing quite well now?”
Passersby hearing “stealing bread” exchanged knowing yet contemptuous smiles.
Melissa’s ears turned bright red, but she just chuckled foolishly without refuting.
Naily couldn’t bear it and interrupted: “It’s getting late. Let’s find your old acquaintance after we finish our business.”
Without waiting for Bella or Melissa to respond, Naily hooked Melissa’s arm and continued walking toward the city center.
Melissa remained silent, and Naily was unsettled by her unusual quietness, repeatedly stealing glances at her expression.
“Didn’t expect I could actually enter the Red Castle, never even dreamed of it before.”
I heard the kitchen is two stories tall, with hundreds of chefs working day and night preparing delicious food, wonder if it’s true,” Melissa suddenly spoke, becoming increasingly talkative, chattering to herself non-stop.
Naily didn’t know how to respond, only dryly replied: “The Grand Chancellor will definitely welcome Melissa warmly.”
“Right, after all, I’m the hero,” Melissa touched her nose and laughed foolishly, but her demeanor was unnaturally forced.
Even before the night had fully descended, the dwarf tavern was almost full. A minstrel leaned against an oak barrel, strumming his strings and singing softly. Naily and Melissa sat down in a corner, with two steaming bowls of stew quickly placed before them.
Naily nudged her gently with her elbow and said sternly, “Don’t play with your food!”
“Mm, yes, yes!” Melissa was stunned, lowering her eyelashes and glumly scooping a large spoonful of stew into her mouth, pausing before mumbling, “Delicious!”
Naily smiled at her, then turned to her own bowl, the curve of her lips gradually fading.
After dinner, Melissa lacked her usual conversational enthusiasm, staring blankly at the table’s grain for a long time.
Naily grew increasingly worried and said softly, “You must be tired from the boat journey. The inn is right across the way.”
This time, Melissa didn’t object, reaching up to rub her forehead, “Yes, I’m a bit tired.”
Settled in the inn, Melissa still seemed somewhat dazed, as if after a brief moment of heightened excitement, she no longer had the energy to even pretend to be downcast. Naily silently prepared the bedding and tugged at the hero’s sleeve, “Melissa?”
Melissa snapped out of her reverie, sitting heavily on the bed’s edge, head down, uncharacteristically hesitant. She suddenly looked up, “Perhaps it’s abrupt… but would you listen to my past?”
Naily was taken aback but instinctively nodded. She sat silently beside Melissa, comfortingly patting her shoulder.
Melissa spoke in broken syllables, taking a long time to organize her words: “I… lived in Mez for nearly two years.” She took a deep breath, her hands clenching and unclenching, “I originally came here to learn swordsmanship, but… something unexpected happened, and I had to leave my master and fend for myself.”
