Chapter 11: Getting Lost Is the Designer's Fault
—Some time earlier.
Stopping at the left side of a bustling crossroad, a silver-haired girl looked around with a somewhat bewildered expression. Her delicate brows were slightly furrowed, and light flickered in her green, firefly-like eyes, as if she was trying to discern her direction.
The accumulated snow on the roads from previous days had already been cleared. Although a few snowflakes still drifted in the air, it no longer hindered movement.
Perhaps it was because the designer had a military background. In the fortress where the girl stood, all the buildings looked roughly the same, leaning towards simple geometric forms—square and upright houses with curved roofs, chimneys and windows all of identical styles...
Coupled with the roofs being covered in a uniform blanket of white snow, it only increased the difficulty of distinguishing one place from another.
"Where am I..."
Muttering softly in confusion, Ying blinked dazedly. Beside her, armored soldiers with stern expressions and hurried passersby shuttled back and forth. In the hours since the Black Tide had stopped its invasion, these people hadn't relaxed to celebrate victory but instead poured their full energy into repairing the walls and making preparations.
Although everyone knew that, with a Gold-rank powerhouse in the city, the beast horde, having lost its leader of the same rank, could never gather again to attack the city. They would even turn on each other in the Black Forest due to hunger or other reasons.
But reality was one thing, and attitude was another.
Perhaps because of her height, Ying was not conspicuous in the crowd. Although passersby would glance curiously at this petite girl with slightly wavy silver hair and a delicate appearance, they wouldn't stop for her. And the Divine Mechanism girl, lacking common sense, had no idea that there was such a thing in the world as asking for directions. So time passed, but the situation showed no sign of improvement.
This awkward scene continued until a warrior wearing a masked helmet and an old mage in a white robe appeared at the same side of the intersection, finally bringing it to an end.
After sending their severely wounded comrade into the dedicated medical room, the two fortress commanders had also treated their own injuries somewhat. However, compared to the mental backlash the white-haired mage suffered—which only required a period of quiet meditation to recover—the half-elf warrior's internal injuries were a real problem.
"Kili, if you feel your body can't hold up, there's no need to force it."
Although Feng was a mage, he also doubled as a berserker. Coupled with his age, when it came to combat experience, this mage instructor, who embodied the characteristics of the Northern lands, was no less than the half-elf warrior. He could naturally tell that his comrade's movements had become somewhat sluggish, a clear sign that his physical discomfort had worsened.
"It's fine. The injuries are healing, but it's just a bit itchy because the self-healing is too fast..."
Kili wasn't lying. As a half-elf's unique profession, [Bloodline Hunter], he could gain the abilities of certain magical beasts by painting beast-blood tattoos on his body. As a Silver Peak-rank warrior, his body could withstand three magical tattoos, whose abilities were [Thunderous Blood], [High-Speed Self-Healing], and [Eagle Eye]—all of which he had already used on the battlefield.
To divert his attention and ignore the numb, itchy sensation in his organs, Kili broke his usual habit and initiated the conversation: "Don't you think Young Master Joshua seems a bit different from before?"
"Indeed."
Nodding in agreement, Feng also seemed to share the same sentiment: "The young master used to be a gentle and cheerful person. Even after all those years of tempering in the military, his aura never became sharp. Last time he returned to the main city, I happened to be reporting to the old master..."
Joshua!
Standing alone by the roadside, the silver-haired girl, who had almost given up on figuring out her bearings, immediately flashed a gleam in her eyes upon hearing her master's name. She quickly turned her head toward the direction of the voice.
An old mage and a masked warrior... Their strength seemed greater than hers, and their auras were vastly different. The soldiers around them even gave slight salutes when they passed by. They must be important figures like fortress commanders.
"They address the master as 'young master'... Hmm, it seems they're heading to report to the master."
Trailing behind them at a distance, Ying murmured softly to herself: "This way, I should be able to find the way. Once I get a bit closer, I can sense the master's exact location on my own!"
There was some kind of inexplicable sensing ability between a Divine Mechanism and their contractor, but this sensing power worked best when both parties were at the same rank. Ever since Joshua advanced to Gold-rank, unless he actively contacted her, Ying would need to be not too far away to sense her master's location. Right now, at most, she could only sense that Joshua was in this city—nothing more.
Meanwhile, the conversation between Kili and Feng continued.
"The current young master, rather than being dignified, is more like someone to be feared."
The half-elf warrior's voice came through his helmet, somewhat muffled: "I've spent so many years on the battlefield—how could I not smell that bloodstained aura accumulated from killing who knows how many? Sharp aura? Hahaha, far more than sharp. The original sheepdog has completely grown into a wolf that devours flesh and blood."
The white-haired mage also shook his head slightly, his expression unreadable—whether it was relief or worry: "Before the old master passed away, he was always worried that the young master's temperament was too gentle. Who would have thought that after his death, the young master would become like this? Human fate is truly unpredictable."
Huh? The master was originally gentle and cheerful?
Ying, who had been eavesdropping from behind, was momentarily stunned. The memory core deep within her body began to spin rapidly, but no matter how she recalled or thought about it, this Divine Mechanism girl couldn't imagine her master showing a gentle smile... No, this description itself completely conflicted with the ingrained impression in her memory!
However, before the battle began, Ying had occasionally seen the black-haired warrior's lips curl up slightly, and a hint of excitement gleamed in his crimson eyes. Perhaps he hadn't noticed it himself, but the silver-haired girl had been following by Joshua's side the whole time and had seen it all clearly.
How could someone who naturally felt joy from battle, bloodshed, and slaughter ever be a 'gentle and cheerful' person? Don't be ridiculous. Ying shook her head, thinking that the white-haired mage was probably just old and senile.
Walking along, passing through several streets, the silver-haired girl found her sense of Joshua growing stronger. It seemed the direction was indeed correct.
Before long, she spotted the central tower standing near the Black Forest wall.
At the entrance to the central tower stood two tall knights. They were clad in gray-silver metallic armor, holding long spears and rhomboid shields adorned with patterns of a wolf baring its fangs. Their faces were hidden behind full-coverage helmets, concealing their expressions. Beside them, a black-bordered, gold-edged flag bearing the sword-wielding hand of the Radcliffe Family fluttered in the wind.
"This must be the place."
Ying finally breathed a sigh of relief. She subconsciously wiped her snow-white forehead, which bore no sweat, feeling a sense of relief.
"Miss Silver-Haired Girl behind us, why are you following us?"
Suddenly, a muffled voice rang out. The half-elf warrior turned around, his eyes behind the helmet staring directly at the relaxed girl: "Although you mean no harm, please explain the reason... Also, I don't recall ever seeing you in the fortress before. Where did you come from?"