Chapter 234: Arrival at the Royal Capital, Imina's Arrival
2025-02-11 Author: Amnesty L
Pitter-patter!
Splash—
The carriage passed over the muddy road on a rainy day, splashing water from the small puddles. This rain had been falling for quite a while.
An ordinary carriage would have had a hard time advancing in such a heavy downpour. Fortunately, the one pulling the carriage was an Evil Spirit Hound, so this difficult terrain had no effect on it.
"My lord, what are we doing in the Royal Capital?" Enri asked with a mix of nervousness and curiosity as she watched the Royal Capital draw nearer through the rain.
"Meeting a few friends, and also taking care of the alchemy potions I've made. This isn't our final destination; we're heading further south."
Tang Zheng smiled as he answered her question.
Further south?
"Oh." Enri nodded, only half-understanding. For a girl who had never even left her village, her knowledge of this country, let alone the world, was extremely limited.
Tang Zheng chuckled at this, his gaze passing through the vines to the heavy rain outside. He sighed softly, "The temperature here is indeed warmer than at the border region."
Even though it had still been snowing from time to time in the Royal Capital's borderlands, it was now pouring rain in the capital region itself. Perhaps the border region was colder due to its proximity to the Angelicisia Mountain Range.
The Kingdom's geographical environment was indeed superior to the Empire's by more than just a small margin. Yet, despite both having histories of over two hundred years, the Empire was far stronger.
The Kingdom was showing clear signs of decline.
Thinking of this, Tang Zheng gently shook his head. It was no wonder the Slane Theocracy was preparing to support the Empire's unification. At the start of the story, they had even dispatched the Sunlight Scripture to deal with the most troublesome obstacle, the Warrior Captain Gazef.
"Speaking of which, I wonder which unit the Slane Theocracy sent to investigate the lava zone last time?"
Tang Zheng wondered silently.
Regardless of which unit it was, unless they dispatched the Black Scripture, the other five Scriptures would have suffered disastrous losses.
The Angelicisia Mountain Range was not a place that just anyone could tread upon freely.
Tang Zheng lifted his gaze to the approaching Royal Capital, and a thought stirred in his mind.
......
Skill: Unyielding Fortress (Martial Art)
Cost: None
Cooldown: None
Description: When an opponent attacks, activate this Martial Art at the right moment to nullify the attack. The effectiveness of this nullification is limited against opponents of a significantly higher level.
…
Skill: Ability Boost (Martial Art)
Cost: None
Cooldown: None
Description: Enhances physical ability, increasing Physical Attack by 30 and Agility by 30.
…
Skill: Possibility Perception (Martial Art)
Cost: None
Cooldown: None
Description: Strengthens the sixth sense, making it easier to discover an opponent's openings. Slightly increases critical hit rate and weak point perception.
…
Skill: Magic Resistance Enhancement (Martial Art)
Cost: None
Cooldown: None
Description: Increases the ability to resist magic, adding 30 points to Magic Defense.
…
[Skill Points: 75 → 71]
......
These were the skills Tang Zheng chose to master from the Martial Arts used by the Headhunter Rabbit. Aside from one defensive Martial Art, the other three were all enhancement types.
Furthermore, they all had superior, stackable versions: "Super Ability Boost," "Super Perception of Possibility," and "Super Magic Resistance Enhancement."
Rumble—
The carriage's speed gradually decreased as a city gate, not particularly tall, appeared ahead.
The Re-Estize Kingdom's Royal Capital area was vast. Unlike a fortress-type city like E-Rantel, its periphery was clustered with large residential areas for townsfolk.
Therefore, the city wall was not very high, but the dense residential districts exuded a sense of prosperity far exceeding that of the border city, along with a hint of oppression.
The tall silhouette of the Evil Spirit Hound pierced through the rainy mist and entered the sight of the soldiers guarding the city gate. After a brief moment of shock, they immediately went on alert in terror.
Due to the heavy rain, there was no one coming or going at the city gate. For ordinary soldiers who had never experienced such a thing in the heart of the Kingdom, the sudden appearance of a ferocious monster like an Evil Spirit Hound was indeed a cause for panic.
The lazy soldiers, who had been sheltering from the rain under the wide city gate, fearfully picked up their weapons. Yet not a single one moved forward to block the monster; instead, they all retreated in unison.
"What's going on?"
"It's a magical beast!"
"This is the Royal Capital, how could a magical beast rush in?"
"Look, there's a carriage behind it."
"..."
As the carriage drew closer, the soldiers finally saw clearly that the vicious magical beast was merely a monster pulling a carriage.
While everyone breathed a sigh of relief, they also grew curious, looking fearfully at the approaching carriage. Commanding a magical beast to pull a carriage was a feat not even some nobles could achieve.
No matter how you looked at it, the ferocious monster, over two meters tall, did not seem to have the docile personality suited for obediently pulling a carriage.
*Clank!*
The bone chains tensed.
The carriage came to a complete stop. The Evil Spirit Hound shook the rainwater from its head, its pair of cold, beastly eyes sweeping over the few trembling soldiers.
A green light flashed from the carriage, and the vines enveloping it slowly dissipated, revealing three figures behind it.
Enri carefully glanced at the city-guarding soldiers. Feeling a sense of fear toward these Kingdom soldiers, she subconsciously reached for the pocket at her waist and began to search through it.
"What are you doing?"
Tang Zheng looked at Enri, puzzled.
Enri replied obediently, a bewildered look on her face, "The... entry permit."
She had always remembered what Uncle Lachimon had said: an entry permit issued by the city lord and the noble lords could reduce the entrance fee.
Although it couldn't be used in other places, having this document could prove one's identity and help avoid being deliberately given trouble.
When they had passed through some large cities before, she had wanted to take it out, but the carriage had already entered before she had the chance.
And this, after all, was the Royal Capital.
In Enri's mind, the entrance fee and inspection should be much more detailed and complicated here. She didn't want to cause trouble for her lord, so she wanted to take it out in advance.
"There's no need for that kind of thing."
Exasperated, Tang Zheng extended his hand and, with a flip of his palm, a gold coin appeared. With a flick of his finger...
*Ting~*
The gold coin traced a beautiful arc through the air and landed in the hand of the foremost city guard.
Without any more wasted words, Tang Zheng took the Gold-rank adventurer plate from his waist and flashed it at the few city guards.
There was no need to speak.
The soldiers immediately cleared a path. The one tightly clutching the gold coin in his hand wore a brilliant and humble smile, respectfully reminding him in a low voice:
"My lord Adventurer, it's best not to take this monster of yours into the inner city."
"Thanks."
Hearing the reminder, Tang Zheng didn't act superior, but simply gave a gentle nod.
*Crank!*
The Evil Spirit Hound began pulling the carriage again, entering the outer area of the Royal Capital at a slower pace.
A green light flashed.
The Green Leaf Witch once again activated her magic, and the plant vines re-wrapped the carriage, blocking the rain that poured down after they left the city gate.
Beyond the city gate was a straight, wide road artificially paved with stone slabs. The carriage made no loud noises as it traveled on it.
This immediately drew a cry of surprise from Enri, who had been jostled for the entire journey.
The "Paved Street" initiative was started under the proposal of that "Golden" Princess. However, apart from the main streets of the Royal Capital and the territory of Marquis Raeven, one of the Six Great Nobles, all the other nobles opposed it.
The reason they gave was that paving streets that made travel easier would facilitate an invasion from the Empire.
"How interesting."
After instructing the Evil Spirit Hound to turn onto a main street and head inward, Tang Zheng raised a hand to lightly tap his chin and suddenly let out a soft chuckle.
Back when he was searching for Leinas, he had stayed in the Empire's Imperial Capital for a while. And although he hadn't stayed long in the Royal Capital, he had been here twice.
Tang Zheng suddenly discovered that the purpose of the many proposals made by the "Golden Princess" might not have been what he had initially thought.
Having now seen the state of both countries, his horizons broadened, Tang Zheng faintly sensed that the Golden Princess's unconventional level of thinking might be even higher than he had first anticipated.
To put it simply, the many bizarre reasons the Kingdom's nobles gave for their refusals might have, by chance, hit upon the heart of the matter.
As the carriage gradually left the main street, "lakes" of water began to gather on the ground. The road paving in the Royal Capital had clearly not taken drainage into account, especially in the residential areas on either side.
No wonder most of the surrounding buildings were two-story structures.
Water splashed under the wheels.
Soon, they stopped in front of an ordinary inn.
The Green Leaf Witch dispelled the vines surrounding the carriage, took out an umbrella, opened it, and immediately held it over Tang Zheng's head.
When the inn's owner saw Tang Zheng's party, he suppressed the fear he felt at the sight of the Evil Spirit Hound and immediately put on a beaming smile, displaying the utmost service attitude.
As usual, Tang Zheng booked three rooms and even paid an extra sum because of the Evil Spirit Hound.
A moment later.
*Click.*
The innkeeper, carrying a tray of food, carefully walked into Tang Zheng's room. The first thing he saw was the Evil Spirit Hound lying lazily in the center of the room.
His neck stiffened.
"Hoo." The innkeeper took a deep breath, slowed his steps even more, and looked respectfully at Tang Zheng, who was sitting at the wooden table looking back at him.
"My lord, the food you ordered."
"Thank you. Just put it on the table," Tang Zheng said with a smile, gesturing for the innkeeper to put it down.
The innkeeper placed the tray of food he was holding onto the wooden table, then respectfully and cautiously backed away, quickly leaving the room as if afraid the Evil Spirit Hound on the floor would attack him.
"Mm, it smells great. Xiao Hei, the food looks pretty good," Tang Zheng said, looking at the food on the table with a satisfied smile.
There was a loaf of soft white bread, freshly baked and still steaming, and two pieces of roasted meat dripping with sauce and radiating heat.
There was also a clear soup made with corn and green vegetables.
Tang Zheng speared a piece of roasted meat with his fork and tossed it behind him.
"Awoof." The Evil Spirit Hound immediately raised its head, opened its mouth, caught the piece of roasted meat, and swallowed it in one gulp.
Tang Zheng, unhurried, began to cut the delicious-tasting roasted meat, eating it with the soft white bread.
Time passed, bit by bit.
Just as Tang Zheng was about to eat his last bite of roasted meat...
*Thwump!*
Through the half-open window, a black arrow suddenly shot out from the rain, its tip glowing with a translucent luster.
It pierced through the layers of the rainy curtain, its trajectory completely unaffected as it shot straight toward Tang Zheng.
"ROAR!"
The Evil Spirit Hound instantly shot to its feet, a ferocious look in its beastly eyes, and raised its paw to swat the arrow away.
However, the arrow wasn't knocked down as expected. Instead, at the very moment the hound's paw was about to collide with the arrow, the projectile that had been flying straight suddenly curved in mid-air, bypassing the Evil Spirit Hound and shooting toward Tang Zheng behind it.
Having swiped at empty air, it was already too late for the Evil Spirit Hound to turn and block. After all, the room was not large, and the distance between the hound and Tang Zheng was very short.
Tang Zheng calmly watched the approaching arrow, lifting the fork that still held a piece of roasted meat.
*Vmmm—*
Suddenly, the arrow vibrated again.
A faint light flashed on the already close arrow, and in an instant, it transformed into two, shooting toward him simultaneously.
*Clang!*
A crisp sound of metal clashing rang out in the room.
Tang Zheng calmly held his fork, blocking one of the arrows. The other arrow passed through Tang Zheng's body and dissipated in mid-air.
It was clearly not a real arrow, but an illusion meant to confuse.
"Martial Art techniques, combined with a magic arrow. It seems your strength has improved quite a bit."
Tang Zheng's fingers, holding the fork, applied slight pressure, knocking the colliding arrow away. Only then did he proceed to put the piece of roasted meat from his fork into his mouth.
He raised his head and looked toward the window.
The previously half-open window was now fully open, and a figure wrapped in a black raincoat robe was perched on the windowsill.
One hand gripped the windowsill, the other held a bow and arrow. Even wrapped in the black raincoat robe, one could make out the figure's slender frame.
"ROAR!"
The Evil Spirit Hound bared its sharp teeth, looking viciously at the figure. Just as it was about to attack, its nose suddenly twitched.
It seemed to have caught a familiar scent.
Then, the Evil Spirit Hound curled its lip, wagged its tail, and lay back down on the floor.
*Thud!*
The black-clad figure leaped in from the window, casually tossing aside the black raincoat robe, revealing a familiar purple-haired figure.
It was Imina.
"Tsk, you disappeared for so long, I thought you were dead."
Imina tilted her slender neck, her exquisite face showing a hint of dissatisfaction as she spoke with a half-taunting tone: "This lady was getting ready to make a big score and run."
As she spoke, Imina moved her long legs and very naturally sat down opposite Tang Zheng at the wooden table, picking up the remaining soft white bread and beginning to eat.
Seeing Imina's cold and annoyed expression, Tang Zheng let out a light laugh. "A big score from Eight Fingers... that's quite a bit of money."
"But it looks like you aren't ready to leave just yet. Otherwise, you wouldn't have bought this inn."
The inn he was currently staying in was the very same one he had used during his second visit to the Royal Capital to lure out the members of Eight Fingers with Imina's help.
(end of chapter)