City walls possessing a thick texture stood tall in whitish-gold colors. Their bodies, cast out of precious metals, gave the inhabitants of the city a great sense of psychological security.
The imperial capital of the human federation was situated in the extreme rear, and its administrative core. This was the place where human power was most centralized.
An amethyst tower that seemed to reach the heavens was a significant historical sight of this place. Apparently, it had been built in the first epoch, an era that merely existed in legends and myths. No one knew who built it, as well as the former name of the city it resided in after a switch of owners.
The demon’s all-powerful offensive had directly ended the third epoch’s civilization, confining humanity onto a small piece of land. It was this place where the first generation’s knight king, Simon, assembled his squires and counter-attacked the demons. Taking advantage of the fact that the demons were immersed in internal disorder due to an unequal distribution of spoils, he had launched a desperate counterattack and defeated them all the way to the pass. Only then was the current human federation born.
As the center of the human federation, its economy and prosperity level was naturally the highest amongst all the cities.
The entire city was a sea of prosperity; There were high-rise cement buildings, as well as all sorts of vintage-style villas and other low-storey architecture — Places only the rich or the top brass of the Temple Association could afford to live in.
Inside a small villa located in the city outskirts.
As a knight on the verge of entering his sixties, Manda had his own beliefs, as well as a certain reason behind his unwillingness to live in the central administrative zone.
To quote his own words, air quality in the central temple association and chivalric knight orders was bad. If he breathed more of it, he would easily catch a disease, so he’d rather stay in the suburbs and listen to the clear chirps of birds.
“Milord, a messenger has arrived at the door, saying that someone has sent a letter to you.” A maid bowed slightly as she spoke in a respectful manner.
Serving a knight, especially one that enjoyed a title, was the greatest honor in the eyes of the ordinary folks. Moreover, this knight was known for being generous to others without carrying the slightest air of a high official — Unlike some of the superiors in the temple with a variety of fetishes and requests.
That said, it was inappropriate for an insignificant maid like herself to comment on the private lives of high ranking superiors without permission.
“A letter? For me?” Wearing a set of casual attire, Manda slightly knitted his brows, his rough fingers continuously tapping on the armrest of his bench made from precious metal.
It should already be obvious what the meaning behind him moving his house to an area far away from the administrative center was. Even the ordinary folks were clueless as to who was living here, so how could anyone send a letter to him?
“Milord, do you want your servant to bring it over to you for a look?”
“Did you ask him who the sender was?”
“In response to Milord’s question, no I didn’t. The messenger stated that this letter was sent anonymously. The sender wasn’t willing to divulge who he was, but they had instructed that this must definitely reach your hands.”
“Throw the letter into the fireplace.” Manda closed his eyes.
Being a public figure, it wasn’t quite uncommon for him to receive harassment letters.
“Alright, milord… However, there is a cross talisman attached to the letter’s exterior. Do I need to throw that into the fireplace too?”
“…Bring the letter over and let me have a look.” Manda suddenly opened his eyes as a radiance flashed past his eyes.
“Alright, please wait a moment, Milord.” The maid did a slight bow, then walked out of the room.
It didn’t take long for the maid to come back with a letter that was stuffed to the point of bulging.
Manda received the mail packet. From its stuffed and bulging surface, he could tell that there wasn’t merely a piece of paper inside.
Manda furrowed his brows tightly upon seeing the signature showing the name of the recipient.
“You can leave.”
“As you wish.” The maid did a slight bow and closed the door as she left.
After he had dismissed the maid with a wave, Manda shifted his gaze to the letter in his hand.
After gently taking off the sun-cross affixed to the top of the letter’s seal, he tore the letter packaging open.
An irregular-shaped stone engraved with strange patterns as well as a slip of paper densely packed with handwritten words — These were the sole contents of the letter.
Manda bewilderingly fiddled with the palm-sized stone before spreading the folded letter open.
His expressions turned from one of furrowed brows to solemnness, then into astonishment. Finally, his gaze fixed onto the stone in his hands.
After hesitating for a moment, he looked at the cross talisman placed at his side. As if he had come to a resolution, he tightly pressed the inscriptions on the rune stone.
At this instance, a series of words that were unmistakably clear resounded in his ears, almost like the speaker was standing right beside him.
Following the dimming radiance of the rune stone, the voice playback stopped, leaving the crackling and rattling sound of flames the only audible sound in this house.
“Bang!” The wizened fist of Manda, whose expression had now darkened, smashed ferociously against the wooden table in front of him. After putting the runestone away, he deeply inhaled.
“Li’er.”
“What are your orders, milord?”
“I’ve to go on a long journey. Go and notify the chivalry order’s logistic branch to prepare the teleportation formation!”
“Alright, but the transportation formation will need time to charge up… May I ask where Milord is going?”
“Border Town.”
…………
After returning home, Ji Bai removed his armor and clothing before boiling some water for a proper bath. After being wrapped by the meat wall, his body was still sticky. In all honesty, it was somewhat disgusting.
Even if some ripples caused by the imperceptible vampiric influence on his personality had surfaced outwards, Ji Bai was still a man through and through. Other than the need to keep his body clean, his mysophobia wasn’t that severe.
‘Mhm… Based on the time, it has probably arrived already.’
He hoped that old age had not eroded that geezer’s fighting spirit. The only person he could contact and trust at this moment was him. Ji Bai hoped he could satisfactorily settle this incident so that he wouldn’t have to worry too much.
However, in Ji Bai’s eyes, this issue wasn’t a big one.
It wasn’t important which Tom, Dick or Harry Lan Yu was colluding with. As long as Manda delivers the material evidence to the Temple Association, Lan Yu would have a target painted on his back. Border Town was the choke point of the entire human federation, so the Sacred Martial Association would not sit idly by watching. It would speedily release a subjugation order and command every major Chivalric Order to rush towards the Border Town to pursue Lan Yu.
The matters that came after shouldn’t be his concern. Instead of worrying about that, he might as well resolve the mess before him.
Bringing a homeless orphan into the moon knight’s magical dimension without prior permission certainly was no small crime. In the eyes of the academy, expulsion would already be a good outcome for someone with an unverifiable identity who had enrolled less than two months ago. Perhaps Xiao’an, who he had brought with him, would be labeled a questionable person as well.
If he really had to leave, he would ask Lil’ Sha to take care of Ke’er.
Walking out of the bathroom, he tugged his towel and wiped the water droplets off his body before putting on a casual attire.
“Creak.” The sound of the door handle turning resounded.
A petite silhouette slipped into the house in a furtive manner.
‘Can’t see me, can’t see me, can’t see me…’
“Ke’er?”
“Wahuuu!? M-Mr. Ji Bai? You’re back? …Eeeh…” Ke’er reacted as if someone had stepped on her tail. With her ahoge standing erect and her head lowered, her eyes incessantly swiveled about, trying to avoid Ji Bai.
“What is this outfit on your body about?” Seeing the revealing maid outfit on Ke’er’s body that stood in complete contrast from her usual style, Ji Bai tilted his head.
“Wahhhu, E-Ehe~ I-I have gone out to play with Lil’ Sha today~ This outfit is what she gave me.” Explained Ke’er forcefully.
“Mhm…” Ji Bai lowered his head in slight contemplation, but eventually gave up.
‘Seems like there is no problem.’