South of Norvigel, a northern town named Pine Forest Town.
The North in mid-July was a few degrees cooler than the central and southern parts of the Empire; a breeze from the continuous snow-capped mountains and permafrost further north, mixed with the fresh scent of pine needles, brushed through the streets and alleys.
Freya tightened her hood, carefully pressing her overly distinct ears into her hair to hide them. She moved discreetly along the edge of the street, looking for an Echoes of Truth stronghold as agreed.
Whenever a passerby's gaze swept over her, she would instinctively hold her breath and bury her face deeper.
But after walking for a long time, Freya gradually noticed the difference here...
She had thought it would be like the heart of the Empire, where every demihuman had to endure strange looks, but as she walked, she found non-human races everywhere.
In the market, a demihuman vendor with wolf ears was counting goods. Three stout dwarves stood in front of an alchemy shop, haggling with the shopkeeper. Their huffing and puffing reminded her of Professor Duncan...
There were even several children with cat ears, from the same Staya Tribe as herself, chasing and playing by the roadside, while the passersby were already accustomed to it.
Freya had left the North when she was very young; she didn't expect the changes to be so significant upon her return.
This was likely due to the southward migration of many demihuman tribes over the past decade and the increasingly frequent interactions between races. She heard that in Norvigel, the largest city in the North which she had never visited, there were even more demihumans...
This atmosphere also allowed Freya's tense nerves to relax slightly.
She instinctively thought of Lord Ansu's instructions before her departure.
"The North will be a new start."
The breeze brushed past her hair, carrying the scent of pine needles and a breath from afar.
She looked at the bustling streets and murmured to herself.
"Lord Ansu... will everything really be alright?"
...
Half an hour later, Freya found a small restaurant in the town.
Guided by the owner, she followed the creaking wooden stairs to the third floor, where an open-air balcony bathed in sunlight came into view.
"Sister Freya! You're finally here!"
A girl's crisp and pleasant voice suddenly came. Freya looked over and saw Vera sitting at a dining table in the corner of the balcony, waving at her excitedly.
"Over here! Come quickly!"
Seeing the long-lost blonde girl, Freya couldn't help but smile as she walked quickly toward the table.
Meeting again after their parting in Benalu City, both were somewhat emotional. Vera cheerfully threw herself onto Freya, giving her a firm hug.
Freya gently stroked the girl's soft hair, her tone full of concern. "I haven't seen you for a few days, and I feel like Vera has gotten thinner. Have you not been eating well lately?"
Vera pouted. "No way! Sister Freya, you're clearly the one who's gotten much thinner. I heard you were injured in the battle that day? Have you recovered now?"
"Don't worry." Freya shook her head and said, "Clergy are best at healing; my injuries have long since healed."
"That's good..." Vera breathed a sigh of relief.
Freya's gaze moved to the other seats at the table. Besides Vera, there were also the cultist David, Ms. Danielle, and a pale but friendly-looking middle-aged man.
"Senior Danielle." Freya nodded slightly toward Danielle, offering a polite and appropriate smile.
Danielle sighed as she looked at this clearly thinner "former Holy Maiden."
"When you were under house arrest by the Church, I went to reason with those guys several times, but unfortunately, no one paid me any mind. Sigh..." She smiled self-deprecatingly. "I've retired, and I offended many people in the Church back then, so I couldn't help much. Fortunately, Ansu stepped in to help in the end. It's good that you could get away safely..."
Freya gave a grateful smile. "I heard about how you argued for me in the Church back then. Thank you so much, Senior Danielle!"
After their greetings, Freya's gaze turned to the middle-aged man beside Danielle.
When she first arrived, she had vaguely felt an uncomfortable, foul dark aura on this floor. Now standing in front of him, this feeling became even harder to ignore, causing her to frown slightly.
"Senior, this is..."
"He is my husband, Sean." Danielle's tone was both tired and helpless. "I think you've heard some things about him. With your talent for Holy Light, you must have felt this dark aura long ago..."
Everyone present knew that Danielle's husband's mental state was extremely unstable due to black magic backlash. He often fell into madness and was highly dangerous.
Over the years, Danielle had to travel everywhere for him, seeking medical advice and medicine. However, for Freya, this was the first time she had met this legendary demon hunter.
"But I can promise everyone here!" Seeing everyone staring at her husband, Danielle quickly added, "As long as I am here, Sean will never hurt anyone. I will keep a close eye on him!"
Freya nodded gently, her gaze falling on Sean again. This middle-aged man, who remained silent throughout, only returned a bitter smile.
Since Ansu had arranged for everyone to meet here, and Professor Duncan's group had not yet arrived, they waited while chatting about the battle at Maplewood Town and their various experiences along the way.
"Sister Freya..." Vera scanned the table, which was clearly missing its central figure, and quietly leaned into Freya's ear.
"Didn't Brother and the others come? I thought Brother would come with you..."
"That... I don't know either." Freya only found out after arriving that Lord Ansu didn't intend to travel with them. He only asked everyone to meet in advance in this northern town, while he and Celia would go directly to Norvigel.
She recalled the scene a few days ago in the modified mine in the Black Forest when Lord Ansu personally saw her off. He did say they would meet in Norvigel in two weeks.
"Why does it have to be two weeks later..."
Freya and Vera looked at each other, both puzzled.
If they traveled normally, no matter how slow they were, it wouldn't take that many days to reach Norvigel.
But if they used teleportation, Lord Ansu couldn't blatantly teleport directly into Norvigel. So... he must have a reason for doing this.
"Lord Ansu must have an important mission that needs to be completed urgently." Freya felt her guess was correct; after all, Lord Ansu was a man with a mission.
"Hmm... maybe." Vera's expression remained suspicious.
What exactly was her brother busy with?
While everyone was chatting, a rough voice suddenly came from the stairs.
"Yo! You're all here!"
A red-faced Professor Duncan, accompanied by his two students Eddie and Leon, walked toward them.
Rate on N.U.
