"Since that's the case, it's settled. Miss Li Luo, please leave the rest of the journey to me!"
Having said that, he paused for a moment as if remembering something, and Izzy couldn't help but ask.
"Now that I think about it, I forgot to ask. What is your purpose in coming to Moonrise City, Miss Li Luo?"
Luo Li smiled.
"I'm here to find someone, but there's no need to go just yet."
"Oh~"
Izzy nodded as he looked at the beautiful girl before him, who clearly appeared to be only sixteen or seventeen years old.
However, whether it was the way she spoke or handled matters, she gave off a very mature and sophisticated vibe.
Although Izzy had been exaggerating a bit earlier, he hadn't told a single lie regarding the matter of Luocheng and Moonrise City.
He truly did know Moonrise City and Luocheng like his own backyard.
Capablanca was his surname, and the name of his family.
Unfortunately, his family had completely declined over twenty years ago.
During that period, he had gradually begun to make contact with the outside world.
Being part of a fallen family allowed him to interact with the nobility above and people from all walks of life below.
His social circle was so broad that ordinary nobles couldn't even compare.
Furthermore, while Izzy might not have much strength, he certainly had a sharp eye.
The young woman before him, with every frown and smile, possessed an indescribable temperament.
One look was enough to know she wasn't just some daughter of an ordinary noble family.
It felt strange for her to appear in a place like this.
But if there was one thing Izzy trusted, it was his own judgment.
Although he didn't know her origins, he was certain she wasn't a bad person.
For him, that was more than enough.
"Shall we meet later then?"
"As you wish."
Luo Li nodded and said no more.
From the way he handled things on the fly, this Izzy clearly had a bit of cleverness.
He was also quite a smooth talker.
That trait alone was enough.
Silver-tongued people often had some influence on the streets.
As long as he was familiar with Moonrise City and Luocheng, that was all she needed.
And based on his reaction when he saved her earlier, although he was a bit eccentric and had a tendency to be a goofball, she could at least be sure his heart was in the right place.
He was familiar with Moonrise City, kind-hearted, eloquent, and likely knew people from all walks of life.
For the current Luo Li, such a person was just right.
She didn't need him to have any great skills, only a sense of kindness.
She didn't need him to put in much effort, just to help her find a place to stay in Moonrise City.
At least, that was what Luo Li was thinking for now.
The ship continued its journey, cutting through the waves, and in just half a day, it arrived.
Standing at the bow and watching the majestic city gradually come into view, Luo Li’s mood improved significantly.
'This... is all my country!'
Such a bold thought suddenly popped into her mind.
It was a bit arrogant, but it was also the truth.
The ship slowly approached the shore, and as it was about to dock, the oars stopped moving.
Many sailors, with ropes tied around their waists, jumped into the sea and swam to the shore to begin tightening the lines.
Roughly counting, there were about a hundred sailors.
They were shirtless and chanting slogans as they slowly pulled the hundred-meter giant ship toward the shore.
At this point, the massive vessel's own mobility wasn't very effective.
After all, this was a shallow area, and with many other ships nearby, they could only use manual towing to dock.
As the great ship slowly came to a halt, the ropes were secured, fixing the vessel to the pier.
Soon after, someone brought over long ladders and leaned them against the side of the ship.
Luo Li turned her head to scan the others, her brow furrowing slightly.
Izzy, who she had made an agreement with, wasn't there.
Did something happen?
Or did he simply not intend to keep his promise?
Luo Li hesitated for a moment but didn't dwell on it.
If all else failed, she would leave Moonrise City tonight, find a place to hide, and figure out a way to contact Brilliant City.
One always had to be prepared with a backup plan.
Although it was a last resort, it was a method she didn't want to use unless absolutely necessary.
After disembarking, before Luo Li could even steady her footing, a figure suddenly darted out from the side.
"Miss Li Luo, I've been waiting for you for ages. What took you so long to come down?"
Luo Li was stunned. She hadn't expected this guy to have already left the ship and be waiting for her at the bottom of the ladder.
"I..."
Luo Li wanted to explain, but Izzy waved his hand.
"Never mind that for now. Let's go. I'm in a hurry to pick something up."
As he spoke, he turned and raised his hand, and a carriage drove over from not far away.
The carriage didn't look particularly luxurious, but it was kept very clean.
The cabin wasn't large, probably only able to fit four or five people at most.
A blue silk cloth covered the top of the cabin.
The carriage approached, and the driver pulled the reins to stop it.
The driver turned his head and looked down.
At first, his gaze swept over Luo Li, and a flash of amazement burst in his eyes.
However, his gaze immediately landed on Izzy next to her.
"Izzy? What brings you here today, kid?"
At this point, the driver suddenly paused, seemingly calculating the date.
"Oh~ Right. Thinking about the date, it's about time you showed up."
It sounded a bit like a riddle, but Izzy had mentioned he was here to pick something up.
Combined with the driver's reaction, it was obvious he came here at regular intervals to collect something.
"Yeah, Pique, I'm counting on you."
As he spoke, he turned and pointed at Luo Li to introduce her.
"This is Miss Li Luo. She's here for... sightseeing."
"So it's Miss Li Luo. My apologies for the rudeness. Please, both of you, get in."
With that, he brought out a small step stool.
Luo Li didn't stand on ceremony and stepped into the carriage, with Izzy following close behind.
The carriage slowly drove away from the pier.
Meanwhile, in the distance, the blue-haired Casma stared intently at the carriage.
He gave an order to the person beside him.
"Go, keep a close eye on that woman."
"Yes, Young Master."
Without further delay, the carriage traveled for about half an hour after leaving the pier before slowly stopping by the side of the street.
Pique, the driver, looked back.
"Izzy, we're here."
Izzy pulled back the curtain, looked up at the shop in front of them, and a smile touched the corners of his mouth.
"Thanks."
"Don't mention it. Go on, don't miss your appointment. Remember to say hello to April for me later."
"Don't worry, leave it to me."
Izzy jumped off the carriage with a smile, not forgetting to turn back and take the step stool to place it by the carriage.
"Miss Li Luo, we've arrived."
Luo Li pulled back the curtain and stepped out. The afternoon sun was a bit blinding, making her instinctively raise a hand to shield her eyes.
This main street appeared very prosperous, with a sea of people flowing like a turbulent river, never stopping for a moment.
Her first impression of this unfamiliar city was that it was well-off.
The vast majority of people on the street weren't nobles or merchants, but just ordinary citizens.
However, very few of them had looks of suffering on their faces.
It seemed the Stuart family was quite skilled at managing their towns.
She turned her head back to look at the shop in front of her.
This appeared to be Izzy's destination.
A pharmacy.
That's right, it wasn't a temple or some large commercial establishment, but a medium-sized pharmacy.
"Are you a pharmacist?" Luo Li looked at Izzy in surprise.
Izzy shook his head.
"No, I'm here to buy medicine."
Buy? To travel specifically from Luocheng to Moonrise City just to buy medicine?
Luo Li looked Izzy up and down.
He had a healthy complexion and spoke with plenty of energy. Although he wasn't exactly muscular, he definitely wasn't frail either.
His eyes were bright and full of life.
No matter how she looked at him, he didn't seem like he was sick.
As if sensing Luo Li’s confusion, Izzy scratched the back of his head, looking a bit embarrassed.
"Don't misunderstand. I'm not buying medicine for myself, but for a relative."
"A relative? Your father?"
"No, my sister."
Izzy smiled, and the moment he mentioned his sister, a look of pity and doting affection appeared in his eyes.
"If you're buying medicine, why didn't she come herself?" Luo Li asked with some surprise as she stepped down from the carriage.
Izzy frowned, looking a bit troubled.
Seeing this, Luo Li didn't intend to press him.
"If it's inconvenient, you don't have to say."
"It's not really inconvenient. To be honest, my sister has been bedridden for nearly five years."
That was certainly... more than just inconvenient.
Luo Li looked at Izzy in shock. He fell silent for a moment before shaking his head with a bitter smile.
"It's nothing, really. Something happened five years ago. April was in a carriage accident. She was hit, and then..."
And then she was paralyzed?
"Didn't you find a priest to look at her?"
Izzy shook his head and turned toward the pharmacy.
"I did, but it was useless. The priest said her spine was fractured and could no longer regenerate."
That didn't seem right.
Normally, such physical injuries could actually be treated, especially in a world with priests.
Light elements could stimulate the body to heal itself. Why couldn't she recover?
How strange.
But that wasn't the point.
"Then you came here this time..."
"I'm here to buy some specially made medicine. Even though I know it might be useless, one has to keep a glimmer of hope, right?"
Izzy said with a smile as he entered the pharmacy.
But Luo Li could see a hint of bitterness in his eyes.
This man was truly decent.
If nothing else, at least he didn't distance himself from his family in their time of need.
"Auntie Bella, I'm here."
As he spoke, the door to the pharmacy was pushed open.
The moment it opened, the first thing that came into view was a pair of fox ears.
And then, a pair of staggering, terrifyingly full breasts that seemed ready to burst forth.
Holy... that's got to be at least an E-cup!
The moment Luo Li saw the woman, she couldn't help but fixate on that area.
When she looked up again, what appeared was a fox-like face.
A member of the fox-tribe, and a pure beastman at that, not a half-beast.
"Oh, isn't it little brother Izzy? Punctual as always. You're here for the medicine, I assume?"
"Yeah, Auntie Bella. Long time no see. How have you been lately?"
Izzy wasn't shy at all. They likely hadn't seen each other in a while, but he didn't seem distant in the slightest.
He stepped forward to greet her warmly.
Izzy walked up to the counter with an amazed expression.
"Wow~ It's only been three months, but Auntie Bella looks even younger. It seems I shouldn't call you Auntie anymore, but Sister!"
Bella was delighted by his words, her laughter causing her figure to sway.
"You little rascal, always so sweet-tongued. But no matter how much you praise me, I can't give you a discount~"
"Eh? Don't be so stingy. Give me a bit of a break."
"One hundred and fifty silver coins, not a penny less. This is already at cost. Any lower and I won't even be able to afford a meal."
"Alright, alright, the usual price then."
As he spoke, Izzy pulled a bag from his pocket and counted out the gold and silver coins, placing them on the table.
As they spoke, Luo Li gradually understood their relationship.
In reality, there wasn't any particularly deep friendship between them.
They had simply become familiar with each other over time through their transactions.
Bella reached down and brought out a velvet bag.
"Everything is here. Take care of it, and don't lose it."
"Don't worry. I'd lose my own life before I'd lose this bag."
Izzy said with a grin. He turned, hung the bag from his waist, and walked over to Luo Li.
"Miss Li Luo, I can be your full-time guide now. However..."
As he spoke, he leaned in with a smile, rubbing his thumb and index finger together.
He had a look that said, 'You know how it is.'
"Don't worry, you'll get your share."
"Haha! Great! Then you can just watch me work!"
Izzy turned around excitedly, ready to lead the way.
"What would you like to see? Shall we look at the central fountain, or head to the South Gate to see the zoo? Or perhaps a big feast at the East Gate pier, or go see a show in the East Gate?"
"None of those. Find me a place to stay first."
Luo Li said calmly, her gaze sweeping toward a nearby street corner.
She could faintly sense a figure flashing by at the edge of the corner.
Of course, this was a busy street, and it seemed to be a bustling commercial district.
With people coming and going, there was naturally no shortage of crowds.
But that figure was clearly avoiding her.
Luo Li, who was already on high alert, knew she was being followed.
As expected, it was likely that Casma.
"A place to stay?"
Izzy rubbed his chin and thought for a moment.
"Then let's go to the central square first. The hotels there are quite luxurious. I think they would suit your status well."
As he spoke, he looked Luo Li up and down again.
Even though they had been together for a while, a flash of amazement still appeared in his eyes when he looked closely.
"Not that kind of place. I need you to find me somewhere relatively hidden, somewhere outsiders won't know about."
Upon hearing this, Izzy’s expression froze for a second before he suddenly burst out laughing.
"Haha~ I understand! It seems Miss Li Luo wants to have a fancy meal first? Leave it to me. We're going to Haitian Mansion!"
With that, he hailed a carriage.
The city covered an area even larger than Brilliant City. With a simple wave, a carriage stopped by the roadside.
Luo Li’s brow furrowed, but she didn't linger and followed him inside.
Izzy’s sudden laughter was clearly intentional, meant to let others know their destination.
This Izzy indeed had a bit of cleverness and wit.
He said that on purpose to lure the others away.
He had noticed something.
Or rather, Luo Li’s words had made him realize the situation.
As soon as Luo Li stepped into the carriage, Izzy’s voice followed immediately into her ears.
"Miss Li Luo, you've run into some trouble, haven't you?"
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