The Cornflower Witch

Book 2: Chapter 133: Night in Valley City

Vol 2 Chapter 133 Night in Valley City

After staying in Scorchstone City for over half a month, Sylutia heard that the lockdown in Valley City to the north had been lifted and the situation had stabilized, so she planned to go there to visit Karen.

"Miss Tia, you can just sit in the carriage; we'll take care of everything else," a merchant with a small mustache respectfully invited Sylutia into the carriage. He was the son of the head of the 'Oak Barrel' trading guild.

Now, thanks to Sylutia, the situation in Scorchstone City had finally settled down, and the 'Oak Barrel' guild no longer had to worry about Anty soldiers arbitrarily confiscating goods or imposing lockdowns and extortion under various pretexts.

For this, everyone in the guild was extremely grateful to this young lady. Furthermore, the guild head's wife, Lady Polia, had been a good friend of Lady Franne and had known Sylutia for several years. Before Sylutia went to the Hidden Grove, Lady Polia had even given her some travel supplies and gifts as farewell presents.

With this familiar, close relationship, when Lady Polia learned that Sylutia was preparing to go to Valley City, she had her son accompany her with a merchant caravan.

"Now that Valley City's lockdown has been lifted, they'll probably be short on many supplies. It's perfect timing for us to go there to do business; we should be able to earn some income. If Miss Tia travels with us, the journey will also be much easier for her." After hearing the explanation, Sylutia agreed to go with them.

The group heading to Valley City included not only members of the Oak Barrel guild but also some Anty soldiers. These soldiers had been specifically selected by Aru from the garrison.

These soldiers were actually former members of Lord Somerlin's merchant caravan in their early years and were very skilled in business matters. They didn't much care who their boss was, as long as they could make money. With them providing cover, the caravan was less likely to encounter interception and extortion by Anty military patrols on the road.

After the goods were prepared, Sylutia sat in the carriage and followed this group as they traveled towards Valley City....

The group moved quietly through the mountains. The riders leading at the front occasionally rode back and forth, their clear bell sounds echoing through the hills.

Sitting inside the carriage, Sylutia occasionally lifted the curtain, peering through the sliver of light to observe the mountain scenery outside.

To avoid drawing attention, she was not wearing the pale yellow dress left to her by Lady Franne for this trip. Instead, she had accepted a dark green formal dress gifted by Lady Polia. This dress was low-key yet luxurious in style, with its skirt made of dark green silk sewn into beautifully pleated folds. The cuffs and collar were also adorned with intricate lace.

Paired with a silk scarf matching the collar, a golden brooch, black loafers, and snow-white ankle socks, Sylutia looked just like a young lady from some noble family.

At night, the group camped in the mountains. The carriages were arranged in a semicircle to block the night wind, and a campfire was lit in the middle as everyone began preparing dinner.

"Lady Tia." A maidservant opened the carriage door and accompanied the young lady as she stepped down. The sky was already half-dark by then.

The sunset had long since faded, leaving only a half-circle of orange-red afterglow. Sylutia gazed at the mountain scenery, then lightly stepped across the grass, intending to take a short walk.

Not far away, some members of the group were lighting firewood, some were sitting on the grass resting and chatting, and others were whistling towards the valley. The atmosphere was relaxed and casual.

Sylutia found a relatively clean rock, brushed it off, then gathered her skirts and sat down, listening to the wind that stirred her hair.

Though the mountain forest was uninhabited, the road still bore clear wagon ruts, narrating silent traces that made one feel not entirely alone.

Gradually, Sylutia's heart also grew calm. Closing her eyes, she could hear the soft rustling sound of wind brushing through leaves on the distant mountains. That sound was so gentle, even more moving than the music of instruments.

Unconsciously, the sky slowly darkened completely, and Sylutia stood up at the maidservant's reminder.

"Let's go back. Dinner should be ready by now."

With the maidservant in tow, Sylutia walked slowly towards the campfire in the night. When she appeared before the group, the firelight first illuminated her face and hair, as if everything was tinged with a faint gold. She possessed a beauty that seemed not of this world, like an elf stepping out of ancient mythology.

Of course, she was not an elf. Then her entire figure, illuminated by the firelight, became soft and real.

Sitting on a wooden stump by the campfire, Sylutia received a plate of dinner and slowly enjoyed it with everyone. After finishing, she didn't rush back to the carriage to rest but continued sitting there, watching everyone talk about all sorts of things from far and wide. There were occasional sounds of boastful laughter, arguments from teasing bets, and dancing gestures while drinking, and so on.

Even though there had been significant conflict initially, now that they were slowly getting familiar, the Anty people and the men of Regas in the group didn't seem fundamentally different.

This atmosphere of everyday life gradually blurred the boundaries between them and also reminded Sylutia of many books she had read in the past.

Much knowledge, even if known, was still not as profound or memorable as experiencing it firsthand.

...

Two days later, the group arrived beneath Valley City.

After some negotiation between the accompanying personnel and the city gate guards, the merchant caravan Sylutia was with smoothly entered the city and was even exempted from the cumbersome entry fees.

"How did they manage that?" Inside the carriage, Sylutia pulled the curtain aside slightly and asked curiously.

"Lady Tia." The small-mustached man riding alongside outside caught up.

"It's actually not difficult. Among their Anty military, as long as they give each other a bit of money, they usually don't make things too difficult for one another. It's completely different from how they treat us people of Regas."

"This time, having them come along has indeed spared us a lot of trouble."

"Please wait in the carriage for a while longer. We'll find a suitable inn to settle in, then invite you to step down."

Although Valley City's lockdown had been lifted, there were still many soldiers patrolling the streets. Moreover, with Sylutia's appearance, rashly appearing in the sight of these soldiers could easily attract unwanted attention.

"I understand. Thank you for your trouble." Sylutia nodded and then closed the curtain.

At night, the caravan finally found a suitable place to stay, settled in, and began unloading the goods.

The maidservant accompanying the caravan also opened the carriage door for Sylutia and led her to her resting place.

"Lady Tia, your room has been arranged. I just went in and tidied it up a bit. Please follow me." This maidservant originally served Lady Polia. This time, Lady Polia specifically had her follow the caravan to take care of Sylutia.

"Thank you." Sylutia nodded slightly, stepped out of the carriage, and then looked around.

This place seemed to be a large inn within the city, with ample space for parking carriages. There were several buildings ahead, one of which was brightly lit with constant noise of talking and drinking—probably the inn's dining area.

"Let's go."

The maidservant held a candle lamp and walked ahead, with Sylutia following behind. They avoided the more crowded areas and headed directly towards a well-decorated side building.

During this process, because the sky was dark, not many people in the inn paid attention. However, not far outside the inn, on a building, a figure hid in the darkness, silently observing this group and the young lady in the dark green dress going upstairs.

Only when the young lady's figure stepped into a corner beyond his line of sight did he begin to move. He left this observation point and quickly headed towards the castle on the southern side of the city.

Since General Nokton, who was suppressing the rebels, was seriously injured after being attacked by the Hundred-Eyes Sect during pursuit, the Anty elites were now under the command of 'Baron Prison Hound' Carkis.

This military merit baron was skilled at raising hounds and tracking traces. Ever since General Nokton's incident, he had been searching for the hidden members of the Hundred-Eyes Sect. Now, this special merchant caravan entering the city quickly caught his attention.

In a staff office illuminated by candle lamps, Carkis listened to his subordinate's report, nodded slightly, then looked at the clearly marked map on the table.

"Coming from Scorchstone City, huh? And such a beautiful young lady at that."

"There must be many stories here that I am not aware of, hehe." He revealed an intrigued smile.

"Make preparations. Tomorrow evening, hold a banquet at the castle, then send invitations to everyone on this list."

"What about the caravan you just mentioned, my lord? How should we handle it?"

"Of course, send them an invitation as well. Especially that young lady in the dark green dress you mentioned. I want to see for myself how much truth there is to your claim of her peerless beauty."

"If someone like that is connected to a cult, that would be truly... distressing." As he said this, Carkis's voice carried a tone of sinister severity.

"Yes, my lord."