Chapter 1 The Southern Border Territory of Van Tyna

The Herton Kingdom's southernmost border territory, the Van Tyna Domain, occupied a naturally advantageous region. It was backed by the Nox Mountains, known as the "Spine of the Guardians," which were rich in mineral and timber resources. Deep within the mountains lay ancient ruins and unknown secrets, making it a paradise for adventurers and researchers.

Because crossing the long Nox Mountains led directly into the territory of the Criti Empire to the south of the Herton Kingdom, most travelers interested in ancient ruins stayed in the Van Tyna Domain, using it as a base for their expeditions.

For merchants, the more suitable route for trade with the Criti Empire was by sea.

The Van Tyna Domain was not only bordered by mountains to the south but also by the vast "Azure Sea" to the east. The harbor bustled with merchant ships and fishing boats, and the beautiful beaches and clear waters along the coast were a popular recreation spot for the residents of the Van Tyna Domain.

Early morning in early summer in June, the main city station of the Van Tyna Domain welcomed the sunrise.

Lan Qi and Hyperion hurriedly stepped out of the train that had just arrived.

The station was an ancient building, with moss and vines covering the stone bricks in the corners, giving it a more natural feel compared to the central station of Icrete.

Lan Qi introduced his hometown to Hyperion as they walked along the road.

"That being said, the Van Tyna Domain has always been quite popular with residents from all over the Herton Kingdom, but I'm sorry, Hyperion, that the first time I bring you here, it's in such a hurry to return to the Wilford family."

Lan Qi responded to Hyperion's praise with embarrassment.

Yesterday, they hadn't even unpacked their luggage. They simply grabbed it and rushed back to Icrete Central Station, bought the fastest train, and took the mag-energy rail train to the Van Tyna Domain overnight.

Hyperion didn't mind the rush of continuous travel at all, but rather looked forward to the new journey.

"It's okay, I've been here a few times when I was little, and I've always loved it."

Hyperion said to Lan Qi with a smile,

"I miss coming here even in my dreams."

Inside the station hall, crowds surged, and passengers and their greeters chatted quietly with relaxed expressions.

The pace of life in the Van Tyna Domain was leisurely and slow, with most shops closing down by 5:00 PM.

"I see."

Lan Qi was slightly stunned, then nodded. He and Hyperion passed through the crowd and walked out of the Van Tyna Station.

Behind them, the towering clock tower echoed the morning bells in the clear morning air.

Lan Qi recalled that in the illusion of the Fallen Gentle Village, he and Hyperion, as teenagers, were indeed on a train. The scenery outside the window was somehow familiar, and it turned out to be the route from the royal capital of Icrete to the Van Tyna Domain.

"Speaking of which, could we have met when we were little?"

Hyperion stared at Lan Qi's face as she walked, muttering to herself in confusion.

After accidentally mentioning it, she also recalled that illusion.

Coming to the Van Tyna Domain with Lan Qi, reality inexplicably became like a dream.

"That depends on whether my old man and your father, Migeia, knew each other. Last time, he didn't even realize you were a duchess, and seemed to think you were just a girl from a decent family."

Lan Qi felt that Hyperion's face was too close, and politely leaned back a little, answering.

After the story of meeting Xia in the Snowfield Province of the Northern Continent, Lan Qi felt that this was not impossible, mainly depending on whether the fathers of both sides had met many years ago.

"Oh!"

Hyperion seemed to realize that she was too close to Lan Qi, or perhaps she suddenly remembered that last time at the Icrete Academy Hospital, Lan Qi's old man gloatingly said, "Duke Migeia can marry a demon wife, can Lan Qi?" which made her embarrassed and ran away.

"Meow meow meow, what are you talking about?"

The cat boss poked its head out from Lan Qi's shoulder and asked in confusion.

"That time, my old man came to the royal capital. It was after Hyperion, Frey, and I had just finished the second Shadow World Sanctuary Villain banquet. Then, as soon as we came out of the Shadow World, Hyperion and I went to the hospital to visit my old man. That night, we went to Cat Boss Restaurant to find Tata. It was also the day Hyperion started living at Cat Boss Restaurant, so it happened to be before we met you, Cat Boss."

Lan Qi explained patiently to the cat boss.

"Hyperion, why didn't you tell Tata about it?"

The cat boss turned its head again and looked at Hyperion.

It always listened to Hyperion and Tata talking about interesting things, but it didn't expect Hyperion to have such a story that she didn't mention a word about.

"..."

Hyperion turned away with a slightly flushed face.

It was all Lan Qi's old man's fault for saying such strange jokes, and she almost accidentally agreed.

The two people and one cat briefly waited outside the Van Tyna Station, and Lan Qi waved to call a mag-energy vehicle.

"Go to the north of Xinmai Square, 25 Northmar Street."

"No problem."

The driver smiled amiably, signaling the young travelers to put their luggage in the car.

Soon, Lan Qi and Hyperion were sitting in the back seat, and the car slowly started, passing through the morning streets of Van Tyna along the stone road.

Compared to Icrete, the architectural style of the city outside the window was more refreshing, the streets were filled with the golden light of the rising sun, and rows of neatly trimmed plane trees lined both sides of the stone road, with leaves swaying gently in the breeze.

The cat boss sat between Lan Qi and Hyperion, looking at them from left to right.

For some reason, Lan Qi had been a little restless since yesterday.

The cat boss suspected that Lan Qi was sick.

"Speaking of which, Lan Qi, isn't it a bit bad for me to visit so suddenly?"

Hyperion felt more and more nervous as she got closer to Lan Qi's house.

"I brought you here suddenly, don't worry. My old man also said you're welcome to come to the Van Tyna Domain to play anytime. He has a very good impression of you."

Lan Qi replied.

"Is that so."

Hyperion said softly.

Since that was the case, she wasn't so scared anymore.

Next, she must continue to leave a good impression on the Wilford family.

However, there shouldn't be any problems. She was a professional secret agent and priestess trained by the Ice Witch teacher, and it was impossible to crash at a friend's house.

The vehicle passed through the city center, known as "Xinmai Square," which was the bustling political, economic, and cultural area of the main city of the Van Tyna Domain. A statue of the Van Tyna Border Earl stood in the square, commemorating the city's founder and history.

Lan Qi's home was not far away, located on a branch of the avenue called "Guardian's Path" in the northwest corner of the city.

The street was wide and quiet, lined with tall oak trees and neat shrub hedges.

As the vehicle moved forward, the outline of the mansion gradually appeared outside the car window.

The Wilford family mansion was an elegant three-story building, with light yellow limestone on the exterior walls and dark red glazed tiles on the roof.

The oak carved above the main gate of the mansion was inlaid with the family emblem. In front of the gate, two copper vases were filled with blooming blue and white irises, exuding a faint fragrance.

"We're here, Hyperion."

"Okay."

The vehicle stopped on the street outside the mansion's courtyard gate. Lan Qi and Hyperion got out of the car, took out their luggage, and stepped onto the stone steps leading to the courtyard's main gate.

The green hedges on both sides of the stone steps were neatly trimmed, covered with dew, and shimmering with the light of the morning sun.

"Young Master Lan Qi, you're back?"

The guard outside the door was surprised when he saw Lan Qi, and immediately stepped forward to take Lan Qi and Hyperion's luggage and cat.

They hadn't seen Lan Qi for more than half a year and missed him very much.

The young master Lan Qi, who had a very bad reputation for a while, had a very good reputation again in the two months before he left home to go to school in the royal capital of Icrete, which made the servants in the mansion like this good young man who had reformed.

"I'm back for the time being, I'll leave the luggage to you."

Lan Qi greeted them and quickly led Hyperion through the garden to the main gate, pushed open the heavy oak door, and entered the mansion.

"Meow meow meow, I'm not luggage!"

The cat boss struggled in the guard's hand and jumped into the garden.

"Damn, the cat can talk?!"

The guards were stunned and shouted while looking at the little black cat running away.

The cat boss quickly caught up with Lan Qi and Hyperion and followed them into the mansion.

Inside the house, the spacious hall was bright and warm, with portraits of family ancestors and delicate wall lamps hanging on the walls. A series of light footsteps echoed on the stairs, indicating that the family had already gotten up and was ready to welcome the new day.

The door behind Lan Qi and Hyperion closed, and they entered the Wilford family. The family seemed to have just finished breakfast, and the servants were clearing the tableware.

Before the two could take a few steps, a familiar deep voice rang out not far away.

"Oh? Young Master Lan Qi?"

In the spacious living room on the first floor, Hans turned around and noticed the two. As the butler of the Wilford family, he was directing the mansion's affairs for the day.

Hans had a slim figure, his white hair neatly combed, his face etched with the marks of time and deep wrinkles, but his eyes still sparkled with intelligence and kindness.

"Hans, I'm back."

Lan Qi nodded.

Sometimes he felt that Hans was like a killer, showing a perfect smile even to people he clearly hated, but now Lan Qi was no longer afraid of Hans.

Although he didn't know why a wealthy merchant family in the Van Tyna border territory could hire such a sixth-order old butler, Lan Qi was willing to believe that Hans was one of their own.

"Young Master, you've become stronger."

Hans was surprised at first, and then his eyes became gratified.

Then, Hans's gaze turned to Hyperion standing next to Lan Qi, his eyebrows slightly raised, obviously more surprised by this guest: "Oh, is this Miss... Hyperion?"

"Uh, yes."

Hyperion was stunned, not expecting Hans to suddenly call out her name. She nodded quickly.

She could tell that this butler had a good relationship with Lan Qi.

"Mr. Noah told me about you when he came back from the royal capital last time. He always hoped that Lan Qi would invite you to play in the Van Tyna Domain one day. I didn't expect good things to happen today."

Hans maintained his dignity and etiquette, showing the demeanor of an experienced butler, explaining,

"I'll go to the study on the second floor to inform the master. I will definitely treat Miss Hyperion well during this time."

"No, no, no, there's no need to arrange accommodation for me, and you don't need to use honorifics for me."

Hyperion waved her hand straight.

She and Lan Qi still had to return to Icrete Academy to submit reports. How could she stay at Lan Qi's house? According to the old butler's meaning, they were planning to arrange for her and Lan Qi to have a good time in the Van Tyna Domain for a while.

"By the way, Hans, have we had any guests at home these past few days?"

Lan Qi interrupted their conversation and asked with a solemn expression.

Butler Hans turned to observe Lan Qi. He had rarely seen the young master with such an expression.

The last time the young master was obviously a little uneasy was when the young master found him in the living room and asked him to help deal with the pigeon that was accidentally shot back.

"There are no guests, but Miss Tata came to our house for breakfast this morning, and Francyne is now taking her around the house."

Hans paused slightly, but quickly regained his composure, his voice still steady.

In his opinion, Tata was nominally the manager of their mansion. Although she rarely came home before, she was also Lan Qi's tutor and not considered a guest.

Francyne, as Lan Qi's most familiar maid, had also met Tata several times and was the closest person to Tata in the mansion.

The only thing that was a little strange was that Miss Tata and Young Master Lan Qi both happened to come back, but they came back separately and didn't know each other's schedule.

"What!?"

Lan Qi's eyes widened suddenly.

He originally thought nothing would happen when he saw the peaceful appearance of the house, but he didn't expect the god of death to be one step ahead of him.

He didn't know where Tata was wandering now, but her goal was definitely his bedroom on the second floor!

I don't want to be Tata's top fan—!

Lan Qi was sweating profusely, as if he had returned to a nightmare, and let out a cry from his heart.

This was a kind of gravity called fate.

Calm down.

Think on the bright side.

Things weren't that bad.

The mansion still looked calm now, which meant Tata wasn't angry, and she must not have reached his bedroom on the second floor yet!

As long as he could get back to the bedroom before her, hide the painting, and replace it with a poor and pitiful old lady's portrait, everything would be fine!

He could still be saved.

"Hans, I have something to do!"

Lan Qi didn't say anything more and hurried towards the stairs, as if all the anxiety and fatigue had disappeared at this moment.

While speeding on the second floor, he saw the maid Francyne cleaning the corridor.

"Eh, Young Master Lan Qi, you're back!"

When Francyne saw Lan Qi, a happy smile immediately appeared on her face.

She was already very happy to see Tata come back, but she didn't expect Lan Qi to follow home closely.

"Yes, I'm back, talk to you later!"

Lan Qi just replied in a hurry, his voice hurried and short, without stopping.

His only goal now was his bedroom at the end of the corridor not far away!

"Sure enough, the young master likes Miss Tata the most, and is so eager to see her."

Francyne smiled and muttered to herself. Before she could say anything else, she saw Hyperion chasing after her.

Francyne immediately covered her mouth, the look in her eyes saying: Oh my god, Young Master Lan Qi actually brought two girls home!

Although Francyne was full of curiosity and shock, she still maintained her professional dignity and saluted Hyperion. She knew when to speak and when to remain silent.

On the other side, at the end of the corridor, the running Lan Qi leaned against the doorway to slow down, grabbed the handle of the bedroom door, and couldn't wait to press it down hard.

Lan Qi's heart beat faster, but he finally felt a little peace at this moment.

Wait.

Wasn't Francyne supposed to be showing Tata around the mansion?

If Tata wasn't by Francyne's side, then where was she?

Lan Qi frowned slightly. He was too rushed just now and didn't realize this problem.

The door was slightly open, revealing a gentle ray of light. Lan Qi's confusion and tension were intertwined.

When the bedroom door was completely opened, Lan Qi stood in front of the door, and the scene in front of him stunned him.

In the spacious bedroom, sunlight shone through the gauze curtains onto the floor, forming mottled shadows.

Everything in the room was neatly arranged, and it was obvious that someone had cleaned it regularly even though the owner hadn't lived there for a long time.

The most conspicuous place was a portrait on the wall. The woman in the painting was wearing a worn-out gray cloak, her eyes revealing a faint melancholy and unyielding spirit, as beautiful as a wolf in the snow.

And in front of that painting.

A gray-haired woman stood there, her face silently facing Lan Qi, her coat tailored to fit, and a silk tie neatly tied under the collar of her dress, making her look elegant and rigorous.

A gentle breeze brushed her face, causing her gray hair draped over her shoulders to flutter slightly in the wind.

The golden pupils staring at the painting faintly revealed confusion, emotion, and surprise.

At this peaceful moment, the gray-haired and golden-eyed figure seemed to blend into the surrounding environment as if her existence was the only thing in this painting.

Lan Qi stood at the door, and the action of taking half a step back disturbed Talia.

The moment Talia's golden eyes looked at Lan Qi.

Lan Qi's heart and lungs stopped.

(End of this chapter)