As Ashes had said, Zauer Silvermoon was exceptionally delighted by her arrival. The enthusiastic embrace after they met made Luo Jia unsure where to put her hands. Logically, embracing was the way a clan leader greeted another. Although Silvermoon was a year or two younger than her, in terms of status, she should have performed the chest-holding salute to the head of the clan.

And during the subsequent conversation, the other party didn't act superior at all. Especially when she frankly stated her intention to go to Neverwinter City with them, Silvermoon treated her like a sister. She even let Luo Jia call her Echo and enthusiastically introduced the living conditions of the witches there.

However, Luo Jia didn't take it all at face value. After all, what Echo said was a bit exaggerated. Even if Graycastle was rich and abundant in resources, it shouldn't be enough to fill everyone's stomach. If that were the case, with inexhaustible grain and witches to drive away disease and plague, wouldn't it be like the kingdom of the gods?

Although she had never left the desert, she had heard many stories about the northern kingdom. Like Iron Sand City, only a small number of people in high positions could live a life of extravagance. And Echo should be one of them. She didn't think she could be favored by the Great Chieftain like Princess Aosha. Not inheriting the title of goddess of the Blazing Flame Clan clearly didn't make her as valuable as Echo.

But Luo Jia didn't care about these things.

As long as there were stronger enemies there, she could keep fighting.

However, when it came to the Blazing Flame Clan's intention to move to Clearwater Port as a whole, the reactions of the others weren't as pleasantly surprised as Luo Jia had expected. Especially Iron Axe, the "loyal dog of Aosha" who was standing aside, even frowned slightly. Only Echo showed a happy smile, "Really? That's great! In that case, Clearwater Port will soon be able to restore its former prosperity, and His Majesty's goal will be achieved sooner!"

"Ahem... Lady Echo," Iron Axe gave her a look, "This is just their intention, it may not come true."

"You're right, I'm too impatient," Echo smiled a little embarrassedly.

Luo Jia immediately understood the problem. As the former head of the clan, the Blazing Flame Clan, together with its vassals, had more than five thousand people, which was more than the number of sand people who had arrived at Clearwater Port. It was obviously easier to drive the small clans, who were full of competition and rivalry, than to manage a prestigious large clan. They probably didn't expect that the tribes living in Iron Sand City would make a decision so quickly. Logically, the six major clans, who didn't have to worry about the oasis drying up, would never leave their territory easily until the last moment, and would never even join the Great Chieftain.

But she didn't continue to talk about this matter. While the Blazing Flame Clan could bring them greater influence, it would naturally change the balance of power in this area. If the Aosha Clan—or the King of Graycastle—didn't have the ability to control it, it wouldn't be bad for her father to become the main player.

After all, she was still the Third Princess of the Blazing Flame Clan.

...

In the following days, Luo Jia would stroll along Clearwater Bay whenever she had nothing to do. Now that she had met Ashes, she wasn't in a hurry to go to Neverwinter City. During this time, she planned to carefully investigate this evergreen land where the Blazing Flame Clan would settle in the future.

Luo Jia quickly discovered that the speed at which the people of Graycastle built houses was beyond her imagination. On the edge of the river bend, they built a row of hemispherical kilns, using a mixture of river sand and mud to bake batches of bricks every day. The fuel wasn't cut wood, but gray-black stones transported by ships from the northwest. It only needed to be filled into the furnace once and could burn all day, which was better than charcoal.

This was also the work that the sand people participated in the most, and most of them were women and the elderly. They seemed to be divided into several groups, and a manager would press a mark on their arm for every load of mud they dug up or every frame of black stone they moved. According to her observations, the amount of food distributed each day was determined by these marks.

As for the construction part, it was rare to see the sand people. The people of Graycastle almost took care of everything. They mixed another gray powder with water to form a paste and stacked the bricks layer by layer. Every house was built in the same size and in the same way, and new changes could be seen almost every day.

Another thing that surprised her was the different attitudes of the sand people and the people of Graycastle towards her.

Since leaving Iron Sand City, Luo Jia had no longer concealed her furry ears and tail. When she met the eyes of the Mo Jin sand people, most people would avoid her gaze and show a look of rejection, even though they had the same skin color. She wasn't unfamiliar with this reaction and had been mentally prepared for it.

But the people of Graycastle didn't show any signs of surprise or disgust. Some of the bolder ones would even take the initiative to greet her, as if they were used to this semi-beast body.

Confused, she asked Ashes about the doubts in her heart.

"Ah... you're talking about this? Isn't it very common for witches?" The latter spread her hands and said, "Not to mention half-human and half-beast, there are even those who are completely transformed into beasts. Like a guy named Maisie, the appearance after her transformation is much more terrifying than you. But after serving as a rescue envoy several times, everyone got used to it. Even if the appearance is not good-looking, they won't reject you because of it."

Uh... is that so? Luo Jia shook her ears. In other words, the so-called determination to no longer avoid her flaws and face her true self was actually unnecessary?

"By the way," she suddenly thought of another question, "Are you the strongest witch in Neverwinter City?"

"This question..." Maybe it was an illusion, but she suddenly felt that Ashes' expression had become much more serious. "It depends on two situations. One is with God's Punishment Stones, and the other is without."

"You can't use your abilities with God's Stone, right?"

"That's right. Because if you don't wear God's Stone, there are a few people in the Witch Union who can't be defeated at all."

"Even you can't?" Luo Jia was a little surprised.

"It would be okay before evolution," Ashes nodded, "Their abilities after evolution can no longer be explained by common sense, nor can they be resisted by speed and strength—for example, Leaf, when fighting in the territory controlled by the Heart of the Forest, she is almost like a god. Even if you hold God's Punishment Stone, it is difficult to escape from the jungle traps. In short, if you really compete, she is definitely the witch I least want to face."

The wolf girl listened with excitement, "What else?"

"Although Anna is not good at fighting, her ability is impeccable, belonging to the type that is helpless without God's Stone—of course, only in a head-on duel. But she is one of the most important witches in Neverwinter City, and Roland's darling, so she will definitely not fight you." Ashes counted her fingers and said, "Nightingale is also one. If you often look for people to try, it will definitely attract her attention. But that guy is petty and her abilities are strange, so it's best not to fight her."

Luo Jia shook her tail and wrote down the names one by one in her heart, "Then... what about Maisie you mentioned just now? Is her ability also to turn into a giant beast?"

"If you really compete, she is an evenly matched opponent with you, but I advise you not to do so," Ashes didn't know what she was thinking of, and a strange smile appeared on her face, "Because anyone who has tried with her has ended up unlucky. And if you accidentally hurt her, then you have to face the wrath of the entire Witch Union."