novelhk Chapter 183 The City of Faith, Istchi 1
Chapter 183 The City of Faith, Istchi 1
A journey of several days may seem long, but it can also be over in the blink of an eye.
It's as if I've been in this world for almost twenty years. Thinking about how long that has been, it all seems like just a turn of the head or a glance back now.
Time is such a cheap thing that everyone takes it for granted, yet when they look back, they feel extremely regretful and melancholy.
In the distance, the majestic city walls indicated that their destination was within reach—because Elena and Qin had been here before and were very familiar with the walls.
The entire city of East was firmly enclosed by such a formidable wall. No one could enter without an introduction from a non-local—and everyone who came out of East invariably became a good citizen of East, making it difficult for outsiders to glean any information about the interior from them.
Amnesia swallowed hard and walked at the front of the line.
Are you scared...? Maybe... The unknown is the greatest source of fear. But we're already here.
The group arrived at the city gate of East. The entire city wall stood so majestically, but the gate could only be passed through by a single carriage, which seemed rather unusual.
"Halt!" said the mage guarding the city gate.
Last time, Elena and Qin were turned away here, even though they weren't guarded by the same person, the same thing happened when they were blocked from the way.
“Hello... I’m Emnesia, I’m from East,” Emnesia said.
Ok……
The problem is, how do I prove that I am a citizen of East... I don't seem to have any credentials on me.
Ultimately, he couldn't be 100% certain that he was one of East's people. After all, all his information came from that old diary and his inexplicable intuition.
“Emnesia…” the mage murmured, “And who are the two behind her?”
Just as Elena was about to introduce herself and Qin, she was interrupted by the magician.
"Oh, you must be the ones escorting criminals back to their country. Thank you for your hard work," the magician said with a smile.
Huh?
Emnicia looked at the magician with an expression that was three parts confusion and seven parts utter disbelief: "Me, a criminal?"
what?
“Thank you very much. As the two heroes who brought back the criminal Emnicia, you have the right to enter our kingdom. But please abide by basic order, and all memories of Ister will be erased when you leave,” the mage said, before casting a spell to bind Emnicia.
"Guards, take the sinner Emnicia to the death row and await the judgment of the Rose Witch."
Amysia had no chance to retaliate against this sudden barrage of attacks.
Given time, she was confident she could defeat a mage of that caliber, but given the surprise attack, it was only natural that she would be captured without any magic.
Elena wanted to take a step forward to say something, but Qin stopped her with her hand.
"Qin?" Elena was slightly confused.
Qin shook her head.
Then Aminia was taken away by a group of law enforcement officers. But after a moment of surprise, she seemed to immediately understand something, and her expression relaxed from fear.
Before leaving, Emnessia glanced back at Jean and Elena, as if she were saying something.
The sound was so faint that even the law enforcement team next to Aminia couldn't hear it, but Qin heard it clearly.
"Thank you for keeping me company. Don't worry about me anymore." After saying this, she turned her head away.
After a brief incident at the city gate, Elena and Chin were rightfully allowed to enter the country.
However, Elena wasn't in a very good mood right now. She might have been a little surprised just now, but she understood Jyn's thoughts—in that situation, no matter what she said in her defense, she couldn't exonerate Emnicia.
This is an internal matter of the Kingdom of East, and as an outsider, she has no right to interfere.
And even if we take a step back, how can you be so sure that Amysia isn't a sinner? After all, she's lost all her memories; she herself doesn't even know she committed a crime.
However, out of trust in her friend, Elena naturally assumed that such a pure and kind girl could not possibly commit a crime.
But this is not enough to justify her acquittal, nor can it prove that she is not a criminal. In the end, it may even deepen the conflict between herself and the kingdom.
If they displease this kingdom, they and Jean will have no hope of entering the kingdom. At that point, they won't even have the chance to truly help Emnicia.
It's impossible for Qin to declare war on a kingdom on her own...
But understanding it is one thing, and being indignant about it is another. What's wrong with this kingdom? Elena had already lost all goodwill towards it back in the Frozen Kingdom; its magical waste directly polluted the entire river, and if it weren't for Ludra, that kingdom would have been destroyed.
If it weren't for the fact that Emnecia's destination was her hometown, Elena would have given up on the idea of traveling to East long ago.
“Two heroes, our ruler wishes to see you,” a mage rushed over and announced.
The magicians in this kingdom don't actually wear magician's robes; they wear all sorts of different outfits. It's simply because almost everyone in this kingdom possesses magic—it's unimaginable what it would be like for someone without magic to be born into this kingdom.
Later, Elena learned the answer—she found various reasons to erase her memories and expel her from the country.
……
“A witch, that’s quite rare.” A somewhat arrogant woman sat at the head of the table, surrounded by several important figures who formed the entire power structure of East.
The woman at the head of the table wore a witch's brooch that matched the one Elena wore on her chest, indicating that she was also a witch.
"Let me introduce myself, I am Emilia, the Rose Witch." Emilia introduced herself, "May I ask your name?"
“The Gray Witch, Elaina,” Elaina introduced simply. “He is my partner, Jean.”
"You're so young. When did you become a witch?" Emilia chuckled, but her arrogance was always evident on her face.
Her question sounded like a compliment, implying that the other person had become a witch at such a young age. But judging from her expression and tone, it seemed as if she was saying, "You're still young, far inferior to an older witch like me."
"Three or four years, I guess," Elena replied casually.
"So how did you and this ordinary person get together?" Emilia asked with no hesitation. She emphasized the word "ordinary person."
none of your business?
As a magician, her pride as a witch made it natural for her to discriminate against Qin, but since Qin was also a hero who escorted the sinner Emnesia back to her country, she didn't show it too obviously.
If she were to encounter an ordinary person who doesn't know magic on a normal day, she would be so arrogant that she would want to crush that ant under her foot.
Elena was about to say something.
"This morning I saw an old man eating hairy crabs. Did you know that the Lishui Lake next to the Kingdom of East is famous for its hairy crabs?" Qin said casually.
“Yes, I know,” Emilia replied with a smile, “but what does that have to do with my question?”
"He tried to pick it up with his chopsticks but found that the chopsticks were pinched by the crab instead. Can you guess why?"
"Are you telling a really original joke?"
"Because we're not familiar with each other."
You'd better not tell those lame jokes, they scare me. Elena felt a chill run down her spine.
“Regardless, you are all heroes of the kingdom. We will provide you with the best food and lodging.” Emilia was not annoyed. “Thank you for your contributions.”
"Could you tell me what crime Emnessia committed?" Elena asked.
"Hmm, why don't you just check the kingdom's records? They'll explain it in more detail than I can."