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The Hero and the Countdown
There were seven days till the royal family’s memorial tour.
Seven days from now, the festivities for the memorial of the Disaster of the Three Hundred will have begun.
As the second biggest city in Duopunuowa, Svalundine would definitely be a stop for the royal tour. Moreover, there wouldn’t be just one royal. From the bloodline of Sheng Qiao Yi’s royal family, there would be a prince, two princelings[1], and two or three princesses.
So there was a chance that I will meet Ailee.
Actually, I knew without it being said, that the chances were very low.
There were twelve countries in the world, with over a hundred important cities. The chances of Ailee going to a certain city in a certain country was miniscule.
Six days from now, they will announce the list of people and where they are going.
Even if I found out that Ailee wasn’t coming here, the most I could do was rush to where Ailee would be staying overnight. If it’s too far, then I could only miss my chance.
The system was rooted in history. There was an important distinction in the royal family. The ones with the thickest bloodline, the direct relations to the royal family, would often receive a higher standard of reception. Distant relatives to the royal family would be neglected.
Because the distant relations of the royal family brought their protest to the center of Twelve Cities, the direct royal family could not sit around and do nothing.
Otherwise, the royal family of Sheng Qiao Yi’s reputation would have taken a hit.
Thus, Sheng Qiao Yi adopted the practice of not announcing the names of the people on tour.
Since the powerful princelings and princes could go to anywhere for their tour, every city did their utmost to prepare. Even if they discovered that that the only person who came was the most unremarkable distant relative in the end, they could do nothing but swallow down their complaints.
At this time, I was sightseeing wantonly amidst the red lanterns and green wine. [2] Svalundine was very rich. The commemorative activities here were really impressive. It had somewhat surpassed the level of a commemorative activity and was closer to a kind of sacrificial ceremony. Everywhere, open-air drinking areas served golden beer as people knockedtheir cups against the table. Guangdong guangdong.
Savlundine’s subsidiary city, Arsailles, was known for it’s beer. The beer was golden in luster, and it’s taste was pure. It was sold everywhere in the country, and it was even an export to surrounding countries. The people of Svalundine, which was near Arsailles, were heavy drinkers. There were bars everywhere.
The noisy night, the clamorous night.
I strolled slowly along the street, along with Mademoiselle Phantom who could not be seen.
Since Zhai He had gone, Mademoiselle Phantom was the heart of the group. From pacifying her companions’ moods, to mediating between contradictions, and even controlling all the purchases and shipments, she had undertaken it all. During negotiation, she would attach herself to Carolina.
Although Zhai He wasn’t here to lend his strength, she managed to keep the group from falling apart.
Of course, Zhai He did this with ease, but Mademoiselle Phantom was exhausted.
Occasionally she would say things like “I’m so tired,” and “My bones are exhausted.” These complaints that didn’t have much meaning for a ghost.
I had never believed that saving Scampelier at that moment was the right thing to do.
At that time, I had merely “come to a realization.”
There was nothing right about me. The people that had sacrificed themselves was for my own justice, for my mere satisfaction.
Every time I see Elan carefully hide her eyes red from tears, I feel the guilt. They hoped for me to continue living while still waiting for Zhai He. They even more vigilantly hid their feelings and showed their smiles to me every day.
I should not live.
From birth, I was a disaster. From birth, I was a danger. From birth, I brought ruin.
If I had no blood or tears from birth, from birth I was just a wild wind that swept everything away.
But, I would only feel sad for myself.
Every person of the three hundred expedition regiment members that died could have killed a thousand demons a year.
Up until now, Scampelier had killed twelve thousand. This number will only grow bigger.
Because the First Division of the Expedition Regiment crumbled on the Disaster of the Three Hundred, the territory of man shrunk and countless towns and cities descended into ruins.
No one should have to pay that kind of price.
So what I did was purely sin.
——I pierce through the crowds. The whole city next to me like a paper cut-out.
——In the dark night, I raise my head, hoping for dawn. Every moment I crawl through the mortal world, I hope for peace.
——I pay homage to the splendid Venus in the night sky. Someone hears the bow string snap.
——If I come from the still breeze and quiet waves tomorrow, I will send my feelings in this world.
——The voice is so soft.
I muttered the love letter I had written to Ailee and turned into a weapon shop in the city.
1. Here, technically both are princes. The first is like the brother of the king, and the princeling is the son of the king. There is no good English equivalent.
2. Festivity, debauchery.
