Chapter 185 Eton Forest Inn, the Elf Seya, the Heir...
The departure time was early spring, when the weather was still chilly despite the warming trend, and we hadn't been able to take off our thick clothes yet.
His hands were freezing cold from rushing to catch the train for so long, but Lai didn't stop until lunchtime when he finally found an open space to rest.
Along the way, there were only him and Seya, plus Tata, a small magical beast, and Ryan, who had not been exposed to Seya.
The other two were definitely not reliable, but it would be too tiring for one person to keep driving, so Lai and Seya discussed that they would each drive for half a day so that everyone could get enough rest.
Lai found some stones and dry branches, skillfully built a stove on the ground and started a fire. After setting up a small iron pot, he first boiled some water.
For lunch, he planned to cook more meat broth, and then simply add noodles and vegetables to the broth for dinner.
Saiya and Tata were a bit tired after sitting in the car all morning, so they got out and stretched.
"Where are we?" Seya asked.
The horse-drawn carriage was much faster than the mule cart, so he guessed they must have traveled quite a distance.
"We've just left the territory of Rosen Town."
"Huh? You've only walked this far?"
Seya began to miss the days when he could travel by teleportation array. He could go wherever he wanted, arrive instantly, and avoid the hardships of long journeys.
There was nothing to do in the carriage. Lai drove and didn't talk much, and Tata slept all morning. With no one to talk to, he was a little bored.
The excitement of going home soon was dampened by this state of having nothing to do.
"We should be able to get onto the main road tonight. We're crossing through the woods from this side of the village, which will take a bit longer than taking the main road. But once we get to the main road, it'll be much faster because the road there is better."
Ray comforted him and put the map away. He always carried two maps with him.
One of the copies was given to him by Vivian, and it contained more details than the one provided by the town's mage association.
Vivian also asked an acquaintance who frequently frequented Eton Forest to make some annotations to help him avoid the monster's lair, for which Lai was very grateful.
The other document was the "map" that Guge had given him earlier, which was a map leading to a small elven tribe. Only after arriving there would he know how to continue his journey to the elven kingdom.
The reason was simple: shortly after leaving the Great Forest of Eton, Seya was tricked and lost everything, including the spatial ring that contained the map.
He had never been so far from home since he was a child, so he naturally didn't know the way back, only that it was near the center.
In the end, he could only pin his hopes on the various small elf tribes, who might be able to offer him some assistance.
Rye carefully kept the map in his pendant, as it was the most important thing that helped them get out of the Great Forest of Eton.
After the stew was ready, Lai first served Tata a large bowl. He and Seya each had a cold bread roll, which they ate with the stewed potatoes and meat chunks that had become soft and tender.
Every time they stopped to eat, they had to eat as much as they could, because they didn't know what they might encounter on the road ahead, and it was very likely that they wouldn't even be able to light a fire.
The two of them each ate a large bowl and were full, and Tata also ate her share of meat clean.
After a quick rest, they set off again.
Perhaps because of the war, they did not encounter a single person on the road.
The trees on both sides were just sprouting new leaves, their tender green buds giving a sense of vitality and prosperity. The gloom of the past few days dissipated upon seeing this scene.
Saiya wasn't very familiar with traveling by carriage, so the ride was quite bumpy at first, but it got much better after a while.
Lai sat in the carriage and only relaxed slightly after checking whether the magical device that could conceal traces given to him by Temuji was still open. He leaned back on the pillow to rest.
He put everything in the pendant, filling the space of more than ten square meters to the brim, leaving only daily necessities outside. This not only saved a lot of space in the carriage but also reduced the burden on the horse, allowing for a faster journey.
The seller installed a hidden compartment in the roof of the car, which can be used to store small, miscellaneous items.
Ray dismantled the two structures and combined them into a single space for Ryan to rest in, lined with soft cloth. But He seemed to prefer lying on the wooden slats that served as support.
Lian doesn't talk much and spends most of his time sleeping.
In this respect, He is quite easy to get along with (because He never initiates contact with people).
Tata slept all morning, and after lunch, she wasn't sleepy at all. She kept pestering Lai with all sorts of questions, her face beaming with excitement.
After several years, the little monster finally had the chance to return to his parents' side, and he was both excited and timid.
Apart from his weight, his appearance has hardly changed, and I'm sure they'll recognize him!
Tata was absolutely certain.
The carriage swayed and wobbled forward as Lai took a short nap in the afternoon.
As the sun began to set, they finally reached the main road and arrived at the first post station they had seen so far, which was one of the entrances to the Great Forest of Eton.
People built some houses here as a stop for travelers, and only a few people guarded the place.
There's also a food shop nearby, mainly offering various wild game from the forest, as well as some regular food, but at much higher prices.
When Lai arrived, there were hardly any people at the post station.
An elderly man doing business here said that it's not peak season for entering the forest now, so there are relatively few people. However, some teams collecting special plants and medicinal herbs set off not long ago.
After chatting for a while, Lai decided to stay there for the night. Although he and Seya would need five silver coins, the old man would help look after the horses and provide plenty of fodder. He wouldn't have to keep watch tonight and could get a good night's sleep.
The food here was a bit expensive, so Lai paid another twenty copper coins to borrow the kitchen to cook meat soup noodles for dinner.
Tomorrow's schedule is quite tight, so he wants to leave early.
They would spend a whole day crossing a mountain, and only after crossing that mountain would they truly enter the Great Forest of Eton, where it would be even more dangerous.
But danger comes with opportunity, and this great treasure has never been fully explored.
The next day, at the crack of dawn, the two set off again in the morning light.
The early spring mornings are always a bit chilly, and Lai felt much warmer wearing a thick cloak.
Fortunately, animal skin cushions were placed in the carriage seating area to keep out the cold; otherwise, sitting on cold, hard wooden boards for half a day would have been unbearable.
The swaying glass lamps illuminated the path ahead, and all around were the calls of wild birds and the howls of some unknown animal.
Ray felt like he was going to Rosen Town to sell vegetables, except that Neil wasn't there to tell him what had been happening at the academy lately.
"Ray."
Tata climbed out of the car and obediently leaned against Lai.
"Why did you come out?"
"I can't sleep, I want to keep you company."
Lei chuckled, opened his cloak, and let Tata snuggle into his arms for warmth.
Why can't you sleep?
"I just can't fall asleep."
The little monster looked listless and yawned.
Missing your mom and dad?
Tata didn't speak, but leaned against Lai's chest. After a while, Lai heard a muffled "hmm".
Will they still recognize the beasts? Will they dislike them?
Tata's tone was full of struggle and worry.
"No, Tata is the most well-behaved and cutest little monster I've ever seen."
"Really?"
"real."
"Lay has only seen a few, and he's already lying to the beasts."
Tata was a little happy, but she couldn't help but stubbornly ask back.
"No matter how many of you I've seen, you're still the cutest little monster."
"Who's the best behaved?"
"Yes, she's the most well-behaved one too."
"hey-hey."
Children's sadness and happiness always come and go quickly.
Lying in the warm blankets of the carriage, Seya smiled knowingly as he listened to Lai and Tata's conversation.
If he hadn't gone through those experiences, he would have been just as happy and carefree as Tata.
He was his father and mother's most beloved child, and also their last. The mother tree bestowed upon him exceptional talent and extraordinary looks. Whatever he desired, he could obtain it with a flick of his finger.
He should have lived like this, sheltered by his family, leading a happy and comfortable life, where being happy every day was enough.
But his recklessness and ignorance ruined everything. If he hadn't run away from home, so many painful things wouldn't have happened.
Saya curled up into a ball, trembling uncontrollably at the thought of her past experiences; the pain from her sharp teeth piercing the back of her neck felt like it had happened just yesterday.
He was not a plaything, nor anyone's canary. He didn't love him; he just wanted freedom.
"Ray."
Tata's adorable little voice came from outside again.
"Um?"
"The beast is hungry."
"Is dried meat okay?"
"Can."
The sound of the little monster chewing jerky looked delicious.
In a room of the vast manor of the Arcanis family in the royal city, a brown-haired boy is kept inside. He is said to be the young master who has just been found.
The servants kept silent, none daring to discuss the boy's origins or past. But everyone knew why he was locked up here.
Since the Duke and the young master who was the heir to the family died unexpectedly, the entire manor has been run by the Duchess of the Torland family.
However, due to the limited inheritance law, this family will soon fall into the hands of the duke's mistress's illegitimate son.
In fact, he did not have the right to inherit, but the magic he possessed was black flames that could burn everything, which meant that in terms of bloodline and inheritance, he was the most suitable successor besides the young master.
The Duchess had been fighting with this beautiful lover for decades, but she never expected to end up like this. How could she watch the ducal title and the vast fortune fall into someone else's hands?
The Duke was never a faithful husband; he had many lovers, which saddened the Duchess for a long time.
However, now she seemed to be starting to feel fortunate that the Duke was a philandering playboy. Among his many illegitimate children, she could always find a suitable heir...
After being knocked unconscious, Neil opened his eyes and found himself in this room.
He tried to escape, but always managed to be caught and brought back.
Since arriving here, he hasn't seen a single person. He's given meals every day, but no one speaks a word to him.
Neil was very confused. He didn't know why they had brought him back and why he had been locked up in this luxurious room.
He struggled, roared, and smashed all the decorations in the room, but still no one paid him any attention.
Neil is locked up here all alone. Sometimes he wonders what his brother will do when he finds out he's missing, and whether he can find him. But all he feels is helplessness and despair.
"Ta-da!"
Footsteps sounded outside the door, and with a click, the door opened.
A noblewoman in an elaborate gown and a middle-aged man appeared before Neil...
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