In the continent of West Asia, magic and swordsmanship coexist, and various races such as elves, humans, goblins, dwarves, and orcs are scattered around the central forest.
The Central Forest, covering a quarter of the continent, is one of the most dangerous and sparsely populated areas. However, it contains various rare treasures, so in addition to outlaws, there are also mercenaries on its edges.
In a small tavern near the human settlement, the mercenaries, having finished a busy day, would enjoy a sip of hot wine and chat with their friends, making it the most relaxing time of the day.
"Creak!" The old wooden door was pushed open, and a gust of cold wind blew in, making the mercenary standing next to the door shiver.
"This weather is so cold," the young mercenary said, rubbing his arms.
The older mercenary took a sip of hot wine and chuckled, "The Central Forest is colder than other places. It's obvious the little guy hasn't done his homework. Coming here, besides all sorts of terrifying monsters and natural disasters, is about surviving the bitter cold. You should prepare plenty of warm clothing before it gets really cold."
Two more fearless young men arrived; judging by their clothes, they were clearly pampered. They'll realize their mistake when winter comes.” The old mercenary shook his head, looking at the men who entered.
Every year, people come to the Central Forest for training or treasure hunting, but the Central Forest is not so easy to enter. The bitter cold alone can be deadly. Those inexperienced young people always overestimate themselves.
These veteran mercenaries, who have spent years exploring the central forest, wished they could wrap themselves up in a ball.
An Ge was dressed entirely in black, concealing herself from head to toe, except for a cloak draped over her shoulders, making her stand out from the others who were all bundled up like rice dumplings.
Beside her was Meng Xia, who was also dressed in men's clothing.
"Bring me a pot of hot wine," a clear voice rang out.
An Ge frowned as she looked at the crowded tavern. It seemed she would have to share a table with others.
"Come here, little ones." The old mercenary waved.
Ange walked over to the old mercenary, his hat obscuring most of his face. Golden hair fell beside his ears, adding a touch of elegance to the gloomy tavern.
Before they came, Oris had told them a lot of things, one of which was that having black hair and black eyes might cause inconvenience when traveling. An Ge thought it was probably because Fang Yuanyuan had black hair and black eyes, which was why she had gotten into trouble.
"Thank you, senior." An Ge nodded and sat down gracefully.
"Little one, hurry up and buy some warm clothes while we're still close to the market. The Central Forest is much colder than outside, and it's not even winter yet; a cold snap might be coming in a few days," the old mercenary kindly reminded him.
"Thank you, but I don't intend to enter the Central Forest."
Speaking of this, she couldn't help but feel a little frustrated. Perhaps because the portal was located in the central forest, when Meng Xia arrived via the dimensional talisman, her landing point was near the central forest.
Fortunately, she did not land directly at the portal in the very center of the central forest; otherwise, she would have had to traverse the dangerous forest to get out.
An Ge was wearing a robe that kept her body warm regardless of the weather. To avoid attracting attention, she also wore a cloak over it.
Looking back now, I realize I wasn't dressed warmly enough.
The old mercenary nodded. It seemed this young man wasn't a mercenary after all. Indeed, judging from his air of nobility, he must be a person of high status; why would he be doing the work of a mercenary, a job that involves constantly walking on the edge of a knife?
Seeing that An Ge did not have the usual arrogant demeanor of nobles, the old mercenary mustered his courage and spoke to him.
An Ge was pleased with this outcome. In fact, she was already thinking of asking around about the current situation.
Oris only gave a general overview of the current situation; she would have to find out more details herself.
"Senior seems to frequent the Central Forest. I admire you so much. My family is forcing me to come out and gain experience. I was just about to take a look around the Central Forest from the outside, but I dare not go in."
The old mercenary suddenly realized something and looked at An Ge with a knowing expression. "It seems you came here because of that matter too. There have been quite a few more young people training on the continent recently. In the past, this would have been a good thing, but now, tsk tsk."
"Does Senior know why?" An Ge asked curiously, perfectly portraying a naive young master from a noble family.
The old mercenary had no doubts and sighed, "You look like you've lived in a greenhouse. You're a student at the academy, aren't you?"
An Ge lowered her head in embarrassment and drank a glass of wine to hide her emotions.
"The humans, orcs, and elves are currently engaged in a fierce battle, and as you know, many students from the academies have been conscripted."
An Ge said, "Yes, I'm preparing to go to the front lines."
"Foolish! Only brainwashed students like you are so naive. Although students may have the ability, they have never truly experienced anything. Wouldn't they just be sending themselves to their deaths if they went to the front lines?"
Don't be resentful. Your family seems to hold a certain position; otherwise, they wouldn't have sent you out at this critical juncture. You must understand how many young people have been forced into war. So you need to understand your family.
The old mercenary sighed, his eyes filled with melancholy.
An Ge's eyes flickered, "But to die for the human race is also an honor."
"Bullshit!" The old mercenary glared. "Making death sound so noble, that guy really knows how to brainwash people. You people don't know the hardships of life. Since the war started, life has become increasingly difficult for ordinary people like us."
At first, the nobles thought war was a good thing, but now, ha! Even nobles like you, with family connections but not top-tier ones, are being dragged into the mess. I think, before long, the entire continent will be mired in this quagmire.”
At this point, the other people in the seats started discussing it amongst themselves.
"That guy is a real menace. Look what he's done to several tribes! Fortunately, a resistance army has emerged. I hope they can quickly drive him down."
"Shh, are you out of your mind? That guy has spies everywhere, so be careful."
"What's there to be afraid of? This is the Central Forest; that person's influence doesn't extend here."
"No, no, no, I heard that a sacred object appeared in the Central Forest, and that person sent many people in this area." This person's words attracted everyone's attention.
"I wander around the forest every day, how come I didn't know there was a sacred object?"
"I have my own channels, and the information is reliable. Just wait and see, maybe that person will come soon too."
"Let's change the subject. The way you put it makes me feel uncomfortable. It seems that even the Central Forest isn't safe anymore."
"Sigh, I hope the war ends soon. If it continues, we mercenaries won't be able to survive."
An Ge listened silently to everyone's words and gained a deeper understanding of Fang Yuanyuan's current actions.
It seems that the war launched by Fang Yuanyuan is completely unpopular, and even some minor nobles have begun to rebel.
An Ge had no intention of contacting the resistance. She did not want to provoke a larger-scale war; she only wanted to get to know Fang Yuanyuan herself.
As for how the world will develop after Fang Yuanyuan is understood, she doesn't want to interfere too much.
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