Chapter 498 - Flowers of the Northern Frontier
Chapter 498: Flowers of the Northern Frontier
“Please disembark in an orderly manner. I hope we can meet again on your next sea-crossing flight.”
A sweet voice came from the magic loudspeaker. Lei Luo followed the queue and got off the transport ship. He had learned his lesson this time and would rather wait for a while than board a cheap flight. The previous experience had made him feel helpless, so he rested all the way. It took him three days to reach the northern border.
According to the map given by Ulysses, this northern border was equivalent to a province of the empire. However, due to its remote location and cold weather, it was vast and sparsely populated. There was only one flight every week; moreover, only one airline was willing to open such an unpopular flight.
As soon as he got off the spaceship, Lei Luo felt how cold the weather was. He quickly went to the side to find a windbreaker to keep himself warm.
The location of the node was not fixed. It was controlled by the three great clans of the northern border. After all, the people inside had to live, so the people inside mostly used the rare materials near the gate of the demon world to trade with the clans in exchange for the resources they needed.
The three great clans were the Takeda family, which was in charge of the arms trade; the Nakajima family, which was in charge of education; and the Sakakami family, which was in charge of the sacrifices. These three great clans jointly controlled the military, food, magic trade, and public relations of the northern border.
The supreme ruler of the northern borderline called himself a general. He was appointed by the three great clans, or he was elected by the three great clans. Therefore, the ruling system of the northern borderline was also known as “One general, three clans, six manors, and twelve Daoists.”
It was said that the current general was a woman of exceptional talent. She had occupied this position because she was not from a clan. In Lei Luo’s opinion, this was very impressive. Under the situation where the clans controlled everything, there was still someone who could make the three great clans bow their heads in submission. This was simply unbelievable.
At the highest ceremony of the northern border, the “Grand Banquet,” the general would lead the dance in the procession of the sacrificial ceremony. Her beautiful figure was also known as the “Flower of the Northern Border” by the world.
Lei Luo’s current target was a contact provided by Ulysses. This person had the key information to go to the node, but he needed to fulfill his wish.
Speaking of which, it was strange. This person had also mentioned it in front of Ulysses, but Ulysses was mysterious and did not tell Lei Luo any information. He even said that he would know when he arrived.
As he paced on the street, he sized up the people here. Most of the people walking on the street were short men. Most of them were wearing heavy mattresses. It was rare to see women running around. The women who came out were dressed in complicated and gorgeous clothes. It was all very strange to Lei Luo.
Moreover, most of the men there carried sabers, and very few of them carried the standard equipment of a mage, a magic wand.
Lei Luo walked into a tavern. He had studied the language of the place carefully before he came, but he could tell at a glance that he was a foreigner. Lei Luo was not entirely sure what to expect.
Sitting at the wine table, he ordered a glass of wine and a few side dishes from the beautiful waitress. Most of the people there had long hair buns, which made Lei Luo feel a little uncomfortable. This place was like another country. it was like living a completely different life from the empire.
A shifty-eyed man walked in. When he saw Lei Luo, he immediately came up and whispered, “Sir, do we need to try our special service here?”
Lei Luo was a little curious. This man spoke the empire’s common language to him. It was not a dialect. This was very intriguing.
“What special service?”
The man looked left and right as he moved closer to Lei Luo’s ear and said, “The kind you think.”
Pushing a medium-sized magic crystal in front of him, Lei Luo asked, “Recommend me.”
The man immediately explained his special service to Lei Luo with a beaming face.
Before he could say a few words, Lei Luo was pulled into the shop. It turned out to be a massage shop. Lei Luo was disappointed that he had waited for nothing.
However, the man didn’t seem to notice Lei Luo’s disappointment. He just kept introducing his set meal.
Lying down on the soft fur of the northern bear, a boisterous woman from the northern borderline gently massaged his feet, which made Lei Luo’s blood boil.
However, as Lei Luo listened to the woman’s nagging, he enjoyed the service of the shop.
“If you have anything to say, you can come out and say it now. There’s no need to hide.”
Behind the curtain, a woman’s soft laughter was heard, accompanied by a silvery bell-like voice.
“I can only say, as expected of the Dark Angel Army’s behind-the-scenes boss, right? You’re really brave. When Ulysses told me about it, he praised you greatly.”
“Please forgive me for not being able to come out personally to welcome you.”
When Lei Luo entered, he noticed that the strange incense in this room made Lei Luo’s body feel unconsciously relaxed.
There was also that man who was also strange. From the moment they got off the spaceship, he had followed them here. This was also one of the reasons why Lei Luo felt strange.
“If you have any requests, just say it quickly. Everyone’s time is very precious.”
Lei Luo dismissed the woman who was pressing her feet and tapped her fingers on the chair. As expected, this was the contact person that Ulysses had mentioned.
“Sir is really straightforward. Then I won’t beat around the bush. We hope that sir will participate in the world’s number one martial arts conference in the northern border, and we will attack the current General Zuli on the day the martial arts conference ends.”
The woman did not continue. She was waiting for Lei Luo’s answer.
Frowning, Lei Luo asked in return, “Does this have anything to do with me going to the node?”
“Of course. The node you want to go to will be opened at the Grand Banquet after the martial arts conference, and one of the conditions is that you have to end up on the top ten list at the martial arts conference.”
After thinking about it, Lei Luo still did not understand.
“I’m a mage, so how can I participate in the martial arts conference? And who are you? Why did you assassinate General Zuli?”
“Actually, Mr. Lei Luo doesn’t need to know who we are. You can treat us as rebels against General Zuli’s tyranny,” the woman said casually. “As for the martial arts conference, are mages or martial artists important? It’s just like the stars in the sky. There’s no difference in my opinion.”
Although he was very dissatisfied with the woman’s words, according to what she said, if he really wanted to enter the node, then he had to go to the martial arts conference this time.
“Then can I know your name, mysterious comrade of the resistance?”
Lei Luo smiled as he stood up and looked at the woman behind the curtain. He wanted to know the woman’s true intentions and not the perfunctory reason like this.
“You can call me Fu Yun.”
“All right, Miss Fu Yun. I hope that you will keep your promise. Otherwise, don’t blame me for standing on the general’s side.”
To Lei Luo, be it the general or the resistance, whoever could help him enter the node, he would help them. Regardless of their position, it had nothing to do with reason.
After Lei Luo walked out of the house, the woman named Fu Yun sighed.
“I don’t know if my father’s decision is right or wrong. If we cooperate with Ulysses, how are we different from the general?”
Then, the room fell silent, leaving only the incense to burn quietly.