Entering Blackstone City

The sky had just brightened. Isa turned to look out the window, but it wasn’t the familiar scenery of before.

‘Right, we’re on our way to the eastern border now.’

Her mind, which had been groggy from a deep sleep, gradually cleared. Isa remembered her destination, got out of bed, stretched lazily, and then headed downstairs.

“You’re awake? Would you like a cup of my freshly brewed black tea?”

Walking downstairs in her slippers, Isa let her shoulder-length chestnut hair fall loosely down her back. She had thought she would be the first one awake.

She didn’t expect someone else to be up even earlier. Philly, who hadn’t changed out of her pajamas yet, was brewing something over a small stove.

She continuously controlled the magic essence she infused to maintain the stove’s temperature, and the gurgling sound of steam could be heard.

“It smells so good.”

Isa’s nose twitched. The unique aroma of black tea hidden in the steam… compared to the tea leaves she had drunk before, the black tea brewed by Philly seemed to have a unique fragrance.

Philly gradually reduced the magic essence she was releasing, picked up the teapot, and poured a cup. The light brown tea soup was different from the clear and bright appearance of ordinary black tea; it seemed the secret of its aroma was hidden within.

“Come, try it.”

Handing the teacup to Isa, Philly gestured for her to take a sip.

As the light brown tea entered her mouth, a rich, fatty aroma exploded in Isa’s mouth.

After tasting Philly’s black tea, Isa finally knew why it had a special flavor. “Did you add milk to this?”

“This way of drinking it is popular in my old hometown. But the people there like to boil the milk and black tea together, whereas I’ve made a small improvement on that.”

…made a small improvement on that basis.

Saying this, Philly poured herself a cup as well.

“Boiling milk and black tea together is not good for the tea leaves, and if you don’t control the time well, it can easily affect the taste of the milk. So, I usually brew the black tea first, and then add milk and heat them together. Lecy also likes to brew it this way when she’s reading.”

“Lecy?”

Hearing an unfamiliar name from Philly’s lips, Isa couldn’t help but ask.

“I forgot to tell you. Lecy is the Witch of the Book we mentioned. She usually stays at the headquarters reading and rarely travels outside. In her words, books are her most loyal friends and the best channel for her to understand the world.”

“I am very much looking forward to meeting her, and I believe Her Highness Su Ran feels the same way.”

“As long as we get to Tukulu, we can meet Lecy. It’s almost time for the gates of Blackstone City to open. I’ll go check on Maimai and see if she can come with us to the city.”

Philly watched the sun gradually rise outside the window. Seeing that Maimai had not yet come down from the second floor, she prepared to go up and check on her.

“Wait, take the potion. This was just made last night.”

Isa took out a newly made batch of blood-replenishing potions from her ring and gave them to Philly.

After yesterday’s journey, Maimai, who had not yet fully recovered, needed more time to rest.

If not for the sudden appearance of the Church’s people near the forest cabin, they could have waited until Maimai was well-rested before leaving.

However, now that they were some distance from Noda Forest, they could afford to slow down a bit.

Watching Philly disappear up the stairs with the blood-replenishing potion, Isa drained the black tea in her cup.

Perhaps because her stomach was empty, after finishing the black tea, her stomach rumbled as if in protest; a little tea was not enough to digest.

Isa put down her cup and went to the kitchen to prepare today’s breakfast.

Maimai, awakened by Philly, came down, finished her breakfast, and went back to her room to continue sleeping. It seemed that yesterday’s use of flying magic had consumed not only Maimai’s physical strength but also a certain amount of her spirit.

Seeing Maimai’s listless state, Isa and Philly decided that the two of them would go into Blackstone City to rent a carriage, leaving Maimai alone in the house.

This house had the defensive magic array left by Her Highness Su Ran; it could even kill a Sequence Four enemy if one were to attack.

Since the last Earth Dragon incident, Her Highness Su Ran had reinforced the magic array’s level. Even if a Sequence Five or Six enemy were to appear, it could hold for a while, and Her Highness Su Ran would be notified immediately.

The guards of Blackstone City were not particularly strict, and the process of entering the city was smooth. The guards at the gate merely questioned their purpose for entering, and after confirming there were no problems and paying the entrance fee, they entered Blackstone City smoothly.

After wandering around Blackstone City for a while, the two arrived at the meeting point they had agreed on earlier.

Seeing Isa return, Philly quickly asked, “How did it go? Was anyone willing to rent us a carriage?”

Isa shook her head. “As soon as they heard we were going to the eastern border, none of them were willing to rent to us.”

“It seems we both got the same answer. The Theocracy intends to advance on Tukulu and has sealed off most of the routes to the eastern border. To go east, we can only use specific routes, and they are also requisitioning carriages to transport supplies.”

This information came from the staff at the rental agency, which was also the reason they were unwilling to rent them a carriage.

The rental agency had already received a request from the eastern border not to let carriages go there.

This kind of carriage requisition was basically indiscriminate; whether it was owned or rented, there was no room for discussion.

This move by the Church had increased the difficulty of their journey to the eastern border.

“You want to rent a carriage to go to the eastern border?”

A voice suddenly appeared beside her, attracting the attention of the two.

Isa looked over. The person who spoke appeared to be in his fifties or sixties. The neat suit he wore indicated that his financial situation was not bad.

“How did you know?”

Philly stepped forward, shielding Isa behind her. The Sequence Four magic essence in her body was constantly being mobilized, and her witch ability was faintly on the verge of activation.

There were still many plants in their vicinity, enough to buy them a lot of time.

“Don’t worry, I mean you no harm. My master can provide you with the necessary help, for example, a carriage and a certificate that will ensure it won’t be confiscated.”

The middle-aged man in front of them laid out his conditions before Isa and Philly, waiting for their answer.

“There’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world. So, state your condition.”

Philly and Isa exchanged a glance. The conditions the other party offered were very attractive, but they were definitely not free.

“The condition is simple. You need to help my master escort someone to Tukulu.”

Hearing the other party’s condition, the expressions of Philly and Isa at this moment became grave.