Just as Ye Chui and his group happily began their adventurous life on the Divine Sin Continent, on the outer Castro Continent.
In the plains of the eastern border of the Morning Wind Empire, a carriage was parked in a sparse woodland. From the dust and mud marks on the carriage, it was easy to tell it had travelled a long distance. The two white horses leaned wearily against each other, panting heavily. Morning Wind’s winter was not too cold, but a light snow had fallen the previous night. Though no snow remained on the ground, the weather had turned several degrees chillier. Travelling in such conditions had clearly taken a toll on the two white horses.
Light footsteps approached. A sturdy man carrying a dead boar walked toward the carriage. He glanced at it with a grave expression, then called out as he reached it. “Mr Charlie, I’ve got a boar. We’ll eat well today. Just wait a moment. I’ll prepare some roast pork for you to try.”
“Good. I’m looking forward to it, Ras,” an aged voice replied from inside.
The sturdy man, Ras, began skilfully preparing the boar. As a mercenary, he was highly proficient in wilderness survival. While gathering firewood, he also collected a large pile of dry grass to feed the two exhausted white horses. He made the process deliberately noisy, but kept his ears tilted toward the carriage to catch any sounds inside.
After parting from Ye Chui’s group, Ras had set out for Stan Town to join Ye Chui’s companions as instructed. He was now wanted by the Morning Wind Empire, but as the leader of a two-star mercenary band, he had some adventuring skills. Disguised as an unremarkable coachman, he had evaded many checks along the way.
The previous day, in a nearby town, he had taken on new employers. Two elderly men, one clearly wealthy and noble, the other his servant, though their relationship was warm and they ate together. They were heading to the empire’s eastern coastal border to visit a friend, which coincided with Ras’s route. He had struck up conversation and become their coachman.
Naturally, Ras remained curious about the pair and wanted to eavesdrop on their talk.
Amid the rustling sounds of feeding horses and preparing food, Ras’s ears twitched. Their conversation drifted out, and upon hearing it, an expression of utter shock appeared on his face.
“Those young ones are far too reckless. They actually plan to break into the Divine Sin Continent to save someone. Truly youthful. They don’t know how terrifying that place is. It’s said to be hell itself…”
“Old Charlie, you know Ye Chui’s character. He’s a bit reckless, but willingly entering the Divine Sin Continent for Stan Town earns my deep respect.”
“Hmph. We’ll see how they get out. Fine if they go, but they left a complete mess behind. Do they not understand what gravekeepers are? They signed the gravekeeper decree in Windless City. From then on they must live as gravekeepers until death. They can never again involve themselves in continental affairs.”
“I think we needn’t worry about that, old Charlie. Have you forgotten? Only the Seven Deadly Sins Heroes signed the gravekeeper decree. Though many know the Seven Deadly Sins were the Casual Name Magic Guild in disguise, as long as we deny it, what can the Church or Morning Wind Empire do? Moreover, His Majesty Jacob made arrangements at once.”
“True. The day before yesterday Jacob appeared with Ye Chui before numerous foreign envoys, proving the Seven Deadly Sins were not Ye Chui’s group in disguise. Let’s see what the Church can say… Hm. The Ye Chui beside Jacob was surely Dani in disguise, right?”
“Queen Dani possesses the Harley Quinn spirit. Harley Quinn herself is a life magic mentor skilled in disguise. Ye Chui was probably Queen Dani using the Harley Quinn spirit’s power to change appearance.”
Hearing this, Ras’s face had become one of complete shock. The two elders in the carriage clearly knew Ye Chui’s group well, with very close ties. They even had considerable connections to the Stellar royal family. Emperor Jacob and Queen Dani were spoken of like juniors in their mouths… Who exactly were these two?
Startled, Ras’s hand shook while preparing to cut the boar. A sharp knife fell to the ground with a light clatter. His expression changed. He hurriedly bent to pick it up, but the next instant a blur appeared before his eyes. Someone rushed toward him.
He reacted instinctively, drawing his longsword and slashing at the figure.
Clang. His sword was swept aside. A cold glint appeared before his eyes.
The next moment he realised it was a dagger, its tip pressed against his throat, ready to end his life at any time. The wielder was one of the elders, thin and dry, face covered in wrinkles, yet his strike had been so swift and decisive that Ras had no chance to resist.
Ras himself was a powerful swordsman, yet before this elder he was utterly helpless. What level of strength was this?
“Have you heard enough?” the elder asked coldly.
So from the moment Ras began eavesdropping, this elder had known.
The carriage door opened. The other elder emerged. A plump man in rather flashy rich-man clothes, narrow eyes curiously examining Ras. From the earlier conversation, Ras knew this fat elder was called old Charlie.
“Who are you? I sense no malice, but you seem very interested in our conversation… Do you know Ye Chui?” old Charlie asked shrewdly.
“I, I am a friend of Mr Ye Chui… or should be,” Ras answered nervously. He looked fearfully at the elder holding him and continued. “Old Charlie… that name. If I’m not mistaken, are you the previous emperor of the Stellar Empire? But, but the former emperor is said to have died at the hands of Cardinal Eliza. You…”
“Young man has sharp eyes. Yes, I am Emperor Charlie III,” old Charlie calmly admitted his identity. The two elders were indeed the former emperor Charlie of the Stellar Empire and his old bodyguard. After the Stellar Empire fully declared war on the Church, the pair had left the Stellar capital, travelling as wanderers. Now they had unexpectedly encountered Ras.
Old Charlie asked Ras. “Tell us how you know Ye Chui.”
Ras quickly recounted his full experience with Ye Chui’s group.
After hearing him out, old Charlie glanced at the old bodyguard. The bodyguard nodded and released the dagger. “He’s not lying.” The old bodyguard seemed to have a special ability to detect lies.
“In that case, come with us for now. We happen to need someone familiar with Morning Wind Empire terrain,” old Charlie continued.
“Sorry. Before leaving, Mr Ye Chui instructed me to go to Grey Town. I…” Ras said hurriedly.
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“Wait!” old Charlie interrupted. “What did you say? Grey Town!?”
“Yes… what’s wrong?” Ras was stunned.
“You know where Grey Town is? That town… still exists?” old Charlie asked in surprised tone.
“I was just there not long ago…” Ras was puzzled by old Charlie’s reaction. “That town… what about it?”
Old Charlie’s eyes lit up. He looked excitedly at the old bodyguard and said. “Our destination is Grey Town. I originally thought it had long been destroyed, but it still exists.”
“Is there something special about Grey Town?” Ras asked cautiously.
Old Charlie seemed unconcerned about sharing the secret with Ras. With the old bodyguard at half-step sword saint level, even if Ras were untrustworthy it would not matter. Old Charlie explained. “Decades ago I read a secret record in the royal archives about a great mystery. Later a fire destroyed the archives. I should be the only one who knows this secret… Over a thousand years ago, an ancestor of the Stellar Empire was pursued and fled into Morning Wind territory. In a coastal town he met an unbelievably powerful man. That man gave our ancestor tremendous help. One could even say the Stellar Empire was established with that man’s aid. In the records, our ancestor described the man thus: he is the only man ever to leave the Divine Sin Continent.”
“Someone in history actually escaped the Divine Sin Continent?” Ras exclaimed in shock.
Old Charlie nodded and continued. “The man’s name was Greyton, and the town was named after him, Grey Town. Knowing Ye Chui’s group entered the Divine Sin Continent, I wanted to seek traces of that man and find a way to leave the Divine Sin Continent. I thought after a thousand years Grey Town would long be gone, but it still exists. And Ye Chui already knew of it… I have a feeling this Grey Town is the one in the records.”
…
Divine Sin Continent, Stan World.
After Cass returned with the others from the central city with large amounts of supplies, he personally helped Glin deliver the steel Ye Chui needed to the church.
Upon entering the church, Cass was immediately stunned by the sight. The vast interior was filled with indescribable magic creations. Low rumbling sounds constantly emanated, as if producing something. Mysterious magic runes flickered endlessly across the creations.
Ye Chui was speaking with two spirits. Cass had never seen these spirits and only felt they had strange auras. One even seemed to be a… puppet?
Glin, however, recognised them. He walked surprised to Ye Chui’s side. “President, so the spirits you unlocked are these two. What are you planning?”
“To build a puppet army,” Ye Chui explained simply. This world had no concept of robots, but puppets were essentially similar. Moreover, the Ultron army produced by Ultron, though resembling movie robots, were actually magic-driven at their core, more like puppets.
Ultron’s mass-production ability went without saying. In truth, unlocking just the Ultron spirit would suffice, but Ye Chui worried the Ultron spirit might have ulterior motives. Who knew if he would suddenly want to control the Divine Sin…
“You had me exchange steel for this reason… These magic creations can directly turn steel into puppets?” Cass asked in surprise.
“Not quite that simple, but close. Right now this place can produce five Ultron puppets a day,” Ye Chui said with a smile.
Glin asked. “Ultron puppets need magic scrolls to move, right? Looking at them, the scroll consumption must be high.”
“Correct. Ten magic scrolls let an Ultron puppet operate for ten minutes,” Ye Chui confirmed.
“This… the cost is too high. Though we have many stored magic scrolls, it probably won’t support too many Ultron puppets…” Cass frowned.
“I thought of that long ago. Next we just need ways to get more magic scrolls,” Ye Chui said confidently.
Cass was puzzled. “Though you gain many resources each trial, relying only on trial gains probably won’t be enough, right?”
“Our main trial goal is heavenly ladder points. There are other ways to obtain magic scrolls,” Ye Chui said. Seeing Cass and Glin’s confused looks, he beckoned them and led them to a courtyard behind the church.
It had originally been a rather open garden, but now lush fruit trees had sprung up. Apples, pears, peaches…
“When did all these fruit trees appear?” Cass looked completely baffled.
Debbie, Lesha, Celis, Shalomei, and Guni were gathered around an apple tree. Elf Baby stood beneath it, arms raised high, crying “Eeya eeya eeya” nonstop.
As she called, under Cass’s dumbfounded gaze, the tree’s leaves rustled. Flowers bloomed, withered, then bore fruit. Tiny green fruits grew visibly into large, mouth-watering red apples…
This was the exclusive elf talent of royal elf bloodline.
Ye Chui walked to the tree, picked an apple, took a bite, and smiled at Cass. “Food is extremely scarce on the Divine Sin Continent. Fruits like apples seem extinct. If we sell apples, one apple for one blank scroll wouldn’t be expensive, right? Oh, and… Baby’s fruit-ripening ability lets one apple tree be harvested over ten times a day.”
Cass: “…”
From the bottom of his heart he marvelled. Are you lot on the Divine Sin Continent just to play?
