Chapter 40

Chrisley paused for a moment, looking at the somewhat worn-out carriage before her.

Mengdeli coughed awkwardly. "My apologies, Your Excellency. Our carriages here are all rather old—this one is the best we have."

It wasn't that Chrisley minded; she was just surprised. After all, Mengdeli was a city lord, yet he didn't even own a decent carriage.

"It's fine." Chrisley and her companion stepped directly onto the carriage. The interior was just as simple.

Seeing that Chrisley didn't care, Mengdeli breathed a sigh of relief, then turned and climbed into one of the worse carriages behind.

Mengdeli had no choice. The Goblin Kingdom, being weak, essentially avoided other races, fearing defeat and capture. The nation's architecture, economy, and overall strength were mediocre at best—even the Goblin King's living conditions in the royal capital might not match those of a viscount in the Human Empire.

The three carriages trundled slowly toward the Goblin royal capital.

"?" Chrisley watched as a letter glowing with golden light flew straight through the window and into the carriage.

"What's that?" Aodisite curiously reached out to touch the letter, but it deftly dodged her.

Chrisley recalled the letter she'd sent not long ago. "It should be a reply from Dragon Island."

"Dragon Island?" Aodisite thought back. "Haven't they been in seclusion for ages?" Having lived so long, she naturally knew the strength of these rulers of the sky. "What, do they want to come out into the world too?"

Chrisley unhurriedly opened the envelope. "Do you remember the prophecy of the Human Emperor, Pebbei?"

Aodisite certainly remembered—that emperor had been hailed as the embodiment of miracles in his time, and his prophecies were already beginning to come true.

"The prophecy also said that after the calamity descends, divine envoys will come to help us through it, bringing things never seen before." Chrisley read Afra's letter and added calmly.

Aodisite fell into thought.

After reading the entire letter in detail, Chrisley sent a message to Rao Ke.

Chrisley: Dragon Island will send a dragon down to inspect the Keke Shop. Be prepared. That person happens to be my friend—I'll send you her preferences shortly.

Rao Ke: Okay. (Cat heart gesture.jpg)

Chrisley casually pulled out a storybook. "And the Human Emperor's prophecy says 'help us through the calamity,' not 'save us,' which means we still have to rely on ourselves to get through it."

Aodisite looked at the storybook in Chrisley's hand, intrigued, and leaned over. "What's that?"

Chrisley pulled several more from her spatial ring and offered them to Aodisite.

"These are storybooks KeKe kept privately. They're really fun—she gave them to me to pass the time, worried I'd be bored."

"Tch, showing off." Aodisite looked at Chrisley's barely suppressed smile and knew she was enjoying flaunting her friend's thoughtfulness.

Chrisley didn't mind at all. After showing off, she felt refreshed. "So, are you going to read one or not? If not, I'm putting them away."

Faced with Chrisley's threat, Aodisite chose the book that interested her most and then curled up with a pillow to read.

The more Aodisite read, the more absorbed she became, occasionally complaining to Chrisley about the plot or characters.

Just as the two were immersed in the stories, the carriage arrived beneath the royal capital's walls.

The subordinate driving the front carriage went to Mengdeli's carriage to retrieve the pass, then showed it to the soldiers guarding the city gate. The soldiers immediately stepped aside respectfully. But just as the subordinate was about to return to his carriage, he noticed a far more luxurious carriage appearing at the city gate.

The goblin driving it was clearly of high status. With a faint smile, he said to the subordinate, "I am here on Duke Yabusi's orders to receive you all. Please follow me."

Mengdeli stepped down from his carriage and came to the front. He recognized the goblin at a glance. Ford the Mage was the most powerful mage under Duke Yabusi's command and usually stayed close by the duke's side.

Mengdeli sensed something was off, but kept it off his face. "But we are in a hurry to see the King. It might be inconvenient."

Ford smiled. "No need. The King isn't accepting audiences lately. To see him, you need the duke's recommendation."

Mengdeli looked at the rather insistent Ford. "Very well, then. We'll trouble Duke Yabusi."

Ford looked straight at Mengdeli, enunciating each word. "It's no trouble. The duke has been waiting for you all for some time."

Mengdeli forced a smile, then returned to his carriage.

Chrisley set down her storybook, reached up to lift the curtain, and looked outside. Beside her, Aodisite was already lost in her book, paying no attention to what was happening outside.

Chrisley locked eyes with Ford as he turned around. Seeing his slightly panicked expression, she smiled slightly and let the curtain fall.

A ping came from the Astrolabe—a message from Mengdeli in the carriage behind.

Chrisley opened it.

Mengdeli: Your Excellency, please be careful. Let me handle this for now.

Chrisley didn't reply, only asking about Duke Yabusi's background.

Mengdeli shared what he knew with Chrisley.

Duke Yabusi was the current Goblin King's younger brother, much beloved by the King, and the two were very close. Ford had been sent by the King to guard the duke.

But according to the latest news, even these brothers seemed unable to escape the usual noble drama—there were signs of a falling out. The King hadn't held court in nearly three months, and whenever he met ministers, he stayed hidden behind a curtain, appearing frail. Meanwhile, Duke Yabusi had reversed his previous easygoing, pleasure-seeking ways and become actively engaged with nobles and ministers. Rumor from the palace servants had it that the duke once had a violent quarrel with the King and stormed out.

After getting a rough picture, Chrisley raised an eyebrow, put the Astrolabe aside, and closed her eyes to think.

The carriage rumbled on to an opulent ducal estate, where the master of the house, Duke Yabusi, stood at the gate, smiling brightly as he waited.

Mengdeli told Chrisley and Aodisite to stay in the carriage for now, then got out himself to greet Yabusi.

"Long time no see, Lord Mengdeli." Yabusi smiled at Mengdeli.

Mengdeli wore a practiced smile. "Long time no see, Duke Yabusi."

The two stood there chatting idly, going back and forth without touching on anything important. Finally, Yabusi was the first to grow impatient. "By the way, won't the guests in the carriage come down?"

Mengdeli gave Yabusi a meaningful look. "The two ladies aren't feeling well, so they plan to rest in the carriage for a while."

Yabusi nodded. "I see. Still, I'm quite interested in the goods these two merchants carry."

Faced with Yabusi's suggestive words, Mengdeli smiled and said nothing, playing dumb.

On Yabusi's shoulder sat a black crow, its eyes half-lidded, occasionally pecking at his head. The duke showed no reaction at all—clearly he doted on the bird.

"By the way, Duke Yabusi, could you kindly introduce us to His Majesty?" Mengdeli called out as Yabusi made to leave.

The crow turned its head to stare at Mengdeli. Yabusi stopped, stroked the crow's head, and said, "I'll see when I'm free. Please rest for now—I've arranged rooms for you."

Mengdeli watched the duke's receding back, his fists clenched.

Chrisley and Aodisite stepped down from the carriage, and Mengdeli looked at Chrisley apologetically. "Forgive me, both of you—this may take some time."

Chrisley waved a hand dismissively. "No matter. I'm finding it rather interesting."

Mengdeli didn't press further.

Aodisite saw the slight curl of Chrisley's lips and knew she'd spotted something worth seeing. Otherwise, with Chrisley's abilities, she could have easily used teleportation to leave the moment the carriage was halted.

A maid led Aodisite and Chrisley, along with Mengdeli, to two separate rooms.

As soon as she entered her room, Aodisite waved a hand, and a faint, transparent barrier sealed the space. "So, found anything fun?" She held the second volume of the storybook she'd picked up on the way.

Chrisley pulled a tea set, some flower tea, and a plate of fruit from her spatial ring, placing them on the wooden table. "That crow contains two souls—isn't that interesting?" She popped a strawberry into her mouth.

Aodisite was somewhat intrigued, but even more interested in the storybook in her hands. "Alright, tell me when you've found out more. And save me some of that fruit!"

Unlike the relaxed and leisurely Chrisley and Aodisite, Mengdeli in the other room was clearly restless, pacing back and forth. He ran his hand over his head, mulling over everything that had happened that day. A feeling crept over him that the Goblin Kingdom might be doomed.

Just as his agitation reached its peak, a knock came at the door.

"Knock knock!"

Mengdeli tensed, then cautiously opened the door a crack. There stood Duke Yabusi, smiling warmly, with Ford behind him. "I just remembered I still had some things to discuss with you, Mengdeli, so I thought I'd drop by again~" Yabusi said cheerfully.