**Chapter 5: The Four Warriors of the Past (1)**
When Lin Nan and the others returned to the residence, Monroe immediately rushed over.
Sensing that Lord Lin didn’t particularly want to get tangled up with the Goddess of Destiny in their everyday exchanges, Monroe still addressed him as “Lord Lin,” but it was clear he was being much more respectful than before.
The feast was incredibly lavish.
The Monroe family pulled out all the stops, inviting the most famous cooks in the Imperial Capital to ensure the food would satisfy Lin Nan’s taste buds.
Lin Nan, having gone through several rounds of trials in the Small World, had grown accustomed to simple meals and roughing it. So, indulging in mouth-watering delicacies again was truly a joyous occasion.
At the banquet, the guests frequently raised their glasses, creating a very harmonious atmosphere.
Halfway through the meal, Lin Nan put down her glass of red wine and asked, “I’m curious, after the founding of the nation by the Four Warriors, which one of them became the Emperor?”
Monroe replied, “Among the four, the mage Valentine made the most notable contributions and has consistently been the core leader of the group. So after founding the nation, the other three unanimously elected him to be the Emperor of the Empire.”
“And what about the other three warriors? What positions did they hold?”
“Sir Cliff, the armored warrior, served as the Minister of Military Affairs; Sir Hardy, the assassin, became the head of the intelligence agency; while Lady Casey, the harpist, didn’t take on an official post but opened the Harpist Academy to teach music. Lady Casey was the first dean of that academy.”
Lin Nan nodded thoughtfully.
“So the current Emperor is a descendant of one of the Four Warriors, the mage?”
“Exactly.”
“No wonder Prince Eric excels in potion crafting; it turns out his abilities come from royal heritage!”
Monroe said, “His Majesty is also proficient in magic; I’ve witnessed His Majesty’s impressive magic skills firsthand.”
As a trusted minister of the Emperor, Monroe was privy to many royal secrets, even including the ups and downs of the direct descendants of the Four Warriors in the court of the Imperial Capital. It was evident he had done extensive research—far beyond what ordinary folks can manage.
“So you mean to say that the descendant of assassin Hardy was executed for breaking the law, and thus, Hardy’s bloodline has no one left to inherit it?”
Monroe sighed. “Yes, that seems to have been over three thousand years ago.
The royal records state that Sir Hardy’s descendants collaborated with the Monster Race, intending to betray the Empire. When His Majesty saw through their plan, they openly rebelled and fled to the Monster Race territory.
The Emperor led a grand army to intercept them at the border.
A fierce battle ensued, and the rebels were defeated; the ringleader was captured.
The Emperor brought them back to the Imperial Capital, where, after interrogation, they were secretly executed. Thus, Hardy’s lineage disappeared forever.”
“What a pity,” Lin Nan said.
“Indeed. Fortunately, the descendants of Sir Cliff and Lady Casey have remained loyal to the Empire; their lineage has branched out and formed a strong foundation for the continued rule of the Empire’s nobility.”
“I’m glad you, Lord Monroe, could share so many historical tidbits about the Empire with me.”
“Not at all, I am quite impressed with how patient Lord Lin is with my ramblings devoid of focus.”
Lin Nan raised her glass, “Pardon the interruption; I toast to everyone!”
Monroe, Trissa, Adeline, and several young members of the Monroe family echoed her sentiment.
From the start of the banquet, most of them had remained silent, listening to the casual banter between the family head, Monroe, and Lord Lin.
They understood very well that simply being present at the gala with a guest rumored to be the Messenger of the Goddess of Destiny was a tremendous honor. Even if they were just silent background characters, they were more than happy to be there.
As the banquet was winding down, Lin Nan received a message from the bl**d Moon Team.
So she stood up, claiming her alcohol tolerance was limited, and with the escort of Trissa and Adeline, left the banquet to return to her guest room.
Just as she closed the door,
The figure of Xi half-knelt before her.
“Greetings, my Lord!”
“Get up.”
Lin Nan raised her hand slightly.
“Of course, my Lord. After a day of investigation, we’ve discovered several matters that must be reported to you urgently.”
“Go on.”
“Firstly, the Empire appears to be mobilizing its forces. Many soldiers have been seen cleaning the previously idle barracks outside the city, likely preparing for the arrival of a large army.
Secondly, Count Morris and others have been thrown into the dungeon located in the west of the city, guarded by soldiers from the military law department. This afternoon, I observed them undergoing interrogation, but they didn’t divulge any valuable information. Perhaps this is merely the Emperor’s method to verify the truth of the information.
Thirdly, we have marked twenty-six strongholds of the Church of Light in the city on the map, but so far, we haven’t uncovered the location of their main headquarters. The identity of the Church’s Pope remains undetermined.
As for the location where humans are being held, we are still investigating, but we believe reports should come in within two days at most.”
Lin Nan nodded. “Very good. It’s impressive you managed to gather so many details in just one day; you’ve certainly worked hard.”
“That’s what a subordinate should do. I won’t disturb your rest any longer.”
Xi bowed respectfully, then simply turned around and vanished from the room.
After a moment, Lin Nan slowly walked to the window, gazing at the bright moonlight above, her heart calm as a still lake.
With her current strength, even just emitting a bit of exploratory energy allowed her to sense at least two to three uninvited guests hiding in the spacious courtyard of the residence.
Their gazes pierced through the thick, swaying branches, landing squarely on the slender figure by the window.
The moment she stepped outside, they would undoubtedly lock onto her like hawks.
Though Lin Nan was confident she could leave without those stalkers discovering her whereabouts, it was still someone else’s home. If she didn’t want to give the Monroe family too much trouble, it would be better to stay put for the night and let these guys silly themselves until dawn.
Meanwhile, in the dining room, only Monroe and Trissa remained.
Monroe sipped his wine while listening intently as Trissa recounted every detail of the day’s events.
After all, rumors were rumors, often exaggerated and distorted.
Before Lord Lin and Trissa returned to the residence, he had already gathered a general idea of events from various sources.
Now, hearing the firsthand account in detail, Monroe’s expression turned increasingly serious.
“It seems that Lord Lin’s identity aligns quite closely with our previous assumptions.
The Messenger of the Goddess of Destiny, or perhaps an incarnation of the goddess, or even the goddess herself…
Regardless of what form she has taken in her arrival as the Goddess of Destiny, it’s clear that her purpose in the Empire is likely not merely to teach a lesson to those fanatical followers of the Church of Light.”
Trissa suddenly thought of something. “You mean… it’s related to the Four Warriors?”
Monroe nodded. “Yes.”
