### Chapter Sixty-Seven: Return to the Royal City
In the southwest outskirts of the central workshop, the aerospace military industrial district was buzzing.
On the vast expanse of white, many buildings had just laid their foundations, with stacked stone and scaffolding everywhere. Craftsmen pushed mining carts and towed transport vehicles, hustling back and forth in the snow. Not long afterwards, there was a loud explosion from the distant wilderness, shaking the ground as if it had just heard the punchline to a terrible joke. Yet, the folks on-site seemed unfazed, barely bothering to lift their eyes, continuing with whatever they were doing after the sound faded.
Apparently, there’d been a significant breakthrough in black powder technology in the past couple of days. For the last couple of days, from dawn till dusk, craftsmen had seen the second prince, Pasifal, tirelessly bustling about like a kid jacked up on candy.
Today’s explosion sounded particularly impressive, with rumors that even a hot air balloon had taken off for a second ride, flying straight out of Winter City! Some had seen it and thought it was incredible, boasting to those who hadn’t seen it about how dedicated the prince was to his work. Others said the workshop had finally come to the right person.
Then there was also chatter about a petite girl swordsman who’d been lingering around the workshop lately. She never spoke to anyone and preferred to hide away, observing things from a distance, but the craftsmen knew she was Princess Peilo’s attendant. Not only was she scary skilled, but she’d also made a name for herself in the battles of the southern front. King Skarlij personally rewarded her with heaps of jewelry when he returned victorious, which she apparently didn’t even want.
The little girl appeared so innocent, it was hard to imagine what she must be like on a battlefield, just like Princess Peilo herself.
Although the craftsmen weren’t close with her, they liked her for her seemingly harmless demeanor, always curled up and trying not to trouble anyone. But for the past few days, she hadn’t been seen much, so folks started asking about her. They soon found out from the in-the-know individuals that the Sword Demon Miss had her sword forged and promptly left the workshop! Where she went was anyone’s guess.
“That sword was crafted personally by Mr. Pagos! Though it’s not a moon kn*fe, it uses top-notch Valen steel crystal. I happened to be there when it was finished — wow, what a sword!”
“She named it the Mourner. Not sure what that signifies, but a great sword paired with a top-tier swordsman? That’s bound to make some noise!”
As night passed and the sun rose the next day, many elite craftsmen and hunters gathered on the bridge at the entrance of Shanter Castle. Firebird Annie, Hoover, and all their friends were hanging out, and finally, Prince Pasifal emerged from the workshop, standing at the front as if waiting for someone special.
Before long, a girl in a black outfit draped in a golden moon-patterned cloak, petite in stature, followed King Skarlij out of the open castle gates, a black leather case slung over her shoulder, obviously set for a long trip.
Seeing this, the crowd rushed forward. After a round of heartfelt farewells, the girl gave the Emperor a big hug, followed by her brother, Firebird Annie, and her Uncle Hoover. Then someone piped up out of nowhere, “What about the Queen?”
The girl shook her head, her smile tinged with helplessness. Skarlij patted her shoulder and whispered something in her ear that must’ve been comforting because she nodded, after which she waved goodbye to everyone. Prince Pasifal again asked, “Why isn’t a War Chariot ready?”
“No need,” she replied curtly, offering no further elaboration.
She walked far, all the way to the other side of the bridge. Suddenly, the castle gates swung open again, and out rushed Lady Catherine, lifting her skirt dramatically. The girl heard the commotion, turned around in shock, and saw her mother at the front of the crowd across the bridge, waving and yelling something with a rather annoyed expression—was she crying? There were visible tear tracks on her face! The girl saw this and bolted back into her mother’s embrace.
So, the farewelling dragged on for another ten minutes or so. Eventually, the girl did leave, though Lady Catherine’s demeanor had calmed. Her eyes were still red, but she stood quietly at the castle’s entrance, watching her daughter vanish into the wind and snow.
At that moment, it was likely nobody could understand her feelings.
…
Once I was far away from the towering castle walls and massive gates behind me, I lifted my gaze to the gray sky. The wind and snow pelted my face, and with a slight bend of my knees, I activated Moon Step. With a resonant “boom,” I soared into the high skies.
Boom boom boom boom boom—
The sound of intense sonic booms reverberated in my ears, chilling winds whispered like wailing ghosts! In an instant, after flying nearly a thousand meters, my eyes ignited with scarlet light, wisps of dark air swirling around me. With a whoosh, massive wings erupted from my back, igniting with crimson flames, propelling me higher into the clouds.
Time passed…
It had been ages since I’d flown so freely!
I accelerated my flight, reveling in the unrestrained joy of fully unleashing my power. It felt like I hadn’t experienced this kind of exhilaration in forever.
But now, the Sword Demon had left for the Holy City, and after departing from Shanter Castle, I was flying solo again. At least on this long yet fleeting journey to the Royal City, I didn’t have to concern myself with anything—maybe from now on, I wouldn’t have so many worries.
Just thinking about that made my heart light!
I didn’t feel sad about leaving my father and mother behind. On the contrary, I found myself increasingly fond of being alone. It gave me a sense of breaking free from shackles. The journey from Shanter Castle to the Royal City would normally take at least a month by the fastest War Chariot, but if I flew at full speed…
Maybe I’d only need four to five days?
That was my rough estimate, but the reality was I made it to the outskirts of the Royal City in under three and a half days! I underestimated my ability to push myself without sleeping or eating. During that time, I hardly drank a drop of water. Yet as I landed in the forest on the outskirts of the city, I didn’t feel thirsty or hungry.
But I should eat something just in case.
Though it seemed unlikely, I was still worried I’d go out of control like before due to insufficient energy. And if I lost control now, half of the Western Continent would probably get wrecked before Mother Deity broke her seal… at least that’s how I felt about it.
As dawn broke, the woods outside the Royal City were vibrant and full of life. I quickly spotted a young deer and used Dead Smoke to devour it, feeling nothing at all. I tried to find an adult one afterward but still felt nothing after that, so I shook my head and gave up. I splashed some water on my face by a small river, tightened my cloak, and, before long, reached the foot of the Green City.
