Chapter 43: Fate Cards
Amber City.
This city is much more prosperous than White Horse City. Although it lacks convenient transportation, its historical accumulation is among the few in the entire south. Many deeds no longer need to be mentioned; in the center of this city, there still hangs the skull of a red dragon, which has long since become just a skeleton. The adventurers who founded White Horse City killed an evil red dragon here, and the wealth from the giant dragon supported them in expanding the influence of White Horse City, ultimately making it the trade hub of the southwest.
North of the City Hall is a luxurious old house.
The former owner was said to be a baron, but unfortunately, he contracted a strange illness and passed away not long after. The old house changed hands several times before welcoming a new owner.
It is said that she is a widowed noblewoman who once caused quite a stir in White Horse City because of her beauty and wealth. Unfortunately, this widowed noblewoman lives in seclusion and has no interest in any noble banquets, even rarely mingling with other nobles. So gradually she was also excluded from the noble circle, with only her servants seen driving her to the estate outside the city every so often.
This widowed noblewoman is incredibly rich!
She not only bought several of the busiest shops in White Horse City, but she also owns a vast estate outside the city.
Of course.
Her background is said to be quite solid; otherwise, a mere noblewoman couldn’t possibly maintain such immense wealth.
The mysterious Merchant Caravan Mistress has arrived here.
The servants who had been waiting for a long time respectfully greeted her arrival. A maid took off her shawl and then led her to a large room.
Soft goose down carpets covered the ground; this high-quality alchemical textile is sought after by many lower nobility, yet now it seemed as if cheap fabric was spread throughout the entire room. A stunning woman was lying casually on a wide ebony rocking chair, reading a book. Her long black hair fall loosely behind her, and she wore a pure white nightgown, the collar slightly open, revealing a lush and full bosom.
“Mother.”
The Merchant Caravan Mistress slightly leaned forward and slowly said, “I have brought you what you asked for.”
“I can’t understand.”
“Why is it necessary for me to personally deliver a single Unpredictable Card? You should know that I am currently engaged in some very important research.”
The enchanting woman casually stood up.
The nightgown she wore slipped down a little, but she showed no interest in adjusting it, seemingly unconcerned about revealing her beautiful figure in front of her daughter. She chuckled lightly and teased, “Gloria.”
“Have you not noticed its special properties until now?”
“It is not just an Unpredictable Card.”
“But rather the pinnacle of an era’s alchemical achievement—the Fate Card!”
This is a Northern Witch.
The witch’s age cannot be judged by her appearance; she stepped in front of the Merchant Caravan Mistress, reached out for a black metal box, and slowly said, “The idiots of the Witch Council have had it for so long, yet they still have not made any discoveries.”
“It should have been given to me long ago.”
The fair fingers opened the box, and the enchanting woman gently caressed a mysterious card stored inside, her eyes sparkling with strange brilliance.
“Fate Card.”
“Legend says it is the key to becoming a Destiny Bearer!”
The card in the enchanting woman’s hand vanished into thin air, a storage spell commonly used by high-level wizards, creating a small pocket dimension.
“My dear daughter.”
The enchanting woman languidly lay down on the soft bed, playfully toying with her long hair, and casually asked, “Did you encounter anything interesting during this journey?”
“Since being imprisoned in this cage, I have not encountered anything of interest for a long time.”
“I really want to leave like this.”
The Merchant Caravan Mistress furrowed her brows slightly, looked seriously at the woman in front of her, and slowly said, “Mother.”
“Please do not forget that you are still under the council’s exile punishment.”
“Because of the forbidden experiments you conducted at the Root of the Deadwood, the area within a fifty-kilometer radius has already become a land of d*ath!”
“If it weren’t for the council paying a price to bargain.”
“The Northern Druid Order would have long begun pursuing you, and your outcome would be nothing less than a natural judgement.”
The enchanting woman giggled, mischievously shrugging her shoulders like a young girl, yet her expression became somewhat sinister and said, “Gloria.”
“It was just a small accident that occurred during an interesting experiment.”
“Those stubborn Druids are really inflexible!”
The expression of the Merchant Caravan Mistress became serious, and she said earnestly, “Mother.”
“The elemental energy from the Root of the Deadwood running amok has caused terrifying destruction; the geological structure there has been completely changed, the intensity of energy radiation has reached Class A, and the energy permeation from the elemental planes is severe; it will probably not sustain any life for the next 500 years!”
“Isn’t this just a small accident in your words?”
“If it weren’t for His Highness the Eye of the North personally going to apologize, I fear that the legendary shapeshifter hiding in the Ice and Snow Mountains would have also personally taken action against you!”
The enchanting woman’s smile immediately froze, her expression struggling a bit as she said, “He’s just a guy who can turn into a dragon but can’t use Dragon Breath.”
“I’m not afraid… I’m not afraid of him…”
The Merchant Caravan Mistress revealed a rare smile on her face, seemingly enjoying her mother’s embarrassed expression, and slowly said, “Mother.”
“A fifty-year exile punishment is not considered severe.”
“Moreover, you are not truly imprisoned; His Highness the Eye of the North still favors your talent! But once you leave without the Druids knowing, they have the right to carry out a natural judgement on you!”
“At that time, even His Highness the Eye of the North will not be able to save you.”
“The Druid Order is still troubled by balancing the energy of the Root of the Deadwood, and the Witch Council has even sent twelve high-level witches to assist; their anger has been accumulating for a long time.”
“There has been significant resentment within the council regarding dealing with the mess you left behind!”
Finally, a hint of strain appeared on the enchanting woman’s face; her long eyebrows knitted together as she sternly said, “Enough.”
“Those antiquated fellows don’t understand how significant my experiments are.”
“If successful!”
“I could open a new era.”
The Merchant Caravan Mistress glanced at her and did not back down but retorted, “Mother.”
“However, your experiment has failed.”
“So you must bear the consequences of your actions.”
It was as if a powder keg had exploded.
The enchanting woman became infuriated, her eyebrows flaring as she threw the book in her hand to the ground, dissatisfied and said, “Enough!”
“Is this how you speak to your mother?”
The expression of the Merchant Caravan Mistress finally softened a bit, and she bent down to pick up the book, softly saying, “Mother.”
“I respect you and admire you.”
“But that does not change my position as a witch!”
“You once told me.”
“When our powers cannot solve problems, belief is our last trump card.”
The enchanting woman let out a gentle sigh, tiredly waved her hand and said, “You may go out.”
The Merchant Caravan Mistress hesitated a moment, then slowly said, “On the way here, I did encounter some interesting things.”
“If you want to hear, I can tell you about it.”
The enchanting woman looked at her, then showed an expression of eager anticipation.
Although nominally restricted to the vicinity of White Horse City, she has been under constant secret surveillance; her range of movement is limited to her residence and the estate outside, only going to the estate while handling Witch Council tasks. Any unusual behavior on her part would elicit annoying warnings and could lead to more serious exile. The Northern Druid Order has marked her as a highly dangerous target, and almost the entire world’s Druid organizations know her name. Since her banishment to White Horse City, several elven druids have been secretly monitoring her every move.
The Merchant Caravan Mistress organized her words and slowly said, “On my way here, I met two interesting people.”
“A man and a little girl.”
“They are siblings.”
“The man is actually quite ordinary, just a skilled Wanderer.”
“However, I later found out he is also somewhat unusual because his soul is weaker than that of an ordinary person. If he has not made a deal with a Demon, then he must have suffered a severe soul injury at some point.”
“If it’s the former, he should have the aura of the Abyss; if it’s the latter, he would be barely alive.”
The enchanting woman’s interest piqued at this, and she suddenly interrupted, “My dear daughter.”
“Then why didn’t you k*ll him?”
“As long as you confine his soul, you should be able to understand, right?”
The Merchant Caravan Mistress wore a somewhat unpleasant expression, took a deep breath, and said solemnly, “Mother, this is merely a bit of curiosity; it should not justify taking a person’s life.”
The enchanting woman shrugged indifferently, saying, “Maybe that person’s soul is very valuable?”
“Alright.”
“You continue.”
The Merchant Caravan Mistress sighed inwardly, seeming helpless regarding her mother, and continued, “What truly surprised me was that little girl.”
“She is very special.”
“Although I find it hard to articulate her uniqueness, her talent is indeed astonishing. If it weren’t for the absence of any divine power within her, I might even think she is a legendary god.”
“Unfortunately, they are full of vigilance.”
“They seem very cautious of anyone, and I find it difficult to learn more from them!”
The enchanting woman showed a dismissive expression, her eyes glinting with a hint of meaning as she said, “Pedantic.”
“In such situations, a charm spell to allure humans can solve it. If the other party’s will is very strong, consider casting a frenzy charm.”
“Why make it so complicated?”
The Merchant Caravan Mistress frowned again and said slowly, “The power of spells should not be misused.”
“Moreover, they are not evil people.”
“I can sense the deep bond between them; sometimes I even feel quite envious.”
“By remembering one’s limits, one can avoid losing their direction on the path to power.”
The enchanting woman scoffed, pulling her slipped nightgown back up to cover her bosom and said teasingly, “My dear daughter.”
“Your stance seems to have strayed from what the witches adhere to. If I didn’t know better, I would think you are one of those obstinate Paladins!”
The Merchant Caravan Mistress seemed uninterested in continuing the conversation and turned to leave, saying, “Mother.”
“I am just remembering my limits.”
“Rather, you should reflect on yourself; you are far too reckless regarding many matters.”
