We agreed to set sail, so you'd become the ruler of the deep sea?

Chapter 248 The Past of the Lord of Cinder

Shaen felt both curious and unfamiliar with this "City of Giant Trees" that existed only in the past.

Some things in the city have the beginnings of emerging technologies, but they haven't yet broken free from the framework of the old era, making them look somewhat incongruous.

But this is enough to show...

The technology of the City of Giant Trees has taken a big step forward.

However, what surprised Xia En the most was the vibrant energy in this city!
The elves' faces were filled with pride and confidence as they walked with long strides and their heads held high.

In the eyes of foreign tourists, a subtle sense of pilgrimage emerges.

Even the lowest-ranking elven commoners would smile with pride when they looked up and saw the Elven Mother Tree.

It's as if everyone believes that everything will turn out for the better.

To be more specific, this may be what is known as "cultural confidence" and "racial confidence".

And the Elven race does indeed have things to be proud of.

They are born with the wondrous language of Elvish, live long lives, and are generally handsome, truly the darlings of the heavens.

Moreover, despite being already advanced and powerful, the elves did not become complacent; instead, they interacted with other races and kingdoms, learning their emerging technologies.

This is truly remarkable.

Throughout history, empires that became powerful but then became conservative and eventually declined and decayed have never been isolated cases.

"The Holy See is a very beautiful city, isn't it?"

Seeing the admiration on their faces, the pretty elf Coco exclaimed with pride.

"Actually, the Holy Court wasn't like this a few years ago."

"It was only after Her Majesty the Queen came to this city that earth-shattering changes occurred here."

Hearing this, Xia En was somewhat surprised.

Wasn't Her Majesty the Queen originally a native of the City of Giant Trees?

Elves, being long-lived species, should naturally be relatively exclusive.

The fact that an outsider successfully became the queen of this country undoubtedly adds to its legendary status.

Xia En was eager to extract some more information from Coco.

But then, Coco pointed to an area not far away and said, "That's the temporary accommodation area for tourists from the Kingdom of Turin."

"I still have patrol duties to perform, you can walk over on your own."

The layout of the [City of Giant Trees] at this moment is actually somewhat similar to the Olympic Village on Earth.

By concentrating the envoys from various kingdoms in one area, unified management could be facilitated.

Edward looked at Shane and asked, "Gentlemen, you don't seem to have a place to stay yet, do you?"

"I just happened to have booked a few rooms in advance. If you don't mind, why don't you stay at my place?"

"This will also allow me to express my gratitude."

Shaen was indeed unfamiliar with the current [Giant Wood City], so having an acquaintance to look after him would be a good thing.

Otherwise, the issue of their identities alone would have caused them a great deal of trouble.

Xia En did not refuse and nodded, saying, "Then I'll trouble you."

Led by Edward, the group soon officially entered the city.

Stepping into the city firsthand, Xia Encai truly experienced its vibrancy and prosperity.

Perhaps because the "Great Assembly of Nations" is about to be held, there are a large number of other races in the [City of Giant Trees].

Demi-humans, elves, dwarves, half-dragons... all sorts of races are mixed together, creating a rich exotic atmosphere, like a big hodgepodge.

The sounds of cars, pedestrians, and people travel through the streets, bringing vibrant life and energy.

Something to say.

The current situation in the City of Giant Trees is somewhat similar to the situation on Silvermoon Island when the Night of the Blood Moon was approaching.

This once-in-a-lifetime event attracted countless tourists from abroad.

However, the current World Assembly is far more lively, influential, and large-scale than the original Silver Moon Island Assembly.

"I wonder if Lyra is in [Giantwood City] right now?"

Xia En's gaze swept across the crowd as he pondered.

His obsession with traveling back in time stemmed partly from his desire to understand the reasons behind this kind of time travel.

Another obsession, of course, is with the elven girl Lyra.

This wasn't due to any romantic feelings between a man and a woman.

—Shane and Lyra only spent less than a day together, so it's unrealistic to say they had romantic feelings for each other.

But Lyra did leave a deep impression on him.

Given their previous agreement, Xia En couldn't help but want to know how she was doing and see her again.

That's why Xia En was observing the pedestrians around him, hoping to try his luck.

After all, he didn't have any other good way to quickly find the other party.

However, the City of Giant Trees is so vast that this method of searching is undoubtedly like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Edward, standing beside him, clearly misunderstood Shane's intentions and enthusiastically introduced him to the delegations from different kingdoms.

“Those people over there wearing blue pointed hats are from the Blue Eagle Kingdom.”

“They are several countries away from our Kingdom of Turin, but they are good allies.”

The people of the Blue Eagle Kingdom generally have high-bridged noses, blue pupils, and distinctive blue pointed hats.

They did not flinch at Xia En and the others' gazes; instead, they smiled and waved to the group, behaving politely.

Soon, Xia En also saw some pedestrians with black hair and black eyes.

They are somewhat similar to the Chinese people of their previous life.

Edward explained, "Those are Sukuri people."

"It is said that they live on a continent further east, where their national strength is very powerful."

"However, the Kingdom of Su is separated from our Kingdom by a vast ocean, and we know very little about them."

"Some bards say that the continent is covered with gold and diamonds, and even the air smells sweet!"

Xia En's lips twitched slightly.

This was the first time he had ever heard of such a country in the world.

After the Great Flood, people of different races lived together and their bloodlines continued to intermingle. In fact, the characteristics of the East and West were mixed together, presenting a state of mutual inclusion.

Take Feiya for example. He also has black hair and black eyes, but his facial features are more Western in appearance.

Edward then introduced several kingdoms to Shane, broadening his horizons.

We also gained a more realistic understanding of the numerous kingdoms of this era.

Suddenly, Xia En saw a group of people surrounding a five- or six-year-old girl as they crossed the street.

Judging from the girl's gorgeous and exquisite attire, she must be of very noble status.

However, that wasn't what Xia En really cared about.

Instead, their ranks had a uniquely styled flag with a design he had seen many times before.

"That is……"

Edward looked in the direction of Shane's gaze and said uncertainly.

"That looks like an envoy from the Kingdom of Shuddon, doesn't it?"

"That little girl must be King Sutherland's youngest daughter, who has always been very much loved."

At this point, Edward seemed to recall his own experience, and a hint of envy appeared in his eyes.

King Sutherland's daughter...

Xia En frowned sharply.

He still remembered that when he defeated the Kingdom of Shudon, a girl's face appeared on their chest.

Could this little girl be the princess who became one with the king?

Realizing this, Xia En was immediately horrified. If this were true, judging from the princess's age, could it be that only about ten years remained before the great flood arrived?!
"calm down……"

Xia En took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.

That may not be the case.

Perhaps several generations of Kings of Southorn had a little daughter?
There is no evidence to prove that this girl is the princess he met.

Moreover, Xia En discovered, to his dismay, that...

Even if that's true, what can I do?
Although he had a feeling that his time travel this time might take longer than the last one.

But can one person alone prevent the great flood from coming?
The coming of the great flood is now a foregone conclusion.

It seems that all Shane can do is remind the kingdoms participating in the tournament to prepare in advance.

Even so, such unfounded predictions would probably be regarded as nonsensical ravings.

"call……"

Xia En let out a long breath.

Looking at the magnificent scene before him, he no longer felt the admiration he had just experienced; all that remained was an overwhelming sense of heaviness.

Edward keenly noticed the change in Shane's emotions, but unaware of the reason behind it, he cautiously asked.

"Mr. Shane, do you have a grudge against the Kingdom of Shudon?"

Xia En shook his head with a wry smile and said, "No."

"If I had to say, it would be the Kingdom of Shudon that has been kind to me."

His initial travels in the Coral City provided Shane with some initial capital, marking the starting point for his formal rise to power.

Edward was even more puzzled: "Then why?"

Xia En shook his head, unwilling to say anything more.

at this time.

Yan Yan, who had been silent all along, suddenly stopped and looked in one direction of the street.

"Hmm? Yan Yan?"

Xia En turned his head to look.

In that neighborhood, a group of people wearing red and black robes and hoods were walking towards their homes.

That group was small in number, but their imposing presence gave off a sense of hidden danger.

Shaun asked Edward in a low voice.

"...Who are they?"

As a prince, Edward received a noble education from a young age and became very knowledgeable.

But when faced with this group of mysterious robed figures, he still pondered for a moment before speaking.

"If I'm not mistaken, they are the Blackflame Walkers from the far north."

"The far north, the [Black Flame Walker]?"

These two words instantly piqued Xia En's interest.

Especially given that Yan Yan reacted uniquely to these people.

"I don't know much about the Blackflame Walker either."

Edward continued, "Their status is equivalent to that of the Knights of the Round Table in the Kingdom of Turin; they are the king's most trusted and loyal subordinates."

"And the one to whom the Black Flame Walker is loyal is a king named 'Xin'."

Xia En's heart skipped a beat.

薪？
Lord of Cinder!?
In other words, the Blackflame Walker is a subordinate of the Lord of Cinder?
However, in this era, the Lord of Cinder's reputation had not yet reached the level of worldwide fame that would follow in later generations.

Therefore, Edward's tone was not entirely certain.

"This Xin rose to fame at a young age, renowned in his own country for his mysterious and powerful fire control abilities."

“He was capable and ambitious, and originally wanted to climb to the highest position in his country step by step.”

"But in the end, all their efforts were in vain, and they were eventually expelled from their original country and banished to the bitterly cold lands of the far north."

Edward then changed the subject, saying, "However, Xin did not become discouraged because of this; on the contrary, he gathered a group of local residents in the far north."

"He and the exiled prisoners established a new country, which they named Great Yan."

"After that, Xin continued to expand his territory and subjugate the common people."

"Nowadays, the Great Yan has become one of the most powerful countries in the world."

As he spoke of the later events, Edward's expression clearly showed deep envy and admiration.

Such legendary deeds are indeed enough to captivate and enthrall young people.

This was the first time Shane had learned that the King of Cinder had such a past, and he couldn't help but marvel at it.

But he soon thought of something else—

Now that the Blackflame Walker has arrived in the City of Giantwood, does that mean that the Lord of Cinder is also in this city at this time?

Thinking of this, Xia En's heart began to pound.

He had met Augustine several times and witnessed the charisma of the pirate king.

It's hard not to be curious about this King of Cinder, who is on par with Augustine.

Not to mention, Shane had come into contact with the [Treasure of the Lord of Cinder] several times.

However, Edward immediately poured cold water on his enthusiasm.

"It's highly likely that the Lord of Cinder did not attend this World Congress."

"He's currently at war with his neighbor, so he only sent out these [Black Flame Walkers], right?"

Upon hearing this, Xia En couldn't help but feel a little regretful.

He glanced out of the corner of his eye and noticed that Yan Yan was still staring intently at the back of the [Black Flame Walker], and immediately suppressed his distracting thoughts.

It is known that Yan Yan may have some profound connection with the Lord of Cinder.

Therefore, it is only natural that he would recognize these [Black Flame Walkers].

Xia En approached Yan Yan and whispered, "Why don't we go talk to them? Maybe... we can recover some of our past memories?"

After thinking for a long time, Yan Yan took a step forward, but then retreated.

For some reason, he had a complex feeling towards those people in red and black robes.

It evokes both nostalgia and affection, yet also guilt and fear.

That's the reason he hesitated.

Yan Yan suspected that once he took this step, there might be no turning back.

That inexplicable sense of fear ultimately made him suppress his impulse.

Yan Yan shook his head at Xia En: "Captain, let's go for a walk."

Seeing this, Xia En stopped trying to persuade him.

……

……

It didn't take long.

The group then arrived at a tall and magnificent treehouse.

This building clearly blends the styles of elves and other races, creating a unique and harmonious beauty.

There were two pretty elf ladies standing at the entrance, a sight to behold.

Xia En was quite satisfied with what he saw.

But then Edward whispered, "Mr. Shane, not here, it's this way..."

Xia En turned his head and saw a low, shabby wooden house opposite the tall treehouse.

With a creak, the beam above the wooden house tilted and almost fell down.

Shane: "..."

(End of this chapter)