Chapter 20: Prelude

"Laiseman?" Veeka, while pouring wine, ran her fingers over her lower lip, her eyes fixed on the apprentice mage sitting opposite her. "You're going to Laiseman?"

"Yes," Penny nodded, a hint of weariness in his expression. "So, I thought I'd drop by."

The distance between Laiseman and the Sael Mountains was vast.

For the Red Robes of Sael, Laiseman had long been a formidable adversary. This northern nation, with a population less than an eighth of Sael's, had drawn the majority of Sael's animosity since its inception. Sael's hatred towards Laiseman far surpassed that towards Moorholme, who always harbored thoughts of reclaiming their lost territory when they were driven away. Then there was Agoralon, the Storm Queen, who had been locked in a struggle with the Red Robes for centuries.

Even in the relatively peaceful modern era, while conflicts had ceased between Sael and most surrounding regions, the tension between Sael and Laiseman had never abated, with border clashes persisting unabated.

The origins of the story were complex but not overly convoluted.

In history, there was a period when Laiseman and Sael were part of the same country.

Now, more than four hundred years had passed since the year 934. At that time, the Red Robes had only recently split from Moorholme, and their reputation wasn't as tarnished as it was now. There still existed a belief in the benevolent deities within their ranks.

In that year, for reasons not recorded in history, Sael launched an invasion into the Laiseman region. How could the primitive Laiseman, at that time, be a match for the Red Robes? Sael quickly occupied most of the region. However, soon after, the Red Robes began to wrestle with the question of how to effectively rule over the native berserker tribes of Laiseman.

These berserkers, born in the icy northern lands, had long fought against the harsh natural environment and various monsters. They had also endured a lengthy struggle against the orcs and emerged victorious against all odds. Though not highly civilized, they were wild and untamed by nature, full of primal strength. Refusing to submit to the invaders they viewed as Saelians, conflicts erupted between the two sides from the very beginning of the Red Robes' reign in the region.

To address this issue, the Red Robes proposed various solutions, ultimately dividing into two factions: the prevailing view among the Red Robes at the time was to eradicate the entire berserker tribes of Laiseman to gain absolute control, thereby allowing for the exploitation of the region's resources; while another faction, led by the high-ranking witch Yemilma, suggested granting autonomy to the berserker tribes, minimizing the influence of the mage council in the region through gentler means.

Internal disputes gradually escalated, while external conflicts between the berserker tribes and the Red Robes intensified. After countless overt or covert political struggles, the inevitable happened, much like a common trope in history: the Red Robes Mage Council split, and war inevitably erupted.

As a result of this war, the Kingdom of Laiseman emerged in the north of the Eastern Wastelands, and a new organization called the "Laiseman Coven" appeared in Feren, enjoying high status in Laiseman. The Red Robes mages of Sael completely abandoned their faith in the benevolent deities.

Yemilma, now the name of the capital of the Kingdom of Laiseman.

Therefore, it is not difficult to understand why the Red Robes harbor such deep hatred towards the people of Laiseman, to the point where all internal documentation of the Red Robes contains strong biases against Laiseman. The descriptions often include words like "filthy," "barbaric," and "traitorous." Such information makes it difficult for Penny to form an objective understanding of Laiseman.

Considering his upcoming tasks, he felt it necessary to conduct some investigative work and consultations. The best way to do this would be to find someone familiar to inquire from.

After much consideration, he could only resort to seeking aid in Dehumi.

It's rather embarrassing to admit that Penny Sean's social circle in Sael was astonishingly limited. Upon reflection, the only ones he could converse with were Mr. and Miss Janhuashi, along with the landlady before him.

Considering Vica's background in merchant society and her extensive knowledge, perhaps she could offer assistance. Thus, Penny rode for over a dozen hours from the foothills of Sael to return to the Black Horse and Moon Tavern.

"It's hard to imagine a wizard with a full-fledged Sael accent being welcomed there in Laiseman," Vica sighed. "You need to come up with a disguise."

"I've been thinking the same, but I can't come up with a good solution. Can you help me?" Penny hesitated for a moment, then decided to seek help, though it was difficult to ask. He believed that the landlady, who seemed quite intimate with him, probably wouldn't refuse.

Although he wasn't sure of the reason behind this intimacy, he could feel Vica's sincerity in her demeanor towards him. He held a favorable opinion of this beautiful lady and was willing to heed her advice.

"I'll think about it," Vica furrowed her brow. "Give me a few days to come up with a plan."

"Alright." Penny nodded, sensing Vica's sincerity in her tone. He glanced around. "Where's Hikol?"

"Ah, so you finally remembered to ask about her," Vica sighed, touching her forehead. "Hikol is about to go crazy from missing you."

Penny scratched his head, feeling somewhat awkward.

"She's upstairs sleeping," he replied.

Penny pondered for a moment, then started to walk upstairs. However, he was halted by Vica grabbing his arm. "Wait, are you going up like this?" she asked.

"What's wrong?" Penny turned back, puzzled.

"It's common sense not to enter a lady's chamber wearing dirty clothes," Vica wrinkled her nose.

Penny glanced down at his attire. Indeed, after riding for over ten hours through the rugged terrain of the Sael Plateau, his clothes were covered in dust and carried a hint of sweat, hardly suitable for meeting anyone.

"Come," Vica pulled Penny into a small cottage in the backyard. Inside, a stone bathtub brimmed with water, emitting steam. Vica slapped Penny lightly on the shoulder. "Undress."

Penny's head suddenly felt muddled. He turned to Vica, "You..."

"Hehe, are you feeling shy?" Vica chuckled, covering her mouth. After a moment of confusion, Penny calmed down. He wasn't a naive fledgling, and since Vica seemed unfazed, why should he be? He promptly stripped off his clothes and submerged himself in the warm water. The fatigue from his long journey seemed to dissipate instantly as he let out a long sigh.

Detecting a faint fragrance in the water, Penny glanced at Vica, who remained composed. Suddenly, he realized that this might be her personal sanctuary, perhaps even bearing traces of her bathing. His body warmed slightly at the thought, and his mind began to wander.

Suddenly, he felt a warm sensation behind him as a gentle hand massaged his neck. A tingling sensation shot from the point of contact to his heart and then swiftly spread to his loins. Turning around, he saw Vica sitting by the edge of the pool, her hand caressing his neck and back, her gaze fixed on the distance, seemingly lost in thought.

As if sensing the gaze of youth, Vica turned to Penny with a smile. Her eyes glanced from his head to his feet, pausing at a certain spot, narrowing as she smiled. Leaning forward, she embraced Penny's neck. "Ha, so you're no longer a child. On our first meeting, you dared to feign innocence to deceive me?"

Penny felt the softness behind his neck and became momentarily dizzy, managing only a dry laugh.

"You're not a good child," Vica scolded, pinching Penny's nose in irritation.

"Cough!" Penny coughed. "I was never a child in the first place."

"Some people always emphasize that they're not children, but when do they ever truly grow up?" Vica sighed, her expression tinged with melancholy. "When they do grow up, they start wishing they were children again, just like I'm already old..."

Sensing Vica's odd tone, Penny didn't know what to say. After a long pause, he looked into Vica's eyes, where he suddenly saw a hint of fire. "Actually, experiencing the feeling of youth is quite easy."

"The feeling of youth?" Vica looked at Penny with some confusion, when suddenly her lips felt a surge of warmth as they were gently kissed by the young man before her. She let out a soft moan as she felt a hand slip into her chest, sending a rush of warmth throughout her body.

"I did mention that earlier," Penny smiled somewhat immodestly.

"Do you know? When I left home, a somewhat eccentric old man stopped me and said a few words," Vica said with a smile. "He claimed that someone from Sael would purchase the destiny of my remaining years with five gold coins."

"But I never expected that the one fulfilling the prophecy would be such an intriguing young lad," Vica kissed Penny's cheek, donning a bathrobe, and somewhat awkwardly exited the bathroom.

"Destiny?" Penny pondered quietly in the bath. Could there truly be divination capable of foreseeing future events? He was not entirely convinced, but the precision of the prophecy gave him a sense of being targeted. However, this doubt was quickly dispelled. The operation of the multiverse was under the surveillance of countless superior beings, and his power was still too feeble. There was simply no need to ponder such profound questions.

An unexpected joy lifted Penny's spirits considerably. However, when he emerged from the bath to face Hikole's enthusiastic welcome, this feeling was replaced by a sense of discomfort and unease, especially as the enchanting landlady continued to gaze at him with an extremely ambiguous look...