On the Road

Lady Celine wouldn't allow Balock to accompany her solely based on his impressive strength. Balock also didn't naively believe he would immediately gain Lady Celine's trust. As Sara departed to prepare for her journey to the capital, they engaged in a candid conversation.

Before their discussion, Balock pulled out a small, fiery-red creature from his pocket. Facing Lady Celine's delighted expression, he smiled and said, "I was fortunate to come across this little fellow when leaving the Timberlands. I thought you might like it."

"Oh my! Lady Celine carefully accepted the shivering little squirrel, her face brimming with excitement. She wished she could hug the young orc in gratitude. Claire... you won't have any regrets now!

"Lady Celine, although I'm entrusting this green arrow squirrel to you, I hope you will treat it kindly and not disclose where it was found," Balock gently requested. He feared that if profit-minded human merchants learned of the existence of green arrow squirrels in the Timberlands, it would spell disaster for the indigenous tribes. The memory of his tribe's destruction served as a haunting reminder.

"Balock, you surely understand the value of this little creature, don't you?" Lady Celine slightly scolded Balock with a glance. "In the capital, people believe green arrow squirrels are extinct. Even if someone offered five hundred gold coins, they couldn't purchase one. Do you think anyone would mistreat this adorable creature? And... Claire won't have the green arrow squirrel for much longer..." Her expression darkened, exuding profound sadness. "I leave this time, and apart from the librarian Zakari at the academy, no one knows what I intend to do. When... when the time comes, I will send this little one back to the Timberlands."

The atmosphere grew heavy, prompting Balock to change the subject. "Lady Celine, you must surely have some doubts about me. I believe we should have a frank discussion. I'm ready for any questions you might have."

"Very well, you probably have many secrets, but I'm not interested in prying. I just want to know, what do you aim to achieve by following me? Frostwolf orcs are rare in Paddington, and I don't think you'd enter the city without a purpose." Although still toying with the squirrel, Lady Celine had become calm and astute. The topic involved two races, and despite the orcs' weakened state and constant human oppression, it didn't mean humans would lower their guard.

"I harbor no ill intentions," Balock straightforwardly replied (even though he didn't quite believe it himself). "Moreover, I'm not from the Frostwolf tribe in the northern tundra. You've been here for a while; you must have heard about what happened on the Gravel Wastes?"

"Are you from the orc tribe destroyed on the Gravel Wastes?" Lady Celine exclaimed in surprise. "But... with the strength you've displayed, those mercenary and adventurer slave hunters couldn't pose much of a threat to you, could they?"

"Sorry, I don't want to go into the details of that tragedy. I'm still trying to heal," Balock's voice grew somber. Every time he recalled the gruesome scene, he had to suppress his emotions forcefully. "What I want to tell you is, I've received some information. Some of my remaining tribesmen may have been sold to the gladiator arena in Paddington. I want to rescue them. And as an orc without a recognized background, I can't freely enter and exit a human city. So, I need your identity as a cover."

"Do you believe me? Remember, I'm human. Why do you think I'd help you?" Lady Celine suddenly asked, her gaze fixed on Balock's eyes.

"Because..." Balock said calmly, "I am an orc shaman. Despite the unmatched strength of human mages, orc shamans possess unparalleled understanding of souls and nature. Even the druids, who claim to be friends of nature, can't compare. Claire's illness, I believe, is where I can be of assistance!"

Lady Celine rose abruptly, her fair face flushed with excitement, showing an uncharacteristic lack of composure. "You're an orc shaman? That's impossible; you're too... young!" She was well aware of what an orc shaman meant to Claire!

"Balock, I can assure you, as long as you can cure Claire, you won't need me to persuade the king. He will fulfill your wish. If your tribesmen are truly in the gladiator arena in the capital, then they will surely gain their freedom." Lady Celine promised Balock very straightforwardly, even eagerly, almost wishing to set off immediately to return to the capital.

Miss Sara finally finished packing her luggage, her personal maid, Livia, would accompany her to the capital, and Baron Milo prepared a spacious carriage. Servants carried the baron out of his room, and after embracing his reluctant daughter, he instructed Livia to take good care of Miss Sara. Then the three women boarded the carriage, accompanied by two guards, and set off slowly.

Baron Milo gave Balock a horse for transportation. Before mounting the horse, Balock suddenly whispered to the baron, "Lord Milo, the people of Liquor City... might never return. You may want to make some preparations, perhaps there will be some gains." Then he mounted the horse and chased after the carriage, followed by a goofy-looking mutt trotting behind, tongue lolling out, surprisingly keeping pace without being left behind.

A shiver ran through Baron Milo's heart, an indescribable feeling swirling in his mind. He could sense the implication in Balock's words... It was likely that the father and son, Julian, would not return!

Of course, Milo was a good man, but he wasn't a fool. If what Balock said was true, the Liquor City was essentially ownerless now. With the Red River Valley territory so close to Liquor City, a little bribery with the governor could easily allow him to annex it...!

"The Kingdom of Paddington could only be considered an ordinary human kingdom, relatively remote to the west within the territories occupied by humans. In the entirety of the Sorren Continent, it was somewhat out of the way. Even the Paddingtonians themselves had to admit that they were far from the bustling centers of human civilization, seen as rustic bumpkins by the empires or kingdoms in those central regions!

But that was all relative. Despite appearing barren and backward, they were much more prosperous than any orc tribe. Along the way, apart from desolate wilderness and dense forests, they passed through several cities, far more prosperous than Red River Valley Town. Lady Celine was somewhat disappointed; she couldn't see any awe or amazement on Balock's face. This young orc remained as indifferent or aloof as ever, as if he were accustomed to towering city walls and bustling markets.

Balock wouldn't explain the scenes of steel jungles and mega-cities with hundreds of thousands or millions of inhabitants from another soul's memories. Why marvel when the entirety of the Kingdom of Paddington didn't have that many people?

Of course, Balock also had his points of interest. His memory was exceptional, and he remembered everything he saw along the way, whether it was the layout and defenses of the cities, the distribution of troops in each castle, the strength of the guards, the power and family influence of the city lord or regional governor, or even the scale of commerce or agriculture in a town, or the sewerage and drainage facilities of a castle. He observed carefully or pretended to be curious, asking Lady Celine about them. It wasn't that he wanted to conquer; he was just being prepared. Because human cities had commonalities, and through the particulars, he could roughly estimate the strength of the entire Kingdom of Paddington.

Balock found it strange how he had this peculiar ability. After all, even in the memories of another soul, he had never learned these things. Unable to solve the puzzle, he could only attribute it to the fusion of his two souls, granting him an intellect and wisdom far beyond that of ordinary people!

Lady Celine and Sara were both eager to arrive in Padia. Their attention was either on the cute green arrow squirrel or urging the coachman to keep moving, so they didn't notice anything unusual about Balock. They had no idea that, from the Red River Valley Castle all the way here, Balock's mind had already formed a clear and profound mental map.

"Hehe, even if the rescue mission in Padia fails, there should still be a way out, right?"

Finally, as they stepped onto a vast plain and a distant city appeared before their eyes, Balock showed a faint smile, filled with anticipation, murmuring to himself."