Return Voyage 1

Translator: Cinder Translations

...

Recently, several major events occurred in Niceport, the capital of the Angle Bay Alliance.

Firstly, Baroness Fanny, the sister-in-law of the Duke of Eaton, who was visiting from the Grand Duchy of Eaton, was kidnapped. This nearly caused the collapse of the agreements already negotiated between the Angle Bay Alliance and the Eaton Manor. Fortunately, the abductors were intercepted by the royal guards of Eaton when they attempted to leave Niceport, rescuing Baroness Fanny who had been kidnapped for several days. Negotiations between the two countries were able to continue, though the identity of the abductors remains a mystery, as Eaton has not disclosed any information to the public.

Then there was the incident of the wolf howling that night. In the middle of the night, the wolf pack in the forest outside the city suddenly began howling collectively, reminiscent of ancient legends from a hundred years ago. Adults began using this incident to scare children, warning them that they might be carried away by wolves if they misbehaved. Fortunately, the wolf pups only howled a couple of times and did not attack human villages as described in the legends.

However, some unlucky individuals fell victim. Several pedestrians traveling late at night and their horses were attacked by wolves, leaving only skeletons behind after being torn apart. Judging from the remaining clothing and armor, they appeared to be knights of the church. Large-scale wolf activity was discovered in the vicinity of their location.

To reassure the fearful residents and travelers, both the municipal hall and the church issued bounty tasks, summoning adventurers to hunt wolves outside the city. Adventurers from all over gathered in Niceport, and the wolves outside the city were in for trouble.

Another major event was the Angle Bay Alliance's invitation to many countries in the region to send their rulers to Niceport for a multinational conference. During the conference, a series of political and economic cooperation agreements will be reached, and preparations for the grand event are currently underway.

Quill distinctly felt that his father's smile had become more frequent recently.

Marquis Foster was naturally delighted. The Duke of Eaton's sister-in-law had been found, and initially, the Council was concerned that the Grand Duke's family might leave abruptly. However, it turned out to be unnecessary worry. The Grand Duke of Eaton continued to stay in Niceport for negotiations with the Council, and plans were made for Eaton to attend the upcoming multinational conference.

Of particular importance, the Grand Duke of Eaton developed a strong dislike for the church. Previously hesitant and indecisive about cooperation between the two countries against the church, during the new round of negotiations, the Grand Duke openly berated the church. In the meeting, he revealed two points: that the church was behind the kidnapping of his sister-in-law, and that the Angle Bay Alliance's plan to unite various countries to resist the church had apparently been leaked. However, he was not yet prepared to join the alliance, and the church had resorted to such despicable means against him.

Enraged by his youthful pride, the Grand Duke of Eaton decided without hesitation to stand on the side of the alliance and prepared to persuade the rulers of various countries to resist the church during the upcoming multinational conference.

However, for various reasons, the Grand Duchy of Eaton has not yet publicly disclosed that the church is the mastermind behind the kidnapping case.

Members of the Alliance Council were ecstatic. The church had indeed shot itself in the foot. If the plan was leaked, so be it; the escalating tensions between the two sides were already semi-public knowledge.

With less pressure on official matters, Marquis Foster began to focus on his family's private affairs. He even found time to meet with Quik and several representatives of businessmen, praising various products from the northwest and expressing hopes for further cooperation in the future.

Several business representatives were pleasantly surprised. It was their first time meeting a noble of such high status, even though in Angle Bay, anyone with money could obtain a noble title to play around with. This time, they were received by a member of the Alliance Council, someone who wielded substantial power in the state.

They enthusiastically flattered and fawned over the Marquis, clumsily using a few recently learned Angle Bay phrases to curry favor, causing Captain Quik, who was accompanying them, to feel embarrassed.

In these days, several business representatives were immersed in a cycle of alternating happiness and disappointment. They meticulously inspected the commercial industry in Niceport. Fortunately, the business opportunities here were immense, though they couldn't help but feel that the commercial environment in the northwest Bay was lagging behind.

After staying in Niceport for five days, Captain Quik decided to return home. Everyone hoped to return to the northwest Bay before the end-of-year holiday. Despite its prosperity, Angle Bay was not their homeland, and celebrating the festival at home was always more comforting.

...

"Ladia, are you really unwilling to stay by my side? After all, Angle Bay is also your hometown. I've heard that the northwest Bay region..."

In the back garden of the Eaton Embassy, Duchess Helen once again tried to persuade her younger sister who had come to bid farewell.

Ladia was here to say goodbye, as she and her mother were leaving Angle Bay on the Southern Star the next day.

"I am already Earl Grayman's advisor now. It would be irresponsible to leave after only a few months. Besides, the atmosphere here..."

"Ah..."

Helen sighed. She understood the pressure Ladia was referring to from the church. Even with Ladia being her younger sister, they dared to act against her. Who else wouldn't they dare to confront?

"I won't force you to stay. Since you've found your own life, cherish it well."

"Thank you, elder sister. Please take care of yourself too."

"Yes, I will."

"Ladia!"

A chubby little girl ran over, calling Ladia in a childish voice.

"Our little Fanny is here!"

Ladia lifted the little girl and spun her around, planting a kiss on her rosy cheeks.

Fanny pouted, "Sister said you're leaving. Don't go, stay with me, okay?"

Helen's expression turned stern, "Fanny, don't be silly. Ladia has her own matters to attend to."

Seeing the little girl's unwilling expression, Ladia patted her head and said, "I'll come back to see you. Be good and listen to your sister."

With the opening of the sea route between the Northwest Bay and Angle Bay, there would be more opportunities for travel between the two regions, which was safer and faster by boat than overland.

"Okay, okay." Fanny nodded obediently.

Because of her recent kidnapping, which caused a lot of trouble for her sister and brother-in-law and resulted in the sacrifice of over a dozen guards' lives, Fanny was deeply affected psychologically and filled with self-blame.

Although the methods used against her were unforeseen, she also had her reasons: out of curiosity, she secretly experimented with her strange abilities without her sister's knowledge, and inadvertently attracted the attention of malicious individuals.

After playing with Fanny in the backyard for a while, Ladia bid farewell to Helen.

"You still have a group of adventurer friends to bid farewell to, right? Are they the companions you used to adventure with?"

"Yes, we agreed to have dinner together tonight."

"Go ahead then. I'll come to the pier tomorrow morning to see you off."

Reluctantly, Helen personally escorted Ladia out of the embassy.

(End of the Chapter)