Firefly Journey

Chapter 135 Battlefield Chrysanthemums (2)

At the foot of the snow-capped mountain, the Black Mountain tribe set up a roadblock, guarded by a few scattered minotaur soldiers, giving it a very unprofessional feel.

Occasionally, patrol teams would pass by, looking listless, as if they were just going through the motions.

Lin Yuanran and his companion reached the roadblock, where they were stopped by minotaur guards and questioned as usual.

The two men put down their baskets, rummaged through the cloth inside, quickly inspected it, and then let them pass.

Before leaving, the minotaur guards couldn't help but glance at Claudia a few more times. Although the princess was trying her best to disguise herself as a refugee, her well-proportioned figure and beautiful face couldn't be completely concealed by makeup; even among foreigners, her charm was undeniable.

Lin Yuanran was overthinking it.

They hadn't taken two steps when they heard the minotaur soldiers say, "Tsk tsk, that human woman was really ugly, like a blade of grass. You can tell at a glance that she's not good at having children."

The guard next to him nodded and said, "That's right, that's right. Judging from the looks of it, she and that man are probably husband and wife. Human aesthetics are really strange. Doesn't he have nightmares at night?"

Claudia's main profession is "Sound Mage," and her hearing is better than normal. When she heard the Minotaur Guards' conversation, she couldn't help but feel speechless. No, it's your aesthetic sense that's weird!

Lin Yuanran wasn't a sound mage, but the minotaurs' voices weren't exactly quiet, so he heard them and paused for a moment.

With Claudia's looks and figure, plus her princess background, countless men would be vying to marry her if she wanted to.

Lin Yuanran suddenly remembered that orcs and humans are not the same race, so their aesthetic concepts are naturally different. Perhaps what they consider beautiful is the kind of large, strong, and robust female orc...

In terms of aesthetics, perhaps only elves can reach a consensus with humans. After all, legends of love between humans and elves are everywhere, especially romance novelists who are particularly fond of these themes.

With a grumbling in his heart, Lin Yuanran followed Claudia to a general store.

It's called a shop, but it's just a small hut made of wood. The Black Mountain tribe migrates several times a year, so building a nice house would be a waste. Even the chief's place is only slightly more luxurious than this.

The store was quite spacious, but as dusk approached, there were no customers, only the bored shopkeeper who was almost asleep.

The two walked up to him, put down their baskets, and Lin Yuanran said, "Boss, do you buy cloth here? It's transported from the Southern Principality, and the quality is absolutely guaranteed."

The boss looked young, with a typical southern appearance. Lin Yuanran had reason to suspect that this was one of Claudia's subordinates.

"Let me see."

The shop owner came over, picked up the fabric and touched it in his hand. It felt silky smooth and was a superior material.

He then looked the two of them over, his gaze finally settling on Claudia.

"Friend, is she your wife?" the shopkeeper asked.

Lin Yuanran said, "Of course not, it's my sister..."

Probably. Lin Yuanran only knew that Claudia was the same age as him, but he didn't know the month. However, according to the age in the original world, being two years older would make her a younger sister.

The shopkeeper's gaze never left Claudia, and then he said, "When the first rays of dawn rise into the sky, the cuckoo on the high cliff will awaken and go to find its dream home."

Lin Yuanran raised an eyebrow. Was he reciting poetry?

No, it's more like a code.

"The flowers of the trifoliate orange and houttuynia cordata are everywhere on the mountains and fields, emitting a refreshing fragrance. When the breeze blows, will you, the traveler from afar, make them into a wreath?"

Claudia removed her headscarf and read the second half of the poorly written poem, whose author was unknown.

The shopkeeper suddenly walked to the door, closed it, then turned back to Claudia and knelt down on one knee.

"Justin, a member of the Royal Secret Service, greets Your Highness."

"stand up……"

"Your Highness, you've finally arrived!"

Justin was very happy and ignored Lin Yuanran, his mind was entirely on his princess.

“Um… could you tell me about the current situation in the Black Mountain tribe?” Claudia asked.

“Yes, Your Highness.” Justin explained in detail, “The current chief of the Black Mountain tribe is named Iru, nicknamed ‘Ironstone,’ a minotaur and a third-level transcendent.”

Since taking office, unlike the previous chiefs who were stubborn and inflexible, he chose to trade with various tribes. As a result, he became quite famous in the north and governed the tribes very well.

He has a son, whom you've met before, who is currently Iru's favorite and is grooming as his heir.

Claudia nodded, signaling her to continue. Before coming, Claudia had done her homework and had some understanding of the internal situation of the great northern tribes; what she wanted to know was something deeper.

Justin said, "Chief Iru has made it clear that he will fight the Empire to the death. He is a very hardline pro-war advocate. Those who opposed him have long been buried in the snow. It can be said that the Black Mountain Tribe is now completely under his control."

Claudia said, "Since he dotes on his son so much, and the Empire is also our enemy, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. I suppose they won't refuse my request to come here."

Justin said, "That's for sure. I suggest we start with Pritt."

Prit is the name of the chief's son.

Claudia agreed, "That's exactly what I was thinking, but how are we going to see him? Do you have any good ideas?"

Justin smiled and said, "He's a regular customer at my shop."

"Okay, when can we arrange it?"

Justin said, "You brought a shipment of cloth tomorrow, didn't you? That's a great gimmick."

"Okay, thank you for your hard work."

"It's no trouble at all. It's my honor to serve the King and Princess."

After a brief exchange, Justin closed the shop and led the princess and her friends to stay in the back residential area.

The North is so cold that it makes people not even think about taking a shower. Not only Lin Yuanran, but Justin, who runs a shop there year-round, also generally doesn't use the bathroom.

Claudia, however, was different. She always considered filth on her body her nemesis. During her journey north, she had spent several days in the snow without a chance to bathe, so naturally she wanted to clean herself thoroughly.

Lin Yuanran was worried about Viktor's situation and couldn't sleep because it was too early, so he simply went out for a walk.

Unexpectedly, they ran into Claudia, who was taking a bath.

The houses in the Black Mountain tribe are all detached log cabins, including the bathrooms. On the way back to the room from the bathroom, you inevitably have to walk several meters through the snow, and unexpectedly, I bumped into someone.

Clothes was wrapped in a bathrobe, so there was no view of any beautiful scenery.

Lin Yuanran called out to her.

"Was the code you and Justin used before a poem?"

“Yes,” Claudia replied. “It was written by a bard from my hometown. Unfortunately, he died during an invasion launched by the empire. But the poem he left behind has survived and is now a must-read for every child in the Kingdom of Delos.”

"Now that you say that, I respect Mr. Victor even more."

"Don't worry, everything will be fine."

With that, Claudia went back to her room.

Looking at her back, Lin Yuanran suddenly felt that she had a tough time. Beset by internal and external troubles, she had the status of a princess, but even the throne had to be fought for.

The snow had stopped sometime earlier, the crescent moon was bright, the wind had died down, and a rare moment of peace had arrived.