Although the route from Freesia Kingdom to the southwest border of the continent was already familiar to the Lian Yi Lou caravan, the distance was so great that Elara and the others still spent over two months traveling before finally arriving.
The farther they got from Plumera Kingdom, the more frequently Elara could sense a faint and hostile gaze watching her.
But each time she sent the Puppet Soldiers to investigate, they found no source. To stay on track, Elara had no choice but to press the matter down in her heart and continue forward with Sylvan.
After two and a half months, the long journey crossing the central and western borders finally ended.
Petunia Kingdom, as one of the only three top-tier nations on the continent, held a vast territory nearly twice the size of Plumera Kingdom. Aside from the snowy northern frontier, most of its landscape was made up of hills and grasslands.
Perhaps due to its wide and peaceful territory, every city in Petunia Kingdom was built with grandeur and spaciousness. In both size and population capacity, they were more than double those of any nation ranked lower.
Powerful cavalry stood in strict formation atop every city wall. Inside the cities, patrolling riders could often be seen traveling through the streets, enforcing discipline with precision.
The architectural style of Petunia Kingdom did not differ much from that of the Central Continent. The clothing and language of the people were also in line with the continent's mainstream culture.
The trade streets in every city were bustling. Though internal divisions had limited Petunia Kingdom's economy to a mid-level among first-tier nations, it was still much larger than that of second-tier countries. Even more so with Lian Yi Lou as a powerful economic force backing it.
As Elara walked, she looked around at her surroundings. Sylvan stayed close, occasionally pointing out Petunia Kingdom's scenic sites and historic landmarks.
Each evening just before nightfall, Sylvan would guide Elara to stay in the most elegant and luxurious merchant houses within each city. There, she would sample various local delicacies and browse through goods collected by Lian Yi Lou from different nations.
After several more days, Elara arrived at Wan City, the southwestern city closest to the Petunia imperial capital. There, she finally saw two people she had only met once or twice upon arriving in this world—Izekiel in white and Arieck in blue.
—
Wan City, Lian Yi Lou
When Elara reached the top floor of the tower, she found not only Izekiel and Arieck seated inside but also a third young man with a striking appearance and elegant demeanor, matching the other two in charm.
Izekiel looked almost the same as he did when she had first met him.
He still wore a long white robe. His face and manner remained cool and composed, with no trace of arrogance. He sat tall on a cushion and had just set down his writing brush.
Arieck was still dressed in blue. He leaned sideways on a soft couch with a wine cup in hand, appearing relaxed and carefree, lost in his thoughts.
The unfamiliar man opposite them had a gentle and calm aura. Dressed in noble purple robes, his refined features were striking. Even without smiling, the corners of his mouth carried a slight curve. He was glancing sideways out the window at the busy Petunia streets below.
When they heard her footsteps near the doorway, all three turned their attention to her and stood to greet her.
"Miss Bai! We've finally been waiting for you!"
Arieck spoke first. He had always been open and unrestrained. When Elara previously discussed business with them, most of her conversation had been with Arieck, while Izekiel only spoke at critical moments.
In essence, they had only met a few times before. Yet now, after a year apart, Arieck's tone carried no trace of formality. It was as if Elara had long been a close friend. He stepped forward with a wide smile, openly observing her before gesturing her inward.
"Miss Bai, come in quickly."
Izekiel gave a slight nod as he looked at her. "It's been a long time, Miss Bai."
Elara nodded in return. As she walked in, she noticed that one seat at the elegant table was left empty just for her. She moved forward and sat down, exchanging a few words with Arieck and Izekiel before turning to the refined man seated to her left.
"And this is?"
Arieck gave a light laugh and, sitting to her right, introduced with a gesture, "Miss Bai has been extremely busy this past year. She likely hasn't had time to visit the most powerful country in the Central Continent, Celosia State. Today is the perfect opportunity. This is the Crown Prince of Celosia, Prince Zhongli."
As soon as Arieck finished, Prince Zhongli smiled and said, "Brother Arieck, it's rare for us to meet privately like this. Let's not be so formal about status."
He looked toward Elara. "This must be the Empress of Plumera Kingdom, the one both Sylvan and Arieck have been eagerly waiting for. The three of us grew up together, like brothers. If you don't mind, you can simply call me Zhongli."
The System had already pulled up basic information about Prince Zhongli.
Master, Celosia is listed as a first-tier country. The royal surname is Zhongli, and this Crown Prince is simply named Zhongli. He currently has the strongest backing among the officials in Celosia and is almost certainly the next emperor.
However, his early years were rough. He was the legitimate firstborn son of the current emperor's empress, but Celosia wasn't as powerful or stable back then. The court was divided by vicious party struggles and the regime was unstable.
By the time he was five, his maternal family lost a power struggle. His mother was ordered to hang herself with a red rope. Though the emperor spared the young prince out of pity, he was made a political hostage and sent to Petunia Kingdom. He lived there with other royal youths like Izekiel and Arieck for over ten years.
Five years ago, he finally returned. Swiftly and quietly, he turned the tables on those who had betrayed his mother's family, eliminating them all and taking the position of Crown Prince. Since then, he's replaced nearly the entire court under the emperor's nose. Another calm-faced but ruthless man.
Elara was a bit surprised too. She discreetly observed Prince Zhongli a few more times.
After losing his maternal support, being sent away to a foreign land for over ten years as a political hostage, he still returned and struck down his enemies, taking the Crown Prince title, and swapped out most of the government. That was truly not something an ordinary person could achieve.
Then again, in this world of competing kingdoms and shifting powers, anyone who could become heir to a major power was bound to be far from ordinary.
Elara hadn't expected that Celosia and Petunia, two first-tier countries that should have been rivals, would have heirs who were this close. After hearing the System's explanation, she understood why.
After introducing Prince Zhongli, Arieck returned to his seat and lifted the jade wine flask, pouring a glass for each of the three.
"Miss Bai, I heard you recently joined the Heavenly Work Pavilion. If I'd known earlier that you were interested in that, I would've pulled you straight into my branch hall," Arieck said with a light laugh, his eyes clearly intrigued by the many mechanical marvels Elara controlled.
"But now's not the time for that. If you're interested in my division of the Heavenly Work Pavilion, we can talk slowly later. Right now, the more urgent matter is the threat of Puppet Soldiers. Sylvan probably already briefed you on the situation on the way here. Petunia really can't afford to keep losing people to them."
"Zhongli happened to be traveling north and joined us here. Although Celosia's internal situation is far more stable, Puppet Soldiers still appear occasionally. When he heard there might be a way to remove the infection without harming the person, he stayed behind to wait with us."
Elara looked toward Prince Zhongli again. So he also sought a cure for Puppet Soldiers. It seemed they had shown up even in Celosia. Just as Sylvan had said, those strange phenomena could suddenly appear anywhere on the continent, without regard for place or time.
Elara opened her mouth to speak, but a rushed voice suddenly came from outside.
"Your Highness. Something terrible has happened. Prince Xu began vomiting uncontrollably this morning. His limbs went weak, stiff, and started trembling. His eyes turned blue. It looks like he's infected."
The voice startled everyone into silence.
Prince Xu, Yuwen Hongxu, was Izekiel's full brother. A powerful warrior since childhood, he was so accomplished that by age sixteen, he was granted the title King of Victory. In the hearts of Petunia's people and military, his status was like that of Francis in Plumera.
Izekiel gripped his wine cup tighter, then slowly stood and spoke calmly but firmly to the messenger outside. "Take him to the secure isolation ward immediately. No one is to approach him, not even the imperial physicians."
The messenger outside couldn't help but cry out in sorrow before gritting his teeth and answering.
Until now, even with help from the Divine Temple, infected individuals could only be destroyed along with the strange contamination within them.
Over the years, Petunia had already lost countless talents this way. Each time they watched a gifted person fall to a sudden infection and be burned with no remains left, it devastated the court.
And now the one infected was their people's war god. If Prince Xu also died because of this, Petunia might never recover from the blow.
Once the messenger left, Izekiel suddenly raised a hand and, for the first time, bent down deeply before Elara.
"This is my personal plea. My brother Hongxu's life, please, no matter what it takes, save him."
"Whatever condition or request you have afterward, I will not refuse."