Chapter 99: The Misfortune is Redirected

After a while, Tilysha finally managed to piece her thoughts together.

She was just a naïve girl with little knowledge, hardly able to recognize a few characters, and last time I saw her, she was busy learning the Sky Language one character at a time.

Even Miss Vilyric took quite a bit of effort to clarify these clues, so it was perfectly normal for Tilysha to be confused upon first hearing them.

“In any case, I don’t want the Winged People to know about my connection with the Earth Mother Goddess. This matter is too big; it could even push our two sides into opposition.”

The black-haired girl glanced at Tilysha, who was carefully fiddling with the sculpture in her hands, absentmindedly playing with a strand of her smooth black hair.

“To be honest, I’m not afraid of the Kingdom of Azure, nor do I think the Winged People can do anything to me. But I have some personal connections that could become troublesome if things go south here. Besides, there are also certain matters for which I need their assistance.”

“On the issue of the Abyss, we stand united. If possible, I’d like to avoid disaster as much as I can.”

Tilysha shifted her gaze from the object in her hands and sincerely nodded.

“I understand, Miss Vilyric. In that case, I’ll continue to attract their attention. Rest assured, no matter what Miss Sigrid and the others do, I will keep my mouth shut!”

“No, you can’t keep pretending to be deaf and mute. That won’t do anyone any good.”

“Eh? … So what should I do then?”

The Priestess blinked her silver-blue, clear eyes. A smile appeared on her lips, one that made the Little Village Girl’s heart race—mischievous and cute like an elf.

“It’s simple. Listen closely, you’ll do this in a little while…”

…

Half an hour later.

Vilyric and her pet were strolling down the street in the “Reception Area,” heading toward the embassy where the envoy group was stationed. The white-feathered girl who had accompanied them to Tilysha’s cottage was nowhere to be found.

“Master, what exactly did you have Tilysha tell Miss Sigrid? She went in for only a short while and then hurried out just to say hello before leaving?”

Once they reached a secluded area, the Little Dragon Daughter couldn’t hold back her curiosity any longer.

Earlier, Vilyric had talked alone with the Little Village Girl for a long time inside the house. Afterward, she informed Sigrid that the other party was willing to speak but needed to hear it for herself.

Naturally, the captain was overjoyed and rushed inside without any doubt.

Then, the scene that Xiao Guang had described unfolded.

The Priestess smiled mysteriously and, seeing no one around, didn’t hold back any longer.

“Xiao Guang, do you remember the other competitor when we bought that book with no words?”

“The book with no words? You mean the underground auction? I remember those bastards dared to compete with the Master! If you hadn’t stopped me, I would have turned them all to dust!”

“Ahem… you shouldn’t be so violent. Actually, I detected the situation in that private room beforehand. Inside were beastmen, members of the Beast Kingdom’s envoy group. They should have already arrived in this Sky City by now.”

The still-uncomprehending Little Dragon Daughter tilted her head.

“So what does this have to do with Tilysha?”

“Don’t rush me! Think about it, why did I participate in the auction for that book with no words in the first place?”

“For what…”

The blonde girl’s dragon-like eyes lit up as she instantly grasped her master’s meaning.

“You mean those beastmen are also related to that goddess named Xi Fu?!”

Yet she quickly became uncertain again.

“But it could also be a coincidence, right? I think relying solely on this reasoning is a bit shaky…”

Vilyric smiled noncommittally, ruffling her pet’s head without continuing the explanation.

Indeed, given the average intelligence of beastmen, it was quite likely they’d believe what the white-feathered auctioneer Xiao Mo said and spend hefty sums to test the rumored “lost magic.” However, the three beastmen in that private room didn’t seem like the kind to make foolish decisions.

Without even mentioning the Half-Dragon, that little fox named Mavis looked like a powerhouse with questionable intelligence, but Kunier was different.

Although he was a Tiger-Human, Vilyric was sure that this guy possessed intelligence surpassing that of most Fox-Humans and Humans; he wouldn’t engage in a losing deal.

When competing back then, Vilyric had wondered whether they knew something or had gleaned hints from the book with no words, especially as things progressed and she noticed more and more fragments that appeared to belong to Xi Fu scattered around the Kingdom of Azure, which intensified her suspicions.

Maybe those three beastmen also received some information regarding the Earth Mother Goddess, or perhaps even further, they directly possessed a fragment of Xi Fu.

The Death Star summoned by the little fox Mavis could be said to be the first pseudo-god-level enemy Vilyric encountered in this world. For her to do such a thing, she must have received some favor or protection, so it wasn’t impossible for her to be involved in these matters.

Since that’s the case, why not have the Winged People assist in probing a little?

Exactly, wasn’t the Kingdom of Azure and the Free Wings struggling to find clues related to the seeds? Considering that Xi Fu Lin could coalesce such things, there was no reason to believe that other fragments couldn’t do the same, right?

Therefore, Vilyric only had the Little Village Girl tell Sigrid that this seed was something she accidentally saw a Half-Dragon bury.

Of course, she definitely wouldn’t mention the words “Half-Dragon” but would describe its corresponding appearance in a roundabout way.

There were plenty of excuses, such as she felt the other party’s planting method and location were strange, and this seed might die in the soil. As a farmer, Tilysha couldn’t stand it, but since the other party had already left, she decided to take it out and replant it in a suitable place… and so on.

As for the long delay in speaking, it’s even simpler—she was threatened, perhaps by some sort of dream-based method. Out of fear of retaliation, she didn’t dare tell the Winged People.

After all, the secret arts of the Beast Kingdom were bizarre; no one really knew how many unbelievable methods existed or how they noticed this matter, tracked down Tilysha, or why they didn’t just eliminate her…

There was no need to come up with a perfect reason; let Sigrid and the others speculate slowly on their own.

Vilyric didn’t have Tilysha name the Beast Kingdom’s envoy group since the Little Village Girl had limited sources of information and couldn’t possibly know how many beastmen came or whether they passed through the Nobos Ironblood Empire—that was still a question mark.

But that wasn’t really important.

Ultimately, the Free Wings needed to explore and dig deeper into the truly critical clues from the point of the “seed.” At least in Vilyric’s view, whether it was Xi Fu Lin or anyone else, the seed actually pointed to fragments of the Earth Mother Goddess.

Considering the country’s position and the need to avoid alarming the enemy, the Winged People would probably investigate discreetly rather than confront the Beast Kingdom’s envoy directly.

If the beastmen did possess fragments of the Earth Mother Goddess, that would confirm Tilysha’s words, directly clearing her suspicions, and the Kingdom of Azure would also get what they wanted to fulfill the prophecy.

Even if not… investigations couldn’t be completed in a day or two. Having been in the Feather Capital for so long, Vilyric was sure she had already found further clues, and there would be plenty of choices available then.