Pillar of Yita

”What are you staring at?” Tang Xin rolled her eyes at him weakly. Though she’d just recovered, she still looked a bit frail.

But that half-snappish line made Fang Hong quietly a little delighted.

All right, the Crybaby was back—

He looked at her with some amusement, as if to say: I’m staring, so what?

Tang Xin glared at him once more, then fell silent.

Off to the side, Hilveld could only watch this pair of ”siblings” with a faintly amused look; when it came to a young girl’s thoughts, nothing escaped her.

This might very well be everyone’s last gathering in Quistack.

After tonight, His Highness the Prince would rarely have the chance to leave Kashan Palace again—in his own words, once his father left Quistack, he would have to shoulder the duties of Crown Prince and regent.

Nulman, Seniya and the other high ministers would all be leaving the Royal Capital; only Saisheer would remain. The old Clan Leader of the Oathkeeper Clan would assist him, bit by bit, in grasping the crucial keys that kept this Kingdom running. But before that, there was still far, far too much for him to learn. Before becoming a qualified King, he had to first become a qualified Crown Prince.

As for how to become a wise Monarch who ruled over this desert, perhaps that long road was only just beginning...

As for the members of Shield of Lufu, their coming here had been nothing but an accident. They naturally couldn’t really become members of the Seven Seas Travel Group, just like Forest and the others—after all, Shield of Lufu had still preserved its main body in that upheaval; ZXC and their little group were no more than a Vanguard Squad of this Guild.

They might not even stay in Istania. Coming here was only a useful probe. They still had commissions unfinished in Tansnier, and after going through this incident, it was very likely they would never come back to this place again.

Strictly speaking, Forest and the others had also split in two during this time: one part remained in Tansnier, while another part had already gone back to the Southern Region. On the one hand, this was because after the Seven Seas Traveler left Istania, they, too, had to head for the Scepter Coast, and there had to be someone going ahead to prepare, to find a safe route to the north.

On the other hand, they were planning to recruit some reliable hands for this team, and the Southern Region was a tangled mess right now, with many people fleeing that place.

Yes, the Seven Seas Travel Group itself, after this banquet, would also have to start preparing to set out on a new journey.

For this or that reason.

The banquet Crown Prince Aleph had prepared turned out to be more harmonious than expected.

Even the members of Shield of Lufu threw themselves into it. ZXC dragged Little Fatty and Fang Hong off to drink several cups with him, cheeks pleasantly flushed, declaring that this had been the most interesting adventure they’d ever had.

A fortress in the middle of the desert, Arcanists, slipping out alive right under a Governor’s very nose, going through such hair‑raising dangers. The King of Sand and the future Crown Prince, a Princess, an Airship, and a Great Dust Storm—only a Giant Dragon was missing to put the final period on this perfect adventure.

Just like the adventures sung of in so many a Poet’s song.

”Ade,” Aleph raised his cup and clapped Fang Hong firmly on the shoulder. ”Unlike my father, I’ve never left Eis, never seen the world beyond this Sand Sea. And that world of yours is, to me, something more like a legendary tale. I grew up here; all I’ve ever seen is this boundless, endless Sand Sea. The adventures you speak of are things I can only long for in my heart, yet never truly understand—”

”But just as my father’s Kingdom is here, I believe that one day that will certainly be your Kingdom. You’ll be one of the outstanding ones, and I’ll definitely be able to hear your name here, resounding across this Continent, just like Sir Weima and the elder brother of my mother Affia.”

The ale of Istania was very low in alcohol, almost not enough to make one drunk, yet people still seemed to glimpse scenes of the future in those dreamlike bubbles.

At the very least, His Highness the Prince’s tone was utterly certain: ”We are brothers who have jointly received the Star’s blessing. When that time comes, you must remember to come back. That way, even I, a King of Sand with no ’legendary’ experiences to speak of, will have a little something to brag about, won’t I?”

Aleph couldn’t help but keep a faint smile on his face.

Everyone laughed.

Fang Hong knew perfectly well this was only a joke. He wasn’t arrogant enough to believe it literally, but he still nodded and said, ”All right.”

”Then it’s our Covenant.”

Fang Hong nodded again.

Aleph turned his head once more:

”Miss Afeifa, you share a name with my little sister, and she and I are very close—Ade is my brother, and you’re Ade’s friend, so from now on you’re my sister as well.” He spread his arms and said to everyone, ”If you run into any trouble in Istania, please remember this friend of yours.”

Affia looked a little embarrassed.

She glanced at Fang Hong not far away, eyes shining.

Everything that had happened at the Star Ceremony had already spread far and wide these past few days. On her way here she’d heard the merchants talking about it, and as a tiny little fan, it felt as if another stroke had been added to the legendary exploits of her idol.

Only someone like Mr. Ade could gain the friendship of the future King of Sand like this, right? At this moment the girl’s heart was filled to the brim with curiosity.

And the whole group from Shield of Lufu, especially Little Fatty, naturally cheered themselves hoarse. In part for Fang Hong’s sake, and in part because they truly felt this was an opportunity; they were even starting to ponder, deep down, whether they should establish Shield of Lufu’s headquarters in Istania.