Chapter 74
Chapter 74: The Flower Sea of Lendos
No matter how many times Funis gazed upon the magnificent yet broken spectacle of the Lendos Mountains blooming with lilies, she felt deeply moved.
Years ago, a war worthy of historical record had taken place here. People had since witnessed the terror and intimidation of the “Gray Clouds”—hundreds and thousands of war fortresses thundered overhead, their steam exhaust roaring like dragon’s breath.
Those transcendent knights who had dared to challenge and strangle the emerging power had stood atop this mountain range, representing the old regime’s authority, only to be ultimately buried beneath the connected craters.
Gray Cloud Fortress did not welcome them.
So the “Gray Clouds” destroyed the spanning mountain range as well.
Since then, the northern winds faced no obstruction, and dignity and intimidation brought winters that grew colder each year.
It was already late autumn—Gray Cloud Fortress’s winter was coming again.
Funis plucked a white lily from a patch of new grass. The cool wind from the other side of the cliff suddenly swept over, and she grabbed her cloak hood, barely preventing it from being blown away.
Diamond-like crystalline silver hair still flowed out from one corner of the hood, gently lifted by the wind.
The time was approaching evening.
After the disaster-filled afternoon, Charlotte had accompanied Funis through all the employment procedures.
The next afternoon, Charlotte was suddenly called away by Michelle—apparently some new clue was extremely crucial, urgently requiring personnel for investigation and confirmation, and Charlotte was the only one available in the entire branch.
Funis was left alone in the apartment, and she used this opportunity to prepare for her return to the Golden Rose.
Before leaving, Cynthia had given Funis a small blood clot. After Funis merged her own blood into it, the clot gradually expanded and transformed into Funis’s appearance—it could speak and walk, just somewhat dim-witted. A degraded blood clone with a duration of forty-eight hours.
Using the salary Michelle had paid in advance, Funis bought an inexpensive, inconspicuous dress and a pair of unremarkable shoes. She had the blood clone wear “Celia’s” original dress, stockings, and shoes, while she changed into the newly purchased outfit and added a hooded cloak to conceal her figure and appearance.
Those items belonging to “Witch Funis”—the revolver, rapier, ammunition pouch, needle case, and the aqua ribbon and bell—she had secretly retrieved from Charlotte’s apartment during her wandering.
Finally, she released the Charm of Allure and returned to her normal state.
This process had no particular sensation except for some itching around her horns, but she could intuitively feel from the mirror that her temperament had become cold and melancholy again, appearing dejected and standoffish.
Funis ceremoniously hung the bell Moira had given her back on the base of her horn.
Silver-white long hair, pale purple eyes, porcelain-like pallid skin, a pair of crystal-clear delicate horns, an aqua ribbon tied in a butterfly bow, the silver bell gently chiming as it swayed.
Now she had completely transformed from “Agent Celia” back to “Witch Funis.”
Back to the present.
Before true night fell, Funis had emerged from a secret exit known only to the academy, reaching the outskirts through this passage, and with her seventh-sequence transcendent physique, quickly walked to the foot of the Lendos Mountains.
Outside the city—not close, but not too far either.
This was where Cynthia and Funis had agreed to launch the signal flare.
Turning around, she could see the lamp-lit city breathing out wisps of black smoke like a furnace. Dark fortresses loomed faintly among the gray haze, with forests and mountains embracing this land that had once refused God’s visitation.
The signal flare’s main component was the translucent scales of Golden Feather Ravens. After launch, the transparent scale powder smoke drifting high in the sky was invisible to the naked eye, but the girl serving as lookout on the Golden Rose could see a string of sparkling gold through her special telescope.
Funis didn’t wait long. In just ten minutes or so, she saw a small flapping steam airship approaching from the Golden Rose’s direction at a steady, silent pace.
Gilded iron frame, copper-aluminum alloy hull, a streamlined body gleaming with pale gold, wings on both sides flapping rapidly like dragonfly wings, steam-driven propellers at bow and stern adjusting the speed.
This small airship was less than one-twentieth the size of the Golden Rose, making the Golden Rose seem like a massive creature by comparison.
Of course, compared to the war fortress floating even higher above, the Golden Rose was also just a tiny speck.
The propellers stirred up waves of grass, and the field of white lilies all bent and fell. Funis pressed down her cloak tightly, waiting for the airship to land completely.
Six folding landing struts extended as it approached the ground. With the sound of turning gears, a steel valve was opened from inside, and an angled gangplank slid out from the rear of the vessel.
Maintaining basic caution, Funis didn’t immediately board. She hesitated at the foot of the gangplank for a while.
Before seeing anyone, a string of bright red earrings appeared first, chiming as they emerged in the doorway.
Red as flames danced vibrantly in her vision. A girl peeked half her head out from behind the door, her eyes containing the same fire-red pupils scattered with iridescent specks, while fine red scales around her ears and neck sparkled like ruby crystals.
Her delicate features retained childish innocence, with the purity of a child and the freshness of a young girl intertwined. Snow-white, delicate skin alternated with metallic, hard, brilliant dragon scales.
She observed Funis curiously, her bewildered eyes holding some expectation. A strong, resilient red-scaled tail hidden under her white dress excitedly slapped against the hull, the overlapping scales creating light, cheerful metallic sounds.
Funis was startled, almost thinking this young dragon was about to open her mouth and breathe fire at her.