Water Mage in the Flame Realm-Chapter 430 - 410: Shadows Arriving Unnoticed
"Hello, I am from the Southern Retreat Land, and my name is the Fish Dragon Lady."
While Andrew was diligently familiarizing himself with the brand new Wildfire Territory from atop the Water Tower Tree, at the outermost edge of the territory, by the moat, an elderly lady was speaking to the guards, "I have an appointment with your Lord Anya today at noon."
Her attire was appropriate, her manners polite, but her voice was extraordinarily hoarse, making it instinctively uncomfortable to hear.
"An appointment with Lord Anya?"
The two guards exchanged glances, seeing the confusion in each other’s eyes, "We didn’t receive any notice that Lord Anya is meeting anyone today."
One of them reached out, smiling as he stopped the elderly lady: "Fish Dragon Lady, is it? Please wait here for a moment." 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺
The other said, "I’ll report right away, and if your appointment with Lord Anya is indeed confirmed, we will immediately let you across the river!" Just as courteously.
The relationship between the Wildfire Territory and the Southern Retreat Land was quite good. So even though they had never heard of a "Fish Dragon Lady," nor did they know that Lord Anya was meeting someone from the Southern Retreat Land today, the two guards were still very attentive in their attitude.
The elderly lady did not force her way through but nodded, appearing quite cooperative.
One guard was about to go and report for confirmation.
Just then, another voice came, "The Fish Dragon Lady from the Retreat Land, correct? You’re already here! Wonderful, Lord Anya has been waiting for you for a long time."
From the inner side of the moat, heading from the city, came a excessively handsome young man at a fast pace.
It was none other than Tiago, the Second Saint Son of the Magic Guild, who was ordered to infiltrate the Wildfire Territory!
With a face of delight, Tiago enthusiastically approached the elderly lady who claimed to be the Fish Dragon Lady: "Wasn’t the appointment the day after tomorrow? How come you’ve arrived two days early!"
Turning to the two guards, he said, "This is a distinguished guest from the Retreat Land, why aren’t you letting her into the city?"
The two guards did not recognize the elderly lady, but they recognized this young man as the close aide to Lord Anya—indeed, Tiago was doing very well in the Wildfire Territory, even extremely well.
He started working diligently at the territorial hospital, showing extraordinary dedication. Particularly with his handsome looks, he had no shortage of admirers in the Wildfire Territory who would chase after him (physically). Yet, he somehow remained virtuous, and with excellent work capabilities, he gradually earned Anya’s favor.
He is now Anya’s personal assistant.
If it were anyone else, the two guards might still insist on reporting and confirming first, not letting anyone pass lightly.
But since it was Tiago...even if they were to report and confirm, they would still report and confirm with Tiago!
Naturally, they had no doubts, and stepped aside to let them pass.
So Tiago led the elderly lady and walked towards the city, seemingly pointing out various city scenarios along the way, giving an introduction to the elderly lady.
Yet, in reality, he was using Sound Transmission Magic to say to the lady: "Greetings, Dragon Taming Lady! It has been a long time. I heard that the Flame Turtle passed away during the Royal Court negotiations, my condolences."
The Fish Dragon Lady, was she really from the Southern Retreat Land? She was actually the Magic Guild’s Dragon Taming Lady!
During the Royal Court negotiations back then, it was she who led the Magic Guild’s side.
In the negotiating contest, she used the poison given to her by the Ancient Poison Scholar to plot against the Warm Fire Commerce Association’s team leader, Dean Charlie. Although they won one of the three negotiating contests, Dean Charlie managed to counter the poison back with a "Delayed Counterattack," leading to her needing an emergency return to the Scholar’s Fortress, missing out on the subsequent negotiations.
Back at the Scholar’s Fortress, the Dragon Taming Lady managed to save her life, at the cost of her voice being mostly destroyed, now only able to produce a very unpleasant sound.
"So this is the Wildfire Territory?" the Dragon Taming Lady also used Sound Transmission Magic to ask Tiago, "The territory established by Andrew, who disappeared with Catherine?"
When mentioning "Andrew," her facial muscles couldn’t help but twitch twice, her eyes filled with overwhelming resentment.
It must be known that she was severely injured during the Royal Court negotiations, but ultimately still kept her life, and her power surprisingly took a blessing in disguise to advance further, now infinitely close to the Magic Guide Realm, which is the level of War God between Tier Nine and the Magic Guide Realm.
But...her professional partner, the man who was said to have the strongest defense among the Flame Warriors, the Flame Turtle, had died forever on the northern tundra.
When the Flame Turtle was alive, the Dragon Taming Lady felt indifferent, often looking down on and annoyed by the Flame Turtle.
It wasn’t until the Flame Turtle truly left that she felt an unbearable kind of pain and loneliness.
She then realized that the only man who could endure her terrible temper had unknowingly become an irreplaceable part of her life.
"Yes, this is indeed the Wildfire Territory." Tiago laughed, "But it has nothing to do with that Andrew person! My involvement in the territory’s construction is probably more than Andrew’s!"
The Dragon Taming Lady coldly replied, "What, participating in the construction of this Wildfire Territory, are you proud?"
Tiago’s expression paused, quickly saying, "I wouldn’t dare, I don’t mean it that way." After a pause, he solemnly said, "Since the three Scholar Lords sent you personally, whatever means we employ against the Wildfire Territory next, I naturally defer to your guidance, awaiting your instructions."
The Dragon Taming Lady then nodded, saying, "What to do with this Wildfire Territory? Does that even need to be asked? Naturally, it’s best to completely destroy it."
She said it casually, as if merely in passing.
Tiago, however, couldn’t help but shudder, feeling a chill rise from his feet straight to his head. From the Dragon Taming Lady’s seemingly indifferent words, he heard a nearly insane hatred!
The Dragon Taming Lady truly hated deeply.
In her view, the Flame Turtle should not have died, and the Royal Court negotiations should not have been lost.
Although the Warm Fire Commerce Association was formidable, Andrew, in her eyes, was the unexpected variable that ultimately led to the failure of the Royal Court negotiations.
In the depths of her heart, the Dragon Taming Lady even attributed more of the hatred for the Flame Turtle’s death to Andrew rather than to Beiru’s Warm Fire Commerce Association.
Yet Andrew disappeared with Catherine after the Royal Court negotiations, leaving no one for the Dragon Taming Lady to exact vengeance upon!
"After being taken by that woman, Catherine, and disappearing together, he must be long dead, surely not still alive?"
The Dragon Taming Lady now silently thought, "Wildfire Lord Andrew...not being able to kill you personally is your luck. However, since I cannot kill you with my own hands to avenge the Flame Turtle, then let your territory and these subjects repay the enmity between us."
With that in mind, the Dragon Taming Lady spoke again, "Lead the way! Take me to meet that little girl named Anya. The Scholar Lords instructed that we must seize the underground water resources of this Wildfire Territory, and thereafter, we can do whatever we please."
"Whatever we please?" Tiago’s eyes lit up, who knows what he thought of, licking his lips, he smiled, "That’s perfect! Please follow me, it’s just ahead."
...
...
At the same time, atop the Water Tower Tree’s Shire crown.
Andrew was fully engrossed in continuing to "read" a wealth of information about the Wildfire Territory, having already understood exactly how Anya managed to incorporate the Southern Retreat Land.
