Cornflower Witch

Chapter 260 The Banquet Invitation

After having dinner at the hotel, Hirutia fell asleep peacefully, and the night was very quiet.

The next day, she changed into a simpler outfit and dyed her hair black. Then she walked out of the side door of the hotel and headed to the town of Creek Valley, where Karen lived.

Recalling the address Yero had given her, Hilti walked along the street. It was around eight in the morning, and there were many pedestrians on the road. She walked among them without attracting attention.

After searching for a while, Hilti didn't spend much time before arriving at the small courtyard where Karen lived, a house on the east side of the city.

"Knock knock." She knocked on the door and waited outside for a while.

Soon Karen opened the door and saw her friend whom she hadn't seen for three years.

"Tia, is that you?" Karen's voice held a hint of surprise.

"It's me." The girl blinked, indicating that it was indeed her.

The two then entered the small courtyard, where Karen welcomed Siltiah into her cottage and brought her hot water.

"This place is rather simple, I apologize for the inconvenience."

“That’s not true.” Hilti shook her head, glancing briefly around.

The house was small, and the furnishings in the living room were very simple. However, the bow and arrows hanging on the wall were quite eye-catching.

Seeing the girl's curiosity, Karen explained, "I rented this place two years ago. The previous owner was an auntie from a local oil press, but she has now gone back to her hometown."

“I originally planned to study here for a few years before traveling to other places, but the situation is turbulent now, so I haven’t been able to set off,” Karen explained.

“I heard that a great battle took place in Valley City not long ago, and I’m worried about whether Sister Karen was involved,” said Hiltiya, referring to the events of the past few days.

"It was a fierce battle, but I stayed at home and didn't go out much." Karen shook her head slightly, recalling the smell of burning corpses everywhere outside Valley City a while ago.

“You must be very curious about the battle in Valley City a while ago, right? Well, I was there myself, so I can tell you the details.” Karen then recounted the situation in Valley City to Siltia.

"In other words, Prince Jobs turned the then Lord of Valley City against him and recruited a large number of Regas's former retainers and knights."

"Yes, at that time his men basically controlled Valley City, and many people on the streets openly announced their identities and mobilized residents to join the army."

“Some people approached me and tried to persuade me to join the patrol team to help them hunt down Antian scouts, but I refused.”

"War is a cruel thing, and I don't want to get involved in it casually. Besides, Prince Steve Jobs has not yet shown the qualities of a wise ruler, making him hard to trust."

"What was the specific outcome of that great battle?"

"The Antirian army breached the city walls on their first assault, followed by a one-sided pursuit and drive-away, and many new recruits died in the siege."

"After occupying the castle in the south of the city, the Antirians discovered that Prince Jabbers and Princess Musa had escaped, so General Nocton led his elite troops to pursue them."

"But on the way, they were said to have been ambushed by a strange third-party force, which resulted in General Noxton being seriously injured and falling into a coma, and his knights also suffered heavy losses."

"After this incident, Baron Catchis, who replaced Nocton as commander, issued a strict ban and investigated the city for resistance fighters or cultists. Many people were arrested."

"However, due to the long-term lockdown, supplies in Valley City became increasingly scarce. Seeing that the situation was about to get out of control, Kachis ordered the lockdown to be lifted."

“Caravans can now freely enter and leave Valley City, but there are still many patrols on the streets. General Kachis hasn’t given up yet,” Karen said, explaining the recent situation.

"Tiya, how did you get back? I heard that students in the forest cannot leave easily."

“Well…” Hilti thought for a moment, closed her eyes slightly, and then opened them. A touch of emerald green appeared in her originally light blue and clear eyes. This touch of emerald green seemed to have a strange life, permeating the world around her and allowing Karen to feel the fresh breath of sprouting plants.

"This is... Tier 3 Emerald?" Karen's mouth dropped open in utter astonishment.

She did know that the girl was exceptionally talented, but she never imagined that she could advance to the third rank in just three years.

“No wonder, no wonder you were able to come back.” She pressed her hand to her chest, taking a deep breath, as if processing the shocking news. Afterwards, Karen became interested in Hilti's experiences living in the woods, asking the girl how she had spent those years.

Hilti recounted her experiences and observations in the woodlands, starting with a farm in the valley, then studying in the Radiant Plains, before heading to the Dark Mist Mountains to establish a settlement, and so on.

Karen remarked that Siltia's experiences over the past three years were rich and fulfilling, while she herself had also made considerable progress compared to the past, but in terms of sheer brilliance, she couldn't compare to Siltia.

“Sister Karen has also tried her best,” Hiltiya comforted her. Her situation was indeed quite special and not something that ordinary people could imitate.

The two talked until noon, after which Karen and Siltia made lunch together. After lunch, they had a brief exchange on archery in the courtyard. Karen also showed Siltia her newly learned abilities and the archer class.

Archer Class [Lv.3]: A well-developed beginner class, possessing proficient archery skills. (Eagle Eye - Sound and Position Lv.3)

“Actually, I’ve been hesitating lately about whether to choose the ‘Castle’ or ‘Blood Law’ affinities,” Karen said, expressing her recent dilemma.

"The 'Castle' path contains many secret techniques passed down by elite archers, while the 'Blood Law' path contains the techniques passed down by wandering archers," Karen explained simply, outlining the differences between the two.

If we continue to explore the differences between the two, it is that the elite archers of the 'Castle' path are more specialized and have extremely strong ranged attack power, while the ranger archers of the 'Blood Law' path are more versatile and suitable for dealing with many unexpected situations.

“That depends on what kind of life Karen wants,” Hiltiya thought for a moment.

“If you choose the ‘castle’ path, it will be more stable, but you will inevitably have to get involved with the people and things of the monarchical school in the future, which means you must join an organization.”

“If you choose the path of ‘Blood Law,’ you will be much freer, but life will often be unstable because advancing in the ‘Blood Law’ aspect often requires you to hunt high-level creatures to obtain resources and complete trials,” Hiltiya explained to Karen based on her own knowledge.

After listening to Hilti's analysis, Karen fell into thought.

"Let me think about it for two more days. Thank you, Tia, for today."

In the afternoon, Hiltiya bid farewell to Karen and returned to her hotel.

However, as soon as she entered the room, she was stopped by a maid who had been waiting for her.

"Lady Tia, there is a special invitation letter, which is to be given to you." She handed over a special invitation letter, which bore the sealing wax seal of the Kingdom of Antioch.

“‘Baron of the Hellhounds’ Kachis?” Hilti was certain she had never met this person before, but why would he send her an invitation? And she had only stayed one night in Valley City, and he already knew her identity?

"Yes, the soldier said he was conveying General Kachis's invitation and that we must deliver the letter to you. He also said that he hoped Miss Tia would not break the agreement, otherwise something bad would happen." The maid described the soldier's attitude when the letter was delivered.

“Something bad, is this a threat?” Hilti’s fingers lightly twirled a strand of hair.

She picked up the invitation with her fingers, opened it with some dislike, and looked at the time and place.

"Tonight, of all times. How impatient." Hilti even suspected that the other party was specifically targeting her.

She's only been in the city for a day, has Jiao Shicheng's scheme been exposed?

That doesn't make sense either. If the other party knew about Jiao Shicheng, they wouldn't be so polite. After all, General Kachis's strength is around the fourth level. If they really wanted to target her, they wouldn't bother with so much effort and even give advance notice.

If it wasn't directed at me, then why did Kachis seek me out?

Is it just curiosity, or is there some other unspeakable secret?

As she pondered, Hilti took off her simple outer garment and put on that luxurious dark green dress. Then, a maidservant helped her comb her hair and put on an exquisite gold hair ornament.

By the time Hiltiya finished preparing, it was already dark, and it was time to set off for the banquet.

"let's go."

Escorted by several riders from the caravan, Hiltiya boarded the carriage and, listening to the clatter of hooves outside, gradually headed towards the tall castle on the south side of Valley City.

(End of this chapter)