Above the mage

Chapter 382 Elsa's Encounters in the North

For Elsa, this period of her life was an extremely special one, even within the context of her life, which is far richer and more exciting than that of ordinary people.

She boarded a ship for the first time and set sail as a pioneer of sea routes.

The Duchy of Xidian is a landlocked country, and before this, she had never even seen the sea.

During her time at sea, Elsa experienced all sorts of unexpected situations, such as torrential rain at sea, with large raindrops falling like hail, as if the sea were overflowing.

She also encountered a group of sea monsters, and it was she who scared them away.

Of course, there are also moments of surprise amidst unexpected situations.

I have also seen flocks of seagulls flying by at sunset, their white feathers tinged with gold, and I have also seen pods of dolphins chasing after boats, like sea sprites.

In any case, their two-masted sailboat, with only a general route, stumbled and bumped its way north, and actually managed to find the Valar Bay that Gao De had mentioned.

After carefully navigating their ship into Vallar Bay, they found a rudimentary "port" that could hardly be called a port.

Because this "port" was even temporarily built with stones.

This was because the northern region lacked timber, so this makeshift port had to be built using local materials, with stones of varying sizes piled up to create an area that was barely enough for ships to dock.

The harbor's edge is uneven, with some rocks sharp and protruding, while others have been smoothed by the waves.

Several huge stones were piled together to form a breakwater-like structure, attempting to block the waves from hitting the ships, but it looked very flimsy, better than nothing.

Fortunately, the waters of the Vallar Bay are very calm, and the continuous cliffs on both sides and the unique bay topography effectively block storms at sea, forming a very calm bay.

There were no proper piers in the port, only a few stone slabs simply laid between the rocks and the shore for people to get on and off the boats.

There were no facilities for loading and unloading goods around, and everything seemed primitive.

However, there were already people waiting on the other side of the port.

They were a group of Northern natives dressed in thick animal skins, each with a serious expression, tall and robust build, looking at them with a cautious gaze, as if scrutinizing intruders.

Although she couldn't know the exact mage level of the other party, Elsa was certain that the group consisted of mages, and that there were definitely mages among them whose level was no weaker than hers.

This realization made Elsa slightly uneasy.

Then, somewhat nervously, she revealed her background to the other party and gave the name "Gaode".

According to Gao De, once you arrive at Vallar Bay, as long as you mention his name, you won't encounter any trouble, as he has some connections in the area.

Overall, Gaode gave her a very reliable impression; she didn't seem like someone who would make empty promises.

Her unease stemmed from the fact that the people of the North had always been extremely hostile and resistant to humans from outside the region. They might be able to treat God with kindness, but could they really treat them with kindness in God's absence?

Anyway, she couldn't guarantee it.

But to Elsa's complete surprise, after she revealed the name "Golden," these Northerners, who had been on high alert and full of vigilance, exchanged glances and suddenly "changed their tune," abandoning their wariness.

The tallest of them, with the most elaborate animal skin clothing, was clearly the leader of the mages. He greeted her with a smile and asked if she was "Elsa".

The other person was speaking Ace language, not the common language of humans, but Elsa naturally possessed the ability to understand languages, so she could understand what the other person was saying.

She didn't really understand how the other person could call her by her name, since God, who knew the name Elsa, was still in the Plantagenet dynasty.

It's impossible that someone could transmit a message across such a great distance, right?

Despite her doubts, Elsa immediately nodded in agreement.

Upon hearing her acknowledge her identity, the leading mage immediately smiled and said, "Miss Elsa, Miss Anna, we have been waiting for you here for a long time. Welcome!"

Why have they been waiting for us for so long? And how did they know we were coming?

Elsa's doubts grew, but before she could figure things out, she wisely chose to observe more and speak less, being cautious in her words and actions.

"The cargo on the ship can be unloaded now. We need to transport it back to Phoenix. Also, there should be a few craftsmen left on board, right?" the leading mage asked again.

"Yes, there are four craftsmen on board. God told me that these are the talents you desperately need. He signed employment contracts with them in Lagos and then had us transport these craftsmen over with us," Elsa replied.

"Excellent!" the leading mage exclaimed with delight, then said, "Let's unload the goods first!"

He had barely finished speaking when he suddenly slapped his forehead and apologized, "Oh right, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Gain, and I'm an elder of the Zhenbing tribe."

"Elder Gain," Elsa hesitated slightly, but finally turned and called to the crew behind her, "Prepare to unload!"

The goods they brought this time were mostly large timbers, which were already quite difficult to unload given the limited conditions.

However, this group of Northerners were not only all physically strong, but also all mages who had mastered the relevant spells, so they moved the timber with great ease, and the goods were unloaded in no time.

After everything was finished, Elder Guyon gave a soft whistle, and dozens of reindeer were led out.

Elder Gain and others tied the timber to the reindeer using ropes, and the reindeer were responsible for transporting the goods.

"Miss Elsa, Miss Anna, please come with us with the craftsmen. We will take you to Phoenix," Elder Gain then said.

After a moment's hesitation, Elsa nodded, then pointed to the crew behind her, "What about them?"

"They can wait on the ship for now. The War Mother will decide on the arrangements. But we will provide them with food and drinking water supplies, so don't worry," Elder Gain replied.

In this situation, whether they like it or not, they no longer have the confidence to resist the other party's arrangements.

Therefore, Elsa could only say a few words to the crew before following Elder Gain to what he called "Phoenix".

According to the other party's introduction, this is the city of their Zhenbing tribe, and also the only city on the northern snowfield.

Cities should be like their ports.

This is what Elsa was thinking.

She had always kept her expectations low for the North.

Her only request was that the North, as Gao De had suggested, solve their problems, including finding shelter, food, and water.

At least for now, Elsa still has a certain level of trust in Gaode Maps.

Because Gao De assured her that the Northerners would give him face and wouldn't disrespect his guests, it seemed to be true.

Unaware of the specifics, Elsa remained cautiously silent throughout the journey, refusing to inquire about anything for fear of offending the locals.

However, the atmosphere along the way was much more harmonious and pleasant than she had expected.

Just as Gao De said, the people of the North gave him a lot of face.

But his influence seemed to be greater than expected, to the point that these Northerners were even a little too polite to them.

Throughout the entire process, Elder Gain paid close attention to their feelings, frequently coming up to ask if they were tired, if they needed to rest, if they were hungry, and if they needed something to eat.

Just a day and a half later, they arrived in Phoenix.

The city lives up to her stereotypes, being quite rough and primitive.

But ever since she entered Phoenix, Elsa has noticed something is wrong.

First of all, she was surprised to see vast fields of golden wheat on the snowy plains outside the city when she entered it.

Wheat fields are not that rare.

Even her country, the Duchy of Xidian, is a traditional agricultural nation, renowned for its high-quality grains.

The problem is, this is the North, and outsiders like her need to cast [Endure the Environment] to withstand the harsh cold.

How can you see wheat fields in a place like this?

As a former royal princess, Elsa received a comprehensive and high-quality royal education, and her knowledge and experience are exceptional.

Therefore, she naturally didn't think that she was ignorant or uninformed; instead, she clearly understood that something extraordinary must have happened in the North.

Shocked, Elsa, carrying Anna, followed Elder Gain into the city.

There were many residents in the city, and everyone seemed to be in a hurry, as if they had a lot to do.

After walking through the rather simple streets, they arrived at a relatively exquisite and large building.

"This is the City Hall. The War Mother wants to see you in person," Elder Gain introduced to her.

"War Mother?"

"Yes," Elder Gain said with pride, "Our War Mother Sunefa is the most powerful Iceborn mage in the North, and she once personally killed a fifth-ring necromancer."

"What?!" Even with Elsa's strong mental fortitude, she still let out a soft gasp upon hearing this.

If a fifth-ring necromancer was killed, then the mage must also be a fifth-ring mage. You should know that in the Duchy of Westland, the most powerful mage is only a fourth-ring mage.

How could such a powerful mage exist in such a dilapidated city?

Walking through the bright corridors of the city hall and into a room, Elsa finally met her war mother, Sunefa.

Then, she was shocked again.

In Elsa's mind, such a powerful mage, who was also the Mother of War, must be a very old and serious person.

What she saw instead was a pleasing face, with skin as white as snow and lake-blue eyes like a deep icy lake. She didn't look like a native of the North at all, but more like a pampered noble lady.

Furthermore, the other party's youth did not match the "War Mother" Elder Gain had mentioned at all—Sunefah even looked much younger than her.

"Welcome to Phoenix. I am Sunafa, the War Mother of the Zhenbing Tribe. You should already know my name." Sunafa looked at Elsa calmly. She was unsmiling and her tone was extremely indifferent, but she was not unapproachable.

"Your Majesty, Mother of War," Elsa quickly bowed. Although she was shocked by the other party's good looks and youth, she would not be impolite because of this, nor would she dare to show any disrespect. Her movements were elegant and proper.

"No need for formalities. My king has already told me about your affairs, and he likes Anna very much. You don't need to be too reserved. Just treat Phoenix as your own home from now on."

Elsa was taken aback.

"My King...? Do you mean Gao De?" After a long pause, she finally spoke.

Sunafa's calm expression finally shifted slightly. She raised an eyebrow and asked, "Didn't our king reveal his identity to you?"

Elsa opened her mouth, her head buzzing, and for a moment she didn't know what to say.

"Then it was my fault for being nosy." Seeing her reaction, Sunafa already knew the answer.

Elsa didn't really hear much of what Sunefa said next.

Because her mind was a complete mess.

How is that possible?

How could a mere sea sentinel mage like Gaode become the "king" of a large northern tribe thousands of miles away?

Moreover, the tribe's War Mother, a powerful "Five Rings Mage," would so respectfully address Gao De as "My King."

Why is the king of the Northern tribes so young and so "weak," and why is he in the Plantagenet dynasty?

Elsa was still agonizing over these issues until Sunefa spoke kindly and arranged accommodations for them, which brought her back to her senses.

The accommodation was a stone house. Although the interior was simply furnished, it was very clean and the bed was soft and covered with thick animal hides.

Next, she settled down in Phoenix.

As Gao De said, although Phoenix's conditions cannot be compared with those of other cities, food and accommodation are indeed not a problem, and are even much better than she had imagined.

In addition, its isolation from the outside world makes it an ideal place to escape from.

However, she had no intention of enjoying the rare moment of peace after the fall of her country; instead, she was preoccupied with the identity of the "King" of Gaode.

What exactly is going on?

But Gao De from the Golden Flower Dynasty didn't tell her that now she couldn't even see anyone, let alone know what was going on.

That was what Elsa originally thought.

As a result, just a few days later, she learned the whole story from other people—something that was common knowledge in Phoenix.

The outsider, the prophecy, Zhenbing's choice, drawing the sword, supporting the king, and even the vast wheat fields she saw when she entered the city were all miracles created by Gaode.

This series of messages shocked Elsa time and time again.

She even envied her sister Anna, who, since arriving in Phoenix, was bursting with excitement and was carefree and happy all day long.

However, as a royal princess who had experienced many things, Elsa gradually suppressed her complicated emotions and began to try to integrate into Phoenix.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, she and Anna will most likely spend the rest of their lives here.

Then, Elsa made another discovery.

Although this city is still very old and primitive, it has a vibrant and upward-looking vitality.

Including ever-expanding fields and a growing population—a scene of prosperity.

However, Elsa also saw some hidden dangers and problems in it.

For example, as the population increases, Phoenix is ​​becoming increasingly crowded, and conflicts are becoming more frequent. The number and management level of officials are not keeping up with the pace of urban development, and many issues cannot be handled in a timely and effective manner.

These are all problems that rapidly developing cities will inevitably encounter.

As usual, after dinner, Elsa gave Anna a "lesson" in her room.

Although after arriving in the North, it seems there is no need to learn much, since it is basically useless.

But Elsa always believed that in addition to acquiring knowledge, the more important role of learning was to cultivate a person's thinking, so she insisted on "educating" Anna.

The "course" had only been going on for a few minutes when there was a knock on the door.

I've been in Phoenix for a little while now, and this is the first time someone else has come to knock on my door to visit.

With a question in her mind, Elsa got up and opened the door.

Then, a familiar face, but one that shouldn't be there, came into view.

"Master Gaode?!" Elsa's mouth gaped open slightly.

"Brother!" Anna cheered, jumping off the chair and rushing towards Gaode like a joyful little deer.

I was happy to see Gaode, and also happy to be able to temporarily escape my sister's "special treatment".

(End of this chapter)