Chapter 454 - Let the Rumors Fly for a While

Luna nodded to Zalanda and said, "Thank you, my lady, for your gift. There’s no need to test it, this piece of magic equipment is just as effective for flying.""Don’t thank me, thank Gaven. Compared to what he has given me, this piece of magic equipment is nothing. Besides, I’ve also prepared a set of light horse armor for you, though it’s not a magic item," Zalanda said sincerely.

"We’ll pass on the horse armor," Gaven declined on behalf of the Half-Moon Colt, "We hardly have any chance to charge head-on. Mobility is more important to us than protection."

"As you wish. I’ll keep the horse armor ready for you. If you ever need it, you can come and take it," Zalanda said with the air of someone whose gift had already been given, and it was up to them whether to use it or not.

"Alright," Gaven naturally wouldn’t argue with Zalanda over such a trivial matter.

As for the secrets of his lineage, it was initially a bit of a shock to Gaven.

But feelings like confusion or regret never surfaced.

No matter how complex, it couldn’t be more tangled than the four lifetimes knotted between Gaven and Zhang You.

It merely turned out that the man he once believed to be his birth father was actually his adoptive father.

And there was another father, about whom he knew nothing at all.

This matter was likely tied to the large minefield that involved his mother’s disappearance, Baron Tessen’s death, and the death of Captain Carl of the guard.

Not only should it not be touched, but if it ever was touched, it was best avoided as much as possible.

At least for the trip to Mir Forest, he was not planning to start with investigating his and Nola’s origins.

The two volumes Zalanda gave him about Mir Forest and Mesnoel contained very little useful information; all he knew was that it was an elf city built by Moon Elves. At its peak, it was home to thousands of elves and other forest races, living together in this natural city.

When they abandoned Mesnoel, they activated the Mystlock Locks defense mechanism to hide the city.

They planned to return to their homeland and restart the city one day when humans’ power waned or declined.

This was a typical practice of the elves towards the short-lived races.

In their lifetimes, they often witnessed the rise, prosperity, and decline of multiple human powers, the shortsightedness of the short-lived races at play.

Especially those powers built on the exceptional achievements of one person or a small group of people, which, like brilliant meteors, rise as quickly as they fall.

Time is the elves’ best weapon, effortlessly overcoming their enemies and preserving themselves.

However, the number of elf cities that actually get restarted is one in ten.

The fall of an old power often means the rise of a new, more potent one. As one replaces the other, the short-lived races continue to develop.

The elves, meanwhile, have established new homes and lives, and their desire to return fades over time until they give up completely.

Mesnoel was probably such a case.

Were it not for the upheavals caused by the descent of the gods, which led to its re-emergence and subsequent disasters, it would likely have remained a perpetual legend of Mir Forest.

Gaven was studying the information in his hands while rushing to the premiere location of the memory projection.

This epoch-making feat, all because of him, was something he had to witness with his own eyes, and to play a part in— to act as a projectionist just this once.

The event had spread throughout Darama and caused quite a stir. While flying overhead, one could see the ant-like crowd on Darama’s streets turning into a torrent, flowing towards the eastern outskirts plaza.

When Gaven arrived, there was at least an hour left before the screening, yet there were already thousands of Darama citizens here, excitedly chattering away.

"I heard it’s the same technique as the last nature projection, only this time it’s much longer. They say it lasts for several dozens of minutes. If that’s the case, we can get our fill in one go."

"I heard this projection is different from the last one. It has an actual plot and story. Just natural scenes alone were mesmerizing; what would it be like if it’s made with a plot and story?"

"Apparently, the memory projection is also brought by that person. All the big events that have happened in Darama recently are related to that person."

"It’s not just about recent events. Lord Zalanda becoming our City Lord is said to be thanks to that person. Without him, our Darama would still be in a dire situation."

"I heard that Lady Zalanda and that person have a special relationship. She rejected other men just to wait for him."

"Hey... your news is outdated by months. I heard that person stealthily broke through all defenses of the City Lord Mansion and appeared in the City Lord’s room, and they started fighting right away. They stayed in the room for an entire afternoon. Do you really think they needed that long just for a fight? Heh heh..."

"If you continue laughing that vulgarly, you might get taken away by the Honor Guard. Today the Fury General himself is in charge of the team."

"Do you think the Nort Guard Squad is the same as the tyrant guards of the former City Lord, who would charge people with unfounded accusations?"

"It’s precisely because the Nort Guard Squad is too lenient that you guys are getting bolder, dare to blabber any indecent words."

"Alright, alright, I was wrong. I won’t say it anymore, is that fine? Let’s talk about something else that everyone is interested in. What do you think about the recent rumors about organizing people to immigrate to that person’s territory?"

"That’s not a rumor, but a certainty. Not only did Lord Zalanda personally go to that person’s territory to verify, but General Nola has also been arranging related matters there recently. Within ten days at most, something is sure to happen."

"If you ask me, it’s a mutually beneficial issue. Darama’s predicament is clear to anyone who isn’t blind. In just half a year, the number of mouths to feed has doubled, but the surrounding farmland has hardly grown at all. It’s inevitable we’d face a food crisis. For now, it’s still manageable, with everything growing, we can come up with something. But what about winter?"

"If a part of the population is relocated to the Valley, then both the people who leave and those who stay will have a chance to survive,"

"But the question remains, who will go and who will stay? The Valley might be a fine place, but it is thousands of miles away and it is not our homeland after all."

"You think there are things in Thacel worth missing, but not everyone feels that way. Here, there is nothing but war, war, and more war, even if we follow Lord Zalanda, we cannot avoid war, because the other nobles will never allow Darama to develop smoothly, to be free of their oppression and exploitation."

"As a Tesser person, don’t you find it shameful to say such things?"

"I’m simply telling the truth, what’s shameful about that? Besides, migration is something Lord Zalanda encourages and supports; accepting migration is the best support we can give her."

"Don’t forget, that person is a Tesser person too. In his territory, there’s only a group of immigrants from our Thacel. What difference does it make if we migrate there or stay living in Thacel? We can shape it with our own hands into a new Thacel city."

"That makes sense. Why didn’t I think of that?"

"The Valley is famously underpopulated. The entire split Valley has fewer people than one of our cities in Thacel. Once enough people choose to go, we will become the majority, and the land there will become our new homeland."

"Given Lord Zalanda’s regular contact with that person, there must be a means of transportation. By the time we leave our homeland, the distance to our homeland may be much, much closer than we had imagined."

When the Darama Citizens gathered together, at first they discussed the memory films the most.

Because of the memory propaganda films, they had already built a certain understanding of this brand-new concept.

So, when people from Zalanda’s side came to do a bit of promotion, the site became incredibly popular.

Yet their understanding of these things was still relatively limited. Over and over, they expressed the same admirations.

Thus, under the guidance of some tactful individuals, the topic gradually shifted, steering towards that person and the issue of emigrating to the Valley.

The meaningful implication of "that person" did not diminish even upon Gaven’s return. If anything, it had become more widespread and significant.

The viewpoints discussed by these Darama citizens were partly their own and partly instilled by spies covertly arranged by Zalanda, subtly indoctrinating them over time.

Through this subtle influence, many perspectives would become their own ideas and opinions. Once they agreed with and supported the issue from the bottom of their hearts, everything would fall into place naturally.

The way of plotting isn’t just about killing enemies on the battlefield.

Governing lieges, uniting them, and having them follow one’s directives is also an important aspect of plotting and warfare.

Zalanda merely favors fairness and justice, a bit like a paladin, but that doesn’t mean she’s naive and abandons strategies that are clearly beneficial to her rule.

This naturally aligns even more with Gaven’s approach.

What Gaven feared most was that Zalanda would be hindered by the various titles her people bestowed upon her, which would cause her to become hamstrung.

As it stands, his worries seem a bit unnecessary.

The crowd kept gathering.

By the appointed time for the memory film screening, the number of Darama citizens at the eastern suburb square had reached no fewer than five thousand, and the crowd was still swelling constantly.

"City Lord, it’s the City Lord’s bipedal dragon, the City Lord has graced us with her presence."

"We’ve seen the City Lord."

"Long live the City Lord!"

"Eh, what a beautiful pegasus. When did Darama get pegasus knights?"

"Who is that pegasus knight? Why haven’t we seen him before?" Follow current novᴇls on ɴovᴇl(ꜰ)ir(e).nᴇt

"He’s that person."

"So he’s that person! So handsome, so charismatic; no wonder our City Lord can’t get him out of her mind. If it were me, I’d not spare a glance at any other man either."

"Do you really think our City Lord is as shallow as you? That person has real talent."

"Right, who doesn’t like someone who is both handsome and capable?"

The appearance of the bipedal dragon’s massive silhouette brought a tidal wave of cheers to the eastern suburb square of Darama, for their beloved City Lord Zalanda had arrived in person.

The sudden ascent of the pegasus knight caused a moment of chaos in the scene, sparking a new round of heated discussion. The Darama citizens’ appetite for gossip was burning bright.

Transcendent charisma isn’t just a figure of speech, especially the unspoken transcendent charisma reward that made Gaven particularly lethal to women; many underage girls became smitten on the spot, their eyes twinkling with affection. In about an hour, they’d likely become Gaven’s most devoted fans.

And let’s not forget, he’s the male protagonist of the first major film from Felen. The whole event revolves around him.

"Your arrangements were correct. If this were to take place in the civic square, it would have been a disaster." Looking down at the passionately lively crowd, Zalanda maintained a perfect smile and waved, although at such a distance, it was uncertain if they could see her face clearly.

"Today is just a warm-up. I’d wager the scenes tomorrow will be even more explosive," Gaven boldly predicted. Never underestimate the pull of a novelty to people, especially in an environment where entertainment is so scarce.