CHAPTER 279: WHISPERS OF THE CAPITAL

"Hey, have you ever actually seen the Queen? What does she look like? They say she’s beautiful, but we only ever hear stories. How old is she now, anyway?"

"Well, I haven’t had the honor of seeing her face in person, but I’ve seen her portrait. She’s very beautiful, almost divine. She’s getting on in years though, and still not married. But with enough makeup, you can hide anything, right? Women can change their looks completely if they want to."

Because Shiao Yi was listening through telepathic senses, the words and the unspoken thoughts behind them blended together in his mind.

So, the Queen was older and unmarried.

And apparently, this kingdom was ruled by a queen.

"They say she’s a beautiful queen with hair the color of the morning sun and eyes like the sea. She’s said to have great magical power, one of the strongest rulers in history. She’s wise and powerful, thanks to her, this kingdom keeps growing and prospering. We’re lucky to live under her rule! Now then, this is the most popular item in the capital right now, something that even the Queen herself might fancy. Since you’re such good customers, I’ll give you a special discount today. But keep it between us, alright? Don’t tell anyone from the next village!"

Heh, maybe I pushed the price a little too high. Still, with this markup, I’ll make a nice profit.

Shiao Yi couldn’t help smirking. He’s quick on his feet, that one. Knows exactly how to reel them back in. A real merchant through and through.

Still, he thought, how much did he jack up those prices? That’s almost a scam.

At the words "special discount," the village women’s eyes lit up, their excitement spreading fast.

The merchant had them completely hooked.

Looks like he’s about to make quite a sale, Shiao Yi thought wryly.

Still, that merchant had said something that bothered him.

The Queen had strong magical power, he’d said. Could that mean she was a magician?

If so, she might be the prime suspect behind Dominic’s abduction or at least someone deeply involved.

His next destination was clear, the capital.

That was where he needed to go and gather more information.

...

Without making a sound, Shiao Yi landed on a tiled rooftop.

He immediately crouched low while scanning her surroundings.

Using the cover of night, he had teleported to the top of what appeared to be the "palace."

It was the tallest and largest structure in the city, which made it easy to identify from afar and there were no nearby obstacles to block his view.

Unless someone had been staring intently at the roof for a long time, no one would notice his presence.

People rarely looked far above their own height unless they had a reason.

Shiao Yi surveyed the palace from above and sighed at its vastness.

The royal castle in the Rosaria Kingdom had also been huge, but that place had functioned like an entire city, where military, political, economic, and medical institutions were all centered together.

The stone buildings there had been built separately, each one clearly serving its own function, arranged in a highly efficient layout.

Here, however, the palace was made of wood, with dozens of similar looking buildings crammed together in a confusing cluster of roofs and corridors.

The one beneath her feet was the tallest and grandest, which suggested it was the central hall or main residence of the Queen herself.

The royal family, their attendants, and various officials were probably scattered among the many surrounding structures.

Some buildings were connected by covered walkways, while others were divided by ponds, gardens, or small artificial hills.

If Dominic was being kept somewhere inside this maze, finding her would be a serious challenge.

It was nighttime, so few people were moving about.

Aside from the guards keeping night watch, most of them were fast asleep.

Shiao Yi quietly stretched out his telepathic senses, trying to locate Dominic’s mental signal but once again, he found nothing.

Even if Dominic had been asleep, his brainwaves were distinct enough that Shiao Yi would never fail to notice them.

A wave of despair rose deep in his chest, cold and heavy, but he forced it down with sheer willpower.

Not yet, he told himself. It’s too soon to assume anything. I haven’t confirmed anything yet.

Throughout the palace, he could feel certain areas where his telepathic touch was blocked.

It’s a barriers and most likely it’s a powerful barrier that prevented intrusion.

His ability and such barriers had always been a terrible match.

If his instincts were right, then Dominic was trapped somewhere within one of those sealed areas.

Shiao Yi woke from his short sleep and slowly rose from the palace rooftop.

The long narrow island that had become a peninsula stretched from the southeast to the west.

Since the palace was built on a small hill, she could see the sea from east to south from the highest rooftop.

On the eastern horizon, the faint traces of dawn were beginning to spread, melting the darkness little by little.

The air was cool enough to make his skin prickle, but compared to the heat of the day, it felt pleasantly comfortable.

He pulled an oiled paper pouch from his pocket and took out a small candy made from boiled-down sugar syrup and honey, popping one into his mouth.

About twenty kilocalories, nowhere near enough to sustain his energy, but it’s enough to wake his brain and get it working.

He ate two or three dried nuts that tasted similar to walnuts, gaining another hundred kilocalories.

For his body, which had been artificially enhanced, that bit of food and a short sleep were enough to fully restore her strength and focus.

In his previous life, he used to carry energy bars around two thousand kilocalories in one bar, packed with every essential nutrient.

Be could finally appreciate now how impressive those had been.

The taste had been terrible, though, dry and gritty like sand. The last half-eaten one had even turned into a bomb.