Serie's Palace

After chatting for a while, Frog got up and left, saying he had arranged to meet with some business partners to discuss future arrangements.

After he left, Galan pondered for a moment and decided that he should also set off to visit Serie. Since she had placed a [Tracking Magic] on him, she should know that he had arrived in [Äußerst], so it would be best to keep the appointment as soon as possible.

He didn't want this old lady to come to him on her own; it would make him seem too arrogant and upset her.

If you accidentally upset someone, you won't know how to handle the situation.

Are you going out too?

Watching Galan get out of bed and get dressed, Lia sat there, her expression somewhat helpless.

If Galan leaves too, it seems she'll be left all alone in the Inn, with nothing else to do.

There was no one she knew here, no place she was familiar with; everything was foreign to her.

[Äußerst], as an ancient the North capital, boasts a rich heritage and history, and its people enjoy a significantly higher standard of living. The city's development is also quite remarkable. Whether judged from the perspective of commerce or magical development, it ranks among the top cities in the empire. The bustling streets filled with merchants, citizens, and adventurers create the city's prosperity. However, for Lia, she is like an isolated island in the ocean; the world around her is incredibly lively and noisy, but it has nothing to do with her.

Because of their extremely long lifespans, Elves and humans rarely have much interaction.

For the past few hundred years, her people have rarely approached such human metropolises. If it weren't for the threat from the Demons, they would usually choose to live in seclusion in some deep mountains and forests.

"Yes, I have some things to take care of, I'll probably be gone for a long time."

Galan patted the wrinkles on his clothes and turned to look at Lia.

After noticing that the other person was clearly somewhat depressed, he immediately understood what she was thinking.

"Hmm... You're not familiar with this place yet, and you might run into bad people if you go out on your own... Why don't you rest at the Inn for now, and I'll take you out for dinner when I get back tonight?"

Since I definitely couldn't take her with me, it was safer to leave her here.

"Really?"

Judging from her surprised expression, she probably didn't expect Galan to suddenly invite her to dinner.

"Of course, let's go to the restaurant Frog mentioned. It seems like it might really be the best restaurant in [Äußerst]."

Galan smiled and realized that starting with food to get closer to her was indeed the right choice.

Seemingly still longing for the bread she had just eaten, she sat in her seat and nodded vigorously, obediently agreeing.

Seeing this, Galan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

If I can't calm Lia down and make her wait until I get back, I'm really worried about her going out like this...

Because the Palace was located right in the center of the city, Galan found Serie's Palace with almost no effort after leaving the Inn.

To enter this magnificent building, one must first pass through the outer gate. Even from a great distance, Galan could see that someone was guarding the gate.

The man would occasionally look around, checking for any suspicious individuals.

"Is this Mr. Galan?"

The fully armed guards looked at Galan, who had suddenly approached the Palace gate, and asked a question.

His voice was calm and steady, and just listening to it made people feel incredibly reassured. Although he was covered in armor like Lancelot, Galan could tell that beneath that armor was a body that had been tempered by fire.

To be able to serve as a guard outside Serie's Palace, one must be no ordinary person.

"Yes, it's me... You know me?" Galan asked curiously.

The two should have been meeting for the first time, but the other person knew their name after just one glance.

"Just now, Lady Serie sent word that you would come to see her."

The guard answered in the same steady tone as before.

But after confirming his identity, Galan could clearly sense a new level of respect in his tone.

It seems the other party assumes that being able to receive an audience with Serie means they must be someone extraordinary.

... Is that so? "Just now," indeed. As expected of Serie, she really knows my every move perfectly.

Galan secretly sighed, glad that he had arrived so early.

The outer gate of the Palace was slowly pushed open by the guards. After handing over the guard duties to others, he led Galan into the Palace.

This was the first time Galan had entered such a magnificent and resplendent place since coming into this world.

The walls were made of bright white jade, and the floors were gilded steps. The smooth marble was so smooth that it even reflected Galan's face.

Despite the numerous guards and checkpoints within the palace, guided by the palace guards, Galan passed smoothly through each door until he finally arrived at an exceptionally large, gilded gate.

The door was carved with intricate inscriptions and some ancient scripts, but given Galan's limited understanding of ancient cultures, he couldn't decipher any of them.

"Lady Serie is waiting for you here. I'll take my leave now."

The guard bowed respectfully to himself and then went back along the path the two had come from.

Are you Mr. Galan?

Not long after the guards left, as Galan was pondering how to open the door, an old voice rang out beside him, startling him so much that he instinctively reached for his weapon.

He quickly turned his head and saw an elderly man dressed in fine clothes standing in a corner not far from the door, smiling and greeting him.

Who is he? When and where was he?

When I walked here with the guard, there was clearly no one there. Did they use some kind of [invisibility magic]? And how could they completely conceal their presence at this distance without me noticing?

"Hehe, don't be nervous. I mean no harm. I'm just a disciple showing courtesy to the guests my master is receiving today."

Seeing Galan's wary expression, the old man simply chuckled twice and explained.

Hearing his words, Galan was also somewhat surprised:

"Apprentice? Are you Serie's apprentice?"

"Um."

Hearing the old man say this, Galan breathed a slight sigh of relief, thinking that it was unlikely that such a dangerous person as an assassin would appear in this place. He then loosened his grip on his weapon and began to carefully examine the other party.