The Seville Family's Invitation

Heloise nodded obediently and replied softly, "Yes, Hermit."

The Hermit straightened his clothes, which were slightly disheveled from the recent battle, and said in a gentle voice, "There's no need to be so formal, Miss Heloise."

I told you before, even if you weren't here, I would still take care of those bugs.

Heloise looked up into the Hermit's eyes and said earnestly, "Mr. Hermit, this may be just a trivial matter for you."

But without you, our caravan would likely have been completely wiped out.

At this point, Heloise took out a beautifully engraved Golden Finch emblem from her sleeve and presented it with both hands.

"Mr. Hermit, you may not know this, but my father, Duke Aiden, was a man who valued gratitude."

"Since you have helped us so much, whether it's gold and silver jewelry, Spell Scroll, or magical items, our Seville Family will do our best to satisfy your needs."

Heloise, adept at reading people, keenly noticed that when "gold and silver jewelry" was mentioned, the Hermit's pale green pupils widened slightly, as if he were quite interested in it.

However, she didn't say much, but continued to listen quietly, secretly noting down this unusual detail.

The Hermit tucked the Golden Finch emblem into his sleeve, stroked his beard, and then nodded and smiled, "In that case, I shall accept it without further ado."

Heloise asked curiously, "Mr. Hermit, where are you headed?"

"Tar Harbor, although I haven't been back for quite a while, I should still have some old acquaintances there."

The Hermit gently waved his Bronze Scepter, and a phantom map appeared in mid-air, marking the location of Tar Harbor.

However, Heloise covered her mouth in surprise and whispered a reminder: "Mr. Hermit, if I remember correctly, the Tar Harbor you mentioned sank to the bottom of the sea 130 years ago due to a disaster that swept across Silver Moon Bay. That city now only exists in history books."

The Hermit froze on the spot, his expression somewhat astonished. After a long silence, he shook his head and smiled bitterly, "Heh, it seems I have indeed been sleeping for too long. I don't even know the basic situation of the world today."

I'm sorry you had to see this."

Heloise could sense a lonely aura emanating from the man in front of her, but she didn't want to disturb him, so she simply stood quietly by his side.

The hermit seems to have been used to it for a long time, and does not have too many emotional fluctuations, but is just a little emotional.

After a moment, the Hermit turned to look at Heloise: "Your destination is that so-called Victoria Harbor?"

Heloise nodded and replied in a deep voice, "Yes, Mr. Hermit, our objective this time was to transport this batch of new weapons back to Victoria Harbor, but we were ambushed en route."

"Arms?"

With a flick of his sleeve, the Hermit produced a brand-new rifle from a distance and casually played with it in his hand.

"Is this all? These are interesting little gadgets." In just a moment, he seemed to have figured out how to use the gun and fired it into the air.

"Bang!"

"Not bad, the power is impressive. I never imagined that the world would change so much in just a century."

Heloise hesitated for a moment, tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, and then made up her mind, somewhat nervously extending an invitation.

"Mr. Hermit, since you have just woken up and are not very clear about the changes in the world, why don't you come with us to Victoria Harbor?"

Victoria Harbor is now the largest and most bustling city in the Silver Moon Bay area, and our Seville Family can help you find accommodation there and provide information. What do you think?

She bowed again and said softly, "Moreover, it is my honor to travel with a spellcaster as powerful as you."

The Hermit didn't hesitate for long. After a moment's thought, he nodded and smiled, "That sounds pretty good. I happen to like human port cities."

"Then let me see the sights of Victoria Harbor. Miss Heloise, have your caravan prepare; we'll depart shortly."

"Of course, Mr. Hermit."

Heloise quickly echoed, her tone even becoming somewhat excited.

Not only because she no longer had to worry about safety on her journey ahead, but also because she had befriended a mysterious and powerful spellcaster.

The network of spellcasters at this level is an invaluable asset to the entire Seville Family.

"Sir Hermit, I'll take you there."

Heloise reached out her hand, ready to lead the way, but saw the Hermit gently tap the ground with his Bronze Scepter.

"No need for that trouble."

"When."

A crisp metallic sound rang out, Heloise felt as if a curtain had been torn down around her, instantly changing the scenery.

By the time she came to her senses, the two of them were already sitting inside the luxuriously decorated carriage.

Even Heloise was stunned for a moment, and after a moment of silence, he sincerely said, "Master Hermit, your magical skills are truly amazing."

The Hermit chuckled and said, "Hehe, it's just that I'm quite skilled at using it, nothing special."

At this moment, the captain of the guard Marvin, also noticed that the young lady had returned to the carriage, and even brought the unfamiliar guest with her. Knowing that he had failed in his duty, he hurriedly stepped forward to greet her. With a fawning smile, he bowed and said, "Young lady, and this gentleman."

The caravan has rested enough, and the wounded soldiers and horses have been bandaged. When do we plan to depart?

"Now, get to Victoria Harbor as soon as possible and complete the task your father assigned you."

Heloise pondered for a moment, then added, "Also, inform everyone in the family caravan."

This is the Hermit, the most distinguished guest of our Seville Family. He must be treated with the utmost courtesy and must not be neglected.

"Yes, Miss."

Marvin responded respectfully, then turned and left to give instructions to his men.

Inside the carriage, the mysterious Hermit and Heloise engaged in a conversation that seemed rather strange to onlookers.

"Is the most powerful country on the continent right now still the Fadlan Kingdom?"

"Um, it should be the Kassand Kingdom, but in a sense, it was split off from the former Fadlan Empire that once ruled the continent."

Does the Silver Moon Bay Alliance still exist?

"Of course, it's now called the Free Trade Confederation, and the most powerful city-state within it is Victoria Harbor, which inherited part of the legacy of Tar Harbor and is managed by four dukes, including my father."

"."

The Hermit who awoke from his slumber asked questions about the simplest common sense that everyone on the continent knew.

He occasionally mentioned the power distribution and political structure within Victoria Harbor, but never touched on the secrets of the Seville Family, to which Heloise patiently answered all his questions.

In fact, Keosius was indeed learning about the basic situation of the Feanso Continent through this young lady of the Seville Family.

After all, his memories of his past life were somewhat hazy, and he was unaware of the butterfly effect his actions would cause.

With the Hermit in charge, the rest of the journey went exceptionally smoothly.

During the journey of several dozen miles, the caravan also encountered cultists lying in ambush, but these pitiful creatures were often struck by lightning and turned into charred remains before they could even get close.

Marvin and the other caravan guards were amazed and finally lowered their guard against the mysterious Hermit, and also personally experienced the benefits of having a powerful spellcaster in the team.

Before the sun had even set, the caravan was already traveling on the wide stone road, nearing its destination.

The Hermit lifted the curtain of the carriage, gazed at the city skyline that appeared in the distance, stared at the towering city towers, and asked in a low voice, "Is that Victoria Harbor?"

It looks pretty good, no worse than the old Tar Harbor.

Heloise gazed at the familiar city walls and the fluttering Golden Finch flags, and replied with some pride, "Yes, Mr. Hermit, that is Victoria Harbor."

The jewel of the Western Sea, the heart of Silver Moon Bay's maritime trade, a breeding ground for schemers, and also... the territory of the Seville Family.

Bathed in sunlight, Heloise's violet pupils shimmered with a beautiful glow.

Victoria Harbor is mainly divided into the Upper District and the Lower District. This division was first seen when Queen Victoria founded the city, and over the centuries, the two areas have become completely separated.

The Upper District was the residence of nobles, monks, and other high-ranking individuals. The Lower District, on the other hand, was a melting pot of all sorts of people, from commoners and thieves to gang members, where countless dark secrets were hidden.

The two districts are connected by the Tark Drawbridge, and caravans and religious groups frequently travel between them. The pass is guarded by mercenaries from the Mithril Hand.

The Upper District is situated on higher ground and consists of the Honor District, the Temple District, the Victoria Glory Block, and other areas. It features numerous religious buildings as well as the magnificent mansions of various nobles.

The largest temple on the Feanso Continent, the Wojin Goddess Temple — the Tower of Wealth —and the Hall of Miracles of the God of Crafts, Gond, are both located in the Temple District.

In the northwest of the Honor District stands a magnificent and imposing castle, its metal gates engraved with exquisite Golden Finch emblems, and guarded by hundreds of well-equipped "Mithril Hand" mercenaries.

This is the castle of the renowned "Golden Finch" Seville Family, the Seville Castle, which has been passed down for over two hundred years.

On the top floor of the castle, in the Golden Finch Hall, a symbol of family power, Duke Aiden Seville sat in the main seat.

He looked to be in his forties, dressed in an elegant aristocratic robe, with a neatly trimmed mustache—and his pupils were the distinctive violet color of the Seville Family line.

When the Seville Family's ancestor was a fisherman, he was often bullied because of his strange eye color, but centuries later, those purple eyes became a symbol of noble blood.

Standing in front of him was Heloise Seville, the eldest daughter of the Seville family, who had just returned from Grey Harbor.

Upon hearing his eldest daughter's report, Duke Aiden couldn't help but stand up from his seat and pace back and forth by the window.

He strode up to Heloise, his voice trembling with excitement.

"Heloise, the Hermit you mentioned—did he really sleep for hundreds of years?"

Heloise nodded. "Father, if what that Hermit said is true, then it should be so."

He had never even heard of Victoria Harbor; in his memory, Tar Harbor had not yet sunk into the sea, and Fadlan was merely a kingdom.

Duke Aiden nodded repeatedly, then turned back to gaze at the oil painting on the wall, and exclaimed:

"Even on the entire Feanso Continent, there are probably very few immortal beings who can remain asleep for hundreds of years."

He turned his head, stared into Heloise's eyes again, and asked, "Heloise, what are your guesses about the identity of this Hermit?"

"A giant dragon."

"Why?"

"In my conversation with the Hermit, I discovered that he had an extraordinary interest in gold and jewelry. Combined with the fact that he had been dormant for hundreds of years, the dragon was the most fitting answer."

However, I'm still unsure of the Hermit's exact species, but judging from his help to us, he should be a Metallic Dragon.

"Slap, slap."

Duke Aiden clapped his hands, looked at Heloise's serious expression, patted her on the shoulder, and couldn't help but laugh out loud, "Very good, that's what I think too."

"Haha, Heloise, my proud daughter, you might win the friendship of a dragon for the Seville Family."

Duke Aiden sat down on the sofa in the center of the hall, whispered a few instructions to the butler standing beside him, and then jogged away.

In no time, the steward brought back an old book written on sheepskin, with the words "The "Feanso Dragon Guide"" written on its cover in gold lettering.

Duke Aiden placed the book on his lap, put on the gold-rimmed glasses handed to him by the butler, and carefully flipped through the pages, continuing as he spoke:

"Heloise, tell me more about that Hermit."

"Yes, Father."

Heloise didn't dare to be negligent and quickly recounted all the details of the journey.

Duke Aiden flipped through the ""Feanso Dragon Guide"," muttering to himself repeatedly:

"Skilled at attacking enemies with lightning, fond of Gold Coin and jewels, and able to alter the weather. Wields Bronze Scepter, wears a grey cloak, and has pale green pupils. Generally friendly and curious towards humans, possesses a strong sense of justice, and will not tolerate thieves or cultists. Prefers port cities."

Finally, Duke Aiden found a page in the book and laid it out in front of Heloise.

It depicts a massive metal dragon—with a beak-like nose and a sharp tongue, a serpentine and powerful body covered in smooth, bluish-green scales, like a majestic statue cast in bronze.

Duke Aiden pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, his lips curving upwards involuntarily, his tone becoming even more excited.

"Heloise, the ' Hermit ' you've encountered should be the Bronze Dragon known as the ' Coast Dragon.' Moreover, judging from the length of its slumber and its ability to control the weather, this ' Hermit ' is at least an ancient dragon!"

Heloise also came closer, looking with some surprise at the magnificent and imposing bronze dragon in the book, which resembled a bronze statue.

Despite having already suspected it, she still found it hard to believe that the Hermit she had been talking to for so long was such a mythical being.

Heloise sat down next to her father and asked curiously, "Father, if the Hermit is Bronze Dragon, is there anything special about him?"

"Hahaha, Heloise, my dear daughter, you have done our Seville Family a great favor."

Duke Aiden smiled broadly, stroking his mustache as he pointed with great enthusiasm to a passage in the book. Heloise looked in the direction he was pointing. "Once the Bronze Dragon make a promise, they become the most steadfast allies, making their trust all the more precious."

They are often fascinated by war and eager to join the army to fight for justice. I once saw a Bronze Dragon disguised as a human serving in the army, and even becoming a general on the battlefield.

—Alsara Stein, a scholar specializing in dinosaurs