I'm Leaving Backlund

"Oh, sorry, I was daydreaming."

Luther snapped out of his thoughts and apologized to Sharron.

"Um."

Sharron said calmly. She should have realized that Luther had discovered something, but seeing that he had no intention of sharing, she didn't press him for details.

How many of those materials were sold?

Luther suddenly remembered something else.

"Basically none sold."

Sharron replied, "That Demigod infiltrated various extraordinary gatherings to ambush us."

That's really too persistent.

Luther felt a chill, but quickly laughed, "It's alright, we can make our move tonight, won't we?"

There's no need to worry about that Demigod causing trouble at the Queen's party. Besides, he plans to use this high-level gathering to search for the Main Ingredient of the Potion. Even a clue would be helpful.

"By the way, Miss Sharron, are you familiar with the Shadow Knight and Grigel, these two extraordinary creatures?"

Luther asked.

After Sharron's answer to the "Life School of Thought" question, he had higher expectations for Miss "Wraith". After all, she came from a sect with a deep foundation, even though the sect had now been Corrosion by an evil god.

Unfortunately, his hopes were dashed this time.

"I've never heard of the Shadow Knight, as for Grigel..."

She thought for a moment, "I once read about it in the sect's books. It's a kind of extraordinary creature, also called Blood Giant. It used to be found in the Northern Continent, but it's basically extinct now."

Hey, as expected, extraordinary materials at the Demigod level certainly won't be obtained so easily.

Although somewhat disappointed, Luther tried to console himself.

He then said, "Then you..."

"Creak!"

The train carriage suddenly lurched, interrupting his words.

"What's wrong?"

Luther raised his voice and asked the coachman outside, his alertness heightened. Although he didn't sense any extraordinary presence outside, he remained cautious.

"It's nothing, sir."

The driver's muffled voice came from across the carriage, "The intersection ahead is blocked; we'll have to change our route."

"The road is blocked, why?"

Luther frowned and asked.

"Because the warships are about to enter the port, all streets around the Harbor District are closed to traffic."

The driver's voice carried pride, and he seemed to straighten his back in his seat, "Sir, you know, that's the 'Pritz'!"

Oh right, it was mentioned in the newspaper.

Luther recalled that the ironclad warship "Pritz" had dominated the seas this year, defeating numerous pirate Fleet. Now, to celebrate the New Year and for rest and recuperation, it would return in glory to Backlund to participate in the festivities.

Through the carriage window, he could see that soldiers were indeed guarding the intersection ahead, preventing carriages and pedestrians from passing. Fortunately, there was more than one road to the North Borough, and the driver changed the route slightly, and the carriage soon resumed its journey.

After that, the two chatted casually about various topics, including the "Rose School of Thought," the situation in the Southern Continent, and their experience exploring Amon's Tomb that day. Meanwhile, the carriage gradually approached the abandoned botanical garden in the North Borough.

"Although it was really dangerous at the time, the outcome was good after all."

Luther laughed, "Look, we've acquired so many Beyonder Characteristic and items. We can make a fortune just by selling them at the Queen's party."

As he spoke, the carriage arrived at the botanical garden, and he casually looked out the window.

His eyes widened instantly.

Now, this botanical garden in the north of the city collected rare plants from all over Loen and the Southern Continent. It was originally intended for exhibition to earn admission fees. Unfortunately, the citizens of Backlund were not interested in it, and in addition, its remote location made it impossible to even sell the land. In a fit of anger, the owner abandoned it and stopped taking care of it.

Thanks to the abundant rainfall in Backlund, the plants here grew wildly, and soon became overgrown and desolate.

Considering that the Queen could manipulate plants to build castles, choosing this location for the gathering was quite fitting.

When Luther looked out the car window, he did indeed see the castle made of plants. However, the castle was in ruins; its magnificent exterior looked as if it had been ravaged by Giant, becoming dilapidated. The plants that made it up were all withered and dead, as if all their life force had been drained away.

Someone has disrupted the Queen's party!

"Don't stop, keep going."

Luther was only stunned for a moment before he came to his senses. He immediately called to the coachman and had the carriage leave at a steady pace. After the carriage had passed through several blocks, he turned around and stared at Sharron with a gloomy expression.

Who do you think it is?

". I have no idea."

Sharron paused for a moment before answering.

As for Luther, he had some guesses. He thought it was likely the force behind the human trafficking and Catastrophe -making scheme. They had already clashed with the Queen once, ending with Queen naval forces being blocked and her temporarily leaving Backlund. Now that the Queen had just returned, they couldn't wait to start making moves again.

Another possibility is that the organization that orchestrated Duke Negan's death, the Twilight Hermit Order, is also secretly altering the landscape of Backlund.

Or perhaps, the two forces are actually one.

Thinking of this, Luther felt increasingly uneasy, as if a heavy dark cloud was slowly approaching the metropolis, pressing down on him and making it hard to lift his head or breathe.

It's time to leave.

After passing through several more streets, Luther called for the carriage to stop.

He stepped out of the carriage, stood by the streetlight, and watched the carriage depart.

Sharron's figure appeared silently, the orange light of the streetlamp shining through her slender body, leaving no shadow on the ground.

"I'm sorry, I can't attend today's gathering."

He said to Sharron. It was nearing the end of December, and the nights in Backlund were very cold. The white breath he exhaled was illuminated by the lamplight, making it look like a Monster hovering around him.

"I hope the Queen is alright."

Sharron said.

"That's High Sequence; it's none of our business to worry about him."

Luther had great confidence in the Queen. He noticed that the castle showed only signs of battle, but no trace of blood. "Something big may be happening in Backlund soon. I advise you and your companions to be extra careful."

"Um."

Sharron calmly accepted his suggestion.

The two chatted the whole way, but by this point there was basically nothing left to say.

Luther thought for a moment, then said, "Actually, I plan to leave Backlund before the New Year. Before I leave, I wish you a Happy New Year in advance."

"Happy New Year."

Sharron nodded.

Then, without saying another word, she quickly disappeared under the streetlights.

As for Luther, he hired a new carriage and returned to the East Borough.

He decided to begin preparations for leaving tomorrow.