Find a Kingdom for Me

"The estate has changed quite a bit, it's so lively! Are you renovating the main building?" Daniel asked the captain of the Howlett family riders who had greeted him in Red Deer yesterday. Thanks to James's prior arrangements, they had indeed encountered a group of gold-seeking bandits on the road; if it had been up to Daniel alone, he and the carriage driver would surely have been stripped down to their trousers and forced to walk all the way to Edmonton.

"We are digging a cellar. Young Master James attaches great importance to this project, and as you know, the young master is now in charge of the family's affairs." The rider captain, Jack Pitt, was a new promotion of James's, not yet thirty years old. His father had been an old subordinate of Mr. Howlett, and as these old guards gradually aged, most had retired to enjoy their later years. Their children, however, continued to work for the Howlett family, working for James.

One generation of newcomers replaces the old; perhaps their descendants would continue to work for James, and even their descendants' descendants...

"Ah... this scale doesn't look like a simple cellar," Daniel muttered to himself. He had traveled in Egypt for a long time and had seen the sheer scale of massive underground palaces, which made him feel increasingly like a stranger to the student he hadn't seen in years.

"Please, go on in. Mr. Howlett and Young Master James are both waiting for you at the estate." Captain Pitt urged Daniel slightly. Daniel, who had been somewhat lost in thought, offered an apologetic smile and walked quickly toward the interior.

Standing gracefully at the entrance of the estate was a tall young girl. Her bright, thick red hair and skin as white as light made her look dazzling in the scene.

She tilted her chin slightly as she looked around, and upon seeing Daniel, she smiled sweetly. She looked at him with a mischievous glint in her eyes but did not speak.

"You are... O'Hara! Little Rose!" Daniel exclaimed in excitement and surprise.

"Hahahaha! You guessed it!" O'Hara, having been recognized, laughed loudly with satisfaction. "Come with me, everyone is waiting for you in the living room." Daniel sighed about how much a girl changes as she grows—like an ugly duckling turning into a white swan—and walked into the living room amidst O'Hara's playful scolding.

After a dinner where both host and guest were well-pleased, Mr. Howlett returned to his room early to rest; his energy was very limited now, and he rarely received guests like this anymore.

O'Hara helped him back to his bedroom, while James invited Mr. Daniel to the study to chat and taste the specialty cigars he had brought back from Cuba.

"Mmm... this feels quite good," James said, looking somewhat intoxicated. It was strange to think that he had once been a man who touched neither tobacco nor alcohol, and he had had no appreciation for cigars. But in this life, after being encouraged by Mr. Howlett to take a puff two years ago, he had grown fond of that smoky, fragrant aroma.

"Over these years, I've been to India and Egypt. I spent the longest time in the Middle Eastern countries, and finally sailed back from Morocco. I've seen the customs of many magical ancient kingdoms. Would you believe it? During the First Dynasty of Egypt, it was briefly ruled by a man named En Sabah Nur, yet there is no official record of this in history books. I suppose the Pharaoh's dynasty would not allow such things to be passed down."

Daniel smoked his cigar while sipping fine gin and talking eloquently. James listened intently from the side with great interest.

"Many historical records of these ancient kingdoms are quite mythologized; there are always some god-like, strange figures who left behind certain traces, but they all seem ambiguous. Yet, the local people are very serious about it and do not tolerate any contempt from outsiders. I think that with the spread of the fires of industry and the illumination of civilization, these wild regions will slowly be assimilated."

There was a faint pride on Daniel's face. Although he was fascinated by the history of magical ancient kingdoms, he did not seem to believe in those tales of ghosts and gods.

"Speaking of which, Professor Daniel, are you interested in continuing your travels for a while longer? I think I can sponsor you and provide you with sufficient compensation. There are some things I need to verify." James thought for a moment, blew a smoke ring, and said to Daniel.

Daniel was stunned for a moment, and after a long while, he said, "I have indeed considered whether I should continue this kind of life. To be honest, perhaps I'm getting old and can't quite handle the harsh tests of the environment. But..."

He looked at James playfully and said, "If the price is right, it's not something I wouldn't consider! Hahahaha!" Both of them looked at each other and laughed. Daniel continued, "However, I don't want to go to Africa again. That place almost cost me my life!"

Seeing the awkward expression on James's face, Daniel suddenly had an ominous premonition: "You don't really want me to go back to the African continent, do you!" James did not answer directly, but pondered for a moment and asked slowly, "I wonder, in all your time in Africa, have you ever heard of a place called Wakanda?"

Among the snow-capped mountains of the Himalayas, a temple-like structure stood halfway up a mountainside. The crisp sound of wind chimes drifted into the distance along with the mountain breeze. The monks and scholars carrying scriptures and the Zen masters sitting in meditation gave this lonely mountain temple a bit of vitality.

In the quiet room of the central hall, a mage wearing a plain robe with pale golden hair reaching her waist was reading a thick-skinned book on a meditation cushion. Her skin and appearance looked like those of a beautiful and upright woman, yet her movements and demeanor were like those of a man; she seemed to have no pure gender, and her eyes held an indescribable, ancient melancholy, as if time were winding through them like flowing water.

A dense green light suddenly scattered from the pendant on her chest. The mage raised her eyebrows and formed an arcane shape with her hands. The pendant rotated and unlocked like a latch, revealing a source of green light in the center.

She closed her eyes and placed her hands at her sides. A pair of green glowing rings filled with meaningless runes rose around her arms. As the rings slowly rotated, she twisted her brows as if having a nightmare. After a long while, she retracted her arms and pressed her palms together at her chest. The pendant slowly locked again, reverting to a simple, ancient brass ornament. The mage slowly opened her eyes and sighed leisurely, "An anomaly has pried open the wheel of time; the future is already a fog..."

"Never heard of it."

Daniel said flatly. When James heard this, he was visibly relieved but also felt a sense of loss. Mr. Daniel found James's reaction strange and continued, "I have been traveling in Northern Africa, but I haven't been to the south. Moreover, the concept of organized states there is rare; they are all referred to by tribal regions, so I cannot guarantee that such a place doesn't exist, only that I myself do not know of it."

James thought for a moment and said firmly, "I need a definitive answer, so I must ask you to make one more trip!"

"Alright... since you insist. But I need your full support, not just financial and material. I need you to send capable men to accompany me; I cannot complete this task alone."

Daniel thought for a long time before slowly agreeing. James immediately guaranteed, "Rest assured! I will send sufficient manpower for you to command, and all supplies will be no problem. Also, after the matter is accomplished, whether or not you find Wakanda, you will receive a substantial fortune to enjoy the rest of your life. This is my promise."

"I believe you. These are minor matters; besides, once this is done, you'll have to help me with my retirement!" Mr. Daniel teased. "But, may I ask why this is? Is an African community or indigenous tribe that may or may not exist worth so much of your concern?"

James thought for a moment and said seriously, "I cannot disclose the specific reasons, but just like the bizarre myths and legends of the ancient kingdoms you just mentioned, if this place can be found, then perhaps all impossible things can be proven..."

Daniel lowered his gaze, lost in thought. James added, "If you find it, collect as much information about Wakanda as possible while staying safe—geographical location, history, culture, and so on. But you must be careful and keep your distance. If I am not mistaken, it is an extremely xenophobic nation. They have always remained hidden and are unknown to outsiders. Do not, under any circumstances, attempt to break in!"

He warned Mr. Daniel, and the two chatted for a long time. Daniel seemed to feel that his student might be like many people obsessed with mysterious cultures, wanting to explore the truth of the world. Although he felt that all of this was unbelievable, deep down he had always longed for an unexpected answer. After all, hadn't his own eight years of exploration been a pursuit of the indescribable confusion in his heart?

Speaking of something happy, I just finished pondering the internal submission and received a signing invitation from the editorial team. My readers have such sharp eyes! High five to everyone!