Yulan Empire

April 20th, 9999, Yulan Calendar.

The early morning in Fenlai City was shrouded in a thin mist, and Champs-Elysees Avenue was sparse with pedestrians. Akes stood at the city gate, five carriages behind him—two for passengers, three for luggage. The old steward, Cal, was checking the items, while several servants moved the final few trunks back and forth.

Yale, Reynolds, and George had all come. Linley stood a little further away, Bebe perched on his shoulder.

"Got everything packed?" Yale asked.

"Just about." Akes glanced at the carriages. "Whatever is missing, they have it over there."

Reynolds leaned in, wanting to say something, but swallowed it back. Finally, he managed to blurt out, "Remember to write when you arrive."

"Mm."

"Make it a long letter."

"Mm."

"Once a month, at least."

Akes laughed. "You write once a month, I write once a month, George writes once a month, and the fourth one writes once a month—have you calculated how many letters I'd have to write a day?"

Reynolds counted on his fingers, then gave up. "Just write them, that's all!"

George laughed from the side. "Alright, don't give the third one such a hard time."

The old steward, Cal, walked over and bowed. "Young Master, everything is ready."

Akes nodded and looked at the group.

Yale stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder. "Take care."

"You too."

George gave him a hug. "I'll come pick you up once you're settled."

"Good."

Reynolds also crowded in for a hug, his eyes slightly red. "Third one, you take good care of yourself."

"I will."

Finally, it was Linley.

The two looked at each other for a few seconds.

Linley walked over and extended his hand. Akes gripped it.

"Write when you get there," Linley said.

"Mm."

"If you need anything, just say the word."

"You too."

The two let go, neither saying anything more.

Akes turned and boarded the carriage. The moment the curtain fell, he saw the four of them standing in the morning mist through the gap, watching him.

"Let's go," he said to the coachman.

The carriage slowly started, the wheels rolling over the stone road with a rhythmic rumbling. The carriages behind followed, and the convoy headed south along the main road.

Akes lifted the carriage curtain and looked back one last time.

The four figures were still standing there, growing smaller and smaller until they finally vanished into the morning mist.

He lowered the curtain and leaned back against the carriage wall.

"Young Master," old Cal said softly from the side, "finding it hard to leave?"

Akes was silent for a moment, then smiled. "Nine years."

Cal nodded and said no more.

The carriage continued forward, moving further and further away from Fenlai City.

The journey was smoother than expected.

The main road was level, and there were post stations along the way. They traveled by day, stayed at inns by night, and occasionally chatted with merchant caravans they encountered. Akes spent most of his time inside the carriage, either meditating or visualizing the Nuwa Diagram.

He had received the Nuwa Diagram as a sign-in reward on graduation day. Through repeated visualization during this period, he discovered that his mental energy grew significantly faster than through simple meditation alone. That mysterious, profound sensation was hard to describe—it was as if something was slowly coalescing in his mind, becoming clearer and clearer.

On the fifth day, the convoy entered the territory of the O'Brien Empire.

Reynolds' home was in this country, but he hadn't come along—he said he would wait until the second half of the year to go find Akes.

"Young Master, there's a town ahead," Cal said from outside. "Shall we rest for the night?"

"Fine."

The town was not large, but it was bustling. Akes found a clean inn to stay in, and while eating downstairs that evening, he heard people at the next table discussing the Yulan Empire.

"...I heard a lot of mages have arrived there recently, all recruited from various countries."

"Indeed, the Yulan Empire is wealthy and generous, offering great benefits."

"Our O'Brien isn't doing too poorly either."

"It's not even close. What kind of foundation does the Yulan Empire have? It's the oldest empire on the continent, and their research into magic is far deeper than ours."

Aikesi Yan listened, the corners of his mouth curling upward slightly.

It seems quite a few people are heading to the Yulan Empire.

The caravan entered the territory of the Yulan Empire.

The border inspection was strict, but Aikesi Yan's imperial invitation letter did the trick. Upon seeing the letter, the border officer's attitude immediately turned respectful, and he personally arranged for them to pass through.

"Count Aikesi?" The border officer double-checked. "Welcome to the Yulan Empire."

Count. Aikesi Yan repeated the title silently to himself. He hadn't been officially invested yet, but the man was already addressing him as such.

Once past the border, the road conditions were noticeably better. There were post stations at regular intervals, and the postmen were all very enthusiastic. It seemed the Yulan Empire truly treated travelers well.

On the seventeenth day, the caravan arrived at the outskirts of Yulan City.

Aikesi Yan lifted the carriage curtain and saw a massive city sitting on the plains in the distance. The city walls were towering, the gate towers were majestic, and patrolling soldiers were vaguely visible atop the ramparts. People flowed in and out of the city gates, and carriages and horses were endless.

"This is Yulan City." Old Cal remarked from the side. "It's much larger than Fenlai City."

Aikesi Yan nodded.

It was indeed large. Fenlai City was already the largest city in the Holy Union, but compared to Yulan City, it still fell short.

The caravan was stopped at the city gate. The guards checked their clearance documents, then looked at Aikesi Yan, their attitudes immediately becoming respectful.

"Count Aikesi? The imperial envoy is already waiting at the post house."

Aikesi Yan was stunned. "Envoy?"

"Yes, sent by His Majesty the King. Please head to the post house as soon as you arrive."

The post house in Yulan City was located in the east of the city; it was a small three-story building with a quiet and elegant environment.

As soon as Aikesi Yan stepped out of the carriage, a middle-aged man walked up to greet him. He wore official robes and a smile, his manner polite but not servile.

"Count Aikesi? This humble one is a director of the Imperial Ministry of Rites, waiting here under His Majesty's orders."

Aikesi Yan nodded. "Sorry to have kept you waiting, Director."

"Not at all." The director stepped aside to lead the way. "His Majesty has ordered that you proceed to the palace immediately upon arrival. The carriage is already prepared."

"Now?"

"Now."

Aikesi Yan looked at Old Cal. Cal nodded. "Don't worry, Young Master, I will handle things here."

Aikesi Yan followed the director into another carriage.

The carriage passed through several streets, heading toward the imperial palace in the center of the city. Through the carriage curtain, Aikesi Yan saw shops lining both sides of the street and pedestrians as thick as weaving thread; it was even more prosperous than Fenlai City.

About two quarters of an hour later, the carriage stopped.

"We have arrived," the director said.

Aikesi Yan stepped out of the carriage to find a tall palace gate before him. On both sides of the gate stood guards clad in golden armor, each possessing a steady aura; they were at least level five warriors.

The director led Aikesi Yan through the palace gate, walked through several long corridors, and finally stopped in front of a grand hall.

"His Majesty is waiting for you inside," the director said. "Please."

Aikesi Yan took a deep breath and pushed the door open to enter.

The grand hall was very spacious, lacking the oppressive majesty he had imagined.

Sunlight spilled in through high windows, casting mottled light and shadows on the floor. At the end of the hall, a middle-aged man sat in a chair, wearing simple dark formal attire, looking down at something.

Hearing footsteps, he looked up.

Aikesi Yan saw his face clearly—around fifty years old, with a steady temperament and eyes that were gentle yet sharp. Just as described in the original work, this was a man who hid his true depths well.

"Aikesi Yan?" the King began, his voice calm.

"Yes." Aikesi Yan stepped forward a few paces and bowed. "Greetings, Your Majesty."

The King waved his hand. "No need for such formalities. Come, sit."

Aikesi Yan straightened up, walked to a nearby chair, and sat down.

The King studied him for a moment, then smiled. "A seventeen-year-old level seven fire-element mage."

The King continued, "The Royal Magic Academy has the most complete collection of magic texts on the continent, the Imperial Library has over one hundred thousand volumes, and we have several Saint-level powerhouses presiding over the empire."

"Yes," Aikesi Yan replied.

The King looked at him. "Imperial We can grant you the title of Count, a manor in the southern suburbs of the imperial capital, and an annual stipend of five thousand gold coins. Furthermore, you may audit any course at the Royal Magic Academy, and the core area of the Imperial Library will be open to you. How does that sound?"

Aikesi Yan was silent for a moment, then stood up and bowed. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

The King smiled. "Then it is settled. Officials will go to the post house tomorrow to help you process the paperwork."

"Yes."

The King waved his hand. "Go. Cultivate well; the empire needs young people like you."

Aikesi Yan exited the grand hall.

The moment he stepped out of the palace gates, he looked back once.

The King of the Yulan Empire was more direct and magnanimous than he had imagined.

The next day, Akes completed the formalities accompanied by an official.

A count's title, a manor in the southern suburbs of the imperial capital, and five thousand gold coins as a settling-in allowance. The paperwork was processed quickly, and everything was finalized in half a day.

In the afternoon, he took old Cal and the servants to the manor.

The manor was in the southern suburbs, covering nearly a hundred acres. The main building had three floors, with gardens in the front and back, and a small grove behind the courtyard. The house was quite new and fully furnished; it had clearly been prepared in advance.

"Young Master, this place is truly wonderful," old Cal said, looking around. "It's much larger than the one in Fenlai."

Akes nodded.

It was indeed nice. Better than he had expected.

"Get things settled," he said. "We will be living here from now on."

Over the next few days, Akes was busy getting settled in. George visited twice to help him familiarize himself with the surrounding environment. Yale sent people to deliver congratulatory gifts, and a letter from Reynolds arrived as well.

Only Linley had no news.