As things stood, Titicaca dictated while Zhao Si took notes. After recording her account, he would sift through and edit it, extracting the key information and turning it into a written account a normal person could understand.
On an ordinary afternoon, the lifeless Volcano Manor received a peculiar visitor. It was not Bernahl. Bernahl had been at Volcano Manor for ages and had grown quite familiar with many of its residents. He had even once provided a diversion in Titicaca's life. Rykard did not mind Bernahl interacting with Titicaca, because he trusted Bernahl's character. A man whose head was filled with nothing but combat and martial skills was quite dense when it came to romance.
What Rykard did not know was that Titicaca was rather attracted to Bernahl. Bernahl was good-looking to begin with, and his burly physique brimmed with masculinity, making him seem out of place in the lifeless Volcano Manor.
Naturally, this stirred romantic feelings in Titicaca, who had met few men, but it was merely an unrequited crush. There was nothing to be done about it. Rykard was wholly occupied with fooling around with Tanith and paid Titicaca no attention at all. Titicaca could hardly be blamed for entertaining such thoughts.
Bernahl was a proper gentleman. He never met Titicaca in private, only seeing her in public with Rykard present. At those gatherings, Bernahl would recount some of his adventures or tales of unusual people and events, bringing a little cheer to the dreary manor.
But that afternoon, the visitor was a strange outsider.
He was entirely shrouded in a pitch-black cloak and leaned on a walking stick, seemingly unsteady on his feet. Upon arriving at Volcano Manor, he declared that he wished to see Rykard. Perlos of the Gelmir Knights received him. After learning the general