In the end, John obediently went off to train.
Whether it was "not as good as Nix" or "unable to keep up with Lin Ke" that had spurred him on, or both, was anyone's guess.
Lin Ke, meanwhile, went to spend time with Furon.
On this outing, Lin Ke wanted his mother to have some proper fun and unwind.
Taking the edge off the great fright and joy of the past few days would be good for her health.
So Lin Ke pulled out all the stops, putting on a performance to rival the day he had infuriated the King of the Gods to death, and kept Furon laughing all along the way.
And so, at noon, they finally reached the nearest small city-Parrot City.
"Little Lin Ke, can you guess why it's called Parrot City?"
With a yellow flower tucked into her hair, Furon was as excited as a village girl about to enter the city, only an innocent, dreamy, beautiful version.
Furon always had a distinctive air about her, more unique than that of anyone else Lin Ke had met.
"I don't know." And I don't want to know.
Lin Ke kept up his persona as an "adorable, understanding son," doing his best to cheer his mother up.
If there was anyone in this world Lin Ke truly cared about, it was his mother. His teacher, John, Nix, and the others came after her.
As for that Viscount Azan, he probably ranked somewhere past a hundred, around Old Yorell.
Old Yorell was a servant in their castle whose sole job was shoveling manure.
"Hehe, let me tell you! Parrot City is called Parrot City because a wave of migrating parrots passes through here every five years!"
Furon looked eager. "I saw it last time. It was so pretty! All those reds and greens. Your father watched it with me back then. Ah..."
As she spoke, she let out a sigh.
It had already been six years since she had seen him.
Seeing his adorable mother grow melancholy made Lin Ke grit his teeth with hatred for Garros.
He knew that fighting campaigns away from home was Garros's best option.
After all, the stronger Garros became, the more secure the family's survival would be, and the more resources they would have.
But to hell with all that. He had left Lin Ke's mother here without a word or a care.
Even if Garros was a good lord, he certainly was not a good father, much less a good husband.
"Mother, we're at the city gate!" Lin Ke pointed at the walls ahead.
Before them stood a city built on a plain.
Its gate was enormous, and a shallow, narrow moat encircled it, connected to a river that flowed slowly into the distance.
Lin Ke had long coveted this river. Azan only had another, smaller river, with a weaker flow than this one.
"Yes, yes! Let the purchasing team go shopping. I'll show you around Parrot City!"
Furon's spirits immediately rose, and she forgot all her worries.
Lin Ke smiled and nodded. Nix and John also came out of the carriage to join them.
Plenty of people were passing through the gate in both directions, mostly villagers and traveling merchants from elsewhere, along with some purchasing teams.
Fortunately, the gate was wide enough for them all.
When the soldiers at the gate spotted the Azan emblem on Lin Ke's convoy, they immediately straightened up and struck their chests with their right fists in salute.
They were all members of the Azan Family, and naturally recognized the entourage of their family's main branch.
Originally, Garros's branch had not counted as the main branch. Otherwise, they would never have been allotted such a remote castle.
But after Garros had risen out of nowhere to claim the rank of viscount, elevated the entire family to a viscount's family, and conquered a vast stretch of territory, his branch had become the main branch.
Nathang's system of noble ranks was simple, crude, and mindless, probably because the king did not take governing seriously, and also because of planar exploration.
After all, endless planes awaited the nobles' exploration. Who would keep wasting their energy on a mere handful of viscounties?
"Little Lin Ke, let's go!"
A little way into the city, the crowds grew thicker and noisier. Furon jumped down from the carriage with Lin Ke in her arms.
John and Nix followed, along with the leaders of the guards' first and second squads to protect them.
Lin Ke strongly resisted being carried, but Furon loved carrying him and pinching his cheeks, so he could only put up with it.
"Hmm... what should I show you... oh, right! Let's visit Chaotic Street first!"
Furon ran eagerly toward one particular spot, like a young girl who had been cooped up for too long.
Jostled this way and that, Lin Ke could not help patting Furon. "Mother, put me down. I'll walk."
Behind them, John, Nix, and the guard squad leaders lowered their heads, pretending not to see.
They rarely got to see their young master being carried around like a child.
Usually, in their eyes, he was "a Professional destined for greatness," "a brilliantly gifted classmate," or "a strict drill instructor."
Perhaps only Lady Furon still saw him as a child who had yet to celebrate his sixth birthday.
"We're here!"
After jogging for a while, Furon was a little out of breath, so she put Lin Ke down. "Little Lin Ke, you're already six. You need to learn to walk by yourself, understand? I'm exhausted..."
Excuse me, ma'am, that's completely unreasonable.
"I heard you." Lin Ke nodded helplessly, his voice soft and childish.
"All right, let's go!"
Satisfied, Furon pinched Lin Ke's cheek, then took his hand and led him inside.
Chaotic Street was something like a general shopping street. People bought and sold everything there, and people of every description could be found.
There were, for instance, thugs squatting on street corners and toying with sharp knives. They were usually pickpockets or thieves, though they could sometimes switch roles and become robbers.
There were also hooded people hurrying along, clearly looking to sell or buy something valuable.
There were weather-beaten travelers, wandering folk begging or performing by the roadside, and guards with wary expressions...
The crowd was large and mixed. Lin Ke kept alert to his surroundings, as did the guards, while John and Nix also looked around warily.
Only one silly girl...
"Wow, Lin Ke, look, look! They're breathing fire!"
"Wow! That man jumped so high!"
"Wow, what an adorable cat!"
"Wow..."
If not for the crowds, Furon would practically have been skipping.
It was almost as though Lin Ke was leading Furon by the hand, rather than the other way around.
"Awooo!!"
"Quack, quack!"
"Squeak, squeak, squeak..."
There was also something like a pet shop over there, with several large iron cages outside holding all kinds of wild beasts, though no magical beasts were in sight.
"Come on, little Lin Ke. I'll take you to see the animals!"
Furon pulled Lin Ke over, as though he were the one who wanted to see the animals.
Thanks to their clothes with bright red patterns and their noble insignia, none of the riffraff dared approach them.
This was a city under Azan's rule, after all, and bright red was Azan's principal color.
Until...
"Oh, who have we here! The esteemed Lady Furon, Azan's sweetest fiery-red breeze, has wafted all the way here. Welcome, welcome..."
A man with slicked hair and a powdered face appeared before Lin Ke and the others, wearing a confident smile.
The radiance of that confidence not only obscured his paunch, but also concealed the lust lurking deep in his eyes.
"The sweetest fiery-red breeze" was a compliment bestowed upon Furon, reflecting the wedding guests' approval of her when she married Viscount Garros.
"Hello, Baron Sandir!"
Furon smiled like a blooming flower, innocent, dreamy, and guileless, like a pure white daffodil.
P.S. Hehe, hehehehehehe, I want votes! I want recommendation votes, I want monthly votes...
ε(´∀｀)з
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