One of the vines suddenly stopped moving, then slowly twisted around, its surface resembling an eye, and met Willow's gaze.
Ed's voice came quickly:
"Did you come because you smelled the fragrance?"
Willow looked in Ed's direction and shook her head:
"What... is this supposed to be?"
"Oh, two of our company's temporary workers are going back to their hometowns. Let's all have dinner together tonight to celebrate."
"Ah?"
Seeing Willow's incredulous expression, Ed smiled and said:
"This is called 'team building,' and it's also a way to enhance team cohesion."
Willow walked down the steps and looked at the busy vines and tentacles one by one, while Ed walked over from a short distance and introduced them to her.
He pointed to several vines that were constantly pounding against the fresh plants:
These are being used to make fresh vegetable and fruit juice.
"This is?"
"This is for Gray. His body can absorb it, and he might not be able to get any once he returns to the Graycast Corridor."
Willow nodded, then pointed to a scorching hot plate and the meat on it:
What about this one?
"This is for Seraphina. Although her true form is enormous, she only needs a little bit to feel full after transforming."
What kind of meat is this?
"Dragon meat."
"?"
" Seraphina's own."
"?!"
Although she didn't know what the Red Dragon's peculiar habit of tasting her was, Willow still looked at the next cluster of tentacles, because... among all the vines and tentacles, this one was a bit too strange.
A dozen tentacles surrounded a small blast furnace, half of which were pouring unknown substances into the furnace while the other half were frantically pulling the bellows below.
"This is refined iron prepared for Xilǐ'er and Radish."
"Is it being practiced?"
"Certainly."
Ed said matter-of-factly:
The ingredients must be fresh.
Willow was already somewhat numb to this kind of development, but Ed asked at this moment:
"I thought you came out because you smelled something, and I was just about to ask you what you'd like to eat?"
Looking at the bizarre and wonderful things in front of her, Willow realized that her range of "ingredients" was actually quite wide.
However, the thought of "eating" brought back several unpleasant memories for Willow. Her expression changed, and she looked at Ed, saying:
" Psionic Energy, the pure kind."
Ed's expression betrayed his impending breakdown, and remembering that he had indeed absorbed a considerable amount of Willow's Psionic Energy, he quickly nodded:
"That's a good option."
As soon as the words were spoken, a dozen tendrils that had been slacking off immediately arrived at an open space and began rubbing against the void. Willow could feel a faint Psionic Energy gathering there.
Two hours later, in the evening.
The chaotic dinner party finally began, with a diverse array of creatures, including a plant-based person, a shapeshifting dragon, a pure-blooded lich, a half-plant, half-machine, and a Living Metal armored person, vividly demonstrating the biodiversity of this World of Disorder.
Meanwhile, Duolin, Nuolun, and other official staff members of the Second Holy See who were located in other places also received Son of God takeout delivered by Dragonborn Express, and a warm feeling welled up in their hearts.
A variety of completely different foods were laid out in front of them. The group looked at their own meals, then at the others', and a sense of unreality washed over them.
After everyone was seated, Ed raised his glass and, without any grand pronouncements or rambling, simply said:
May the light of order soon return to this world.
Everyone raised their cups, which contained vegetable juice, fruit juice, Psionic Energy, and molten steel, and drank them down in one gulp under the watchful eyes of Ed, their "boss."
A commotion arose below the castle, Seraphina suddenly asked:
"What have you given those Soul Returner to do this time? They've been making a ruckus since the afternoon."
Ed shrugged innocently.
"It really wasn't me; this was a recreational competition they organized on their own."
The sapling in Ed's eyes quickly turned a deep blue, like the sea, and the image formed by the mixed perspectives of several players was projected onto everyone using Psionic Energy.
The scene shows two people arm wrestling on a table. Their faces are flushed red, and both are determined to win.
One of them was [ Lion Hidden in the Eyes ], who had been injected with needles and was already half-transformed, while the other was Jerry, the captain of the Pure Ones squad in the Holy Crusaders.
Needless to say, there are no naturally occurring, artificially created half-dragons. Jerry, as a hot-tempered Holy Crusaders squad leader who always charges ahead, is naturally no less skilled in combat and possesses considerable strength.
Judging from the lineups alone, it's really hard to say who will win or lose at the moment.
The players selected their favorite players and then began cheering them on.
"Are you sure you can do it? One more shot! One more shot!"
"Stop pricking me, or I'll ascend to heaven!"
"You think needles can't beat all-natural, huh, crayon?"
"Military advisor, I have high hopes for you."
"Give this pointy head a touch of pure, natural shock!"
"..."
The Second Holy See Company's first dinner party thus came to an end amidst "delicious food" and "sports broadcasts".
The following morning, the Antasia was already packed to the brim.
Besides Captain Gray and the disabled chief engineer Bennett, the Antasia also carried many passengers.
Xilǐ'er and Radish, who were just hitchhiking, had already eaten their fill last night and were now resting in the lower cabin.
In addition, the ship also carried a team of three "diplomatic envoys" composed of Soul Returner. The members are:
[ Traditional Eccentric Wheel ], responsible for inspecting the construction progress and technology tree of the Graycast Corridor; [ Shit Appraisal Master ], ordered by Ed to attempt to establish more trade routes; and [ Lion Hidden in the Eyes ], a bodyguard who was selected purely by his strength and lack of common sense.
After a brief farewell, the Antasia began its journey eastward, officially embarking on its return to the Graycast Corridor.
Once outside the Second Holy See's sphere of influence, the Wilderness of Chaos looked completely different from when Gray had arrived.
Even though the environment wasn't ideal, the plants that Ed had improved had begun to thrive here.
This is the fifty-kilometer-wide "buffer zone" that Ed described during the mission; most of the resurrected Blood Corpse will be eliminated in this area.
A day later, the Antasia left the buffer zone, and the three Soul Returner officially began their work.
Every so often, they would scatter a handful of various seeds behind the Antasia.
What are you doing?
Gray asked, puzzled.
[ The Shit Appraisal Master ] replied:
"This is one of our tasks. The ground that the Antasia has passed through will leave many marks of varying depths, which are suitable for plants to take root and sprout. Those with strong vitality will be able to survive."
"When you or other merchants come again, you can quickly find the location of the Second Holy See by following those surviving plants, without worrying about getting lost."
"I see."
Gray pondered this idea and made it a mental note.
A week later, it was finally time for everyone to part ways.
The Graycast Corridor and the Eternal Domain are located to the south and north of the eastern side of the Wilderness of Chaos, respectively. Gray has been traveling as far east as possible and has now arrived at the intersection of the Graycast Corridor, the Eternal Domain, and the Wilderness of Chaos.
The Antasia came to a stop in the open space. Fully armed Xilǐ'er, carrying Radish, walked out of the cargo hold to say goodbye to everyone. He and his horse leisurely drove off to the north. The Antasia, after a brief rest, continued eastward back to the corridor.
Xilǐ'er traveled northeast for two days, using several landmark mountains and rivers to confirm his precise location.
Only when scattered houses finally came into view did the armored knight's anxious heart begin to calm down.
He has finally returned to his homeland, to the Eternal Domain under the rule of the Twin Kings!
This was none other than the territory where he, as an independent knight, had been granted fiefdoms by the Twin Kings.
An ordinary-looking farmer was busy in the fields. When he saw Xilǐ'er in the distance, he immediately wiped his hands on his trousers and politely came to the roadside to wait for him.
The farmers' expressions were respectful but not fearful. They knew that the lord was mild-mannered and would never get angry as long as they did their jobs.
As Xilǐ'er approached, they all bent over:
Welcome, Lord.
"Um."
Xilǐ'er nodded and continued on his way, while a childish voice suddenly came from the distant farmland:
"Lord Xilǐ'er! Sir Knight!"
Xilǐ'er looked into the distance and saw a little boy, only five or six years old, hopping and waving at him.
The silver-armored knight responded with a wave, simultaneously pressing the buckle at the back of his armor to remove his gleaming silver helmet, revealing his signature brown curly hair and lake-blue eyes.
"My people, I have returned from battle!"
(End of Volume Two)