The Crown Princess Mystery
Silver Moon Forest, in the White River Forest Area.
This is the northernmost part of the Elven territory, carved out by the winding White River, forming a triangular area of approximately 100,000 square kilometers. This forest region borders the heart of Dragon Valley to the east and the Dwarf Kingdom to the west.
Silver Moon Forest, a kingdom where elves and unicorns live and govern together, enjoys a peaceful daily life. But today, the arrival of a large group of dragons has shattered this tranquility.
Their massive figures swept across the forest, quickly reaching the sparsest vegetation on the mountainsides of the White River Tao Forest Area, before descending in a dark mass.
This area is indeed desolate, with only scattered low shrubs and tenacious weeds rooted in the cracks of the rocks, and large swathes of exposed gray-brown rocks forming the main landscape.
Elder Gold Dragon Can Xin, landed first, his heavy Dragon Claw claws thudding on the rocks. He surveyed the barren hillsides around him, nodding in satisfaction, "This place is not bad!"
A golden-haired elf glided gracefully down from the sky, landing in front of Can Xin. She crossed her arms and bowed in an elven greeting, "Elder Can Xin, may Stardew bring you peace!"
Can Xin turned around, the massive dragon head bowing in return, "Patrol Officer Zishanna, the sun will protect you!"
Zishanna is a patrol officer in the White River Forest Area. She received instructions that the dragon clan would lease this barren mountain area of tens of square kilometers as a tactical training ground.
Although the Council of Aether was very surprised by the dragon's request, it took into account the historically harmonious relationship between Silver Moon Forest and Dragon Valley, and the fact that the dragons had provided sufficient reasons and explanations.
The dragons did not require lush forests, but only barren mountains with no ecological value, and were willing to pay a generous reward for it, so the Council of Aether agreed.
The subsequent dragons landed one after another, their colorful scales shimmering in the sunlight—crimson, azure, sky blue, silver-white—a dazzling array of colors. The number of dragons that gathered was as many as a hundred.
They unloaded their packs, some containing training supplies, others in specially made, exceptionally sturdy-looking waterproof bags, each bulging with moisture.
These goods were clearly heavy; even the strong dragons were exhausted from carrying them all this way. Many of them were stretching their sore shoulders and necks after landing, and some were even rubbing each other's backs.
Zishanna approached and opened one of the bags, revealing a fine, snow-white crystalline powder inside. A hint of surprise flashed in the patrol officer's eyes; she had never seen baking soda of such high purity and such a pure color, with absolutely no impurities or unevenness.
She dipped her finger in the powder, put it in her mouth and tasted it—an extremely strong bitter and alkaline flavor immediately exploded on her tongue!
"This baking soda is too pure," Can Xin said, noticing the high concentration. "His Bone King specifically instructed that it is not recommended to taste it directly."
Zishanna had already opened her mouth when she spat the powder onto the ground with a "pui!" The overly alkaline nature of the powder caught her completely off guard.
"You should have reminded me later!" she said to Can Xin irritably, while forcefully brushing the remaining powder off her fingers.
More dragons unloaded these large bags and placed them aside, quickly accumulating into a huge pile. A rough estimate puts the total weight at around fifty tons.
With ample power support, Su Ming has no shortage of products like baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). As a supplementary agricultural material, it can effectively prevent fungal diseases such as powdery mildew.
The soil in Silver Moon Forest is generally acidic, and baking soda can help regulate the soil's pH balance.
However, baking soda is not widely used in otherworldly agriculture, mainly because although its price is not expensive, it is far from being affordable for large-scale, low-cost application.
So when Su Ming told the Aiser Council that he could provide three hundred tons of baking soda in one go, the council elders suspected that they had misheard the unit of measurement.
Zishanna now believes that when the council elders see the products, they will be amazed once again by their astonishing purity.
Why not say nothing for now and let them try it themselves? Zishanna made up her mind.
"We'll deliver fifty tons this time," Can Xin said. "We have quite a few more dragons coming over for training, and we'll bring the rest over gradually."
"Thank you so much!" Zishanna said sincerely. "The rainy season is in a few months, and the fungi in the forest will be rampant then. So these baking sodas have really been a huge help!"
She looked up and around. "By the way, where is Bone King? Wasn't he supposed to come in person?"
"He was just on my back." Can Xin turned his huge head in confusion, looking around. "President Su suddenly jumped off before we landed, I don't know what he went to do."
****
The Su Ming they were referring to was currently grabbing the ear of a relatively small cyan dragon and loudly scolding it.
"Hyacinth! How did you sneak in?!" he shouted angrily. "If your sister finds out, she'll beat you to a pulp!"
Hyacinth shrank his neck sharply; he had heard about his sister Zijin's "terrifying reputation" since he was a child.
"Why can't I come when the entire race is being summoned to be dragon warriors?" he still stubbornly argued, but his momentum had clearly weakened.
"You're only 160 years old, are you an adult yet?" Su Ming said, giving the Hyacinth's hard head a light "thump".
The principle Zijin taught him: When facing a dragon you can defeat, just go for it; the effect of your lecture will be doubled!
"I'm already working on your construction site!" Hyacinth retorted, feeling wronged. "Could fighting a war be more tiring than moving truckloads of sand and gravel?"
Su Ming suddenly felt a pang of conscience. These semi-adult dragons were very popular on the construction site; they were hardworking and obedient, and only received 80% of the wages of adult dragons, making them extremely "cost-effective."
Cultivating a work ethic in semi-adult dragons is very important! Su Ming found the perfect excuse for himself in his heart.
"Anyway, you just stay put," Su Ming released his grip and ordered, "After I finish my business, come back with me obediently."
He quickly composed himself and approached Zishanna. "Good day, Your Excellency the Patrol Officer!"
"Your Bone King, the forest rejoices at your arrival!" Zishanna gracefully clasped her hands in front of her chest, bowed, and gave another standard elven greeting.
Faced with such formal etiquette, Su Ming quickly returned a simple greeting that was common among humans in the other world.
"We will soon begin training here," Su Ming explained to Zishanna. "For security reasons, we would like to request that the surrounding area be cleared and secured. Also, we would appreciate it if you could provide the food supplies during the training period."
"Everything has been arranged," Zishanna replied with a smile. "We will not let our esteemed guests down."
Su Ming showed great sincerity in the matter of baking soda, so the Silver Moon Forest side naturally had to treat him with utmost care.
****
According to the plan submitted by Su Ming and Zijin at the Dragon Race Council, the Dragon Race needs to establish a standing army of one thousand dragons. Five hundred of them will serve as reserves, responsible for defense, logistics, and rotational support in the upcoming war.
The five hundred most elite war dragons will serve as the sharpest blades to tear apart the enemy. The dragons themselves are already powerful, so there is no need to rely on sheer numbers to create an advantage. Instead, a lean and efficient approach should be adopted to reduce logistical burdens.
Moreover, they have the "Final Bone Mad Machines" to rely on. Once the dragons have created enough corpses on the battlefield, they don't need to worry about the rest.
As for street fighting and all that, it doesn't exist in front of a necromancer. Have your thoughts, go tell my zombie horde.
However, such a large-scale gathering and training could not possibly be detected by the goblins. It was impossible to hide it from the goblins, as it took place on Dragon Valley's own territory.
Therefore, Su Ming came up with the idea of borrowing land from Silver Moon Forest for military training.
Unlike Dragon Valley, no other race can easily roam the territory of the elves and unicorns. Any human, goblin, or dwarf who sets foot here will immediately be subjected to heavy questioning by the forest guard.
Every plant here—every leaf, every vine—is the elves' most loyal eyes and ears.
****
Under the organization of Gold Dragon Can Xin, the dragons quickly divided into eight teams, creating a lively scene with roars echoing throughout.
Can Xin unfolded the training manual, his booming voice cutting through the noise, "Considering today's long flight, the physical training exercises will be skipped for now!"
He turned to the second page.
"Today we'll begin with the second subject—bomb throwing practice!"
Based on their size and strength, the dragons selected appropriate counterweight stone projectiles. Then, they flapped their giant wings, took off, and climbed to a height of three hundred meters. After circling and adjusting their posture at high altitude, they aimed at the huge circle drawn with white ash on the ground and dropped the "bombs" down.
According to the manual, as training progresses, the altitude will be gradually increased, the weight of the projectiles will be increased, and the throwing of gliding projectiles will be introduced.
More complex content includes tactical maneuvers such as formation dive bombing and emergency maneuvers after dense bombing. This is only part of the bombing training; there are also coordinated combat exercises such as dragon breath matrix coverage and alternating cover attacks.
The individual strength of Dragon Race is too great, and historically, the tactical significance of teamwork has never been truly recognized.
However, precisely because of their formidable individual strength, once they learn efficient formations and team combat, dragons will likely become an unsolvable problem on the front lines for the other world!
Su Ming stood on the sidelines, observing the training process. His data panel recorded various parameters: the average carrying capacity of different types of dragons, their ascent speed from the ground to bomb-dropping height, their diving ability, and so on.
He devised a more detailed data collection form and handed it over to the members of the Final Bone Mad Machines around him, "To continuously collect this data, as well as the mutual influence of different formations during coordinated actions."
"Yes, Chairman!" The member took the data panel and immediately got to work.
The last few dragons finally arrived, a little slower than the main force, as they needed to drag the Dandelion communication base station. As the stakes were firmly driven into the rock, the base station was securely erected.
Su Ming unfolded the tablet and activated the communication device. With the back and forth of radio signals, the main communication network between the White River Tao Forest Area and the Dragon Valley was officially established.
****
On Zishanna's side, a large number of elves and unicorns also began to enter the arena under her arrangement. They skillfully drove their animal companions, carrying baskets full of food, and continuously transported supplies to the logistics area at the edge of the training ground.
Seeing that everything was on track, Su Ming called Ruixiuli and the dejected Hyacinth together, and prepared to embark on their return journey.
Before leaving, he suddenly remembered something else and turned to the elf, "Guardian Zishanna, may I ask you about an elf? His Xiwo Siwo Raize."
It's been a while since I've seen this old elf; I wonder how he's doing recuperating in Silver Moon Forest.
"It's the adventurer, Mr. Xiwo Razer." Zishanna clearly knew this Legendary figure. "He lives in the Whispering Forest in the center. Can I send a unicorn to him, or deliver a message?"
"Hmm, then please pass on a message." Su Ming thought for a moment, a smile playing on his lips. "Just say that his ' Faerie Dragon Baby' misses him."
"Yes, Your Bone King!" Zishanna replied with a smile, "May the Qingfeng of the forest always accompany you on your journey home!"
The Hyacinth reluctantly spread its wings and took off, its eyes still lingering on the training field, where the giant dragons were engrossed in their practice and letting out excited roars.
"This training is really much easier than carrying sand and gravel on your construction site!" he argued again, unwilling to give up.
"----Shut up!"
****
Near Green Thorn Port lies Woden Plantation, a secret stronghold of the Temple of Light.
Since the Berit Manor stronghold was destroyed, this is the only large stronghold left in the Gray Ridge region that can be used for hiding. Most of the other strongholds are churches in name only, which are not suitable for someone of her sensitive identity to settle in.
Similarly, the Gray Ridge Embassy of the Star Empire is too crowded and intrusive, so it's also not advisable to go there.
Conditions at Woden Plantation were far inferior to those at the Berit Manor, which greatly displeased Janet. Not only were the rooms shabby and the bedding stiff, but the food was also inedible.
Fortunately, dinner was much better. Although the caviar was still ordinary, the cheese and wine had been replaced with high-quality items imported from the land of the dwarves.
Janet's expression softened slightly as she rediscovered the rich, smooth texture and fragrant aroma of fine food.
At least it's an attitude; the staff here are trying to improve the conditions.
Janet was still troubled; things hadn't gone smoothly lately. The war that was supposed to start was being ignored by the dragons, who showed no reaction whatsoever.
Even more perplexing, Dragon King Gelie seriously questioned the Goblin Kingdom about the old incident from a thousand years ago when the goblins falsified maps during the boundary demarcation, resulting in damage to the territory of Dragon Valley.
Is now the time to dredge up such old grievances?
What Janet and her friends wanted to see was the dragon attacking without warning, a bloodbath on both sides! Not some meaningless wrangling over the so-called map incident!
"Why are the Dragon Race completely silent?" Janet couldn't understand at all.
If it weren't for General Babaluo's confident assurance that the ambush had indeed been planned and that the preceding stages had been executed smoothly, she would have suspected that it was all a feint by the goblins and that her side had been completely deceived by them.
Archbishop McIntyre was also perplexed; the whole affair had an eerie atmosphere to it.
The operation was planned in three phases. The first phase was to ignite the war by using goblins to drag the dragons and the main force of the Final Bone Mad Machines into a quagmire. The second phase was to launch an assassination attempt against the Bone King amidst the chaos of the war.
The third phase is a supplementary plan, involving a strong attack on the base of the Final Bone Mad Machines. If the second phase fails, this phase will directly kill Su Ming and Zijin.
Now, the first step is severely hampered. Without goblins to hold the line on the front lines, the chances of success in launching the second step rashly are extremely low.
As for the third ring --
"The destruction of the Berit Manor and the deaths of the Hechun are truly devastating," Archbishop McIntyre sighed, his voice heavy.
After the murders, the attackers set everything on fire, reducing it to ashes. A subsequent inventory of the bodies revealed that no one in the core area of the manor had survived.
Janet leaned back in her high chair, thinking quietly for a long time. Perhaps because the dinner tonight was to her liking, her emotions gradually calmed down, her thoughts began to clear, and she slowly came up with a solution.
"First," she said calmly but decisively, "Urge King Nilunke to have the goblins directly confront the Dragon Race in border negotiations! Their stance must be firm, their words forceful!" She turned to McIntyre, "Archbishop, as Fernand's Minister of Foreign Affairs, you must personally oversee the implementation of this matter to ensure that the situation between the two sides becomes irreversible!"
McIntyre bowed respectfully to Janet, "Yes, Your Excellency Cardinal!"
"This is only the first step," Janet continued. "At the same time, we must also prepare a backup plan. If the Dragon Race remain completely inactive on the border, we could—" a cold glint flashed in her eyes—"have the goblins launch a preemptive, "accidental" attack on the border to thoroughly enrage the Dragon Race!"
McIntyre immediately understood Janet's plan, "That will expose Babaluo!"
"I've raised him for a thousand days just so he could be used at this crucial moment," Janet said decisively, without the slightest hesitation.
"Understood!" McIntyre replied, understanding immediately.
"As for the third step, the plan to storm the Final Bone Mad Machines base and kill Su Ming," Janet pondered for a moment, "I'll go discuss it with our partners. They provided the magic crystal activation technology; they must have other ways!"
****
Inside a secluded room at the Gray Ridge Dwarf Merchant Guild.
"Skinless white wine, Rockford Blue cheese fermented from sheep's milk—" A senior intelligence analyst carefully examined the supply list in his hand, a mocking smile playing on his lips. "Quite discerning. It seems our 'big shot' has definitely moved into the Woden Plantation."
The primary task Su Ming assigned to the dwarven intelligence network was to uncover the true identities of the group that had recently arrived at Green Thorn Port.
The intelligence organization quickly focused its attention on the distinguished "noble lady" among them. Although there must have been other important figures among the group, this woman's outward appearance was the most striking.
For example, she could have worn a cloak or robe that covered her entire body and completely concealed her identity, but she chose to wear finely tailored and expensive clothes instead. This indicates that there is a exploitable weakness in her personality—her obsession with comfort and aristocratic manners.
Although the group had concealed their whereabouts and left the Green Thorn Port city area, a sudden order for high-end ingredients from the nearby Woden Plantation rendered their concealment useless.
The orders were even placed with the Dwarven Merchant Guild; it would have been better not to hide at all!
Next, the dwarven intelligence agents used various delivery opportunities to observe the details of the plantation up close. However, when the target traveled, he was always surrounded by several guards, and they always concealed their faces completely.
While a large number of workers were coming and going around the perimeter of the Woden Plantation, its core area was clearly a heavily guarded outpost with impenetrable defenses.
The intelligence agents sensed something amiss from their counterparts and had to adopt a more cautious approach.
However, after several days of persistent effort, intelligence personnel actually discovered a loophole that could be exploited.
"They change their bedding every day, washing and airing it," an intelligence officer in charge of perimeter surveillance reported. "Among this group, there's a very picky master." The analyst added, "It might just be that noble lady."
The intelligence officer continued, "I manipulated several birds to defecate on the bedding the maid was drying."
"Pretty!"
Naturally, no one dared to give anything contaminated by bird droppings to that master. And the plantation's stock of high-end bedding was clearly running low, so the manager urgently purchased five sets of bedding from "Forest Top Latitude," the most upscale textile shop in Green Thorn Port.
However, the next day, when the maid changed the sheets, she discovered that the delicate floral pattern had faded.
As a top-tier product supplier, "Lin Shao Wei Xian" has a strict commitment to replace defective products with new ones free of charge. Therefore, the maid contacted the shop.
The shop assistant who came to verify seemed reluctant, but the shop's reputation and rules could not be violated, so he left a brand new set of bedding as requested. Of course, according to procedure, the problematic set of bedding was also taken back as proof of replacement.
****
A few hours later, the information gleaned from the bedsheets was delivered to Su Ming.
He and Zijin were in the Central Court where the Dragon Race held their meetings, checking on the progress of the logistics system setup.
"Target height 161 cm, blond hair, medium fair skin?" Su Ming frowned as he looked at the report. "Is this information enough to pinpoint a specific person?"
"These alone are not enough," Zijin replied decisively. "But there aren't many candidates who fit the criteria, given their pretentious and picky nature, and the fact that everyone around them has to be careful to serve them and dare not offend them in the slightest." She took the newsletter, turned it over, and sure enough, it listed several key suspects.
However, the one who best fits the description and ranks first is none other than the eldest princess of the Star Empire — Janet.
"The Star Empire has indeed met its end." Su Ming sighed, this was exactly what he had feared.
After a moment of contemplation, Zijin decided to begin recounting the events.
"This Janet —I actually met her once forty years ago," she told Su Ming.
In the memories she tried to recall, Janet, who had just been born, was held in the arms of a sorrowful Princess Samanya. At that time, the baby girl had very sparse hair and was wrapped in a tattered swaddle.
A soft, emerald-green light flashed, and the scene around Su Ming and Zijin suddenly became hazy and illusory, disappearing into the distance. Amidst the rippling water, the image of the simple Buddhist hut within Zijin's crystal materialized and emerged, everything like a dream.
"Jadeite, Shared Dreams!"
[When it comes to storytelling, my ability can help enhance the atmosphere.] The spirit of Zhimeng conveyed, [I apologize for not intervening; this is one of the few things I can do.]
Su Ming's gaze was drawn to Zijin- haired mature woman in the dream scene. [Hmm, your image back then - 1] He thought for a long time but couldn't find the right words.
[You like this kind of thing, don't you?] Zijin curled her lips. [I can do it too, I'll transform for you----]
[Zijin, you can shrink so small and maintain it so easily and steadily.] Zhimeng, also examining Zijin at that moment, exclaimed with obvious envy, [I could never do a transformation of that scale!]
"We Faerie Dragon are naturally much smaller," Zijin replied. "And I'm even smaller than a normal Faerie Dragon." She continued, "Of course, having half-human blood, I am indeed better at this kind of thing."
Next, Zijin began to recount what had happened. At the request of Princess Samanya, she cast a temporary bloodline disguise spell on the unfamiliar baby girl, now known as Janet, to cover her passage through the Holy See baptism ceremony.
Su Ming shifted his gaze from the young dragon-shaped Zijin to the scene, beginning to examine the surroundings. Due to the passage of time, many details were blurred, but he still managed to spot something amiss.
"[Princess Samanya, why are you holding a tattered cloth?]" Su Ming asked, puzzled.
Zijin was a little taken aback. [This was a poor baby they'd bought; the swaddling clothes were tattered—wasn't that to be expected?]
[The baby was bought from the slums, what does that have to do with the imperial concubine holding a rag?] Su Ming continued to question, his logic clear: [Samanya is an imperial concubine, surrounded by maids, how could she possibly need to hold a rag?]
The stains on the baby's swaddling clothes did not stain the princess's long dress, which should have been unacceptable for a noblewoman who paid great attention to her appearance!
[Moreover, she intends to take this baby girl back to the palace as her own daughter.] Su Ming's thoughts became increasingly clear. [Wrapping her in conspicuous rags—isn't that obviously leaving a loophole?!]
[Now that you mention it—something really doesn't seem right.] Zijin also realized the problem.
The dream scene faded, and Su Ming opened his eyes wide in reality.
"Was it the Fate Manipulator Ayaluz who Holy See Janet at that time?" he asked.
Zijin immediately stood up and gestured to Jielusi was standing next to her, to help her put on her coat.
"What are we waiting for?" She glared at Su Ming. "Let's go back to base and interrogate this guy!"
****
Su Ming, Zijin, and their bodyguards Ruixiuli and Jielusi hired a giant dragon to act as their aerial taxi and flew towards the Ruby Base.
"[So, you mean that Katharine is the real eldest princess of the Star Empire?]" Su Ming asked Zijin.
Zijin nodded. "After I handed Katharine over to the White Pheasant healer Sebastian, I only stayed there for a day before setting off for Water Chestnut Island to investigate the cassava leaf disease outbreak." She added with a hint of elation, "My plan was for the White Pheasant healer to cure Katharine's heart problem, then take her to Princess Samanya to restore everything to normal."
Su Ming remembered that Zijin had once said that she was assassinated on Water Chestnut Island and lost her Faerie Dragon body. After deducing the timeline, he found that the two matched perfectly.
[Did the accident happen during this trip to Water Chestnut Island?]
"Hmm," Zijin replied, "After that, I encountered a lot of things and was constantly exhausted from dealing with them."
She let out a soft sigh, skipping over a small part of her experience. "[When Ailisha was six years old, to resolve my physical issues, I enrolled in the nunnery of the Temple of Light to study light-related matters, and then I met Katharine again.]"
[So, you realized something was wrong?] Su Ming pressed.
"[It can't be that fast.]" Zijin shook her head helplessly. "[Katharine was eight years old then, and she was just a baby when I last saw her. How could I possibly recognize her?]"
That's true.
[However, they do share the same name after all.] Zijin continued, [Out of curiosity, I used my mental power to scan her heart.] She added with a hint of puzzled distress, [I discovered that there were no surgical scars on Katharine's heart. So I naturally concluded that she was just using the same name.]
No matter how skilled Sebastian is, surgical treatment of a complex congenital heart disease like Tetralogy of Fallot will inevitably leave no trace on the heart.
[So how did you find out the truth later?] Su Ming was now puzzled.
"I only realized something was wrong when I was almost leaving Sisters' College," Zijin explained. "But at that time, I was too busy with work to investigate."
Moreover, after leaving the nunnery academy, Zijin went to the Plain of Despair in the form of a bone dragon, transforming into White Bone Fortress, and engaged in a protracted struggle with two Saint Rank dark-elemental mentors.
She met Katharine again after her encounter with Su Ming.
[I dare not tell Katharine the truth about my origins.] Zijin said, [mainly because I'm worried that if she knows about my royal bloodline, it will affect her stance.] She paused, then turned to Su Ming, [I'm sorry, I was also a bit confused about this matter and didn't tell you. I hope it didn't interfere with your decision.]
"It's alright," Su Ming said thoughtfully. "Stacy was there too. What did she say about the heart surgery?"
[She didn't know.] Zijin replied, [She said Sebastian only flattened his chest cavity, and the surgery was stopped. The doctor, the White Pheasant, didn't tell her the specific reason, fearing it would implicate her.]
Su Ming pondered for a long time.
[I'm afraid... Katharine isn't the real princess either.] Su Ming let out a deep sigh, a complex guess forming in his mind.
[Why do you say that?] Zijin clearly didn't understand the crux of the matter.
Ahead, the towering buildings of the Ruby Base came into clear view, reflecting a brilliant light in the sunlight.
[It's alright!] Su Ming said, [The Fate Manipulator Eluz will soon reveal the answer to us.]