NOVPUBYuan, Xi Meili, Fang Xiaoyan, and Valeria arrived at the market area and immediately noticed Anna Grace and the others in the distance, buying groceries at a small vendor selling fresh vegetables.
They also noticed a couple of people standing nearby and watching from afar, clearly afraid to get closer. After all, Emma was emitting a powerful presence that made it difficult for others to approach.
The people who were staring at Anna Grace and the others in a daze suddenly sensed several other powerful auras behind them and immediately turned their heads toward Yuan and the others.
As soon as they recognized Valeria among them, they became terrified and immediately ran away as if their lives were in great danger. In the blink of an eye, the entire crowd disappeared.
The merchant selling the vegetables immediately recognized Yuan and Valeria's faces and showed a bright smile.
"Young Master Yuan and Lady Valeria, it's a pleasure to have you at my store. My name is Oda, and I run this humble vegetable shop," the merchant said, quickly bowing his head in respect with a smile, as it wasn't easy to meet such highly esteemed people in the market.
Furthermore, Yuan and Valeria were both incredibly powerful and famous throughout the entire continent. So, he couldn't miss the chance to have a word with them. Only a few people had ever interacted with them.
And those who had met them came from extraordinary backgrounds, unlike him. So, it was a very fortunate encounter for someone like him to meet them personally.
"It's a pleasure," Yuan nodded with a smile, without showing any hint of irritation on his face or in his voice.
"I can see that you have a fresh collection of vegetables here, and some of them are quite unique as they only grow in specific places," Valeria commented while examining the vegetables.
"Indeed. Most of my vegetables are imported from around the continent. We use a specific method to keep them fresh for a longer time," the merchant replied with a nod and a smile.
After that, Anna Grace bought a couple of vegetables from the shop, choosing the best ones she could find. But when she was about to pay, the merchant refused to take the money to show his gratitude.
However, Anna Grace insisted on paying, and Yuan also nodded and supported the idea of paying for the vegetables.
The merchant had no choice but to accept the money, though he ended up giving a huge discount, saying it was his way of showing gratitude.
After that, they went to restock other supplies necessary for the trip from a local shop. These shops provided high-quality products at low prices. 𝖓𝔬𝔳𝔭𝖚𝖇.𝔠𝔬𝖒
Most travelers and hunters preferred these shops to buy their supplies and camping gear. The products were affordable and quite reliable.
After purchasing all the necessary items, Yuan and his wives returned to the mansion. As soon as they arrived, they saw Aisha approaching the entrance.
"Aisha, you came at the right time. We just got back from gathering supplies for the trip. What about you? Did you restock your supplies yet?" Anna Grace asked with a soft, curious smile as soon as she saw her younger sister.
"Uncle Jones is taking care of that. I don't have anything to do right now, so I came to chat with you guys," Aisha replied with a smile, her gaze drifting teasingly toward Yuan. "He said he'd handle everything and told me not to worry."
"I see… Let's go inside and chat." Anna Grace led her younger sister into the mansion, and Yuan and his other wives quietly followed.
Once they were all settled on the sofas, Yuan let out a heavy sigh. But before he could relax, Anna Grace sat on his lap like a queen.
"By the way, Aisha, did you know there's going to be a massive war between the Lionheart Empire and the Holy Church soon?" she asked, her gaze locked onto her sister's face, trying to read her reaction.
"What?! How did this happen?! Why don't I know anything about this?!" Aisha immediately stood up, stunned by the revelation.
She stared at Anna Grace with wide eyes, clearly in disbelief. She knew the relationship between the Lionheart Empire and the Holy Church was tense, but she hadn't expected it to escalate to this extent.
'What kind of stupid things did the Holy Church do this time?!' Aisha screamed internally, feeling like she'd just received the biggest shock of her life.
She then looked around at Anna Grace and the others, her eyes filled with curiosity and suspicion.
"A-Are you guys somehow involved in this?" she asked with a shaky voice, anxiety and panic rising as she swallowed nervously, bracing for their answer.
"Well… I sliced the Archbishop in two," Valeria replied with a proud grin, her voice calm as if she'd done something entirely ordinary.
Yuan nodded and added with a smile, "Oh, and I sliced the Holy Son in two. You should've seen his face when he was about to die. All that arrogance vanished in an instant."
Aisha was stunned after hearing this, and she stared at her nephew and Valeria with wide-open eyes, seemingly in disbelief. She couldn't believe what she was hearing right now—she was too shocked to utter a single word.
'The main cause of the war is my own nephew? And also his wife? This is too unbelievable!' Aisha screamed in her mind, frustration bubbling up inside her and threatening to swallow her rationality at any moment.
"U-Unbelievable… to think you guys are the reason behind this war… It's hard to believe that you killed two important members of the Holy Church…" Aisha mumbled in a dazed voice, still struggling to accept that her nephew had caused something so serious.
Yuan smiled at his beloved aunt and said, "As unbelievable as it may sound… it's the truth. I really did kill that idiot of a Holy Son."
"Indeed." Valeria nodded proudly, a grin on her face as she agreed with Yuan—her beloved husband.
"I'm so proud of my darling and my daughter-in-law. They're both so extraordinary…" Anna Grace giggled softly, leaning against Yuan's chest with a proud expression.
"Big Sister Anna Grace, how could you say something like that? You should stop them from killing people! Especially those from the Holy Church!" Aisha exclaimed, almost shouting, her expression turning serious.
"Why would I stop them? Both the Archbishop and the Holy Son deserved to die. They were scumbags! They didn't have the right to live!" Anna Grace replied in a firm, serious tone, making Aisha shiver in fear, a suffocating pressure filling the room.
"Let's stop discussing the coming war. It's not worth wasting our time," Anna Grace added, deciding to end the conversation after seeing her sister's shocked expression again and again.
She then looked at her sister with a smile and asked, "So, Aisha, when will we be leaving for the clan? We've already bought all the necessary supplies for the trip."
"How about tomorrow morning? I've already prepared the carriages for us. The ride will take about a week to reach the clan, but with so many people, it won't be boring," Aisha explained with a soft smile, clearly excited about the trip home with her big sister.
"We don't need carriages to travel. We can follow your carriage by flying. Besides, I don't like riding in carriages that much," Anna Grace quickly replied.
"That also works. But are you sure you guys can keep up with the carriage's speed? We'll be using a magic carriage, and it moves much faster than a regular one," Aisha asked, a curious look on her face.
"Don't worry about that. We can move faster than anything in this world. Keeping up with you will be as easy as breathing for us."
"If you say so…" Aisha mumbled in a low voice, clearly disappointed by her sister's response.
Seeing the sad look on her sister's face, Anna Grace smiled softly and said, "Don't be disheartened. We'll fly close to the carriage. We can chat along the way."
Aisha nodded and showed a bright smile after hearing this. She finally felt relieved knowing she wouldn't be cooped up inside the carriage all alone.
After chatting for a few moments with Yuan and his wives, Aisha left the mansion and returned to her villa to prepare her luggage for the trip—aside from keeping a few sets of clothes outside.
She packed all her belongings inside her magic pouch, which had massive storage space. She also placed the treasures she bought from the auction inside, as they were her most valuable possessions.
Meanwhile, Yuan and his wives arrived at the Imperial Palace to bid farewell to the Imperial Family. Valeria and Vanessa were going to travel with Yuan's group, so they wouldn't be staying in the empire anymore. It was time to say goodbye to their family.
As soon as they arrived, Yuan and his wives noticed a few familiar faces among the people gathered inside the palace.
Among them was King Richard, whom they immediately recognized. Silas was also present and quickly averted his gaze, haunted by some unpleasant memories.
"King Richard, what are you doing here? Is there some kind of serious discussion happening?" Yuan asked while approaching with a slight smile on his face.
"Oh, Yuan, it's you. And your wives are here too." King Richard greeted him politely, a small smile forming as he looked at them.
"We just finished an important meeting regarding the upcoming war. I'm sure you already know about it, so I won't waste time explaining." King Richard said plainly.
Then he asked, "Are you also planning to participate in the war? Is that why you're here?"
"If there's a serious issue, I'll be there," Yuan replied with a calm expression.
"I see… Well, if you're going to join the battle, then victory is within our grasp! Hahaha!" King Richard laughed heartily, fully aware of Yuan's capabilities.
"Certainly," Yuan nodded with a proud smile, acknowledging the compliment.
"By the way, we'll be leaving the empire tomorrow. So we're here to say our goodbyes to the Imperial Family," Yuan added a few seconds later, his voice calm as always.
King Richard looked surprised and asked, "If you're leaving the empire, how will you participate in the battle?"
"I have my ways. You don't need to worry. I'll be on the battlefield on time," Yuan responded confidently.
Then he continued, "For now, I'll go meet my brother-in-law. You can talk with the others and discuss who will lead the troops into battle."
