The afternoon sun after lunch was warm, and a rare moment of quiet descended upon the apartment.
Irena had fallen asleep on the sofa again, while Velyan squatted by the door, playing with the rabbit alongside Miya.
“Louise, Flora and I are going to Linyu Port later to handle the territory matters,” Chen Mian said, looking at Louise, who was sitting nearby reading an alchemy book.
Louise flipped the page, her purple-gold eyes shifting up slightly. “...Not going. I'm exhausted from making that soup. You two go ahead.”
Chen Mian nodded. “Alright, I'll take you out for a stroll next time.”
Louise's hand holding the book paused slightly, a trace of a smile appearing in her eyes. “Okay, make sure you keep your promise.”
She didn't say anything more, lowering her head to flip another page.
Chen Mian turned around and went to the door to change his shoes.
Flora was already standing there, her shoelaces tied.
Just as the two were about to push open the door, a rustling sound came from behind them.
Chen Mian turned back to see that Louise had walked over at some point and was stuffing something into Flora's hand.
“Eat this on the way,” Louise said with a hint of playfulness in her voice. After saying that, she sat back down on the sofa, flipped a page, and lowered her head to read again.
Flora looked down at her palm. It held two light blue candies wrapped in candy paper.
“Did you make these, Louise?”
“Mhm,” Louise replied without raising her head. “Your mouth might smell a bit fishy after eating fish. These candies are made from nectar and Moonlight Grass juice.”
Flora picked one up, unwrapped it, and popped it into her mouth. A rich floral aroma spread across her tongue. “It's delicious!”
She looked down at the remaining candy in her palm, her lips curving upward as she carefully slipped the wrapper into her pocket.
Standing at the doorway, Chen Mian looked at Louise's profile as she read with her head down. He smiled and pushed open the door. “We're off then.”
“Mhm.” Louise still didn't look up, but her hand paused for a split second before continuing to flip the page.
...
The afternoon at Linyu Port was much noisier than in the apartment.
After the magical beast tide receded, Linyu Port had completely returned to its normal operations.
After the light of the teleportation array faded inside the stone room, the moment they pushed open the door, the bustling sounds of the market surged toward them. The sweet aroma of baked bread, the briny scent of seafood, and the shouting of vendors rushed in, wrapped in the cold winter wind.
Standing under the porch, Flora narrowed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I always feel like Linyu Port is a bit different every time we come.”
“Different how?”
“My mood is different~” Flora tightened her clothes and said with a smile.
Chen Mian glanced at her from the side, reaching out to pat down her scarf, which had been ruffled by the wind.
Flora's eyes curved slightly. She naturally reached out and grasped his fingers before he could pull his hand back, shaking them gently. “Let's go~ Business first.”
The Linyu Port City Hall was located on the north side of the market. It was a three-story, grayish-white stone building, with a slightly tarnished bronze plaque hanging at the entrance, engraved with the emblem of the Hella Kingdom.
Not many people were entering or leaving. As soon as they stepped inside the city hall, they saw a short, gray-haired man sitting behind the counter, head lowered as he wrote in a thick ledger with a quill.
Hearing footsteps, he looked up. His gaze swept over Chen Mian and Flora, finally landing on Chen Mian. Setting down his quill, he asked, “Need something handled?”
“Territory registration,” Chen Mian said, placing the document on the counter.
The man took the parchment. His expression shifted to surprise, then turned slightly subtle. He looked up and sized Chen Mian up again. “...This piece of land? Are you sure you want to register it?”
“Is there a problem?”
“No, no, not at all.” He waved his hands repeatedly, lowering his head again to look over the document. “This deed is personally approved by His Majesty the King, and the magic seal on it has no issues whatsoever. It's just... this land has been vacant for a very long time. The last lord was over twenty years ago, and no one has taken over since.”
Chen Mian didn't interrupt, waiting for him to explain further.
“This territory is located in the transition zone between Linyu Port and the Forest of Death. Although it's only on the outer edge of Linyu Port, it's still highly dangerous. You'd need a strong military force to secure it. But even that isn't the primary reason why this land has remained unclaimed for so long...” He paused, but ultimately continued, “Once night falls, some kind of unknown creature roams that territory. Adventurers frequently disappear in that area.”
“No one can say for sure what it is, but the last lord... vanished right inside the territory.”
Having said this, he leaned back, as if waiting for Chen Mian to reconsider.
Chen Mian's expression didn't change at all. “Can the paperwork be processed?”
“...Yes, it can.” The man stared blankly for a moment before picking up his quill again. “Since you've made up your mind, I'll register it according to the procedure. I'll then request approval from the City Lord, and your ownership of the territory will be announced within three days.”
“Alright, go ahead and register it then.”
The man didn't press further, lowering his head to continue copying. After about fifteen minutes, he straightened up and pushed the stamped document back to Chen Mian. “Done. As of today, this territory belongs to you in the official records of the Hella Kingdom. A public notice will be posted throughout Linyu Port within three days. If you need to recruit residents for your territory, these are the recruitment channels around Linyu Port. You can take a look.” As he spoke, the man pulled out a folded piece of paper from beneath the counter and handed it over.
Chen Mian took it, offered his thanks, and walked toward the door, holding Flora's hand.
“Do you think what he said is true?” Flora asked softly after they stepped out of the city hall's entrance.
“It should be true. There's no reason for him to lie to me.” Chen Mian nodded with a smile. “Once the territory is officially established, I'll head over and see for myself what this so-called unknown magical beast actually is.”
Flora nodded, then let go of Chen Mian's hand, whispering, “Wait a moment.”
“What's wrong?” Chen Mian stopped and looked at her.
He saw her lower her head, pull out the light blue candy from her pocket, unwrap it, and hold it up to his lips. “Ah~ Open up~”
Chen Mian stared at the candy offered to his lips, momentarily stunned, before opening his mouth slightly.
Flora gently placed the candy in his mouth, her fingertip accidentally brushing against his lower lip. She quickly pulled her hand back, lowering her head to adjust her scarf as if nothing had happened.
“How is it?” A moment later, Flora looked up again, a hint of anticipation in her eyes.
“It's delicious.”
“Right?~” Flora's lips curved upward. “Once we get back, I'm going to learn from Louise so I can make all kinds of flavored candies.”
“Alright~” Chen Mian smiled and wrapped his arm around Flora's shoulders. “Before that, would my lovely Flora do me the honor of going shopping with me?”
Flora, guided along by him, stumbled slightly. She turned her head to look at him, a smile on her lips. “You seem to be in an exceptionally good mood today.”
“Am I?”
“Yes, you are.” Flora pointed a finger at his face. “You don't usually smile so obviously.”
Chen Mian glanced at her, letting go of her shoulders and sliding his hand down to hold hers.
Flora slowly returned the grip, their fingers intertwining.
“Because right now, I'm on a date with my Flora.”
“Mhm! A date!” A bright smile blossomed on Flora's face as she leaned closer to Chen Mian.
“You say that about me, but you're smiling just as obviously.”
“Because right now, I'm about to go on a date with my Chen Mian~”
Rate on N.U.
