lcionline Chapter 190 Aurora Empire
Chapter 190 Aurora Empire
Jiang Yu was awakened by the sharp cry of the griffin. In a daze, he felt like he had slept for a very long time. When he opened his eyes, he realized that he had arrived in the Aurora Empire.
Lin Yi must have just pulled her out of her cloak; her still-warm face suddenly touched the cold air, sending a shiver down her spine. The Aurora Empire, a land of ice and snow, was indeed bitterly cold.
Seeing that she was awake, Lin Yi pressed his face against hers and kissed her gently before whispering, "We've arrived."
Although this is the border, the sacred mountain can already be clearly seen in the distance. The sacred mountain is the birthplace of the Aurora Empire. When the gods were still here, the sacred mountain was where they descended to the mortal world; before they departed, the sacred mountain was their final glance back.
The ocean, by its own power, restored the world's order, giving birth to the Ocean Empire, which rose to prominence first. Later, people discovered a palace deep within the sacred mountain, finding the last glimmer of divine light left by the gods. Some tribes migrated there, establishing city-states in the harsh land to protect the divine light, thus giving rise to the Aurora Empire.
Because they were closest to the divine light, the people of the Aurora Empire were increasingly influenced to resemble gods. They appeared more detached from worldly affairs, indifferent in nature, and held a far greater reverence for the gods than the other two empires. The Brahma family was the most prominent among them; the entire family appeared incomparably holy and untouched by the mortal world.
Jiang Yu also thought back to when she first met Fan Qingyin a long time ago, she had associated her with the elves in "The Lord of the Rings". Now, seeing the Fan family members standing neatly on both sides of the road, heads slightly bowed, in perfect unison, she realized that her description was really accurate. Isn't this a real-life elf team?
Their faces were uniformly indifferent, handsome yet aloof, their long hair all tied back in low ponytails. Everyone wore pristine white robes, almost blending into the blanket of snow, with only the silver embroidery at the hem and the gleaming crystals on their foreheads providing the only bright spots. Truly befitting a top-ranking priestly family.
Jiang Yu missed Qingyin. Her Qingyin was stunningly beautiful, standing out even in the all-good-looking Fan family. Just her presence alone could overshadow everyone else. How could even the most abundant stars compare to the bright moon?
"Lord Jiang Yu, it's wonderful that you've returned safely! Thank God!" A middle-aged man at the head of the group excitedly stepped forward. From his attire, Jiang Yu could tell he was a bishop.
"Thank you for your concern. It's really too much trouble for everyone to be here to welcome and wait for me." Jiang Yu was a little embarrassed, as the scene seemed a bit too grand.
"Please don't say that." The bishop smiled slightly, maintaining his composure and politeness even as he was agitated. How could he not be agitated? They had been waiting here for a long time, their orders being to wait for and receive Lord Jiang Yu. But no one knew whether Lord Jiang Yu would be able to return, or when he would return. As a result, the wait had become much longer.
Now she has finally appeared. A day ago, the Dragonhawk Knights brought back news of her surfacing, and they were fully prepared. Finally, they met her the following afternoon.
“Originally, the head of the family and your father were also going to come and greet you in person, but since they didn’t know your exact arrival time, they waited for you at the castle,” the bishop explained.
After briefly greeting Lin Yi and Moya, he quickly led them to the carriage drawn by four Aurora Sky Horses: "You must be very tired from the long journey, and it's so cold near the Aurora Empire. Please come up into the carriage and rest for a while. There are hot drinks and snacks prepared inside. Please make do with them. Besides, the griffins must be tired from their long flights."
"Your arrangements are very thoughtful, thank you. We'll do as you say." Jiang Yu bowed and led Lin Yi and Mo Ya into the carriage.
Four aurora celestial horses—what a grand gesture! The carriage was enormous, easily seating 6-8 people. The three of them could easily have slumped comfortably, but aristocratic etiquette forbade them from doing so. The carriage contained a self-heating mineral, making it very warm. Lin Yi had already taken off his fur cloak, while Jiang Yu hadn't dared to yet, and Moya, seeing this, continued wearing it as well.
The carriage body is crafted and inlaid from extremely hard crystal ore, with the connecting supports and decorations made of hard, silver metal, giving it a crystal-clear and aesthetically pleasing appearance. Curtains are installed inside the carriage; if privacy is needed, simply draw them. This design is very similar to the carriage that Fan Qingyin gave Jiang Yu as a wedding gift, but that one was clearly more magnificent and exquisite.
In the middle of the carriage was a small table carved as one with the carriage, on which were placed several trays filled with abundant food and various steaming hot drinks. Under the small table were neatly arranged the minerals that could generate their own heat, which were mentioned earlier.
This mineral is a warm yellow color and can be used for both heating and lighting. It's placed under the small table to keep the food on it warm. It's clear that the preparation was very thorough and the design was very thoughtful.
"Xiaoyu, you love stews the most. Luckily, we have a stew pot here. Drink some to warm yourself up." Lin Yi felt so sorry for Xiaoyu. She was already feeling unwell, and then she was exposed to the wind on the griffin's back for ten hours. If he wasn't in a hurry, he would never... No, he swore he would never let Xiaoyu ride the griffin to such a far place again.
Jiang Yu picked up the glass and took a couple of sips. She understood that Lin Yi was worried about her, and comforted her, "Don't worry about me, Yi. Moya's blood is very useful. I feel much better after drinking it. Plus, I slept for so long, so I feel great now! I'm not taking off my coat because I'm afraid of catching a cold again."
She then urged Lin Yi and Moya to eat something as well: "Yi, I see you haven't eaten much. You must be hungry too. Take this opportunity to eat something to fill your stomach. Moya, try some human food and see if you can get used to it?"
"Okay, I got it. You can't just eat stew, that won't fill you up. Have some meat and snacks too. The little cakes from Aurora Empire are quite delicious." Lin Yi agreed verbally, but was still busy taking care of Jiang Yu.
Seeing that Jiang Yu had almost finished selecting her food, Moya reached out and picked out a few items she didn't particularly like, placing them in front of Lin Yi. She then unceremoniously devoured the rest, burying her head in her food.
"..." Lin Yi was completely speechless. Brother Moya, you're actually a pretty nice person.
"Thank you for remembering to save my share," Lin Yi said dryly.
“We’re all family, no need to be polite. I don’t want to eat those anyway, you can have them.” Moya said casually and perfunctorily without even looking up.
"Pfft~" Jiang Yu couldn't help but laugh out loud. When she received Lin Yi's aggrieved and accusing gaze, she quickly composed herself and said in a serious tone, "The Aurora Pegasus is quite fast, and it's not far from the Fan family. I guess it will arrive soon."