The morning sunlight poured into the room as Luo Shangyu opened her eyes and looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings.
“Ah—” Luo Shangyu yawned, muttering to herself, “Where am I?”
Around her were luxurious yet elegant furnishings, styled in an antique manner.
She looked up to the ceiling, which was adorned with detailed murals depicting flowers and other auspicious symbols, mainly in gold and green tones, accented with sea waves.
“I must be in the palace,” Luo Shangyu guessed.
A knock sounded at the door.
“Come in.”
A maid pushed the door open, “Lady Luo, the Crown Princess invites you to join her for breakfast.”
“Oh~ is that so?” Luo Shangyu suddenly remembered: after being appointed Palace Commander yesterday, Qin Yu arranged for her to stay in a guest room inside the Eastern Palace.
“I’ll be there right away.” Luo Shangyu stood up and responded to the maid.
“Would you like help dressing?” the maid asked attentively.
“No need, I’m no longer a child,” Luo Shangyu said, motioning for the maid to leave.
When Luo Shangyu stepped outside after getting dressed, two guards standing by the door saluted her.
At that moment, the maid came over and led Luo Shangyu toward the main hall of the Eastern Palace.
Inside the grand hall, Qin Yu was seated at the table.
As soon as Luo Shangyu entered, she hurriedly invited her to sit and have breakfast together.
Luo Shangyu shyly approached and said, “It is an honor to have breakfast with Lady Qin Yu.”
Upon hearing this, Qin Yu smiled faintly, “You’re my Palace Commander; having breakfast together is nothing unusual.”
“Hehe,” Luo Shangyu chuckled awkwardly, “Lady Qin Yu, you’re too polite.”
Qin Yu frowned slightly, “Just call me Qin Yu. No need to add ‘Lady’.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“Alright! Thank you, Qin Yu… I mean, thank you, Qin Yu!” Luo Shangyu still wasn’t quite used to addressing Qin Yu by her given name.
After some small talk, the two focused on their breakfast.
The meal was simple, lacking lavish meats or fish, consisting mainly of bread and congee.
Though modest, the dishes were anything but ordinary.
There were dozens of fruit jams to choose from for the bread, which could also be paired with cheese.
The cheese was from the Saint Roppu Empire, known for its rich variety and authentic, unique flavors.
The congee had been slow-cooked for a long time, with rice perfectly blended into the broth.
It contained shrimp and minced meat, and diners could add various toppings like pickled sour beans or small pieces of fried dough sticks.
For drinks, there was tea and coffee.
The coffee was black, clearly brewed as black coffee, while the tea was carefully selected green tea from the southern part of the Chengji Empire.
The tea was clear and pale green, with some deep green leaves floating on top, emitting a fresh fragrance.
Luo Shangyu swallowed hard.
During her solitary seclusion, she had never eaten such a varied breakfast!
Midway through the meal, Qin Yu asked, “Your room has been prepared for you. As Palace Commander, you’re an officer of the Forbidden Army, so you have to live in the palace. What about your luggage? You didn’t forget to bring it, did you?”
Luo Shangyu was speechless.
Of course she hadn’t—she never even considered that she might pass the application and hadn’t brought any luggage.
The clothes she wore were still from the maid’s help last night.
After some thought, Luo Shangyu replied, “I’ll go back and get it today.”
“Eh, is your home far?”
“Not really. If I fly at full speed, it only takes three hours.”
Qin Yu thought for a moment, then asked with a hint of pleading, “Can I come with you?”
Luo Shangyu scratched her head and replied, “My home… is… a little messy. But you’re welcome if you don’t mind.”
Hearing this, Qin Yu’s eating speed noticeably picked up.
After finishing breakfast, the two prepared to set out.
Though they were to “fly,” they first had to take a horse carriage out of Yongan City before taking off, as flying was strictly forbidden inside the imperial city due to a Forbidden Spell.
The spell was formed by countless layers of S-Class Magic Arrays, overlapping and complementing each other, with a combined strength roughly equivalent to God-Level Magic, making it nearly impossible to break.
Seated in the carriage, Qin Yu asked, “What do you need to pack?”
Luo Shangyu considered carefully and replied, “Clothes and books, of course. I have many treasures to bring as well… and the potted plants by the door, too…”
“That much? Can you carry it all?”
“You don’t understand. I have a secret method to help!” Luo Shangyu confidently patted her chest.
Arriving at the countryside, Luo Shangyu asked, “Qin Yu, do you know flying magic?”
“Hehe, I’m not very good at it,” Qin Yu answered, scratching the back of her head.
“In that case, I’ll take you flying. Hold my hand tight.” Saying so, Luo Shangyu took two steps forward and grasped her Magic Staff out of thin air.
Luo Shangyu’s staff was silver-white all over, about two meters long and five centimeters thick, made of an unidentifiable material.
Magical conduit arrays were engraved on its surface, and its tip held a gem filled with light Elemental Power.
Holding the staff upright, Luo Shangyu chanted, “Great Atmospheric Spirit, a faithful believer calls upon you here. With your mighty power, carry me swiftly through time!”
After finishing the incantation, she stepped back and grabbed Qin Yu’s hand.
Qin Yu glanced around.
A moment ago, the breeze had been gentle; now, wild winds howled.
The wind Elemental Power gathered continuously, resonating with Luo Shangyu’s staff.
This was atmospheric magic, controlling the air to form a strong wind that carried the caster through the sky.
Qin Yu looked at Luo Shangyu, who was about half a head taller than her.
Her golden hair whipped wildly in the air, and her cloak flapped sharply behind her.
Qin Yu instinctively squeezed her hand, afraid of being blown away.
Luo Shangyu’s hand was slightly larger than Qin Yu’s; her slender fingers fully wrapped around Qin Yu’s small hand.
Feeling the warmth of Luo Shangyu’s hand, Qin Yu felt much more at ease.
‘Hmm, Luo Shangyu’s hand is really warm.’
A protective atmospheric shield formed around them, with the violent wind pushing from outside the barrier, propelling them forward.
Luo Shangyu sat down in mid-air, while Qin Yu nervously stood, holding on tightly without daring to loosen her grip.
Luo Shangyu smiled and patted her shoulder, “There’s a shield outside; it’s safe now.”
Qin Yu eyed her doubtfully but carefully loosened her grip.
Indeed, inside the shield was perfectly safe.
Qin Yu tentatively touched the shield’s edge.
It was incredibly sturdy, no risk of breaking.
Only after fully confirming their safety did Qin Yu relax.
Luo Shangyu controlled the atmosphere to keep them flying not too high, about one thousand meters above the ground, allowing them to see the scenery below clearly.
Qin Yu had never viewed the ground from this angle, nor had she ever been to this region.
Curious, she asked Luo Shangyu about every city they passed.
Luo Shangyu happily introduced each city and told its stories.
The laughter of the two girls drifted over half of the Chengji Empire…
They drew closer to their destination, a towering mountain coming into view.
They descended at the mountainside.
An ancient courtyard sat quietly halfway up the slope, built in a style dating back a thousand years.
It was nearly noon.
They entered the house, where books and clothes were scattered everywhere, and clutter filled every corner.
‘A bit messy, indeed,’ Qin Yu silently complained in her heart.
Because they arrived at midday and no one had prepared lunch, Qin Yu and Luo Shangyu had to eat the food prepared that morning.
Lunch was simple—just plain flatbread and braised meat.
After eating, Qin Yu felt sleepy.
Luo Shangyu had to free up a room for Qin Yu to rest.
When Qin Yu opened her eyes again, it was already afternoon.
Luo Shangyu had finished packing.
She piled dozens of boxes in the yard, their number shocking Qin Yu.
“This is…”
“This pile is my clothes, that pile is my books, and these are my daily necessities.”
“Uh… how do you plan to move all this to the palace?”
Each box was at least one cubic meter, and there were nearly a hundred boxes in total.
Clearly, the two of them couldn’t move it all alone.
“Watch this!” Luo Shangyu pointed her staff at the ground.
A Summoning Magic Circle appeared.
“Arise, Golar!”
One by one, stone giants marched out of the array.
“These are Stone Giants Golar, my servants. They’re obedient and can help me move the luggage.”
“How will they get to the palace?”
“Don’t worry, they’ll walk there on their own. I put the clothes I’ll wear in the coming days in a suitcase here.” Luo Shangyu pointed to a small case beside her.
The Golars worked efficiently.
In no time, dozens of them carried all the luggage, running down the mountain.
Luo Shangyu walked back inside alone and looked around the empty room.
She murmured, “How long will this time be?”
Qin Yu approached and asked, “While you’re away, who will clean the house?”
“I’ll summon servants to clean, just like I did with Golar.”
After a moment of reflection, Luo Shangyu closed the courtyard gate, took two steps outside, then turned back, gazing at the yard with deep affection.
She stared at the gate for several seconds, then noticed Qin Yu watching her curiously.
Embarrassed, she said, “I’ve lived here for eight or nine hundred years. After I leave this time, I don’t know when I’ll see it again.”
“You can come back anytime!” Qin Yu reassured her.
Luo Shangyu said farewell to the house once more, then took two steps forward, preparing to unleash the strong wind magic.
Suddenly, she shielded Qin Yu behind her, raising her staff and staring intensely ahead.
Just as Qin Yu was about to ask what was wrong, the space before them suddenly tore open, splitting apart.
A group of people stepped out from the rift.
Leading them was a slender middle-aged man.
Five others flanked him; some wore masks, hiding their faces, but their auras were overwhelmingly powerful.