“Let’s put that aside for now. Where are we going to stay tonight?”
At this point, Andrea had become completely immune to being mired in debt; she was far more concerned about whether she’d be sleeping rough tonight.
Before Ailaira could reply, a series of footsteps sounded from behind.
Jody arrived at the mansion gate, accompanied by several fully equipped members of the Constabulary. As they approached the entrance, Jody deliberately raised her voice in reminder:
“Andrea! How is Miss Ailaira?”
“I’m fine.”
Hearing Ailaira’s response, Jody finally relaxed and led her people into the courtyard, only to be greeted by the sight of a half-destroyed house.
The ever-dutiful Miss Butler’s heart nearly stopped at the sight; she barely managed to stay conscious. Trembling, she walked over to Ailaira and reported in a shaky voice:
“Miss, with damage like this, it’ll take me at least three days to repair everything.”
Hearing this, Ailaira swept her gaze over the land where she’d grown up since childhood. Thinking about it, she realized there wasn’t much here worth reminiscing over, so she decisively waved her hand:
“Forget it, don’t trouble yourself. I’ll have someone come fix it up later. Let’s turn this place into a Magic Item Sales Center.”
Ailaira planned to hand the matter over to Yukla, taking the opportunity to bring the legitimate part of the Black Market business into the open.
At the same time, it would serve as a proper above-ground contact point, saving her the trouble of running around town whenever she needed materials.
Although this might seem like competing with the United Guild for business, compared to the benefits she could bring the guild, this kind of small-scale sales was hardly worth mentioning.
Ailaira sent Jody off to pack their luggage, while she dealt with the arriving Constabulary. Andrea hid behind Ailaira, still somewhat sensitive to the stares of strangers.
Ailaira looked toward the slightly weathered middle-aged man standing at the front. He was the City Lord, responsible for protecting and maintaining order throughout the city.
In fact, he was also the one who’d issued the final judgment in the Green Family’s past case.
But the City Lord clearly didn’t recognize the current Ailaira.
Upon hearing that the incident involved the Green Family, his mind instinctively conjured up an image of the youth who’d argued their case so logically in court, fearlessly presenting evidence and legal articles that left every other defender speechless.
Yet what lingered in the City Lord’s memory wasn’t just this talented youth’s brilliance—it was the way he showed no emotion after personally sending his own parents to prison, as if he were watching some unfortunate strangers meet with bad luck.
Returning to the present, the City Lord fixed his gaze on the woman before him. The indifference in her eyes gave him a strange sense of déjà vu, and he tentatively probed, “You are… the Green Family’s youngest daughter? If I remember right—”
“Vista Green. It’s been a long time, City Lord.”
Mistaken for someone else, Ailaira saw no need to explain. She simply followed the City Lord’s assumption and continued, “As you can see, things are calm here now. The dangerous situation has been brought under control.”
The City Lord glanced at the ruins behind Ailaira, the corner of his mouth twitching. “But you know it’s my duty to protect this city, so I’ll have to trouble you to explain the situation in detail. Based on your account, I’ll decide if further investigation is necessary.”
“By the way, didn’t you go to the Royal Capital with your brother back then? Did he return with you this time?”
“No. My brother left the Royal Capital after he graduated.”
Upon hearing this, the City Lord visibly breathed a sigh of relief, then began questioning the specifics of the recent magical phenomenon in detail. As City Lord, he couldn’t possibly be ignorant of what happened in the city; otherwise, he wouldn’t have come in person.
Luckily, Ais Green wasn’t present—otherwise, he feared he’d be sent packing after barely exchanging a few words.
Ailaira gave a brief explanation: it was simply an experiment gone awry, but it was still within controllable limits and wouldn’t affect the surrounding residential areas.
The City Lord didn’t intend to make things difficult for her; he simply issued a strict order forbidding any further magical experiments within the city. If necessary, he could recommend a few sparsely populated areas slated for expansion and demolition.
“Thank you for your kindness, City Lord, but I’ve already decided on a place to stay. I guarantee it won’t affect anyone else.”
Ailaira declined politely.
The City Lord took no offense at all and simply waved for the Constabulary to withdraw from the Green Family’s grounds, instead stationing themselves on the streets outside. It seemed he intended to seal off the entire area.
Ailaira felt no offense at the City Lord’s caution—she was nothing like those self-important Nobility.
Speaking of which, back when she was still at school, she’d had conflicts with many children of the Nobility. You know, the classic trope: Nobles discriminating against the children of merchants from remote regions. The difference was, it wasn’t Ailaira who disciplined those Nobles back then—it was Vista.
At the time, Vista had blocked everyone who’d ever mocked her brother inside a classroom and, all by herself, defeated more than twenty people in an instant. This overwhelming feat shocked the entire Royal Capital, and it was precisely because of this that the Church discovered Vista’s talent.
But the story didn’t end there. Afterwards, the Nobles behind those students all found, as if by some tacit agreement, that their businesses were struck ruthlessly by competitors, as if their rivals’ technology and strategies had leapt ahead overnight.
On another front, no supplier was willing to provide them with potions and raw materials through official channels anymore.
Forced into a corner, the Nobles had no choice but to turn to the Black Market and accept goods at several times the normal price. Thanks to Ailaira’s reminders, Yukla seized the opportunity to get a hold over a few Nobles.
This was why she gave up the power she’d painstakingly built and left the Royal Capital, and why Ais Green’s identity had to vanish from the public eye. After all, with Ais gone, there was no one left to protect her.
Sooner or later, the Nobility, or even the Royal Family and the Church, would settle the score.
As Ailaira recalled the past, Jody finished packing the important luggage. Jody knew exactly what Ailaira needed in daily life and had packed everything into a huge bundle slung over her shoulder. She’d even managed to pack all of Andrea’s treasured items.
Luckily, the laboratory and Andrea’s room were on opposite sides of the house.
Otherwise, with a single misstep, she would have lost everything she owned.
As night fell, Ailaira stretched out both arms, signaling for the other two to hold on. The three of them lifted off on the spot, soaring over the city, and finally landed at that sprawling, luxurious mansion where the banquet had been held!
Andrea looked at Ailaira in disbelief. “We’re staying here?”
Ailaira greeted the waiting Xidi and replied, “Yes. You can roll around as much as you want.”
“Ah, that… I was just joking back then! Are we really going to live here from now on?”
This time, it was Xidi who answered, her face bearing a professional smile as she spoke respectfully, “Unless someone with greater wealth and status than Miss Green, or the Headquarters of the guild is willing to pay that astronomical breach-of-contract fee, you have no reason to leave.”
“Otherwise, until Miss Green grows tired of it, this place will belong to you all.”