Chapter 83: The Nameless Golden Descendant
She looked up, somewhat awkwardly, at Aglaea: "Um... do you have a smaller size? This pair is too big for me..."
Aglaea paused, then let out a light chuckle: "It seems... you still need to grow a bit more."
"What?!" Cipher puffed out her cheeks. "I will grow up! I'll definitely be able to wear them then!" She carefully placed the golden boots back into the box, handling them with more care than she would rare treasures.
You watched this scene from the side, a smile involuntarily forming on your face. Aglaea's care for Cipher and you had already far exceeded that of ordinary friends.
"Alright," Aglaea closed the box. "I'll keep these boots here for now, and give them to you when you can wear them."
"No!" Cipher hugged the box tightly. "You gave these to me! I want to keep them myself!"
Watching Cipher act like she was guarding her food, Aglaea shook her head helplessly.
"So, what are your plans?" she asked. "How long do you intend to stay in Ohema?"
You and Cipher exchanged glances. "We haven't decided yet," you said. "But... can we stay here for a few more days?"
"Of course," Aglaea replied without hesitation. "You can stay as long as you like."
"Little Wildcat, do you want to play here more?" Cipher tilted her head and asked. "I thought you, like me, wanted to leave early."
You shook your head: "Ohema is vast, we haven't been here long, and there are many places we haven't visited yet. Besides..." You glanced at Aglaea: "It's very comfortable living here, isn't it?"
Cipher thought for a moment, then finally nodded in agreement: "Alright, alright, since Tailor Woman has food and lodging here, we'll mooch off her for a few more days!"
Over the next few days, you continued to explore Ohema. Cipher dragged you to sneak into Dawn Cliff to get a close look at the dawn machine, then went to Cloudstone Market to sample various delicacies and watch street performers. And every night, though Ohema remained as bright as day—you would find opportunities to spend a moment alone with Aglaea. Sometimes it was in her studio, watching her weave beautiful fabrics. Sometimes it was in the garden, with Aglaea tending to the flowers while you watched quietly, neither of you speaking.
On the morning a week later, the atmosphere at the breakfast table was unusual. Aglaea put down her cup, her expression grave: "Have you heard? Something big happened in Dolos City..."
Cipher, who was gnawing on a piece of bread, looked up at the mention of it: "What big thing?"
"The King is dead," Aglaea's voice was calm, but her gaze subtly swept over you. "Not just the King, but also the First Prince, and many powerful nobles in the city. It's said they were killed by a... Chrysos Heir."
"What?!" Cipher's bread dropped onto the table. "A Chrysos Heir? How is that possible?"
You lowered your head and drank your water, saying nothing.
Aglaea continued: "I heard from the merchants that blood flowed like a river that night, and the entire royal family was wiped out. Dolos has now been taken over by Marquis Salvis, who was originally just a minor noble, but because he was generally benevolent, he gained the support of the people."
Cipher's face grew paler: "What about... what about the people in the city? Those..." She suddenly stood up, her voice trembling slightly: "Little Wildcat, we have to go back and check!"
"Cipher?" You looked up at her.
"Those Little Wildcats..." Cipher's eyes were filled with worry. "Something so big happened in Dolos, the city must be in chaos. They were already uncared for, and now..." She dared not say anymore. In such turmoil, those helpless orphans were most likely to become victims.
You put down your cup, stood up, walked to her side, and took her trembling hand: "Alright, we'll go back and check."
You thought that Dolos should be stable by now. Marquis Salvis... you remembered him, he was indeed a relatively upright person, at least much better than the previous royal family.
"Then let's leave today!" Cipher said eagerly.
Aglaea stood up: "Do you need me to go with you?"
"No, thank you," you shook your head.
Aglaea looked at you deeply, then finally nodded: "Be careful on your way. If anything happens... come back anytime."
That afternoon, you and Cipher set off on the road back to Dolos. The closer you got to Dolos, the more nervous Cipher became. She pulled her hood low, almost completely covering her face.
"Little Wildcat, do you think they're still looking for us?" she whispered. "Even though the King is dead, but..."
"Don't worry," you comforted her. "Let's see the situation first."
When you arrived at the city gate, there were noticeably fewer guarding soldiers than before. Cipher cautiously followed behind you. Once inside the city, she immediately began searching for wanted posters on the walls.
However... "Strange," she looked at the empty walls in confusion. "How come there isn't a single one?"
Not just at the city gate, but even places usually plastered with notices were clean. As you continued to walk deeper into the city, Cipher's steps gradually relaxed. The atmosphere on the streets was indeed different from before; there was less oppression and more vitality.
"It looks like... there really aren't any wanted posters anymore," Cipher took off her hood. "What's going on?"
Passing a small square, a few vendors were chatting.
"If you ask me, this Marquis is certainly much better than that dead king before."
"Isn't that right? The first thing he did upon taking office was to abolish all those messy wanted warrants, and then a general amnesty, and a strict investigation into corruption, saying he wants Dolos to start anew."
"I heard he's even very grateful to that Chrysos Heir from that night, who helped cleanse Dolos!"
"Shh, keep your voice down, let's not talk about that night... it was too terrifying."
Cipher listened to these conversations, her eyes deepening with confusion: "Abolish wanted posters? That Marquis... is he really that good?"
You said nothing, only pulled her and continued towards the slum. When you arrived at that familiar dilapidated neighborhood, Cipher's steps suddenly quickened.
"Little Cat Head! Big Ears! Where are you?" she anxiously called out.
Soon, several thin figures emerged from the corners. "Cifera Sister!" "It's really Cipher Sister!" "And Orion Brother!"
A dozen children gathered around, each with a surprised smile on their face. Cipher immediately squatted down, checking them one by one for injuries: "Are you all alright? Has anyone bullied you these past few days?"
"No, no!" A little boy excitedly said. "Cifera Sister, you don't know, the city is so peaceful now!"
"Yes, yes!" Another child chimed in. "Many of the bad people who used to bully us have disappeared!" "The adults say that a super powerful Chrysos Heir came! And killed all the bad guys!"
Cipher was stunned: "A Chrysos Heir... is that really true?"
"Of course it's true!" The children chattered. "That night was so scary, there were screams everywhere!" "But the next morning, the city was quiet. Then the new Marquis came, and he's so good!" "Yes, yes! He also said he wants to build a shelter, specifically for children like us who don't have homes!"
As Cipher listened, her eyes welled up slightly. She hugged the children in front of her tightly: "That's great... I'm so glad you're all alright..."
You stood by, watching this scene, a peculiar feeling welling up in your heart. Perhaps, that bloody night, its meaning was not solely revenge.
Just then, a child suddenly pointed to the corner of the wall and said: "Huh? Wasn't there a wanted poster here before?" "Yeah, it had Sister and Brother on it! But it was gone that morning."
"I saw it!" A little girl raised her hand. "That night, a little brother in a cloak tore it down! He tore it so hard, the paper turned into powder!"
Cipher subconsciously looked at you, but you avoided her gaze. "Alright, we brought you some money and food," you changed the subject, pulling out the prepared items from your bag. The children immediately cheered, surrounding you and thanking you.
After distributing the items, you walked around the city a bit more. After confirming that everything was moving in a positive direction, Cipher's mood visibly lightened.
"Little Wildcat, this new Marquis is indeed quite good," Cipher said on the way back. "So from now on, we can truly return to Dolos openly."
"Mm, of course."
"But..." Cipher suddenly stopped, looking at you seriously. "That Chrysos Heir, who do you think it could be?"