Chapter 151: Standing Tall

Chapter 151: Standing Tall

A large gathering of people and mounts assembled at the edge of Flying Catkin Swamp. White Wolves let out long howls from time to time, while Snow Falcons circled in the sky. The scouting range kept expanding, pushing deeper into the swamp at an increasing speed.

Even though the Insect Swarm had receded, its effects were spreading. The size of the swarm took everyone completely by surprise. A thorough cleanup was necessary.

The benefit of having all civilians trained and ready as soldiers showed itself now. People living in or passing by Sancha Town quickly assembled after getting the definite news.

Aisa and his companions followed the tracks along the way and reached the swamp edge first. They found dying campfires and Little Bear’s shed fur nearby, but very few traces left by Lily herself.

As the trail continued, the marks Lily left on the ground became fewer and fewer. It was as if she had turned into a ghost, slowly fading away. At first, they could find bloody footprints or pebbles pressed into the dirt, but gradually, only the knife scars on the insect corpses proved she existed.

She was getting stronger and stronger, becoming part of her surroundings.

Finding the obvious trail left by Little Bear made people relax a little. It showed that Lily was safe and sound at least before entering the swamp. Yet concern arose too — while the Insect Swarm posed no threat to her, the harsh environment itself could be deadly.

Little Bear’s footprints, after entering the swamp, became gradually covered by the chaotic tracks of the insect swarm. The initial signs, however, showed Little Bear had been relatively at ease back then. Little Bear couldn’t possibly have missed such a massive swarm; this meant everything was still under the control of its mistress — Lily.

At first, Aisa and his group encountered scattered insects and engaged in fights. Over the following days, the insects rapidly decreased until they vanished completely.

Reinforcements kept arriving. Even the elites of the Northlands had reached the scene. But once there, they found themselves with nothing to do. Punching into thin air left them feeling frustrated and pent-up.

Amidst the agonizing wait, news finally came — news that utterly baffled them: the incident was over.

The news was brought by two Snow Falcons. The elites included not just people, but White Wolves and Snow Falcons. The Monarchs of the two Snow Falcons flew to the swamp’s center and discovered Lily, alongside Little Bear who was happily eating.

This news quickly spread across the Northlands. The focus wasn’t the Insect Swarm anymore, but — Lily. This remarkable young woman who had suddenly shot to fame instantly became an idol to the people.

The Northlanders, whose culture centered around Warriors, hailed her as the War God — War God Lily. The Wizards of the Northlands, however, stood by their own perspective — Great Wizard.

Lily was now the pride of the Northlanders. She perfectly fit everyone’s image of a strong person. Her words and actions carried distinct Northlands traits, something Bran could never possess.

…

It would take Lily some time to return. During this period, people turned their attention to her team of Little Wizards. First Bran, then Lily. Especially Lily — a true match for ten thousand. Even the slowest understood the value of these young people. If they could only reach half of Lily’s level. No! Even half of Bran’s would be enough to guard and protect a region.

The first to make a move was Vincent. His reason was solid — the Western Territory needed strong guardians. And he was bold enough, naming Lily as his primary target.

He had the confidence for this; she was his niece.

In Vincent’s eyes, Bran guarding Everspring Riverbank was a waste. Someone like him should be posted to the Western Territory to deal with the Demon Clan. He had previously underestimated Bran’s combat strength. In his mind, even powerful Wizards had limits. He’d encountered Wizards fighting the Demon Clan before; killing them wasn’t difficult with the right tactics. But after learning of Bran’s battle records, he started re-evaluating.

Having regretted missing out on Bran once already, Vincent didn’t want to miss out twice. Upon confirming the news about Lily, he immediately spoke to his sister, but the discussion didn’t go well.

Lily still needed to train these young Wizards. The related materials Bran left behind, only she could truly understand them. Most importantly, who was there to make decisions for her now?

As elders, they felt both proud to have such children and powerless because of it. They realized they were aging faster, becoming less and less important.

…

It wasn’t just the elders who felt powerless; even the brothers and sisters among the peers felt it.

Dia and others, who journeyed through the Fertile Plains Grassland with Bran, successfully completed their Trial. They were now also training in the Castle. At first, they wanted to spar with Lily, but after observing her for a while, they gave up that idea. Yet, they still felt resentful, believing it was because of Bran that Lily could lead the other Wizards.

When the three sisters got together, they often gossiped about Lily to vent their frustrations. However, as they learned more and saw Lily grow increasingly powerful, their attitude slowly changed.

Dia, Lia, and Sia, three sisters, were quite good among their peers. Not because of exceptional talent, but because their competitive spirit drove them to train intensely. Yet, the huge chasm created by talent difference could be despairing. No matter how hard they tried, the gap between them and Lily kept widening.

Bloodline ties could sometimes be a support, but sometimes a huge burden. Although they were completely separate individuals, whose relationships weren’t even particularly harmonious, people just habitually lumped them together.

The three sisters now seemed rather withdrawn, having lost the liveliness they had when around Bran. Training became their main theme. Their father daily tormented their ears and worn down their patience with remarks dripping with disappointment that they hadn’t lived up to his expectations — until they finally couldn’t take it anymore. Unfortunately, the location wasn’t ideal — the Castle’s dining hall.

Vincent sat there, his face grim. Being openly criticized by his own children in public was deeply unpleasant. While Dia and Sia were his daughters, even though Lia was his brother’s child, she had grown up by his side, scarcely different from his own.

Having been together since childhood, the sisters possessed a certain rapport. When that rapport was turned against their elder with biting words, it was enough to make anyone feel uncomfortable.

Everyone in the dining hall looked at Vincent sympathetically. This was a family dispute; outsiders found it hard to butt in. Even wanting to mediate required the right moment. But the three young sisters barreled on, one sharp retort chasing another, their voices rising steadily. Everyone could only watch silently for now.

The young women, having held back for so long, had finally found a channel to vent. Their clear voices pierced through all barriers, traveling far, very far away. At that moment, countless young people cheered for them silently in their hearts.

The youths had waited a long time for this day. At that moment, they felt thrilled with delight, as if finally being able to hold their heads high…