Chapter 223: Alive

Chapter 223: Alive

Bran was missing, and the Dragon Riders only celebrated in secret, not daring to spread the news everywhere. Otherwise, Northlands would come to demand him, and his sister would take revenge. Whether he sought death himself or was trapped and killed, they could only keep silent to the outside world.

The losses of the Dragon Riders were small, just a few damaged ships. If Bran had gone deep into the Dragon Riders’ settlement, he would have discovered several magnificent sailing ships moored in the bay.

Those people and those ships were meant to be given to Bran to calm his anger, like a sacrifice they made to the sea. Compared to the loose Northlands, the Dragon Riders living there had a complex social structure. Northlanders’ actions mostly came from tradition and habit, while here, they mostly came from orders.

Bran’s arrival made the Dragon Riders alert to the danger drawing near. The sea was no longer a barrier.

What made the higher-ups more angry was that Eileen actually ran back home. Her mission wasn’t to show pride, but to express humility. It wasn’t a childish quarrel, and certainly not to fight for favor. She needed to establish roots in Northland City, even if that meant enduring humiliation and unwillingness. But no one said this out loud because the family was already unlucky enough.

Hall looked at his somewhat disheartened daughter and sighed. He felt Bran was like a curse, bringing persistent bad luck since the moment they met. Aiman was still lying at home, not in mortal danger, but shocked enough.

Hall said casually, “Bran is missing.”

“He won’t die!” Eileen was very certain. “He is only drawn by mana, not by unimportant people like us.”

Hall stared at Eileen, watching her lips move continuously. “Do you have any advice?”

“Don’t block his path.”

“Is that all?”

“Compared to Bran, our problem is the wizards within the clan.”

“Explain it in detail.”

“From spending time with Bran during this period, I gradually realize he is mostly curious about the world. He never thought of wasting energy on us, because it wouldn’t be worth it for him.

With a wave of his hand, he could create unique treasures. His power didn’t need showcasing through ordinary people. For him, wealth and strength were just creations of mana, so he only needed to pursue mana.

We will face a group of wizards who achieve little and aim low. Unable to gain satisfaction from mana, they can only tear at our flesh like jackals.

I understand my mission, but staying in Northland City has no meaning now. I had to come back to warn all of you.”

“Do you have any way to deal with them?”

“Some small tricks I learned from him, but they still need testing. A wizard’s mana is affected by the environment. Many outside disturbances can expose their flaws and make them more vulnerable.”

Hall’s eyes lit up slightly. “Then, can those tricks also be used against Bran?”

“I don’t know, and I don’t want to provoke him…”

…

Compared to Hall and Eileen’s fairly normal family discussion, the Niels household seemed strange.

Zack’s group wasn’t influenced by outside events. They rested, camped, made purchases, and moved forward in an orderly manner. By now, they had long left the Royal Capital far behind.

Their departure disappointed many people, but it didn’t cause much impact. Zhuoma finally persuaded her father to send some gifts as a friend. This time, Zack didn’t refuse. He politely accepted and invited Zhuoma to have a meal at the camp.

Zack’s actions showed that the Niels family was still friends with the Northlanders, so their status wasn’t greatly affected—for the time being.

Until a Northlander knight and her White Wolf partner appeared outside the Royal Capital. She looked around briefly outside the city, then marched straight through the city gate in everyone’s sight and went to the Niels residence.

At her destination, Zoya let out a sigh of relief. This was her first time traveling independently on this land, taking care of everything on her own. Luckily, she had the White Wolves for company. They made her feel safe and allowed her to handle things calmly. Looking at the White Wolves beside her, she somewhat understood why Bran always hugged Huahua.

She had been well-protected since childhood—both in her previous home and among her kin now, she received great care. That was why some things were hard to let go of.

The place hadn’t changed much. Accustomed to the spacious Northland City, the streets here seemed too narrow. But it was this very narrowness that made many familiar people and familiar events surface continuously in her mind.

At that moment, Zoya forgot the purpose of her trip. Her heart was filled with uncontrollable excitement. Past and present began to resonate and merge. Everything she had experienced seemed like an illusion coming to life.

Zoya’s mind felt dazed. She only walked instinctively in one direction. Under the curious gazes of passersby, she arrived at her former home. Her brother Zhuoma was standing at the gate looking at her. This made her cry out happily on impulse—brother!

…

Zhuoma had gotten the news, so he waited patiently before the mansion gate. He was unsure who was coming—the Northlanders’ appearance was too sudden. He even felt anxious, afraid his father’s actions might anger Northlands.

Ever since he got beaten at Bran Manor, he had been somewhat scared of Bran. Bran switched moods too fast, making it hard to guess his thoughts, and he never held back when striking.

Father said that was decisiveness in battle, but Zhuoma believed it was sheer madness. As Aiman had secretly told him, Bran had mental problems. Since he wasn’t the only one with this feeling, it couldn’t be wrong.

He even wished the knight appearing at the city gate wasn’t coming for them. When Northlanders personally visited, it was never good news—like what happened back at Sandstone City…

Because he understood his family’s status; many matters only needed a written message.

The knight gave him an indescribable sense of familiarity, but he didn’t dare make any unnecessary moves. Until a familiar voice called out—brother!

Brother? Only then did Zhuoma dare to look closely at the knight before him. His feet moved forward twice uncontrollably, but warning growls from the White Wolves startled him awake, and he stopped in time.

Seeming to have shown off her stance, the knight leaped down from her horse and gave him a warm hug. This left him stunned—was that really his sister?

The facial markings, the face, the figure—he found no trace of his sister she had been before, except for the slightly familiar voice.

A stranger talked to him using Zoya’s voice and perhaps her memories; this horrified him. He had heard of his sister’s changes before, but imagination proved too vague and weak.

He was dragged into the house by this stranger, his hands and feet turning cold. He wanted to struggle but found it impossible to escape—the hand gripping his own was too powerful.

Like this, he was pulled through the gate by the person who claimed to be his sister. Then, he heard the door shut behind him in despair.

With two White Wolves menacingly at her side, they crossed the hall and entered father’s study. He heard the familiar voice call out to father, and say she wanted to see mother too.

He saw father’s face turn pale, and father’s teeth chattering uncontrollably. The atmosphere gradually became tense.

That wasn’t his sister. His sister lacked such imposing presence. He had only ever seen that domineering look on a single person—Danny!

He finally understood where the familiarity came from.

Wizard—Bran! Zhuoma clenched his fist. What have you done? Where is my sister?

Zhuoma bravely raised his head and looked straight at the girl before him. He watched her gradually close her mouth and restrain her smile. He saw her sit up straight, an invisible aura radiating from her body. He saw the glances directed at him lose their friendliness, the arrogance growing stronger.

That was right, why pretend? Tell us why you came.