The knocking persisted.
But Colin didn't hurry to the door; instead, he turned his gaze toward Renee, who was not far away.
Renee nodded and, understanding intuitively, walked toward the entrance.
Meanwhile, Colin slowly made his way to the pavilion in the garden.
Creak, Renee opened the door.
A middle-aged man dressed as a gentleman appeared behind it.
His features were ordinary, but his attire was exquisite, even the two black moustaches above his lips were groomed perfectly.
He exuded an aura of wealth and looked like he came from a notable background.
"Good morning, madame," the man took off his black hat and greeted Renee.
As for Colin, he was out of sight from the man's perspective.
"Good morning, Mr. Hosone," Renee replied politely.
This was the owner of the villa and their landlord, a major real estate developer.
The man smiled, put his hat back on, and said, "I happened to be passing by this morning and remembered that since you moved in, I haven't yet come by for a visit.
So I decided to drop in spontaneously, hoping I'm not causing any disturbance."
While saying this, Hosone naturally stepped forward, trying to walk past Renee into the yard.
But the next moment, Renee smoothly moved to block Hosone, and apologetically said:
"The master is unwell due to the strains of travel... he's not in a condition to receive visitors."
Hosone paused, his pupils subtly constricted.
This seemingly ordinary maid had moved so quickly he hadn't even realized!
And he was an Advanced Knight!
"Unwell...?"
After a moment, Hosone "surprisingly" looked up, speaking slowly and impeccably.
"I am deeply sorry to hear this and hope that your master recovers soon."
He looked at Renee, forced a smile back on his face, and took his leave:
"Pardon my abrupt visit today, I shall come in person another time when I'm free."
Renee watched as Hosone walked away and closed the door.
On the other hand, once outside, Hosone's expression turned complex.
His blue eyes reflected surprise, as well as excitement.
"Lord Hosone."
As he reached the river, a tall figure appeared beside Hosone.
"The tenant of Villa No. 5, mark them for special attention," Hosone instructed in a low voice as they walked slowly.
"Yes!" the tall figure responded somberly.
"But remember, do not attempt to disturb or spy on them."
Hosone's steps faltered slightly, then he spoke solemnly again.
He gazed at the Leibo River beside him, his mind somewhat hazy.
Deep inside, Hosone had a strong premonition—
Since he decisively gave up most benefits two years ago and stopped expanding his influence, waiting for the right opportunity—
This time, it might truly have arrived.
"Wizard…" he murmured, lightly clenching his fist.
As a prominent real estate developer in Nanao, his proudest achievement was his self-made background.
Climbing from a common civilian family to his current status, he had exerted unimaginable effort, a time of glory.
However, his greatest regret... was the same.
Or more precisely—his origins.
The essence of this world was the supremacy of power.
The influence he possessed, in the face of real violence, was no more than a fragile sand tower built by children by the sea, ready to disappear without a trace under the waves...
Hosone fell silent for a moment, then turned and left.
Behind him, the waters of the Leibo River swirled, with blue fish leaping out of the surface, splashing water everywhere.
Under the influence of gravity, it slowly fell down.
Plop—
Somewhere in the sea domain.
In mid-air, a light aqua fish monster let out a wail, clutching its chest pierced by a stabbing vine, and fell into the sea, losing all sounds.
Light red blood slowly dispersed in the azure seawater, attracting a few bloodthirsty sharks that silently swam near the small boat.
On the boat, the beautiful young girl retracted the vines, and her slender figure gradually shrank, transforming into a delicate twelve or thirteen-year-old girl in moments.
Splash splash—
The group of sharks tore at the fish monster, stirring up the seawater, which crashed against the side of the boat and shattered into spray.
Lillian withdrew her gaze, indifferent to the sharks, and crossed the deck littered with the bodies of sailors brutally killed by the fish monster to reach the bow.
"How much time has passed since I entered that space...?"
She gazed at the vast ocean ahead, a worrisome thought crossing her mind.
Extending her arm, a pale golden light emerged from Lillian's palm.
A strange and immense pressure instantly spread out.
Wherever the pressure enveloped, the seawater seemed to become solemn.
Swish swish swish!—
The acutely sensitive sharks quickly flicked their powerful tails and dived deep into the water, heading far away.
"Mom..." Lillian whispered softly.
In the Elf Kingdom, after crossing the Treasury Arch, she arrived not at a normal treasure vault but at a— Secret Archive!
A place exclusively reserved for the High Level Elves.
The full name of this place was called— Bloodline and Treasure Secret Archive.
This was a place where only elves with High Level Elf bloodlines and who had made exceptional contributions could visit.
And, true to its name, those High Level Elves who visited the Secret Archive could not only enhance their bloodlines but the most distinguished among them could obtain a highly precious treasure.
Lillian retracted her hand.
The pale golden light immediately extinguished, and the sounds around her again became vibrant.
The sea breeze blew over, lifting her golden hair...
It also revealed her somewhat different, tender pink ears – the distinct pointed ears of a High Level Elf.
"Bobi!"
The little sprite Bobi stood on her shoulder, curiously inspecting the pointed ears very similar to its own.
Lillian fidgeted a bit with her hair, perfectly hiding her pointed ears.
She turned around and walked toward the captain's cabin.
After emerging from the Secret Archive, she hadn't returned to the Elf Kingdom, to that grand hall.
Instead, she landed directly in this sea domain.
The fishing boat was adrift not far ahead at that time.
So, almost inadvertently, she flew over to it.
Unfortunately... the scene on board was akin to purgatorial hell.
The sailors had encountered demons and had been massacred; the fish-shaped demons were holding a feast, enjoying the spoils on the deck…
As she walked, Lillian nonchalantly cleaned the bloodstains and bodies... Unless something unexpected happened, this fishing boat would accompany her for a while.
Upon reaching the captain's cabin, Lillian took a quick look around, and briskly walked over to the sea maps on the captain's desk.
"Teg Cape… Feveradi Fishing Port..."
After a moment, Lillian breathed a sigh of relief.
This place wasn't far from the Siya Continent.
If all went well, she could soon successfully return to the Siya Continent... back to Neustadt City.
"I wonder how Grandfather is doing..."
Lillian looked at the glittering sea through the cabin window, her face showing concern.