The group was reaching Coldwind Fortress. It was almost time for Nigel to get off.
“Then everyone, I’m leaving…”
The middle-aged painter with a hunched back nodded to the rest of the group. He also said respectfully to Annan, “I wish you a pleasant journey too.”
Although Nigel still could not figure out the true identity of “Your Excellency Annan”, he was aware that Annan and the Paper Princess should be closed.
—Annan is probably the Paper Princess’s heir.
Nigel thought he should have more respect for Annan.
Until now, he did not realize that Annan was the future Austere-Winter’s Grand Duke.
As an ordinary person, he never thought about it in that direction.
After all, Nigel was an ordinary painter who had never left his country and concentrated on painting, unlike the ritualist like his mother or an evil painter like Amos, who was related to the transcender. Moreover, Nigel did not even know the name of Austere-Winter’s Grand Duke, let alone the name “Annan”.
He did not even know how many children King Noah had. Instead, he only knew that the king was dead.
On the underground train, Nigel also mentioned to Annan’s group that he chose to leave Noah at this time partly because the king had passed away.
In his anticipation, the capital would be chaotic until the Silver Sire Holy Day. Even a painter like himself would be asked to pick a side, or else he would die in an “accident”. Nigel wanted to avoid trouble, so he ran away in advance.
How did the king die? Who would the new king be? What would the future hold for Noah?
He did not know anything, but it was better to flee first for the time being.
Nigel thought so.
This was the common sense of ordinary people regarding politics.
Since the Roseburg Viscount incident, Annan had hardly encountered any mortals who had absolutely nothing to do with the transcended world and the upper echelons of the kingdom.
Although Nigel was quite a famous painter in Noah, he was to the extent that the newspaper office could easily get an appointment from him. He was neither affluent nor connected to the upper echelons.
Celebrities of this level were merely “ordinary people with a bit of fame” for big shots. They were not even valid chess pieces.
Therefore, even to Lin Yiyi and the players who could take the subway, Nigel’s attitude was respectful and gentle for fear of offending the underlings of some bigwigs.
“It’s a pleasant journey, Mr. Nigel.” Lin Yiyi said with a smile, “I wish you a smooth journey as well.”
Annan sat in the same position, closed his book, nodded slightly to Nigel, and said naturally, “May Grandma keep you safe on the land of Austere-Winter.”
“Yes, and may Silver Sire… Oh, the name of Old Grandmother should be praised here.”
Nigel laughed and said to Annan, “May the Old Grandmother bless you too.”
Then, he carried the suitcase a little tiredly.
For ordinary people, this kind of journey was strenuous. It started in the morning and arrived at the destination at 9:00 p.m.
As the train slowly decelerated and stopped, the noise of expelling gas came.
The door opened. The cold wind blew in from outside, and Suuankou shivered.
As a matter of fact, he was the only male among the three players, but he was also the only player whose Constitution attribute was less than 5.
After Nigel got out of the car, Suuankou responded quickly and crossed the corridor. He sat next to Annan again.
Although it was already 8:30 in the evening, there were still 7 people in the carriage.
Now that it’s February, Noah is getting warmer very early, and the capital is not as cold as before.
The players had already put on trench coats and capes. They wore wool vests or shirts — this was a batch of “player-standard equipment” that Annan asked Longjing Tea to get at wholesale prices.
Each player was given a suite in Roseburg, and eight sets of clothes were bought in advance for all seasons of the year. These outfits would be delivered in advance when the season came. Annan intended to treat this as a bonus reward for the senior players.
It did not cost much money or effort. However, the players would feel like Annan noticed and remembered them.
When new players arrive in the future, old players would feel a sense of superiority. This sense of superiority was not at the expense of the new players’ gaming experience, but the feeling was much more prominent.
“I thought Mr. Nigel would give us a painting each.” Jiu Er sighed and mumbled softly.
Suuankou also smacked his lips, obviously feeling a little disappointed, “At least he should give us a sketch or something. When he becomes famous in the future, it can be sold for a lot of money.”
“Why are you selling it? That’s a lot of commemorative value.” Jiu Er retorted, “This is not something ordinary people can get. It’s a souvenir when you walk away from a famous painter. Isn’t it more meaningful than selling for that little money?”
“He can’t draw because he’s not in that mood.” Annan narrowed his eyes slightly and replied, “Nigel shouldn’t be on this train for travel but evacuation. He might have faced some troubles.”
“Trouble?” Lin Yiyi showed a curious expression, “How did you notice it?”
“It’s simple. When we came, the hydraulic platform had already returned to its original level. There was no staff nearby, so Nigel should have come to the deep underground level very early. Thus, something is going off here.”
Annan flipped through the book and replied softly, “Wouldn’t he have friends with him?
“Even if no one but him can get onto the subway floor, they can still chat on the surface level and wait for the time to pass. It’s not a good experience to wait for the train by yourself.
“Nigel is a well-known painter, and many people want to flatter him. With his cautious personality when dealing with people, he will not offend any friends. But he came to take the subway by himself and waited at the subway level directly.”
“Does this mean that he sneaked out?” Lin Yiyi speculated along Annan’s train of thought.
Suuankou shook his head and vetoed what his sister said, “To be precise, he doesn’t want other people to worry about him.
“He came to Austere-Winter Dukedom more than just to travel. Therefore, there must be some danger ahead.”
Then, Suuankou did not know what to say next.
As a mortal, what other dangerous activities could he be involved in?
Watching the players fall into silence and thinking hard, Annan couldn’t help but laugh aloud, “Why doesn’t he paint us a picture? The answer is simple.
“He is an ordinary person in his fifties. Since he only has a suitcase that can be carried in one hand, he won’t have any picture frame, easel, or canvas. The canvas cannot be folded, and it isn’t possible to store the easel and the picture frame. If he carries pens, palettes, coloring oils, and paints, there is simply no room for clothes, let alone daily necessities.”
This was a problem that players in modern life would not consider.
In a world where technology pointed to the 16th century, getting around took more work.
There were no commissaries where you could easily buy water, food, clothes, shoes, and tools. There was no phone that conveniently combined wallet and ID. Medicines, drinking water, food, clothes, and most importantly… the silver and copper coins used in daily transactions were not light in weight.
Coupled with the preparations for his work, there was a limit to how much he could bring.
“The answer is simple. From the very beginning, Nigel knew where he was going and what he did not need to take. He was not ‘traveling’ aimlessly, wandering around, but with a clear purpose. It was more like he was on a business trip.”
Annan replied calmly, “So it’s obvious. He must have been called here by someone. Since he ventures to a foreign country and keeps it a secret from his friends, it’s naturally somewhat dangerous.”
Spy? Elopement? Smuggling? Treasure hunting?
Or something else?
Hearing Annan’s reasoning, the players immediately came up with various speculations.
Annan glanced at them. The corners of his mouth rose, “Okay, stop guessing. Anyway, we will meet again if fate brings us together. Nigel is not the kind of person who will do dangerous things. We wished good luck. We may meet again soon.
“Let’s eat something to fill our stomachs. We’ll be getting off in less than an hour.
“When we get to the place, I’ll invite you to supper.”
On the other side, in the tower of the storm wrapped in the never-ending storm…
Maria opened her eyes slowly, frowning slightly, and looked into the distance.
“It’s Annan coming home?”