Firefly Journey

Chapter 143 Battlefield Chrysanthemums (10)

Black Mountain Tribe.

Shortly after Lin Yuanran and his group left in a hurry, a human man wearing a hood arrived at the scene.

He was acting suspiciously, as if he were looking for something.

"This is the fifth general store already. I hope this time it's the right one."

Dick O'Nealson muttered to himself as he walked through the door of the grocery store.

After browsing around, he still hadn't made a purchase, which caught the attention of the store manager, Justin.

“Friend, what do you need? Salt or chili peppers? I have everything you need here,” Justin said warmly.

"No need, I'm looking for something."

"So, did you find it?"

"not yet."

Justin was puzzled: "My shop only sells everyday items; I'm afraid it doesn't have what you're looking for."

Dick tentatively said, "When the first rays of dawn rise into the sky, the cuckoo on the high cliff will awaken and go to find its dream home."

Justin listened quietly as he finished speaking, finding it somewhat amusing. "No, if you're from the motherland, you could just get straight to the point. Why go through all that trouble?"

"The flowers of the trifoliate orange and houttuynia cordata are everywhere on the mountains and fields, emitting a refreshing fragrance. When the breeze blows, will you, the traveler from afar, make them into a wreath?"

Dick's face lit up with delight when he saw that the shopkeeper could respond to the poem.

"To make a long story short, I came to the Northern Territory to protect Her Highness Princess on the orders of Lady Lisa, but an accident happened and we got separated. I have no choice but to ask for your help here..."

"Well, I see."

Dick's eyes flashed with anxiety: "Now that you know, can you think of a way?"

Justin smiled and stopped teasing him. Judging from his words, it seemed that he was the unlucky senior who was ambushed by Boros.

“Our princess is far more capable than you. After she was separated from you, she came directly to my side and successfully formed an alliance with the Black Mountain tribe. Now, she has gone to the Wagri Alliance to discuss with her companions how to rescue that reporter.”

Dick O'Nealson breathed a sigh of relief; the huge weight that had been hanging over his heart was finally lifted. Victor's safety was secondary; the most important thing was that Her Highness the Princess must not be in danger.

Unexpectedly, Claudia is quite capable and was not injured by Napoleon, which is the best news.

“Since the princess has decided to rescue the reporter, she must not be acting rashly. We should help her. Besides, protecting Viktor is also my mission.”

Justin pondered for a moment and said, "How about this, I'll go find the young chief of the Black Mountain tribe and have him give you a token that represents the Black Mountain tribe. Take it with you and head straight to the Wagri Alliance. You might just run into Her Highness the Princess."

"Then please."

"No need, it's all for Her Highness the Princess."

"By the way, don't tell anyone about my existence. As a secret agent, I am not allowed to be exposed unless absolutely necessary, not even by Her Highness the Princess."

"I know that she trained me."

Dick isn't Lin Yuanran. Without Cassius as a connection, why would the higher-ups of the Valkyrie Alliance meet with him? Having the Black Mountain tribe's token changes everything; at least they can make contact.

Justin acted swiftly and soon obtained the Black Mountain tribe's badge. Dick took it without a word, mounted Justin's usual cargo horse, and galloped off into the vast snowfield.

……

The horses used to transport goods were no match for the Tiger Roaring Beasts, let alone the Blackwing Tigers. By now it was completely dark, and Dick could only proceed in the dark.

Fortunately, Justin provided a map, so following it prevented us from making any mistakes.

They could have waited until the next day, until it was light, but Dick knew his mission was important. After searching for so many days, they finally had news of the princess, and if he didn't rush over immediately, he couldn't bear the responsibility if something went wrong.

The tiger-like beast pulled the cart to the Wagri tribe in less than three hours. The ordinary tundra horses provided by Justin, even with Dick traveling light, barely arrived before dawn, and it would be daylight in another hour or two. Their speed was incomparable.

The Wagri Alliance sentries are not like the Black Mountain tribes; their checks are much stricter.

Dick flashed the Black Mountain tribe's emblem, and the sentry, unsure of what to do, chose to report it.

Through a series of intermediaries, the badge eventually ended up in Nem's hands.

He had seen the tokens of the Black Mountain tribe before and was certain that this was genuine.

He had someone invite Dick in, and after the two sides discussed it, the matter became clear.

"The chief of the Black Mountain tribe, along with your two junior classmates, are here with us right now. However, it's still early, so they won't be up so soon. Please wait here for now, and we'll meet you later."

Dick nodded. His presence was merely icing on the cake. Rescuing Victor would require the help of the Vagri Alliance, so since things weren't urgent, it was best to rest first.

Upon arriving at his room, Dick O'Neill, exhausted from a night's journey, collapsed into bed and fell asleep immediately.

I woke up three hours later.

Upon hearing that Dick O'Nealson was safe and sound, Lin Yuanran and Claudia were overjoyed. After all, he was their companion on the journey north, and they certainly didn't want anything to happen to him.

"Senior, it's so good to know you're alright," Lin Yuanran said.

"Senior, are you hurt anywhere?" Claudia asked.

He completely ignored Lin Yuanran's words and smiled at Claudia, saying, "It's alright, I'm your senior, don't underestimate me!"

“You’ve come at the right time. Sister Julianne is too badly injured to participate in the rescue of Mr. Reporter. However, she taught us how to use the compass. With it, we can find Mr. Reporter’s location quickly,” Claudia said.

"I was worried about that too. This is for the best. Let's quickly come up with a rescue plan."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the group arrived together in the council hall.

Besides the St. Louis trio, the group also includes "Iron Stone" Iru, the Nell brothers, and Hugh, the strategist of the Vagri Alliance.

The latter people helped voluntarily because they respected Viktor's character.

Iru said, "I used a compass last night, and the needle is pointing due east. It's most likely in the city of Seror."

Neil said, "With only a general location, we can't make a large-scale operation. It seems we can only send a small team as the vanguard to find Mr. Victor's exact location before making further arrangements."

"Hmm, it seems this heavy responsibility can only fall on your shoulders." Iru looked at Lin Yuanran.

Lin Yuanran said, "This is my duty. I will take the compass to Seror City and inform you of its exact location once I find it. We will communicate through secret methods."

The secret technique he was referring to was naturally Cassius Bello's clay figurine, and Nell nodded in agreement.

“I’ll go too,” Claudia volunteered.

Iru said, "You are a princess of a country. Isn't it inappropriate for you to personally take such a risk?"

“Status and position are not an excuse for me to renege on my promise. Since I promised to protect him before I came, how can I go back on my word now?” Claudia said with a smile.

Dick was naturally extremely reluctant for Claudia to go, but he couldn't say it out loud. Since the princess was going on an adventure, he had no choice but to accompany her.

On the surface, he even had to show a surprised expression.

"Wha...what?! Junior, you're actually the princess of the Kingdom of Delos?!"

Claudia said, "Senior, now is not the time to be surprised. We need to save Mr. Victor."

Dick seized the opportunity and said, "I'm your senior, after all. Since you're both planning to risk your lives, it wouldn't be right for me not to go. Fine, I'll go with you."

After further discussion, the group decided that the three members of St. Louis would disguise themselves as traveling merchants and head to the city of Serio.

Once they obtain the information, they should immediately report back here. At that time, the Black Mountain tribes of Iru and the Vagri Alliance will send troops to put pressure on the front lines and attract the attention of the Imperial Army.

Then, the three who had already entered the city of Seror would seize the opportunity to bring Viktor back.