Abyssal Chronicles

Chapter 355 - 356: The Placement of the Child [1/5]

"However, it was really unexpected..."

Gazing in the direction of the sky, Xiao thoughtfully propped his chin with his hand, his black eyes narrowing slightly.

’Since Lady Yumo personally ’killed’ Xue Tianao, she felt obliged to make it up to his sister, Freya, while also calming the chaotic situation in the Snow Night Empire. Honestly, I saw that coming.’

However,

’What caught me off guard was the reaction of Limo and Liyu. These two little devils who have always looked down on humans and wouldn’t mind wiping out the forces of Snow Night Empire, surprisingly stood up for the princess in front of Lady Yumo this time?’

’Lady Yumo eventually choosing to back this princess to become the new Empress, must have been greatly influenced by Limo and Liyu. After all, it’s well known that Mother has a soft spot for her kids.’

’Even though they only lived together with the princess in her palace for about a month,’

’Why did they grow so fond of her?’

"How strange..."

Xiao couldn’t help but sigh in his heart,

At the same time, he found himself curious about Freya.

’How did she manage to win over those two little devils?’

...

Hmm?

However, as Xiao fell into a moment of deep thought, a strong but very familiar energy wave suddenly entered his senses. This made the Duke of Black Rose frown slightly, and he glanced out the window toward the other side of the carriage.

The next moment,

Under Xiao’s calm gaze, a petite figure wrapped in a dense pink aura rushed to the side of the carriage after colliding and flying several big trees. The powerful surge of energy spread instantly, causing the warhorses to cry out in fear.

Fortunately, the Black Rose knights have excellent driving skills and quickly suppressed the somewhat restless horses.

As the dust, snow mist, and the intense pink aura cleared, a Lolita girl, with a giant hammer in her hand, appeared in front of the Black Rose knights. Once they recognized the newcomer, the knights breathed a sigh of relief and put their swords away,

"Lady Qiu."

With their right hands on their chests, the knights gave the pink-haired girl a customary knightly greeting.

Apparently,

The girl who suddenly rushed here was Qiu Mingtong, the leader of the [Autumnfall Legion], and also one of the highest-ranking members of Black Rose family.

After returning the salute to the knights, Qiu Mingtong hoisted her giant hammer and quickly walked to the carriage where Xiao was.

It seemed that she had something urgent to discuss with Xiao,

However, just as Qiu Mingtong was about to communicate with Xiao through the carriage window, she suddenly encountered a very awkward problem.

That is,

She’s not tall enough...

Realizing this, the Black Rose knights around her gasped.

How old is Qiu Mingtong?

Well, that’s a secret.

But it’s been said that she’s just as powerful as Sebastian, and they’re from the same era.

Why does she still look like a little girl, you ask? It mainly boils down to poor nutrition and slow growth when she was younger...

Although Qiu Mingtong doesn’t seem to care about her appearance, everyone in The Black Rose knows that she is very concerned about her height...

Right now,

She’s trying to reach the window on her tiptoes, but she can’t quite make it. You can see her mood darkening like she could blow a fuse at any second.

’Uh-oh, this isn’t good!!’

Sensing trouble, the Black Rose knights quickly draw their swords. Without wasting any time, they slash at a large tree nearby, turning it into... a chair...

Then, in a blink, the Black Rose knights transform into beams of black light, swiftly moving the chair under Qiu Mingtong’s feet.

When Qiu Mingtong steps on the chair and manages to peek out the window, her gloomy expression fades away. She goes back to her usual self.

Seeing this, the muscular Black Rose knights finally breathed a sigh of relief and elegantly retreated.

...

As for Xiao, who’s watching all this from inside a carriage, was left somewhat speechless.

However, he’s used to these types of situations, so the Duke of Black Rose just gives a faint smile and goes back to his friendly demeanor.

"What’s the matter, Mingtong, running over to find me like this?"

"I have something to discuss, My lord."

Qiu Mingtong respectfully replied:

"The children we saved from Divine Punishment Sect, the children Lady Yumo rescued from SkyeDome underground, as well as the orphans with certain qualifications found by ’Etiquette,’ have all been gathered in the city of Sabelius (one of the cities in the territory of Black Rose Duchy). Your secretary, Miss Wanya just sent a message. She wants to know what we should do with these children?"

"Hmm? What should we do with them, huh..."

"Yes."

Qiu Mingtong gives a small nod,

For many years, Black Rose family would send children ready to join the family to live with Lady Yumo in Winter Forest. They would spend a lot of time with her before being brought back for further training.

Any promising orphans they found would also be sent to the forest to live with Lady Yumo, so they could understand more about abyssal demons.

However, now,

With Lady Yumo leaving Winter Forest and transforming into a human form, shouldn’t the original training plan also be changed?

As he looks at Qiu Mingtong’s blinking orange eyes, Xiao squints his eyes slightly and gives a small smile,

These matters,

After he gave the transformation magic to Lady Yumo, he had spent some time reflecting.

" It would indeed be challenging if those children don’t spend time with Lady Yumo. Hmm... well, tell Wanya to take in these kids as per standard procedures and start their training. However, make sure they don’t get tangled in any dark deeds or anything linked to abyssal demons for the time being. Follow the evaluation process Sebastian and I previously prepared. If they pass, gradually make them aware of Lady Yumo’s existence and introduce them to some ’friendly’ abyssal demons. ...For those who don’t pass, those who can’t shake off their hostility toward abyssal demons, shift them to other families or assign them tasks in non-essential areas like farming, mining, business upkeep, and so forth..."

...

After a series of instructions, Qiu Mingtong nodded repeatedly,

"Understood, My Lord, I will relay this to Miss Wanya once I get back."

"Mmm... but..."

Xiao raised his eyebrows in confusion and looked at Qiu Mingtong, who was standing by the window with a meaningful gaze,

"Mingtong, the other stuff can wait until you’re back. You came to see me specifically, there must be something urgent, right? Did... the kids stir up trouble again? Or, does Lady Yumo have some orders?"

"Yes, there is another matter."

Qiu Mingtong didn’t deny it,

"Lady Yumo gave some instructions..."

"Hmm?"

Hearing this, Xiao’s handsome face showed a rare sign of concern, even a hint of annoyance:

"Mingtong, how many times have I reminded you? Matters concerning Lady Yumo should be dealt with priority. You should have told me first... sigh, what does Lady Yumo want me to do?"

"Well, Lady Yumo, she..."

"Continue…"

"She wishes to meet with the Elves..."

"To meet the elves, Sure... hmm? MEET WHOO???!!!"

In an instant, Xiao’s expression changed drastically. The usual friendly smile on his face and the friendly expression that seemed to be in control of everything disappeared instantly. A sudden wave of unease overwhelmed him, turning his face pale and his demeanor serious.

A dreadful ominous feeling filled his heart,

"Did Lady Yumo sense something? Suddenly wanting to meet the elves?! Has something from the past been exposed?"

As he said this, Xiao’s black eyes were filled with a severity never seen before,

But,

After a moment of thought, Xiao rejected his own suspicion.

’No,’

’Nah, this seems unlikely’

This time, he had simply ’asked’ the elves for help in setting up a barrier around SkyDome City, providing magical scrolls, and sharing relevant intelligence. He hadn’t involved the long-eared ones in the battle against the Girl of Destiny. After all, with their limited abilities, they would only hinder the fight...

’The Elves had never been in Lady Yumo’s sights, even if she had suspicions about the operation at SkyDome, she would never associate it with the Elves.’

This was Xiao’s judgment,

And indeed, his judgment was not wrong.

As soon as Xiao had spoken, Qiu Mingtong shook her head:

"No, My lord, Lady Yumo just wants to thank the Elves."

Upon hearing this, Xiao felt even more at ease.

However,

In the next moment, Xiao furrowed his brows:

"Thank? Why does Lady Yumo need to thank the Elves?"

"Well, actually... um, it seems that Lady Yumo wants to thank the Elves for the ’veil of deceit’ they offered earlier, along with their ’generous’ help over the years."

"…"

After hearing these words, Xiao fell into a brief, peculiar silence,

’Generous? Those long-eared idiots?’

’Well’

"…"

’Sure, they did give us quite a bit each time. Though, usually, it wasn’t exactly willing...’

"Generous, huh... Okay... okay, I got it."

"So, My lord, what’s next?"

"Just tell Lady Yumo, representatives from the Elves will visit in a few days."

"Mmm, got it. And you, Duke?"

"I’ll go find some old friends from the Elves and coordinate with them... I mean, catch up with them, and ask for their cooperation."

As he spoke, a meaningful yet slightly dark smile appeared on Xiao’s handsome face.

Even though he had to deal with the Elves many times over the years, considering their knack for causing trouble, Xiao thought it wise to talk to them first, making sure they won’t cause any issues...

To avoid trouble falling on his own head.

--

Meanwhile,

At the far-off Elf camp,

The Elf Prince, Odom, barely escaping the abyssal demons attack, was enjoying his long-missed afternoon tea when he suddenly felt a chill down his spine. His brows furrowed, and a feeling of dread quickly spread through his heart...

In an instant,

A quick-witted Odom, under the puzzled gaze of the nearby Elf maid, abruptly drew the sword from his waist like a madman and began to look around warily,

’Who is it?! Who the hell wants to harm me again?!’