Chapter 424: Farewell

Wu Qingsong and Charlotte rested for several days in the valley, gradually recovering their condition with fish broth. Only then did they begin the journey back.

However, both the zombie and the stone golems were far too conspicuous. After much hesitation, Wu Qingsong ultimately decided to abandon them before leaving the remote mountain region.

For him, making stone golems was no longer a problem, so he destroyed most of the stone cores, keeping only the two best-crafted ones. If necessary, they could later serve as the cores for sand golems—used as shields on the front lines.

What the two of them discussed most during the journey, however, was still that fractured black crystal. Wu Qingsong suspected it was a dragon core. Though now devoid of any function, he still packed it away in his rucksack as a memento.

Several days later, the two finally returned to a beastkin-inhabited town, back within the fold of civilization.

The first thing Charlotte did was bathe, change clothes, and indulge in a proper meal. Wu Qingsong, after a quick wash, asked the innkeeper to bring him paper and ink so he could write some things down.

Dark Moon had lost seven people on this expedition. Charlotte had nearly died, and they came back with nothing to show for it. That left Wu Qingsong feeling a little guilty. After all, he wasn’t truly a politician, he couldn’t completely separate personal emotions from practical decisions.

Nagrand, now functioning as a well-managed de facto city-state, no longer needed to rely on smuggling. So he carefully documented the full soap-making process to give to Charlotte as compensation. Still thinking it wasn’t quite enough, he added detailed notes on how to make and use honeycomb briquettes.

Come to think of it, since there were coal mines north of the Icy Sea, Nagrand should have started using this energy-efficient fuel long ago. At the very least, it would reduce transport loads and help people survive the harsh winter. If not for the guilt nudging him now, he might have forgotten this useful tool from his world altogether.

Since he had already started, he went ahead and wrote down methods for breeding earthworms—and how to use them to raise fish, chickens, and ducks. Though Nagrand’s cold climate and long winters might limit the utility of this method, it would be much more practical for Dark Moon, which operated mainly in the south and spanned a vast territory. Implementing such methods could have significant economic benefits.

Dark Moon had already turned firearms into luxury toys. Equipping them on a large scale would require substantial resources. These income-generating strategies, if used well, might be just as valuable as acquiring some priceless treasure.

Charlotte, however, didn’t seem particularly thrilled by these gifts.

“This is how you plan to repay the favor you owe me?” she asked quietly.

“Of course not,” Wu Qingsong replied. “That’s Dark Moon’s compensation. As for the favor I owe you, like I said, I hope you’ll use it for something meaningful.”

Only then did Charlotte’s mood lift, and the two began discussing the technical details together.

Geographically, they were currently about halfway between Nagrand and the Imperial Capital. If they parted here, neither would have to take a detour. But Charlotte had risked her life to accompany him, and all her subordinates had died on this mission. Wu Qingsong didn’t have the heart to let her make the rest of the journey alone.

So, they bought new horses and continued eastward together.

Throughout the journey, Charlotte deliberately avoided bringing up the impending farewell. Instead, she steered every conversation toward topics that interested Wu Qingsong—perhaps hoping to leave a deeper, better impression in his heart. And while Wu Qingsong clearly understood her intent, he had to admit: Charlotte was indeed a wonderful conversational partner. It was easy to forget the things that made her difficult.

“I’m going to keep searching for elven graveyards, ancient tombs, temples, or burial sites of ancient beastkin heroes,” she said. “Don’t worry, nothing like this time will happen again. I’ll thoroughly investigate everything beforehand and make sure the intel is solid.”

“I believe you,” Wu Qingsong said. “And honestly, this trip wasn’t a complete loss. At least for me, I gained more than enough.”

“Maybe so.” Charlotte shook her head. “Once I find something, I’ll send word to you through the fastest channel.”

“Alright.” Wu Qingsong nodded. “Then I’ll be waiting in Nagrand.”

“And there’s still the matter of Julian and Marquis Osaga.”

“That too.” Wu Qingsong nodded again. “I’m counting on you.”

No matter how well Charlotte behaved, the moment of parting would still come. And she knew full well—once they separated, Wu Qingsong would never become her lover. He would forever remain just a distant friend.

“Even without using my ability to influence myself, I would’ve still…” she finally couldn’t help but say. 

But Wu Qingsong only smiled and shook his head, silently asking her not to continue.

“Wu, do you really think we’ll live to see that thing fall from the sky?” 

As Padamia once again drifted above their heads, Charlotte seemed to let go of her lingering hopes and spoke to him with a more open heart.

“We will,” Wu Qingsong replied. “I believe it won’t be long.”

“Then…” Charlotte said, “Let’s part ways here. Otherwise, I’m afraid I won’t be able to stop myself from following you all the way back to Nagrand.”

“Charlotte,” Wu Qingsong said.

“What? I just want to visit Xeila. To see your baby. Can’t I at least do that?” Charlotte laughed.

“Then, how about a hug goodbye?” She added.

Charlotte dismounted and tilted her head toward Wu Qingsong.

He sighed and nodded, also jumping off his horse and opening his arms.

“A hug between good friends, of course.”

Charlotte stepped forward and hugged him tightly, holding him for a long time. Just as Wu Qingsong was about to speak, he suddenly heard her whisper softly in his ear, her voice choked with tears:

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”

“Charlotte?” he asked.

But she had already turned abruptly, mounted her horse, and without another word, waved behind her and galloped away.

Wu Qingsong stood there, staring at her disappearing figure, feeling a hollow ache in his chest. He turned his head slightly and saw faint, damp spots on his shoulder.

The rest of the journey passed in silence.

Wu Qingsong followed the inner roads of the Grand Duchy of Yagata, traveling northwest. Then, circling around the northern edge of the Batiz Desert, he finally set foot once more on the plains of the Icy Sea nearly half a month later.

Winter had not fully released its grip, but the footsteps of spring had already quietly begun to follow him, drifting slowly into this land that the beastkin still regarded as sacred and wondrous.