Chapter 836: The Sleepy Hobbit

The Sleepy Hobbit, Downtown Quarter.

In this one-of-a-kind restaurant in Ravenfell, renowned for serving not just Magi but also their familiars, Anna and her group found a spot in the outdoor seating area.

The weather was warm and sunny, and under the shade of the umbrella jutting out from the center of their table, it felt pleasantly cool and comfortable.

After months of travel, they had arrived in the city earlier today. But much to their surprise, they found the city crowded, unlike anything they had ever seen before in Europa.

Despite the packed streets and alleys, the atmosphere was lively, enjoyable, and warm. With the Grand Magus Tournament around the corner, the city came alive with each passing day.

The red-haired woman rested her chin on her hand as she watched the children on the streets wear black pointy hats and play amongst each other.

All of them pretended to be the Dark King, casting spells and vanquishing the enemies.

Such a sight was quite common in the cities of the Southern Federation as well as the Acadian Empire.

However, such incidents were found in abundance in the city of Ravenfell.

After all, this was the home of the Dark King.

Although Anna and her group had only just arrived earlier in the morning, they had already come across several street performances, featuring actors portraying Adam heroically battling evil cultists and emerging victorious.

Now, when she saw the little children smiling happily and pretending to be her little brother, her eyes flickered with pride, and a faint smile tugged at her lips.

You have come far, Adam…

“Ah, Anna,” sitting beside her, the silver-haired and blue-eyed girl, Aday Bray, moaned in exasperation.

“What now?” Anna rolled her eyes.

Ada pouted, her eyes darting from one person to the other who passed them by on the cobbled streets ahead. “There are so many handsome young men. I wonder if I can find my dream husband here?”

Anna could only shake her head helplessly. Her friend was the same no matter where they went—always on the hunt for prospective husbands, only to ruthlessly reject them and leave a trail of broken hearts behind.

“Shouldn’t you be more worried about where we’ll be staying here?” Anna asked, raising an eyebrow.

However, Ada wasn’t bothered at all. She waved her off with a grin. “Details, details. A roof will show up eventually. But a tall, muscular, and handsome Magus? That’s a once-in-a-city chance, my dear princess.”

Anna sighed again, muttering under her breath. “You’re hopeless.”

As the two childhood friends sipped their drinks and watched the lively street unfold before them, their other two companions finally showed up after almost an hour.

“There’s good news, and there’s bad news,” said the auburn-haired man with the finely trimmed mustache and beard, Daryl Quinn, as he took a seat beside Ada.

Meanwhile, the elderly man with shoulder-length white hair and beard of matching color, the Mana Vortex Magus, Kaspar York, silently sat down beside Anna, his expression flat.

“Bad news first,” Ada spoke nonchalantly.

Daryl let out a helpless sigh, “We couldn’t find anywhere to stay. In fact, all the reputable inns are already booked for the next several months.”

He paused for a moment, leaning back in his chair. “In conclusion, we are officially homeless.”

Ada rolled her eyes, thinking it was not so bad. “We could always stay in one of the more… not-so-reputable inns by the dockside.”

“Absolutely not!” Kaspar York sternly refused. He glared at Ada, “How can you suggest such a thing to the princess!”

Ada simply scoffed, not at all intimidated by the elderly Magus. “Old man, you are too inflexible. In a situation where we can’t find a decent place to stay, shouldn’t we make do with what we can get our hands on?”

She paused for a moment, her lips forming a taunting smile, “Or what? Do you wish for Anna to sleep on the streets?”

“Hmph! Ill-mannered child!” Kaspar York harrumphed.

Despite him being a mighty Mana Vortex Magus, these three children did not take him seriously at all.

It had to do with him raising them since they were mere toddlers. This allowed them to share a special bond with him, where he was more like a family than a fearful Magus.

“And what’s the good news?” Anna asked curiously as she continued to sip her drink.

Kaspar and Daryl exchanged glances, each catching the lingering surprise mirrored in the other’s eyes.

Finally, the old man turned to Anna and explained, “We’ve managed to gather… surprising information about Adam.”

Anna’s eyes lit up. She shifted in her seat and asked almost immediately, “What about him? Have you found out his whereabouts?”

“Yes, about that…” Daryl scratched his beard awkwardly. “He doesn’t seem to be in Ravenfell at the moment. In fact, he hasn’t been here for over a year.”

Anna couldn’t help but frown. “Then what did you find out about him?”

This time, Kaspar spoke, his voice tinged with incredulity but also understanding. “It turns out that your little brother is one of the Counts of Ravenfell.”

Anna was taken aback, and so was Ada. But the latter quickly regained her emotions. “Heh, this is nothing,” she said, almost as if the subject of conversation was none other than her.

“He’s already been given the moniker of King. What’s a mere Count?”

“He was given the title of Count long before the Blackshore Incident,” Daryl explained to her.

“It would appear that there was a battle within the city walls that was the prelude to what we now call the Blackshore Incident.

“It was during this very conflict that Adam… hehe, or should I say, Lord Constantine, earned glorious merit and was later granted the title of Count.”

Midway through his speech, Daryl realized that the one he was talking about, although a person younger than him, was in fact a mighty Mana Vortex Magus.

The more she heard about Adam’s exploits, the more Anna began to doubt these claims.

Is this truly the little Adam I know?

A shadow of doubt bloomed in her heart. The things she had heard about her little brother… were too good to be true.

While Daryl and Ada were discussing Adam’s feats, Kaspar York turned to the crimson-haired princess and sent a mental transmission.

‘Act natural. There is something important I need to tell you.’

Anna’s eyes narrowed momentarily before her expression quickly returned to normal. She reached out for the crystal glass on the table and took a sip.

Then, Kaspar’s words echoed inside her mind once again, casting a grim shadow over her expression.

‘They are watching us.’

2 more chapters coming up in a few hours…