Chapter 911: Farewell

Chapter 911: Farewell

Rowan and his wife and kids were the first to board the carriage. All four of them had grateful expressions on their faces, constantly thanking Adam for all that he had done for them.

The raven-haired youth smiled in return, his eyes flashing with bittersweetness.

The next one to enter was Ada. She cast a complicated look at him and asked in a hushed voice, “Will we… meet again?”

Once again, Adam felt a chill crawl down his spine. He forced a smile and answered, “If fate wills it, then we shall. Farewell now.”

The silver-haired woman directed a look full of yearning toward him, then she reluctantly entered the carriage.

Adam finally turned to Anna and smiled warmly. “Remember what I said to you that night by the pond?”

Anna recalled the day he had divulged to her the existence of arcane realms higher than the Mana Core Rank, as well as the myriad magical civilizations in the Greater Universe.

She nodded. “Yes.”

“Good.” Adam’s expression turned solemn. “After you’ve received the Joker’s approval, stay inside for as long as you need to understand the foundational principles of the Song.”

Anna knew what he was referring to.

It was the mana extraction technique he had given to her…

The Song of Immortal Flame.

The crimson-haired princess nodded. She thought of something and asked, “What about you? When do you plan to come to Glassford?”

“…Soon,” Adam lied with a smile. “Very soon.”

“Alright then.” Anna smiled faintly, but the next moment, that smile started to falter.

Once again, she got that vague feeling that something wasn’t quite right.

But she couldn’t quite put a finger on it.

Seeing this, Adam stepped forward and pulled her into a gentle embrace. “Take care, sister. I’ll miss you.”

His hand rested gently at the back of her head, a quiet gesture of warmth, love, and… protection.

Anna couldn’t help but frown a little. “Adam… is everything alright?”

Adam held back the emotions bubbling in his heart and offered a brilliant smile.

“Of course! Everything is perfect!”

He gently took her hand once more and helped her up into the carriage. “Come on, now.”

After Anna got inside, it was Kaspar’s turn. The old man looked at the raven-haired youth and smiled. “Thank you for your hospitality.”

Adam waved his hand. “Don’t worry about it,” he said casually.

He looked the old man in the eye and solemnly said, “You…” He tried to appear as normal as he possibly could, wanting to warn him about the possible dangers in their journey.

In the end, he just patted the old man’s shoulder. “You take care of my sister.”

Kaspar smiled with conviction. “It is my duty.”

With that, he hopped on the carriage as well, shutting the door behind him.

Anna looked at Adam thought the window, her ruby eyes flickering with conflicting emotions. “You better come to Glassford as soon as the tournament finishes.”

In her head, she had this strange feeling that Adam would travel to the Southern Federation after the Grand Magus Tournament was over.

Once they were reunited, they would then journey to the Europa Continent together.

It was strange…

She didn’t know how that thought emerged in her mind. But she thought nothing of it. It seemed normal to her.

Adam’s heart ached. “I will. Don’t worry,” he said, his voice barely a whisper.

Anna opened her mouth, wanting to say something. Something felt strange, very strange, and she wanted to voice out that nagging feeling.

In the end, she closed her mouth, not knowing what to say.

She cast a loving glance at her little brother and smiled warmly, “Take care, Adam.”

Adam’s eyes glistened with emotion. “Yeah… you too.”

He then patted the side of the carriage, discreetly attaching a disk to it, one which vanished moments later without a trace.

“Alright, Daryl, time to go,” he said, looking at the auburn-haired man sitting in the driver’s seat in front.

The man grumbled under his breath and lashed the reins, prompting the horses to move as the carriage began to roll forward.

Anna leaned out of the carriage window and looked at the raven-haired youth one last time.

“I’ll be waiting for you, Adam!”

Adam smiled faintly, though his heart churned with a storm of emotions. At last, his lips parted, and a hoarse, trembling voice escaped.

“Farewell… sister.”

He stood there, alone, his gaze fixed on the carriage for a long time until it finally disappeared behind tall buildings.

Adam raised his hand and wiped his eyes with the fabric of his sleeve.

Damn it! Big boys don’t cry, he thought to himself, recalling his late mother’s words.

Why am I acting this way? It’s not like I’m never going to see her again…

But there was this feeling deep down in his heart, he didn’t know where it came from, but it told him that it was going to be a long, long time before he met his dear sister again.

Adam clutched at his chest.

What is this feeling? He wondered.

Such intense foreboding… he had never experienced before.

The next moment, his dark eyes gleamed with a dangerous light, and a tyrannical aura began to radiate from him, subtly warping the air around him.

Whatever it may be…

I have made enough preparations, he thought, his heart cold and resolute.

He cast one final glance toward the direction where Anna’s carriage had disappeared, then turned and walked back to his estate.

***

Southern Gates.

After handling some minor paperwork, Daryl guided the carriage out of the city, heading toward the nearest port town.

If all went smoothly, then they would arrive by sunset and set sail that very day.

As the carriage slowly made its way along the broad dirt road, a middle-aged man dressed in the city guards’ uniform suddenly made his presence known on the city wall.

With an unremarkable appearance that left little impression, he silently cast his gaze towards the departing carriage.

He spotted a crimson-haired beauty seated by the window, her expression slightly dull as she gazed out at the passing scenery.

The moment he confirmed Anna’s presence in the carriage, his lips curled upward.

And his eyes… they flashed with a cruel light.

Fate had cast its die.

The hunt had begun!