"It can be said that I was influenced by you."
"..."
"Back then, during the Ice Age, I rember you expressing your views on the massive invasion of monsters from the north in front of the ministers. Your passionate speech left a deep impression on .
"At that ti, I was thinking, when would I ever be able to speak as eloquently as you."
Karen reminisced, wearing a faint smile:
"From that mont on, I began to emulate you, studying, contemplating, hoping that one day I could discuss current affairs on equal footing with you.
"Actually, what child would be interested in tedious governnt affairs? Even you, I believe, were rely responding to everyone's expectations. As for , initially, I just wanted to gain your attention.
"Yet, you always treated as if I were invisible. It left disheartened. I began to study even harder, naively thinking that when I caught up to you, you would naturally notice .
"Yes, Tisyara, you were like my guide. Hence, despite any external disturbances, I would eventually find my way back to the original path and continue following in your footsteps.
"Until a few days ago, in my perception, I was still the little sister struggling to keep up with you... Did you ever bother to look back while you were so focused on moving forward?"
At this point, Karen sighed.
There was no need to say more.
The emotions she wanted to convey were already evident.
Only regret remained.
Now one was inside, the other outside.
They couldn't walk the sa path anymore.
"This is goodbye, my sister."
Karen released her hand. Not only her gaze but also her voice turned cold.
It was as though she was speaking to a stranger.
Watching Tisyara decisively walk away.
For the first ti in Tisyara's life, she felt a mixture of emotions.
...
"With our relationship, is it necessary to be so formal?"
Karen pouted, tilting her head, wearing an expression that said, "You're no fun."
"Your Highness, there's a saying, 'Talking about feelings hurts money,'" Hua Mi said seriously. "You should understand the importance of the economy's normal functioning for a country. It's not an exaggeration to say it's the lifeblood. Every business transaction should be handled professionally."
With that, Hua Mi gestured to Carter behind him and said, "Let introduce my most capable assistant. He'll handle the honey trade negotiations with your royal family."
Carter didn't dare to delay and promptly bowed to her. "Carter Nio, presenting to Your Highness."
Karen managed a forced smile and nodded at him.
Given the excellent performance of those eight heavily armored knights that night, the king unsurprisingly approved the formation of the Knights of the Holy Light and entrusted Karen with the entire project.
Her current role wasn't just that of a little princess.
She was also Turen's heir apparent.
Fully qualified to handle such matters.
"Carter... right?" Karen stood up. "I'll arrange for soone to brief you on the honey trade. There are more important matters for and your boss to attend to."
"More important matters?"
Hua Mi, being involved, wasn't aware of what she referred to.
Karen eagerly said, "Of course, it's about the commander. The Knights of the Holy Light need an experienced leader."
...
Accompanied by the female official and several knights, Hua Mi and Karen passed through the Centaur Portal and arrived at the Black Forest. They didn't return to the small wooden house.
They headed straight for the Ashen Graveyard.
On the way, Hua Mi reminded her, "I've ntioned it before, the commander's spirit is trapped in the graveyard and can't leave. Even in his spiritual state, he can't resu his role as the leader of the knights. At most, he can offer experience and training. The commander probably needs to find soone else to take his place."
However, Karen cryptically responded, "My direct lineage troops can't just appoint anyone as their leader. Wait and see, I have my ways."
Seeing her so confident, there seed to be a genuine thod to surpass the limitations on Commander Elwin's spirit.
What could it be?
"Can't be reincarnated in filth, can you! Being dead for so many years and still coming back to life, that's just too exaggerated.
Soon, a group arrived at the Ashen Cetery.
Here, as always, desolate and cold, exuding an aura of death.
As they moved forward, occasional glimpses of phantom orbs appeared.
Those are the essence of the spirits.
Normally, spirits appear just like that, almost identical, at most varying in shades, making it hard to distinguish one from another.
Only during social interactions do spirits transform based on their mories from when they were alive.
Several knights and court ladies remained vigilant, protecting the little princess in the middle.
The gravestones here aren't all morials of the Ashen Knights - only a part of them are.
The graves outside, however, bury those who died in the Black Forest.
"The scavengers" regularly patrol the adventurous grounds, dealing with ownerless corpses.
Hua Mi, seeing their cautious deanor, chuckled, "Don't worry, there are no evil spirits here, just kind-hearted spirits."
As he spoke, a few spirits transford into human forms, coming to greet Hua Mi.
After all, he had once saved the Ashen Cetery and was a hero in the eyes of these spirits.
They always welcod him whenever he ca.
As for the princess and her group, they were left to the side, sowhat ignored.
When everyone's dead, they no longer care about worldly royalty.
"Are you acquainted with them?" Karen asked curiously.
"Sowhat," replied Hua Mi.
He briefly recounted what had happened earlier.
"So, that's the backstory," nodded Karen, "it should make things easier; you have their gratitude."
The responsibility of negotiating with the captain fell on Hua Mi's shoulders.
"Elwin, being the forr captain of the Ashen Knights, might willingly help," thought Hua Mi.
Arriving at the center of the cetery.
A gracefully dressed woman's spirit drifted over, gracefully lifting her skirt's hem and offering an ancient female gesture. Her voice seed neither near nor far as she said, "Bee Whisperer, welco. How may I assist you?"
Hua Mi asked, "I've co to find Captain Elwin. Can you ask him to co out?"
The female spirit ethereally replied, "Captain Elwin seems to be troubled recently, his ntal state isn't great. We don't know what's bothering him. Perhaps, you could find out the reason and offer him guidance."
Saying this, the female spirit turned into a light orb and vanished underground.
"Spirits get troubled too?" Karen asked, curious while the captain hadn't appeared yet. "I rember reading in a book that human distress arises from the generation of certain emotional substances in the body, leading to corresponding brain sensations. But spirits don't have bodies; how do they generate emotions?"
"..."
Hua Mi thought, "You've hit the nail on the head with that question."
He had also pondered over the relationship between spiritual and physical forms.
Which raised another question: Why can't you see spirits on Earth?
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