Chapter 229 (1/2)
Chapter 229 On the eve of the day of return
On the third day, outside of King’s City’s eastern city gate.
Nightingale was hiding in her world of fog calmly watching the group of shabbily clothed refugees. Under Echo’s sound manipulating ability, one wave of refugees after another gathered together and slowly moved with Sir Brian towards the pier.
Nowadays they no longer acted like they had two days ago, where they had to push their way through the refugees to reach the edge of the camp, always only breaking away small chunks at a time. After a significant number of refugees had been brought over the rest of them had also noticed the movement, so as long as a wave of people was pulled away from the edge, the rest would continue to come over. By now, even the guards on King’s City’s city wall had noticed the what happened at their foot, but from their point of view, they only wished that these stinking refugees would hurry and finally go away from here.
The whole project was currently progressing very smoothly, the number of refugees in the eastern district was already running low, while the people at the North Gate had taken the initiative to move closer to their side. Perhaps by sundown, they could already smoothly sail away with everyone.
At this time everyone seemed to be busy, only Nightingale seemed to be leisurely. Compared to Echo, surrounded by a layer of “mercenaries”, who was responsible for drawing in the refugees, and Lily, who was under the heavy protection of the First Army and constantly producing new purifying water, her own guards’ work seemed to be redundant.
Only when the “mercenaries” had to carry patients who were too ill to move by themselves, was there a need for her to be vigilant. Just then, Nightingale noticed Echo raising her head to look at the magnificent east gate and softly sigh.
“What happened?” Nightingale asked after going over.
“It’s nothing, I’m just somewhat down,” Echo expression turned rather sad, “Before I had been sold to King’s City, I had to suffer the whole way along the road. Until now, I had always thought the reason that they were so cold to me was because of my identity as a Sandperson, which was something foreign to the people of Graycastle. But now it appears that they are equally ruthless to their own people, which shows me that there is not much difference between them and the people of Iron Sand City”.
Recalling that Echo had been bought and sold as a slave, Nightingale didn’t know how to answer her. In the end, she patted her on the shoulder and said comfortingly, “But not everyone is like them, there are also many people with good intentions, such as your sisters of the Witch Cooperation Association and also… His Highness.”
“Do you want to say… that His Highness can actually end the disputes?” Echo whispered, “Regardless if they live in the huge Kingdoms, the Sandnation, the Fjord,or are just ordinary people and the witches, do you believe that they can all live together freely and in peace, without needing to fight each other?”
“In case it is done by His Highness, I think it will be possible,” Nightingale replied in a cheerful tone, “And it isn’t those strange machines or the amazing guns that give me the feeling, no he himself is… I always feel as if His Royal Highness and we are not the same type of person.”
“Of course he is not like us. He is the Prince of the Kingdom of Graycastle.”
“No, this feeling has nothing to do with his identity or his status,” she shook her head, “I’m unable to say from where exactly this kind of feeling is coming from, it is merely my intuition, nothing more. Maybe people like His Royal Highness, who can come up with so many strange and eccentric theories… even wanting to repeatedly study all of us witches’ abilities until he understands them thoroughly, just have a different train of thoughts than the other people. Anyway, if he was to achieve such an amazing thing, I don’t feel that it would be that strange.”
“You really have confidence in him,” Echo laughed out, immediately reducing the sad expression on her face, “I hope that one day, I will be able to go back to the South and meet with my people.”
Confidence? Regarding some aspects, yes, but regarding some others… she wasn’t so sure. Nightingale could not help but look towards the west, and ask herself what he was doing, now that she wasn’t at his side? Was he busy drawing those strange machines, or was he together with Anna… she forcefully shook her head, trying to disperse such thoughts.
Anyway, at the end of this day, we will depart back to Border Town, Nightingale thought, and when we get back, I can ask him anything I want, and he won’t be able to lie to me.