Connor immediately thought that Augustine had not annulled the engagement, but then he heard Isha mention that Cape and An Zhu had already fallen.
This left Connor even more dumbfounded.
The shock of this news was even more overwhelming to Connor than staring directly at that destructive white light.
“You mean, the situation outside…”
“Northern Border is in civil war.”
“Cape has fallen.”
“My son-in-law took control of Cape with my daughter?”
“That white light was also done by my son-in-law?”
“In the end, my son-in-law directly unified the two kingdoms from the Northern Border and became the Emperor of the Empire, while Lena is the only Empress?”
Isha nodded while looking at Connor’s incredulous face.
Connor’s mouth gaped wider and wider; his once somewhat gloomy expression was now abstract, as if his jaw had dislocated. This was simply wilder than any history he had ever heard, especially when he heard the rumors about Lena’s exceptional intelligence.
Not only Connor, but others in Hidden Mountain Territory were also increasingly shocked. If Connor’s mouth was about to dislocate, then Rubin and Theodore’s mouths were about to drop to the ground.
“Lady Saintess, are you sure the Empress is Lena, and not Ruby?”
Isha furrowed her brows and said seriously, “According to imperial law, marrying a girl of Ruby’s age is illegal!”
“But Lena, are you sure?”
Clearly, even Connor found it hard to believe, let alone that Lena was known for her “wisdom.”
Connor wanted to say something more, but after thinking about it, perhaps time really can change a person, so he ultimately decided against it. Maybe Lena had really grown up?
Isha obviously didn’t know how to explain and could only say, “I will send someone to take you to the imperial capital; you will understand once you arrive.”
Then Isha looked at Theodore, “From the Randolf Family, right?”
Theodore, who had just been shocked, quickly approached Isha with an eager demeanor and said, “Yes, yes, Lady Saintess.”
But before he finished speaking, someone immediately restrained Theodore.
“The Randolf Family is currently under investigation, you should go with them and see if you can provide any clues.”
Upon hearing this, Theodore trembled all over and was then dragged away.
Rubin exerted a lot of effort to put Connor’s dislocated jaw back in place, wanting to say something but finding himself speechless, so he just stared blankly at Connor, while Priima next to Connor shrunk back in embarrassment, overwhelmed by everything that had happened, as the sheer surrealness left everyone unprepared.
Looking at everyone present, Rubin knew that for the next few years, Hidden Mountain Territory would not lack topics for discussion.
…..
When Connor arrived at the nearest train station, he was still in a daze; he had only been missing for six or seven years, but the outside world seemed to have changed beyond recognition.
However, despite feeling dazed, his mind was still clear, and Connor explained to Isha exactly how he had gone missing.
“The situation back then was very complicated. I thought since I couldn’t escape, I might as well take a gamble. I threw away everything on me that could prove my identity, leaving only a piece of clothing, and tried to escape using a magical artifact that could change my appearance and suppress my magic power.”
The plan went quite smoothly. With the technology of that time, after changing his appearance and suppressing his magic power, there were hardly any means to directly find Connor, especially since the things Connor had thrown away successfully attracted the attention of the Shadow Guards, allowing Connor to mix in with adventurers and leave.
Due to probably blending in too well, and with his magic power suppressed, Connor, who appeared weak and solitary, became a target among groups of “adventurers.” He was knocked unconscious and sold to a trafficker in the Southern Border, and amnesia was just a fitting circumstance.
It was precisely because Connor was transferred through those so-called “adventurers” that it was impossible for the Royal Capital to investigate. Although there were some noble sponsors behind those disguised traffickers, selling an unknown adventurer wouldn’t be reported. Even if it were reported, the adventurer looked nothing like the missing “Connor Lars.”
Furthermore, those nobles and traffickers only had a purely profit-driven relationship, lacking any hierarchical connection. In those times, finding an amnesiac person who had changed their appearance among a sea of people was extremely difficult, akin to finding a needle in a haystack.
Finally, after many trials and tribulations, Connor was found by Priima and began a stable life.
Though the magical artifact’s effects had gradually worn off during his wandering, Connor had completely become Larsen by that time, only recently regaining his memories.
Upon learning of Connor’s identity, Priima immediately lost her confidence. However, thankfully, Connor now had the confidence to take Priima out of Hidden Mountain Territory.
Only after hearing Connor’s account did Priima realize the true identity of the person she had picked up back then.
One could only say everything was fate’s arrangement.
Before leaving, the kind-hearted Rubin repeatedly advised his daughter to watch more and do less, try not to speak, stay close to Larsen, follow everything Larsen said, and if there were indeed marriage proposals, she should not pay attention, even if it was Rubin himself.
Priima kept all this in mind, sticking closely to Larsen… Connor.
Since Isha was also heading to the capital of An Zhu, she left after sending someone to accompany them.
On the speeding train, looking at the ever-changing scenery outside the window, Connor felt unprepared; after all, reality was more magical than he had imagined, especially when he saw those towering obelisks.
The closer they got to the imperial capital, the more Connor felt he had entered another world, especially when he saw the occasional dragons swooping across the sky, making Connor really doubt whether the flow of time was different between Hidden Mountain Territory and the outside world.
However, along the way, Connor also saw quite a few hanging corpses, especially in the An Zhu territory, and judging by their clothing, they seemed to have relatively high statuses.
This made Connor feel somewhat nervous.
In front of this royal relative, the imperial city did not hold any special welcome ceremony, nor did it even release any news. Connor thought this was fine; he had been away for too long and could take this opportunity to see what the outside world was like now.
The streets were clean and tidy, with no offensive smells. The entire imperial city was bustling with activity; the streets were full of sounds of vendors, and he saw slogans illuminated by lights in the daytime, along with busy merchants coming and going.
Compared to the curious and wide-eyed Priima, Connor appeared calmer and more composed. The impact Connor was experiencing was no less than Priima’s; as he looked at this familiar yet unfamiliar King’s Avenue, he finally understood why everything felt so surreal.
