Chapter 477: Aisha

For Aisha, this period of experience, even against the backdrop of her far richer and more eventful life compared to ordinary people, was extraordinarily unique.

It was her first time boarding a seafaring vessel, and she set sail as a route pioneer.

The Duchy of Xidian was an inland nation; before this, she had never even seen the sea.

During the voyage, Aisha encountered all manner of unexpected situations—such as violent ocean storms, raindrops as large as hail pelting down as if the sea itself had overturned.

She also faced a pod of sea beasts, which she herself startled into retreat.

Of course, among the surprises were also moments of wonder.

She once saw flocks of seagulls flying across the sunset, their white feathers dyed golden; she also witnessed pods of dolphins chasing the ship like spirits of the ocean.

Yet somehow, despite only having a rough route and enduring constant setbacks, their two-masted sailboat had successfully reached Valar Bay, just as Gao De had described.

After carefully steering the vessel into Valar Bay, they found a crude, barely deserving the name “port.”

For this “port” was hastily constructed from stones.

Due to the North’s scarcity of timber, the temporary port had to be built from locally sourced stones of varying sizes, forming a barely functional docking area.

The port’s edges were uneven—some stones jutted sharply, others had been smoothed by waves.

Several massive stones were stacked together to form a rudimentary breakwater, meant to shield ships from waves, though it looked frail, barely better than nothing.

Fortunately, the waters within Valar Bay were calm; the continuous cliffs on both sides and the bay’s unique geography effectively blocked ocean storms, creating an exceptionally tranquil harbor.

There was no proper pier inside the port—only a few flat stones laid between rocks and shore for boarding and disembarking.

There were no facilities for loading or unloading cargo; everything remained primitive.

Yet beside the port, people had already been waiting.

A group of Northlanders clad in thick furs, each with solemn faces, tall and burly builds, watched them with cautious eyes, as if scrutinizing intruders.

Though she could not discern their exact mage ranks, Aisha was certain all were mages, and at least one among them rivaled her own level.

This realization unsettled her.

She then nervously introduced herself and mentioned Gao De’s name.

According to Gao De, upon reaching Valar Bay, simply naming him would ensure no trouble—he had connections here.

Gao De had always struck her as reliable, not the type to speak recklessly.

Her unease stemmed from the Northlanders’ longstanding hostility toward outsiders; perhaps they treated Gao De kindly, but would they extend the same courtesy to her, especially without him present?

She certainly wouldn’t bet on it.

But to Aisha’s complete shock, after she uttered Gao De’s name, the Northlanders—who had been tense and wary—exchanged glances, then instantly softened, lowering their guard.

The tallest among them, adorned in the most elaborate fur garments and clearly their leader, stepped forward with a smile and asked if she was “Aisha.”

He spoke in Esian, not Common Tongue, but Aisha naturally possessed [Linguistic Comprehension] and understood him perfectly.

She was puzzled—how could they know her name? Gao De, the only one who knew “Aisha,” was still in Jin Quehua.

Surely he couldn’t send messages across such vast distances through empty air?

Still, despite her doubts, Aisha nodded in agreement.

Upon her confirmation, the leader laughed: “Miss Aisha, Miss Anna, we’ve been waiting for you a long time. Welcome.”

Waiting for us? How did they know we were coming?

Aisha’s questions multiplied, but wisely, she chose silence, observing carefully and speaking little until she understood the situation.

“Unload the cargo,” the leader added. “We’ll transport it to Phoenix. And there should be several craftsmen aboard, correct?”

“Yes,” Aisha replied. “Four craftsmen. Gao De told us you urgently needed them. He signed employment contracts with them in Lagos and had us bring them along.”

“Excellent,” the leader beamed. “Unload first!”

He suddenly slapped his forehead. “Forgive me—I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Gai En, elder of the Frost Ice Tribe.”

“Elder Gai En,” Aisha hesitated slightly, then turned to her crew. “Prepare to unload!”

The cargo they’d brought was mostly large timber—difficult to offload under these conditions.

Yet these Northlanders, all physically imposing and mages with relevant spells, moved the wood effortlessly; soon, everything was unloaded.

When all was done, Elder Gai En whistled softly. Dozens of reindeer were led forward.

Gai En and his people tied the timber to the reindeer with ropes, using them to haul the cargo.

“Miss Aisha, Miss Anna, come with us—we’ll guide you to Phoenix,” Gai En said next.

After a moment’s hesitation, Aisha nodded, then pointed to her crew. “What about them?”

“They’ll stay aboard for now. The War Mother will decide their next arrangements. We’ll provide them with food and fresh water—don’t worry,” Gai En replied.

Under these circumstances, resistance was impossible.

So Aisha gave her crew brief instructions and followed Elder Gai En toward “Phoenix.”

According to him, it was the Frost Ice Tribe’s city—the only city on the North’s snowfields.

It must be just as crude as the port, she thought.

That was her expectation.

Her hopes for the North had always been low.

She only needed the North to fulfill Gao De’s promise: provide shelter, food, and water.

So far, she still trusted Gao De.

Because Gao De’s claim—that the Northlanders respected him enough not to disrespect his guests—seemed true.

Throughout the journey, Aisha remained silent, avoiding questions, fearful of offending local taboos.

Yet the atmosphere was far more harmonious than she’d expected.

As Gao De had said, the Northlanders respected him.

But his influence seemed greater than imagined—they treated her and Anna with almost excessive courtesy.

Elder Gai En constantly checked on them, asking if they were tired, needed rest, hungry, or wanted food.

Just one and a half days later, they arrived at Phoenix.

The city lived up to her stereotype—rough and primitive.

But since entering Phoenix, Aisha began noticing something odd.

First, as they entered the city, she saw vast golden wheat fields stretching across the snowy plains outside.

Wheat fields weren’t rare.

Her homeland, the Duchy of Xidian, was a traditional agricultural nation famed for high-quality grain.

But this was the North—where even outsiders needed [Endure Environment] to survive the cold.

How could wheat grow here?

As a former royal princess, Aisha had received an elite royal education—her knowledge and insight were exceptional.

She didn’t assume ignorance; she knew something extraordinary must be happening in the North.

Shocked, Aisha held Anna close and followed Elder Gai En into the city.

The city’s residents were numerous, each hurrying as if pressed for time.

After passing through crude streets, they reached a relatively refined and spacious building.

“This is the town hall,” Gai En said. “The War Mother will receive you personally.”

“War Mother?”

“Yes,” Gai En’s face lit with pride. “Our War Mother Su Nai Fa is the strongest Ice-blooded mage in the North. She once killed a fifth-rank necromancer.”

“What?!” Even with her strong composure, Aisha involuntarily gasped.

Killing a fifth-rank necromancer meant she was herself a fifth-rank mage. In Xidian, the strongest mage was only fourth-rank.

How could such a powerful mage exist in this shabby city?

Through the bright corridor of the town hall, they entered a room. Aisha finally met Su Nai Fa, the War Mother.

And she was stunned again.

In Aisha’s mind, such a powerful mage and War Mother must be elderly and stern.

Instead, she saw a face of striking beauty—skin as white as snow, eyes like deep blue ice lakes. She looked nothing like a Northlander, more like a pampered noblewoman.

Her youth contradicted Gai En’s description—Su Nai Fa appeared even younger than Aisha herself.

“Welcome to Phoenix,” Su Nai Fa said, her gaze calm, expression unreadable, tone detached yet not cold. “I am Su Nai Fa, War Mother of the Frost Ice Tribe. You’ve likely heard my name.”

“Your Majesty,” Aisha bowed swiftly. Though stunned by her beauty and youth, she maintained perfect etiquette, never showing disrespect.

“No need for formalities,” Su Nai Fa said. “Our King has already informed me of you. He adores Anna. Don’t be tense—consider Phoenix your home.”

Aisha froze.

“Our King… you mean Gao De?” she finally asked.

For the first time, Su Nai Fa’s expression shifted slightly—she arched an eyebrow. “Our King never told you his identity?”

Aisha opened her mouth, her mind buzzing, unable to speak.

Seeing her reaction, Su Nai Fa understood. “My mistake.”

What Su Nai Fa said next, Aisha barely heard.

Her mind was a chaotic whirl.

How was this possible?

Gao De—a mere Sea Watcher mage—how could he be the “King” of a great North tribe thousands of miles away?

And this tribe’s War Mother, a mighty fifth-rank mage, called him “Our King” with such reverence?

Why was the North’s King so young, so seemingly weak, and why was he in Jin Quehua?

Aisha wrestled with these questions until Su Nai Fa finished speaking and assigned them lodging.

Their quarters were a stone-built room—simple but immaculately clean, with a soft bed layered in thick furs.

Then she settled down in Phoenix.

As Gao De had said, although Phoenix’s conditions could not compare to those of outside cities, food, lodging, and other necessities were no problem at all—and far better than she had expected.

Added to that, its isolation made it an ideal refuge.

Yet she had no heart to enjoy the rare peace since her nation’s fall; instead, she was tormented by Gao De’s identity as “King.”

How could this possibly be?

But Gao De had never told her during the Jin Quehua Dynasty, and now she couldn’t even find him, let alone learn the truth.

That was what Aisha had originally thought.

Yet after just a few days, she learned the full story from others—something everyone in Phoenix already knew.

The outsider, the prophecy, Zhen Bing’s choice, drawing the sword, proclaiming him King—even the vast fields of wheat she had seen upon entering the city were Gao De’s miracles.

Taken together, these revelations stunned Aisha again and again.

So much so that she found herself envying her sister Anna, who since arriving in Phoenix had been blissfully carefree, buoyed by endless novelty.

But as a princess who had endured much, Aisha gradually suppressed her turbulent emotions and began trying to integrate into Phoenix.

Unless something changed, she and Anna would likely spend the rest of their lives here.

Then Aisha made another discovery.

Though the city remained old and primitive, it pulsed with vibrant, rising life.

The farmland kept expanding, the population kept growing—a scene of thriving prosperity.

Yet Aisha also saw lurking dangers and problems.

For instance, as the population increased, Phoenix grew increasingly crowded, with more frequent conflicts and tensions; officials and administrative capacity failed to keep pace with urban growth, leaving many matters unaddressed or poorly handled.

These were inevitable problems for any rapidly developing city.

As usual, after dinner, Aisha gave Anna “lessons” in her room.

Though since arriving in the Northern Frontier, there seemed little need to learn much—knowledge rarely applied.

Yet Aisha firmly believed that learning’s greater purpose was cultivating thought, not merely acquiring facts, so she persisted in Anna’s education.

The lesson had barely begun when a knock came at the door.

Having been in Phoenix for some time, this was the first time anyone had come to knock.

Curious, Aisha rose and opened the door.

There, before her, was a face she recognized—but one that should never have appeared here.

“Master Gao De?!” Aisha gasped.

“Brother!” Anna cried out, leaping from her chair like a joyful fawn and rushing toward Gao De.

She was glad to see Gao De—and equally glad to escape her sister’s private tutoring.

(End of Chapter)