[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-exiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela":3,"chapter-exiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela-exiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela-chapter-91":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Exiled from the Start and Dominating the Wasteland with an Intelligence System",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1688691,2155,"Chapter 91 : Chapter 91","exiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela-chapter-91",91,"\u003Cp>Chapter 91. You Are Family\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the study of the lord’s keep in Obsidian Territory, the atmosphere was a little... strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli sat behind the broad desk, his gaze fixed dead center on it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There, a plump little marmot was shamelessly occupying his territory as if it owned the place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The great Lord Gulu was sitting comfortably atop a stack of spread-open parchment scrolls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her two short little legs swung back and forth in delight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Squinting happily, she held a loaf of bread bigger than her own head in both little paws.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was chomping away with gusto, her cheeks stuffed so full they bulged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mmph... mm... delicious! So delicious!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she chewed with all her might, she let out muffled little sounds of satisfaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Eli! You’re the best! You’re way better than Her Highness the Princess! From now on, the great Lord Gulu is going to stick with you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh... no. From now on, you should be the one sticking with the great Lord Gulu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The corner of Eli’s mouth twitched uncontrollably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He took a deep breath and tried his best to keep his voice calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Great Lord Gulu, instead of accompanying Her Highness the Princess in the sanctuary in Nightsong Forest, you have honored my tiny Obsidian Territory with your presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To what do I owe the pleasure?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph!” The moment Gulu heard the words Her Highness the Princess, she immediately stopped chewing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her tiny nose wrinkled in displeasure, and her black-bead eyes filled with grievance and accusation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Her Highness the Princess... Her Highness the Princess has another pet now!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She doesn’t like the great Lord Gulu anymore! She despises me now!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh?” Eli arched a brow, barely restraining the urge to grab the little thing and throw her out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Her Highness the Princess... is ignoring you now? Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why?!” Gulu suddenly slammed the half-eaten bread onto the desk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The great Lord Gulu kindly, painstakingly roasted fish for her!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And what happened?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She actually spat out the fish the great Lord Gulu roasted with her own paws, full of love and devotion!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She even lied to me and said it tasted good! Waaaah... she’s changed her heart!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She must have another pet outside!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more she spoke, the more heartbroken she became. Covering her eyes with her tiny paws, she began to sob in an exaggerated, obviously fake manner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a blank expression, Eli pointed out a brutal fact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What you made... was it edible?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You!” Gulu’s fur practically bristled on the spot. Planting her little paws on her hips, she puffed up in outrage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you know! The great Lord Gulu is a mighty... a mighty...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under Eli’s stare, the kind one used for idiots, her voice gradually weakened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Actually, I guess you do have a point. It did seem... a little disgusting...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe Her Highness the Princess just hates the food I make?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe she doesn’t hate me, the great Lord Gulu?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, that is possible.” Eli nodded decisively. He only wanted to send this little plague god away as quickly as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, great Lord Gulu, now that you’ve had your fill, shouldn’t you be heading back?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you leave Her Highness the Princess alone in the sanctuary... won’t she be lonely?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lonely?” Gulu tilted her little head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The word seemed unfamiliar to her. She scratched her belly with one paw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But Her Highness the Princess was always like that before she fell asleep, wasn’t she?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cultivating alone, watching the stars alone, staring at the lake alone...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She lived like that for hundreds of years. What is there to be lonely about?” she said as if it were perfectly natural.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hundreds of years... alone...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something lightly pierced Eli’s heart. A strange emotion surged up without warning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He seemed to see that solitary figure standing in the vast, cold sanctuary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Powerful, beautiful, immortal...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet like a sculpture forgotten by time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For beings like the elves, was such a long life a blessing... or a curse?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No.” Eli’s voice sank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everyone... no, every living thing feels lonely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elves are no exception. I believe that, to Irene... to Her Highness Irene, you are far more than just some pet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You are her companion, her family. In those endless years, you are the only one who has remained by her side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You are important to her.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fa... family?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gulu’s black-bead eyes instantly lit up like two little stars. All her grievance and sorrow vanished in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She sprang up from the desk and waved her tiny paws excitedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right! You’re right! Family! The great Lord Gulu is Her Highness the Princess’s family!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her one and only most important family member! Hehe! Her Highness the Princess must be missing me now!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I have to go back! Right now!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She immediately made to jump down from the desk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait!” The sudden urge to see Irene again seized Eli at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He needed a high-sounding excuse for this abrupt impulse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right. Gold. He needed gold. And while he was at it, he could also thank her for the help she had given him before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As it happens, I also have some... matters to discuss with Her Highness the Princess.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli swiftly adjusted his expression. “I’ll go with you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sure, sure!” Gulu was in such a state of wild excitement that she agreed without a second thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then... all this tasty food... and whatever other interesting things you have...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Give them all to me... uh, no, give them all to Her Highness the Princess!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Consider it the great Lord Gulu... presenting them to her on your behalf!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the shameless marmot taking advantage of the situation, Eli let out an amused sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Fine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He immediately summoned Estor and gave him a few quiet instructions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, an exquisite wicker food box was brought in, filled with the best pastries, preserved fruits, and dried meat that Obsidian Territory could offer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Eli still felt that something was missing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His steps paused, and he turned toward Scholar Avar’s room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord?” Scholar Avar, who had been preparing lessons, hurriedly rose and bowed when he saw Eli.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I need to borrow a book.” Eli’s gaze swept quickly across the shelves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“One about the history of the Kingdom of Orlando, the more detailed the better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Preferably an early one, involving the elves... or the ancient city-states.” He added the last part almost as an afterthought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Scholar Avar was somewhat surprised that the lord had suddenly taken an interest in history, he quickly pulled out a thick, timeworn volume whose edges were already frayed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord, this is Annals of the Rise and Fall of the Kingdom of Orlando.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was compiled by an early court scholar of the kingdom, and its records are relatively objective and detailed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It also contains rather extensive accounts of the period of Roderick La Roche and the years surrounding it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, this one will do.” Eli took the heavy book into his hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would she like history? ...What am I thinking?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He swiftly suppressed that ill-timed thought, then turned and left with the book in hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once everything was ready, Eli set out once more for the depths of Nightsong Forest with Gulu, who had become cheerful again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before long, the familiar vast lake came into view once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected, Valerian’s enormous dark-blue head emerged from the water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without saying anything, he simply opened the passage, his movements so practiced that it seemed like routine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gulu led the way with practiced ease until they arrived before that enormous jade door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She reached out one little paw and lightly pressed a subtle rune on the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hummm—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The jade door slid open inward in utter silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hehe! Her Highness the Princess! Your family has come back!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a bird returning to its nest, Gulu darted inside in a flash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her joyful shriek echoed through the spacious sanctuary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli followed right behind her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath the sanctuary’s soft light, Irene was still seated before the Water-Jade Throne, as if time itself had frozen within this place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She slowly raised her eyes. Her star-filled gaze swept calmly over the bouncing Gulu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when it fell on Eli, a layer of frost instantly gathered within it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Didn’t you say,” Irene asked in the same ethereal voice as ever, “that you would never come back?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gulu’s charge faltered, and the excitement on her little face froze for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she quickly piled on a fawning smile and pointed one little paw at the food box in Eli’s hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hehe... well... the great Lord Gulu always keeps her word!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I said I wasn’t coming back, then I wasn’t coming back!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is... this is me bringing Eli here to offer Your Highness a little token of goodwill!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she spoke, she desperately threw Eli meaningful looks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli clearly caught the strange undertone hidden in Irene’s words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His heart stirred, but his face gave nothing away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped forward and set the food box on the table not far from the throne.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Highness, these are a few local products from Obsidian Territory...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Gulu impatiently opened the box.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Highness, look! The great Lord Gulu snatched... uh, no.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I carefully picked out so many delicious things for you! I guarantee they’re much better than last time—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Irene’s gaze fell directly on the thick hardbound volume in Eli’s other hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something in her eyes seemed to shift ever so slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately understanding, Eli picked up the book and gave a slight bow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Also, I heard that Your Highness may have some interest in... the history of Orlando.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is Annals of the Rise and Fall of the Kingdom of Orlando, written by an early court scholar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It contains fairly detailed records of the early years... especially the era of Roderick La Roche.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps... it may serve as something for Your Highness to read in your leisure.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Irene remained silent. Her gaze rested on the weathered cover of the old book for several seconds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sanctuary fell into complete stillness, broken only by Gulu’s uneasy fidgeting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just when Eli thought she was about to tell him to get lost again—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Irene’s gaze finally shifted away from his face, as though she had tacitly accepted the gift.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the words from her lips were still as brief as ever:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mm. Get out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had not refused the gifts, but that was all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, Your Highness.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli did not hesitate in the slightest, nor did he try to say one word more than necessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He cast one final glance at the cold, aloof figure seated upon the throne, then turned decisively and left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before long, his figure vanished beyond the jade door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence returned to the sanctuary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gulu cautiously shuffled over to the food box and pawed it open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a child offering up a treasure, she held out a delicate slice of honey cake and looked at Irene with eager eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Highness, have a taste? This one definitely—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Irene accepted the cake and gently patted Gulu’s head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she quietly gazed in the direction where Eli had disappeared. The jade door had long since closed in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no expression at all on that flawless face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the faint crease between her brows and the tightness at the corners of her lips betrayed a trace of... irritation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her fingers absently worried the smooth fabric of her sleeve, twisting it tighter and tighter.\u003C\u002Fp>",1901,"2026-06-06T13:50:45.844Z",1,"novelbin.me","2409610dba5c6ab511e6a134ac93b7c4f30f1b14c12edf473a36dbaa79d5cace","exiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela-chapter-92","exiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela-chapter-90",112,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fexiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela-cover.jpg"]