After exchanging information, the two sides parted ways at the entrance of the Knight Templar’s headquarters under Clatius’s mediation.
Though Violet was surprised that Minglan could so casually let her go, his exact words were: “What’s the problem? If the young lady can’t accept us for now, forcing it is meaningless. Just confirming your safety and that of the 【Dominion of the Fox Mask】 is the biggest gain we’ve had in nearly a millennium. We Spirit Veil people transcend the Sanzu River, time has no meaning to us. We can wait as long as needed. You can do whatever you wish without urgency.” [1]
Before leaving, he gave Violet a small jade pendant carved with a design similar to her mask, saying that if she ever needed assistance, she could present it at any Spirit Veil Merchant Guild in any city, and they would help her to the fullest extent.
After that, Minglan and the other Spirit Veil people took their leave.
Walking back to their temporary inn, Violet toyed with the small, exquisite pendant in her hand, her expression betraying her lingering unease.
“Spirit Veil... Fox God... Dawn...”
The white-feathered girl who had been by her side and witnessed the entire night’s events finally voiced her thoughts in a whisper once the surroundings became quieter.
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“Do you think it could just be a coincidence of names?”
Upon hearing this, Violet could only smile helplessly.
“Leila, why are you also starting to say thoughtless things? The name might be a coincidence, but how could the name of the 【Dominion of the Fox Mask】 be repeated so coincidentally?”
She held up the white pendant, its small fox form glimmering faintly in the night. Even without deliberate lighting, its shape was easy to discern.
“Look, the image on this is almost identical to the mask I wear on my face.”
After observing it closely for a moment, Leila couldn’t help but show a surprised expression.
“This... it really is, but how could that be? Dawn is just your alias, and if that 【Fox Spirit Shrine Maiden】 Minglan mentioned truly existed, then wouldn’t she...”
At this point, Leila’s expression changed, and she quietly closed her mouth, as if she was avoiding something.
Although she and her sister had traveled extensively with the priestess, they knew very little about her past and origins. Violet and the little dragon girl, who clearly came from the same place, never discussed such topics.
So regarding this matter, whether it was the sisters, Theresa, or even Edwina, who had already returned to the capital Angel City, they all had their guesses but tacitly avoided bringing it up.
“Hey, hey, hey, what do you mean? Do I look like an old aunt who’s been alive for thousands of years? That’s too much!”
“Uh... Miss Dawn, I don’t think age alone is enough to measure a lady’s qualities in all aspects, so you really don’t need to be so secretive about it...”
“Darn it! I already said I’m not some 【Fox Spirit Shrine Maiden】 from the Spirit Veil tribe. I don’t even know that Minglan! And I definitely don’t have amnesia! Right, Xiao Guang?”
“That’s right. Even though the master is older than me, she’s probably at most a few hundred or thousand years old. There’s no way she has any connection with the Spirit Veil tribe. That fox-eared guy must be making things up with bad intentions.”
“Exactly! Wait, what do you mean by a few hundred or thousand years?”
...............................
After arguing about it on the road for a long time, the girls still couldn’t come to a conclusion that everyone agreed on. Although the topic gradually shifted to “how old Miss Dawn really is,” which made the priestess quite embarrassed, even Violet herself couldn’t say for sure.
Back at the hotel they had booked earlier, Violet sat on the bed, rubbing the smooth pendant in her hand. She took off the small fox mask from her face, revealing her original appearance under the glow, and couldn’t help but show a wry smile.
“Age, huh...”
If she considered her memories from Earth, she would be just over twenty years old, but...
The girl opened her personal panel and fell silent as she looked at the large “Unknown” in the age section.
“Who exactly is Dawn?”
Although Violet had several possibilities in mind, she currently lacked sufficient evidence to confirm any of them. Everything was still in the realm of pure speculation. Given that, she decided to take things one step at a time, as usual.
At least for now, the mysterious Spirit Veil tribe seemed quite low-key and had no ill intentions toward her. In fact, they appeared particularly magnanimous in some of their dealings.
Could this be the true composure of immortals? But what kind of incredible being is the “Great God 【Divine Fox】,” who can grant eternal life to an entire tribe?
Speaking of immortality, the priestess couldn’t help but recall her encounters with the underground organization “Eternal Throne” during her time in the Human United Kingdom and the Beastman Kingdom.
Ever since Lilya defeated her brothers and became the Queen of the Human United Kingdom, this group had suddenly gone silent, as if they had vanished. Violet hadn’t encountered any members of this organization for a long time.
Since the Spirit Veil tribe holds the power of immortality, could the “Eternal Throne,” with its similar ideology, have already set its sights on them?
This is indeed something to be mindful of.
However, according to Minglan, the main members of the Spirit Veil tribe still live in seclusion on their island. Those active on the mainland number only a dozen or so and are the key figures fulfilling the original agreement to help the descendants of the visitor manage the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild. Very few people know their true identities.
Moreover, the immortality of the Spirit Veil tribe is a secret akin to a legend. After all, it’s quite astonishing and hard to believe. Who would think that Minglan is actually thirty thousand years old?
“Knock, knock, knock.”
A slightly heavy knock sounded from outside the room. Violet knew who it was without needing to ask, and she smiled.
“Come in.”
The door was gently pushed open and quickly closed again. The golden-haired girl, in her usual attire, walked into the room with her bare feet, her steps light and graceful.
“Master, aren’t you reading today?”
“Well, after what just happened, I can’t really calm down to read. Did you find it?”
The young dragon girl nodded and took a stack of documents from her pet bag, handing them to the black-haired girl in front of her.
“Leila and the others found these. It seems the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild is quite well-known, there are plenty of records.”
“Great, thank you all~”
Although she didn’t plan to do anything immediately, given the situation, Violet couldn’t just pretend nothing had happened.
No matter what, it was definitely beneficial to gather more information about the other party in advance. And the most convenient way to understand the Spirit Veil tribe was naturally through the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild.
_________________
TL Note:
[1]
The Sanzu River is a mythological river in Japanese Buddhist tradition. It’s believed to be the boundary between the world of the living and the afterlife. It’s similar to the Chinese concept of Huang Quan, the Indian concept of the Vaitarani, and the Greek concept of the Styx.