Book 3: Chapter 309: Arriving at the Mage Alliance Again

Sitting by the window seat of the train, the silver-haired Sylutia drew quite a bit of attention. Fellow passengers marveled at this young woman's dreamlike temperament and were curious about her identity.

She wore a light-colored, intricately layered dress, with her hair adorned on one side by a blazing flame flower. Its pure white petals unfurled, revealing a core that blazed like fire and gold, radiating a faint, gentle glow. Even from a distance, one could feel the pure, clean warmth emanating from this extraordinary blossom—a beauty that simply could not be ignored.

"Miss Sylutia, this is your lunch, prepared just for you."

A train attendant brought over a meal specially made by the train's head chef. Then, the other passengers heard a voice as soft and melodious as a nightingale's song.

"Thank you."

Just those two words sparked endless flights of fancy. Watching her silver hair and white dress flutter in the breeze, she seemed like a figure from a dream.

At two in the afternoon, the train arrived at the Mage Alliance's Parliament District. This political heart of the Mage Alliance, where the headquarters of numerous official institutions were located, boasted towering high-rises lining both sides of the streets.

With a short blast of the steam whistle, the train came to a stop, and passengers disembarked one by one. Among them were some who hailed from the far southern reaches of the continent. Stepping for the first time into this magnificently prosperous district, they were all stunned by the sight before them.

Towering buildings, dozens of stories high, lined impeccably clean streets. Steam vehicles of every kind weaved through the traffic. The rumble of steam engines and the shriek of whistles filled the air. Crowds of pedestrians moved like ants, bustling back and forth. The sky was not idle either, as airships occasionally rose and descended, some towing promotional banners displaying new products that outsiders could scarcely comprehend.

"So... this is the Mage Alliance." An elderly man with white hair stood beneath the towering buildings at the street's edge, tilting his head back to gaze around, feeling as though his entire worldview had been fundamentally shaken.

It was in moments like this that physicians and apothecaries from the remote regions of the Hidden Grove finally understood why their high-ranking officers placed such importance on the Mage Alliance.

Truly, they were a powerful and formidable counterpart. Though relations between the two sides were currently amicable, the sheer strength of the other party always stirred a measure of unease and pressure.

After the Hidden Grove Alliance's team disembarked from the train, they were guided by reception personnel and boarded an officially assigned steam vehicle. They then sped through this sprawling metropolis of towering buildings, with countless novel sights and unfamiliar facilities constantly challenging their preconceived notions of the world.

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The reception personnel accompanying them in the vehicle provided introductions.

"That massive building we're passing right now is the headquarters of the newly risen 'Spiral Star Workshop.' This giant workshop currently manufactures all sorts of agricultural machinery, which are then shipped to various regions. Many of the mechanical creations that were previously provided to the Hidden Grove came from here."

The 'Spiral Star Workshop,' established in the tenth year of the Gale Season, was formed through official mediation when several workshops with mature experience and production capabilities merged. They shared technological patents, consolidated personnel and workshop facilities, and began mass-producing numerous agricultural machines. Its emblem was a swirling star.

Sylutia had also been a participant in its founding process, having spearheaded the merger of certain workshops in the Mishil District. In the end, thirty percent of the newly formed 'Spiral Star Workshop''s shares originated from the Mishil District.

Although on the surface, the 'Spiral Star Workshop' was the product of merging workshops from various regions, with its shares dispersed among regional representatives and guilds, a deeper look revealed that these workshops and guilds all had inextricable ties to the 'Mithril Clock.' Many of the high-ranking personnel employed there were also alumni of the 'Mithril Clock' school and its outer organizations.

However, such matters were entirely unknown to ordinary people or outsiders. They could only marvel at the formidable strength of such a giant workshop, its vast number of employees, and its production bases and maintenance teams scattered across various locations.

Within the Mage Alliance, most major guilds and workshops had the backing of different schools behind them. In a world where extraordinary powers existed, large guilds and workshops simply could not sustain themselves without powerful strength to support and endorse them.

Though the reception personnel's introduction was directed at everyone in the vehicle, his gaze kept drifting toward the silver-haired young woman in the back row, curious about her identity.

Finally, as they approached their destination, he could no longer hold back his question.

"May I ask, where exactly in the Hidden Grove are you all from? This is my first time seeing such distant guests."

"Haha, that's quite a few to list." The physician in the group smiled in response.

"Our friends here dressed in white robes with scroll patterns are all from the 'White Scroll Herb Jar.' As for these other gentlemen in white over there, they're from the 'Soul-Burying White Raven.'"

"Soul-Burying White Raven?" The reception personnel had never heard of that organization before.

"That's right. They're a rather unique organization that combines physicians with death wizards, specializing in performing autopsies to determine causes of death." The physician explained briefly.

"I see... Ah, this young lady here seems quite special. Which organization do you belong to?" The reception personnel finally steered the conversation toward Sylutia.

"This one?" The physician revealed a knowing smile, having guessed that all the buildup was likely leading to this very question.

"Her name is Sylutia. That's all you need to know."

"Sylutia..." The man murmured the name to himself until the group had walked a fair distance away. Then, it suddenly struck him—a piece of news from several years ago. During the negotiations between the Mage Alliance and the Hidden Grove Alliance, a name had been mentioned, described as a rare genius from the Hidden Grove, someone who could be compared to 'Hedra.'

"So... that was Sylutia." The reception personnel felt he now had conversation material for the entire week, and he was also curious about just how many famous figures from various regions had been invited to this consultation meeting.

After settling into the accommodations arranged by the Mage Alliance, Sylutia went to see the team leader.

"Master Zelalin." She knocked politely on the door first, then entered the lounge of the 'White Scroll Herb Jar' members' quarters.

"Oh, if it isn't Ti Ya. Is something the matter?" The man stood up.

This grandmaster from the Hidden Grove had a robust and healthy appearance. He was currently the most powerful master-level figure within the 'White Scroll Herb Jar.' Over a decade ago, Sylutia had worked alongside him in the Darkmist Mountains, where they had extensively discussed ways to resolve the Gray Sludge incident.

"I'd like to go out for a stroll. I probably won't be back until tomorrow. If anything comes up, please use this to notify me." Sylutia thought for a moment, then produced a small pendant. Its material resembled crystal, and at its center, a tiny, vivid blue cornflower was sealed and frozen in place.

"I understand." The man nodded slightly, accepting the pendant before turning his gaze to the young woman.

"Ti Ya, your identity is still somewhat inconvenient to reveal publicly right now, so you need to be careful when you go out."

"Mm, thank you for the reminder, Master." Sylutia nodded, appearing perfectly obedient and well-behaved.

"Haha, you've never once let anyone down, so I won't pry any further." He waved his hand. "Go on then. If you truly run into any problems, just notify me directly. The Hidden Grove will stand behind you and offer its full support."

"Thank you." Sylutia said once more, then nodded to the other 'White Scroll Herb Jar' members in the lounge before taking her leave.

After the young woman had departed, some of the members gathered around curiously.

"Is Ti Ya going to meet friends from the Mage Alliance?"

Many of the 'White Scroll Herb Jar' members were quite familiar with Sylutia. They had contributed significantly to the establishment of the 'Sunblaze Garden' stronghold in the Darkmist Mountains afterward. Moreover, during the nearly thousand years she had been away from the Hidden Grove Alliance, it was they who had helped cover for her absence. As such, they knew her story very well.

"She probably is. After all, she did spend nearly a decade here." Zelalin remarked with a sigh.

"It's quite extraordinary, really. Her reputation and standing here seem even higher than in the Hidden Grove Alliance. Some of the elders and I were worried back then that she might never return."

"Fortunately, that child didn't let anyone down. She never forgot her former promises either. If anything, we're the ones who've done her a disservice."

"Let her go. If she truly wanted to stay here, it's not like we could stop her anyway."

"True enough."

The people in the lounge discussed the changes they'd observed in Sylutia since her return over these past two years. Ever since railway construction began, countless new innovations from the Mage Alliance had poured into the Hidden Grove Alliance, broadening many people's horizons and bringing about significant shifts in their ways of thinking.