Chapter 170: Enter The External Realm
Enzo asked, "Then would wealthy people choose to sneak across with you?"
This question made Harvey fall silent.
He finally realized that Enzo was not the wealthy person he thought he was. Enzo might be a complete native with not a single Kafen to his name.
Such people were not uncommon.
Realizing Enzo's true status, Harvey's enthusiasm faded instantly.
But Enzo continued to press, "Harvey, do you know how to get through this barrier?"
The barrier at the border was not limited to the area they were in but spanned the entire boundary. Even if one tried to bypass it by sea, they would still be blocked by this barrier.
To reach the external realm, one must pass through the barrier.
Harvey was reluctant to answer, but Enzo's persistent questioning wore him down. Just as Harvey was about to reprimand Enzo, he noticed the powerful aura emanating from him, which made Harvey rethink his approach. He then said, "Mr Enzo, I don't know how to get through the barrier."
"However." Harvey's tone turned mysterious, "I don't know, but others do. Follow me."
With that, Harvey led Enzo away.
After a considerable detour, Harvey brought Enzo to a temporary camp.
Harvey did not enter but stood outside the camp and called out, "Mr. Quincy, I've brought someone."
Soon, a guard emerged from the camp and said, "Lord Quincy says you may enter."
Harvey nodded quickly and instructed Enzo, "Once inside, don't speak. I'll handle everything."
Following the guard, the two entered the camp and proceeded into a large tent.
In the center of the tent, an old, lean man with a fur cloak was cooking a pot of meat, which emitted a rich aroma that made Harvey swallow in anticipation.
The old man, Quincy, looked up and addressed Harvey, "What brings you here?"
Harvey hurriedly explained, "Mr. Quincy, he wishes to enter the Dark Night Forest. I was wondering if you have any spots available."
Quincy glanced at Enzo and nodded, "There are three spots left."
Harvey was immediately pleased, but his joy was short-lived as Quincy continued speaking.
Quincy asked, "You should be aware of the rules here, correct?"
Harvey nodded and handed over six gold Kafen, saying, "Mr. Quincy, each spot costs three gold Kafen. For the two of us, that makes six in total. Please accept them."
Quincy accepted the payment, showing a bit more friendliness, and warned, "I'll reserve the spots for you. Assemble here by noon tomorrow; we won't wait for latecomers. Also, I'll remind you once more. If anyone asks, you must say you're disguised infiltrators. If I find out you leaked any information about me, I can't guarantee you'll see the sun rise tomorrow."
Harvey broke into a cold sweat at Quincy's words.
He quickly replied, "Understood, understood. We get it."
Once they were far from the camp, Harvey let out a sigh of relief, returning to his previous demeanor. "The deal's done. You still owe me three gold Kafen. You must repay me once you make money in the Dark Night Forest. That's my savings from three years!"
"Got it." Enzo responded.
He then asked, "Who is Mr. Quincy?"
Seeing Enzo's lack of knowledge about the Dark Night Forest, Harvey explained, "In the Dark Night Forest, the most powerful are the royal families, especially the Solar Dynasty and the Ice Moon Royal Family. You should avoid offending anyone from these two clans, even if they're of low rank.
"Below the royals are some allied forces. "
"For example, Mr. Quincy belongs to the Flamingo Merchants' Guild, an organization formed by many caravans joining forces. Their strength is also considerable. Importantly, once we enter the Dark Night Forest, we'll encounter the first settlement, the Flamingo Settlement."
"That's the main base of the Flamingo Merchants' Guild."
"That's why Quincy has the authority to bring us in."
"Otherwise, people from the Barren Peninsula would have no chance of entering the Dark Night Forest. The barrier is said to have been set up by one of the royal families to prevent people like us from entering the Dark Night Forest."
Harvey said these words, visibly angry.
Enzo pondered a troubling thought—could this barrier have been established by the Solar Dynasty?
Given that he had clashed with Trelina and Ix, who held significant positions in the Solar Dynasty, and had encountered Veena while seeking the Beast God egg.
It seemed there were numerous conflicts between him and the Solar Dynasty.
If his identity were exposed…
Enzo felt uneasy but quickly pushed the concern aside.
Although the Solar Dynasty was formidable, he wasn't weak either.
...
By noon the next day.
Harvey hurriedly met with Enzo and led him to the camp.
The camp had already been dismantled, and upon their arrival, many people had gathered. Quincy, the elderly man, stood at the front, respectfully handing a basket of fruit to a young girl. "Princess Mona, we are ready to depart."
The girl, Princess Mona, took the fruit and climbed onto the back of a giant elephant, saying, "Let's set off then!"
Enzo was slightly surprised to see that.
The giant elephant was a giant beast of Level 2 strength but with an exceptional lineage. Unfortunately, Enzo wasn't sure which type of giant it was.
Regardless, it indicated the girl's high status.
Following the girl's command, Quincy called out, "Everyone, keep up and don't fall behind!"
Quincy then directed several of his guards, saying, "You, go to the end of the line and prevent anyone from attempting to sneak in or launch an attack."
After everything was set, the group set off.
Before long, they followed a hidden path to the barrier. Quincy took out an item that seemed to be a scepter. As the scepter's light illuminated, it corroded an opening in the barrier. Quincy then called out, "Quickly pass through!"
The crowd moved quickly, making their way through the opening.
Just as the last of the group was about to pass through, some people suddenly dashed out from the bushes on either side, trying to slip through the last bit of the opening, but were easily killed by the guards at the rear, even if they made it through.
Until the barrier closed again, those who were left behind reluctantly departed.
This scene was witnessed by everyone.
Harvey whispered to Enzo, "Now do you understand? This is the value of three gold Kafen—it's worth a life!"
Afterward, Harvey quickly fell silent as Quincy approached.
But Quincy did not come because of Harvey's conversation; instead, he walked directly to Enzo and said, "You, come with me!"
Enzo was taken aback and his expression changed slightly.
Harvey was also somewhat confused and asked, "Mr. Quincy..."
Quincy's expression darkened as he snapped, "This is none of your concern!"
Before understanding the situation, Enzo did not act recklessly. He followed Quincy through the front of the group, finally reaching the front where the noble girl was.
At this point, Quincy said, "Princess Mona, I have brought the person."
On the back of the giant elephant, Princess Mona was seated. The smooth silk of her attire draped down over her plump thighs, but her exposed feet were white and delicate. Because she was lower down, Enzo could also see the elegant curves of her body beneath the girl's clothes.
"What are you looking at?" Princess Mona suddenly asked.
Enzo casually replied, "Nothing."
The princess chuckled lightly, while the old man Quincy's face turned pale with anger. He shouted at Enzo, "How dare you offend Princess Mona!"
Then Quincy turned to Mona and said, "Princess, I will personally punish him!"
Princess Mona glanced at Quincy, then stood up and jumped down from the giant elephant to stand in front of Enzo. She asked, "Are you interested in becoming one of my guards? I can offer you immense wealth and the highest status."
Quincy's face changed drastically, clearly shocked.
While others might not know Mona's background, he was well aware that Mona was a princess of the Solar Dynasty. Although she was not the highest-ranking member of the royal family, she was still a royal with a highly esteemed position. Being a guard for a princess was a supreme honor.
Quincy couldn't help but feel envious of Enzo's luck to have the opportunity to become Princess Mona's guard!
But the next moment, he was stunned.
Enzo directly refused, "Not interested!"
He refused!
He had turned down the invitation from the princess!
Quincy couldn't help but curse, "You fool! How dare you refuse Princess Mona's offer! Do you even know what you're doing? You're utterly hopeless!"
Mona coldly reprimanded, "Quincy, be quiet!"
She then turned to Enzo, looking quite curious, and asked, "May I know the reason? Is it because you fear I might discover you are from the Barren Peninsula, or because you are unaware of my status, or is it for some other reason?"