Chapter 11 Perhaps My Eleventh Birthday

The dim midnight sky was veiled by thick clouds, intermittently obscuring the moonlight, leaving the stars to glimmer faintly.

The sound of the reindeer's hooves pulling the sleigh was exceptionally clear on the silent snowfield, like the beats of a dark drum.

"Today is probably my eleventh birthday."

Sigrid looked up at the moon, her purple eyes reflecting its pale light, as if something had occurred to her.

Except for when she was very young, when her parents were still around, she had proper birthdays. Later, even she herself forgot about it.

It must be past midnight now, maybe three or four in the morning.

It's definitely a new day.

"Huh."

Lanchi blinked in surprise.

A child's birthday is quite important and should not be ignored.

But now they were already out of the city, and there was no way to buy Sigrid a cake and a gift to celebrate.

"Do you have any wishes?"

Lanchi leaned forward slightly and asked.

Since he couldn't celebrate her birthday right away, he might as well ask what her wish was.

After all, the essence of celebration is to make the other person happy.

Sigrid leaned back on the sleigh seat, her expression unchanged.

She thought for a long time.

She realized that she didn't have anything specific that she wanted.

Finally.

"I hope there won't be anyone like me in this world again."

She said softly, a puff of white mist rising from her lips.

"Everyone can live in a prosperous age."

"With enough food and clothing, content and at ease, able to do whatever they want."

Her soft tone showed that she clearly understood that this was a dream destined to be impossible in reality.

"..."

Lanchi rested his chin in his hand, seriously considering Sigrid's words.

For a moment, he didn't know how to respond to Sigrid.

Because he was not actually from this era.

And as history...

Everyone he saw in this era...

Their fate was already determined.

"By the way, Loki."

Sigrid spoke, interrupting Lanchi's thoughts.

"I'm only taking you to the Demon Realm. The rest is none of my business."

"Okay."

Lanchi looked up and replied.

They had discussed this matter before they set off, and now this journey was finally coming to an end.

"Whether you can come back next is also none of my business."

Sigrid continued.

"Okay."

Lanchi hesitated for a moment and nodded.

Although having a companion on the road made him genuinely happy, and the seven days had passed in a flash.

But every journey has a beginning and an end, and everyone has their own path.

Lanchi never forced anyone to stay by his side.

"However, I'm in a better mood now."

Sigrid said calmly.

The surrounding coniferous forest rustled in the night wind, and the shadows of the trees swayed.

From time to time, a hurried sound came from the forest, perhaps a nocturnal animal searching for prey, or disturbed by an unknown fear.

The sound of the girl and young man's conversation on the sleigh was carried away and swallowed by the night wind.

Suddenly.

Before she could finish speaking, Sigrid's eyes narrowed, and she suddenly tightened the reins.

The reindeer let out an uneasy growl, its breath condensing into clumps of mist in the cold air.

Sigrid ignored the out-of-control reindeer, grabbed Lanchi's wrist from the back seat, and jumped off the sleigh with him.

The two figures drew a curve in the air before landing heavily on the snow.

The snow was stirred up by their fall, like catkins in a gale, countless white fragments spinning and dancing in the air, a sky full of snow mist.

The heavy sound of wind and snow and her own heartbeat made her ears and brain ache and buzz.

Sigrid tried to steady herself again and again, but was constantly challenged by the slippery snow surface. Finally, a dozen meters away, Sigrid finally steadied herself, stepping firmly on the thick snow.

The snow quickly covered their bodies, as if they were a newly completed work on winter's canvas.

Sigrid held Lanchi's wrist tightly, steadying him and pulling him behind her, breathing rapidly.

Snowflakes fell on her eyelashes, and her purple eyes flashed with determination and ferocity.

Lanchi looked at the small figure in front of him, with some surprise.

But under her firm gaze, all questions became unimportant.

Looking ahead.

In this dark snowfield, everything seemed to be frozen.

In the distance, dark clouds began to gather in the sky, slowly covering the starry sky.

These dark clouds were like a huge black hand, quietly reaching out to this snowfield.

"You're quite perceptive, little one."

From the depths of the bottomless curtain of wind and snow, a mysterious figure slowly emerged.

The figure was tall and thin, wearing a long, dark cloak that fluttered gently in the wind. The face was almost invisible in the shadows, but the pair of blood-red eyes were particularly clear in the night.

The exquisite appearance, reflected in the scattered snowflakes and moonlight, appeared pale and noble, seemingly out of place in this world.

Behind him, on this snowfield of eternal night, a sharp crack had opened at some point—

The two reindeer's strong bodies fell to the ground with a thud, breaking the silence, swallowed by the ice and snow, splashing snow, seeping blood, and slowly spreading in the snow, turning into two blooming blood-colored roses.

Far away.

The oppressive feeling of that magical power made Lanchi feel a little uncomfortable.

He could feel Sigrid's cold hand trembling.

Sigrid had said that she wasn't afraid of anything at the sixth rank.

And the eighth-rank Marquis and above Blood Clan Ancestors had been monitored by the Demon Realm for many years. If a Blood Clan Ancestor went north, it would definitely trigger a move from the Demon Clan first.

So, what could make Sigrid instinctively wary like this? Clearly, the other party was the strongest Blood Clan existence below the Ancestors, a seventh-rank Earl Blood Clan.

Sure enough, Blood Clans had already successfully infiltrated the Eternal Night Lands through the east and west sides.

"I've been following you all the way. I originally thought I wouldn't find an opportunity, but I didn't expect you to be heading towards the Demon Realm."

When Earl Gregory appeared, the entire snowfield sank into a low pressure, the air became heavy, and even the sound of snowflakes falling seemed to be suppressed.

He took two or three steps, each step seeming to be in time with an invisible rhythm, causing Sigrid to feel an indescribable fear.

The invisible, lingering magical power seemed to be able to see through every movement on a person's body, and no small action or thought could escape his prediction.

As if sensing Sigrid's beast-like, ready-to-strike ruthlessness, Earl Gregory suddenly smiled and raised his hands.

"Don't be afraid. Look, I haven't had any intention of hurting you for so long."

Earl Gregory had no further intention of attacking, but stopped and stood in the distance.

His eyes held a hint of戏谑 *xi nie* (teasing/mockery) and a smile that was hard to tell if it was sincere.

In fact, whether the other party resisted or fled, it made no difference to him.

His ability, [Blood Shadow Tracking], could map a large area of space in any environment, accurately capture any subtle movements and auras, and even the most hidden traces could not escape his perception.

This was also the reason why he was sent to the Eternal Night Lands as a vanguard.

Whether it was avoiding powerful Demon Clan experts or Orcish Warlords, or capturing weaker enemies, it was foolproof for him to do it.

According to the report from Sebas, the branch manager lurking in the Flourishing Era Chamber of Commerce, this craftsman from the Polant Empire had gained the great trust of the Warlords, and the distance between every two city-states was not that far. There were Orcish Warlords both before and after.

Intercepting him halfway, if the time was prolonged, it was very likely to be noticed by the Orcish Warlords, and anger them.

In a direct battle, he, as a reconnaissance-specialized Earl, did not want to face those thick-skinned, berserk Orcish Warlords.

As a result, coincidentally, this imperial craftsman did not choose to turn back at Small Night City, but continued to head towards the Demon Realm.

Gregory observed the two thin human figures with interest.

Now that they were at this distance, Earl Gregory could believe that no matter what happened, the Orcish Warlords would not notice it at all, and according to the "North-South Treaty," the Demon Clan on the border of the Demon Realm could not interfere with the Blood Clan even if they noticed it.

And now that the Blood Clan and the Demon Clan were about to begin negotiations, and the Fourth Ancestor and the Tenth Ancestor would officially go to the Demon Realm soon, the Demon Clan would not dare to offend a Blood Clan Earl like him.

(End of this chapter)