The Record of Unusual Creatures

Panda Novel

Charlemagne and Awenna were divided about whether to accept Hao Ren’s offer.

It was not that the siblings did not have the guts, but it was because they were still in a heightened state of alertness and suspicion after the pirate attack. The unequal exchange of intelligence and the lack of choices meant that they had to think twice before they committed to anything.

Hao Ren could see the concern of the siblings and did not push them to make a deal. “You can go to the lounge next door to think about it. But I hope you’ll give me an answer as soon as possible.”

“I realize your concern, but I believe that you know what’s best for you. We obviously have nothing to do with those pirates. The Basilica of the World Tree has been in isolation for a long time. We need a new channel of communication with the outside world, and you need protection as well as help; we could have a win-win cooperation.”

Charlemagne glanced at the people in the room and nodded slightly. “Let me think about it first. We will give you an answer as soon as possible. But this time—”

Hao Ren waved his hand before he waited for Charlemagne to finish. “Don’t worry, there will be no eavesdropping this time.”

“I hope you understand that it is because of the eavesdropping that we are wary of you,” Charlemagne said and left with Awenna, heading into the room.

After the siblings left, Vivian exhaled and said, “Phew! Hao Ren, what do you think?”

Hao Ren stretched in a way that would have looked unsightly in public and leaned back against the chair with a smile on his face. “What else can we think? I’m sleepy, give me a soft pillow. Just as we’re figuring out how to contact the Dragon Empire, here comes the prince and princess who are the envoys to the Dragon Empire. Now, after losing their ship and blowing their cover, they need protection. Isn’t this the best opportunity? The only thing we need to worry about is whether the siblings will agree. I think the chances of them agreeing to the deal is high. After all, they have no other choice.”

While still blowing bubbles with the straw, Lily said, “But the Dragon Empire may not have the prehistoric information we need. A dragon soul that never dies sounds fake.”

“Ick! Stop playing with your drink, it’s disgusting.” Hao Ren shot the husky maiden a glance and shook his head. “I’m not counting on the Dragon Empire entirely. I’ve asked Nolan to launch some precision probes to examine the things underground. L’Haronne was cut in half instead of being shattered. Perhaps we can find more clues within the planet.”

He pinched his face to relax his stiff facial muscles. Then he looked at Rheia curiously. “Why were you so quiet just now? Aren’t you curious about the life of the people on the surface after the planet’s reshaping? You didn’t seem interested in talking to Charlemagne and Awenna.”

Rheia looked as if she had zoned out, and she only snapped out of her daze after two seconds. Her hands shivered as she pouted. “I am trying to figure out the title. I have never shirked my homework even though my projection makes me look like I am in a daze.”

Looking at the small-sized goddess who was bent out of shape because of her homework, Hao Ren could not help but smile and shake his head with sympathy. “I feel you. I have to write many reports too after every mission. Sometimes, things are so complicated that I feel dog-tired.”

After she finished her juice, Lily took out a pack of snacks and began to gobble it down loudly. Hearing what Hao Ren said, she looked up at him, perplexed. “But… even dogs don’t get as tired as all of you.”

Hao Ren and Rheia looked at the husky who lived in depravity. They shouted in unison, “Shut up!”

Meanwhile, Charlemagne and Awenna were in the lounge. Awenna first spoke, “My brother, do you think these people are trustworthy?”

“We need their help,” Charlemagne said frankly. “We have lost our ship. The attack means that we have fallen into a trap, and the original plan, as well as the people around us, are no longer reliable. On the other hand, placing our fate in the hands of a group of strangers does not sound any better.”

Awenna looked at her brother; she knew that Charlemagne was someone who did not easily trust others and was even a little indecisive. She shook her head. “The ball is not in our court. My brother, those people who claim to come from the Basilica of the World Tree do not need our consent. They have this ship and can go to the Dragon Empire themselves. Since they have only requested to travel with us, I think it is acceptable.”

“The Basilica of the World Tree…” Charlemagne knitted his brows together as he repeated the name. “Have you ever heard of this organization from the elves and wizards?”

“Never.” Awenna shook her head. “But I do not think that they would simply use ‘Basilica’ if it is not true. In L’Haronne, however, I have never heard of such a place. Maybe it is an ancient religion that has long been lost. Despite that, these people do not look like believers.”

“It is not important whether they are believers or not. What matters most is what they want. What does a reclusive organization want from the Dragon Empire? Promote their faith or use the empire as a springboard to return to the secular world? If this is their purpose, then the Dragon Empire would not be an ideal target because the arrogant empire is not going to welcome them.”

Awenna brought the conversation back to their original concern. “So, do we want to accept the offer?”

Charlemagne scratched his chin in thought. A few seconds later, he finally nodded. “As you said, the ball is not in our court.”

Hao Ren did not expect the siblings to reply so fast.

He thought that the royal siblings, who seemed to have a persecutory delusion, would need half a day to deliberate before they gave an answer. When the siblings reappeared before them ten minutes later, Hao Ren was surprised.

Even Rheia had not finished her homework in those ten short minutes.

“We accept your invitation,” Charlemagne said bluntly. “This is indeed a win-win deal.”

Hao Ren had expected the answer. He smiled and nodded. “That saves us a lot of hassle. We—”

Awenna interrupted him. “Wait a minute, we have a small request.”

“A small request?” Vivian looked curiously at the girl who had long gray hair and was about Hessiana’s age. In Vivian’s eyes, Awenna was only a child. “What is your request?”

“Do you have a map?” asked Charlemagne.

With the wave of a hand, Hao Ren summoned a holographic map in the air.

Charlemagne was stunned when he saw the holographic image. The magical illusion looked a little different from what he had in mind. He could not feel any magic energy in it, and more importantly, although the map was accurate with the mountains and rivers, there were no text markings, which made using the map inconvenient. Nevertheless, Charlemagne kept his questions to himself. He looked at the map and pointed with his finger at a point on the map. “We should land here, then follow this route… From here to here, and finally to the imperial capital.”

Hao Ren’s were furrowed when he saw the route that the prince had pointed out. “This will be a detour and waste a lot of time. Can’t we land near the imperial capital? If the size of this ship is a problem for landing, we have a smaller aircraft. We can also use teleportation.”

“That is not the reason.” Charlemagne waved his hand. “There is a safety concern.”

Charlemagne then explained, “After the pirate attack, we are sure that there is a conspiracy. The desperados possess military-grade weapons and equipment, plus they have gotten their hands on our itinerary, which we only adjusted right before departure. So—”

“So, there are moles on your side?” Hao Ren interrupted Charlemagne.

“The original itinerary is no longer safe,” said Charlemagne frankly. “And… we are worried that someone within the Dragon Empire wants to kill us. Dark shadows are lurking in the powerful empire.”

Hao Ren immediately got the message. He had no idea how the two siblings found out, but they must have their own way of figuring things out. There were not only moles in the Ancient Kingdom of Izzo, but there was also the possibility that the vast empire on the other side of the World Scar played a role in the attack. However, they were neither sure who the conspirators in the Dragon Empire were, nor if the incident was related to the Dragon Soul Emperor. So, they wanted to make the movement of the secret envoys even more discreet.

Using the original route to the imperial capital would risk the possibility of walking straight into a trap. Hence, they chose to land somewhere in the empire, observe, then find out who else they could trust in the empire. Only after having a good grasp of the situation would they continue with their journey.

Such was the trouble of conspiracy and politics.

“This is our request.” Awenna stared at Hao Ren. “It is the only request. I hope we can reach a deal.”

“No problem. After all, we are talking about a secret envoy. We will do as you say.” Hao Ren’s quick reply surprised the princess.

Hao Ren had long wanted to know more about the customs and culture of that world, and Awenna’s request was what he had hoped for.

“Umm…” Charlemagne did not know what to say suddenly, but he quickly regained his composure. “When will we depart?”

“Anytime. The sooner, the better,” said Hao Ren. “If you need props and gear to disguise yourself, we have everything you need on board.”