Along the way, the caravan did not encounter any attacks.
This was not surprising.
Aina had released an aura, and ordinary monsters did not dare to approach.
And after arriving in the territory of the Alan Empire, there would be patrolling Knight Orders, so it was rare for bandits to appear openly.
Moreover, the scale of this caravan was not small to begin with; even if there were really bandits, they would have to consider whether they had the strength... The Snow Wolf Hounds were very intimidating, and the snow people clad in beast hides looked quite formidable, with the longbows on their backs clearly not for show.
After nearly a week of travel, Xia Lun arrived at the city gate of Kelo City with the caravan.
"It really has changed a lot," Xia Lun said, looking up at the towering city walls, unable to help but sigh.
Aside from the name, Xia Lun truly couldn't think of any similarities between this city and Crow Village in his memory.
"A thousand years have passed, Xia Lun."
After entering the city, Xia Lun and Aina separated from the caravan.
The wide street allowed three carriages to travel side by side, with a dazzling array of shops on both sides.
Occasionally, patrolling guards would stride past.
The guards wore uniform robes, and there was a bulging pocket on the chest of each robe.
"What are those poles the soldiers are carrying on their backs?" Xia Lun asked curiously. "Is it some new type of magic staff?"
"It's a new invention that appeared after your death, called a Magic Musket," Aina patiently explained to Xia Lun. "By injecting a little magic power, the user detonates the fulgurite inside, and the resulting explosion fires a projectile."
Xia Lun nodded, "I see."
"With this weapon, even if one isn't a mage, as long as they possess magic power, they can cause damage comparable to a low-level Rock Bullet spell," Aina continued.
Xia Lun's gaze narrowed slightly.
In this world, only a small number of people possessed the talent to perceive magic power, and among them, an even smaller number could perceive elemental spirits and use magic.
Those who couldn't become mages could also strengthen themselves with magic power to become warriors... To become a powerful warrior, one undoubtedly needed to temper their body through countless trials, which was a very arduous and painful process.
Just then, a guard holding a Magic Musket hurried past, chasing the group ahead.
"You, come here."
Aina's eyes suddenly flickered with a faint red light, and the guard immediately stopped, standing in front of Aina and Xia Lun.
Aina pointed at Xia Lun, "Fire at him."
The guard didn't hesitate, raising the musket and firing.
"Bang—"
Accompanied by a gunshot, a wisp of smoke emerged from the musket's muzzle, and Xia Lun, somewhat surprised, pinched an iron pellet between two fingers.
"The power is indeed good." Xia Lun put the iron pellet back into the large coat pocket on the guard's chest.
"The emergence of the Magic Musket has undoubtedly greatly changed the situation for low-level warriors and mages," Aina said with little expression. "Many people have begun to disparage traditional magic and combat skills, believing that with the future development of magic engineering, more and more powerful magic devices similar to the Magic Musket will appear, and the traditional time-consuming and laborious cultivation methods will be replaced."
"Oh? Can that so-called magic device now threaten high-level powerhouses?" Xia Lun was somewhat surprised.
"That's still far off. The most powerful magic cannon on the city gate is capable of harming high-level warriors, but its flexibility is too poor; even a mid-level warrior can easily dodge it."
Before entering the city, Xia Lun had seen the gleaming cannon barrels on the city gate.
According to Aina, although she had stayed in the snowy mountains for nearly seven hundred years, she would occasionally go out and trim some "annoying weeds."
And in her spare time, she even founded an organization to serve as her eyes on the outside world.
Xia Lun walked aimlessly through the city with Aina.
Too much time had passed; the current Kelo City showed no trace of its former self.
"Xia Lun." Aina gently tugged on Xia Lun's sleeve and pointed in a certain direction.
Xia Lun looked in that direction, his expression somewhat dazed, then a look of intense joy appeared on his face.
"Aina, it's the Green Owl! The tavern where we first met! It's still open... How lucky!"
Aina looked at the childlike surprise on Xia Lun's face, and a slight smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.
Of course, this couldn't be simply described as luck; how could a shop stay open for nearly a thousand years? Aina had secretly acquired the property of this tavern and spent a fortune arranging for the original owner's descendants to continue running it.
Xia Lun pushed the door open, and everything was a familiar layout.
The bar was right next to the kitchen, one wall on the left was the bounty board, and on the right, tables and chairs were neatly arranged. The staircase on the far right led to the second floor, where there were private rooms.
The bounty board in a tavern like this was not as formal as those in the Adventurers' Association. Clients could write their mission requirements, bounty, and contact information and directly post them on the board for passing Adventurers to choose from. The quality of the missions also varied.
However, there were advantages: it was convenient and quick to accept commissions here, and there was no need to pay handling fees to the Adventurers' Association.
Besides missions, notices for recruiting teammates were also abundant...
"That's how we met back then," Xia Lun said, looking at the commission board and sighing to Aina.
Aina covered her mouth and chuckled softly, "Indeed."
Business was quiet in the Green Owl tavern because it was still morning, which was normal; it would only get lively around noon and evening.
Besides the two of them, the only other customer was sprawled asleep on a table, which was piled high with empty wine bottles.
The fellow had long golden hair, ears longer and more pointed than a normal person's, and a quiver full of arrows rested beside the table.
Xia Lun's expression became extremely colorful.
"No way..." Xia Lun muttered in disbelief.
"What's wrong, Xia Lun?" Aina squinted and chuckled, seeming quite pleased with Xia Lun's current expression.
"Aina... Look at that guy, isn't that Liana?"
"It's possible, you know, elves have very long lifespans after all, our former teammates might still be alive," Aina feigned ignorance.
Naturally, she had meticulously planned, calculated every detail, gone to great lengths, and endured hardships to set up this situation for the fellow to coincidentally appear here at this time.
Xia Lun encountering an acquaintance right after being resurrected... How could such a coincidence happen?
However, the feeling of playing the hero like a puppet...
Aina tensed her face to keep herself from giggling, wanting to maintain her image.
Xia Lun stepped forward and patted the elf's shoulder.
The elf looked up dazedly, "Ah... Xia Lun, long time no see."
Then, the elf shook her head again, "How did I run into you... You've been dead for a thousand years, I must still be dreaming."
Thud—
The elf's head landed back on the table, followed by rhythmic snores.
