Chapter 1204:- Homecoming
Chapter 1204: Chapter 1204:- Homecoming
Lou Han still looked reluctant, but Aditya continued before he could protest again. “Until then, stay low. Go find a tavern or restaurant and enjoy a good meal. Walk around the town if you want. Do whatever you feel like doing. I’ve already given you more than enough money, so spend some of it.”
Aditya briefly glanced toward the guards stationed around the teleportation array. “Just don’t stand here waiting for us. Even if they cannot sense your cultivation, someone remaining around a teleportation array for hours without any clear reason will eventually attract suspicion.”
Lou Han remained silent for a few seconds before finally closing his mouth and nodding his head. “Understood, Your Majesty.”
There was also an important reason why Aditya and Rin had not directly used the teleportation array in Axel City to reach the Capital. Axel City was firmly controlled by the Anti-Emperor Faction.
With the civil war beginning, anyone arriving at the Capital directly from territories controlled by the Anti-Emperor Faction would naturally be treated with extreme caution. Such travellers would face much stricter inspections, more detailed background checks, and possibly even questioning about why they had travelled from enemy-controlled territory during the opening hours of the war.
Aditya had no intention of placing himself and Rin under that level of scrutiny. That was why they had first travelled to this small agricultural town roughly thirty kilometres away from the Capital. From here, they could enter the Capital alongside ordinary merchants and travellers without directly connecting themselves to Axel City or the Anti-Emperor Faction.
Their false identities had also been prepared with this route in mind. As for why Aditya wanted to use the teleportation array instead of simply flying the remaining thirty kilometers, the answer was even simpler.
There was no reason to make things unnecessarily difficult. Why would he waste time flying through the air toward the most heavily guarded city in the Empire when he and Rin could simply behave like ordinary merchants and use the same teleportation array as everyone else?
Aditya and Rin quietly stood in line and waited for their turn to use the teleportation array. There were hundreds of people waiting around them, and not everyone was heading toward the Capital.
This teleportation array was connected to an enormous network that covered almost the entire Main Continent. As long as the destination had another compatible teleportation array, travellers could use this place to reach countless cities and regions across the continent.
As for Lou Han, after realising that he had no choice but to obey his Lord’s orders, he reluctantly turned around and slowly walked away. Even until the very end, he repeatedly looked back at Aditya and Rin, clearly unhappy about leaving the two of them alone.
Lou Han knew exactly how powerful his Lord was. Even before reaching Sixth Order, Aditya’s combat strength had already surpassed what his cultivation suggested. Now that he had successfully reached Beginner Sixth Order, there was no doubt that the Dragon Monarch had become significantly more powerful.
Yet knowing that did little to reduce Lou Han’s worries.
He considered himself a loyal and faithful protector of the Dragon Monarch. Allowing his Lord to enter such a dangerous place without him went against every instinct he possessed. If something happened to Aditya while Lou Han was sitting comfortably inside some tavern eating food, he knew he would never forgive himself.
In fact, Lou Han could not help but suspect that Aditya had never actually intended to bring him into the Capital from the beginning. And his suspicion was correct.
Aditya had only agreed to bring Lou Han because the others had insisted that at least one Seventh Order cultivator should accompany him and remain nearby as backup. Lou Han had never been part of the actual infiltration plan.
There was another important problem as well. The former Prime Minister could only bring two additional people into the Imperial Royal Palace without attracting unnecessary suspicion. Those two positions naturally belonged to Aditya and Rin.
Bringing Lou Han into the Capital itself would also create unnecessary risks. The Capital of the Celestial Dragon Empire was filled with hidden monsters. Powerful cultivators who rarely showed themselves lived throughout the city, and most importantly, several Heavenly Treasures normally resided within the Capital.
Although the Heavenly Treasures had decided not to directly interfere in the civil war, that did not mean they would simply leave the Celestial Dragon Empire and disappear somewhere until the conflict ended. Their usual place of residence was still the Capital.
Bringing an unfamiliar Seventh Order cultivator like Lou Han into such an environment would be like lighting a candle in the middle of a completely dark forest. No matter how small the flame was, everything nearby would immediately notice it.
Ordinary cultivators might be unable to sense Lou Han’s true cultivation if he deliberately concealed it, but other Seventh Order cultivators were a completely different matter. The moment they noticed an unfamiliar cultivator at their level suddenly entering the Capital during a civil war, Lou Han would naturally be treated as a potential threat until his identity, origin, and intentions could be properly confirmed.
That would inevitably lead to questions and deeper investigations. And since all three of them were operating under forged identities and backgrounds, a detailed investigation was exactly what Aditya wanted to avoid.
Therefore, leaving Lou Han behind was not an emotional decision. It was purely strategic.
Soon, Aditya and Rin finally reached the front of the line. After paying the required fees and completing the necessary procedures, the two stepped onto the teleportation array.
A short while later, they arrived in the Capital. The moment Aditya and Rin stepped out of the teleportation area, two guards immediately approached them.
“State your purpose for visiting the Capital.” One of the guards demanded in a stern voice.
“Failure to provide a reasonable explanation for your visit will be treated as a possible attempt to infiltrate the Capital. If your answer or identification is considered suspicious, you will be detained immediately.”
Despite the threatening warning, Aditya remained perfectly calm. Without saying anything unnecessary, he reached into his storage ring and took out a sealed letter before handing it to the guard.
The guard accepted it and immediately noticed the official seal belonging to the retired Prime Minister on the envelope.
His expression changed almost instantly. He did not even dare to open the letter. The seal itself was enough. The guard quickly returned the envelope to Aditya before taking several steps back with his companion. Their previously stern expressions became considerably more respectful.
“Our sincerest apologies.” The guard said.
“We were unaware that you were associated with Sir Prime Minister.”
Aditya smiled and casually shook his head. “There is nothing to apologise for. You are simply doing your job.”
He then calmly explained their prepared identities. “We aren’t exactly close relatives of his. You could consider us distant relatives. Sir Prime Minister is also returning to the Capital today because he has several matters to attend to at the Imperial Royal Palace. We came here partly to accompany him.”
Aditya briefly gestured toward himself and Rin.
“We’re also travelling merchants. There are several goods we want to purchase while we’re here. Some of those products are considerably cheaper in the Capital than they are in the smaller cities and towns where we normally conduct our business, so it seemed like a good opportunity.”
Technically, Aditya did not need to explain himself this thoroughly anymore. The sealed letter bearing the former Prime Minister’s personal seal had already removed most of the guards’ suspicion. However, that was precisely why Aditya deliberately gave them a simple and believable explanation.
Someone attempting to hide something might become defensive, nervous, or provide only the minimum amount of information necessary. Aditya instead behaved like an ordinary merchant who had absolutely nothing to hide.
The result was exactly what he wanted. Whatever remaining suspicion the guards had toward Aditya and Rin completely disappeared.
“Understood, Sir.” The guard replied respectfully.
Rather than continuing to question them, the two guards personally guided Aditya and Rin away from the crowded teleportation area. Once they reached the main street, the guards politely stepped aside and even waved them off with friendly smiles.
Aditya smiled back before walking away beside Rin. Just like that, the first obstacle had been crossed. They were inside the Capital.
“So, where do we find the former Prime Minister?” Rin asked while walking beside Aditya.
“I was told that the former Prime Minister would be waiting for us at the reception of the Silver Moon Inn.” Aditya finally replied while continuing to walk forward.
“It should be around 1,000 meters (0.62 miles) away from the teleportation array.” Rin nodded before once again looking around the beautiful streets surrounding them. At their current pace, it would not take them long to reach the Silver Moon Inn.
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