Chapter 108: Summer Dream Lake
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After half an hour of tinkering, the potion-maker wiped the sweat from his brow, drank a bottle of potion to replenish his magic, then nodded to the young nobleman of the Kube Kingdom. It was exactly as described.
“Sir, how much are you offering?”
The young nobleman glanced once more at the description on the board and asked, visibly excited, “How about thirty gold coins per bottle?”
“Deal.” The young nobleman agreed without the slightest hesitation. “I’ll take as many as you have.”
While Welling was still dazzled by the turn of events, a transaction form was completed. All that remained for him to fill in was the quantity and his signature.
In a daze, Welling wrote down the number ten thousand and signed with the numerical identification assigned to him at the trade fair.
As long as Welling delivered ten thousand bottles of Ice-Blue Potion to Bloodmoon Territory a month later, he would receive three hundred thousand gold coins.
Three hours later, when the trade fair finally ended, Welling’s head was still somewhat muddled.
“Welling, how did it go?” De Rigos approached him, beaming like a spring breeze. He had clearly made a substantial profit.
“Not bad. It just feels a little unreal.”
“Don’t worry. Those fat cats have money to burn. With the Harvest Goddess’s protection and their superior geographical position, they’re rich enough to drip oil. Don’t feel sorry for them.”
“I understand, Great-uncle.”
The day after the trade fair ended, Welling had Kyle travel to Star-Prayer Lake with a Golden Knight under the command of the Bloodmoon Countess, who was carrying spatial equipment, to retrieve ten thousand bottles of Ice-Blue Potion.
Until the transaction was completed, he could not leave Bloodmoon City directly.
Nor could any of the representatives sent by the other nobles.
Knock, knock, knock.
A knock came from outside the room. Welling got out of bed and opened the door, only to find his great-uncle standing there furtively.
“Great-uncle, what are you doing here so late at night?”
“Come on. I’m taking you somewhere fun.”
Welling immediately grew wary. “Great-uncle, if Great-aunt finds out about this, you’ll lose the use of your legs.”
“It isn’t the sort of place you’re thinking of. A pure man like me would never take you somewhere like that.” Vitris spoke with a slightly lecherous air. “I’m taking you to Summerdream Lake for a little outing.”
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“What kind of place is that?” Welling asked, puzzled.
“You’ll find out when we get there. Would your great-uncle lie to you?”
Half-dragged along, and driven further by his own curiosity, Welling somehow found himself following Vitris through the darkness to the dragon stables.
“Little An-An, be quiet. Don’t make a sound.” Vitris stroked the wyvern and soothed it in a low voice.
Soon afterward, Welling climbed onto the wyvern behind Vitris. In complete silence, they flew out of Bloodmoon Castle and headed toward Summerdream Lake.
“Great-uncle, won’t Great-aunt notice that you’re gone tonight?”
The cool wind suddenly cleared Welling’s head, making him realize there was a massive flaw in their plan.
“Don’t worry. Miyali and De Rigos have gone out and won’t be back until the day after tomorrow. We’ll return before tomorrow night, so there’s nothing to worry about.” Vitris turned his head and thumped his chest, assuring Welling with absolute confidence.
At that very moment, a troop of more than a thousand people was hurrying along a highway.
Inside one of the luxurious carriages, Miyali was half reclining and rubbing her temples.
“Mother, the warning array I set up has been triggered.” De Rigos rode up beside the carriage, lifted the curtain, and spoke respectfully.
Miyali turned to look at him, her face expressionless. “That old fool must have gone to Summerdream Lake. I’ll deal with him when we get back.”
De Rigos silently mourned his father for several seconds before ordering the troops to quicken their pace, hoping to reach Nanya City before dawn.
At that moment, Vitris, piloting the wyvern through the night sky, had no idea that a domestic beating awaited him.
Two hours later, a vast lake appeared within Welling’s field of vision.
“Beautiful Summerdream Lake, here I come!”
Welling looked toward the shore, where the lights blazed brightly and crowds milled about.
“Great-uncle, why are there so many people here?”
“Welling, Summerdream Lake is a sacred land of love. Every year, many young nobles come here because of its fame, hoping to find their true love.”
“A sacred land of love? Why did you bring me here?”
“To admire the things worth admiring, of course. Since we can’t go anywhere else, your great-uncle can only come here to enjoy the beautiful sights.”
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Once the wyvern landed in the dragon stables of Summerdream Town, Vitris handed Welling over to the town mayor with instructions to treat him well, then vanished into the town.
“Young Master Welling, please come with me.”
The mayor of Summerdream Town was named Fiona Dorons. She shared the same surname as Welling’s great-uncle. Dressed in refined and proper noble attire, she wore soft, flat cloth shoes and let her long hair fall freely over her shoulders. Her breathtaking features and otherworldly bearing retained an air of sacred purity.
Welling had to admit that, apart from his mother, Astanaxia, and the Bloodmoon Countess, this was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
“Mayor Fiona, could you tell me something about the history of Summerdream Lake?”
“It would be my honor to serve you, Young Master Welling.” Fiona answered calmly, neither servile nor overbearing.
They walked along the bustling, prosperous streets while Welling listened to Fiona recount the history of Summerdream Lake.
“More than sixty years ago, Summerdream Lake was still part of the half-elves’ homeland. In the language of the half-elves, the name Summerdream meant sincere and beautiful love.”
“So, translated into the common tongue, the name of this lake means the Lake of Sincere and Beautiful Love.”
“Young Master Welling is correct. Because of that meaning, the name Summerdream Lake was preserved rather than abolished.”
“For many years, Her Excellency Miyali, the Bloodmoon Countess, seized upon this opportunity to vigorously promote and develop Summerdream Lake. She built numerous enchanted gardens and, in just fifty years, turned this place into a renowned sacred land of love in the southern Inner Kingdom. Countless young nobles were drawn here, bringing Summerdream Lake immeasurable economic growth.”
“Nowadays, many nobles come here because of its fame. Some hope to find the love of their lives, while others bring their families here for a holiday.”
On the streets, beautiful and captivating noble girls, handsome and dashing noble youths, mature and voluptuous noblewomen, and elegant, dignified noblemen moved in groups slowly toward the lakeside.
“Young Master Welling, where would you like to go now?”
“I’ll have a look around. Mayor Fiona, you should attend to your own affairs. There’s no need to worry about me.” Welling waved his hand, preparing to explore the place on his own.
“If you need anything, you may come to the town garrison and find me at any time.”
“All right.”
After Fiona left, Welling went to the roadside and selected an ordinary cat-faced mask from a stall. He asked the vendor, “How much?”
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