"Sir, this road is currently closed off," the staff member who stopped Fang Hong was polite yet impersonal.

Fang Hong couldn't help but feel disappointed. He had anticipated this, but a part of him still hoped for the best—after all, Briana was part of the Elf Royalty, holding a status equivalent to a member of the Royal Household in the Colin Kingdom. The accompanying Dawn Guard were cautious and seasoned, battle-hardened warriors who would not easily grant an opportunity for error.

He tiptoed to peek inside before he sulkily withdrew his gaze, thoughts inevitably drifting to the Battle of Bain, along with the words Kroid had told him.

The war seemed to have deep connections with the Invoker, but how gruesome must it have been for Kroid to speak such words? Given the chance, he planned to definitely inquire Miss Sicape, as they had personally experienced that great battle—of course, that was assuming he could make contact with someone from Morning Dawn Star.

The Battle of Bain occurred thirteen years ago, but the Osh Empire and Colin Ishurian were vague about the causes of the war. The Empire invaded Norsenica and destroyed Kadofen, the border city located there. Colin Ishurian retaliated immediately. The seven heroes were portrayed as saviors resisting the Empire, but a closer look reveals many doubts.

Colin Ishurian facing the Empire did not seem weak enough to need to fabricate heroes to add a tragic narrative. Backed by the power of the China Competition Region at the time, their strength should at least have been on par with the Empire's.

The Avenquin Elves' participation in the war also seemed rash. The ancient covenant by the Sages Kings made them guardians of the land's destiny together with its lords, yet at the time the Kingdom was neither in peril of falling nor engulfed in widespread conflict.

Aside from Sir Stong Wade, the hero who sacrificed himself, the remaining six heroes all retired from public view after the war. The two Dwarf heroes—Aksu Spark returned to Steel Mountain and became king of the White Stone Clan. His brother, Aivernon Spark, went deep into the caverns beneath Eldron to face the trial by Earth Fire and has been without news for nearly ten years.

It goes without saying for the three Elf heroes. Alanya Elvana Miaoxing is the Elf King of the Avenquin Elves, and another Elf hero, Kurufen, still remains by his side. Briana Karanshir Miaoxing, as mentioned before, retreated to the forest and has only now reappeared in Elpaxin.

The human hero of the Battle of Bain, who the Invokers jokingly called the "main character's halo," was the once dashing and elegant Magician Guided Conductor, Roban. He now holds a position as a Court Sorcerer consultant in the Colin Kingdom, leading a secluded life, no longer in the bloom of youth and having entered his middle years.

These people should have accomplished greater deeds, Fang Hong thought. But he paused and suddenly realized how his perspective had changed; he used to believe wholeheartedly in the stories of the seven heroes, but now upon reflection, found the past events not quite as logically consistent.

Perhaps this was also a form of growth.

He thought he should take the opportunity to learn more about this war, as if to pay homage to his fading youth. Unlike the forerunner Invokers who could only uncover snippets about Eteliria's past from ancient papers or speculate on inaccurate historical periods through songs.

Modern people have a strict record-keeping habit. There should still be a lot of information about that time available on the community online.

With this thought, Fang Hong returned to reality. Briana Karanshir Miaoxing seemed like a shadow moving in the opposite direction from his childhood, while the weighty buildings of the Artisan Association represented his present.

He then said to the staff member, "I am an Apprentice Alchemist registered with Kapuka, and I am here to take my craftsman's exam."

The staff member looked at him skeptically but nodded, "Then you can go through the side door, where someone will receive you—"

So Princess Miaoxing could go through the main door, while others had to take the side entrance. Wasn't this blatant unfair treatment? On Earth, this would likely be a classic case of political incorrectness, potentially causing public outrage and alarming allies—Fang Hong resisted the urge to complain. After all, when in Eteliria, do as the Etelirians do.

Cultural clashes are a reality, and one must adapt to local customs.

He had no choice but to take Reed and Parker to the side door. The Lion People saw no issue with this; he was a gentleman, and it was only proper for a gentleman to give way to ladies, even if she had been past her prime for some time.

Parker complained that he was hungry again. This surprised Fang Hong. "Didn't you just have lunch?"

"And an apple," Reed added.

"I didn't eat much. Just a basket of bread, but the butter at that tavern was terrible, the meat was undercooked, the cheese was rancid, and I told them not to put any sea buckthorn roe because you know Papalarians don't eat that stuff."

"I didn't know that."

Fang Hong responded as the three of them entered the Artisan Association through the side door.

This place was actually a small hall where adventurers typically received their task assignments. They walked past a row of floating metallic bulletin boards, and straight ahead was a counter. Fang Hong heard an argument coming from behind it.

"Rotas above, can you hurry up? It's about to start!"

"Damn it, who do you think broke this thing?"

"That was three months ago, you old fool. And I told you, we just needed to replace a part, but you insisted on saying that Alchemists are not assembly workers. Now it seems maybe an assembly worker would be more useful than you."

"Stop arguing, we've already missed the opening speech," another voice said loudly.

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