"I hope your mother doesn't think we're too late. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 info," Yuffie said.

Going to the Mirror Heart Lake of the Jade Collar is a small detour. The week that was brought to the base by Wei Feng was an unexpected delay. Two days before arriving in the capital, they had experienced a very bad "accident".

On that day, they happened to take a break in Funiu City, about 200 miles away, on the north side of the imperial capital "Xin'an".

The city was much larger than the previous towns they had passed through, and as the acropolis of the imperial capital, it also had complete walls and turrets, as well as seemingly heavily armed guards. It's late afternoon in the city, and pedestrians after a busy day stroll along the gravel streets toward their homes, chatting loudly with a few friends about where to go for a drink in the evening. Roadside bars and small restaurants are also open, and snack vendors add to the lively streets.

But at this moment, a piercing shout came from not far away.

"Long live Gipnes!"

Yuffie quickly turned his head to look, just in time to see what had happened not far away—several Inirs dressed as travelers bowed down, their faces twisted in pain, their hands and feet inflated as if inflated, and turned into beastly limbs covered in muscle and gray-black hair. Their skulls also changed at the same time, the corners of their mouths were torn and extended to the sides, and the sharp canines quickly protruded from the gums. The clothes that had wrapped them were propped open, revealing the blond fur that covered their entire bodies and was covered with black spots.

-- It was as if humans and some kind of leopard or other beast had been forcibly fused together by some means. They slumped down and lunged at the passers-by, tearing flesh or throats with their claws and teeth without mercy.

In just an instant, the streets were plunged into chaos. People who were closer rushed to flee, and pedestrians who were farther away did not know what was going on, and some planned to get closer to see what was going on. It was like a chaotic street filled with screams and curses, and every now and then someone accidentally fell and was stepped on by a resident who couldn't see his feet.

Naturally, Yuffie will not sit idly by and watch all this. She and Lin quickly rose into the air, and together with the guards who arrived after them, they tried to suppress the beastly "tourists". Unfortunately, just when they were almost controlling each other, she suddenly felt a violent wave of magic power rise from each 'enemy'.

She barely had time to protect herself, Lynn and the few guards beside her when she saw a dazzling white flash and a loud bang that followed.

Perhaps some special means were used, and most of the houses in Barberry City were made of wood, so the streets immediately burst into flames after the explosion. The screams of passers-by and shopkeepers who were seriously injured by the explosion or who had not had time to flee and were caught up in the flames could be heard clearly from dozens of meters away.

With the help of the two of them, the fire was extinguished not long after, and some of the injured people received emergency treatment. Unfortunately, the wreckage of the attacker has long since turned into a mass of charcoal, and it is simply impossible to confirm the actual identity of the other party.

However, for the majority of the population - and indeed most of the officials - the previous obvious slogan is enough to tell the story. As for whether there are still doubts behind it, or more hidden secrets, they don't care at all.

In this way, counting the time spent assisting in the investigation by the Security Bureau in Funiu City, it was nearly thirty days after leaving the alliance that the group finally arrived in the capital of the Innis Empire. It took almost twice as long as their original trip.

"Don't worry, of course Mother won't be angry about this." Man Tianxing replied with a smile, "Moreover, your arrival at this time is probably what she expected. Look, the guy who picked us up is here. ”

Yuffie followed the doll girl's gaze and easily spotted the person from the crowd - for her outfit was so conspicuous.

It was a girl just over a meter tall, about the same as an adult Iter. She wore an intricate and classical crimson dress, a skullcap of the same color, and long glittering blonde hair tied in two strands, which hung down from her white cheeks to nearly her knees.

This outfit is not common in Innis, even in the former El continent. However, the people of the imperial capital seemed to have become familiar with her presence—they respectfully made way for the maiden, and watched her pass through the gates to her 'companions'.

"I'm Renee." She saluted lightly to the crowd and said, "Mother is very happy that you have come as promised. Then, please come with me. ”

Perhaps because of the "accident" in Funiu City, the inspection of entering Xin'an City was much stricter than when they left the royal capital of the Alliance. The guards cautiously questioned and confirmed the identity, purpose, and previous itinerary of each person entering the city, as well as the identification they presented. However, Yuffie and the others were still unfazed - the guards, having heard that they were the guests of 'Lady Rozhen', simply glanced at the certificate that Renee had prepared for them, and happily let them go.

Similar to the rest of the big cities Yuffie has seen, the city of Xin'an is still quite lively. But if you taste it carefully, you will feel that under the prosperity of this imperial capital, it seems to contain a sense of busyness and depression that is completely different from Xiyang City.

Pedestrians hurried past her, greeting each other as if they were familiar, but their eyes only glanced back to the front. There aren't many stalls on either side of the street, and if there are, most of them are restaurateurs with open storefronts, placing some of the fresh, easy-to-carry food at the door to attract passers-by. The effect is quite noticeable – it's midday, and some passers-by are drawn to the storefront by the wafting scent, while others simply quickly buy the packaged food, stuff it into their mouths, and continue on their brisk walk.

In such a hurry, Renee, who was wearing a crimson dress and strolling leisurely, looked quite out of place.

She had heard the stars mention this 'sister'. Renee was one of the first dolls to be made, and the most special thing is that, unlike other "sisters" who were created out of thin air, she was transformed from the soul of a real human being.

The specific reason was never asked. But this is the main reason why the puppet girl is sure that her mother can use similar means to 'resurrect' Noka.

"What are you thinking, is it about me?" Renee suddenly turned her head, her sapphire eyes blinking, as if she could see through the thoughts in her heart, "The night in Sin'an City is the most vibrant, but the nearest city, even at night, is not so lively. ”

"It's because of that attack." Anya looked at the guards who were still seriously questioning each of the people who entered the city, and sighed softly, "I always feel ...... Even as a member of the Alliance, it's unacceptable......"

"Not necessarily." Renee slowed down and came to Anya's side to continue to lead the way, "What you hear is naturally not to be fully believed, even if you see it with your own eyes, it may not be true. She said softly to the girl beside her, "The truth of the matter is often hidden behind the fog, and only the "heart" can see it clearly." ”

Anya nodded silently and continued to follow Renee.

They made their way through the heart of the city. Through the towering walls, Yuffie could barely see the palace hall in the inner city. The sheer scale of the building reflected a brilliant golden glow in the sun, reminiscent of the gold-leafed palaces of the Orren Empire. However, compared to the luxury of that palace, the palace in front of him looks a little simple except for the whole gold, which may indicate that the current emperor is not very keen on the current position.

The crowd thinned as they walked, and after another ten minutes, Renee crossed a path and stopped in a clearing near the corner of the city.

It's more like a garden than an open space. Dozens of flowers of various colors are arranged in a patchwork pattern, each of which appears to be vibrant, even if they originally grew in a different environment. Located in the center of the flowers, there is a wooden hut that seems to be no more than ten meters square, and a handwritten sign hangs on the simple wooden door.

"Fleihill's Doll Workshop".