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“My bad. There were a lot of things going on so I probably forgot to tell you.”

Reesha apologized to Schenna as she tried to comfort her.
Schenna had already relied on Reesha many times, and she had gone so out of her way to help Schenna, that there was no way Schenna could blame her for anything.

Kishana softly spoke to Schenna.

“Isn’t that great? Now you can go back and meet them without feeling guilty.”
“Thanks. The seafood and liquor of Hashel are really good, so I’ll treat you all some of it.”
“I’ll be looking forward to the drinks. Maybe we should even hold a drinking party to celebrate.”
“I’m sure you just want to drink rather than celebrate. But don’t worry, I’ll get you enough you could drown in it.”
“I’ll expect just as much then. And since we’re on the topic already, why don’t you tell us a bit about your hometown, Schenna?”

Then Schenna told them about Hashel.
It was located on the northern side of the continent of Halcentius and was a kingdom that developed a strong magic culture and was part of the Five Grand Powers.
The magic armor Schenna used to wear was also a special one made with materials that bolstered resistance against attack magic.

It had friendly relations with its neighbor country of Priden, but the other neighbor they had, Swead Kingdom, was not quite an enemy, but they still kept a close watch on any movements they made.
That situation had only worsened ever since recurring incidents with children disappearing in cities of Hashel close to the border of Swead increased.
There were numerous rumors that it was Swead slave traders that were behind it, but there was no solid proof.

“So that’s pretty much everything going on in Hashel. Though a lot of things might have changed since I left.”
“If I may add a bit, the situation between Hashel and Swead has escalated to full-blown enmity. Apparently, they recently found proof that it was Swead’s work that those children were kidnapped. That change created a fissure between the Five Grand Powers, so that got me quite busy as well lately.”

Reesha completed Schenna’s story, her voice overflowing with exhaustion when she finished.
Diplomats from both sides had used Priden as a neutral ground to discuss the situation, but in the end both sides kept to their opinion and no conclusion was reached.

“It was decided that the Hero’s Party would accompany some high officers from Hashel to inspect Swead. If possible, we want to avoid another war breaking out.”

Everyone remained silent as they listened to Reesha speak.
They were not expecting that the situation had escalated that much.

“I’m sorry I said something so worrying, but it’s okay. Just focus on serving good food to the city and helping it develop further!”

Reesha’s voice took a brighter turn as she finished speaking.
The whole carriage jolted as it took a ninety-degree turn from the main road and the elves’ forest was in sight.