Alice took a deep breath and exclaimed, "The air is so fresh!"
The female driver enthusiastically explained, "This is a primeval forest formed by persimmon trees, covering an area of 3,500 square kilometers. To the east is the Sassandra River, and to the south is the 623-meter-high Mount Niénoukoué. The forest is also home to chimpanzees, monkeys, pygmy hippopotamuses, duikers, and Ogilby's duikers, all of which are unique to this region."
"Are we there yet? How much farther?" Daechir asked impatiently.
"Another half an hour and we'll be there," the female driver replied.
The car arrived ten minutes ahead of schedule. Two vehicles stopped. The group got out and saw a white manor with a strong European architectural style, with a red windmill house standing beside it. Not far away was a lake with clear water reflecting the blue sky and white clouds. A gentle breeze caused ripples to dance across the water's surface. The tall man led the way, guiding them into the manor, across a lawn, and to a large pool. At the center was a statue of a mounted warrior holding a longsword, flanked by two elephant sculptures spouting water upwards. Here, the tall man stopped and said to the four of them, "Please wait a moment while I go and ask the General."
"You're just going to leave us standing here in the sun?" Yurina asked angrily.
The tall man ignored her and walked away. "Could I have been wrong? It's not Vega? If it were her, she wouldn't treat me like this," Alice thought to herself. Elsa and Daechir also grumbled, "What an arrogant person!"
The four of them waited for over half an hour, but the tall man did not return. The sun was scorching, and even the breeze felt hot. Unable to bear it any longer, they moved to wait under the shade of a tree. Daechir and the others were already furious, but Alice managed to keep them in check, urging them to hold on a little longer. Alice was now certain that the person they were waiting for was not Vega. "We need to be careful. These people are not friendly!" she said.
"Are they not from Nine Stars United?" Elsa asked. "I don't know either. We can only wait and see." Time ticked by, and finally, the tall man appeared, followed by four young men. He walked up to them and said, "Sorry to keep you waiting. Please follow me!"
The four followed. After a short walk, a stream about three meters wide appeared, its water flowing gently. The tall man turned to Alice and the others. "Ladies, would you like to cross by yourselves, or would you like these four gentlemen to carry you?"
"Why not build a bridge?" Daechir asked.
"Building a bridge here would spoil the beautiful scenery."
"Is it beautiful here? I don't think so." Among the four, only Elsa allowed a man to carry her. Alice and the other two took off their shoes and waded across. In a house three hundred meters away, three people were closely monitoring a screen. One asked, "How is it? Are there any invisible people following them?"
"Judging by the ripples in the water, it seems not." After crossing the stream, they continued walking, with Elsa remaining on the man's back. Daechir and Yurina carried their shoes, walking barefoot on the grass. After another two hundred meters, a castle-like building appeared. Its walls were white, and at the top center, a golden statue of Saint Michael held a sword pointing to the sky, flanked by Gothic spires reaching into the clouds. Passing through a heavy, solid oak door and climbing more than twenty steps, the group arrived at the second floor. Who on earth was this person? Their curiosity grew. Another wooden door opened, revealing the back of a woman. She stood by the window, looking out. Her silhouette seemed aged. The tall man hurried forward. "General, I've brought them!"
"Good! Thank you for your hard work, Nolan!" The woman turned around. The moment Elsa saw her face, she was so frightened she hid behind Yurina. The woman's face was covered with scars, and she had only one eye. "Who are you?" Daechir stepped forward and asked.
"I am Glo. You should have heard of that name," the woman replied.
"You are the first Holy Virgin of the city-state, Glo?" This time it was Alice who stepped forward to ask.
"Yes! And if I'm not mistaken, your name is Alice, Ronnie's sister."
"You've met Ronnie?" Alice couldn't help but ask.
"Of course, I have. It was over sixty years ago. I was only in my twenties then. The first time I saw him was at our school. Amandine and Norforth were there too. In fact, I was the one who gave 'Norforth' his name. Shortly after, we were arrested and imprisoned, and then we were separated..." Glo spoke eloquently about the past.
Alice and the others listened with great interest. They didn't know this part of history, the first few years after Ronnie arrived in this era. Glo continued, explaining how the city-state was established. "Then why did he leave in the end?" Alice asked.
"He never belonged to this era. Isn't it normal for him to leave?" Yurina interjected, "Did he have other women here?"
Glo glanced at her with her single eye. "I have no comment on that."
"Why did you call us here this time?" Daechir asked.
"I had intended to retire, but in recent years, the city-state has faced another crisis. I had to step forward again. I've invited you all here to join our resistance. You are all Ronnie's family, and I don't think he would want the city-state he worked so hard to build to be destroyed by this generation."
Alice and the other two said in unison, "Of course, we stand with the city-state!"
"But according to my investigation, you haven't done much for it, being entangled in personal grievances and obsessed with painful hatred all day. Now, Nine Stars United is advancing aggressively. The city-state is left with only two main cities and eleven sub-cities. It won't be long before even these remaining cities might be lost. If we don't act now, the city-state will perish."
"Alright, I'll join the resistance," Alice was the first to step forward.
"What about you two?" Glo asked, looking at Daechir and Yurina. The two women exchanged a glance and nodded in agreement. "We agree too."
"This little girl should not leave. She stays here," Glo said, pointing at Elsa.
"No, I want to be with my three sisters!"
Yurina, who was very fond of Elsa, pleaded, "Please let her stay with me. I'll take care of her."
"This little girl is very important to us, and she knows about this place. She cannot be allowed to leave for now." Glo waved her hand, and a person who looked like a butler entered. She pointed at Elsa and said, "Arrange a place for this little girl to stay. Don't let her run around."
"Sisters, save me!" Elsa cried out, grabbing Yurina's hand.
Just as Yurina was about to speak, Glo said sternly, "Since you have joined the resistance, you must obey orders. This is not a kindergarten where you can do whatever you please."