The Shining Star Above The Heaven-Chapter 509: Leaving Caritas

The next day, Aldrian was already prepared for his next journey—to the territory of the Buddhist sect. He had completed everything he needed to do in the Atria Empire, having said his goodbyes to the imperial family after visiting Marquess Weilmar the day before.

Now, he stood with his group in front of the mansion. Many of the mansion’s staff were gathered there to see him off, including guards, butlers, and maids. The thought that Aldrian would no longer be their lord saddened them deeply. They had come to see him as part of Caritas, and even part of their family.

"Have a safe trip, my lord. I hope you succeed in whatever you set out to do on your journey," said an old butler to Aldrian as he bowed.

"Thank you for all your help, Sir Olav," Aldrian replied. Sir Olav was the one who had mainly overseen the mansion’s order. He was also one of the people Aldrian had saved from Marquess Parus when he first arrived in Caritas.

Aldrian then looked at the others, who were watching him with teary eyes.

"And to all of you, regardless of your position, thank you for your support and help while I stayed here."

All of these people were the ones Aldrian had saved from Parus, and they felt immense gratitude and loyalty toward him. They had always known that their lord would eventually have to leave. He was from outside the empire, and he would not be here forever. He had his own business to attend to with his group, and they would not have the time to care for the city.

To think that the time had come so soon left them feeling a sense of sadness they couldn’t shake. Many of them shed tears, but all of them wanted to see him and his group off personally. That was why they formed lines that stretched all the way to the mansion gates.

"Thank you, my lord. Have a safe journey."

"My lord, please visit us from time to time."

"My lord, please—"

"My lord—"

Many voices echoed as Aldrian and his group walked out of the mansion’s front garden. Their voices could still be heard even as they walked quite far from the mansion. All of them waved their hands as they gathered at the mansion’s gate, watching until Aldrian and his group disappeared from sight. They had to face the fact that they would soon be serving the new mayor, who would be chosen by Marchioness Weilmar.

Once Aldrian was out of sight, they returned to their posts with heavy hearts. They would need to adjust to the new reality—that Aldrian was no longer the master of the mansion.

Aldrian and his group continued walking through the small forest area that separated the mansion from the rest of the city’s districts. Suddenly, a few figures appeared not far from them, kneeling before Aldrian.

It was Arson Vuran and the Fingers.

"Master, are you leaving now?" Arson asked.

Aldrian nodded.

"Yes, as of now, your work in this city is done. You can return to your base, or you can stay here and continue as usual. If you want to stay I’ve already informed Marchioness Weilmar about your group. She wants to use your group as shadow guardians in Caritas. Your group will become a separate organization from the city’s authority, but you’ll be expected to help maintain order in Caritas," he said.

"That will be the case unless there’s a mission from me. If I call, you’ll still be required to answer," he added.

Arson was stunned, but he nodded.

"Then we’ll stay in this city. It’s better this way. We won’t have to rely entirely on assassination missions to operate as an organization. We can take advantage of the city’s economy to gain resources more effectively, and it gives us a good base. So, there’s nothing bad about it," he answered.

"Alright, you can meet with Marchioness Weilmar when she visits Caritas in a few days. She will announce the new mayor of the city at that time," Aldrian said.

"Alright," Arson replied. "Have a safe trip, master."

"Have a safe trip, master!"

Arson said, followed by the other Fingers. Aldrian smiled at them and walked away, waving his hand as a sign of goodbye.

Aldrian and his group had covered themselves in robes that concealed their entire bodies and most of their faces, hiding from the gaze of others. Now that Aldrian was famous, they couldn’t afford to act as indifferently as they had in the past. They didn’t want to attract any unnecessary attention.

They walked through the bustling streets of Caritas, heading toward the teleportation station. The situation now was vastly different from when they first arrived in the city. There was no longer a gloomy or tense atmosphere. The threat of death and the tyranny of the second prince were gone. The city had regained its vitality, filled once again with the activities and happiness of its people.

They finally arrived at the teleportation station and chose their destination: one of the cities within the Buddhist sect territory, the one nearest to the western side of the Everlasting Silent Forest. From that city, they would need to use another teleportation portal to reach a town located near the border of the Everlasting Silent Forest.

From there, they would travel by conventional means to the Everlasting Silent Forest, where the secret realm of the Xin family was located.

After waiting for some time, their number was finally called. Each of them stepped into the teleportation portal, one by one, with Aldrian being the last to enter. Before stepping through, he took one last look at Caritas, leaving behind a memory of the place as he passed through the portal.

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The Buddhist sect is one of the major powers on the continent, having been established at the same time as the other major powers in ancient times. Their territory is vast, and like the territories of other powers, it is home to many cities and towns where people can live and carry out their activities.

The Buddhist sect’s territory is not a place solely for Buddhist monks or those seeking to free themselves from mundane activities. There are still many economic and everyday activities within the territory, as, no matter what, they cannot entirely sever their connection with the other territories.

The difference is that those who manage these places are followers of the Buddhist sect, but not necessarily monks. They are individuals who wish to help spread the enlightenment of Buddha through their service. These followers have spent time within the Buddhist sect, learning from the monks there.

Another obvious difference is that when someone steps into the Buddhist sect’s territory, they will encounter many monks. Well, this is not surprising, as it is their territory, but it can still be a new experience for some.

Buddhist monks are rare outside of the Buddhist sect’s territory, with only those seeking experience or wishing to spread the teachings and enlightenment of Buddha venturing beyond its borders. The number of these traveling monks is minuscule compared to the population of monks within the main territory.

This was exactly what Aldrian saw the moment he stepped out of the teleportation portal in Dongtian City. Everywhere he looked, he saw monks in kasayas walking among the regular people.

The architectural style of the buildings in this city also resembled that of the demon territory, which intrigued Aldrian, making him wonder why that was the case.

He could also sense the serenity and peaceful atmosphere of the place, as if he had entered a space that relieved him of any weight on his shoulders. It felt as though he could forget all his mundane problems and simply stay here to seek enlightenment.

"Do you want to look around first, or do you want to head straight to the border?" Xin Haotian asked Aldrian and the others.

They had already left the teleportation station and were walking along the bustling streets. Xin Haotian knew that Sylphia and the others usually liked to explore whenever they arrived in a new place, so he asked them first.

Aldrian looked at Sylphia, Baek Jimin and Eleine. He could clearly see the curiosity in their eyes and how eager they were to explore. So, he turned to Xin Haotian. freewebnσvel.cѳm

"Well, I think we can look around first before continuing to the next town. I’m also curious about what this city is like. It feels very different from the other places we’ve visited," he said.

Xin Haotian nodded.

"Alright."

They then walked around the city without any specific destination, simply strolling wherever their feet took them. Even Xin Haotian, who had lived the longest among them, couldn’t confidently say he knew the entire city, as he had only ever used it as a transit point during his travels to and from his family’s secret realm.

After walking for more than four hours, they remarked that there were not as many entertainment places as in other cities in different territories. However, Aldrian understood that the Buddhist sect would not allow something like a brothel or anything too excessive within their territory.

After all, this place was a land of enlightenment for Buddha’s teachings.

After they decided there was nothing else that interested them, they chose to continue their journey.

However, in the midst of their walk toward the teleportation station, Aldrian saw something that piqued his interest. He noticed a little girl, around six or seven years old, selling flower-shaped handicrafts to the people passing by. Although no one had bought her merchandise, she didn’t give up offering her flowers with her delicate hand.

Without much thought, he approached the little girl.

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