"Are you saying that all my father has is strength?" The young man laughed in response. "The reason my father rules the Northern Realm is because he has strength, as well as knowledge!"
"A weak yet knowledgeable man can still win against a strong yet ignorant man through schemes! Many great warriors have fallen like that. But my father is different. He just doesn't have strength but he's the smartest person I know."
The young man appeared somewhat proud as he talked about his father, the Northern General!
"All schemes are useless before absolute strength!" The young girl still refused to agree to what her mother and the son of the Northern General was saying.
She rolled her eyes and followed her mother to the entrance of the mansion.
However, as soon as the three of them stepped closer to the entrance, one of the guards approached the Goddess of Water.
He told the City Lord about Gabriel, saying that there was a man who had supposedly solved one of the top two riddles.
As soon as the Goddess of Water heard the information, she also revealed some surprise on her face.
She didn't expect someone to actually solve the riddle! Everyone thought that this riddle was created by her, but only she knew who actually made that riddle! Even she had never been able to solve it.
She took the sheet of paper from the guard and looked at the answers!
Looking at the answers, she revealed a look of surprise. Even though she didn't know the answer herself, the answers that were given made sense to her. They didn't appear to be nonsense.
"Who was that Scholar? Someone from the Northern Academy? Was it Qian Ye, their topper? I heard a lot about him. Did he come here as well?"
"Ah, yes. Senior Qian came here. However, he entered with an invitation and didn't answer any questions. The person who answered didn't have an invitation," the guard explained.
"Oh?" The Goddess of Water frowned. "To think that there would be a guest like that... Let me see who it is, that can answer what I can't..."
The Goddess of Water revealed a look of curiosity for the first time in her life, which she didn't often reveal.
The guard opened the door, allowing them entrance. On the other hand, the son of Northern General looked slightly upset, to see the Goddess of Water praise another man, since he had a crush on her and wanted to make her his woman!
Not only the Goddess of Water, but he also wanted to monopolize his daughter for himself as well. His wish was to marry both mother and daughter. That's why he was putting so much effort.
****
Inside the Massive Hall, Gabriel was sitting on a table. There was a glass of wine before him, but he hadn't taken even a single sip.
"To think that she would use the riddle that you spoke nonchalantly..." In his head, he was talking to Karyk.
The reason he was easily able to answer the top two riddles was because they were spoken by Karyk in the past. He didn't expect the Goddess of Water to use the same.
"Knowledge without understanding is nothing but ignorance. I doubt even she knew the answer to that..." Karyk shook his head lightly.
However, just as he finished speaking, he felt the door opening.
He stopped talking and sat straight, thinking that it was time for the medicine to be delivered. However, to his surprise, it wasn't the maid who entered.
The person who stepped inside was none other than the Northern General himself!
"Looks like you're doing good." The Northern General took a lazy glance at Karyk.
He didn't notice a single trace of killing intent in Karyk's eyes since Karyk hid it so well.
"Get ready tomorrow. Early morning, we'll be leaving this place!"
"Where are we going?" Karyk answered, seemingly confused.
"That's not for you to worry about. Just be up on time."
The Northern General left after only saying that one thing. However, as he left, Karyk couldn't help but wonder if it was finally time for him to enter the Central World! He didn't have to hide any longer! The time was finally here!
****
In another place, the door of the massive hall opened and the soldiers of the City Lord entered the hall, protecting the three people who entered after them.
Almost all the Scholars stood up, at the sight of the Goddess of Water and her daughter. Looking at the two women, they were in a daze.
They had heard rumors about their beauty, but they realized that the rumors had still underestimated their beauty. They had seen many beautiful women, but the Goddess of Water was long a fairy walking on the land.
Even Gabriel was looking at them, but his expressions were different. He wasn't looking at them because he was appreciating their beauty.
Because he had some memories of Karyk, he remembered the Goddess of Water. Even though a thousand years had passed, she still looked the same as he remembered her to be.
The passage of the hadn't left the slightest mark on her.
However, what surprised him was the girl next to the Goddess of Water, who looked somewhat similar to her. He didn't know that the Goddess of Water had a daughter as well!
On the other side, he also noticed a man that he didn't recognise. However, it was clear that the man was associated with the Northern General, because of the clothes he wore.
While Gabriel was looking at them, one of the guards pointed at him, while speaking something to the Goddess of Water.
After that
, Gabriel saw the Goddess of Water looking at him. Her daughter and the son of the Northern General also looked in his direction, which slightly surprised him.
The three of them walked towards him, amidst the watchful eyes of all the Scholars present there, who wondered why Gabriel attracted their attention.
