Bortuguesa was a paradise. The country was in harmony with the earth and self-sufficient, and the people here were sincere and diligent.As Gloria gazed at the quiet city in the distance, she said enviously, “Bortuton is amazing. Its environment is wonderful and the locals are great too.”“Bortuton’s local delicacies are amazing too. I’ll take you to try some tonight,” said Hayden smilingly.Lacey drove into the city as they chatted, and Hayden followed closely. After about ten minutes, Lacey stopped in front of a clinic and got out of the car.Hayden parked the car and said, “We’re here.”Adrian and the others quickly got out and went up to Lacey. When Lacey entered the clinic, two nineteen-year-old Bortuguesan greeted her, “Ms. Lacey, you’re back.”She nodded and said to the two young men, “Jose, Adao, have you prepared the room as I’ve told you to? Our guests are here.”Jose and Adao nodded and said, “Yes, it’s all ready.”“Great.” Lacey walked further into the clinic. A

It was unbelievable. Truly unbelievable. Adrian’s desire to meet this Medical Saint grew at this moment. He did not mind about Nicholas possessing a piece of the meteorite, of course. He then followed Jose to the back of the clinic where two rooms had already been cleaned up for guests.Jose showed Adrian and the others to the rooms and said, “Dear guests, this is where you’ll be staying. There are two rooms here. Please make yourself at home.”“Thank you, Jose,” said Adrian with a smile. Jose nodded. “Not a problem. You’re our guests. Come to me if you need anything, anytime. I live here too.”Gloria said smilingly, “Thank you so much.”Jose left them to it.Mya plopped onto one of the beds and dangled her legs over the side. She said to Hayden, “Hey, take a room for yourself. I’ll bunk with Gloria.”Hayden scratched his head. “I won’t be staying, Ms. Mya. You guys go ahead and have a good stay. I’ll make some arrangements for you to taste the local delicacies tonight.”“

After about ten minutes of soaking, Gloria’s body adapted to the temperature, and the burning sensation from earlier vanished. She felt as if the medicinal herbs in the bath were seeping into her body through her pores. Then, she noticed she was very relaxed. Gloria’s face was flushed but she felt as if a weight had been lifted off her. Next to her, Lacey was making preparations. She did not speak but would check on Gloria occasionally. About half an hour later, Lacey asked, “How do you feel? How’s the temperature?”Gloria answered, “Not as hot as before.”Lacey beckoned at Adrian and said, “Add more hot water.”Adrian lifted up a pot of hot water that he poured into the tub. The process repeated in this manner for about two hours. Meanwhile, Lacey prepared a fresh tub, pouring in some newly-brewed medicinal herbs. The concoction in this new tub was different from the first one. Lacey hastily said, “Come, get into this. It might hurt, but it’s normal and nothing to worry about

Lacey chuckled, clearly indifferent toward Adrian’s question. She said, “Different people have different goals. For example, you may be the war legate, but you’re worlds apart from Nick who’s in the medical field. He is incapable of leading Wyvern Peak. Neither is capable of watching over millions of people. As for the power and wealth you speak of, I suppose that’s the compensation you receive for your sacrifice. Aren’t you retired now?”Adrian heaved a sigh in answer to Lacey’s question. She continued, “Nick wouldn’t have helped you if not because you’re retired. He only helps two types of people—the poor who are suffering but unable to afford medical help and those who are worthy of his respect. It’s apparent you belong in the second category.” Adrian smiled but did not respond. Gloria and Mya stopped chatting as well.About another thirty minutes later, Lacey heaved a sigh, saying, “Okay, that’s all to today’s acupuncture. We’ll do this again at the same time tomorrow. Let’s

Maila laughed heartily. Hayden made an invitatory gesture and said, “Come along, everyone.”The three followed Hayden and Maila into the house where dinner was already prepared. Maila’s parents and younger brother were there too, and they welcomed their guests enthusiastically.Just as Hayden said, Bortuguesans were enthusiastic and hospitable, and these values were perfectly embodied by Maila and her family. Adrian, Gloria, and Mya enjoyed a scrumptious feast of Bortugueasan delicacies in Maila’s home, clueless about what was secretly happening in Navia. ***It was late at night in Novemton’s headquarters. Crystal was working in the HQ office as usual when the ten elders and a few of Wyvern Peak’s battle warriors walked in. She was extremely puzzled by their sudden appearance. “Your Majesty, we receive rather urgent information from the border.” A middle-aged man approached and placed a document on Crystal’s table. She paused her task and picked up the document. She said to e