A Righteous Female Knight Never Compromises!-Chapter 26 : Elf Queen Who Travelled the World
{Chapter 26} Elf Queen Who Travelled the World
"Next time you contact me, we must have a meal together!"
Happy times always pass quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was time to say goodbye.
After all, Anna was only here for her promotion this time and didn’t plan to revisit her alma mater, which she had practically worn out from frequent visits.
Maybe ten years from now, she might return out of nostalgia, but after only half a year of leaving… it’s better to forget it for now.
"Definitely, make sure to call Little Anna and Gianna when the time comes," Anna responded to Scarlett’s farewell.
"Come on, the three of us can always find a way to stay in touch. It’s you who’s always hard to reach. If you were easier to contact, we would’ve already had that meal," Scarlett rolled her eyes. "And you, don’t go acting like you don’t know us when the time comes."
"Do you think I’d dare?"
Anna waved her hand and walked out of the school gate with Atala.
"So, Atala, how was the tour?"
"The Knight Academy is exactly as described in the travelogue, big and majestic," Atala marveled. "And the buildings are all so new, with such a beautiful layout. It’s hard to believe these are human structures from over three thousand years ago."
"That’s because the Knight Academy spends a portion of its budget every year hiring mages to renovate the buildings," Anna laughed. "When I was studying here, some students even organized an ‘Anti-Building Renovation’ campaign, demanding that the budget spent on renovations be redirected to the students. But the old principal completely ignored them."
"...If the budget is limited, isn’t it reasonable not to spend money on such things?"
"Eh? Even elves think that way?" Anna was surprised. "I thought elves, who pursue beauty, wouldn’t see any issue with this budget..."
"Elves may pursue beauty, but we don’t ignore other aspects!" Atala retorted. "We’re not some foolish race!"
"Haha... But the old principal didn’t explain either. He just handled the students coldly, and soon they stopped making a fuss," Anna continued reminiscing. "Those students were just caught up in the moment. When they saw they couldn’t achieve anything, they simply stopped caring."
"Anyway, no one feels uncomfortable living in beautiful buildings, and the Knight Academy’s funding has always been high. It’s not like they’re short on money for renovations. If they really cut this budget, I’m sure new students would start protesting again."
"But, Atala, what’s this travelogue you mentioned earlier?"
"This!"
Atala suddenly produced a thick, exquisitely bound book.
"This is the travel diary of the queen from three generations ago, documenting her experiences in the human world and her year-long journey across various places. It’s basically what inspired me to travel!"
"I see... Do you mind if I take a look?"
"Of course!"
Walking to a pavilion by the roadside, Anna and Atala sat down together and opened the hefty book.
Contrary to Anna’s expectations, the book wasn’t filled with dense text but instead featured hand-drawn illustrations of remarkably high quality.
"These illustrations were all drawn by the queen herself!" Atala seemed to admire the queen greatly. "She was skilled in painting, music, sculpture, dance, and had extensive knowledge of drama from around the world. Her literary talent was also quite impressive!"
"Indeed..." Just from this travelogue, it was clear that the queen’s writing was of a high caliber.
"I remember the part about the Knight Academy is on page 135."
Following Atala’s guidance, Anna flipped to that page and immediately saw a familiar illustration.
"Isn’t this the Sword Monument? And the classrooms on either side..."
The queen’s drawing skills were truly exceptional. Even though the illustrations were just line drawings without color, the lines seemed to radiate a magical brilliance. Just by looking at the sketches, it felt as if the brain automatically filled in the colors, bringing the true image of the Knight Academy to life.
After briefly reading the chapter about the Knight Academy, Anna saw that the queen began with the academy’s history, discussed its diverse architectural styles, and then connected these styles to their historical significance. She also mentioned the principal and the king at the time, interspersed with many amusing anecdotes and observations.
Everywhere, it was evident that the queen had a profound understanding of the kingdom’s history and that of the Carrick Empire.
"This book is really good," Anna nodded after finishing the chapter. "I’d like a copy too."
"When I return to the Elven Forest, or if we go there together, I’ll give you one!" Seeing her recommendation so well-received, Atala couldn’t hide her smile.
"Alright, let’s head back then!"
The promotion didn’t take long, and now they could still make it back in time for lunch.
Anna led the horse out of the stable, mounted it first, and then reached out to pull Atala onto the tall steed—
"Whoa!?"
However, perhaps her hand was too high, and instead of grabbing Atala’s hand, Anna accidentally brushed against Atala’s left ear.
Given the slightly longer ears, it was a reasonable mistake.
"Ah, sorry!" Anna quickly apologized, seeing Atala jump up at the touch, and promptly helped her onto the horse.
"It’s... it’s fine..."
Sitting behind Anna, Atala’s breathing was still a bit heavy. Though Anna couldn’t see her face, she could easily imagine Atala’s flushed cheeks.
If Helga had touched her ears, she’d probably react the same way.
Filled with guilt, Anna found herself at a loss for words.
"...Anna."
"Huh?"
Thankfully, Atala spoke up first, and Anna quickly responded.
"...Never mind."
But Atala didn’t continue, leaving Anna confused.
Seemingly noticing Anna’s confusion, Atala sighed, and her breathing gradually steadied.
"Has anyone ever told you that your memory is terrible?"
"Where! My memory is great!... Probably."
"If you say your memory is great, don’t add a ‘probably’ afterward," Atala’s tone returned to normal. "Think about it, have you forgotten something?"
"Forgotten something?"
As Anna rode the horse out of the inner city, she racked her brain—
"Oh no!"
"What’s wrong...?"
"I forgot to pay Scarlett back!"
She had just been thinking about repaying Scarlett those 10 gold coins, but how could she have forgotten right after saying goodbye!?
"So, are you going to pay her back now...?"
"Let’s just forget it. We’ll be going out for a meal together later anyway. I’ll just return the 10 gold coins the next time we meet..."
"I think you’ll probably forget again."
"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"
Chapter 26 : Elf Queen Who Travelled the World
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