Mist Empire’s Rise: Fake Noble to Fog Queen

"Puhahahahaha—"

Luo Wei burst into uncontrollable laughter.

Usually, she didn't laugh much, but this time, she really couldn't help it.

"Gladys, how can you be so adorable!" Luo Wei laughed until tears came to her eyes.

After composing herself, she wiped her eyes and became serious: "I'm sorry, Gladys. I apologize for my griffin's behavior. Can you forgive me?"

Gladys's fluffy ear tips twitched. She turned her back, held her head high toward the sky, with her pointed wolf muzzle, chin, chest, and front legs forming a straight line.

"Hmph!"

"You even laughed at me. One apology is not enough!"

"Pfft," Luo Wei couldn't hold back, covering her mouth while laughing, "How about I apologize twice?"

"I'm sorry, Gladys. I shouldn't have laughed at you. Can you forgive me?"

The little wolf's tail wagged slightly while maintaining her proud pose, with steamy mist coming from her moist black nose.

"Fine."

"Two apologies... I'll reluctantly forgive you."

"Then..." Luo Wei crouched down, extending her mischievous hands toward the little wolf, politely asking, "Dear Gladys, may I pet your ears?"

Gladys whipped her head around, her ice-blue eyes looking at her in disbelief.

"You... just apologized, feel no guilt?"

Though her sentences were broken, Luo Wei understood her meaning. Gladys was protesting that she had hurt her fragile feelings, and right after apologizing, she felt no remorse and still wanted to pet her ears.

"Ah," Luo Wei sighed heavily, "But who told Gladys to be so cute?"

She withdrew her hands with obvious disappointment, saying sadly: "Since Gladys doesn't want me to, I won't pet you then, even though you promised before..."

The little wolf's ears drooped guiltily as she hesitated for a moment. Then she lifted her snow-white paws and turned around, extending her fluffy head toward Luo Wei's hand.

"Here, you can pet me."

"I, Gladys, always keep my promises!"

Luo Wei's expression changed from tears to smiles as her two "evil" hands pressed down, ruffling the little wolf's soft head. Knowing that animals' ears are sensitive, she didn't use much force and avoided the ears while petting the head.

The little wolf hadn't shed her winter coat yet, so her entire body was soft, with fur that wasn't coarse at all. It felt fluffy and comfortable to touch. After ruffling her head, she gently stroked the little wolf's ears a couple of times.

"Alright, I'm done. Thank you, Gladys."

Gladys's ears twitched, her voice becoming higher pitched: "Y-you're welcome."

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Luo Wei was surprised to find that the little wolf was actually blushing. Even through the layer of snow-white fur, she could see a hint of red. Who would have thought that Gladys, who appeared so aloof in her human form, could be so shy.

Feeling embarrassed under Luo Wei's gaze, Gladys backed away slightly and changed the subject: "Luo Wei, why did you... come to the ice plains?"

"I came to see the scenery," Luo Wei said. "After leaving the Magic Beast Mountains, I just happened to wander here."

Gladys asked puzzled: "The Magic Beast Mountains are so far away, how is that 'just happened'?"

"It's not far at all. It only takes half a day by griffin."

Gladys: "Oh."

"What about you, Gladys? How did you encounter the griffin?" Luo Wei asked.

"It's all because of my brother and the Headmaster," Gladys said angrily. "The Headmaster wrote a letter complaining, and my brother wanted to send me to school. I wouldn't let him!"

Luo Wei: "So you snuck out by yourself?"

"Yes!" Gladys nodded. "I transformed smaller and rode Frost-frost away."

"Frost-frost is that white bear?"

"Yes."

Luo Wei covered her face - such an odd name for a massive polar bear.

She continued asking: "So you just rode off on it like that, without even bringing any clothes?"

Gladys lowered her head, alternately pawing at the ground sheepishly: "I had a backpack with clothes, but my brother chased me and took it away."

Luo Wei immediately pictured a little silver wolf with a backpack fleeing on a white bear's back. She couldn't help but smile fondly at the mental image.

So cute. She wanted to hug her to death.

Controlling her excessive thoughts, Luo Wei asked Gladys: "I have some spare clothes I've never worn. Would you like a set?"

"Yes!" Gladys agreed immediately, wagging her tail. "Thank you Luo Wei, you're a good person."

Just giving her clothes makes her a good person - this little wolf is so innocent!

Luo Wei mused to herself.

She found a loose-fitting casual outfit from her dimensional storage and gave it to Gladys.

Since Gladys was taller than her, even her loosest clothes might just barely fit.

Gladys put her paw on the clothes and thanked her again.

"Do you want to put them on now?" Luo Wei turned around. "I won't look, you can change."

"It's okay if you look, you're a girl," Gladys said slowly, "but I won't wear them now. They would be afraid."

"Then I'll find a small bag for you to carry them in."

Luo Wei took out a small cloth bag from her storage box, tore off some strips to retie it, turning it into a small backpack.

"Want me to help you put it on?" she turned and asked Gladys.

"Yes please." Gladys nodded, the soft fur on her head swaying with the movement.

"Here, lift your right paw first, then your left," Luo Wei slipped the backpack straps over her front legs, adjusting the position so the bag sat in the middle of her back. "Is it too tight?"

"No, it's not tight." Gladys's ears twitched.

"Good. I'll have the griffin release the polar bear, you two be careful on your way." Luo Wei said.

Gladys looked up questioningly: "Luo Wei, aren't you going back to Siria?"

"Of course I am, why wouldn't I?"

Gladys: "Only five days left, we can go back together."

Luo Wei hesitated for a moment before slowly nodding: "Alright."

She had a point - there was no meaning in going to Exile City now, and returning too late might mean missing the start of school.

Her purpose in coming to the North was to gather some free labor, and she had already collected quite a few along the way. Any more people and her wallet wouldn't be able to handle it.

Ah, it's a pity she didn't find many able-bodied workers - most of those she found along the way were elderly, weak, sick or disabled.

Better than nothing though.

"Wait in the carriage for a bit, I need to go out," Luo Wei instructed Gladys before getting off the carriage and walking toward Troy.

She definitely couldn't bring so many children back to Siria - Star Pavilion couldn't house that many people.

Luo Wei asked Troy to first take Yage and the others to Sisda Town, then come back to take her and Gladys to Siria.

"Alright."

Troy agreed and had the griffin lower itself to carry the six children up.

When it came to Yage's turn, he refused.

"I want to stay with you," Yage stubbornly looked at Luo Wei. "You said you would take us away, you didn't say you'd hand us over to others."

Luo Wei smiled: "Little one, I only said I would save you, not that I would keep you by my side forever."

"Tell me," she bent down, resting her hands on her knees, "Didn't you think I was hypocritical? Didn't you say you didn't want to believe in the God of Death and Time? Why do you want to follow me now?"

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