Fantasy World: I Can Travel To Cultivation World

"Luis? Why are you here?"

"I..." Luis hesitated, momentarily caught off guard. Then he blurted out something nonsensical, "I came to see the half-elf slave girl."

"Is that so?" Prince William's face lit up with sudden understanding, followed by a sly, knowing smile. "Then you should have come to me! The best half-elf slave girls in Silvermoon City are all under my care!"

Luis blinked, finding the prince's words somewhat...ridiculous.

"It's fine. I'm just browsing, really. I don't intend to buy anything," Luis said quickly, steering the conversation away. "Why are you here, Your Highness?"

"I'm investigating the Hyacinth Chamber of Commerce," Prince William said candidly. "We received a report that they've been evading taxes!"

"That's absurd! Your Highness!" Sith, the chamber's representative, exclaimed in protest. "You checked us not long ago! We're law-abiding citizens—we would never evade taxes!"

"Whether it's true or not, we'll find out soon enough." Prince William dismissed Sith's plea with a wave of his hand.

Moments later, a team of half-elf guards, as fierce as wolves and tigers, stormed forward. They grabbed Sith and carried him off into the chamber.

"My apologies, Luis. Duty calls, and I must see this through. I'm afraid I can't accompany you further."
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"It's fine, Your Highness. Go ahead and take care of your business. I'll just wander around on my own."

"Luis, I'll definitely catch up with you another time! Oh, and about the half-elf slave girl—you don't need to worry. I'll personally gift you the finest one when I'm done here!"

"No, no, that's far too kind," Luis replied, forcing a polite smile.

After bidding farewell to the overly enthusiastic prince, Luis returned to the palace on his own.

With Vera's wedding half a month away, he had little pressing to do in the meantime.

Luis decided to explore the palace grounds leisurely.

As he wandered, a familiar fragrance caught his attention.

Following the scent, Luis entered an open-air garden.

There, a sea of blood roses bloomed vividly, their fiery red petals swaying gently in the breeze.

Luis approached one of the flowers, inspecting it closely as though comparing it to the blood roses he'd seen at the Hyacinth Chamber of Commerce.

At this moment, sound of footsteps could be heard and Luis decided to hide himself.

He opened the vortex and looked at the fantasy world through the cultivation world.

It was Asmon who walked towards this garden. After arriving here he began gazing at the Blood Rose.

----

A few moments later, another figure walked into the garden.

"Asmon?"

An elegant, slightly magnetic voice suddenly sounded.

Asmon smiled and turned to look at Queen Elsa, who had just arrived.

"Your Majesty!"

Queen Elsa waved her hand, signaling that Asmon need not be formal.

She walked slowly toward him, a charming smile gracing her beautiful face. "Asmon, do you also like Blood Roses?"

Asmon stood straighter but lowered his head slightly to avoid her gaze. "Yes. After all, everyone appreciates beautiful things."

"Did you know?" Queen Elsa continued, her tone soft yet intriguing. "The most beautiful Blood Roses need to be watered with blood."

By now, she was standing right beside Asmon.

The faint fragrance of her presence lingered in the air, stirring his senses.

"Really? No wonder they're called Blood Roses," Asmon replied with a polite smile, rubbing his nose as if to shake off the sudden intensity.

Queen Elsa picked a Blood Rose, brought it to her nose, and sniffed delicately. Then, she nodded. "Yes. And the more powerful the blood, the more vibrant and beautiful the flower becomes."

As Asmon opened his mouth to respond, she interrupted by tucking the rose into her hair. Tilting her head slightly, she asked with an innocent expression,

"Am I beautiful?"

Asmon froze for a moment before meeting her gaze. He nodded. "Of course."

Queen Elsa smiled, her expression reminiscent of a young girl basking in praise.

"I heard you like Miss Vera," she said suddenly.

"Yes," Asmon admitted.

"Ah, I, too, know the pain of being unable to have the one you love." A trace of sorrow flickered in Queen Elsa's eyes, as if she truly empathized with him.

Asmon raised his head, meeting her gaze. Then, he laughed softly. "Your Highness, you're joking. Haven't you married your beloved?"

"Do you really think so?" Queen Elsa's bitter smile hinted at a deeper truth.

Asmon said nothing.

Sensing his caution, she sighed. "I know you don't trust me. But I can see that Miss Vera doesn't want to marry Tupe. You must be her true love."

"Your Highness, you're joking," Asmon said evenly, careful not to reveal anything.

"I'm not joking," Queen Elsa said seriously. "If possible, I would even hope you could take Miss Vera away."

Asmon laughed again, brushing off her words.

"Your Highness, I just remembered I have something to attend to. Please excuse me." He turned to leave.

"Very well," Queen Elsa replied, her voice calm.

After Asmon left, she reached for the Blood Rose she had tucked into her hair. Gently crushing it in her hand, she opened her palm, letting the delicate petals scatter in the breeze.

"If you were still alive," she murmured softly, her voice carried away by the wind, "would you dare to take me away?"

----

A series of questions swirled in Luis' mind.

He suddenly felt that the current situation was becoming very interesting.

With an excited smile, Luis turned and walked toward his residence. By now, the garden was empty as he came out after Queen Elsa walked away.

Thinking and walking all the way, Luis soon arrived at his door.

There, he noticed a petite, pretty half-elf girl standing by his entrance.

"Knight, who is this lady?" Luis asked, puzzled.

"Sir, this is Cathy, the slave girl Prince William personally sent over just now. He said it was a gift for you."

Luis suddenly remembered. At the time, he thought Prince William had only been joking, but he hadn't expected him to actually send over a half-elf slave.

The half-elf girl stood about 1.6 meters tall, slender and frail, as if a strong breeze could knock her over.

Her delicate, beautiful face was framed by long, pointed ears, and her big amber eyes glimmered with innocence. She wore a simple green dress, and an iron ring encircled her left ankle—a stark symbol of her slavery. She exuded a mysterious and fragile temperament that evoked pity.

Seeing Luis looking at her, Cathy blushed, stepped forward, and bowed. "My Lord, Prince William asked me to follow you from now on."

The knight handed over a document at just the right moment. "Sir, this is her slave contract. His Royal Highness has already signed it. Once you sign your name, she will officially be yours."

Luis accepted the contract reluctantly. Glancing at Cathy, he sighed and said, "Come in with me."

After entering the room, Luis sat down in a chair. Cathy quickly poured a glass of water and offered it to him.

"My Lord, please drink some water," she said timidly.

Luis smiled at her anxious expression and waved his hand. "You don't have to be so nervous."

He pointed to the seat opposite him. "Take a seat."

Cathy obeyed, sitting down carefully. Her back remained straight, and she seemed unable to fully relax.

"How did you become a slave?" Luis asked, observing her demeanor. From her appearance and temperament, she didn't seem like the child of a slave.

"My father used to be a businessman," Cathy explained, her voice trembling. "But he went bankrupt and sold me to pay off his debts." Tears welled up in her eyes as she spoke.

'A cliché story,' Luis thought. 'How much of it is true or false, I wonder?'

Still, he couldn't ignore the pitiful sight before him.

"How long have you been with Prince William?" Luis continued.

"I was sold to him today," Cathy replied softly.

Luis leaned back, considering her words, then said, "Come here."

Cathy immediately stood and approached him.

"Closer," he instructed.

She took another hesitant step forward.

Suddenly, Luis stood up, startling her.

They were now very close, and Luis deliberately leaned in, his face mere inches from hers.

Cathy seemed to realize something, and her delicate face turned bright red.

Luis' masculine presence unsettled her, leaving her mind completely blank.

At that moment, Luis suddenly asked, "What's your last name?"

"My last name..." Cathy snapped back to her senses, her eyes widening. Quickly, she corrected herself. "Sir, I am just a slave. How could I have a last name?"

"Not even before you became a slave?"

Cathy shook her head. "My Lord, I was just a commoner before."

Luis smiled coldly, clearly unconvinced.

Her instinctive reaction moments ago had betrayed her.

In this world, only nobles were allowed to have surnames. If Cathy had truly been a commoner, she wouldn't have naturally mentioned having a last name.

Luis' mind raced. Could Cathy belong to the Miller family? Or perhaps the Rutte family?

It wouldn't be unheard of for families to sell one of their own into slavery to infiltrate their enemies as a spy.

But another possibility struck Luis—Cathy might not be tied to the Millers or Ruttes at all. She could be from a Hidden Family.

Luis leaned back and gave a dismissive wave. "You can go now."

"Yes, My Lord." Cathy looked at Luis with a pitiful expression before turning and running out, as skittish as a frightened deer.

Luis watched her retreating figure, a thoughtful smirk playing on his lips.

His plan could definitely be improved.

Cathy, Queen Elsa, Millers, Asmon...

This place was becoming far more interesting.