Chapter 276: Arriving at Flamecrest City
Flamecrest City is the capital of the Flamecrest Grand Duchy, a city that has stood for millions of years, rich with the history of its sovereign rulers, the Flamecrest family. The city is known by many nicknames, including the City of Heroes and the City of Fire Dragons, but its most famous title is the City of Fire.
Many cultivators compatible with the fire element come to this city to deepen their comprehension and advance their cultivation. The volcanic mountains visible in the distance provide an ideal environment for fire-element cultivators to practice. This is also why the Flamecrest family is renowned as a fire-element-based lineage in the region.
The sun had not yet reached its highest point when Aldrian stepped out of the teleportation portal into the city. The city itself was not so different from Rivas City or the capital of the Doria Empire, except for the noticeable presence of people with red hair walking here and there.
"So this is the place where Father grew up," Aldrian thought.
Without wasting any time, he decided to find a place for them to stay first. It was his usual procedure whenever he arrived in a new city. Since they didn’t know anyone familiar with the area, they relied on the most common approach—asking the locals.
After finding what they were looking for, Aldrian’s group headed toward an inn said to be located near the Flamecrest family mansion. It was reputed to be the best in the city. The inn was owned by the Flamecrest family, which worked in Aldrian’s favor. At the very least, this gave him a legitimate entry point to approach the Flamecrest family—"legally."
Amidst their journey to the inn, Aldrian observed his surroundings. He could sense the awkward atmosphere whenever members of the Flamecrest family passed by. People didn’t dare voice their opinions in front of them, yet the news of the family harboring devils had truly shocked the populace.
The people of this city, who had long regarded the Flamecrest family as their heroes, found it hard to believe what had happened. Some believed that even if devils were found among the Flamecrest ranks, it was merely an oversight or a misunderstanding. For the most part, the citizens still seemed to have faith in the Flamecrest family.
However, this was not the case for those who were not from the city. They seemed to condemn the Flamecrest family and held harsh opinions about them. The news of devils being linked to the Flamecrest was like a hammer shattering their faith in the family’s integrity. They felt betrayed by the nobles who had produced so many heroes across generations for both the family and the empire as a whole.