Only the second possibility remains:

Even in a foreign land, Le Song heard about it:

The black-haired girl who had just become the consort of Dibiles, an excellent talent with a good head on her shoulders.

Unlike that foolish nephew, she didn't believe that the consort had to be male.

Considering the prevalent "yuri culture" in Dibiles, Le Song felt that it was perfectly normal for the queen's companion to be a girl.

Moreover, recalling the determined fighting style of Wang Xiaole and the sight of her flowing black hair, he could almost confirm her identity.

Black hair was rare in the Western continent, and unless someone was close to the queen, they shouldn't be fighting so fiercely on the battlefield.

All that was left was a confirmation.

Before answering the lady's question, Le Song could only impolitely retort:

"Are you the consort of Dibiles?"

"Yes," came the spontaneous single-word reply.

Thanks to Wang Xiaole's honesty, they saved a lot of time;

From Le Song's perspective, he could finally continue the previous topic.

"So, you want to ask me about the hot springs, right?"

Because their weapons were confiscated and the room restricted the use of magic, Le Song was not bound;

Exactly because of this, he could continue by spreading his hands and telling the girl in front of him the truth:

"I was given an extra order by the Knight Princess to trap the consort of Dibiles as soon as she appeared."

"What's the purpose of that?" Wang Xiaole would ask, not remembering any enmity with Inran's Knight Princess, nor holding any grudge.

"It's a test from Her Highness. If you can break through our blockade, it means you are qualified to go to her, and I will be responsible for informing you of her exact location at that time."

"But I never said I wanted to meet your Highness."

"But you want to see Flora, right? Her Highness told me that the moment that name is mentioned, you can't sit still."

"She's with your Highness?"

"I don't know the specifics, but if the lady decides to go, I can tell you the current location of Her Highness."

Considering himself quite sincere, Le Song hoped the other party would see it that way as well.

To show he had nothing to hide, he even informed Wang Xiaole further without waiting for her to inquire:

"This test has a time limit. Her Highness has given you three days. Once tonight passes twelve o'clock, you'll only have one day left!"

"What if I don't reach there within the stipulated time..."

"Her Highness will leave the place! If that happens, it will be even more difficult for you to meet her."

Wang Xiaole knew the current situation:

Without seeing Yechuxue, he couldn't find Flora;

To avoid exceeding the set time, he had to leave immediately and rush to that place without a moment's rest.

Unable to completely rule out the possibility of traps, some things could not be done without taking certain risks.

"All right, I'll go, tell me the location now."

"I'm not good at giving directions, all I can offer you is a practical tool."

Reaching into the inner pocket of his coat, Le Song fumbled around inside and then pulled out a folded map.

At first glance, Wang Xiaole doubted the efficiency of the kingdom's officials on this side. How could the soldiers have missed such an obvious thing?

Was it the custom here to not confiscate anything other than weapons? Were the people of this country so naive?

He also had another impression.

Wang Xiaole couldn't believe that the old man in front of him would conceal a girlish heart and use a map predominantly in pink style.

As the map was spread out on the table, Le Song pointed to a pink circle on it, indicating the location of the hot springs.

"It's quite far, even riding the fastest horse, you may not be able to reach there within a day."

"There are several spare griffins in the army. If the lady is willing, I can lend them to you for use."

"Is it okay for you, old man, to help an enemy like me?"

"It's okay; after all, you are a strong opponent I rarely acknowledge. If you, the exceptional you, miss meeting Her Highness due to the dull reason of distance, I would find it regretful."

"Is the old man so eager for me to meet your country's princess?"

"Very much so! If you meet Her Highness, you might be captivated by her charm, and that could be a great opportunity to bring you to our country."

"Haha, impossible."

In the end, Wang Xiaole raised a flag and took the map.

"I appreciate your kindness, but throughout the ages, I have never heard that a royal consort could 'jump ship'; I will take this map, no need for the griffins. I can arrive there tomorrow night by speeding up, just a bit more effort."

Accepting the kindness was not a problem, but Wang Xiaole, upon hearing Le Song's honest words, noted something:

For the sake of his position, he should try not to owe any favors, lest he end up with his hands tied later.

After giving a warning not to attempt to escape, Wang Xiaole left without looking back, leaving Le Song alone in the room lost in thought.

"I was advised by Her Highness not to say anything unnecessary, and I really did it, but I still feel a bit regretful."

During his contemplation, accompanied by a muttered statement.

Le Song was acutely aware:

Though Her Highness may appear as a delinquent girl, the reason to visit the companion of an old rival was probably not from a simple frame of mind;

Yet even so, it couldn't be denied:

The Knight Princess of the Inran Empire was typical of having a tough exterior but a soft heart, and still preserving a girlish heart.

There was one detail that Le Song couldn't bring himself to say:

The map he handed to Wang Xiaole wasn't his own.

It was a crucial item that Yechuxue had handed to him through teleportation magic, a handcrafted map...

Wang Xiaole made a detour to the room to change into a clean set of clothes and have a private word with Qiuyan.

The change of clothes was included in his luggage, already prepared.

It was men's clothing, and for a moment, Wang Xiaole wondered why it wasn't women's clothing, but then he realized the "answer":

Qiuyan probably thought that dressing as a man would make him less conspicuous and deliberately prepared it.

This guess was one hundred percent wrong.

Later that night, he would realize:

He had been too naive about the girl all this time...

"Is the master going out again?"

Just as Wang Xiaole took off his coat and damaged undershirt, Qiuyan came over on her own, making it easier.

"Yes, I'll be out for a while, maybe a few days, maybe half a month without returning."

"Why? Ha, I've decided to keep the master company tonight."

Upon hearing Qiuyan say this, Wang Xiaole was convinced:

Leaving before deep into the night without her, was an extremely correct choice.

"It seems like the master hasn't prepared my luggage."

No matter how unobservant he was, Qiuyan noticed the packed water and food prepared for one person.

Since she had observed it, Wang Xiaole took the opportunity to explain to her:

"I have decided to leave alone. You stay in the capital and wait for me to come back."

With a loud bang, Qiuyan's expression looked as if struck by lightning, stunned in place.

"When the freshness expires, the poor maid who is tired of the master, will be abandoned like this..."

She not only stood still but also mistakenly created a misunderstanding.

"Don't paint me as this despicable, and don't use such ambiguous terms. I'm going out on business, and during this period, don't expect to have an easy time either."

At the moment of departure, the master instructed the maid:

"Keep an eye on the important captives, don't let anyone escape; if you come across any attempted escapees, don't be merciful, give them a good beating first."

"Watching captives... Understood. Any other orders?"

Unable to speak out another matter straightforwardly, Wang Xiaole gestured for Qiuyan to come closer and whispered her new orders.

"Hmm, it seems I guessed right about the master's intentions; then, when should I act on this?"

"No rush, start by forming close ties with the influential powers of the suzerain country in my name; once those people find a new heir, you will continue..."

Due to his distrust of Qiuyan's capabilities, Wang Xiaole briefed her on the complete plan briefly;

What was left to Qiuyan was the simple execution of the plan.

Her biggest worry was no longer being needed by the master, evident since her days as Charley's sidekick.

Therefore, for any request that would separate her from the master, she would always hold a vigilant heart.

However, things were different when there were tasks at hand.

"Having something to do" meant "still being needed," indicating that she wasn't abandoned but temporarily separated from the master to fulfill the mission assigned to her.

Although the outcome was the same, it was enough for Qiuyan to accept it.

"As long as the master still needs me, I promise not to mess up these two things!"

In the eyes of the drowsy maid, a flame of determination burned deep within her eyes.

That night, Wang Xiaole avoided the army's sight and left the capital unnoticed by others.

With no moon tonight and no shadows accompanying him, he traversed the desolate lands hearing the hoot of owls and sped towards the hot spring site.