manynovel Page 151
Page 151
You chuckled and headed towards town under the gloomy sky. You have to admit, one person's misery is misery, but the misery of a group of people takes on a slightly comedic element...
That night, you returned to Listening to the Wind Terrace and confidently knocked on the old lady's door.
Seeing the bewildered old lady open the door, you cleared your throat and said, "A day's absence makes one look at me with new eyes. I am no longer the ignorant fool I once was. Bring it on!"
"...Are you sick?" The old woman glanced at the dark sky outside and couldn't help but say, "I'm an old widow, and you come knocking on my door every day. Aren't you afraid of what will happen if word gets out?"
"Huh?" You scratched your head in confusion, then confidently gave a thumbs up and laughed, "My persistence will only earn me more respect from the world!"
The old woman's delicate body trembled, and she subconsciously took a step back, saying in horror, "The domineering sorcerer has actually fallen in love with me, who has already gone through menopause..."
You widened your eyes, took a step back in equal fear, and shouted, "Slander! Slander! I said I came to answer the questions! I just wanted to look up some information about the area at Listening Wind Terrace!"
"Really?" The old lady's expression instantly calmed down. She frowned and said, "Then, please listen to the question."
[You secretly shoved distress messages into Silver Shrew's beacon, but outwardly you gave a confident, cold laugh and said, "Come on, let's fight!"]
"First question: Are you a student in the intermediate class at Qing Teng Academy?"
"The towers around here belong to the 'Crowbar' clan. They are descendants of Tutu, the mine-guarding official of the Kingdom of Gigi. The towers' architectural style was influenced by both Andora and Elven styles, which is why they appear spacious and prosperous. Their favorite dish is landmine sashimi... Hmm?" You followed Teacher Yin's answer for a while before realizing that the old lady's question seemed a bit off, and you paused in surprise.
"Oh, you've answered all the questions from last night." The old lady narrowed her eyes, nodded with a smile, and said, "It seems your tutor must be that person. But the fact that he responded to you so quickly means you two must have a good relationship. So, you're actually a good student?"
Although it's unclear what the old woman guessed, judging from her tone, she seems to know a lot, and might even be considered one of their own.
[So you chuckled and said, "Of course, I'm Teacher Yin's best student. We're of one mind and one heart, completely devoted to each other, and share the same bed..."]
[“Hiss…” You noticed the old lady’s suddenly strange gaze, covered your mouth and muttered, “Oh no, I let it slip…”]
"Hmm?" The old lady frowned and asked, "Is your mentor named Yin Xiu'er? You said you're her best student, so show me your self-created spell. Just tell me the name of the spell."
"Alright, my self-created spell is called Mage's..." Your voice suddenly caught in your throat, a bead of cold sweat appearing on your forehead. You'd almost forgotten that the description of your spell was written in classical Chinese!
"A mage?" The old woman connected to the magic network in front of you, glanced at you, and frowned, asking, "Why is your face red?"
[You're sweating profusely, having missed a perfect opportunity to be the straight man. After a fierce internal struggle, you lower your head and say, "I have two techniques I can tell you about, but don't look at my description."]
"Hey, you little rascal!" The old lady chuckled. "Now that you mention it, I'm even more inclined to take a look."
"The 'Mage's Slip of the Hand' and the 'Mage's Black Hand.'" You sense that this old lady probably has some unusual relationship with Teacher Yin. After struggling for a while, you finally gave up and touched your conscience, only to find surprisingly no unease. So you paused, grinned, and said:
"I created two techniques myself, one written in reed script, and the other also written in reed script."
The old lady found your technique, remained silent for a long time, frowned, sighed, and hunched over as she went into the house.
"Fine, since you're so despicable yet Silver Xiuer trusts you so much, you must have some extraordinary qualities I don't know about." She opened the door, beckoned sadly, and said, "Come in. It's been a long time since anyone's come here, so I haven't cleaned. Please forgive me."
You curiously entered the large chimney, and stared blankly at the books and documents piled up throughout the building, except for the table and recliner in the center. Suddenly, you felt overwhelmed by the sheer volume of knowledge.
"My name is Norrie, and I'm over eighty years old..." The old lady slowly sat back in her recliner and said, "I was Miss Silver's tutor when she was young. I can't believe almost twenty years have passed... To see Miss Silver's student visiting me today, I feel a bit complicated..."
Norrige waved her hand, and several magic notebooks flew up simultaneously, flipping through their pages in mid-air before beginning to be used for recording.
[You glanced at them; each notebook seemed to have originally contained slightly different contents. Some were about the historical changes of Silverpath Town, some were Norrigi's research notes on the Magic Network, and some were financial statements. But now, without exception, they all wrote, "Nearly twenty years after the end of her teaching of Miss Silverhurst, she welcomed her student at Listening Wind Terrace. Her student was cheerful and outgoing, the exact opposite of the young Miss Silverhurst."]
Chapter 160 The Story of Silver Xiuer
You curiously turned your gaze to Norrie, hoping she would recount Gin-sensei's past like those elderly ladies who love to reminisce. However, after feeling your direct gaze, Norrie frowned and asked:
"Why are you looking at me? Go read a book! Don't you have anything better to do?"
"They're back, everyone's back! No wonder he's your tutor; his lecturing attitude suddenly brings me back to high school. You can't help but retort, 'If I knew what books to read, would I be asking here? Even if it's pornography, I'd search by tags!'"
[Noel Rigid paused, the image of Silver Hugh that had briefly appeared in her mind vanishing instantly. She snapped back to reality, looked at you—a person with a completely different personality—and, hunching over, picked up the magic notebook that had fallen back onto the table. She said, "...You're right. Now that I think about it, if Miss Silver had been a little more assertive back then, the tragedy that followed probably wouldn't have happened."]
You paused for a moment, scratched your head, and, suppressing your curiosity, asked, "I want to ask about the abandoned mine shafts. The mine managers said that we can find old records at Listening Wind Platform."
"And..." You hesitated for a moment, then took out the childhood photo that Silver Shore had given you, and said, "Do you have any recollection of this dwarf tower behind Teacher Silver?"
Seeing her suddenly freeze gaze, you thought for a moment, then asked probingly, "And... I'd like to know about Ms. Yin's past experiences. Could you tell me about them?"
"Ah, Miss Silver..." Norrige snapped out of her daze, staring at the photograph in your hand, speechless for a long time.
After a long pause, she finally let out a breath, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "You even have photos of her when she was little. Could it be that you two really are in that kind of relationship?"
You coughed awkwardly and honestly replied, "Not yet, but I want to be with her."
"You're really shameless..." she sighed, shaking her head. "What you're asking about is actually a matter, a major matter, which even includes the reasons for the changes at Listening Wind Terrace."
Norrige stood up, waved to you, and walked towards the bookshelf behind her.
Curious, you followed, only to discover a downward staircase beneath the thick bookshelf. You stroked your chin, a few guesses forming in your mind, and followed Norrige down the stairs.
"I can't say exactly how many years ago it was, but it was probably around twenty years ago. Anyway, at that time, the Dwarf Kingdom still existed, and the Elf race was at its zenith," Norrig said as he walked slowly.
"At that time, Miss Silver was only a few days old when I was invited by her mother, Lady Milut, to become Miss Silver's tutor."
"Lady Milut is deeply influenced by the classical cultures of various races. She is knowledgeable and has extraordinary interests. Even her name is modeled after the popular elven term 'Mirudo'."
"Miss Silvershur wasn't originally called Silvershur; she was called Miss Silvermoon, which also stemmed from the elves' worship and love of the moon. It can be said that Miss Silvershur grew up immersed in the cultures of various races, and her mother was determined to raise her to be the most outstanding person."
"Back then, I was one of the most famous lecturers at Qing Teng Academy. Along with another lecturer, Lei Qing, who preferred plant magic, we were known as the 'Double Strong Old Ladies,' haha. We both had very strong personalities when it came to teaching and nurturing students."
"Lady Milut was even more forceful. She was the most ruthless woman I had ever met. Even when Miss Yin was just learning to speak, Lady Milut had already filled her entire study schedule."
Norrige pushed open a door and stepped inside. You followed closely behind, momentarily stunned by the enormous platform that appeared within.
This is a circular platform that appears to have buckled and fractured due to natural factors such as earthquakes. Numerous blocked pipe openings connect to it, and rusty pipe caps droop on the walls, swaying slightly in the occasional breeze emanating from within the pipes.
"Although they often lived in Lundia, they were mostly homeless," Norrigi sighed, recalling the past.
"Lady Milut has been traveling around with young Miss Silver, and I, as her tutor, have also been exhausted for a long time. But Miss Silver has probably had the hardest time, as she has to complete the homework and exams assigned by Lady Milut every day amidst the hardships of the journey."
“I feel a little sorry for Miss Yin as I watch her cry while doing her homework every day, but as an outsider, I can only watch. However, compared to Miss Yin’s education, Lord Milute has spent far more money on purchasing artworks from various ethnic groups to decorate the house, to the point that sometimes I feel that Miss Yin’s upbringing is quite difficult.”
Norrige shook his head and continued, "I won't comment on the story. Miss Silver clearly didn't like the art and decorative items Lord Milut purchased, but after she was punished by being thrown into the forest for two days for accidentally breaking a vase, Miss Silver finally realized that, to her mother, she was merely a representation of various cultures, not a real kinship figure."
"How could this be?" You couldn't help but frown, and said angrily, "You give birth but don't raise the children?"
"...Lord Milut is a very special person." Norrige stroked the clogged pipes around him, took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his face, and said:
"The reason she's like this is because she's been engaged in diplomacy for a long time. She's almost gone mad trying to build a more harmonious and peaceful society where different races coexist… Of course, this is just my speculation from my own perspective; I don't know Her Excellency Milut's true thoughts. Perhaps she has no thoughts at all? Maybe she just lives in those prosperous civilizations."
Norrige sighed helplessly, "And that's why, when the dwarven kingdom vanished from this land overnight, and when the elven floating city inexplicably began to fall, she couldn't accept it at all, and that tragedy occurred."
You took a deep breath, looked at Norrige whose gaze was unfocused, and asked, "What happened?"
"At the time, Miss Yin and I both thought it would be just another day, with us studying the architecture's history, taking photos, and then the day would be over," Norrige shook her head and said.
"However, upon arriving at that building, Lord Milut casually told Miss Silver, 'I'm going to pursue the lost civilization. You'll have to live alone from now on.' Then, amidst Miss Silver's bewildered gaze, he walked into the dilapidated elven camp and set the entire camp ablaze."
"What the hell? Even in another world, this behavior is insane!" you thought to yourself, but seeing Norrige's somber expression, you didn't voice your thoughts.
"And then?" you asked, instinctively reaching into your pocket to touch the photo of Teacher Yin. For some reason, a sudden surge of pity and heartache welled up inside you.
"Then Miss Silver completed the record of that building herself," Norrigi said, taking a deep breath.
"Although she was in tears and only six or seven years old at the time, Miss Yin did not break down as I expected. On the contrary, we continued to visit some remaining relics of various tribes after that. During that period of research, she even held herself to the strict standards of her mother. I wonder if she would treat her students with the same attitude later on..."
Finally, in front of the dwarven tower near Silverway Town, she calculated the wages her mother had prepaid me and said to me, "Lord Norrigi, your work is now complete. I cannot afford to pay you any further fees, so let this cultural research project come to an end."
"Afterwards, Miss Yin left some souvenirs inside the tower and bid me farewell. I was somewhat lost at the time, so I stayed in the town, only keeping in touch with Lundia through Lady Leiqing's beacon. Not long after, the dwarven tower also sank underground, perhaps because they were descendants of the mine guardians, they just happened to block up the mine shafts that the dwarves had dug."
"This Wind-Listening Platform was originally a device used by the dwarven settlement to sense the movements of underground monsters, but it has lost its effectiveness after being unused for a long time," Norrige said, patting the clogged pipe opening.
"After the dwarves and humans began to coexist, they told the humans that the tower had sunk because it was to escape monsters. Whenever the monsters from underground came to the surface from various entrances, the dwarves would sink the tower underground when they could no longer resist them. The tower would only rise again when the Wind Listening Platform sent a message informing them that the monsters had all returned to their lair."
"But it doesn't matter now." Norrige picked up a book, tucked it into your arms, and said:
"Humanity is always moving forward. Regardless of whether other races exist or not, humanity can overcome all kinds of difficulties. The price is that living in the present makes us forgetful, but I can't really say whether that counts as a price, haha..."
You watched the old lady wave goodbye as she went upstairs, scratching your head. Although there were some things she hadn't mentioned—like Ms. Yin's true feelings about the past, and whether she harbored any painful memories or lingering resentment—you thought about Ms. Yin's exceptionally gentle nature and felt that the truth of it all seemed less important.
"It's truly unimaginable that such an experience could produce such a wonderful result as Teacher Yin..." You sat cross-legged on the floor, opened the book Norrigi had given you, and murmured to yourself:
“Satisfaction with the present world is a feeling, Latis, you must give Gin-sensei that feeling…”
You open a book titled "The Dwarf Chronicles," and upon seeing the first page which reads, "Unless it's a lover, no one is allowed to touch your head!" you immediately burst out laughing.
"What?!" you couldn't help but think to yourself, then chuckled and read on with amusement.
You've skimmed through a few dozen pages, and just as you're about to return the book and go home because it's getting late, you suddenly stare blankly at the newly opened page.
"Unless you're drunk, you're absolutely not allowed to sleep next to anyone! This is the dwarfs' self-defense rule!"
For some reason, a sense of déjà vu suddenly popped into your head. You scratched your head, and with that feeling in mind, you flipped through some passages in the book that evoked a similar feeling.
"Dwarves never forgive those who disrespect their teachers, unless you've already bullied them!" "Never regret any decision, even kicking the king's ass in public!" "Never reveal your childhood to anyone, unless you want to be ridiculed for life!" "Dwarven rules of love: If you kiss someone, you must sleep with them!"...
[“…” You paused for a moment, closed the book, threw it on the ground, and silently walked home, filled with a bellyful of complaints.]
"It's hard to imagine that Teacher Yin is still so normal under such cultural influence..." With these thoughts in mind, you drifted off to sleep.
In your dream, the image of Ms. Gin slowly emerges in your mind. Her clothes keep changing, and she looks beautiful in both men's and women's clothing. However, for some reason, in your struggling dream, she slowly puts on a cockroach costume...
"Oh no! No!" You wake up in a cold sweat, your body trembling as you look at your hands, muttering in terror, "Why would I have such a dream? Could it be... could it be that I really have some inexplicable connection with cockroaches..."
Suddenly, a buzzing sound interrupted your thoughts. You stepped out of your room, looked at the chaotic black insect shadows in the sky, and took a deep breath.
Upon closer inspection, it was indeed cockroaches. Although there weren't many yet, it was still enough to send chills down your spine.
"The seasonal tornado..." you suddenly realized, "Besides bird-like monsters, are all flying creatures caught in it?..."
"So, not all tornadoes can be stopped..." You jump onto the roof, pondering with worry. "Is the protective shield strong enough? It seems that the dwarves' method of sinking the tower is actually safer?"
[A muffled thud of armor came from behind you. You turned around and saw Jennifer, fully armed, landing beside you.]
She frowned as she looked at the ever-growing swarm of cockroaches in the air, and couldn't help but raise her right hand, unleashing a "Level Four Divine Spell - Forgotten Radiance."
In a radiating, pure white light, thousands of cockroaches above Silver Path Town were instantly wiped out. However, after testing the remaining faint light, cockroaches from outside the town sparsely flew back into the airspace above the town.
"...I haven't handled similar situations before. Previous missions from the cult have been more focused on one-off operations; there haven't been any defensive or defensive tasks like this," Jennifer explained, then looked at you, whose expression was equally grave, and said:
“I want to go back to the Holy City to ask the Pope and the others how they dealt with the seasonal tornadoes in the Wilderness Territory. Latis, would you like to come with me? We can go and return the same day.”
After thinking for a while, you wrote a note reminding Gan Gan to be careful when going out to mine, and then, taking advantage of the faint morning light, you walked out of the house.
Mounting the hawk-drawn steed you'd rented again, you steered along the rugged mountain path, suddenly turning your head to look at the place where the dwarven fortress once stood amidst the overlapping hills.
Although you may be curious about what happened there in the past, right now, you should focus on the present.
Chapter 161 The God of Light Agreed on Everything
"Ren Chicheng! You run, I chase, you can't escape even with wings..."