Author: 冬瓜茶仙人 / Winter Melon Tea Immortal

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 187

The midsummer sunlight was fragmented by the dense foliage, no longer possessing the ability to scorch. However, the soft sheepskin boots were ill-suited to the forest full of stones, dead leaves, and dirt, becoming unrecognizable. Charlie, carrying a few red and green wild apples in his coat, walked slowly along the riverbank.

Although the forest showed little sign of human activity, he saw some interesting things trapped by a dam (likely built by beavers) in the river, including a tattered large boot, a handle of something that could be an ax or a sickle, and a faded lady’s sunhat.

He then walked upstream for about three hours until the trees became less dense, and some crooked paths appeared in the forest. Charlie remained determined, following the river until the sunlight weakened, when he finally saw a few raised bottoms.

Judging by their size, they were three children, busy with something near the riverbank. They were dressed in linen clothes patched with various colors but still sturdy overall.

As Charlie approached, he saw they were having a picnic. The children, around ten years old, had arranged stones in a circle with some skewered, half-charred fish cooking over it, giving off a fragrant smell.

He stood still, keeping some distance from the children, and called out, “Hey!”

A red-haired child turned his head, scrutinizing Charlie for a while before suspiciously standing up with his companions. They noted his well-dressed appearance and fair skin, making them wary, thinking he might be someone important they couldn’t afford to offend.

If it were younger children from their village, they would have run away at the sight of such a distinguished-looking man. However, since he was alone and at a distance, the boys, though pushing each other, didn’t run away. Perhaps they were also reluctant to leave their almost-cooked fish.

“Sir, what do you want?” the red-haired boy, who seemed to be the leader, asked courageously.

“I have something to ask you.” Charlie rummaged in his pocket and took out a few trinkets. He put back a tin box of mints and left a small, empty glass bottle in his palm. “As a reward, I’ll give you this.”

Glass items were rare for farm children, so Charlie easily won their trust and even got invited to join their fish meal.

“This is Lebina Town. There are five villages. Our village—Pine Leaf Village—is closest to the forest.” The red-haired boy looked at the glass bottle through the sunlight, cherishing its beautiful blue patterns and intricate cap. It looked quite exquisite and would surely fetch a high price.

“My horse got scared and ran off. I need a place to stay temporarily.” Charlie waited until they finished their three fish before following the locals towards the village. “Does your village have a church or an inn?”

“The town has an inn with beds in every room,” a freckled boy eagerly replied, possibly eyeing the glass bottle, showing enthusiasm towards Charlie. “The town isn’t far—only an hour’s walk.”

Charlie took a moment to observe the children’s clothing. Though their lives might be somewhat frugal, they seemed to be managing fine. None of their clothes had holes, their cheeks were still full, and they appeared to be grilling fish outdoors more as a treat than out of necessity. Most importantly, in truly poor families, ten-year-olds would be considered part of the workforce and wouldn’t be allowed to play during the day like this.

“We might not make it before dark,” he stated pragmatically as the sun began to set.

The children nodded and then offered suggestions. “You can go to the church. The monks won’t turn away someone in need.”

“Or you could go to Old John’s. That drunk will let you use his house if you pay him.”

Charlie smiled slightly, pretending not to notice their awkward transition. He didn’t have much money on him, but he had enough valuable trinkets to get by for now. What he urgently wanted to know was where exactly he was. The continent was vast, and no matter how well-read he was, it was impossible to remember the name of every small town.

These children seemed to have never attended school, so they probably didn’t know much about calendars or geography. However, monks were always assigned by the kingdom, so perhaps he could find some clues at a church. In any case, he looked like a “normal person” now, and there was no reason for the monks to turn him away.

He kept the brass ring in the safest pocket, close to his body. By the river, he tried to use it and found that its function hadn’t disappeared—within two hours, his rabbit head had gradually turned back into a human head, indicating that Elena had indeed been drained of more magic by the castle, weakening the curse.

But he couldn’t conclude that he was still in the same world, just in a different location. Khalif’s magic had undoubtedly failed, but failure didn’t mean it was ineffective. The unpredictable outcomes of magical chaos were hard to foresee, and returning to Khalif’s basement would be extremely difficult. Charlie doubted that the strange door would remain suspended in mid-air above the river, waiting for him.

The red-haired boy actually wanted to suggest that the wealthy gentleman stay at his house, but he didn’t dare make such a decision without the adults’ permission. Just as he was figuring out how to speak up, a small figure came running down the path ahead, shouting at him while running, “Archie! Archie!”

Charlie watched as a little girl, around five or six years old, ran towards them barefoot, her feet thudding on the stone-paved road, her cheeks rosy.

Archie immediately forgot his plans and bent down to catch his sister, who couldn’t stop in time. “Why are you here?”

“You didn’t go with Dad to haul wood, and Mom is very angry,” the girl said loudly. “She sent me to find you.” She held her brother’s hand and curiously looked at Charlie. “Who is this?”

“A guest,” Archie said in a grown-up manner. “See, I wasn’t slacking off on purpose. I was welcoming a guest.”

The little girl didn’t quite understand what a guest was and giggled. Charlie smiled at her too, the sibling duo reminding him of Columbus.

Spending a night in the village didn’t seem like a bad idea, he thought.

With or without a rabbit head, Charlie was always good at winning over children. By the time they reached the village, everyone enthusiastically invited him to their homes. However, Charlie knew it was already dinner time, and showing up unannounced might disrupt the housewives’ carefully planned meals, so he decided to head to the church as they directed.

The village was larger than he had expected, and the villagers were simple and honest. Although they didn’t recognize Charlie’s unfamiliar face, most passersby didn’t show any signs of caution, but rather curious looks.

The church was built just behind the mill. An old man was bending down to pick up wheat that had fallen into the crevices of the stone steps. Men, smelling of sweat from their work, hurried home, and occasionally, the sound of women calling their children back home could be heard, sometimes mixed with a few shouts, scolding them for dirtying their clothes again.

Two women wearing aprons came out of the church, carrying empty baskets on their arms. They were startled upon seeing Charlie and somewhat awkwardly made way for him.

These were probably villagers bringing food to the monks. Charlie instinctively wanted to tip his hat to them, only to realize that he had long lost his top hat. He had to settle for a smile as they passed by each other.

He didn’t know that this brief encounter would lead to gossip spreading throughout the village by tonight, with talk of “a handsome man visiting the village”. In a place like this, Charlie’s true appearance wasn’t necessarily more low-profile than his rabbit head.

The church was built of stone and wasn’t very large. The main door was usually unlocked. Charlie walked through the empty hall and kept going until he found a monk repairing the stables at the far end.

This monk, who had his robe hitched up for the heavy work, looked to be around thirty years old, of medium build, with thinning hair but reasonably well-defined features. As Charlie approached, the monk was hammering in the last nail. When he looked up and saw Charlie, he was so startled that he nearly hammered his own fingers.

“Hello,” Charlie greeted him.

“Hello,” the monk replied, a bit puzzled, as he climbed down from a short ladder. “Who are you?”

“A lost traveler,” Charlie said honestly. “My name is Charlie. Archie and Boppy found me by the river and kindly brought me here.”

His shirt was wrinkled, his shoes muddy, and he looked tired. The kind monk quickly asked, “What happened?”

“My horse panicked,” Charlie explained naturally. “It got spooked and ran aimlessly for half a day. It’s a miracle I didn’t break my neck, but I have no idea where that beast has taken me.”

“This is Lebina Town. You wouldn’t happen to be from Paulownia City, would you? That’s the nearest city from here.” The monk led him into the hall and poured him a full cup of milk. “You must be exhausted. That’s quite an ordeal.”

Charlie noticed a milk jug and a long loaf of bread placed in the hall, guessing it was brought by the two women earlier. The monk seemed used to the villagers’ occasional food donations, as he gulped down half a cup of milk himself.

“My name is William. If you have nowhere else to go, you can spend the night here,” the monk said after finishing his milk. “Though the room is small, the straw is clean, and it’s better than sleeping outside.”

Charlie blinked, finding this monk somewhat interesting. He seemed to have no social skills, the type that Duke Dwight would find impossible to deal with—using the biting sarcasm of a noble on someone like this would be like playing a lute to a cow*.

*(对牛弹琴) Idiom referring to trying to explain something complex or sophisticated to someone who’s unable to understand it. 

A bit naive, he didn’t doubt the words of strangers, had no airs, got along well with the villagers, repaired the stables himself, kind but not obsequious. Although Charlie’s attire clearly distinguished him from the common folk, his naturally familiar tone was surely no different from how he usually spoke to the villagers.

This sincere monk not only showed him the guest room before dark but also invited him to dinner. Although it was just bread and smoked fish, it was more than enough to fill his stomach.

Charlie sat in the small kitchen with an oil lamp on the table. The bread was completely eaten, and William was boiling water to make tea.

During their meal, Charlie and William had already bonded like brothers. Propping his chin with one hand, Charlie casually asked, “Tell me, William. How far is Paulownia City from Pine Leaf Village?”

William thought for a moment. “Riding a horse takes most of the day, and by cart, at least a day and a half.”

Charlie had never heard of Paulownia City either. Continuing in a conversational tone, he said, “That’s not too far. I once traveled by ship from the Kingdom of Mokwen to White Bridge—”

“White Bridge?” William turned back, looking puzzled. “Isn’t that on the continent of Doran?”

Charlie put down his hand and sat up straight.

“You’ve been to another continent. That’s amazing,” William said sincerely. “You must be a traveler, Charlie. Unlike me, I’ve never even left Pennigra, let alone visited the imperial capital.”

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