Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 148: The Reclusive Researcher
Myss poked the delirious Dragon Fae with the tip of his finger. Half-conscious, Tass punched his finger, then buried his burning-hot face against the snake scales.
The bad news: the same force was behind both Magibase and Dragon Fae.
The owner of that force was like the most stubborn employee in a bakery, wrapping the “essence” of Magibases and Dragon Fae in layer after layer, terrified that even the slightest draft might leak through.
Even Myss, who was naturally gifted at analyzing magic, couldn’t get past that barrier. Even if the human world studied them for another ten thousand years, it probably still wouldn’t discover anything.
The good news: Myss could feel his own strength increasing.
Calling it an “increase” wasn’t quite accurate. More precisely, the way he used his power had advanced by several levels. Back when he had no consciousness, he had simply wielded his power on instinct, like someone swinging a chunk of iron ore at people.
Now, he had tempered that ore into sharp blades. If he recovered a little more strength and refined his technique, he would be fully capable of breaking through that strange force… But doing so might alert whoever was behind it. He would have to proceed carefully…
“Myss?” Seeing that Myss had gone quiet for so long, Salaar leaned closer and whispered.
“He won’t die,” Myss replied quietly.
He couldn’t determine the cause of the Dragon Fae’s illness, but he could tell that the Dragon Fae’s magical fluctuations showed no signs of collapsing for the time being.
Salaar nodded.
He naturally rested his head on Myss’s shoulder and pretended to doze affectionately. Father Kalen’s expression, meanwhile, was pure worry, as though there were thorns growing beneath his seat. His ten fingers were clenched tightly over his knees as he prayed under his breath.
The atmosphere could hardly be called relaxed. Kai’s gaze swept across the three of them, and he tactfully kept his mouth shut. The real Mr. Earl already disdained speaking with “Kendrick,” so he was perfectly happy with the silence.
Fortunately, nothing went wrong with the second teleportation.
White light flashed past. The carriage moved without the slightest jolt, like a boat gliding through thick fog. The scenery outside the window changed abruptly, and Myss’s attention was quickly drawn away.
Compared with the Crimson Marsh, which had been rebuilt atop ruins, the surroundings here were so orderly they almost looked unreal.
The lawns appeared to be specially maintained. Vast stretches of tender green resembled velvet carpets scattered with small flowers. There were no ugly thorn bushes or strangely shaped shrubs anywhere on the grass.
The roads were unusually smooth, while the trees lining them were tall and straight. Myss had only ever seen such… standard trees in the oil paintings at the Red Amber. Still, he preferred the old trees near the Crimson Marsh, with roots crawling all over the ground. These things in front of him looked as though they had all been carved from the same mold, making them rather dull.
And within the shadows of this boring forest, quite a few mansions could faintly be seen. Their architectural style leaned toward that of the Kingdom of Aufon, and they were both new and well-built, even better than the homes of ordinary minor nobles.
“Those are vacation homes belonging to famous gemstone merchants.”
Kai introduced them at just the right moment. “The scenery and climate around Emerald Cliff are both pleasant, and there aren’t many people here. Those major merchants like building luxurious residences here and taking the teleportation array over for vacations during the holidays.”
…And for “chance encounters” with elderly Dragon Faes who might appear, Myss thought.
Dragon Faes had only appeared after the Night Scourge. No wonder these residences looked relatively new.
Earl looked around and showed an appreciative expression. But his good mood was fleeting.
“Mr. Kai, let’s go handle the entry procedures.”
Once the formalities were complete, they could head to the domestic teleportation station and wait, then teleport directly to Evening Star City. Kendrick’s group sounded as though they intended to remain in the area. The sooner they parted ways, the less trouble there would be.
Kai naturally understood Earl’s meaning, and a trace of regret flashed across his face.
“Let’s go, Mr. Karns. The entry procedures are rather troublesome. Better to get there early.”
Tass was seriously ill, and Salaar couldn’t be bothered smoothing things over. He simply nodded, caught Myss by the wrist with one hand, and started walking without another word.
……
“Regardless of whether you are originally from Atla, each person must pay a deposit of one hundred gold rings. Ninety percent will be returned when you leave Emerald Cliff.”
Perhaps because the area was crowded with wealthy merchants, the employees at the immigration office were dressed with considerable refinement. Their fashion was in no way inferior to that of Aufon’s capital.
The employee had a carefully groomed curled mustache, wore an overpowering amount of perfume, and had oiled his hair until not a strand was out of place. His nose was astonishingly large. At the moment, it was held high in the air, his nostrils pointed directly at Myss.
Myss stared at the two eyehole-like openings and was itching to throw something inside them. Unfortunately, Salaar was standing intentionally or unintentionally close against him, so Myss had no choice but to give up.
“One hundred gold rings?” Father Kalen froze. “Sir, I’m from Dawn Hill in Atla. I’ve never heard of this rule.”
One hundred gold rings in cash was more than some lower-middle-class families in Aufon could gather together, much less one hundred per person.
The employee twisted the end of his mustache and gave the priest a contemptuous glance.
“Dawn Hill? It’s normal that you wouldn’t know. This is a special regulation of Emerald Cliff. I also have to consider the feelings of our other guests.”
His eyes rolled through an entire sequence of expressions, stopping just short of directly calling Kalen a country bumpkin.
“If you don’t want to pay, that’s fine too. You can detour through Sharpstone Beach. The handling fee there is only three silver shields. The road is a little difficult, though, and the teleportation formation doesn’t operate every day.”
Kalen furrowed his brows. “That’s really…”
Kai walked to Kalen’s side and gently shook his head.
“There actually isn’t any ‘special regulation.’”
“But usually, the only people entering through here are wealthy merchants from Aufon and Atla. They don’t want too many, um, people who aren’t sufficiently ‘upscale’ wandering around nearby. This is probably something they arranged with this guy. You won’t win an argument with him.”
Kalen sighed, took the gold ring from his pocket, and handed it to the large-nosed employee.
Only then did Big Nose raise his eyelids.
“A storage ring from the Dawn Guild?”
“Yes. I’ll cover the deposits for our side. Four hundred gold rings in total,” Kalen said gloomily. “Please process it quickly. Thank you.”
Big Nose looked at the four people standing together, then pointed toward Earl, who stood some distance away by himself.
“Four people? Then this gentleman…?”
“No, no. I’ll cover the deposit for the two of us.”
Kai hurried back to Earl’s side.
“We have one more person on our side,” Kalen honestly explained. “Myss, please let this gentleman see Tass.”
Myss gave an “Oh,” grabbed one of Tass’s burning-hot wings, and lifted the Dragon Fae into the air. Tass looked as though he were barely breathing.
Big Nose: “…!”
He straightened his exquisite uniform and practically climbed over the counter.
“My goodness, a Dragon Fae.”
Big Nose became overflowing with enthusiasm. “So you’re companions of a Dragon Fae. Why didn’t you say so earlier?”
“Here, just sign your names. No deposit necessary. By the way, are you free tonight? I could introduce you to…”
“That’s enough. Process the paperwork,” Salaar finally said, his tone somewhat cold.
Myss stuffed the wriggling Dragon Fae back into his pocket and tilted his head to glance at Salaar. How unusual. Salaar wasn’t acting as Kendrick this time. He genuinely disliked Big Nose.
Big Nose’s expression twitched twice. He looked as though he wanted to get angry, but his face quickly tightened into an enthusiastic smile.
“Oh, I’m afraid you’ve misunderstood.”
He spoke with exaggerated affectation, while his hands stubbornly refused to do any actual work.
“Of course I know that Lord Dragon Fae is feeling unwell and that you’re all anxious. I’m trying to help you think of a solution!”
“I heard that Archmage Marcela recently came to Emerald Cliff. She happens to be quite knowledgeable about Dragon Faes. If the Archmage is in a good mood, perhaps she could heal Lord Dragon Fae directly…”
At the familiar name, Earl became excited.
“Isn’t she staying in Evening Star City?”
“Lady Marcela owns property here as well.”
Big Nose immediately raised his nose again, as if the property belonged to him.
“Emerald Cliff is one of the best places in the world for recuperation and research. She comes here once every year…”
What excellent news. Now he wouldn’t have to escort the man all the way to Evening Star City. Kai and Earl both breathed sighs of relief almost simultaneously.
Earl continued hopefully, “If you have a connection, please help me deliver a letter to Archmage Marcela. Once it’s done…”
“Five hundred gold rings.” Big Nose grinned. “That’s a Kingdom Archmage. She’s absolutely worth the price.”
Earl looked at Kai.
Kai looked at the ceiling and deliberately shook out his ill-fitting clothes.
What a joke. The Stargazers Society was not a charity organization. Even if Earl were the King of Aufon, Kai wouldn’t pay those five hundred gold rings for him.
Marcela Memi was nothing like the approachable Professor Gentry.
She fit the ordinary person’s image of a Kingdom Archmage perfectly: powerful, reclusive, taciturn, and uninterested in socializing.
According to rumors, she had received guidance from the legendary mage Langhesia. Her strength ranked somewhere above average among Archmages, but her only interest was academic research.
To pursue her own research topics, Marcela maintained research residences in every country so she could obtain local materials more easily. The Kingdom of Aufon provided her with astronomical research funding in order to keep her.
For such an aloof, self-directed researcher who ignored worldly affairs, local official institutions really were the only ones capable of contacting her.
Big Nose was obviously naming an outrageous price, yet there was little they could do about it. Marcela would prefer that fewer people bothered her in the first place. There was no chance she would punish Big Nose over something so trivial.
Earl also realized the problem. His face flushed red.
“I am Earl Nebula. The Nebula family has always maintained contact with Lady Marcela, and she is a distant relative of mine.”
“I’ve run into some trouble and temporarily have no money on me. As long as you deliver the letter, I’ll make up the full fee within three days…”
Big Nose shook his head regretfully.
“That won’t do. Payment must be made in advance. I’m not forcing you, of course. This is all completely voluntary…”
Earl Nebula was still young and had spent his entire life living comfortably in the capital. When had he ever encountered a local thug like this?
He pressed hard against his temples. His flushed complexion gradually turned pale.
Watching that familiar… or approximately familiar face twist in frustration, Father Kalen could no longer bear it.
“I’m willing to trust the reputation of the Nebula family. As long as Mr. Nebula is willing to write me an IOU, I’ll pay the five hundred gold rings as well.”
Big Nose smiled again.
“Oh, what a kind person you are. May the Moon God’s song surround you.”
Before Earl could even react, Big Nose placed the gold ring into a magical device shaped like a ring box. The device gave off a faint sound as the money transferred.
“Five hundred gold rings.”
He returned the gold ring to Kalen with both hands, then turned toward Kai.
“And for you, sir, the deposit is still two hundred gold rings…”
Kai took out his wallet with a pained expression and began counting cash and gemstones used specifically for transactions.
Beside him, Earl took a deep breath and pursed his lips.
“Thank you. May I ask your name…?”
“Kalen.” Father Kalen nodded. “Please repay me within three days, as agreed.”
Earl immediately picked up the quill on the counter, took out two handkerchiefs, and quickly wrote two IOUs.
When he finished, he deliberately murmured a long string of incantations under his breath. The signatures he wrote shimmered faintly with magic.
“My signature contains my magic. It cannot be forged. Even if I die, the Nebula family will repay the debt.”
Earl raised his voice and glanced sideways at Big Nose.
He handed the two IOUs separately to Father Kalen and Kai. The amounts were written large and clearly.
Big Nose smiled broadly and pretended not to hear.
Earl gritted his teeth, then turned back toward Kalen. “Since you’ve paid the money for me, once the letter is delivered, there’ll be no need for this man to introduce you to Marcela.”
“Lady Marcela once promised to look after members of the Nebula family. When the time comes, you can come meet her with me. That should allow your… friend to receive treatment faster.”
He meaningfully glanced toward Myss’s pocket, then unobtrusively swept his gaze over Salaar.
Seeing that “Kendrick” looked completely serious and didn’t suddenly start acting insane, Earl finally relaxed.
Dragon Faes seemed to possess a rather special status in Emerald Cliff.
The moment Big Nose heard that he would no longer get the chance to do a favor for the Dragon Fae, the smile on his face abruptly stiffened.
He had just opened his mouth when…
“You personally said just now that these gentlemen don’t need to pay a deposit,” Earl said coolly. “And we also made our transaction ‘entirely voluntarily.’ Surely you aren’t planning to go back on your word?”
“Really? Then I’ll have to explain everything clearly to Lord Tass.” Salaar smoothly continued from Earl’s words. “He hasn’t been back to Emerald Cliff in a very long time. I’m sure he’ll be very surprised…”
Big Nose picked up the stamp with a dark expression and began stamping everyone’s entry documents one by one. He used so much force that the desk rattled with every impact.
Earl took the opportunity to finish writing his letter and slapped it down in front of the deeply unwilling Big Nose.
Then he watched as the man wrapped up the letter and didn’t forget to add pointedly, “I wrote the delivery fee very clearly on the IOU, and there’s also a record in the savings ring. If that letter isn’t delivered by the end of today, I will formally sue you.”
“Please enjoy your stay.” Big Nose squeezed out a fake smile. “We have dedicated communication channels. It will be delivered before sunset.”
Sunset? There was still most of the afternoon left before sunset…
Myss glanced at Tass inside his pocket. Fortunately, Tass’s condition didn’t seem to be deteriorating further. Perhaps because he could sense the aura of his homeland, the magical fluctuations around Tass had even stabilized considerably.
Looks like this is destined to be nothing more than a minor interruption, Myss thought.
Just as well. He was somewhat interested in the human Kingdom Archmage, so he might as well enjoy the spectacle. If this Marcela could cure Tass, perhaps they wouldn’t even need to go to Gemstone Lake.
If everything went smoothly, they could simply leave from here and continue their journey.
Their travels had admittedly been somewhat rough… But this was only a visit to see a doctor. What could possibly go wrong?
The author has something to say:
Anyway, let just have Lord Myss raise a FLAG here… [orange candy] [cat paw]
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