Author: Kinky

Beyond the Galaxy Ch8

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Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

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

Chapter 8

Three people—accurately speaking, two humans and one AI—were walking on the way to the cafeteria. Leonard was leading the way, introducing things as they walked. “This path leads to the maintenance bay.” “The branch to the right goes to the repair bay.” “Don’t take this corridor because the toilets are broken.” “If you get lost, the best solution is to shout ‘Leo, save me’ at the ceiling, and I’ll light up some guiding markers for you. Don’t be embarrassed; except for the captain and the dog, everyone calls for help once or twice a day.”

Alois was following behind, obviously distracted, pretending to look around curiously while actually sneaking glances at Joshua from the corner of his eye. The assassin, however, listened attentively, occasionally asking questions about the Lady of the Night, looking every bit like someone who had joined the crew and cared about his new organization. Sometimes, he would suddenly stop talking and glance at Alois, who would immediately avert his gaze, staring at the floor and pretending he hadn’t been caught looking at Joshua.

Leo got more animated with his introduction and started gesturing wildly, moving a bit ahead of the other two. Joshua suddenly leaned close to Alois’s ear and asked, “Why do you keep looking at me?”

“You’re good-looking…” Alois blurted out, then froze, wishing he could go back in time to sew his mouth shut. “Who… who’s looking at you?!”

The assassin lowered his voice. “You should see my house on Olympus. There’s a whole cabinet of eyes preserved in formaldehyde…” He paused, seeming to relish Alois’s shocked expression. “From those who kept staring at me.”

“You’re… you’re joking, right?” Alois was really worried he might wake up tomorrow with only two empty eye sockets left.

Joshua shrugged. “You actually believed it.”

Alois began to regret not striking first back on Hecate and getting rid of this troublesome assassin!

Passing through a gate, he realized that since Joshua was joking with him, it might mean he was no longer angry with him.

The cafeteria on the Lady of the Night was slightly smaller than the one in Hecate prison because there were fewer crew members than prisoners, but the environment was much better. The most notable difference was that the one serving food wasn’t a robot that would yell at you but a pretty blonde girl with blue eyes. When Alois, holding his tray, walked up to her, she smiled sweetly and gave him a big spoonful of beef. Alois was too touched to speak. Then, the girl picked a piece of meat from his tray and threw it to the ground, still smiling sweetly. Alois clearly saw Pavlov standing by her feet, wagging his tail, and eating the beef that originally belonged to him.

“The captain doesn’t allow us to feed it from our meals, saying the dog would get fat. But…” The girl looked a bit embarrassed, “Consider it charity.” Then she added a grilled fish to his tray. “For your cat.” She winked.

Alois winked back in acknowledgment. He finally understood why Pavlov had gained so much weight after Joanna’s few weeks’ absence.

He found a less crowded corner to sit down, and Joshua, carrying his tray, came over and sat across from him.

“I love this place,” the assassin said. “Finally, no one’s forcing me to eat onions and broccoli.” He took a bite of the pork chop on his plate. “God, I’d be willing to work here for life!”

“Glad to hear that,” the red-haired female captain said, walking over gracefully with a tray in one hand and a dog leash in the other. She sat beside Alois and tied the dog to the leg of the bench. Pavlov glanced longingly at the delicious meat on the table, then lay down and pretended not to see anything.

A group of young crew members, chatting and laughing, sat around Joanna. “Captain, that’s animal abuse!” a freckled young man laughed.

“I’m doing it for his health. If you keep feeding him like this, Pavlov will become a fat dog one day.” Joanna stopped Joshua with a glance from giving extra meat to the dog. “Do it again, and you’ll only get broccoli to eat!” Joshua quickly stuffed the meat intended for the dog into his own mouth.

“Captain, you’re so mean.” The freckled young man said, “We used to eat Pavlov’s dog food, and he didn’t mind. Now we should make it up to him.”

Alois was curious. “Why did you eat dog food?”

“Ah… well.” The freckled young man had a nostalgic expression. “We were escaping from the Federal army. The ship got hit, and the food storage was destroyed. The only food left was the dog food in the captain’s room. We survived on it for a week.”

…What a tragic memory to be nostalgic about! And for it to feed the whole crew for a week… Joanna, how much dog food did you store? You’re the one feeding the dog the most, aren’t you!

The female pirate seemed to realize this as well and awkwardly changed the topic. “Speaking of which, since we have new members, let’s prepare a welcome party in a couple of days.”

The crew nodded in agreement, ignoring the dog food issue as per the captain’s intention.

A young girl said, “I never thought the Mourner would join us.” She turned to Alois. “Are you related to the Mourner? Are you brothers?”

“No,” Joshua denied.

The girl tilted her head in confusion. “So he is…”

Joshua continued, “His name is Alois Lagrange, and he’s my kept man.”

His voice was soft, but everyone in the cafeteria heard it. Instantly, all conversations stopped. The clinking of cutlery ceased, and all eyes focused on Joshua and Alois.

In the silence, Alois, mortified, threw down his fork and stood up. “Who’s a kept man?!”

“I thought someone who doesn’t work but has food and drink was a ‘kept man’. Does the meaning change in different regions?”

“By your definition, Schrödinger is also a kept man!” …Wait, no, Schrödinger should be a “kept cat*”.

*Clarity: There’s a pun here. The term “kept man/gigolo/boy toy” is little white face (小白脸). Alois changed the term to little black face (小黑脸) since Schrödinger is a black cat.

Joshua smirked. “Can you be the same as a cat?”

“Ahem…” Joanna intervened to smooth things over. “Mourner, that’s not right. If someone can support themselves, they’re not a kept man.” She gestured for Alois to sit down. “How about this, I’ll find you a job on the ship, and you’ll get a regular salary. Then you won’t be a kept… pfft.” She turned her head, covering her mouth, trying hard to stifle her laughter, but Alois clearly saw her eyes tearing up from laughing.

“No need, Captain,” Joshua said lazily, taking the opportunity to throw a piece of meat to Pavlov. “I can afford to keep him.”

“Who needs you to keep me!” Alois turned to Joanna, shaking her. “Captain! Please give me a job! I’ll do anything, really!”

“That’s right, Captain.” Leo suddenly appeared in the seat opposite Joanna. “I even gave him a communication terminal. And aren’t we short of a mechanic?”

The female pirate wiped her tears. “Is anyone fit to be a mechanic? I’d rather leave the position vacant than let an idiot bungle it.”

“Who’s bungling it?!” Alois stood up again. “I graduated from military school with all A+ grades!”

“School and the battlefield are different.” Joanna narrowed her eyes.

Leo instantly disappeared and then reappeared behind her. “Captain, let him try.”

Joanna pondered for a moment.

“Alright.” She stretched lazily. “Meet me at the combat simulation room at 2 PM today. One-on-one. If you can beat me, the mechanic’s position is yours. I won’t go all out.”

“Afraid of you?” Alois raised his chin slightly.

Joanna turned to Leo. “Where does his confidence come from?”

“Humans are so complicated. How could I understand!” Leo clutched his chest.

If the AI had a physical form, Alois would have already pounded him into the ground.

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Help Ch2

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Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

Chapter 2: Becoming Roommates

Fang Xiu opened his eyes and saw an upright ground.

After a few seconds, he realized he was lying on the ground with his right cheek pressed against it… Wait, this development felt a bit familiar.

In the dim moonlight, he saw that he was surrounded by dark shadows of trees. In the distance, the mountains undulated endlessly, like a vast sea.

From within the shadows came the sound of trickling water; a river flowed nearby. The water was dark and dull at night, and Fang Xiu could only see the white stones protruding from it.

A sharp pain throbbed in his temple, and Fang Xiu groaned as he sat up. Something heavy was pressing down on his thigh. As he saw what it was, his recent memories flooded back into his mind.

……

The paper figure gave Fang Xiu a shovel.

Fang Xiu decisively started digging. Unfortunately, he couldn’t follow the ghost hand to its source. The ghost hand was black, gray, and translucent below the wrist, blending into the ground like a shadow.

So, Fang Xiu turned to the paper figure again and asked, “Do you have a flowerpot?”

The expression on the paper figure grew increasingly complex. It seemed to want to say something but stopped. In the end, it turned to an incense burner and dug out a funeral pot used for burning paper money.

A pot is a pot; the difference wasn’t significant. Fang Xiu wielded the shovel and began his grand plan of transplantation.

Faced with this simple labor scene, everyone momentarily forgot their fear, watching intently alongside the surrounding malicious ghosts. After ten minutes or so, Fang Xiu managed to scoop the ghost hand along with the soil into the pot.

“Sorry for keeping everyone waiting,” Fang Xiu said, wiping the sweat from his forehead. In the center of the funeral pot, the ghost hand hung limply.

The eerie atmosphere of summoning the fierce ghosts completely collapsed, and the paper figure seemed somewhat resigned. It allocated rooms in the small courtyard on the spot, saying that they would discuss serious matters after everyone survived the night.

It said this while glaring at Fang Xiu.

Fang Xiu was unfazed. It wasn’t his fault that the ghost hand wouldn’t move. He held the funeral pot tightly, surveying his new room.

According to the paper figure, he had to stay here for an extended period before leaving.

The room was square-shaped, compact but well-equipped with a wardrobe and a desk. The bed was against the wall, quite spacious, and the headboard was next to a glass-partitioned shower room.

A standard studio apartment.

However, three things made him uncomfortable: the room had no windows, no toilet, and an old offering table was placed at the entrance. The table was made of old wood with chipped paint, and there were suspicious stains on its surface. Fang Xiu wiped off some dust in disdain and decided to place the funeral pot on the bedside table.

He couldn’t mistreat this hand. A good impression was the first step to a friendly cooperation.

Fang Xiu stared intently at the potted plant—no, the ghost hand.

This room was less than twenty square meters. Even couples would find it cramped to live together. The others, forced to share rooms with fierce ghosts, must be under a lot of pressure.

His ghost, however, was great. It didn’t take up space and was pleasant to look at. The ghost hand was about the same size as his hand, probably a hand belonging to a male, so sharing the room wouldn’t be inconvenient.

“Hey brother, want to chat? If you’re willing, just move a bit,” Fang Xiu tried to strike up a conversation.

The ghost hand didn’t respond.

Fang Xiu nodded. “Then I’ll sleep for a bit. Goodnight.”

After being dragged around in the middle of the night for so long, he was tired.

The paper figure had asked them to survive the night, not necessarily to come to an agreement tonight. Just in case, Fang Xiu moved the ghost hand to the side of the bed. Gently, he pried open its five fingers and interlocked them with his own.

He was a light sleeper. This way, he would know as soon as it moved.

……

The memory ended here.

The trial of “surviving the night” had begun quietly. It seemed he didn’t sleep as lightly as he had thought, Fang Xiu introspectively noted.

The funeral pot containing the ghost hand was pressing down on his leg, feeling heavy and real. The pot was covered in incense ash, and the dirt dug out from the courtyard was still there, but the ghost hand was nowhere to be seen.

This made him a bit nervous.

The paper figure had only mentioned “being killed by the ghost if negotiations failed” and “forming a pact with the ghost if negotiations succeeded”. It didn’t mention that the fierce ghost would silently vanish. Did it get upset because he had held its hand?

Whether this was an illusion or reality, he had to find the runaway ghost hand first.

The moonlight was better than nothing. It was so dark that he couldn’t see his own hand in front of him. A faint light flickered at the end of the river, like an invitation.

Fang Xiu stumbled along the riverbank toward the light, stepping deeper and shallower as he went. The sound of a suona drifted eerily from all directions, making his head spin. Fortunately, the sound of the river was clear and distinct, and the white stones in the middle of the river clustered in threes and fives, serving as makeshift markers.

However, Fang Xiu’s pace gradually slowed down.

He had woken up barefoot. The ground was covered with sharp stones, which occasionally dug into his feet and tore away his flesh, and even seemed to burrow into his wounds.

Oddly enough, he felt no pain.

Unconsciously, his feet became a bloody mess, his footsteps changing from dry “tap-tap” sounds to a sticky “squelch-squelch”. As the blood kept flowing, his strength quickly waned. His body felt like a sack of meat, numb and heavy.

Fang Xiu roughly grasped the nature of the “trial” ahead of him—

With every step he took, his flesh would wear away a little, like a game with a limited number of moves.

The problem was that this place was too vast and pitch dark. If he took a wrong turn, he could only wander in the darkness until his feet were completely ruined. Then he would have to crawl on the ground until he turned into a pile of minced meat.

The design concept was quite malicious, but the process was really tedious. Fang Xiu couldn’t help but sigh.

The sound of the suona grew louder and louder, as if it was trying to penetrate his brain and squeeze his mind out through his ears.

A few steps away, there was a willow tree. Fang Xiu leaned against its trunk in exhaustion, deciding to rest for a bit.

He was still far from the faint light. The blood loss was happening too fast; he couldn’t leave it unchecked. He had to find something to pad his feet.

His underwear fabric was too soft to be useful, and his pants were too thick and tough to tear apart. His T-shirt fabric was just right, but he really liked this red T-shirt…

Something gently brushed his face.

Fang Xiu then noticed that the tree had long since withered. What he had assumed to be willow branches were actually strips of white cloth hanging down. Among the white cloth hung a dozen shriveled skeletons, wearing faded burial clothes, swaying in the breeze.

One pair of skeletal feet dangled just a few centimeters above Fang Xiu’s head.

Facing this eerie tree with its floating white cloth and dangling corpses, Fang Xiu held his breath, his heart pounding.

Good lord, what had he seen?

…It was a wild bandage!

“Excuse me,”

Fang Xiu tried to suppress his excitement, as he cautiously addressed the skeletons hanging from the tree. He gently plucked a few strips of white cloth. The cloth felt unnaturally cold to the touch, but it seemed clean and was thick enough.

He took back his earlier statement. This giant escape room wasn’t so boring after all; it had some unexpected surprises.

Fang Xiu sat down by the river and began to treat his wounds using the running water.

Perhaps it was because he had been walking in the dark for so long, but his eyes gradually adapted to the darkness. Fang Xiu dug out a handful of sharp fragments from his wounds, only to realize in shock that they were actually yellowed human teeth.

No wonder they tried to dig deeper into his flesh.

Disgusted, Fang Xiu threw the teeth into the water, causing a small ripple.

The white stones in the middle of the river seemed to be disturbed and floated closer… Narrowing his eyes, he looked carefully. They looked more like human heads than stones.

Their skin was swollen, with the lower half of their faces submerged in the water, revealing only bulging eyes. Drawn by the scent of blood in the water, more and more heads gathered, quickly closing in on Fang Xiu’s bleeding feet.

The river was pitch black and the heads clustered together densely, looking like maggots on rotten flesh.

What to do? Fang Xiu thought. He hadn’t finished cleaning his wounds yet.

He had a funeral pot, but it was meant for retrieving the ghost hand. If he washed his feet with it and then used it to hold the ghost hand, that would be too much.

...Oh, right. It’s said that beasts are afraid of banging sounds, but what about wild human heads? Suddenly struck with inspiration, Fang Xiu grabbed a bone and tentatively tapped the edge of the pot.

Bzzz—

Though the funeral pot was made of clay, it emitted a piercing and chilling sound with great resonance.

The nearby heads recoiled, squeezing together with the newcomers, keeping a distance of about an arm’s length from the pot. Hundreds of eyes were glued to Fang Xiu.

Bzzz—Bzzz—

The sharp sound spread across the water’s surface, chilling him to the bone. With just a light tap, the pot vibrated as if it were alive, its echoes lingering for a long time.

No wonder it was a product of the underworld—it was incredibly effective. Fang Xiu let out a sigh of relief and quickened his pace to clean his wounds.

His heels had already worn down to the bone, with several teeth piercing through his toes. Fang Xiu highly suspected that as long as the teeth were still scattered along the path, even padding his feet with cloth wouldn’t last long.

He had a strange feeling that he was being chewed up by the entire space.

When this mountain ground him into pieces, his teeth would also scatter across the ground, ready to bite into the feet of someone else.

If he didn’t want this fate, he’d have to find a branch to hang himself from, so his feet would stay off the ground, at least leaving his body intact. Alternatively, he could jump into the river and potentially become part of the army of heads… Wait, the army of heads?

Fang Xiu glanced at the tree on the riverbank, then at the mass of heads in the water, and suddenly had an idea.

Meanwhile, in a certain room of the Disaster Relief Tower.

The paper figure was holding a bronze mirror, constantly observing the scene within. The mirror showed Fang Xiu’s image.

The view in the mirror was very clear; it not only reflected the hanging corpses and the heads but also countless other evil spirits in the distance—hundreds of eyes were fixed on Fang Xiu, waiting for him to get lost or make a mistake.

Honestly, the paper figure was more concerned about the ghost hand than Fang Xiu himself.

The lottery tube had exactly one hundred sticks, each representing a registered fierce ghost known to the underworld and memorized by the paper figure.

Yet it didn’t recognize the ghost that Fang Xiu had drawn.

Fang Xiu was the seventh to draw, leaving ninety-four sticks in the tube. The paper figure could identify every remaining stick, meaning Fang Xiu had somehow pulled out a nonexistent one hundred and first stick.

This was bizarre, incredibly bizarre. Such a thing had never happened before, and it needed to be carefully observed and reported in detail.

…That was, if Fang Xiu could survive the night.

This was just the preliminary screening. Fierce ghosts would use illusions to test the summoner. If they were compatible, they would form a pact; if not, the ghost would eat them—a simple and brutal process.

According to the rules of the Disaster Relief Tower, the illusion should display the original setting of the fierce ghost. It might be an abandoned house, a desolate grave, or at most, a palace.

However, the illusion that Fang Xiu was in seemed to stretch endlessly, with a rich underworld ecosystem. This was completely abnormal. There shouldn’t be any other evil spirits in the original illusion of a fierce ghost.

There was only one explanation: something had gone terribly wrong with the ghost summoning.

Whatever Fang Xiu had summoned, it was very, very ominous.

The author has something to say:

Mr. Bai has made a 5% appearance in the literal sense, but the two have already achieved the milestones of “ten fingers interlocked” and “sharing the same bed” √ 

They’ve just met and are already playing a warm game of hide-and-seek, how lovely (…

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Beyond the Galaxy Ch7

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Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

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

Chapter 7

Joanna took the freshly baked cream mousse from the crew member’s hand and sniffled with emotion. She hadn’t had a decent meal in weeks; the food on the escort ship and in prison was worse than Pavlov’s dog food. Although the dessert was high in calories and could easily make her gain weight, the female pirate decided to indulge herself a little and reward her taste buds and stomach.

Leo’s lazy voice came from above. “Seeing you have such a good appetite makes me really happy for you, Captain. I suggest you finish eating quickly because I’m about to report the ship’s damage, and you might lose your appetite after hearing it.”

“Just say it.” Joanna Begrel was a space pirate who roamed the sea of stars. She wouldn’t lose sleep or appetite over bad news!

“Alright. Your little lady took two hits; the first and third engines are damaged, the main power source is damaged, decompression chambers 26 and 27 are damaged, and the decompression devices can’t function properly. The microbial circulation systems in cabins 7 and 15 are damaged. I’ve sealed them off to prevent the whole ship from being flooded with wastewater, like in some old sci-fi novel.”

The female pirate let out a couple of pained grunts. “Can we hold out until the warp ends?”

“Of course. The warp generator is intact, and we still have sufficient energy. But I suggest repairing the damaged parts as soon as possible, or any Empire cruiser could sink your little lady without even trying to run.”

“Hmm…” Joanna bit her spoon, staring intently at the simulated navigation map on the screen. “We’ll go to Neo Venice to repair the ship, get supplies, and buy a few new fighter models. I saw an ad for their new ‘Bard’ model. It looks pretty good…”

“Alright, Captain.” Leo’s voice was filled with deep helplessness. “You should discuss that with the finance department. If you just want to play with new fighters, I can adjust the combat simulation system’s parameters…”

“What are you waiting for? Go do it!”

“……” The crew members on the bridge, overhearing their conversation, simultaneously put their hands to their foreheads.

“Oh right!” Joanna smacked the armrest hard. “I almost forgot! Leo, go to the supply cabin and find some clothes to send to the Mourner and his family. Those prison uniforms are an eyesore.”

“Do you even need to say that? I’ve already put them outside their door!”

Alois lay on the bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Although the clock beside him told him it was morning according to standard time, it was night by Hecate’s planetary time. He should have been fast asleep, but he felt no drowsiness at all. The day’s thrilling experiences had excited him so much that he couldn’t sleep.

All he could think about now was Joshua. His silky silver hair, his resilient skin, his cold lips, his warm, wet tongue. The thought of Joshua made him hot and restless. Knowing Joshua was just a wall away intensified his agitation.

Joshua had black-gold eyes… Joshua was the Mourner. Damn it! The Mourner was the strangest legend in the galaxy, an urban myth, the embodiment of death. Alois had heard of the Mourner’s name back when he was in military school; his classmates worshiped him like an idol (they also idolized the space hero Joanna, and their hearts broke when she defected from the Empire military). During his time in the Royal Guard, the legend seemed to fade, but its influence remained. The court maids talked about the black-clad assassin as if he were a handsome devil tempting them to ruin, burying girls’ hearts in the fiery abyss. In Hecate prison, the Mourner became a symbol of belief; as long as he roamed free, it proved that galactic police and bounty hunters were useless.

Now the assassin Mourner was right next to Alois. They had been so close that they could hear each other’s breathing. It could be said that Alois had never been so close to “death”. This forbidden feeling only added to his excitement. He wanted to embrace Joshua, but he had just made Joshua angry…

Knock, knock, knock.

“Who is it?” Alois jumped up from the bed, warily staring at the door.

“It’s me.” The voice outside was unmistakable—the omnipresent guy from above!

“What… what do you want?”

“Tsk, I respect your privacy, so I’m knocking. Do you think there’s a door on this ship I can’t open?”

Before Alois could consent, the door opened on its own. A man with long, deep purple hair leaned against the doorframe, wearing a luxurious robe as elaborate as a scholar of Neo Athens. At his feet was a small robot, holding a large bag over its head, with a silly, unchanging smile on its face.

The man lazily walked in, the small robot hopping after him. The door closed behind them. “Good day.” The man sat boldly in a chair, as if he were the owner. “I’m Leonard, the navigator, network administrator, and daily affairs manager of the Lady of the Night. You can call me Leo.”

“Hello…” Alois sat up straight on the bed. This guy’s tone was annoying, but given his multiple roles, he must be highly capable and valued by the captain. He wasn’t someone to provoke.

The small robot cheerfully walked up to Alois, emitting a “hee hee hee hee” sound, which should have been childlike and innocent, but was creepy at the moment.

Leo pointed at the small robot with his chin. “It’s for you.”

“It?” Alois didn’t understand what he was supposed to do with a robot.

The small robot put down the bag, retracted its hands into its body, and began transforming. It retracted its outer shell and flipped out a new one. A few seconds later, it became a small communication terminal.

“This is really advanced!” Alois carefully picked up the terminal, afraid of breaking this rare item.

Leo crossed his legs. “It can make calls, send messages, play music and videos, and access the internet wherever there’s a super-light network signal. It can also transform into a robot, but its AI is low, so it can at most bring you a cup. Don’t expect it to chat with you. Every crew member has one. Even though you’re a family member, I prepared one for you. You might become an official employee tomorrow. Wear it around your neck, so even if you’re burned to ashes, we can identify your body through the communication terminal. If it breaks, bring it to me for repairs—although that’s unlikely. If you leave the Lady of the Night someday, return it to me.”

“What’s in the bag?” Alois lightly kicked the bag the robot had brought.

“Clothes and some personal items.” Leo shrugged. “But it’s just a uniform—might be a bit ugly, so bear with it. Joanna requires everyone to wear a uniform, but no one listens to her. Wearing such ugly clothes, we’ll be laughed at by the whole galaxy sooner or later.” He glanced at Alois. “But no matter how ugly, it’s better than your prison uniform.”

“……” It’s not like he enjoyed wearing it!

“The ship has entered warp.” Leo propped his chin. “We’ll end the warp in two weeks and arrive at the Lalage system, landing on the second planet, Neo Venice.”

“How long will we stay there?”

“Who knows? Depends on how fast they can repair us.”

Alois frowned. “Actually, I’m a bit worried…”

“Worried?”

“I’m an escaped convict.”

Leo burst into laughter, as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world. He fell off his chair, clutching his stomach, rolling on the ground, occasionally hitting the floor hard.

“Oh, Asimov! I’ve never heard such a hilarious joke!” He laughed so hard he nearly cried. “You’re an escaped convict? Worried about being wanted? Ahaha, ahahahahaha…” He staggered up while laughing. “Don’t worry. This is the Lady of the Night, a ship full of wanted criminals!”

“……” Alois’s face was stiff. Where was the humor? Why didn’t he find it funny at all?

A minute later, Leo finally calmed down. “Get dressed,” he said, “Lunch is soon. I’ll take you to the cafeteria.”

Alois remained seated.

“Why are you still sitting? Do you need me to help you undress?”

“Do I have to undress in front of you?”

Leo snorted, turning around while muttering, “Do you think I can’t see?”

Alois opened the bag, quickly putting on the clothes inside. The dark blue uniform was of good quality but was indeed ugly. He began to sympathize with Joanna’s crew.

“Alright.” He adjusted his collar, hung the communication terminal around his neck, and followed Leo out the door.

The door next door opened with a swish, and Joshua, wearing the same uniform, stepped out. Alois’s heart fluttered as he looked at him, then his jaw dropped. Another Leo followed him out!

What happened? Did Leo have a twin brother?

The two “Leos” shook hands amicably.

“Hello, Leo α.”

“Hello, Leo β.”

“I’m going to the cafeteria, and you?”

“Me too.”

“Haha, what a coincidence.”

“Yes, what a coincidence.”

Joshua rubbed his temples. “Won’t you get schizophrenia doing this?”

The two “Leos” simultaneously scoffed. One suddenly disappeared!

Alois’s jaw dropped again.

Joshua smirked. “Don’t look so surprised. Leo is the AI of this ship.” He walked up, extended a hand, and passed it through Leo’s body, making Leo scream, “Ah! It hurts! This is murder! I won’t let you off even as a ghost!”

The assassin withdrew his hand. “It’s just a hologram.”

Alois’s jaw dropped for the third time.

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Beyond the Galaxy Ch6

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Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

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

Chapter 6

In the holographic image in front of Joanna, one of the five blue dots had already turned red, indicating that the satellite had broken free from Leo’s control. The mid-range AI within the satellite had recovered from the hacking attack. It quickly scanned the near-Earth orbit, and the radar informed it of an unidentified ship intruding on Hecate. According to protocol, it initiated armed defense. The satellite’s front shell opened to the sides, revealing a dark cannon barrel, and the firing unit began charging.

In 0.1 seconds, the AI calculated the enemy ship’s trajectory and aimed the cannon at the ship’s engine based on the calculation. Three seconds later, fully charged, a high-energy beam shot towards the Lady of the Night!

Everything happened in a flash! The Lady of the Night suddenly tilted to the right, and the beam narrowly missed the ship’s stern.

The second satellite turned red. It restored its management system and quickly shared data with its sibling, analyzing the ship’s damage status and evasive trajectory. Clearly, this intruder had remarkable reflexes. As the AI predicted its moves, it was also predicting the AI’s. The second satellite deployed its beam cannon and began charging.

Now, the Lady of the Night was simultaneously targeted by two satellite cannons. Fortunately, the remaining three satellites were on the other side of the planet, and one was a geostationary satellite dedicated to ground surveillance. It had started recording the escape of Hecate prison inmates and had taken over the paralyzed ground command system.

Three seconds later, the two satellites fired their beam cannons in succession. The two high-energy beams formed a slanted cross. The Lady of the Night should have been incinerated at the intersection of the cross, but she veered again, dodging one beam while the other grazed her side.

The ship shook violently, but its speed didn’t decrease at all. Before the next wave of attacks could arrive, she had left the tactical satellites’ attack range. The two AIs reluctantly ceased their assault.

“Damn, the tactical satellites have started attacking,” Joshua Plunk growled, his face twisted with anger. Alois was busy dealing with his nausea and barely reacted before a cat was shoved into his arms.

“Don’t give it to me!” He tried to push the clawing black cat back, but the assassin grabbed his hair, pressing him close, while holding onto the wall’s handrail with the other hand.

The floor beneath them suddenly tilted, causing Alois to stumble and fall onto Joshua. If Joshua hadn’t cushioned his fall, he would have hit the wall. The assassin let out a muffled groan, apparently in pain. Alois scrambled to get up and was about to thank him, but the ship violently shook again, a rumbling sound indicating that it had been hit, or at least grazed.

Joshua steadied himself against the wall, holding Alois tightly. A few seconds later, the second wave of attacks hit, causing more severe tilting and shaking than before. If Joshua hadn’t gripped the handrail firmly, they and the cat would have rolled around like balls.

The corridor lights suddenly went out, plunging everything into complete darkness. It was utter darkness, without any light from the stars or the moon. There was no one around, and in the silence and darkness, they could clearly hear each other’s breathing and heartbeats. Joshua held Alois tightly, eyes wide open, staring into the void, repeatedly telling himself he wasn’t alone. But the heavy darkness still pushed vivid nightmares in front of him. It felt like he was back on that lonely ship in his memory. Or maybe he had never left it.

“Joshua?” came a weak voice from his arms.

After a few breaths, the assassin broke free from the quagmire of memories and returned to reality. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Can you… lighten up a bit? Though I’m happy you’re holding me, I’m suffocating…”

Joshua loosened his grip. A furry ball rolled to the floor, hissing. He guessed it was the frightened black cat. Then someone climbed onto him, warm lips pressing against his.

“What are you doing?” Joshua asked sharply.

Alois bit at the muscles on his neck. “I suddenly want you.” God help him. He had wanted this silver-haired man since he first saw him. When vision failed, other senses became unusually acute. Now, Alois, held by the man he had longed for—not even a day—felt the strong and flexible body, the slightly rapid heartbeat, and heavy breathing enticing him to sin. He could no longer suppress his desire, passionately entangling Joshua’s lips, his tongue prying open his teeth, entwining with his.

Alois was surprised at his own impulsiveness. Maybe some hormone stimulating the senses was secreted under tension? Who cared! He desperately wanted to possess Joshua, to be entwined with him until the end of the world. Joshua was the most handsome man he had ever seen—the first man to defeat him in Hecate prison—Joshua, the assassin Mourner…

He suddenly pushed Joshua away.

The corridor lights came back on. Alois saw himself straddling the assassin, the man underneath cold-faced, starkly contrasting with his reddened lips from the bite.

They stared at each other wordlessly until a voice from above broke the silence. “Sorry, folks, there was a small issue with the power system. I’ve switched to backup power. The Lady of the Night is out of the tactical satellites’ attack range. I’m checking the ship’s damage. If the warp drive is unaffected, we’ll enter warp in an hour. Please be ready.”

Joshua propped himself up with one hand and pressed down on Alois’ crotch with the other, speaking in a low voice. “I extremely dislike what you just did. If you don’t want to undergo genital transplant surgery, don’t do it again.” He roughly pushed the pale Alois away, picked up the shocked black cat, and followed the green arrows towards the quarters.

Footsteps rushed behind him.

“Are you… are you angry?” Alois asked nervously as he caught up.

“Yes. I’m very angry,” Joshua replied calmly without looking back.

“But you were the one who hugged me first.”

“I was protecting you.” He turned a corner. “You helped me, so I’m helping you.”

“Then… since I harassed you, will you do the same?”

Joshua nearly stumbled. Did Hecate do some illegal brain modification on this guy? What kind of logic did he have?

“Why aren’t you speaking?” Alois felt aggrieved. “My skills are really good. Don’t you want to try?”

“No!”

The green arrows pointed to one of the rows of cabin doors, indicating the quarters prepared for the two new members. Joshua pressed the smart lock on the door, which recognized his fingerprint. With a swish, the door slid open. The assassin carried Schrödinger inside, coldly glaring at Alois who stood outside.

The omnipresent, omnipotent voice above said, “Family member, your quarters are next door.”

“We’re roommates! Why can’t we stay together?!” Alois shouted at the ceiling.

“For your safety, I think it’s better to separate you.”

Alois, fuming, walked to the next room.

Joshua closed the door and examined the interior. The room was small and simply furnished, like all spaceship cabins, with a bed, a table, a chair, and a wardrobe. Nothing more.

He collapsed onto the bed, holding the black cat, gently stroking its smooth fur.

“If he hadn’t let go of me just now, I would have snapped his neck.” Joshua scratched the black cat’s chin. “Don’t you agree?”

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Beyond the Galaxy Ch5

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Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

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

Chapter 5

“Captain! Welcome back!”

As soon as Joanna crawled out of the space shuttle, she was surrounded by enthusiastic crew members. She hugged everyone she could reach, but the crew seemed to think this was far from enough. People in the back kept trying to squeeze to the front, causing a small commotion.

“Captain, I missed you so much!”

“I missed you too.”

“Captain, you look thinner! Was the food in prison bad?”

“It wasn’t great.”

“Captain, can I get a hug?”

“Wipe the snot off your mustache first.”

“Captain, who are they?” A young crew member pointed warily at Joshua and Alois, who had just climbed out of the shuttle.

“Well…” Joanna stroked her chin. “This is a companion I met in prison, Joshua Planck, the assassin ‘Mourner’.”

The crowd let out a low murmur. “Did you hear that? He’s the Mourner?”

“Look at his eyes, the Abyssal Fire!”

“Oh my god, I can’t believe I’m seeing the Mourner live!”

Joshua crossed his arms. “I never agreed to join you.”

“Then we’ll have to throw you off the ship.”

“I was joking.”

Joanna nodded in satisfaction.

The crew member then pointed at Alois next to Joshua. “Who is he?”

The silver-haired assassin patted Alois on the shoulder. “He’s family.”

The female pirate raised an eyebrow. “I never heard you had family.”

“Just recognized.”

Alois brushed off Joshua’s hand. “Who the hell is your family?!”

“Then we’ll throw you off the ship.” The assassin glared at him.

Alois turned to Joanna. “Yes, I’m family.”

The female pirate’s eyes flashed with cold light. “What’s that on your neck? A cat fur scarf?”

Schrödinger, who was hanging around Joshua’s neck and pretending to be a scarf, flicked its tail and meowed at Joanna. The assassin took the cat down and held it in his arms. “I hope there’s no rule against having pets on board?”

“Oh, of course, you can have pets. We already have a dog, and now a cat too. Ah, I can foresee the ship will be… very lively.”

With that, the female pirate blew a loud whistle. There was a howl, and a golden retriever burst out from the crowd, pounced on Joanna, and put its paws on her shoulders.

“Good boy. Pavlov, you’ve gained weight again!” Joanna squeezed the dog’s paws. “Go meet your new friend!”

The dog happily walked over to Joshua and sniffed the black cat in his arms. “Woof woof!”

The black cat glanced at it coldly and curled back into the assassin’s embrace without a sound.

“Whine…” The dog lowered its head in disappointment.

Someone in the crowd stifled a laugh.

A clear male voice came from above. “Alright everyone, the time for reunion is always sweet and short. In 1 minute and 40 seconds, we will be blasted to bits by tactical satellites. If you don’t want to meet again in the afterlife, please return to your posts immediately. The ‘Lady of the Night’ is about to accelerate through the atmosphere. Fasten your seatbelts and be careful not to get flattened by the acceleration. Cleaning up that mess is a hassle…”

“Enough, Leonard! Would it kill you to say less?” The crew members complained, but nonetheless, they left the lower deck in an orderly manner. Some headed to the bridge, while others went to man the cannons. A young girl led Pavlov away. The dog looked back wistfully at Joanna and whined sadly at Schrödinger.

Alois immediately felt this ship was a terrifying place, where even the dog seemed to have depression.

The voice from above continued, “Mr. Joshua Planck and his family, please follow the glowing markers to the quarters prepared for you. Captain Joanna, please come to the bridge. Given your familiarity with the ship’s interior, I won’t light up the markers for you.”

The female pirate clicked her tongue and turned to Joshua. “Follow the markers. Keep an eye on your cat and family. Don’t let them wander off.”

“Am I the same as a cat?” Alois protested, but Joanna ignored him and climbed the spiral staircase to the bridge.

A green arrow lit up on the floor, pointing to an open door in the lower deck. Joshua freed one hand and tugged on Alois’ sleeve. “Let’s go.”

“Am I the same as a cat?” the angry “family” questioned again.

The assassin walked through the door, which led to a straight corridor, and another green arrow lit up on the floor. “Of course not,” he replied casually. “A cat can be eaten. Can you?”

Alois and Schrödinger shuddered in unison.

Joanna sprinted through the corridors of the Lady of the Night. To outsiders, these crisscrossing corridors would be a complex maze, and without glowing markers, they would definitely get lost. But Joanna had been running around the ship since she was a little girl; she knew the ship like her jewelry box. She knew where every fork led and where to turn for the best shortcuts. This advantage allowed her to reach the bridge at the same time as the previously departing crew members.

The 360-degree circular screen displayed the environment around the ship, with six control stations evenly distributed below the screen. In the center of the bridge was the command seat, a deep red chair resembling a queen’s throne. Joanna sat in the command seat and found not a speck of dust on the armrests. During her absence, the crew had carefully wiped the seat every day, as if the captain had never left.

Before the female pirate could express her joy at reuniting with her crew, the ship suddenly accelerated. The acceleration pushed Joanna deep into the seat. She cursed and fastened her seatbelt, then swiped her fingers in the air to bring up the holographic map of Hecate. Five blue dots floated around the round planet. Those were Hecate’s tactical satellites.

“20 seconds until control of the tactical satellites is lifted,” the voice above said.

“How long until we leave the satellite’s attack range?” Joanna asked.

“About 30 seconds,” the voice replied.

The captain held her forehead. “10 seconds is enough for us to be blasted a hundred times.”

“I can activate the manual evasive system. But to save energy, I need to disable the gravity grid.”

“Manual evasion, Leo,” Joanna ordered. “If we survive this, you can play whatever TV show you want during dinner.”

“You’re the most understanding captain in the universe!” the voice above cheered.

Joshua followed the green arrows through the vein-like corridors. Alois, trailing behind him, repeatedly doubted if they were going in circles.

“How long until we get there?” he complained in a low voice.

“At your speed, maybe in your next life.” The wall beside them suddenly spoke, and Alois’s hair stood on end. “Gravity grid disabled, manual evasive system activated. The ship may shake violently. Grab onto something solid. I don’t want to send a robot to clean blood off the ceiling.”

Alois felt a lightness in his body. Although it wasn’t zero gravity, the loss of weight made him slightly nauseous. Alois Lagrange hadn’t lived in zero gravity space for many years. The last time he experienced it was in military school drills.

Schrödinger let out a screech. The black cat, born and raised on Hecate, fell into a state of panic. This made Alois feel a sense of superiority.

Joshua held the black cat tight, mumbling in some strange dialect (Alois caught the words “God”, “hell”, and “death”, guessing it was either a prayer or a curse), then suddenly looked up. “Damn, the tactical satellites have started attacking.”

Kinky Thoughts:

Creative names for their pets. Schrödinger is named after Schrödinger’s cat, while Pavlov is named after Pavlov’s dog (classical conditioning).

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Beyond the Galaxy Ch4

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Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

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

Chapter 4

Alois Lagrange glared at the bed board of the upper bunk. His bunkmate had been tossing and turning all night, disturbing his rest as well.

“Are you not used to the bed?” He finally couldn’t hold back any longer. “Stop rolling around! Even if you can’t sleep, I need to!”

“It’s my first time in prison. Can’t I have one sleepless night?” Joshua turned over again. “Talk to me, or I’ll keep thinking random thoughts.”

“What are you thinking about?”

“About whether I’ll die here.” The assassin’s eyes shone brightly in the dark. He stared motionlessly into the darkness, as if there were hidden enemies there. But in reality, there was nothing. It was just a wall. The wall had a window through which you could see the starry sky outside, sparkling like diamonds. “If I die… then there’s nothing. From nothing, ultimately returning to nothing.”

“I think you need to see a psychiatrist.”

Joshua scratched Schrödinger’s chin, and the black cat purred contentedly. The assassin’s eyes searched the darkness but found nothing.

“I’m very afraid of death,” he said. “I’ve been sentenced to 530 years. By the time my sentence is up, there won’t even be bones left. I’m afraid I’ll spend my entire life in prison. I still have a lot of things to do. I can’t die.”

Alois yawned. “You’re really tough. Only you in all of Hecate have a longer sentence than mine. I got 230 years for murder. But I was framed. What about you?”

“I killed a lot of people. I’m an assassin.”

“Uh-huh. I used to be a member of the Royal Guard.” Alois wiped away the tears that came from his drowsiness. Suddenly, something flashed through his mind, fast as a bullet, so fast that he couldn’t catch it before it slipped away.

Joshua asked, “You said you were framed?”

“Absolutely. I was assigned to protect the prince’s lover, but she was killed by an assassin sent by the Duke, and I was framed. Can you understand that?”

“Of course. You’re a pawn in a political struggle.” Joshua stared intently at the window. The starlight was bright, but all he could see was the darkness under the starlight. Everything was dark—darkness was everywhere, and darkness followed like a shadow. He had to quickly find a topic to distract himself, or he’d be swallowed by the inner darkness. “Don’t you want to clear your name and restore your honor? In Hecate, you can’t do anything but be forgotten.”

Hecate was like a ship drifting in the vast universe, unable to contact the outside world and without a destination, blindly sailing into the depths of the star dust.

“Oh, of course I do,” Alois said irritably. “But I’m just a small fry, and my opponents are the Queen, the Duke, and the huge monster of politics. In front of them, I’m like a powerless baby.”

“The first consul of Neo Athens once said, ‘Whoever has power has the right to speak.'”

“Do you have power?”

“I…”

Before the words were out, a “click” was heard, and the cell door lit up with a green light and slowly opened.

“What’s going on?” Alois walked to the door and peered outside. The prison was laid out like rows of matchboxes, and now every box had its door open.

A head popped out from the neighboring cell. “What’s happening? A fire drill?”

The cellmate said, “Maybe the warden lost his cat again? Remember last time he woke us all up for a carpet search? Nearly killed us!”

“No,” Joshua’s denial came from behind. He jumped to the ground, leaned against the iron bars on the window, and revealed a look of eager longing. “No…”

Alois walked over to him. “What?”

“Look, the sky.”

At first, Alois saw nothing, just the usual night sky. But soon, he noticed a few stars missing from the starry sky. It was as if there was a hole in the star-filled night curtain—not a hole, but stars being obscured by something. That thing must be huge, maybe a ship. But that’s impossible! Hecate has five tactical satellites that monitor every inch of the planet around the clock. If there were an invasion, it would be turned into a meteor before entering the atmosphere.

“God! Have the Federation dogs finally attacked Hecate?”

“It’s not the Federation!” Joshua dropped this sentence and then dashed out the door like lightning.

“Come back! Are you crazy?” Alois had no time to stop his mad behavior and followed him out.

The silver-haired man sprinted down the corridor, shouting as he ran, “What are you waiting for? Run! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!”

The prison was in an uproar. The inmates finally realized this wasn’t a drill, nor was the warden playing around. Hecate’s central computer had lost control, and every door was open for them. Someone took the lead and shouted, and soon each matchbox was pouring out a few people, more and more, forming rivers and seas, shouting as they rushed towards the main gate of the prison.

Several night-shift guards waved their batons, trying to drive the crowd back to their cells. “Get back, you scum!” A prisoner grabbed one of the guards from behind, but another snatched the baton, and hit the guard on the head.

“Riot! It’s a riot!” The captain of the guards took out his walkie-talkie and shouted to the central control room, but the response was a piece of lyrical singing by the galactic diva Camilla. “Damn it! The computer’s been hacked!”

Alois followed Joshua closely, afraid of losing him. Luckily, the assassin’s silver hair was particularly noticeable in the dim prison.

“Come back, Joshua Planck! You’re inciting a riot!” he shouted.

Joshua slowed his steps, looked back at Alois. “Don’t you want to escape? Do you want to rot in here?”

“I don’t want to be a fugitive!”

“At least if you get out, you’ll have a chance! Stay here, and there’s nothing!” Joshua extended a hand, as if inviting him.

He had only one second to think. In that second, many images flashed through Alois’s mind. He thought of the innocent Miss Leia, who had been brutally murdered at home; he thought of the timid but kind Prince Annot, who always stood with his sister, Princess Alveira, in his memories; he thought of the letter from Caspar last month, which read: [My friend, how are you in Hecate? At last month’s reunion, I met our old school beauty…]

Alois grasped Joshua’s hand.

The assassin pulled him into a sprint. They squeezed through the frenzied crowd, rushed out the door, and onto the empty playground outside the cell block. Many people were already crossing the playground toward the helipad. Guards, woken from their sleep, were firing beam guns into the crowd. A few prisoners fell, hit by the beams, while more continued forward, trampling over the fallen.

Joshua didn’t head towards the helipad but instead ran toward the women’s cell block. The spaceship that obscured the starlight hovered right above the women’s prison.

“Lagrange! Stop!” A guard’s warning came from behind.

“Don’t look back!” Joshua tightened his grip on Alois’s hand.

A laser beam grazed Alois’s arm. He grunted, enduring the searing pain, and kept up with the assassin. Another beam narrowly missed him, and Alois wanted to crouch down and surrender, but Joshua’s firm grip wouldn’t let him break free.

“Damn it! If I die here, I’ll haunt you!”

“Feel free!”

The women’s prison was right in front of them, but Alois saw, with despair, a high wall blocking their path. The wall was topped with electrified barbed wire, and it looked too smooth and sturdy to climb.

They stopped before the wall. The footsteps behind them indicated that several guards had followed. Alois didn’t dare turn around. He knew several guns were pointed at his back, ready to fire if he made any sudden moves.

“You’re trapped! Surrender now!” a guard shouted.

“Joshua…” Alois glanced sideways at his cellmate. The silver-haired assassin was staring dreamily at the starry sky.

The guard shouted again, “Hands on your heads! Squat down! Now, I’ll count to three!”

“One!”

“Hurry…” Joshua’s lips moved.

“Two!”

“I’m here…”

“Three!”

From behind the wall, a small spacecraft rose—a “Gondola” model made in Neo Venice. The Gondola shone a bright light, blinding the guards. Alois shielded his eyes from the painful brightness.

The Gondola flew over the wall. Its hatch opened, and a woman leaned out, showing a wild smile. “Good evening, Mr. Mourner.”

“For an assassin, the day is just beginning!”

The woman extended her hand. “Come on up!”

Joshua gave Alois a push. “You first!”

Alois, bewildered, grabbed the woman’s arm, and she pulled him into the Gondola’s cabin. Joshua then jumped up and climbed aboard.

Laughing, the woman lifted the craft, not even closing the transparent hatch. The howling night wind rushed into the cabin. Alois would never forget this scene: under the starlight, the woman’s red hair blew in the wind like flames, like a blood-stained flag fluttering. And Joshua Planck was pressed against him, the golden rings around his pupils shining like the light of the star.

“Rejoice, boys! We’re free!” The woman sang as the Gondola rose higher and higher, leaving the rioting prison and frantic guards far below. It flew like a bird towards the spaceship darker than the night above them.

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Charlie’s Book Ch198

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Author: 冬瓜茶仙人 / Winter Melon Tea Immortal

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

Chapter 198

Unfortunately, Arnie’s frantic dash and fall onto the pile of leaves had made quite a noise, which was conspicuous in the otherwise silent woods. Charlie picked him up, trying to leave the area as quickly as possible, but after running a few steps, he abruptly stopped. The inertia caused both of them to fall to the ground.

A deep pit had appeared without warning right in front of them. If Charlie hadn’t stopped in time, they would have fallen right in. But what caught his eye first wasn’t the pit—it was the sudden burst of magical light characteristic of elf magic. It was a deep green, distinctly different from the toad-like green of certain dark magics.

Charlie felt this situation was very troublesome. If their opponent was truly an elf, their chances of winning were slim. Elves lived much longer than humans, so even a young-looking elf could have been practicing magic for longer than any elderly human grandmages. Moreover, elves were naturally superior in physical abilities, with almost all of them being born warriors. If Charlie were alone, he might take a chance, but with Arnie here…

He heard a small noise behind him. Charlie got up, seeing three people swiftly approaching through the leaves, their footsteps nearly silent. One of them was being dragged, seemingly unconscious, and it was his feet scraping the ground that made the sound.

Charlie pursed his lips and tightened his grip on Arnie’s hand. Sensing his nervousness, Arnie remained silent, hiding half his body behind Charlie.

The approaching figures were tall, with fair skin and striking green eyes, but no pointed ears.

“Who?” One of them spoke, addressing his companions rather than Charlie and Arnie.

Charlie felt a twinge in his head. The newcomers were speaking Southern Elvish. Arnie’s eyes widened as he recognized the unconscious man being dragged—it was his “uncle” Alger.

Alger looked nothing like the confident man from the day before. His shirt was dirty and wrinkled, and his pants were covered in mud, as if he’d spent the past half hour rolling on the ground. His limbs were limp, but his eyes were open, and he was somewhat conscious.

Seeing Arnie, Alger instinctively struggled. Charlie realized this was bad. Unfortunately, he couldn’t stop Alger from shouting out to Arnie, who responded with disdain.

The man holding Alger shook him, making him cry out. Another man stepped forward, staring at Arnie.

“Dwight?” he asked in Common.

Charlie assessed the situation. Alfred was nowhere in sight, and shouting for him was more likely to provoke these men than to call for help. He spread one hand, palm up, to show he was unarmed, while keeping a tight grip on Arnie with the other.

“We’re just passing through, sirs,” Charlie said humbly. “We mean no trouble.”

“That’s Dwight’s son!” Alger, eager to clear himself, said quickly. “My nephew, Arnie. Arnie, come to your uncle…”

Arnie wasn’t stupid. He hid further behind Charlie, avoiding eye contact with Alger.

“Dwight emblem,” the closer man said to his companion, noticing the emblem on Arnie’s clothes.

“Take them.” The man holding Alger dropped him and advanced towards Charlie and Arnie.

Alger, now free, immediately ran in the opposite direction, despite the pain from his minor wounds. He was confident that the presence of a Dwight would keep the attention off him, allowing him to escape.

Feeling no one chasing him, Alger ran faster, relieved. This forest wasn’t very large. He would soon be out—

A clod of dirt hit Alger on the head with surprising force. Already panicked, the blow made him stumble, almost falling over as dizziness set in.

Is someone chasing me? He clutched his head, trying to shake off the ringing in his ears.

“Hmm?”

Alfred approached quickly, taking a moment to recognize Alger.

Alfred was a knight of rank. Although Alger was a noble by birth, he had no title himself. Unlike Elaby, Alfred didn’t feel obliged to be overly polite to these relatives, even out of respect for the Duchess.

He walked up, appearing casual. “What’s going on?”

Alfred had heard the commotion from a distance, initially thinking it was something suspicious. But upon closer inspection, it was just someone running wildly through the forest, looking quite deranged.

Alger, realizing it was a Brandenburg Knight, felt guilty and stammered, unable to speak coherently.

Alfred scrutinized him. At first, he thought Alger had been chased by a wild animal, explaining his disheveled state. But the small, precise wounds on Alger’s body weren’t from rolling on the ground. Remembering why he had come into the forest, Alfred’s expression darkened. “What happened?”

“Ah… nothing, nothing happened,” Alger pleaded. “Can we just go back? Please?”

Alfred squinted, looking in the direction Alger had come from. “Who did you meet?”

Alger’s panicked expression confirmed Alfred’s suspicions: there were intruders in the forest. Oscar and he had sensed something wrong, and it wasn’t Alger who posed no real threat but someone or something else.

“Really, no one,” Alger insisted, knowing Alfred would be furious if he found out he had tried to use Arnie as a distraction to escape. “I’m feeling unwell. If you don’t go, I’ll go back myself.”

“No.” Alfred grabbed Alger by the collar and effortlessly dragged him along. “You’re coming with me to see.”

“No!” Alger struggled violently. “You can’t fight the elves!”

“Elves? What elves?” Alfred stopped, suspicious. “Those things have been extinct for ages.”

“They’re very vengeful! They’ll take me with them too!” Alger shouted in despair.

The next second, Alfred’s hand gripped his throat like a vise.

“You said ‘take with them’.” The usually smiling knight’s expression turned especially cold. “Who else did they take?”

Alger was no match for Alfred—naturally stubborn and weak-willed, he wasn’t a person of strong resolve. When his life was threatened, Alger would do anything, including betraying others and himself.

“I didn’t know they’d follow me here.” Dragged around twice in one day, Alger felt like his insides were going to be squeezed out of his mouth. He mumbled, “They’re elves, incredibly fast. They might already be out of Lemena by now… Ah!”

Alfred’s punch landed squarely on Alger’s face. Alger let out a short cry and collapsed like a noodle.

The area was deserted. Alfred meticulously inspected the surroundings, even turning over fallen leaves on the ground. Finally, near a pine tree, he found what he was looking for: two pieces of handmade candy.

These were the snacks prepared for Arnie by the maids at the pavilion. Even before his birth, the Duke and Duchess had hired a special confectioner for him, and even the candy wrappers were unique to Brandenburg. Just half an hour ago, Alfred himself had eaten a piece.

He put the candy in his pocket and looked around. The soil and leaves in several places were messy, as if someone had fallen there, but there was no trace of blood.

Whether Alger’s talk of elves was true or not, at least for now, Arnie’s life wasn’t in immediate danger. Although the elves were warlike, they weren’t bloodthirsty, and they had a high tolerance for innocent younglings, even human ones—after all, younglings were younglings.

Although the Young Master rarely showed an innocent side, given his intelligence and noble upbringing, he should be capable of using cuteness to save his life.

But why elves?

Alfred turned to look at the unconscious Alger, his anger barely contained.

……

“What did you say?” Priscilla stood up abruptly from the sofa, the sudden movement causing a bout of dizziness. Ignoring it, she took two steps forward, nearly losing her composure. “What do you mean, Arnie is missing?”

Her aunt, who was sitting opposite her, turned pale when she saw Alger being dragged in by Alfred, the pallor breaking through her makeup.

Her lips trembled as she wanted to check on her husband’s condition, but Alfred’s intimidating presence kept her frozen in place.

“Get Albert and Gray to interrogate this guy,” Alfred said to the shocked Elaby. “It’s probably their mess.”

Elaby, snapping back to his senses, looked at the trembling woman on the sofa. Without needing a word, two young footmen stepped forward to escort her away.

“Lock them all in the tower,” Elaby ordered sternly. “Seal the windows, and no one is to approach them until the Duke returns.”

Priscilla hadn’t noticed Elaby’s commands. She ran to Alfred, hoping that her little brother would suddenly appear from behind him. Alfred supported her, noticing her whole body trembling. It had only been a minute since he entered, and Priscilla was already in tears.

“Where is Arnie?” she shouted at Alfred. “Where is my brother? I told you to watch him! Alfred! I told you to watch him!”

Alfred knelt on one knee on the carpet, quickly explaining the situation while wiping her tears.

“Elven magic is more potent in natural environments. It’s hard to detect immediately in the woods. Young Master Arnie left two pieces of candy. I think he meant that Oscar was taken with him.”

Priscilla became more distressed. “He’s just a novelist! If—if he could protect Arnie, how could he be taken too?”

What she didn’t say was that Oscar was just someone hired by Elaby with a generous payment to accompany the children. His loyalty and sense of responsibility couldn’t compare to others. She could trust anyone else to protect her brother with their life, but for heaven’s sake, Oscar hadn’t even received his first paycheck yet!

Alfred thought that Oscar wasn’t as simple as he seemed, but seeing Priscilla crying so hard, he didn’t want to upset her further.

“This is my fault,” he assured her. “They left less than an hour ago. We still have a chance to catch up. We need to identify the intruders and their purpose. You know Albert’s skills. He will extract the truth quickly.”

“Once we find Arnie, I will accept any punishment. But until then, he may be waiting for us to rescue him. Please, hold back your tears, and let’s think of a plan. He must be very scared now.”

Priscilla took several deep breaths but couldn’t stop crying. She gulped down a glass of water and said, “Elaby, write a letter immediately. Have the butler send it to the capital. They need to know what happened.”

Even if her parents blamed her, Priscilla had no other choice but to seek their help.

Elaby left quickly. Two maids held Priscilla, comforting her and fearing that her body wouldn’t withstand the shock.

But Alfred’s words reminded her that without their parents, if even the elder sister panicked, Arnie would have no one to rely on. Priscilla forced herself to drink another glass of water and said, “Get another person to interrogate my good aunt. Make sure Alger tells the truth. From her reaction, she’s clearly involved.”

“You said there’s elven magic in the forest,” Priscilla, still hiccuping from crying, said to Alfred. “But this race disappeared long ago. If the stories of their retreat to Paradise are false, they wouldn’t easily leave their seclusion to contact humans.”

For a child, Priscilla was strong. Alfred himself hadn’t recovered as quickly in the forest. He handed the two pieces of candy Arnie had left behind to her.

“Elven magic isn’t exclusive to elves. Some mages who are naturally attuned to nature can also learn their spells,” Alfred explained. “If it is truly elves, that’s good. Elves rarely harm children or pregnant women, as it goes against their beliefs. Moreover, Arnie is innocent. Revenge and anger aren’t typical elven behaviors.”

Priscilla, well-versed in history, knew Alfred wasn’t just making this up to comfort her.

“What if they’re pretending to be elves?” Priscilla couldn’t hide her worry.

“Those who are cruel and bloodthirsty can’t learn elven magic,” Alfred reassured. “Because it’s a power of healing.”

He lifted Priscilla into the carriage, staying behind to await the interrogation results. Elaby, meanwhile, hurried back to Brandenburg on horseback to use the communication point in the Duke’s study. If they acted quickly, the capital would receive news of the heir’s disappearance by morning.

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Charlie’s Book Ch197

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Author: 冬瓜茶仙人 / Winter Melon Tea Immortal

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

Chapter 197

The Duchess sat up straight. “How could that be?”

“The letter and envelope indeed carry the scent of the forest, but His Majesty summoned us because of the letter’s contents.” Duke Dwight looked tired.

Emperor Zoltar had received the letter in the middle of the night.

His palace and its surroundings were protected against magic, but this letter wasn’t delivered by ordinary means—a long-beaked white crane had carried the envelope, gracefully landing on his study’s terrace. The scene had nearly made Zoltar think he was dreaming from overworking.

The letter’s content was even more bizarre. The sender claimed to be the gatekeeper of the elves, who were hidden in the forest. Last month, an important elven artifact was stolen by humans, and they were seeking an explanation from the ruler of Pennigra.

The letter specifically mentioned that the thieves were associated with “Dwight”.

In the empire, there was only one Dwight, the Emperor’s brother, residing in the southeastern part of the continent—Duke Dwight. The Emperor found it unbelievable yet remembered that the Duchess hailed from the south, close to the ancient elven forests.

He had the letter and envelope examined by a mage, confirming they shared the same aura as existing elven artifacts. If the letter had been from anyone else, the Emperor might have laughed it off. But if it was from the elves…

Few people knew that the elves were actually a warlike race. Contrary to their serene appearance, they were proud and protective, never tolerating any provocation. In the days before they withdrew from the continent’s conflicts, they were involved in many large-scale wars.

Therefore, Zoltar treated the matter cautiously.

He didn’t make it public but summoned Duke Dwight to the capital for questioning. However, Duke Dwight knew nothing about it.

The Duchess pondered for a moment and said, “If they didn’t have evidence, they wouldn’t write your name with such certainty.”

No one knew her husband better than she did. Dwight had barely left Lemena in the past six months, partly due to the inconvenience of winter travel and partly because she and their daughter Priscilla had been unwell. Since their marriage, Duke Dwight rarely left home for long periods.

“I also believe someone has been using the Dwight name for nefarious purposes,” Duke Dwight said. “There are too many items bearing the Dwight crest—letters, gifts, furniture, carriages. Tracing everything that has left would be a massive undertaking. But the Emperor and I agree that as long as we can prove we’re not involved, a simple clarification will suffice.”

The Duchess sharply asked, “Does His Majesty think this is related to my family?”

Besides the capital, the Duchess’s maternal family communicated most frequently with Brandenburg. Given their location, it was an easy association.

Duke Dwight smiled. “The Emperor and I are certain you know nothing about it.”

Realizing he had inadvertently used political tactics on his wife, he quickly added, “We will continue to investigate, including identifying the sender. However, the Emperor plans to write back to clarify. If the forest needs the Empire’s cooperation, we will, as friends of the elves, oblige.”

The Duchess frowned slightly. “So, we can’t return to Lemena yet? If I had known, I would have brought the children.”

Duke Dwight knew she didn’t like being away from the children for long. Holding her hand, he reassured her. “I will visit the palace again tomorrow. If we need to stay longer in the capital, we can arrange for the children to come. Alfred will take good care of them on the journey.”

……

“To Green City?” Priscilla raised her teacup, looking surprised.

“You haven’t been to your grandmother’s house yet,” her uncle’s wife said warmly. “Emma always said you were too young—but you’re big children now. My son had traveled all over the south at your age. Myra Valley’s climate is better than here. It’s not cold in winter or hot in summer. There are vast lakes and endless fields, and wildflowers are as numerous as the stars in the sky, blooming right now.”

She continued eagerly, “Although your grandmother has passed, Aunt Anya is still there. Did you know she had another child last year?”

“Mother wrote about it, a little sister,” Priscilla said, splitting her attention to Arnie, who was daydreaming beside her.

Arnie disliked these relatives but didn’t want to leave Priscilla alone with them, so he had come along despite his distaste.

Priscilla also disliked them. With both parents away, they were enthusiastically inviting them to leave the castle. Whether it was polite conversation or not, it was inappropriate.

Seeing her brother was bored, Priscilla put down her cup and gently touched his ear. “Arnie, would you like to go to the garden? Father had a swing set up there last year, but winter came early, and he didn’t get a chance to take us. Go see if the swing is still there.”

Arnie shook his head. The woman’s wandering eyes while talking to Priscilla made him feel he needed to protect his sister.

Priscilla understood his thoughts and whispered in his ear, “I’ll talk to her. You take the chance to investigate what they’re up to.”

This worked. Arnie blinked, slid off the sofa, nodded slightly at the woman across from him, and left the sitting room. Elaby quickly followed.

The guest house was one of the Dwight family’s ancestral properties. Though not large, it was well-structured and elegantly furnished. Behind the house was a small maple grove. Duke Dwight liked to stay there in autumn, using it as a hunting lodge.

Arnie had visited a few times with his parents. With his hands behind his back, Elaby followed him from room to room. After searching for a long time, they didn’t find any scenes of evil plotting but managed to work up a sweat.

“Young Master, how about we have a drink in the shade?” Elaby suggested. “It’s too hot today. You might get heatstroke.”

Arnie pouted.

Elaby said, “I was afraid you might get bored, so I brought Oscar along before we set off.”

Hm?

Arnie turned his head, still not speaking, but his slightly raised face clearly expressed, “I’m interested, keep talking.”

Last night, Oscar had told him another story—not strictly a story, but more like a biography of his personal idol, the alchemy master Karachi’s youth.

Oscar had a magical ability to make any story captivating. Arnie enjoyed listening to Oscar speak and deeply suspected that even the driest ancient texts would become interesting if Oscar taught them, more so than the “renowned” scholar of ancient literature at the castle.

“He and the others are in the outer pavilion. I’ve asked Maria to bring iced drinks and cookies. How about we invite Oscar over for a chat?”

Arnie forgot about his scouting mission and let Elaby lead him to the back garden. At the edge of the woods was a small gazebo, and indeed, a double swing had been set up. However, the sun was too hot, and no one wanted to use it.

Oscar arrived with Alfred. Elaby returned to accompany Priscilla, leaving them to entertain Arnie.

Alfred, who was unmarried and had watched Arnie grow up, almost considered him his own son. He naturally switched from a roguish young man to a doting father figure, trying to make Arnie eat. Arnie wasn’t amused by his antics, but Charlie found it hilarious.

“Not eating will stunt your growth,” Alfred said, pretending to be stern. “You didn’t finish your lunch, did you? You always do this in hot weather—do you know the kids in the reserves your age are already up to my chest?”

“Only children who are six years old and have their parents’ consent can participate in the selection. I am five,” Arnie calmly replied.

Alfred: “…Sometimes we aren’t that strict with age limits. Eating more will help you grow faster, so have another cookie.”

Charlie couldn’t tell the worried Alfred that he was overthinking it. Little Arnie might be small now, but he would start growing rapidly during puberty and continue until he was eighteen, needing new sleeves and pants almost every month.

Arnie wasn’t interested in snacks. He turned to Charlie and said, “Tell me another story about the flying man.”

Charlie withdrew his gaze and teased him, “If I tell you now, there won’t be any stories left for tonight.”

Arnie was hearing this for the first time. “Why?”

“Because…” Charlie was about to lie that it was Priscilla’s rule, but he paused. Alfred almost immediately noticed his change in expression and looked around.

The two adults exchanged a quick glance. Charlie seriously told Arnie, “Because I only have a hundred stories. If I tell you one a day, you can listen for three months. If I tell you three a day, you’ll only have stories for a month. Which do you choose?”

Arnie didn’t answer but instead curiously tilted his head to look past Charlie at the maple forest behind him.

When Charlie spoke just now, Arnie had felt as if he was being watched.

Alfred was one of the few who knew about Arnie’s keen senses. He stood up and said, “I’ll go check it out. I haven’t been here in months. There might be some wild animals.”

He looked meaningfully at Charlie. “Can you take care of the Young Master for a while?”

Anyone who passed Elaby’s inspection and questioning to enter Brandenburg was at least clear of background and physical checks—they had ways to screen out people with bad intentions, so Oscar was “theoretically” trustworthy.

But Oscar had detected something amiss in the surroundings even faster than Alfred, a seasoned warrior. Alfred felt that this man wasn’t simple.

Charlie didn’t hesitate. “I swear his safety is more important than my life.”

Alfred nodded, said no more, and quickly walked along the path into the woods.

Sitting on the bench, Arnie suspiciously asked, “What are you talking about?”

“Alfred temporarily handed over his guard duty to me, Young Master,” Charlie said with a smile. “I’m not as good at fighting as he is, so for our safety, let’s head back inside.”

“You think there’s something in the woods.” Arnie suddenly remembered Priscilla’s scouting mission and perked up. “There are guards all around the guest house. It’s hard for outsiders to sneak in—it must be Alger.”

“Uncle Alger,” Charlie reminded him.

Arnie rolled his eyes at him, climbed down from the bench, grabbed a handful of candies from the table, and stuffed them into his pocket. “We’re going too.”

Charlie tried to persuade him. “Alfred is just worried about wild animals. If we follow, we’ll only get in the way.”

Actually, the feeling Charlie had earlier was very faint, almost a fleeting sensation. He had sensed an unusual magical fluctuation, like a dragonfly skimming the water, creating ripples that were barely noticeable.

Arnie’s large, beautiful eyes stared at him for a moment before he declared, “You’re lying.”

…So this near-mind-reading ability was innate.

Charlie couldn’t help but laugh. He thought that the future Duke Dwight he met years later had restrained himself somewhat, at least not being as straightforward and terrifying as he was at five.

Arnie’s decisive action also hadn’t changed. He didn’t wait for Charlie’s response, simply announcing his decision and walking into the woods.

Charlie rubbed his hands behind him.

Whether or not there was something in the woods, the magical fluctuation had come from that direction. He couldn’t let Arnie rush in recklessly.

Unlike those who obeyed the Young Master’s every whim, Charlie quickly caught up, intending to carry him back.

But just as he reached out, Arnie suddenly sprinted—despite his short legs, he moved quickly.

Does he have eyes on the back of his head?

Caught off guard, Charlie watched the defiant child run into the woods. He had no choice but to follow.

“Young Master!” Charlie had long legs, but Arnie was smart, avoiding the forest paths and darting around like a squirrel, making it hard for Charlie to catch him. He tried to persuade him, “Don’t run so fast. I’ll go with you.”

Arnie didn’t look back.

Charlie continued the chase, pulling out a glass vial from his pocket. Popping the cork with a “pop,” an invisible shadow flew out, carried by the wind, making a slicing sound as it chased after Arnie.

The boy turned, seeing nothing. Kids this age struggled to multitask. Distracted, he tripped and fell.

Fortunately, the ground was covered in thick leaves. Charlie caught up, picking him up.

Arnie was a bit angry, kicking his legs, but then saw Oscar making a “shush” gesture.

“There’s someone nearby,” he whispered, covering Arnie’s mouth. “But it’s not Alfred.”

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Charlie’s Book Ch196

Kinky1 Comment

Author: 冬瓜茶仙人 / Winter Melon Tea Immortal

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

Chapter 196

Although the steward said they didn’t have to pay attention to it temporarily, Priscilla heard that those distant relatives were quite unruly at the guest house. They were particularly arrogant towards the servants, being picky and even making her friend, the maid Nana, cry.

Nana was three years older than Priscilla. Her family had served Brandenburg for generations. Priscilla had a good relationship with the young maids around her age who helped in the castle. The Duke and Duchess always taught that a lady shouldn’t treat others harshly. These young girls rarely faced such mistreatment and couldn’t help but cry secretly, which made Priscilla quite unhappy.

Moreover, out of courtesy, she did need to formally meet the elders, who had come from afar. Priscilla finally decided to visit the guest house.

Arnie just felt it was troublesome. He didn’t know these so-called relatives at all.

“What are they here for?” he asked Priscilla on the way.

Priscilla straightened his collar and sighed like a little adult upon hearing this.

“I don’t know either. They refused to tell the steward their purpose (saying that servants have no right to inquire about their master’s business) and insisted on meeting us.”

Priscilla and Arnie were still young, and the Duke and Duchess hadn’t involved them in family affairs. The siblings’ clearest understanding of “relatives” came from the princess and princes of the capital.

So, when they actually met the so-called uncle and the other distant “relatives”, they were almost overwhelmed—two overly enthusiastic women nearly smothered them in their embrace. If Elaby hadn’t stepped in to rescue them, Arnie would have exploded.

Even their mother wouldn’t hug him so tightly! And this woman kept touching him!

Fortunately, the steward had sent several people along, who promptly separated the frightened siblings from the guests. However, the initial meeting still left a psychological shadow on them. When they finally settled on the living room sofa, Priscilla pulled Arnie to the farthest spot from them.

“Priscilla, you’ve grown into such a beautiful young lady.” The woman, who introduced herself as their aunt, wiped her eyes with a handkerchief. Priscilla watched her as she carefully avoided smudging her makeup and didn’t respond.

“And this must be Arnie—Emma’s precious baby,” their uncle said, smiling at Arnie. “The future Duke Dwight.”

Arnie squeezed closer to Priscilla. He didn’t like this uncle because his expression was complicated and hard to read, but Arnie could tell the smile wasn’t sincere.

His actions were interpreted as shyness, and given his young age, the attention shifted back to Priscilla.

“Why are your sister and brother-in-law traveling in such weather? The children are still so young, and leaving them to the servants must be worrying—how have you been lately?” She asked concernedly, leaning toward Priscilla.

…What a statement. It was as if the Duke and Duchess’s absence meant the people of Brandenburg would take the opportunity to mistreat the young masters, Elaby thought.

Priscilla nodded while holding her tea. “We are fine.”

She deliberately refrained from asking about their purpose for coming, and as expected, seeing Priscilla remain silent, the distant uncle coughed a few times and began reminiscing about the joyful times when the Duchess and her siblings were young, especially emphasizing his very close relationship with Emma and Priscilla’s two aunts.

“I plan to invest in two vineyards and a winery in Vernay,” he said proudly. “I came here for an on-site inspection. After settling the deal, I realized Lemena isn’t far from Vernay—this is, after all, Emma’s territory. If I just wrote letters from home, it would be understandable. But being so close and not visiting Brandenburg, people would call me an ungrateful and rude person. And I, Alger, am certainly not that.”

“Father and Mother will return in a few days. In the meantime, please excuse us for any lack of hospitality,” Priscilla said softly. “Arnie and I are still young and inexperienced. Brandenburg is currently managed entirely by Steward Buck.”

Meaning they didn’t plan to host their uncle at Brandenburg—instead, Priscilla had returned to find the steward had tactfully refused these guests’ request to stay.

Alger’s expression changed. “Brandenburg is the Dwight family’s property. How can a servant have the final say?”

Priscilla lowered her eyes. “Steward Buck grew up with Father. Their relationship is different. We trust Father, and we trust the steward.”

Alger was taken aback, regaining his composure only after his wife pinched him secretly. He felt that his earlier statement wasn’t just polite. Priscilla truly missed her mother, Emma. Her words were always gentle but often carried hidden meanings, making them difficult to refute.

What she had just said meant that if they continued to argue about the steward’s authority, it would shift from questioning a servant to questioning Duke Dwight, which was entirely different in nature.

“Alger, they are still young. It’s just a precaution,” his wife said with a smile. “We’ll wait for their parents to return. But I wonder, what could have summoned the nobles to the capital when it’s not even a holiday?”

“I don’t know either,” Priscilla said innocently. “We are still young. The adults don’t discuss these things with us.”

With Priscilla blocking all their questions, Arnie sat there daydreaming, not even noticing the looks his “aunt” was giving him.

Elaby, however, did notice. But since Arnie was very cute, first-time visitors often couldn’t help but look at him closely (especially women), so he didn’t pay much attention. It was only when Miss Priscilla showed impatience that he tactfully “reminded” them it was time to rest.

“We’ll visit again. In the meantime, please make yourselves at home and don’t feel restricted,” Priscilla said as they left, giving Alger’s wife a hug. But as she turned around, the smile immediately vanished from her face.

Holding Arnie’s hand, Priscilla walked toward the carriage. Arnie looked back—immediately, the few people standing there forced smiles that appeared mechanical and strange.

Priscilla didn’t look back. Their carriage traveled along the stone road. When the guest house was no longer in sight, she hugged her brother and called out, “Elaby.”

Elaby, who was sitting with the coachman in the front compartment of the carriage, immediately opened the door and entered the cabin.

“I need to write a letter,” Priscilla said. “How long does it take for a letter to travel from Brandenburg to 21 Royal Square?”

21 Royal Square was Duke Dwight’s residence in the capital, where their parents should currently be.

“One and a half days at the fastest, Miss. If it’s not sent as an urgent report, this is the normal communication speed,” Elaby replied.

There were faster magical communication methods available, but unauthorized paths couldn’t enter the capital. Duke Dwight’s residence used the same line as the palace, which was already quite fast under controlled and secure conditions.

Priscilla knew that urgent reports were usually reserved for military affairs. She had no authority to use them and thought for a moment. “Then one and a half days. I’ll write the letter when we get back. Please prepare for that.”

After meeting with Alger and his group, Priscilla had a feeling that she needed to inform her parents about this matter as soon as possible.

……

At the same time, at 21 Royal Square, Duke Dwight had just arrived at the front hall after leaving the palace. The Duchess was waiting for him.

“I thought you had gone out,” the Duke said, surprised. He quickly changed into his home clothes and sat down with his wife.

“It’s too hot,” the Duchess said softly. “Without Priscilla and Arnie, I don’t feel like having fun… Especially Arnie, he wasn’t very happy this time.”

The Duke couldn’t help but smile when he thought of his youngest son’s sullen face before he left. “His brothers kept asking why Arnie didn’t come and wanted me to bring gifts back for him.”

“He is indeed livelier when he’s with the princes. I’ve been thinking about selecting a group of children to bring to the castle earlier than planned. Although it’s a bit early, Arnie always plays by himself,” the Duchess said, worried. “He doesn’t get along well with Erica… Priscilla, on the other hand, gets along well with everyone.”

The children she mentioned were the future members of the next Duke Dwight’s knight order. The Brandenburg Knights had a tradition of being passed down from generation to generation, selecting a few promising youths each year as reserves. From these reserves, three to five would be chosen to join the heir earlier, forming the core of the next generation’s knight order. The leader would emerge from this group.

The Duke had met his young knights when he was nine. Alfred, who had stayed behind at the castle, was one of those chosen children and one of his most trusted people.

Arnie was only five, and choosing knights now seemed a bit early—he was the designated heir, but the children in the knight reserves were still young, with many potential changes ahead.

“It’s not impossible,” the Duke considered. “We can look for some older children to accompany him when we return. Both Arnie and Priscilla are more mature than their peers.”

“Speaking of which, what did His Majesty the Emperor discuss with you?” the Duchess asked. “I had a bad feeling when he summoned you so urgently.”

The Duke reassured her by patting her hand and glanced around. The others understood that their conversation wasn’t meant for others to hear and quietly withdrew.

“Emma.” The Duke’s tone became more serious. “Do you think elves still exist?”

He asked this because the Duchess came from the southernmost part of Pennigra, near the edge of the continent, an area once inhabited by elves, but that was a long time ago.

“When I was a child, I believed the elves still existed, just not wanting to be discovered by humans. Perhaps they retreated deeper into the forest where humans cannot enter, or maybe they moved to even more secluded places,” the Duchess recalled. “But from the time I can remember, adults told me stories of the elves abandoning their hidden realms and collectively migrating to an ideal land. If we must say, the elves abandoned the continent even earlier than the dragons.”

Though the elves had left, humans still enjoyed their legacy. The places once inhabited by elves still had various precious plants, and the exquisite items crafted by elves still shone brightly—seemingly, they took nothing with them. Brandenburg still had many jewels made by elves, and their greenhouse even contained herbs cultivated by them.

From a certain perspective, leaving everything behind demonstrated their determination to leave.

“History books say the same. But His Majesty summoned me to talk about the elves,” the Duke said. “He received a letter from them.”

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Charlie’s Book Ch195

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Author: 冬瓜茶仙人 / Winter Melon Tea Immortal

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

Chapter 195

“I don’t know what kind of luck you had to get such an opportunity,” said one of the accompanying musicians.

Becoming a resident musician at Brandenburg was never easy. Most of them were born into families with a strong tradition in music and etiquette, receiving excellent education and training from birth. Yet, even with these advantages, they still had to work harder than others—excelling in Lemena wasn’t enough. They had to be outstanding throughout the entire empire.

Although Arnie and Priscilla couldn’t fully appreciate the professional artistry of the musicians, these musicians were indeed the best in their field.

Years of practice combined with innate talent had earned them a place at Brandenburg. Meanwhile, Oscar, a wandering novelist whom Elaby had picked up by the roadside, had effortlessly gained entry to the castle just because Young Master Arnie liked him. This left the musicians feeling somewhat unbalanced, leading to some sour remarks.

“I don’t know what misfortune you had to be taken away by the nobles,” said Alai, the birdkeeper.

Brandenburg’s camp was preparing for the return journey. Alai’s temporary job was done, and Priscilla had given him and the magician a very satisfying reward. Since last night, they had been smiling uncontrollably. The only slight disappointment was that Oscar was specifically asked to join them. The three had hit it off immediately, and Alai and the magician genuinely felt sorry that Oscar was losing his freedom.

Charlie just smiled. He had come for the young Duke, so joining them was exactly what he wanted. However, standing in the cracks of history often left him feeling constrained, afraid that one wrong step could negatively impact the future.

So far, Charlie had been very cautious, disguising his true appearance more meticulously than he had while evading Elena. Besides that…

“This is only temporary,” Charlie told Alai and the magician. “Children always grow up, and their childhood enthusiasm usually doesn’t last long. Young Master Arnie is still very young.”

“That makes sense,” the magician said as he stuffed his props into a suitcase. A spring-loaded frog popped out, fell to the ground, and he quickly bent down to pick it up, carefully brushing off the dirt.

“Going to Brandenburg is a good job. They pay very generously. This job gets me closer to my goal of buying a circus tent. I wish they would take me too,” the magician added, snapping the suitcase shut. “But I can’t stay there for too long. Once I’ve earned enough money, I want to travel the continent and show my performances to more people.”

Charlie and Alai supported his grand ambition. Charlie gave his top hat to the magician, and Alai gave him two bird eggs, each slightly larger than a chicken egg, as a sponsorship for the future circus, although he didn’t know what kind of birds would hatch from them.

The three parted ways with reluctance. Charlie, carrying all his belongings in a suitcase, boarded a Dwight family carriage—not the one Arnie or Priscilla rode in, but one shared with two servants responsible for traveling furniture.

The carriage lacked any temperature-regulating magical items. The two men sharing the carriage weren’t talkative, and the bumpy journey was far from comfortable but still much better than walking. As they entered Lemena territory, the pace noticeably slowed. Charlie leaned against the window, looking outside. The orchards in the countryside were starting to bear fruit, and farmers were working under the hot sun. Everyone seemed to recognize Duke Dwight’s carriage, but only those close by would doff their hats in greeting, while those farther away continued their work without much fuss.

It seemed Arnie’s father, the current Duke, was a benevolent man—Charlie had seen people tied to city gates in similar weather, their bodies sunburned beyond recognition, for the crime of wearing tattered clothes that “offended the lord’s eyes”.

Comparatively, the environment in Lemena was much more relaxed. The Brandenburg Knights were as popular as ever, with children shouting and running after the convoy. Some brave ones even asked the knights to show them how to draw swords and fight on horseback.

Priscilla felt very tired after the trip and longed for a bath and a good night’s sleep back at the castle. Ever since she got heatstroke, everyone around her had been very nervous. Elaby had insisted on ending the trip early and returning to Brandenburg due to her poor health. Although Arnie hadn’t had his fill of fun, he didn’t object.

But with the Duke and Duchess absent, some matters required their presence.

“Uncle?” Priscilla tilted her head. “My father is an only child, and my mother has only two sisters.”

The messenger from the castle spoke cautiously in a low voice. “The steward verified that he is your mother’s sister’s husband’s cousin. He has no title and lives on family funds. They insist on seeing you and Young Master Arnie. The steward has temporarily placed them in a guest house, but they are dissatisfied.”

They even threatened to go to the capital to find the Duke and Duchess if they were blocked from seeing the children.

“What do they want?” Priscilla straightened slightly, and the maid immediately placed a soft cushion behind her.

“They didn’t specify, but the steward suspects they mean no good and sent me ahead to inform you.”

Priscilla thought for a moment, certain that her aunts’ letters over the years had never mentioned this relative.

She didn’t immediately tell her brother about this. The two returned home as planned.

The moment they arrived, Brandenburg, which had been quiet for several days, bustled with activity. Laundresses hurried back and forth, washing all the accumulated linens, and the stewards meticulously checked off lists, ensuring all the small pieces of furniture and decorations temporarily removed from the castle were put back in place or stored in the warehouse.

Charlie was assigned to the southwest tower. The ground floor had a high-ceilinged hall, with a dome covered in silver-blue felt printed with the Dwight family crest. In the center was a fireplace, and the stone floor was covered with a huge carpet. Besides a row of knight armors along the walls, there was nothing else.

Up the stairs, the lower floors were communal dormitories, while the third floor had many single rooms, each uniformly furnished with a canopy bed, a writing desk, a small wardrobe, and two high-backed armchairs.

This floor was for non-laboring residents, reserved for the castle’s “technical staff”, such as the musicians on the trip, the embroiderers who designed the masters’ clothing—and Charlie.

Charlie spread a sheet of paper on the desk by the stone window, unscrewed an ink bottle, and began to write and draw on the paper.

He didn’t belong to this time and space. At this moment, the Charlie from thirteen years ago was still in school, possibly just finishing his third class, discussing the lunch menu with friends.

The pen tip wrote today’s date on the paper. He thought for a moment. At this time, young Charlie was far away on the Doran continent, and according to his memories, he had safely spent several years of his student life there. To avoid any complications, he hadn’t left the continent, let alone the city where his school was located. Even during holidays, he mostly stayed in the school library.

As long as he didn’t recklessly travel to Doran, the probability of him encountering his younger self was nearly zero. This was crucial. Charlie now leaned towards the theory that Khalif’s magic gate exploited a loophole in the laws of nature, as natural laws would never change for the insignificant will of a human being.

If this loophole were detected by the laws, it would likely be fixed—or rather, the error would be eliminated. Charlie was this error.

The possibilities of being discovered included: 1. Meeting oneself in the same time and space 2. Using memories to drastically change an important piece of history.

Both of these scenarios could be actively avoided.

Charlie started a new line.

Ways to return: 

  1. Expose myself through the above two methods and bet that the laws will correct the error by sending me back to my original time—but the risk is too great, and it’s much more convenient and quicker to just kill me.
  2. Reconstruct a time magic similar to Khalif’s approach, using the same principle to reverse time. This method is theoretically feasible, but Khalif spared no expense in his magical research, even using live subjects for experiments, which Charlie certainly couldn’t do. This means many cautious and minimally effective preliminary experiments and adjustments, which could take three to five years if he’s lucky.

Three to five years… Charlie’s gaze wandered, thinking it was too long.

He and Dwight had just started to open up to each other, only to be overwhelmed by a series of issues. He was sent back to the past by Khalif’s magic, and their few kisses were stolen in the midst of busyness. It was romantic, but it also left him somewhat unsatisfied.

Starting a long-distance relationship right after feelings had begun to develop was detrimental to future progress. What if Dwight thought he was dead? Would he return to Pennigra in sorrow? There were plenty of people in the Empire eager to comfort the despondent Duke of Brandenburg. A slew of attractive young people would be lining up.

That wouldn’t do.

Perhaps he should seek help from the big shots of this era? He remembered his teacher had a friend researching time magic, but due to the sensitive nature of the subject, he couldn’t get financial support. He then turned to developing an automatic heating water pipe system, becoming famous and making a fortune, which he used to continue his time magic research. For a while, several major newspapers took turns condemning him, leaving a deep impression even on those uninterested in the field.

Charlie wrote the remembered name on the paper and circled it. He was trying to recall where he last heard the master was residing when there was a knock on his door.

It was a boy wearing knee-high socks who stood at the door, no older than thirteen—an apprentice to the senior servants of the castle, often running errands.

“Mr. Oscar, Lord Elaby asked me to inform you that the scheduled arrangement for afternoon tea has been canceled. Miss Priscilla and Young Master Arnie have other important matters. You don’t need to go,” he said formally.

Charlie blinked and smiled at him. “Thank you for informing me. What’s your name?”

“Tom, sir.”

“Tom, do you know why the afternoon tea was canceled?”

Many in the castle knew, and it wasn’t a secret worth hiding.

Tom said, “Some relatives have come from afar, and they’re a bit—” He initially wanted to say noisy but realized that even if Miss Priscilla and Young Master Arnie didn’t like these unexpected guests, they weren’t people he could casually ridicule. He quickly corrected himself, “A bit enthusiastic.”

That was the most tactful term Tom could think of, knowing that the guests had been eagerly waiting for Miss Priscilla and Young Master Arnie to return. However, neither sibling had given them any attention. As soon as they got back to Brandenburg, they went to rest. Hearing this, the “guests” had brought their entire family into the castle, making a fuss and subtly accusing the siblings of being rude, ignoring their relatives, and so on.

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