Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
When they entered the Budding Quarter, Nausica slowly turned around to look at the familiar figure.
“Who’s that, Nausica? Why’s he in here?” The little girl—Shan—who was trying to treat the wounded big guy looked at the stranger with obvious hostility.
“Calm down now,” Nausica said. She soothed the girl and looked at Angor again. She was still a little uncertain about what she saw, and so, she asked, “You’re... Angor, right?”
Angor had gained an obvious boost to body height. Back in Brute Cavern, Nausica had to lower her head to look at Angor properly. Now she almost had to look up a little.
Angor removed his hood and revealed his handsome face that was well on its way toward maturity.
“The one and only.”
“It’s really you!” Nausica’s eyes brightened up. “Everyone’s been talking about you these days. I thought I have to find you in the garden.”
Angor smiled at her. Before saying anything else though, the little girl named Shan came to him while looking at the ground timidly. “Oh, it’s you! Mister Angor. I’m Shan Gillyguya Muo. The tribesmen all call me Princess Shan but, just call me Shan, please.”
She lifted her adorable head and winked at Angor as if she were a woman asking to spend a night together.
Angor was surprised to see a girl at the age of 6 or 7 did such a gesture. More importantly, it looked well on her!
“Angor’s ten years younger than me, and you still call him ‘mister’...” Nausica joked. “What would you call me then? Oh, this lass’ actually older than me, by the way,” Nausica explained to Angor.
Angor was taken back, albeit very briefly. This was so common in the wizarding world. The “thousand-year-old man” Dodoro was a worse case compared to this.
“Now, come inside. I’ve read the magazine, and oh hell! I was worried about you.” Nausica took Angor into another cozy yard. The big guy called “Gank” was sitting beside a campfire with a sad face. “Then people said Mister Sunders took you away to safety. I was relieved to hear it.” She asked Angor to sit down on top of a white carpet made from an unknown beast fur. It felt warm and soft.
Shan returned to Gank and continued to apply Cure and an unknown potion to his body, which slowly reconnected Gank’s severed arm.
Angor saw a small tent on the other side of the fire. Inside the tent, “Dripping River” was sound asleep. She probably never woke up after the conflict on the street.
“You good these months?” Nausica’s words sounded warm and considerate when accompanied by the bright fire.
Angor remained quiet for a while.
“I’m fine.”
He knew Nausica was being amiable, but he did not wish to spread his concerns to others.
Nausica could tell from Angor’s expression, and so, she wasn’t going to press him for info.
To Angor, Nausica was the most pleasant friend he found in the wizarding world. She knew how to read people’s minds and decide what to say to others. Also, Angor greatly admired her determination and how she pursued her own future in such a carefree manner.
“Mystery item, huh? I’m falling farther and farther behind,” Nausica said with a sigh. She looked disappointed all of a sudden.
“Magazines. You know how these things work. Don’t take their words too seriously.”
“Well, true or not, you’ve got your name on the sticker of this city. And it won’t take long for the entire south to know you.”
“We cannot say whether its good or bad, no?”
“Agreed.” Nausica took out her old pipe, lit it up, and inhaled. “It was you who trapped Saladin in the mist, wasn’t it?”
When Shan heard their words, she looked their way in surprise.
“Yeah. That’s me.” Angor nodded.
Nausica nodded. She then shook her head. When there was enough smoke covering her expression, she let out a “thank you”.
“Mister Angor saved us?” Shan came again on her short legs and gave Angor a big smile. “Did you do it because you like me?”
“That’s a big misunderstanding,” Angor replied with a plain look.
Actually, anyone wise enough could see the situation. Angor never lifted a finger when Shan was getting pummeled by Saladin even though he already knew the little girl came from Brute Cavern. Angor only intervened after Nausica got dragged into the fight.
And of course, Shan knew about it. But sometimes, playing dumb made things easier.
“I don’t care! I’ll just take it that you like me. From now on, you’re the model of anyone who wants to become my husband. I’ll never get married again if there’s no one like you! Unless... Will you marry me?” Shan winked at Angor again.
Angor didn’t say anything. It was Nausica who responded with another joke. “Then I’m afraid you’ll be a single woman all your life, Shan.”
Shan rolled her eyes. “I’m not going to find a partner anyway. I want to conquer the wizarding world and become a new leader queen!”
Their loud conversation finally woke up Dripping River, who moaned a little and cast an uncertain glance at them.
“Dripping River” Shiliew looked average enough. The only thing people might use to recognize her would be her short, blue hair.
She looked at Angor first, who was the only guy among the ladies.
Then she frowned a little and revealed a doubtful look on her pimple-dotted face.
“Come, Shiliew. This is Angor, Mister Sunders’ student, and the one who helped us escape earlier.” Shan hopped inside the tent and giggled.
Shiliew nodded slowly and kept her gaze. “I sensed something familiar from your blood flow... Have we met? Let me think...”
Angor tilted his head. People can recognize me by listening to my blood flow?
“Yes. Sky Tower? It must be...” Shiliew said.
Angor was afraid that Shiliew would reveal his terrible title, so he quickly interrupted her. “Don’t try too hard if you don’t want to. Please.”
Nausica already heard about Angor’s tower challenge before, and she knew what Angor was trying to hide. She giggled several times but didn’t reveal the little secret of her friend.
Shiliew was still thinking despite Angor’s words. “I got it. You’re one of my opponents in level 3. Baron Milk, right?”
“Milk... Milk?” Shan gave Angor another surprised look.
Angor looked down. He didn’t deny it this time.
Shan laughed out loud. “What, Baron Milk? Bah-hahaha! Nice, I love milk too! I’ll find my teacher and ask for an invitation so that I can change my title into ‘Baroness Milk’ instead.”
Compared to her joke, Angor was more interested in the other thing mentioned by Shan.
“You can change your title? What invitation?”
“Wait, you didn’t know? Did you like, just reached level 15 or something? Mister Sunders has not given you an invitation card?” Shan was surprised yet again.
“You mean your professor can give you an invitation and you don’t need to fight in the tower?”
“Now that I think about it, you and Nausica are the only tower challengers among us. It’s such a pain! I and Shiliew can enter the garden because we got invitation cards from our teachers. Well, Shiliew did fight in the tower, but she stayed at level 3. She always fell asleep during her matches.”
As if to prove Shan’s words, Shiliew collapsed on her bed again.
“See that?” Shan shrugged.
Shiliew possessed a powerful talent at the cost of a great side effect. Her talent proved to be a useful tool in her current state, but it probably wouldn’t keep helping her when she started to encounter mightier people.
Angor didn’t know what to say. Sunders could always get him inside the garden freely, but that man still asked him to take on those challenges in which he almost lost his life... while he was in the dark about the easier approach!
Angor sighed in distress. He made up his mind to talk with Sunders later. At the very least, he would like a new “invitation card”.
...
After some insignificant chatting, Angor looked at Nausica again. He didn’t come here just to talk about the old days.
First, he had to tell Nausica about the shady business in the garden. And secondly, he still remembered his promise to craft a new arm for her.
He explained what he learned about the purification garden in detail, especially about the blood sacrifice that was common knowledge among elite apprentices by now. Other ordinary apprentices, however, didn’t have resources to learn as much. They were “expendables” after all.
Naturally, both Nausica and Shan were shocked at the news.
“Are you serious?” Shan panicked a little. She forgot to tease Angor this time.
“I am.”
“Are you here to stop me?” Nausica quickly got over her emotions. “Please don’t. I know what I’m going after.”
“I’ll not stop you. I’m just reminding you, that nine out of ten participants are going to die in there. I hope you can make your choices carefully.”
Nausica nodded. “I will.”