Angor did not reach the minimum requirement for learning Narda’s Vision’s yet, so he spent the next days inside The Tributary to learn relevant subjects related to alchemy materials and applications.
The book collection in his tablet had saved him numerous efforts because he did not need to search for books or receive lessons from other people using time and money. Even if with enough resources, one could not simply buy alchemy knowledge in this world easily.
It was another peaceful day for Angor to read his hologram tablet in the basement of his laboratory when he suddenly heard Toby knocking on his door.
He hid his tablet and was going to remind Toby not to bother him during his important studies, but a small piece of note in Toby’s beak caught his attention.
The note had random, incomprehensible drawings on it. However, in Angor’s view, they contained a message hidden behind nightmare energy.
A finger-swipe was all he needed to dispel the energy, which obediently entered his right hand.
In the next second, the drawings and symbols on the paper rearranged themselves until they became a brief phrase.
[Come to me.]
There was no name left on the note. However, Angor couldn’t think of anyone apart from Sunders who would send him a message in this way. Maybe Sumesh, Sunders’ first student who could manipulate nightmare energy as well. However, Angor didn’t believe that his senior classmate who didn’t know him at all would summon him like this.
“Did the professor give you this?” Angor asked while using a small ember to burn the note up.
Toby shook his head and “said” something using his wings.
“It was Iron Granny? Maybe she got it from the professor who asked to deliver it to me. Alright, we’ll go meet with her first.”
It was unlikely, but he still decided to ask Iron Granny about it first so that he didn’t accidentally bother Sunders.
...
Inside Iron Fortress, Iron Granny was drinking Morning Dew again.
She saw Toby and beckoned to him, who quickly fluttered to her and waited beside a prepared teacup. Compared to the usual manner displayed by Toby, the bird looked more “composed” around the old woman.
“Nice, ma’am. He learned manners from you!” Angor joked while giving Toby a warning stare.
Iron Granny shook her head. She never forced Toby to learn anything like that. The truth was, Toby knew that if he acted more politely, Iron Granny would give him more tea.
According to Iron Granny, it was Sunders who left the note.
“Did my professor return already?” Angor muttered to himself.
“He arrived this morning, looking rather tired. I think whatever happened in Sleepless City is stressing him out.”
“Is Sleepless City still controlled by the darkness?”
Iron Granny narrowed her eyes a little. “You should know better than me, no?”
Angor let out a silly chuckle.
“It’s not going away any time soon,” Iron Granny sighed and said, “and I’m afraid it will get worse.”
“But none of the wizards know how to solve the problem?”
“No, at least not now. They asked Brilliance Plane for help, but they did not get anything from them. I won’t be surprised to see the disaster taking residence forever until it becomes a huge problem for every wizard in the south. Who knows?”
The Iron Fortress had arrived at the entrance of The Tributary so that Angor could leave.
“Grow into a handsome adult, and you might be able to solve it for them,” Iron Granny suddenly said.
“Um, but how?” Angor was confused to hear that.
“Nothing is impossible in this world.” Iron Granny took another sip and stopped talking.
When Angor was going to leave, Toby claimed that he would stay at Iron Fortress and enjoy tea instead of going back to Phantom Island.
Angor didn’t force Toby to go with him. He told Toby to behave and exited The Tributary on his own.
For a moment, there was only the sound of boiling water in the Iron Fortress, but Iron Granny was making her original rose tea this time, not Morning Dew.
Toby smelled something he didn’t like and took a step back.
“Leave now if you have something to do. Any longer and you will not be able to leave at all,” Iron Granny said to Toby with a smile.
Toby failed to understand what she meant, but he did have his own plan—he wanted to see the fairy who stole his music box.
Several days ago, Toby discovered the fairy and was going to confront it, but when Toby noticed that the fairy was now homeless after being chased out by its master, he decided to keep an eye on it instead.
And since Iron Granny told him to leave, Toby decided to comply. After bidding farewell to the old woman, Toby left The Tributary through the portal as well.
It wasn’t long before the Iron Fortress welcomed another guest.
“Hello, Iron Granny,” someone appeared in the house and greeted her in a polite tone.
The new visitor was dressed in a glossy purple robe and was wearing deep-violet eye shadow and crimson lipstick, but these elements all fell short of attractiveness when they compared to the shiny brooch affixed on the woman’s chest.
“It’s been a long time, Greya,” said Iron Granny.
“I... never visited you again ever since my professor left.” Greya wasn’t surprised at all when Iron Granny recognized her almost immediately. Even when compared to her professor, Iron Granny was a senior in terms of both age and experience.
“It has been... almost 200 years, since ‘Little Candy’ went to look for Miss Starfall, right? Oh my... so stubborn. How could someone like Miss Starfall stop her mission just for a mere servant?”
Iron Granny commented about this matter in a neutral tone as if she didn’t care, but Greya knew from certain historical records of Candy House that Miss Starfall used to be Iron Granny’s best partner. At that time, Greya’s own professor, “Madame Candy” Aliate, was still Starfall’s servant.
Since a certain point of time, Iron Granny and Miss Starfall parted ways and treated each other as total strangers. Nobody knew why.
And Greya definitely wasn’t going to ask about it. Whatever happened to Aliate, it wasn’t nice for Greya to speak carelessly behind her back.
Greya glanced at the steaming teapot on the table. “When did you start to enjoy tea, Granny?” As she remembered, tea was something Iron Granny really hated back then.
“People always change. So do their habits.”
“I... don’t know much about tea, but I do make wonderful pastries to go with it. Do you like some, Granny?”
“Please, no. If I were to try something from the hands of a Gourmet, I’m afraid I can no longer sit still in this isolated place,” Iron Granny said with a smile. “You didn’t come here just to visit this pathetic old soul, did you?”
“I’m looking for Angor. I have some questions to ask him.”
“Bad timing.” Iron Granny closed her eyes. “He left The Tributary half an hour ago.”
“He did? Can you tell me where he went, Granny?”
“Sunders arrived at Brute Cavern this morning, so... you guessed.”
“Mister Phantom has come back?” Greya narrowed her eyes. “Thank you, Granny. I’ll... pay you another visit next time.”
“Forget it. Don’t come.”
Greya left the room without saying anything else.
Iron Granny poured a cup of rose tea and drank.
For some reason, the sweet-flavored tea water that used to be her favorite tasted dull and stale this time.
...
Angor found Sunders resting on a chair.
The gentleman’s face looked pale, which proved Iron Granny’s words. Angor wondered what happened. Not many things in this world could wear down a truth-finder wizard in merely a month.
Sunders’ current condition reminded Angor of what he saw from the gentleman back at Floating Mech City.
“Sir,” Angor greeted him.
Sunders spoke without opening his eyes, “I have something to tell you. Do not get involved in anything related to Sleepless City for the time being. I dealt with some loose ends and removed your traces in the matter so that no one would come and bother you for it. However, you should stay alert nevertheless. Prophets like Anglo will keep your name in their minds, no matter what I told them.”
Angor quickly thought about his reunion with Dave, during which Dave mentioned the rumors centered around Sleepless City, which did not involve his name at all.
So it WAS my professor who did it...
“What’s the situation now, sir? Did you get rid of the remaining puppet strings in the victims?”
“The situation... is not good. The darkness is growing larger and is earning more interlayer sections by the day. Anyone who wanders inside will have no hope of escaping. I’m afraid the entire Evernight Kingdom will fall at this rate. As for the golden strings... I can remove them, but not all of them, because they spread too fast.”
Sunders frowned and suddenly changed the topic, “About that dog, I think it has left Sleepless City.”
“But where did it go?”
“I do not know. Back to the Nightmare Realm, perhaps. I can no longer sense its presence in Sleepless City.”
Sunders sounded rather disappointed since his plan of capturing the strange dog was no longer possible.
“Fox said that it was Yorkshire who took Spotty away from its owner and brought it to the wizarding world. Maybe this ‘owner’ took Spotty back?” Angor looked a little depressed as well. “If Spotty is really a Mystery item, it must be one of the high-leveled ones. Too bad it won’t come with me...”
“Speaking of that dog, did you figure out what that crystal is?”