The busy and prosperous Yothur City had fallen asleep at night.
The Sunken Street was an old and mostly abandoned route too close to the slum area, which had poor security and reputation. Few people would come to this place during the bright day, let alone in the middle of the night.
A horse-pulled carriage with delicate decoration suddenly showed up here and broke the silence.
Its arrival soon attracted many pairs of coveting eyes hidden in the dark corners, but they all looked away when they saw the emblem printed on the vehicle, which showed a coastal cape and a hovering moon. The emblem stood for the mayor of the city, which also signified the importance of the carriage.
The driver was a young man wearing a glossy nobleman’s robe. Upon sensing the evil wills directed at him, he simply humphed and kept driving.
“I apologize for this, Mister Padt,” Neet spoke to Angor inside the vehicle. “I came from the Anrum Monarchy, the mother country of Aureum. But for some historical reasons, our titles are not recognized here, so I have to find Charles for help. Charles is a friend of mine when I was studying at the academy. He’s second to none when it comes to finding other nobles.”
The young driver poked his head into the cabin. “Leave it to me, sir wizard! Nobody in Yothur City can refuse us when we Manson Family want to talk to them.”
It seemed common citizens in Aureum weren’t allowed to openly talk about history at all. This was why Angor had to seek help from the nobility.
“I’m counting on you, young friend.” Angor nodded.
The driver was the friend mentioned by Neet, Charles Manson. He was also the son of the mayor of Yothur City, which allowed him to do a lot of business Neet could not do.
“This will be my pleasure!” Charles grinned so wide his eyes turned into slits, while his cheek pimples almost gleamed against the candlelight. He then winked at Neet and returned to his job.
The moon slowly moved directly above their heads. Charles suddenly called from the outside, “We’re here, sir!”
Angor looked outside and found the vehicle parked inside a small yard with several unknown fruit trees and spider lily flowers planted around. Among the plants sat a double-storied stone house with a pointy rooftop.
“We’re visiting a retired teacher who once worked for the royal court of Aureum, Viscount Gurman. He’s an expert in history.” Charles stabled the horses and then knocked on the iron door of the house.
Soon, a middle-aged lady wearing a maid outfit opened the door.
“You are...?”
“Is Professor Gurman inside?” Angor stepped up and asked. “I wish to inquire about several questions.”
“It’s almost time for the master to rest. Please come back tomorrow.”
Charles yelled out before Angor could say anything, “Wait, we need to see Gurman now! He’s on the second floor, right? I saw his lights still on!”
Angor didn’t say anything about Charles’ attitude. He was planning to fly to the second floor if they couldn’t get through the door, but since Charles offered another option, he decided to wait and see what would happen next.
The maid faltered when she saw Charles’ aggressive way.
Gurman used to work for the court but not anymore. The officials did allow him to spend his retirement at Yothur City, but offending a noble clan would still cause a lot of trouble.
Unable to decide, the maid glanced at the second floor.
Their quarrel attracted old Gurman, who lifted his curtain and looked below through his window.
At first, he wondered if he had seen the yelling young man somewhere before. But soon, he was fully attracted by the middle-aged man standing behind Charles.
“Let the guests inside,” he ordered his maid.
Without a second thought, the maid fully opened the iron door and stepped aside.
Charles gave Neet a proud look, who chuckled in return. He then gave Angor another pleading look, hoping to earn a commendation from this mighty wizard.
But Angor didn’t notice Charles’ attempt because he was looking at Gurman right now.
Angor believed that Gurman’s expression didn’t seem right just now. It was as if Gurman recognized something in him.
But there was no way the image of a random middle-aged guy had anything recognizable.
The maid took them to a table where they enjoyed the pleasant warmth provided by a lit fireplace. She then went away to prepare some tea.
Gurman slowly walked down the stairs with a walking cane and a very thick robe typically used by elders who were afraid of cold temperatures.
After he sat down on a sofa and asked his maid to leave, Angor also gave Neet and Charles a meaningful glance to ask for privacy.
“I’m truly sorry for disturbing your rest at such an hour,” Angor said when all the others left the room.
“It’s okay. Do feel free to tell me what’s on your mind, sir wizard,” Gurman said while showing the signature manners of a cultured scholar.
Angor raised an eyebrow.
“It’s true that mortals and supernatural beings are countless degrees apart. As someone who spent a lot of time in the court, I came across supernatural powers for more than once. That prominent aura coming off you... you came from another world, am I right?” Gurman’s words were slow but somehow very persuasive.
“Prominent?” Angor was confused by that. “Can you elaborate, Professor Gurman?”
“You... weren’t ‘there’. Nobody will notice you if you walk among the common. But when your friends started acting out, you suddenly came into existence. It’s a strange thing to say but I do believe my eyes.”
Angor finally knew what happened.
The passive effect of Infinite Reticence usually prevented people who weren’t interacting with him from noticing him. But Charles gave him away and made him even more obvious in the views of others.
“I see.” Angor nodded. “You’re right. I am a ‘wizard’.”
Gurman recalled everything he knew about supernatural individuals who were all about selfishness and cruelty, so he tried to find the best words to use. “I wonder what an old man like me can help you with, sir wizard? I’ll tell you anything as long as I know the answer.”
“Professor Gurman, can you tell me about the story of ‘Nayah the Charmer’?” Angor decided to ask this one first before getting to Lucas.
“Nayah... Do you wish to know the legend passed down by folks, or the true fact that happened in the course of history?”
“Can I hear both, if I may?” Angor found a more comfortable position on his sofa and put up a relaxed manner.
“I’ll start from the legend then. First, you should know that both stories happened at the Age of Silver, which was more than two thousand years ago...”
The two versions told by Gurman were almost the same as what Angor heard before.
The folk legend described Nayah the Charmer, who was trapped by her sister and threw herself into the sea, while the “historical fact” was about Nayah the Cruel, who envied and killed anyone with better looks. This Nayah was punished by her husband later, who tossed her corpse into the sea.
“Which one do you think is real, Professor Gurman?” asked Angor.
He didn’t mean this question because he thought a scholar like Gurman would deny the legend and support the other without a second thought.
But it wasn’t the case.
“I cannot tell, sir wizard. They can be both correct, or both inaccurate.”
“It makes sense if both of them were forged... but can they be true at the same time?” Angor asked.
“It’s likely. Nayah the Charmer has given up her life to the sea, while her twin sister, Nayah the Cruel, impersonated her, which is the second part of the story.”
Angor nodded—this was almost what he inferred back then.
“I also know about an unofficial part of the story,” Gurman continued. “Nayah truly existed in history. Before she got married and became a viscountess, she was well known for her kind nature and generous deeds. However, after marrying the viscount, she suddenly changed into a completely different character.
“I... don’t think people can change so drastically and in such a strange way, so I’d believe that the more common story is true, that her sister replaced her.”
Angor nodded. “The third story might be off, but it can help us prove the connection between the other two.”
Gurman carefully searched his mind for any other clues about Nayah so that he could please the mighty wizard in front of him. But he was startled a bit when Angor suddenly changed the subject.
“Let’s put Nayah’s matter aside. Have you heard of Lucas, Professor Gurman?”
“Lucas? Again...”