Translator: SumTLMan
“Do you not care about what transpired in La Sutherland?” Canter questioned, his gaze shifting towards Sanders who seemed lost in his musings, completely detached from Mengke’s words.
His countenance was frosty, his attention seemingly immune to the sparks whirling around. Amid a gathering of wizards with grim expressions, he was conspicuously aloof.
“Instead of all this, I’d prefer to ascertain if that guy is stirring up trouble again,” Sanders’ words were almost squeezed out through clenched teeth, and Canter could discern a barely concealed fury beneath his calm demeanor.
“Who are you referring to by ‘that guy’?” Canter was perplexed. Aside from Angel, who else could cause such a significant upheaval in Sanders’ emotions?
With a cursory glance towards Canter, Sanders’ inscrutable expression might be mystifying to others, but Canter instantly grasped the implication. “You can’t possibly be referring to Angel, right?”
Without confirming or denying, Sanders nodded, muttering softly, “Rhythm of the Ocean, Illusion Realm.”
These clues, gathered by Mengke’s magic seal eye, coupled with Bruce’s prophecy, started tipping the scales in Sanders’ mind. He was now partially convinced that the mysterious little shop in La Sutherland was tied to Angel — if not directly managed by him, it certainly had his shadow behind it.
Canter furrowed his brow. Earlier, Sanders had informed him about Angel’s disappearance in the Abyss. Although he was also worried about Angel’s condition, he had never imagined that Angel would end up in the demon city. Let alone stirring up a storm in La Sutherland — this did not align with the image of Angel that Canter had in mind.
A gentle, quiet, handsome, and cultured academic wizard — that was how Canter pictured Angel.
Moreover, Canter was puzzled when he heard Sanders say “stirring up trouble again”. Why did Sanders use the word “again”? Had Angel caused some trouble in the past?
“Except for the fact that he was on the cusp of crafting a Mysterious Object, the return of Isabelle, his ability to create high-rank masterpieces without any advancement, the pre-publication of the —Forest of Time—… The instigator of the Shadow Caverns incident and so on… what else could it be?”
Canter fell silent. Without enumerating, it didn’t seem that significant. But when one truly contemplated on Angel’s experiences, it felt as though he was a child playing in a stormy sea, with one wave following another, each surging higher than the last, refusing to cease.
From Sanders’ perspective, Angel seemed very good at handling situations. Canter suddenly felt a little sympathy for his old friend. Thinking about his own beloved apprentice, Cherie, apart from being a bit introverted, was nearly perfect. Of course, this was true as long as she didn’t encounter the apprentices from Song of the Deep Sea.
What Canter didn’t know, however, was that Angel’s exploits, as he saw them, were, in Sanders’ opinion, just mildly troublesome but not terribly significant. The real sources of Sanders’ frustration were things Canter wasn’t even aware of.
Even though Canter had already understood Sanders’ worries, he still found it hard to believe that Angel would be in La Sutherland.
“I still find it unlikely. No matter how adept Angel is at alchemy, can those demons comprehend the profoundness of it? If he went to La Sutherland, he’d be torn to shreds by the demons the very first moment. There’s no way he could stir things up, let alone open a shop and disrupt the cultural climate of La Sutherland.”
Sanders understood Canter’s argument. Given Angel’s situation, it indeed seemed impossible. However, there was one variable — the immensely powerful being who took Angel away from Whispering Wind Valley.
A being with power so immense that it could even influence Sanders’ perception of his own essence blood. If Angel was under this being’s coercion or protection, it wouldn’t be impossible for him to orchestrate such a scenario.
However, who could that immensely powerful being be? Even now, Sanders wasn’t sure.
“While the likelihood is low, you can’t deny the possibility,” Sanders stated.
“Indeed, that’s one way to look at it.” Canter paused, then broke into a smile, “Actually, from a different angle, if Angel truly did contribute to this plot, it wouldn’t be such a bad thing. At such a young age, he has left a grand and magnificent chapter in such a significant battlefield. This could be seen as a good thing for him.”
If a life is a journey that remains unchanging, how dull it would be.
“If he were to participate as a formal wizard, I would be extremely gratified. But he’s currently only an apprentice,” Sanders said coolly, fully aware of the shocking secrets Angel carries. The Wilderness of Dreams, Projection Bloodline, Mysterious Object… which one can be revealed without causing a stir? Or rather, how can an apprentice bring such matters to light?
Canter shook his head, understanding Sanders’ point. But, had Sanders forgotten that Angel has only been in the Wizarding World for a few years? Considering Angel’s rapid growth, if he were considered slow, then there wouldn’t be anyone fast in the whole Wizarding World.
As Canter was about to retort, Sineva, who was standing at the front, suddenly turned around and said, “Lord Like the Night, we are not far from La Sutherland now. I hope you can blend into the night and scout ahead.”
They were still some distance away from La Sutherland, but they could already see a faint red dot in the distance.
They had known before that fire patterns had appeared in the sky over La Sutherland, but they hadn’t expected it to look like a quiet burning flame even from afar.
“Understood.” Canter nodded, standing up to head towards Mengke and Sineva. As he passed Sanders, he winked at him, mouthing, “Whether the kid is in La Sutherland or not, I’ll check for you when I transform into the night.”
Sanders nodded solemnly, replying, “Keep an eye on his surroundings.”
If Angel truly was in La Sutherland, that mighty entity must certainly be around him. Although Canter’s Nocturne Bloodline is silent as a shadow after merging with the night, he would still be affected by a wizard of the same level.
“Understood.” Canter, striding forward, acknowledging Mengke and Sineva with a nod, immersed himself within the night with his bloodline, leading to an immediate profound transformation in his form.
At this instant, Canter seemed to personify a divine attendant of a nocturnal deity, drawing the curtains of the night, exuding a feeling of solemnity and sanctity.
After a significant pause, Canter opened his eyes, announcing under the anticipation of the crowd, “I have seen it!”
……
“The birth of the Source Fire?” Angel gazed at Fafnir in perplexity.
The fires emanating from the Mark of Flame swirled mysteriously around him, yet they were beyond his control. Was this due to the so-called birth of the Source Fire?
Fafnir offered no explanation but redirected her attention elsewhere. In her line of sight, she spotted the Hunting Museum, and Night, standing before a painting.
Feeling Fafnir’s penetrating gaze, Night lifted his head towards her direction, responding with a gentle smile.
At this juncture, Night was in an extraordinary state. The flame pattern on his face was akin to a blazing thread, transcending the plane of existence, erupting from his skin, and subtly connecting him with the outside world. Thus, the whole of La Sutherland was veiled under his flame pattern!
Without the ferocious flame pattern, Night’s visage was completely revealed, demonstrating a brash and stunning beauty. Even by human aesthetics, it was the most ideal countenance accompanied by exposed abs, which if seen by a Mirror Lady, she would probably catalog Night in the —Handsome Man Field Guide— immediately.
Fafnir retracted her gaze, her countenance carrying an air of astonishment and trepidation.
She had always found the curator of the Hunting Museum Lord Night to be peculiar. Beneath his calm, aloof demeanor hid a sharp edge, reminiscent of a thorn embedded in the very marrow of one’s bones, inducing an unconscious urge to maintain distance.
Thus, Fafnir had only met with Night when she first arrived and had barely crossed paths with him since then.
Even when Angel sought Night in the Hunting Museum, Fafnir would never accompany him. A primal premonition warned her that Night presented a threat to her very life.
Unexpectedly, in absolute silence, Night had stirred such an imposing plot. More astonishingly, the Source Fire was about to be born; he was taking the final step!
Fafnir glanced at Angel, who was at this moment still cautiously observing the flames swirling around him.
“These flames won’t harm you. They are merely out of control due to the impending birth of the Primal Fire. Even fire, devoid of intelligence, can’t control itself in such a circumstance,” Fafnir explained.
Angel asked, “What is this ‘Primal Fire’ you mentioned?”
“The Source Fire.”
As for what exactly the Source Fire was, Fafnir did not elaborate. However, upon hearing the term “Source Fire,” Angel was reminded of a past event.
Once, during his journey in the Fairytale World with ‘Shadow’ Diavolo, the disciple of Bogula, he had been told about a race that had been extinguished from the river of history — the Worshippers of the Source.
The last known location of the Worshippers of the Source was in Akesacresia, also known as the perished Kingdom of the Giant Serpent.
The sacred site of the Kingdom of the Giant Serpent was an abandoned underground village——Hippocrates.
Totoro, discovered by Angel in Hippocrates, led Angel to initially believe that Totoro belonged to the Source Worshippers. He later took it upon himself to gather more information regarding these intriguing individuals.
One captivating notion regarding the genesis of the Source Worshippers states: “Upon the banks of the Source Fire, there emerged a favored race of the world, the Source Worshippers, those in the relentless pursuit of the divine Source Fire.”
This Source Fire, could it possibly be the very Source Fire that Fafnir mentioned?
“What understanding do you have of ‘Night’ after your various visits to the Hunting Museum?” Fafnir deftly altered the course of the conversation, leaving behind the subject of Source Fire, and delved into a matter Angel had been neglecting. Although the Source Fire bore little significance to Angel, it could potentially hold profound implications for Odeklaes.
Fafnir’s sudden query struck Angel with an epiphany… It seemed that the Source Fire was indeed connected to Night.
The incandescent flames arising from the Mark of Flame, as Fafnir had previously elucidated, were born of the floating fire patterns in the sky – indicative of the birth of the Source Fire.
Consolidating all the information, all signs pointed to Lord Night being the orchestrator of these events.
Reflecting on the painting Angel had witnessed, where the night was almost entirely consumed by flame, it signified the imminent moment when Lord Night would break free from his shackles and take his final step.
Everything fell into place. The final step of Lord Night had not only led to the anomaly of the fire patterns in the sky but also induced the birth of the Source Fire.
Diving deep into his thoughts and conjectures, Angel remembered Canaan’s words that it was rumored Olucia was constantly in search of something. Now that Olucia had journeyed from the inner layer to La Sutherland, it’s plausible that she had discovered the location of her coveted treasure.
Considering the present point in time, Angel couldn’t think of any other thing that would fit.
Hence, there was only one answer left.
It must be the Source Fire!