Chapter 1542 Fingernail Granny’s Memories <TOC> Chapter 1544 A Thousand Years
Translator: SumTLMan
Based on fragments of memory, “he” had once mentioned that during his mortal days, his name was the same as that of this Baron.
Which is to say, he was once called Alex as well.
After “he” disappeared, Fingernail Granny had been searching for him for many years.
She never thought that one day she would use the name Alex, a name he once bore, to trace his whereabouts. Yet, when this name slipped unintentionally from Van Nathan’s lips, her long-stagnant heart suddenly began to pulsate vigorously.
Although she knew that the Alex whom Van Nathan referred to might just be a coincidence — a name perhaps accidentally identical to the man she once knew.
This was, however, the first time in many years that Fingernail Granny had heard the name Alex.
It could be nostalgia, perhaps excitement, or maybe some ineffable intuition.
After much contemplation, Fingernail Granny decided to personally investigate the protagonist spoken of by Van Nathan: Alex.
Even though Fingernail Granny knew this was but a drama concocted by Angel, and there was a high likelihood that the narrative and the protagonist’s name were fabricated, she still didn’t want to miss any clue, however minute.
Especially since this name had genuinely stirred her emotions and memories, it might also be a wizard’s omen, subconsciously guiding her to this place.
…
When the eerie and elongated sound of terror grew more and more distant from her, Fingernail Granny felt as if she had entered a narrow, dark, and mysterious passageway. She was being pushed by an invisible pair of hands into a dark and unknown miniature landscape.
This was a sign of entering into an illusionary realm.
With the powers of Fingernail Granny, she could easily extricate herself. However, she chose not to do so, instead allowing herself to be submerged in an unknown ocean of fantasy, carried along by the underlying currents that rippled through the air.
As the tip of her nose felt slightly cool and the sound of the howling wind reached her ears, Fingernail Granny opened her eyes, filled with anticipation.
It was a moonless and starless night.
From a bird’s-eye view, she looked down upon a solitary town enshrouded in somber darkness.
At a glance, she assessed the general layout of this quiet little town. Being an experienced witch, she also instinctively evaluated the environment, the town’s architecture, and the likely geographical location.
Due to the pervasive darkness and the way the moonlight had blanketed the town in an ethereal white layer, the town’s original appearance seemed distorted. Moreover, as Fingernail Granny couldn’t use her powers to improve visibility, it was difficult to ascertain her exact location for the time being.
However, judging by the architectural layout and style, it was a quintessentially human town, albeit a somewhat primitive one. There were neither railways nor steel-reinforced buildings, indicating that the town lay outside the sphere of influence of the Gloriosa Kingdom.
Just as Fingernail Granny was contemplating further observations, the scene abruptly shifted.
Her perspective transitioned from a bird’s-eye view to that of a bystander. Now, she found herself not in the sky, but inside a somewhat run down little church.
Although the church was small, it was brightly lit. A congregation of believers stood with hands clasped in prayer, reciting religious invocations before a somewhat damaged stone statue.
Fingernail Granny began to slowly walk down the central aisle of the church, examining her surroundings as she moved.
She recalled what Van Nathan had mentioned: only by approaching and activating the plot around the core character of the current setting would she be able to move to the next scene.
The central figure of this church, she remembered vividly, was an emotionally detached priest.
And he was also the protagonist of this unique drama: Alex.
When Fingernail Granny walked to the center of the aisle, she suddenly heard a voice echoing, “Everything starts with the teachings of the holy scripture. Your way of thinking, and even your logical evidence, should primarily be based on the doctrine of the Father God. Do you understand?”
In the murmuring ambiance of the church, this voice was quite jarring, capturing her attention immediately.
She turned her head to look.
To one side of the church, an elderly priest was conversing in a low voice with a young man.
As her gaze focused on them, the camera angle of her perception naturally began to zoom in. Fingernail Granny understood that she had found the central characters of the scene.
With anticipatory eyes, she scrutinized the two, or to be more precise, the young man. She knew that this young man was most likely the ‘Alex’ that Van Nathan had spoken of.
From the moment she laid eyes on him, her heart gave a slight tremor.
The young man had white hair, which, under the light of the wall-mounted oil lamps, gleamed with a dazzling silver quality.
‘He,’ too, had white hair — pure as the first snowfall.
Although different in length, the appearance of similarly colored and textured white hair before her quickened her heartbeat. Could it be that this young man was related to ‘him’?
As the perspective continued to zoom in, finally focusing solely on the old priest and the young man, Fingernail Granny’s eyebrows furrowed.
Because the young man’s appearance bore no resemblance to ‘him’ from her memories.
“As expected, another disappointment,” Fingernail Granny sighed softly. While she hadn’t harbored grand hopes, the emotional plummet from the elevated anticipation to the harsh ground of reality was something she couldn’t help but find disheartening.
Fingernail Granny had faced many disappointments over the years and quickly regained her composure. Since she was already here, she might as well treat it as watching a newly emerging drama unfold.
The unfolding of the narrative gradually takes shape.
The serial killings are presented before her in scenes of shocking vividness, laying the groundwork for the unfolding drama. Successively, various characters make their entrances, each contributing to the storyline while playing their individual roles. The most eye-catching among them is the self-proclaimed Time Traveler, shrouded in iridescent brilliance, who practically becomes a living board flipper for the protagonist. What initially seemed to be a straightforward detective story takes a peculiar turn due to his arrival.
The mysterious cage that was eventually deciphered, along with the gradual unveiling of the mysterious Father Bertrand and the nun hidden in the deepest recesses, were all discovered by this Time Traveler in the shadows.
However, Fingernail Granny doesn’t particularly care for the plot intricacies. For one, Van Nathan had already outlined the gist of the story and explained the abrupt ending. Secondly, her full attention is once again captivated by the main character, Alex.
She had initially let go of any undue speculation. Yet, when this protagonist starts interacting with the Time Traveler, her curiosity is rekindled.
In this stage drama, the accents of all the other characters are very unusual. Having spent so many years in the Southern Region, Fingernail Granny has never heard anything quite like it.
But there’s a peculiar familiarity in the protagonist Alex’s accent.
Certain onomatopoeic words and the treatment of final sounds lean heavily towards the dialect of the Thirteenth An Province of the Stone Mulberry Dynasty.
The reason Fingernail Granny pays attention to Alex’s accent is that… if she recalls correctly, “he” is also from the Thirteenth An Province of the Stone Mulberry Dynasty.
Although the main character Alex’s accent does incorporate tones from other places, the dominant threads within it definitely include the Thirteenth An Province.
This raises some doubts in Fingernail Granny: similar names, matching hair colors, even the dialects are close.
“Is it really just a coincidence?” she wonders.
Fingernail Granny dared not harbor immediate hopes, but a seed of curiosity was breaking through the soil in her heart’s garden.
After the illusion had ended, the majority of students in the class remained engrossed in the awe-inspiring vision they had just experienced.
Although the conclusion was somewhat abrupt, the story was complete in its entirety. What they appreciated even more was the realm of alchemy itself, as well as this very special, emerging form of artistic expression.
Even if others had attempted to weave narratives using illusions before, Angel’s method — using seamless transitions of visuals to represent the progression of time and the deepening of the plot — was an unprecedented approach.
While everyone was showering praises, Fingernail Granny’s gaze seemed somewhat distant.
“What is the origin of this story? The protagonist…” Fingernail Granny looked at Angel beside her, “Does he have a real-life counterpart?”
Angel was somewhat surprised that Fingernail Granny would raise this question. He had crafted this Alchemy Illusion precisely to see if anyone knew the location of this world, as a way to ascertain the capabilities of the Gateway of Fantasy.
Until now, aside from Sanders confirming that Alex’s accent leaned towards the Stone Mulberry Dynasty, he had gathered no additional information.
Angel had already resolved to consult Totoro for a prophecy once he returned. If that proved unfruitful, he would try his luck in the Thirteenth An Province of the Stone Mulberry Dynasty.
But now, the serious expression on Fingernail Granny’s face seemed to signify something.
Did she know something?
Angel did not reply immediately. Instead, he telepathically conveyed to Fingernail Granny, “I will first conclude the class, and then we can talk in detail later.”
With that, Angel walked to the center of the amphitheater, briefly summarized a few points, and then brought the lecture to a close.
Half an hour later, inside Fingernail Alchemy House on Monsignor Magic Material Street.
In the expansive second-floor hall, only Angel and Fingernail Granny sat facing each other.
Fingernail Granny had been silent all along, seemingly absorbed in her own world; even when they sat down, she remained speechless.
After a long while, when the ambient scent of time had transitioned from the midday fragrance to the subdued aroma of the evening, Fingernail Granny finally came to her senses.
She looked at Angel and spoke slowly.
Her question was the same as what she had previously mentioned in class, “What is the origin of the story within the Shadow of the Cage? Does the protagonist, Alex, have a real-life counterpart?”
Angel: “Why do you ask this, Granny?”
Fingernail Granny pondered for a few seconds before saying, “Because there are some things I wish to verify.”
She had said the same thing before entering the illusory realm of the Shadow of the Cage. Curious, Angel asked, “So, even after experiencing the illusion, you’re still unable to confirm what you want to know?”
Fingernail Granny nodded, “Yes. It feels like a coincidence, yet there are too many coincidences, which makes me entertain the notion that it could be… real.”
Angel was not sure what Fingernail Granny was alluding to, but he didn’t immediately inquire further. Instead, he answered her previous question with a single sentence.
“As for the source of the story within the Shadow of the Cage, it’s hard for me to answer. But what I can say is, although the illusory realm is a figment of my imagination, the story itself truly exists.”
Chapter 1542 Fingernail Granny’s Memories <TOC> Chapter 1544 A Thousand Years