Chapter 1586 Ranking Competition <TOC> Chapter 1588 Joining Forces
Translator: SumTLMan
However, among the people Angel knows, the highest-ranked is not Hilary but Cherie from the House of Lilith, who currently ranks thirteenth.
Angel is familiar with quite a few faces among the top sixteen contestants. For example, there’s “Son of the Ocean” Jiebo, “Divine Dress Maiden” Carvelyn, “Cuisine of Spirits” Sunisha, “The Philosopher” Onassis, “Wisp” Yuridia… and so forth.
Regrettably, among the top sixteen contestants, only Hilary hails from the Savage Grottoes. Others like Nanaki and Bass have been eliminated.
However, this is to be expected. Many of the contestants this time around are prodigies, even ones cultivated with all available resources.
They’ve kept a low profile in the past, only to emerge dramatically now. For instance, Yuridia and Onassis had no fame before this.
As for the Savage Grottoes, they generally don’t interfere with whether or not you choose to participate; it’s entirely up to you.
Angel noticed that the rankings were continuously changing while he was checking them; some were rising, and some were falling. Looking at this list, he couldn’t help but feel a little sentimental.
Although the Wizarding World in the Southern Region may not compare to the other three regions, the foundational bedrock is increasingly solid, indicating a promising and prosperous future.
When Angel arrived at the Woodrow Bar, the atmosphere inside was as bustling as ever. Having altered his appearance, when Angel pushed the door open to enter, most people glanced at him and then shifted their focus elsewhere.
However, a man sitting near the bar, drinking alone, fixed his attention on Angel. Dressed in a brown checkered tailcoat, and elegantly savoring a glass of red wine, he gave a subtle nod to Angel as he walked past.
Angel acknowledged the gesture in kind.
Neither Angel nor the other person spoke a word as Angel directly bypassed the main hall and entered an adjacent corridor.
The man in the tailcoat is the owner of the Woodrow Bar and a formal wizard. Angel didn’t have much social interaction with him, but frequent visits had made them somewhat familiar. A nod of the head served as a cursory greeting whenever they crossed paths.
Upon entering the Bliss Pavilion, the first thing Angel saw was Coral, who was grilling meat in the courtyard.
To be precise, Coral was perched on the shoulders of a puppet named Gank, staring at the stars in a daze, while Gank diligently flipped the meat on the grill over the fire.
Hearing a noise at the entrance, Coral turned her head.
Angel had changed his appearance, and although Coral didn’t recognize him at first, she immediately snapped back to reality when she heard his voice. She jumped down from Gank’s shoulders and ran over to Angel’s side.
“Why are you here?” Coral’s expression was tinged with delight.
Angel responded, “Just checking in on you all. Speaking of which, where’s Leon?”
“He went to the mortal marketplace to buy some sauces for our barbecue dinner. He should be back soon.” Just as Coral finished her sentence, the sound of the courtyard gate being pushed open was heard.
It was Leon, carrying bags of various sizes.
Upon seeing Angel, Leon paused for a moment but quickly composed himself. “You’re just in time. We’re about to have honey-glazed barbecue. Gank is an excellent grill master. The honey sauce is sweet and rich, blending perfectly with the golden-brown meat. It gives Maid Mana a run for her money. You must try it!”
Angel hadn’t eaten for quite some time and couldn’t help but salivate at Leon’s description.
“Alright,” Angel nodded, then looked around, “Where is everyone else?”
“Shalem is always in his room, clutching his precious book. As for Hilary… well, you know. She doesn’t have to participate in the ranking competition these days and has been sleeping like the dead. I’m genuinely concerned she might not wake up one day.” Mention of Hilary brought a flicker of worry to Coral’s eyes.
At this moment, Angel is contemplating certain matters. Having acquired the core Power Tree, he can now, within manageable bounds, permit limited external access.
Moreover, he has the capability of Granting Authority. Although the permanent resident count in the Wilderness of Dreams is currently limited and few people are highly compatible, the population could feasibly be increased.
Hilary should now also be able to enter the Wilderness of Dreams; this way, her sleep would not be wasted.
However, Angel has no immediate plans to disclose this news.
After all, while summoning ordinary people like Freud to enter can be executed instantly, inviting extraordinary individuals requires more caution. Angel plans to first fine-tune the stipulations and rules before opening access.
Furthermore, any expansion would likely be on a small scale for initial trials.
Shalem is immersed in Black Canon, Hilary is sleeping… Angel wonders, “What about Nausica?”
When he mentions Nausica, Angel notices a subtle expression on both Coral and Leon’s faces.
Has something happened?
“Come, follow me,” Coral beckons, leading Angel to the back of Bliss Pavilion. She casts a spell to mask their presence and brings him to a window.
Coral wears a mysterious smile as she urges Angel to look through the window.
In reality, even without the need to mask their presence or intentionally come here, Angel had already sensed the situation inside the room.
Nausica is currently in the grand hall of Bliss Pavilion, and she is not alone; there’s another man with her.
This is a man whom Angel hasn’t met — dark-skinned, with strikingly expressive eyes radiating an aura of purity and sincerity.
“Who is he?” Angel has some suspicions but still asks the question.
“Number One,” came the reply from Leon.
Number One is not the butler of the Sanders estate; it’s the alias this man uses in the Novastar Competition.
Angel had never met him, but had heard of him as a “John Comback” character — a passionate young man with a luck-infused aura, according to public opinion.
His real name is Reynolds, and he has a good relationship with everyone at the Bliss Pavilion; Leon also frequently receives his guidance.
Since Reynolds is someone they all know well, why would Coral bring him here so surreptitiously to “spy”? Angel looked at Coral quizzically.
Coral whispered, “Don’t you feel that their interaction is rather subtle? I suspect that Reynolds is interested in Nausica.”
“Really?” Angel assessed the room’s atmosphere. Though Reynolds was conversing with Nausica, the ambiance lacked any romantic undertones.
Curious, Angel eavesdropped on their conversation for a moment.
Since there was no context, Angel couldn’t make out the content of the conversation. They seemed to be discussing something about an “experimental subject.” Reynolds even said something peculiar: “My alias, ‘Number One,’ originated from my designation in the experiment.”
Feeling that he might be delving into someone’s privacy, Angel chose not to listen further.
Coral was still murmuring softly, “Today Reynolds came over, and he and Nausica have been in the hall talking about God knows what. I suspect he might be building up to a confession.”
“If he does confess, do you think Nausica would accept Reynolds?”
Coral continued to talk to herself, a twinkle of hope flashing in her eyes: “I think she would probably say yes.”
“Why do you think she would agree?” Leon asked, intrigued.
Coral lowered her head, her face flushing a deep red. “Because, because… if it were me, Reynolds… I could…”
She paused, and then looked towards Angel, silently thinking to herself, ‘Of course, if it were Angel, I could do even more.’
Leon: ? ? ?
“What can you do?”
At this point, Angel shook his head, “Impossible.”
“How do you know it’s impossible?”
Angel: “Because She is Nausica.”
Setting aside whether Reynolds would confess his feelings, even if he did, Nausica would certainly reject him.
As for this question, even if one were to consult Shalem, Shalem would likely echo Angel’s certainty. They both understand Nausica too well.
In this world, there’s an enduring perception that a woman’s ultimate place is in love. Even some fairytales illustrate that the princess eventually lives happily ever after with the prince.
Nausica, however, doesn’t conform to this notion. She doesn’t loathe love, nor has she been scarred by it. She simply believes she has loftier ambitions, and questions why she should risk them on a vessel that could spring a leak at any moment?
From the get-go, Nausica has been steadfast about her future. Once a formidable pirate, sailing the Blackberry Seas, she lived freely and chased freedom itself. When she became aware of the even more expansive Wizarding World, her horizons expanded further.
What she sees is a distant future; what she desires is immortality.
And the prerequisite for immortality is to embark on the path to seeking the truth.
As for other trivial matters, she has no room for them in her heart anymore.
Chapter 1586 Ranking Competition <TOC> Chapter 1588 Joining Forces