Translator: SumTLMan
It was only after the mechanical airship had entirely turned into a speck of light and disappeared at the horizon that Angel turned his head back.
Unbeknownst to him, an elderly man with orange-red hair had approached and was now standing beside him.
This elderly man was none other than Midora, the “Potion Master.”
“A millennium ago, Ivo thought he was redeeming Fingernail Granny by entering the Ghost’s Box of Reincarnation alone during a crucial moment and sending her away. In reality, this only became an obsession that Fingernail Granny couldn’t let go of. She is, in fact, a person who takes both love and hatred lightly, yet this obsession has turned into a knot in her heart that she has been unable to untangle for years.”
“Obsessions often drive people to madness. Even though we know this, it’s hard to let go,” Midora finished, exhaling a long sigh.
Midora patted Angel on the shoulder. “Enough said, I’m heading back. Oh, by the way, Adelia has just learned a new seasoning method from Regina’s mushroom cooking class. She was even simmering soup as I left; it smells absolutely delightful. Would you like to taste it?”
Angel shook his head, politely declining the offer.
Midora, shaking his head while muttering, “It seems you’re missing out,” turned and walked away.
Angel remained where he was for a few more moments, contemplating in silence before preparing to leave.
He had taken only a few steps when he felt a gaze fixed upon him. Following the line of sight, he noticed someone standing on a balcony outside the Research Institute’s high tower.
The person was wearing a flowing, cerulean blue dress and leaned casually against the railing, emanating a graceful aura.
Angel flew over and landed on the balcony.
“Water Ripple Witch, aren’t you going back?” Angel curiously inquired.
Farina replied, “Watching Fingernail Granny leave brought up some emotions. I wanted to feel the wind a bit longer before heading back.”
“Then I won’t disturb you any further,” Angel said, preparing to leave. However, Farina stopped him. “Actually, I’ve already entered the preparatory phase for my retreat these past few days.”
Angel looked at Farina, waiting for her to elaborate.
“Ever since experiencing your Rhythm of the Ocean, it has greatly inspired me. I have some new ideas now. I plan to go into seclusion, but of course, I’ll come out for the Novastar Competition finale,” Farina paused. “You know how stubborn my apprentice is. Once I go into retreat, I can’t keep an eye on her. Who knows what she’ll get up to, or where she’ll go.”
“I remember, last time Wizard Pat seemed to have some work for Shirley. If it’s not too much trouble, could you look after her for me?”
Before this, Angel had found that Shirley could sense Toby’s emotions. On a whim, he had exchanged contact information with her, thinking she might be useful in the future.
However, whether Shirley could actually help Toby was still an open question. Therefore, Angel hadn’t considered reaching out to her lately. But now that the Water Ripple Witch had asked him, he felt somewhat hesitant.
Farina added, “Last time, Shirley offended you, yet you let her experience the Rhythm of the Ocean. It’s high time for her to repay the favor.”
After contemplating for a moment, Angel nodded, “Alright. I suppose after the Novastar Competition, I’ll be leaving Sky Mechanical City anyway. It’s a good opportunity to have Shirley assist in confirming some matters.”
Farina offered a graceful smile, “I won’t pry into the specifics, but feel free to instruct Shirley as needed for whatever Wizard Pat requires.”
Of course, by “as needed,” Farina didn’t mean arbitrarily. Shirley could face some hardship, but, out of respect for her, at least she shouldn’t be asked to undertake life-threatening tasks.
…
Sky Mechanical City, in the outskirts of the main city area.
Gloria sat on the rooftop, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction as she watched a massive Griffin circle overhead.
“In its Griffin form, Toby already rivals the strength and speed of a formal wizard. If it were to transform into a Serpent-Bird, it would undoubtedly surpass the abilities of a common wizard,” Gloria mused, before her expression gradually turned rueful. “The unfortunate part is, given Toby’s current condition, he can’t dare to transform into a Serpent-Bird.”
Transforming into a Serpent-Bird would inevitably release the suppressed Tribulation of Resentment, reclaiming control over Toby’s body. That would be problematic.
With a quiet sigh deep within, Gloria wondered when they could finally dispel that looming Tribulation of Resentment.
As Gloria pondered, a sudden thud echoed in her ears. Snapping out of her reverie, she saw that the massive Griffin, into which Toby had transformed, had suddenly plummeted to the ground.
Panicked, Gloria immediately leapt off the rooftop, sprinting to the spot where the Griffin had crashed.
Toby had landed in the flower garden in the yard. Butler Number 1, who had been diligently watering nearby, was also drawn to the commotion and circled anxiously around the scene.
Approaching the head of the Griffin, Gloria was about to investigate when she saw Toby’s form slowly shrinking. In the blink of an eye, he transformed from a creature the size of a building to a small bird that could fit in the palm of her hand.
All that remained on the ground was a deep crater, with Toby curled up at its center.
Gloria placed Toby in her palm and examined him closely. Before she could ascertain the reason for his sudden unconsciousness, a familiar snoring sound filled her ears.
Stunned, Gloria thought, “He actually fell asleep?”
Reflecting on recent days, Gloria realized that she had been tirelessly training Toby to fortify his mental resilience, so he could withstand the possible outbreak of the Tribulation of Resentment. They had been going for three days straight without rest, and Toby had spent most of that time in his Griffin form. It was probably true Exhaustion that had caught up with him.
A flicker of guilt and concern flashed across Gloria’s eyes.
However, the very next second, she spread her large hand and forcefully smacked Toby’s body, saying, “Wake up, don’t sleep!”
Toby had just entered a dream state, seeing the “little master” in his dream speaking to him. It seemed like it was being warned not to trust Gloria or something of the sort. Before he could fully understand, it felt like the world was quaking. Groggily, he opened his eyes from his drowsy state.
The first thing Toby saw upon opening his eyes was a pink palm, slightly smaller than that of a grown man.
Before Toby could grasp the situation, the palm landed on his head.
Amidst sharp pain and a moment of disorientation, Toby finally snapped back to his senses. Just before the palm was about to strike again, he let out a quick cry.
Toby’s yelp successfully halted Gloria’s “palm of love.”
Seeing Toby wake up, Gloria immediately switched from smacking to caressing, muttering, “You better not sleep; if you do, that entity will probably come and seduce you again… If you want to sleep, wait until Angel comes back and sleep with him.”
Gloria was well aware that even if the Tribulation of Resentment within Toby had been suppressed, it was still trying to influence him. Now it had morphed into something Toby cared about in his dreams, seducing him whenever he drifted into sleep.
Strangely enough, whenever Angel slept with Toby, the latter would not be influenced by the Tribulation of Resentment in his dreams.
So, even though Gloria had felt pity when she saw Toby drift off into slumber, she had roused him before he could fall into deep sleep.
“Angel seems to have gone out; I don’t know when he’ll be back. Just hang on for a little while longer,” Gloria said, noting Toby’s drowsy expression. She intensified her “loving caresses,” and only when Toby winced in pain did he show a satisfied expression.
Just as the words left Gloria’s lips, the sound of footsteps came from the entrance.
Meanwhile, Butler Number 1, who was originally distressed about the flower field being destroyed, also flew toward the main gate, respectfully calling out to the person who had arrived: “Young Master Pat.”
Gloria patted Toby’s head: “Alright, Angel is back. If you want to sleep, you can go find Angel later.”
Having said that, Gloria was preparing to explain the situation to Angel, but suddenly she furrowed her brows, shifting her gaze behind Angel.
This time, Angel didn’t return alone; he had brought someone back with him.
Behind Angel, who was dressed in a black suit, there followed a woman, who seemed resistant in her eyes but had no choice but to put on a façade of joyful smiles… a female wizard?