Translator: SumTLMan
In just a few exchanges of dialogue, which seemed calm and uneventful, Angel, standing aside, felt as though there were sparks flickering between these two people.
As Gloria and Lydia continued their conversation, Angel was certain of his speculation.
It was more than just sparks between these two; it was like lightning and fire!
It was like a war without gunpowder. In their speech, they were probing each other’s limits, while at the same time, attacking each other’s vulnerabilities with words that were calm yet deeply impactful, maliciously attacking with a veneer of concern to mask the malice in their words.
The one under attack, even though they might feel oppressed, still maintained a smile on their face, but the smile couldn’t reach their eyes.
It was a game of deception and cunning, full of underhanded tactics.
After listening for a while, Angel noticed that they hadn’t mentioned the No Eyed Man, but were constantly exchanging their own “rumors” about each other.
However, Angel was certain that these ‘rumors’ they discussed were mostly true.
Because rumors only stir up trouble in public discourse. In a direct confrontation like this, for witches of their caliber, even rumors wouldn’t scratch the surface.
Regarding the current stalemate and mutual antagonism, Angel could only sigh internally: the subtle and dark struggle among witches is indeed terrifying…
After about five minutes, Angel decided to temporarily leave the study, leaving the battlefield to these two women, who were clearly each prepared for this confrontation.
After leaving the study, Angel didn’t know where to go for a moment. After thinking, he finally arrived at the magical cottage by the lake.
This magical cottage is currently Gloria’s temporary residence. When Angel arrived, the windows of the magical cottage were open. Through the windows, he could see Azaz cooking something at the kitchen counter. Although there was no fragrance, just being affected by the circles of gourmet magic emanating from it made Angel’s mouth water.
It wasn’t just Angel who was enticed; Toby was too. At this moment, Toby was squatting on the table next to the kitchen, staring at Azaz with longing eyes, saliva even dripping onto the table.
Angel came to the magical cottage intending to spend some time chatting with Toby.
But now, it seems Toby’s interest might not be in chatting… its eyes were almost stuck on Azaz’s hands.
“Don’t worry, your little dried fish will be ready soon,” Azaz’s gentle voice came, and Toby quickly nodded.
Angel sighed, feeling slightly disappointed: it was just little dried fish.
If it had been another dish, he might have been able to scrounge a bit, but dried fish was definitely reserved for Toby. No wonder Toby, even after seeing him, couldn’t move away.
Angel shook his head and didn’t disturb Azaz. He went directly to where Gloria used to sunbathe, lying comfortably on the sun lounger, enjoying the leisure time.
The slight breeze, the moist fragrance of the earth, and the warm sunshine.
Everything was so beautiful… if only there wasn’t a leaf fluttering in front of his eyes, it would have been even better.
It was a leaf that had fallen from nowhere, spinning in mid-air, refusing to touch the ground. Instead, it kept fluttering around Angel, asserting its presence.
Angel let out a long sigh and sat up from the sun lounger in resignation: “Tree Spirit Lord, why have you come?”
The drifting leaf halted directly in front of Angel, emitting a faint glow. A familiar voice emerged from the leaf: “I find myself missing the old Angel.”
Angel: “? ? ?”, he wondered what Tree Spirit was up to.
Tree Spirit, not elaborating much, changed the subject: “I’ve come to talk to you about the recent rumors within the organization.”
These rumors, naturally, were about Angel.
Although Tree Spirit, following Rhine’s wishes, had not spread the news of Angel’s return, Sanders’ situation at the Puppet Hospital was not a secret. The ongoing topic of Live Wire’s healing abilities was a hot discussion point, and Sanders could not go unnoticed.
Since Sanders had returned, Angel would inevitably be mentioned and become a topic of discussion again.
“Many wizards have indirectly guessed your return by various means.”
Angel replied, “As long as I’m not disturbed, let them guess.”
“The main point of what I said earlier,” Tree Spirit’s voice turned serious, “is not that they guessed your return, but rather… it’s a lot. I originally thought that those who guessed would understand your desire for a low profile and not spread it. However, I underestimated your influence. When some guessed your return, this invisible public opinion added to it, and now within the organization, there are many speculating about your whereabouts.”
Speculation is not important, but what matters is that there are only a few places Angel could be if he has returned: Phantom Island, Apprentice Town, and the Flowing Source.
If the Bud really intended to harm Angel and decided to use the Arrow of the Vanquished, these speculations could easily lead them to pinpoint Angel’s location.
This was the reason Tree Spirit had come to find Angel.
“You better change your location, and it shouldn’t be somewhere you’d usually stay,” advised Tree Spirit.
Angel pondered for a moment, then nodded seriously. Although the Bud’s targeting of him was unlikely, he decided to act cautiously just in case.
“Have you thought of a place to stay?” asked Tree Spirit.
Angel replied, “Not sure yet.”
“If you don’t have a specific destination, why not explore the ruins?” suggested Tree Spirit. Noticing Angel’s surprised look, he explained, “Don’t worry, the ruins I’m talking about are close to the one guarded by Rhine, but they’re not special. They’re an abandoned lab of a predecessor from the Savage Grottoes.”
According to Tree Spirit, this was a highly secretive site known to only a few, safe and housing a trove of experimental equipment. Though the designs were somewhat archaic, they were still functional.
Staying there would provide Angel with safety, secrecy, and space for cultivation. If he wished to conduct experiments, he could use the equipment available.
Moreover, this ruin was specifically recommended by Rhine.
After some thought, Angel agreed.
He trusted Tree Spirit and Rhine, and he indeed needed to conduct some experiments. A hidden space was ideal.
After disclosing the location of the ruins, Tree Spirit didn’t leave but curiously asked, “Why are you sunbathing here? Or are you still playing the role of your current persona, lazy and sloppy?”
“So, even the esteemed Tree Spirit Lord knows sunbathing is slacking off,” Angel said meaningfully.
“You sunbathe to be lazy, but it’s different for me. I’m a tree, so naturally, I need the sun,” Tree Spirit declared confidently.
Angel opened his mouth to retort but found no counterargument. Eventually, he chose not to argue and simply revealed the reason.