Translator: SumTLMan
——Upon the dark curtain, there were specks of white light.
When Angel first saw this painting, he did not pay much attention, thinking it was merely the midnight sky. Among all the paintings, those featuring the night sky with stars were not uncommon, so a starry sky was normal.
However, when he approached this painting and took a closer look, Angel immediately noticed something was amiss.
The starry sky in other paintings, though set against a dim background, could still reveal deeper colors through the rendering of starlight, such as dark gray, deep blue, and misty yellow.
But this painting was different; its background was pure black, a black that could swallow all colors, both light and dark.
This kind of black did not resemble a starry sky but more like the vast, unseen depth of space.
Yet, it wasn’t just the purity of the darkness that made Angel rule out this painting as a “starry sky”. The reason he distinguished it from other starry skies was because the “stars” on it were quite peculiar.
To the layperson with no knowledge of astronomy, the arrangement of stars in the sky seems chaotic. To astronomers and prophecy wizards, the sky is chaotic yet ordered.
But the “starry sky” in this painting was neither chaotic nor chaotic yet ordered; it was orderly.
On the dark curtain, a band of light, similar to the Milky Way, stretched from a distant depth to the center of the painting. Although the “light points” appeared smaller in the distance and larger up close, this was merely an artistic visual effect.
Imagining the scene within the painting, it was like a luminous path in the void, extending from an unknown distant land right to one’s feet.
This painting was not of stars but of a luminous path through the void.
The so-called glowing stars were merely orderly “lights” or “lamps” along the path?
Upon realizing the true nature of the painting, Angel was momentarily stunned.
Purely from the content of the painting, no specific information was revealed. However, combining this with what he had learned in the past, it struck a significant chord with Angel.
“You walk in the darkness, with a luminous path under your feet.” This was a prophecy related to Angel that Sparrow Blossom had seen a long time ago.
Angel did not know if the “luminous path” in the painting was the same one mentioned in the prophecy, but the key clues were almost identical.
Recalling that Totoro had also seriously mentioned seeing a luminous path in a prophecy not long ago, Angel believed that the path in the painting was likely the one from the prophecy.
Where this path was, where it led, and what lay at its end, Angel did not know. But since the two great prophecy seeds of the Laudsourcians had both seen the same path, it was definitely not to be ignored.
Perhaps, this path was the ultimate goal of Angel’s journey to the Tidal Realm.
And this painting could also be a crucial clue left by Feng.
After all, in Angel’s view, Feng was a “charlatan” who laid out plans across the world. As such a charlatan, he might have the power to influence the prophecies of Sparrow Blossom and Totoro across the flow of time.
Through the words of Sparrow Blossom and Totoro, he left clues for finding the so-called “treasure”.
The more Angel thought about it, the more convinced he became that this was the case. Coincidences could exist in the world, but seeing the same luminous path thrice from different sources was beyond coincidence.
It had to be Feng’s doing intentionally.
“No wonder he is known as the Magic Painter; the clues are hidden so deep.” Angel mused to himself. Perhaps only someone like Feng, a master of prophecy, had the right to hide clues within the seams of time and the corners of destiny. Apart from those favored by destiny, almost no one could uncover and see the true face.
Fortunately, Angel was still recognized by members of the Laudsourcian clan, otherwise it would have been absolutely impossible to find such a hidden clue.
While Angel was feeling emotional, in a distant space-time.
Feng, the artist who was fantasized as “a master of prophecy,” suddenly sneezed several times for no apparent reason, rubbed his inexplicably itchy nose, and murmured in confusion, “Why did I suddenly sneeze? My head feels so cold, I feel like someone is flattering me…”
At this moment, Angel, who firmly believed his imagination was absolutely correct, was unaware of this scene happening in a distant space-time. He was still carefully analyzing all the details of the luminous path, trying to find deeper hidden clues.
However, this painting was too straightforward, and even with Angel pushing himself to the limit, even utilizing the green runes in his right eye, he could not find any other information on the painting.
In the end, he could only sigh quietly, planning to ask Totoro if possible, hoping Totoro could see something peculiar.
Then, Angel looked at the other paintings in the palace and did not find any other useful information. However, in the remaining oil paintings, he saw some architectural scenes, including cityscapes of the Central Empire on the Revelation Continent.
By that time, the architectural style of the Central Empire already subtly matched that of the Silver Heron Royal Family.
It seems that Gentle Wind Uranos, when constructing the palace, followed the architecture shown in these oil paintings.
Although these clues were of no use to Angel, they could corroborate the past historical development of Wind Island, considered a pleasant detail discovered on the journey.
After examining the oil paintings, Angel also checked the palace, including hundreds of meters around the palace, and did not find any other traces left by Feng, so he had to give up.
“Sir, are you leaving here?” Cupid had been secretly observing Angel, so he felt Angel’s intention to leave first.
Angel looked at Cupid and nodded, “Yes, I plan to visit White Sea Bay.”
Cupid flew into the air, “Then, then let me lead the way.”
Angel did not refuse Cupid’s kindness. Having Cupid leading the way was much better than Arnoldo’s whiny and vague directions.
Speaking of Arnoldo, Angel suddenly realized that Arnoldo had not cried for a long time. As a peculiar wind sprite who cries for both joy and sorrow, Arnoldo had been unusually quiet while he was observing the paintings, providing him with a quite pleasant viewing experience. This made Angel curious, wondering if Arnoldo had changed.
Turning back, Angel noticed that Arnoldo was not paying attention to the conversation here at all; its entire attention was captured by the surrounding paintings.
If not for the constraint of the yellow sand cage, Arnoldo would probably have pressed its eyes against the paintings.
“It’s time to go, why are you still looking?” Dangros’ shout awakened Arnoldo, who was intoxicated in the paintings.
Startled, Arnoldo returned from the enchanting scenery of the paintings, looking at Dangros with a hint of shyness, “This is my first time at the Forbidden Peak, and I didn’t expect to see so many beautiful paintings here.”
“What’s so good about these paintings? They don’t move at all, not lively in the slightest,” Dangros, devoid of any artistic cells, stated plainly.
“But they are very lively. When I look closely, I even feel like the trees in the painting are swaying, and I can smell the fresh air,” Arnoldo was still immersed in the imagination of the paintings.
“You must be bewitched,” Dangros deliberately approached an oil painting, looking left and right, “I don’t feel it.”
“Maybe you’re not looking carefully. You need to observe closely,” Arnoldo, eager to share his feelings about the paintings, tried to make Dangros also appreciate the beauty conveyed by the paintings.
However, Dangros completely failed to understand and couldn’t grasp Arnoldo’s words.
“In terms of art appreciation, Dangros simply doesn’t get it, so don’t bother trying,” Angel said, interrupting Arnoldo’s conversation.
To Dangros, even the breathtaking painting skills of the Magic Painter seemed like lifeless, stiff portraits. Thus, one shouldn’t expect Dangros to possess an artistic sensibility.
With Angel’s forceful intervention, the unproductive exchange between Arnoldo and Dangros finally ceased.
At this moment, Cupid stepped forward, leading the way to White Cloud Hamlet.
On the journey to White Cloud Hamlet, Arnoldo still occasionally looked back at the palace on Forbidden Peak, his eyes filled with regret.
“You seem to like those paintings? Why?” Cupid noticed Arnoldo’s gaze and asked curiously.
Arnoldo had grown fond of this new friend and hesitated for a moment before truthfully responding, “More than the paintings themselves, what I actually love are the sceneries depicted within them.”
“The sceneries within the paintings?”
Arnoldo nodded: “The landscapes I love are those that can only be seen from afar.”
Arnoldo spoke with emotion, and Angel glanced at him, understanding that Arnoldo was probably thinking of his sister, Salamado. Salamado’s dream was to see distant landscapes, deeply influencing him. The idea of faraway places was ingrained deeply in his consciousness. So, when he saw the sceneries depicted by the paintings, he was unconsciously reminded of distant vistas.
No wonder Arnoldo hadn’t cried before; it was the influence of the landscapes in the paintings.
“Sceneries that can only be seen from afar?” Cupid’s eyes sparkled with confusion: “What’s the difference between distant landscapes and those nearby?”
“I… don’t know,” Arnoldo replied, looking downcast.
“You’re still looking forward to it even though you don’t know?” Cupid continued to probe.
“It’s precisely because I don’t know, that I look forward to it even more,” Arnoldo lifted his head, his eyes shining: “My sister once told me that the horizon isn’t the destination; it’s the unknown journey of seeking the horizon that’s worth anticipating.”
“If the destination isn’t worth looking forward to, then why chase the horizon?”
“The destination can always be changed. When you reach a destination and find it not as good as expected, then change it until you find a place that meets your heart’s desire… If you don’t chase the horizon, you’ll never know whether the destination is worth anticipating.” Arnoldo said, glancing at the cage trapping him, and sighed helplessly: “I too wish to chase the horizon, but when can I leave?”
Arnoldo seemed to be answering Cupid, but in reality, he was conversing with himself.
Cupid remained silent for a while before saying, “You can go when you’re mature enough.”
Arnoldo’s gaze stealthily shifted to Dangros, wanting to say: Dangros isn’t mature either.
But in the end, Arnoldo didn’t voice this thought. He understood that Dangros’ ability to travel far wasn’t due to himself, but because Angel was by his side.
Cupid also noticed Arnoldo’s gaze, looked at Dangros, and finally settled on Angel, remaining silent.
…
White Cloud Hamlet, despite its name, is actually just an area of cloud sea near Wind Island, unaffected by the fierce winds.
The group of wind elemental creatures captured by Angel was quietly staying in White Cloud Hamlet.
Naturally, Angel’s visit to White Cloud Hamlet was to see them.
Angel didn’t meet with the troops but directly conversed with their current leaders——the three great wind generals.
The content of the conversation mainly involves two aspects: understanding the personal information of the three great wind generals and arranging for them to conduct a survey and compilation of the information capabilities of other wind elemental creatures, to facilitate Angel’s future personnel arrangements.
As for the content of the next twenty years and the life they are about to embark on, Angel does not mention it at this time. Much of this will need to be arranged after the people from the Savage Grottoes are stationed. Initially, they can even live on their own.
Angel can see that, on the surface, the three great wind generals are very respectful towards him, but deep in their eyes, they still hide a hint of hostility.
Being captured is one reason, and the killing of Elmhurst by Toby is also a cause of the hostility.
Angel does not care too much about it; he does not plan to train them as elemental companions but simply sees them as tools, indifferent to their thoughts.
Even if their hostility is great, the restriction of the oath makes it impossible for them to do anything harmful to Angel. They can only think about it in their hearts, as expressing it outwardly would be punished by the oath, let alone taking actual action.
Moreover, under the influence of the oath, they will spare no effort in completing Angel’s commands, making them the most qualified tools.
After understanding the personal information of the three great wind generals, Angel leaves. As for the information on other wind elemental creatures, it will naturally be reported at their next meeting.
Upon leaving White Sea Bay, Angel returns to Wind Island.
As soon as he lands, he feels a slight vibration on the ground. He pauses for a moment, and seconds later, a slender Magic Beanstalk breaks through the soil in front of him, growing in the wind.
“Jack!” Arnoldo calls out the name of the Magic Beanstalk immediately.
On the ends of the Magic Beanstalk, a pair of familiar eyes grow on the leaves. It smiles and nods at Arnoldo, also calling out his name.
The visitor is the Magic Beanstalk Jack, who previously stowed away on the ship.
“How did you come here?” Arnoldo is quite excited to see Jack. Although he did not successfully follow his sister’s footsteps when leaving Wind Island, it was not without gains. Making acquaintances with Jack, who does not mind his crybaby nature, and becoming friends with him was one of those gains.
Jack: “I came to see you guys and also, Highness asked me to convey his greetings to Mr. Pat.”
“Highness, you mean Highness Abundance?”
Although Jack also calls Gentle Wind Uranos “Highness,” he always adds a prefix and does not directly call him “His Highness”; in his previous statement, not only did he not add a prefix, but his eyes unconsciously became more solemn when he mentioned “Highness.” Therefore, Angel guesses that the “Highness” Jack refers to is Highness Abundance, Graleme, and not Gentle Wind Uranos.
Jack nods: “Yes, a seed of Highness’s avatar has already arrived on Wind Island, and it hopes to meet Mr. Pat.”