Chapter 2233 Golden Apples <TOC> Chapter 2235 Cupid’s Obsession
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Translator: SumTLMan
Departing from the stormy cloud sea enveloping the Gondola’s exterior, the gray mist slowly retracted back into Toby’s body.
“Who would have thought that after the wind elemental creatures on Wind Island returned to their original places, the wind above the cloud sea would grow even stronger… Thankfully, with Lord Toby here, otherwise, our ship would definitely have been blown away,” commented Dangros, leaning next to Angel, initially expressing a normal sigh but reverting to his sycophantic nature towards the end, his eyes brightly fixed on Toby.
However, Toby paid no attention to Dangros, instead focusing his gaze on another elemental sprite on the ship.
“Mr. Pat, where are we headed next?” asked a flying pig with flapping little wings, Cupid.
“To the Gentle Waves Sea,” Angel replied, looking towards the distant horizon.
After a moment of silence, Cupid couldn’t help but remind, “Mr. Pat, you’re looking southward, but the Gentle Waves Sea is to the north.”
Angel: “…” Only you would talk so much.
…
The Gondola continued its serene flight, half a day since Angel left Wind Island.
Ever since Magu informed him that Gentle Wind Uranos from White Cloud Hamlet was one of the elemental creatures that had spent the most time with Feng, Angel was filled with anticipation for his visit to Wind Island.
He expected to obtain a wealth of information related to Feng from Gentle Wind Uranos, but in reality, he received far less than he had hoped for.
And what he did receive was mostly insignificant.
Indeed, Gentle Wind Uranos had spent a considerable amount of time with Feng, but their interaction was not as intimate as Angel had imagined. Their so-called association was merely Feng choosing Wind Island as a place for rest.
According to Gentle Wind Uranos’ account to Angel, he explained the situation at the time:
Upon arriving at White Cloud Hamlet and seeing Wind Island, Feng greatly admired the island’s exceptional environment and its beautifully dreamlike ecosystem. Inspired for painting, he decided to settle on Wind Island for a while.
Thus, on the Forbidden Peak, Feng created a palace-like magical cottage.
During Feng’s stay on Wind Island, aside from occasionally enjoying the scenery, he mostly spent his time painting in the magical cottage.
The paintings that adorned the walls of the palace were the works he produced during that period.
Hence, despite Feng’s lengthy residence on Wind Island, his interaction with Gentle Wind Uranos was minimal, with most of his time dedicated to painting.
However, Magu was unaware of these details and assumed that the long association between Feng and Gentle Wind Uranos implied a significant connection, which is why he recommended that Angel visit White Cloud Hamlet. In reality, the relationship between Feng and Gentle Wind Uranos was average, slightly closer than with other elemental creatures but not by much.
Therefore, the useful information Angel obtained from Gentle Wind Uranos was limited.
Most of what he learned pertained to Feng’s daily life on Wind Island and his occasional profound musings. Among these, reflections on destiny and divine will were common themes in Feng’s contemplations at the time.
Although Gentle Wind Uranos’ accounts mostly concerned mundane details, having accompanied Feng for many years meant that occasionally, valuable information could be gleaned from his frequent lamentations.
One piece of information vaguely hinted at why Feng had come to the Tidal Realm.
This information could be crucial to understanding Feng’s plans, and Angel listened very attentively.
“At the time, Wind Island had not yet drifted above the sea of clouds but was enveloped in mist, occasionally encountering thunderstorms. I remember a continuous downpour that lasted half a month, replenishing the somewhat dried-up lake on Wind Island. After half a month, the skies cleared, and the calm, rainless lake reflected the sky’s hue, exhibiting breathtaking beauty.”
“Due to the rare clear weather, Mr. Feng emerged from the palace atop Forbidden Peak to quietly admire the post-rain scenery of Wind Island. Later, his gaze settled upon the lake.”
Mr. Feng remarked to me, “A stagnant pond, after a storm, can also radiate astonishing beauty. It’s like the Tidal Realm; you see only disaster, but what I see is the gentle undulation of green waves, the disaster bringing not despondency to the Tidal Realm but a rejuvenation like that of Wind Island Lake.”
“Such renewal also injects a spring of inspiration into my depleted lake of creativity.”
At this, Mr. Feng softly lamented, “Though my arrival is merely a chapter of destiny penned in that book, I must admit, everything here nourishes my creativity… I’m inspired to paint again.”
With that, Mr. Feng returned to the palace and resumed painting.
This narration was recounted by Gentle Wind Uranos about the scene at that time.
Stripping away the lengthy backdrop, the crux of the narrative lies in Feng’s introspection. He explicitly states, “His arrival was a chapter of destiny written in that book,” which, though cryptic, clarifies why Feng came to the Tidal Realm.
As initially mentioned by Gentle Wind Uranos, Feng’s journey to the Tidal Realm might not have been of his own volition but guided by destiny. And this destiny is linked to a book?
The book could be literal, a tangible object that indeed exists; or metaphorical, using the “book” as a symbol to express contemplation on destiny.
Which of these it is remains unknown. Angel leans towards the latter, having observed that most prophecy wizards favor expressing determinism through symbols like “lines,” “gears,” or “books.”
“Lines” suggest that destiny is being covertly guided, indicative of destiny. “Gears” imply that destiny is interconnected; regardless of the direction, one is bound to move in sync with others, a form of destiny. “Books” are a preferred analogy by prophecy wizards because written words solidify narratives. Comparing human destiny to the text in a book might suggest flexibility in altering the course through revisions, giving the illusion of diverging paths. Yet, regardless of alterations, one remains confined within the “pages” of predetermined concepts, embodying a form of determinism.
Understanding the predilections of prophecy wizards, Angel surmises that the “book” mentioned by Feng might simply be a metaphor.
Feng’s true message is succinct: his presence was not by choice but brought forth by the pull of destiny to the Tidal Realm.
This piece of information is among the most useful disclosed by Gentle Wind Uranos, unfortunately, while it confirms Feng’s arrival was destiny-directed, the reason for this guidance to the Tidal Realm remains undisclosed.
This, perhaps, is key to understanding Feng’s agenda in the Tidal Realm.
Later, Angel and Gentle Wind Uranos visited Forbidden Peak, intending to inquire about the painting titled “Path of Light.”
Gentle Wind Uranos, surprised by the selection, noted this painting was unique within the palace as it was not painted on Wind Island. Consequently——Gentle Wind Uranos could not recount the story behind it.
However, a valuable clue was provided.
The painting was completed before Feng settled on Wind Island, during a period when he had extensively interacted with two elemental creatures.
These creatures were none other than Frost Iseth and Verdant Nemeti.
Angel wished to acquire more information related to Feng, as well as details about the painting “Path of Light,” and realized that inquiry from Frost Iseth and Verdant Nemeti was necessary.
Subsequently, Angel bid farewell to Gentle Wind Uranos.
After spending another day on Wind Island and arranging for the group of wind elemental creatures at Stormridge, he then departed.
…
As the Gondola advanced, Angel also organized the Gains from this trip to White Cloud Hamlet.
Although the information obtained on Wind Island was not as plentiful as Angel had imagined, the overall gains were significant.
He established a quite friendly relationship with Gentle Wind Uranos. Even though Gentle Wind Uranos had not yet agreed to Angel’s future speculative plans, Angel could ascertain Gentle Wind Uranos’ intentions from its attitude.
Moreover, Gentle Wind Uranos informed Angel that after viewing the Drama Shadow Box, Harlequin also agreed with Gentle Wind Uranos’ approach. Additionally, Harlequin mentioned that upon returning to Stormridge, he would help persuade Highness Hurricane.
Angel was initially surprised by Harlequin’s agreement but later found it logical. Although Harlequin was known for being fierce and aggressive, he highly valued the lives of his kin and subordinates. If humans and elemental creatures were to oppose each other after the opening of the Tidal Realm, a bloody storm would ensue. Unwilling to witness his kin’s deaths, Harlequin concurred with Gentle Wind Uranos’ proposal for peaceful coexistence with humans.
Perhaps Harlequin harbored other thoughts, but at least superficially, he agreed with Gentle Wind Uranos.
As a result, Angel later offered Harlequin the opportunity to visit his subordinates.
Above are the ideological gains Angel achieved.
Harlequin’s subordinates represent the tangible gains from the trip to White Cloud Hamlet. Nearly a hundred wind elemental creatures, along with three powerful wind generals, constituted a significant force.
However, they were not yet ready to be utilized, so Angel left them on Wind Island, asking Sage Camus and Gentle Wind Uranos for assistance.
Not all wind elemental creatures were left behind; Angel selected two particularly useful ones to accompany him.
One was Lobert, the three-headed lion dog, whose tail head was remarkably intelligent and familiar with the Tidal Realm. Lobert’s presence could potentially save them from detours.
The other was not a wind general but an elemental sprite named Speedling, whose power was comparable to that of the Magic Beanstalk Jack. True to its name, Speedling’s talent was its incredible speed, nearly matching Toby when activating gravity lines.
Due to its speed and ability to blend into the wind, Speedling had traveled across the entire Tidal Realm early on.
Angel brought Speedling along as a living map to avoid getting lost and to integrate Speedling into the Gondola as an “engine,” enhancing its sailing speed several times without consuming energy.
Thanks to Speedling’s engine boost, they arrived at the Gentle Waves Sea in just half a day, days ahead of their original schedule.
Angel was very satisfied with both Lobert and Speedling.
Besides these two, Angel also brought another wind elemental in its sprite stage, Cupid.
Initially, Angel’s perception of Cupid was merely as a “wild child.” When Sage Camus asked Angel to take Cupid with him, Angel thought Camus was trying to shift responsibility.
At that time, Angel did not outright refuse Camus but had no intention of actually taking Cupid with him.
However, after spending a few more days together, Angel discovered that Cupid was much better than he had anticipated.
He initially thought Cupid was just a wild child, but upon interaction, discovered that Cupid was not as wild; exhibiting considerable steadiness, in terms of temperament, Cupid was even more composed than Dangros by a long shot.
Angel initially suspected Cupid’s composure was an act, but later realized that although Cupid appeared overly composed at their first meeting due to being overly restrained, this composure did not fade once the restraint was lifted. This meant that steadiness was a definitive trait in Cupid’s character.
As for why Cupid seemed so wild at their first meeting, Angel did not know, perhaps there was another reason, but he did not explore further.
Although after confirming that Cupid’s character was not as wild, Angel still had no intention of taking Cupid away.
However, as Angel was preparing to leave, Sage Camus sought him out again.
Camus directly proposed to Angel that he wanted Cupid to become Angel’s “elemental companion.”
This was the first time Angel encountered such a situation where someone was eager to offer to become a companion, however, Angel’s desire for wind elemental creatures was relatively low, and if he were to choose a wind elemental creature, he hoped to choose one that was compatible with him.
Angel was unaware of Cupid’s talents, abilities, and thoughts, and even with Camus eagerly offering, he could not give a definite answer.
However, this was the first time a parent actively agreed to let their child sign a partnership with a wizard, which, in Angel’s view, was somewhat of a milestone event.
After some thought, he compromised.
He decided to spend some time with Cupid, to observe his abilities and character, and if they were compatible, then he would consider forming an elemental partnership.
Even if they were not compatible, Angel would introduce Cupid to a kind-hearted wizard, fulfilling Camus’ wish, at least to expose Cupid to the broader human world.
Chapter 2233 Golden Apples <TOC> Chapter 2235 Cupid’s Obsession