Chapter 748 Inquiring <TOC> Chapter 750 The Swindler
Translator: SumTLMan
As the veil of night hung high, the bustling city of Moonset gradually quieted down.
Immersed in the long street, an old street on the edge of the lower city area, it was close to the slums and had always been plagued by poor security. Few people ventured here during the day, and at night, it was even more desolate.
However, on this particular night, a luxurious carriage unexpectedly made its way into the long street.
In the darkness untouched by the streetlights, numerous sinister eyes peered out, but upon seeing the emblem on the carriage, they all silently lowered their heads.
—The Cape under the Moonlight.
This emblem represented the City Lord’s Mansion, and the carriage must have come from there.
The coachman was a young man dressed in noble robes, who also noticed the evil eyes lurking in the dark alleyways. Yet, he showed no fear and disdainfully brandished his whip.
Seated inside the carriage were Nite and Angel.
Nite wore an embarrassed expression as he lowered his head and spoke, “Sir Pat, I come from the Anyu Dynasty. Although Greenrose is a vassal state of the Anyu Dynasty, due to some historical reasons, the aristocracy of Greenrose does not value our noble titles. So, I had to ask Charles for help…”
“Charles is a friend I made while studying at the academy, and he knows the local nobility best.”
At this moment, the curtain of the carriage was pulled open, revealing the head of the young man holding the whip. His eyes eagerly looked inside, “Great Wizard, please rest assured. If you want to find someone knowledgeable about history, I can definitely help. No noble in the entire Moonset City would dare not to give face to our Manson family.”
It was a serious crime in Greenrose for ordinary people to discuss history wantonly, so finding someone knowledgeable about history other than nobles was difficult.
Angel nodded, “Young Master of the City Lord’s Mansion, then we’ll trouble you.”
The young coachman was Nite’s noble friend mentioned earlier, Charles Manson, the son of the City Lord of Moonset City. As the local snakehead, his influence in Moonset City was indeed greater than Nite’s.
“No trouble at all.” Charles grinned, his eyes narrowing into crescents, revealing two small canine teeth. His freckled cheeks were clearly visible under the candlelight on the carriage door.
Charles slowly lowered the curtain, at the same time casting a flirtatious glance at Nite.
Not long after, when the moon gradually settled in the middle of the sky, Charles’ voice came from outside, “My lord, we have arrived.”
They stood before a small courtyard, filled with a vast array of Lycoris flowers and several unknown fruit trees. A faint, refreshing fragrance wafted through the air. A two-story, pointed-roof cottage built from stone pillars stood amidst the flowers and fruits.
“In this residence lives a retired royal-appointed tutor of the Greenrose family, named Gurman, who holds the title of viscount. He was once a professor at the Ivy League Academy in the capital city and has profound research in history,” Charles explained to Angel as he tied up the carriage and walked over to knock on the iron gate.
The crisp sound echoed through the courtyard, and soon a middle-aged woman dressed as a maid came out.
“Who are you?” The middle-aged maid looked at the visitors with confusion.
“Does Professor Gurman live here?” Angel inquired after the maid nodded, “I have some questions and would like to consult Professor Gurman.”
“It’s getting late, and the master is about to retire. Please come back tomorrow.”
Before Angel could respond, Charles shouted, “That won’t do! We need to see Gurman now. He lives on the second floor, right? The lights are still on, hurry up and call him out.”
Angel remained silent, not reacting to Charles’ attitude. Although he initially intended to retreat for the time being and fly into the house to find Gurman directly, he decided to stay hidden as Charles was making a fuss.
Facing Angel’s gentle demeanor, the maid dared not refuse. However, seeing Charles’ arrogant attitude, she began to hesitate.
Although Gurman used to be a royal-appointed tutor, that was in the past. The man before her was clearly a noble, and if they offended him, it could make life difficult for Gurman in the city.
With that thought, the maid turned her head to look at the second-floor window.
Due to the noisy argument, the window on the second floor, covered with climbing vines, was gently opened. The aged Gurman looked outside, his gaze first falling on Charles.
A flash of confusion crossed his face, as if he had seen the young man somewhere before, but his attention was quickly drawn to the middle-aged man behind Charles.
His pupils contracted, and his expression showed some surprise.
Without waiting for the maid below to speak, he took the initiative to say, “Open the gate and invite the guests in.”
Since the master had spoken, the maid didn’t argue and opened the iron gate, bowing to the visitors, “Please come in.”
Charles looked smug, receiving a chuckle from Nisi. Charles eagerly sought Angel’s approval, trying to showcase his merit in front of the mysterious wizard.
However, Angel’s attention was focused on Gurman on the second floor, not noticing Charles’ efforts.
If he wasn’t mistaken, Gurman’s expression seemed to change when he saw him.
It was clear that the middle-aged man, whom Angel had casually transformed into, was unfamiliar to Gurman. So why did he show surprise?
Led by the maid, they entered the house.
The warm, glowing furnace radiated a comfortable warmth that dispelled the chill from their bones.
“Please have a seat, and I will pour you some hot tea.” The maid led them to the sofa near the furnace and fetched a few cups before taking the teapot from the furnace to pour tea for everyone.
At that moment, Gurman, dressed in a thick robe and leaning on a cane, slowly descended from the second floor.
Gurman took a seat opposite the sofa.
After everyone had exchanged greetings, Gurman sent the maid away. Angel glanced at Nite and Charles, who understood and took their tea cups, leaving the room.
In an instant, only Angel and Gurman remained in the living room.
“I apologize for intruding so late, Professor Gurman,” Angel said, a hint of regret in his tone.
“No matter, what can I help you with?” Gurman’s demeanor was gentle and cultured, even a simple wave of his hand exuded refinement.
Angel raised an eyebrow at Gurman’s choice of address for him. It was quite interesting.
“Extraordinary worlds, although far from ordinary people, are not entirely unfamiliar to me. As someone who once worked in the royal court, I have had some exposure. Your power, sir, carries a distinct aura that seems out of place in this world. I presume you must be from an extraordinary world?” Gurman’s voice was slow and measured, but it carried a persuasive force.
“Out of place?” Angel didn’t quite understand. “Would you care to explain, Professor Gurman?”
“Your presence is quite subtle, to the point of being easily overlooked in a crowd. However, when attention is drawn to you, your presence becomes all the more conspicuous, and it becomes easy to notice that something is amiss,” Gurman explained.
Angel suddenly understood.
Although he had not actively activated his Boundless Silence, its effects were still somewhat present. If people did not pay attention to him, it would not matter. However, with Charles causing a scene earlier, Gurman naturally took notice of everyone outside, including him.
Discovering the anomaly about him was not difficult.
“I see.” Since he had been discovered, Angel nodded in acknowledgment. “Indeed, I am an extraordinary being.”
Gurman had read in some ancient texts that extraordinary beings wielded immense power but were often selfish and prone to violence. As a result, Gurman chose his words carefully when speaking. “Sir, may I ask what brings you to me? If I can help, I will not withhold any information.”
Instead of asking about Lucas immediately, Angel inquired, “Professor Gurman, have you heard the story of the Beauty Naya?”
“Beauty Naya?” Gurman pondered for a moment. “Sir, are you asking about a legendary tale or a historical fact?”
“It doesn’t matter. Why don’t you tell me both?” Angel shifted his posture, looking languidly at Gurman.
“The Beauty Naya has two versions; let me start with the folk legend. In both versions, the story of the Beauty Naya takes place over two thousand years ago during the Flashing Silver Era…”
Gurman recounted both versions of the Beauty Naya’s story in one breath.
What Gurman said was almost the same as what Angel knew. The folk legend tells of a kind-hearted Naya, who was framed by her sister and sent to a slave ship, where she tearfully recounted her story, turning her tears into a sea of flowers and sleeping eternally at the bottom of the sea.
The historical account, on the other hand, tells of a vicious Naya who was jealous of everyone more Beauty than herself. Not only did she kill them, but she also bathed in their blood. When her husband discovered her actions, he executed her and threw her body into the sea.
Angel: “Of these two stories of the Beauty Naya, which one does Professor Gurman think is true and which one is false?”
Angel thought Gurman would directly deny the legend, but unexpectedly, after pondering for a moment, Gurman said, “It’s unclear which one is true or false now. Maybe both are false, or maybe both are true.”
“I understand if both are false, but what do you mean both are true?” Angel asked.
Gurman: “The legend might be true, and the Beauty Naya indeed sleeps at the bottom of the sea. The historical fact might also be true, that the vicious Naya was actually the sister of Naya in the legend. Because they were twins, the vicious Naya replaced the kind-hearted Naya, and others couldn’t tell them apart. So, the story might have unfolded this way.”
Gurman’s words were almost identical to Angel’s previous speculation. Perhaps the combination of the two is the true history.
“Moreover, I actually know an unofficial history,” Gurman continued. “Naya did indeed exist in history. She was a viscountess, and according to some research, she was known for her kindness before marrying the viscount. However, the historical record shows that after marrying the viscount, she suddenly changed her character.”
“Such sudden changes in character are rare, perhaps indicating that the kind-hearted Naya was harmed by her twin sister, who then took her place.”
Angel nodded, “This unofficial history may not be true, but it can indeed corroborate the internal connections between the two versions.”
Facing the “moody” Master Wizard, Gurman was still carefully recalling if there was any other valuable information about the Beauty Naya when the other party suddenly changed the topic.
“Let’s put the matter of the Beauty Naya aside for now. I have something else to ask you. Has Professor Gurman ever heard of Lucas?”
As Angel’s question was asked, Gurman suddenly froze.
“Huh, why is it Lucas again?”