Translator: SumTLMan
The second hot topic in the tea party is still about Vonman and Guina, but with the addition of one character: Drew.
Upon their arrival, Angel had informed Drew of Vonman and Guina, anticipating that since they were all to be part of the Savage Grottoes organization, early interaction and exchange would be best.
However, what he didn’t anticipate was that Drew, after meeting Vonman, nearly came to blows with them on the same day.
The witness to this incident was Auchanchan. Though she was unclear why Drew was arguing with those two terrifying children, she overheard what Drew said when he left.
“I never raise my hand against children. Today, I won’t quarrel with you, but only this once!”
Based on Auchanchan’s account, Drew was stamping his feet in anger before slamming the door as he left.
Angel reflected for a moment and then guessed why Drew was angry.
Drew has a very kind nature, so much so that it wouldn’t be too much to call him saintly. His willingness to jump into the sea to save a wayward child, even when faced with sea beasts, attests to this. It was this incident that led to him losing one of his ears.
Angel could have saved Drew back then, but he chose not to. Instead, he wanted Drew to personally experience the consequences of his decisions, hoping it would help him address the weaknesses in his character.
On the other hand, Vonman and Guina represented the other extreme. They could easily kill anyone they disliked, even innocents. Their only care and concern would only be shown towards their own.
Goodness versus chaos, Drew presented a stark contrast to them.
If their values are incompatible, it would be unnatural for them to converse amicably. Moreover, there were two human skins hanging in the yard. Presumably, the moment Drew saw the human skins, he already hung labels of “evil” and “savage” on Vonman and others.
The original intent was for them to build a relationship, but looking at the situation now, it would be a good outcome if they didn’t end up as enemies.
Angel sighed with a touch of regret.
However, it doesn’t matter much. When he first joined the organization, he and Hookedick were also at odds. In any circle, there will be people of all sorts of characters. If it ever comes to a point where the difference is irreconcilable, it will come down to who can overwhelm whom.
During these social tea parties, beyond the two hot-button topics, there was an effusion of gossip and rumors, which were enthusiastically discussed like tantalizing breadcrumbs dropped into a flock of gossiping pigeons.
Furthermore, Angel bore witness to the unbridled gab of these maidens, once assembled in their conspiratorial circle, their tongues becoming as loose as a sail in a hurricane.
After all, their past abodes were devoid of real aristocratic oppression, freeing their tongues for the most audacious of chatter.
From the clandestine romances between manor servants, to local infidelities, to the past romantic escapades of Leon, even whispers regarding Angel had morphed into fodder for their voracious gossip mill.
Of course, given Angel’s tendency to live in a proverbial shell, the scope of their prattle about him was decidedly limited.
Although this stream of gossip was filled with trivialities, their daring to speculate about those who were transcendent spoke volumes about their nerve – bold as brass they were, even daring to prattle about Eureka.
Suis had barely made an appearance within the manor, and even his exchanges with Leon were facilitated through his faithful Cerberus-like companion, Subi. Thus, their understanding of Suis was shallow at best.
On the other hand, Eureka would occasionally make an appearance, her enigmatic identity fueling the curiosity of many within the Kulakuka tribe.
As far as gossip regarding Eureka was concerned, there was no shortage of it, although it was all hearsay and conjecture.
For instance, there was a rumor by a maiden who claimed to have seen Eureka’s eyes suddenly turn red, her demeanor changing as if she was another person. Even though her face remained expressionless, her presence was as chilling as a cold winter’s breeze.
But this tale was a lone wolf’s howl in the wilderness, carrying little weight without any supporting evidence. Much like the previous rumor about a hidden lover in Leon’s room, it was dismissed as baseless without corroboration.
When Angel initially asked Toby about the tea party, his primary intention was to divert the conversation. Little did he know, he’d inadvertently gleaned some valuable information.
“Do they frequently congregate for these tea parties?”
Toby’s translated response, “It seems to be a weekly affair – a cherished tradition among them.”
Deep in thought, Angel recalled something Sanders had mentioned before. Many witches occasionally gather together, whether for a fragrant exchange meeting or a tea party. It seems there’s always time for some friendly banter over a hot brew.
When witches convene in the likeness of these Kulakuka tribesfolk, exchanging clandestine whispers, it essentially forms a vast nexus of omnidirectional intelligence.
It’s hardly surprising then, that witches often seem to harbor a deeper reservoir of knowledge than their male counterparts.
“If the Wilderness of Dreams could sustain its growth, it might well evolve into a colossal hub for disseminating information,” mused Angel, envisioning the future prospects of this realm.
However, encouraging other transcendents to venture into the Wilderness of Dreams, without reservations, remained a challenging task to be addressed. For the moment, Angel had no intentions of allowing other transcendents access to this realm.
As the day ebbed away, Angel found himself on the brink of Whale Whisker Sea, with the Blackberry Sea territory close at hand.
This was a route he’d traversed many times, thus was reasonably familiar with. But to pinpoint Rhodes’ location, was a challenge even for a seasoned sea traveler like Angel.
After three painstaking hours, Angel finally located the Senna Trench, and dove into its depths.
Though his primary aim was to recharge Freud’s login count at the Revelation Continent, he had other matters that required him to seek out the Ashen Time Merchant Group in Rhodes.
He needed to pry into some information from Ashen Time.
Given their nomadic lifestyle, dwelling on the fringes of legality, and constant travels across the Vast Continent, they were likely to possess a wide array of information.
Upon his arrival in the Abyss Zone, he soon encountered Rosam, the second-in-command of Ashen Time, without much effort.
Rosam’s eyes lit up upon seeing Angel.
Rosam welcomed Angel with open arms and led him to a nearby tavern, his words full of flattery, with an unmistakable intent to bridge the distance between them.
Angel took it in stride, aware that the real reason behind Rosam’s stay in Rhodes was well known to both of them. He didn’t mind adding another connection to his network.
After a hearty meal and drinks, Rosam beckoned a waiter and asked for a private booth, where they could maintain confidentiality.
Once the partition door swung shut, Rosam unveiled a grin rife with profound implications. He fished out a cyan-green fruit from his pocket and placed it on the table, casting a knowing glance in Angel’s direction.
A look of sudden realization flashed across Angel’s face as he recognized the fruit. It was the Croc Fragrance Fruit from the Mirelurk Swamp.
A while back, when he left Rhodes, captain Piers gave him one. Although the meaning was not explicitly stated, the gesture was clear: “Should you require our assistance against Lady Silai, feel free to call upon us.”
Lady Silai was none other than Eureka, and the Croc Fragrance Fruit was a magical plant used in crafting potions to heal mental injuries.
Following the revelation of the Croc Fragrance Fruit, Rosam implied, “I presume your visit has something to do with this, hasn’t it?”
Seeing Rosam still sporting a “I understand you” expression, Angel couldn’t suppress a chuckle.
He casually slid the Croc Fragrance Fruit back to Rosam, and in response to Rosam’s perplexed gaze, he clarified, “This visit has nothing to do with the Croc Fragrance Fruit, nor am I here to purchase materials. I’m simply looking to garner some information from your Merchant Group.”
“Seeking information?” Disappointment flickered in Rosam’s eyes. If Angel were planning to confront Lady Silai, their relationship with him would have inevitably taken a significant leap forward following the confrontation. Unfortunately, it seemed Angel had no such plans?
“Indeed, I wish to gather some intel. Don’t worry about the magic crystals. You won’t be short-changed.”
“If it’s merely information you seek, I could offer you insignificant ones for free.” Rosam inwardly sighed, hoping to earn some goodwill, however trivial it may be.
“Free isn’t necessary.” Angel paused for a moment, then proceeded to pose his first question, “Four years ago, during the Month of Rest, were there any unusual occurrences above the Devil’s Sea?”
Time: The Month of Rest, four years ago. Location: The Devil’s Sea.
Armed with these two leads, Rosam rapidly scrolled through his memory archive.
Before long, all the anomalies within the defined parameters surfaced in his mind.
“Once you involve the Devil’s Sea, the situation becomes complex with countless irregularities. However, if you’re interested in the Month of Rest four years ago, you’re in luck. A rare, once-in-a-century event did occur in the Devil’s Sea during that period.”
Angel’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. His inquiry about events from four years ago was prompted by Jon’s advice to guard the Heavenly Eye diligently. The only irregularity that occurred with the Heavenly Eye so far was during the Month of Rest four years prior.
Understanding the cause of the disturbance to the Heavenly Eye would enable him to preemptively prevent any anomalies from being detected by other wizards.
“What exactly transpired?” Angel inquired.
“There’s no secrecy surrounding this event. Numerous wizards and their respective organizations were involved…” Rosam paused midway through his sentence, then continued, “Actually, if you were to ask your mentor or the distinguished Blood Witch Flora, you might get a clearer picture. After all, the greatest beneficiary of that incident was none other than the Phantom Master, Sanders.”
“As a result, Phantom Master Sanders created a Wizard Garden, becoming a rare individual within the Southern Wizarding World to possess a personal Wizard Garden.”
Angel was taken aback; so this event was tied to the Gravity Garden that emerged later?
“As a matter of fact,” Rosam continued, “this incident was initiated by a bloodline wizard from Gravity Forest named ‘Treeman’ Poku…”
Through Rosam’s detailed narration, Angel gradually began to comprehend the events that occurred over the Devil’s Sea four years ago.
Poku triggered a planar fusion, Sanders arrived first, seizing the advantage and gathering the most Fragment of Constants. Later, when the incident was discovered and attracted wizards from all over, the plot of Sirius and the discord amongst the wizards were all vividly portrayed in Rosam’s narration.
However, the most regrettable part was that after Sanders opened the planar passage and departed, the originally stable planar fusion actually failed?
The unexpected beneficiary at the planar fusion, garnering the greatest number of Fragment of Constants, was none other than Sanders. This triumph turned him into the veritable bete noire of all wizard organizations; their disdain for him was akin to a nagging toothache. Rumors spread like wildfire that they planned to sabotage Sanders’ efforts when he embarked on the construction of his Wizard Garden.
Naturally, the curtain fell with no grand finale. The cause behind the unsuccessful fusion of the planes remained shrouded in mystery, fueling speculation.
Post this incident, however, a feud took root between Sanders and the denizens of Gravity Forest. After all, he had wrestled away the Fragment of Constants from the grip of “Treeman”, earning their ire. Adding insult to injury, the Wizard Garden he crafted was a Gravity Garden. The Gravity Forest owed its moniker to their ownership of a Gravity Garden, and Sanders creating a garden of the same kind was seen as encroaching upon their territory, stoking the fires of their animosity further.
But what chafed them the most was that Sanders’ Gravity Garden was of a superior rank than their own!
In essence, the people of the Gravity Forest were now at odds with Sanders.
After recounting the story, Rosam also kindly slipped in a piece of intel: “Rumor has it that on Phantom Master’s descent into the Abyss this time, Gravity Forest seems to be orchestrating some covert moves… They are out to settle a score with him…”