Chapter 932 Sheriff Tulas <TOC> Chapter 934 The Arelle Principality
Translator: SumTLMan
There are still a handful of matters to be attended to before departure.
The first order of business is to organize the data concerning Jon’s corporeal changes over this period. Angel then begins to tidy up his bracelet, earmarking certain redundant items for Leon’s use.
Once these chores are duly completed, Angel’s gaze gradually drifts towards a corner of the room.
It appears unremarkable at first glance, but in reality, Angel has imbued it with a layer of illusion. Within this illusory veneer lies a Softworm’s nest.
Retrieving the nest, he scrutinizes the condition within.
Angel observes that the distinctive egg within continues to defy hatching, while steadily growing in size.
The Softworm’s nest inherently possesses spatial properties. Despite its outwardly small size, the interior provides a remarkably vast space for a Softworm.
However, should this distinctive egg continue to grow unchecked, it won’t be long before the small compartment housing it becomes overstuffed.
At this point, it’s no longer viable to switch its position within the space due to the egg’s immense size and the small passageway of the compartment. To relocate it would invariably entail the destruction of the nest.
Angel estimates a month’s time at most, before the compartment becomes engorged by the egg. If it still refuses to hatch by then, the only remaining option would be to destroy the nest.
The Softworm’s nest, of course, cannot stay here. Angel stashes it within his bracelet, and with the box he’s prepared earlier in hand, he departs from the room—
Within the unnoticed confines of the bracelet’s space, as the Softworm’s nest settles in, a black-and-white ant slowly emerges from another pyramid-shaped nest. Its antennae wave wildly as if sifting through some elusive information.
Quickly, the black-and-white ant picks up a familiar scent lingering in the air… Its antennae become still, and it scurries towards the Softworm’s nest at an astonishing pace.
Simultaneously, the distinctive egg within the Softworm’s nest stirs slightly…
Unbeknownst to Angel, the bracelet on his wrist stirred subtly; he had already made his way to the threshold of Leon’s room.
Somewhat surprisingly, in the vicinity of the corridor, Angel spotted Subi, the two-headed hound, feigning slumber sprawled on the floor.
“If you need something, you may want to wait a bit; Leon is currently meditating,” Subi’s voice drifted to Angel’s ears.
Taking Subi’s words into account, Angel could do nothing more but halt his strides, waiting just outside the door.
As he waited, Angel struck up a conversation with Subi. However, Subi’s personality was entirely different from that of Blaire’s. Subi took after its master, carrying an air of aloofness and elegance.
Engaging it in conversation, for every ten sentences Angel would speak, Subi would selectively respond with one.
Through the sparse replies of Subi, Angel managed to glean some information. For instance, Leon had formally entered meditation the day before yesterday. The key factor enabling Leon to meditate was the —Notes for the Novice Apprentice—, authored by Angel.
Raising one of its heads, Subi bestowed a cursory glance at Angel, “The handbook you authored, it’s quite remarkable.”
Angel queried, “You’ve read it too?”
“I haven’t, but the master glanced over it once. The compliment just now, it was the master’s,” Subi replied nonchalantly.
Angel was fully aware that the —Notes for the Novice Apprentice— he gifted to Leon was unlikely to escape Suis’s notice. Even though Suis was hands-off as a master, from a mentor’s standpoint, he would naturally assess whether the material his student was studying was harmful.
Thus, it was certain that Suis would have perused the —Notes for the Novice Apprentice—.
“It is my honor to receive praise from the distinguished Lord Suis.” Angel replied unperturbed.
“Rest assured, the master will not divulge the contents of your handbook to others.” After a pause, Subi shifted the topic, “However, providing him with this book right from the beginning, don’t you think you are doing him a disservice?”
A disservice? Angel looked at Subi, puzzled.
Subi expounded, “Without a sense of setback to foster independent thinking, he might become reliant on you. When you can no longer provide for his dependence, he may find himself at a standstill.”
Subi’s words left Angel stunned. He had not previously considered this point. He thought that Suis allowed Leon to self-study simply out of laziness, which led him to take on the tutoring role.
If his actions indeed prevented Leon from developing independent thinking abilities at the earliest stage, then this was indeed detrimental to Leon.
For the path of a wizard is a lonely trek. Traversing this long and arduous journey, should one nurture a heart of reliance, progress might turn into a seemingly unreachable mirage.
Noticing Angel’s morale plummeting, Subi eventually placidly reassured him, “You need not burden yourself with undue concern. After all, your handbook is merely a basic one; its understanding of the bloodline aspect is thin. It can aid Leon for now, but before long he’ll need to confront the art of independent thought. Hence, the impact will be trivial… However, my intention in telling you all of this is to make it clear that there’s no fault in wanting to help him as a brother. But unconditional giving may not necessarily be beneficial for him.”
Having spoken his piece, Subi cast a subtle glance at the box Angel was holding. Without needing a look inside, he knew it was packed with useful items for Leon.
Angel, too, sank into contemplation. Indeed, he couldn’t always stay by Leon’s side, and Leon’s path wouldn’t forever be an unobstructed trail. To achieve anything of substance, one must brave the tempests and hardships that lie ahead.
With a shake of his head, Angel glanced at the box in his hand and decided to keep some of the items that might induce dependency in Leon.
Subi, witnessing this, held his peace.
Angel waited patiently outside the door for Leon to emerge from his deep meditation.
As time passed slowly, Subi abruptly queried, “Are you planning on leaving?”
Angel nodded, “Yes.”
Subi, having asked his question, didn’t continue the conversation, and silence reigned once again.
However, this silence was short-lived, disrupted by Angel, “Speaking of which, I’ve always been curious, why is your right head veiled with a black ribbon?” Angel observed Subi, who bore two heads. One seemed normal, while the other mostly normal, except its eyes were concealed by a black ribbon.
Subi was silent for a moment before explaining, “Twin-born magic wolves inherently possess two distinct and extreme ways of thinking: tranquility and destruction. I represent tranquility, while the other head signifies destruction. Once the black ribbon is removed, it signals the onset of destruction.”
Angel, who knew little about magical creatures, had previously assumed Subi to be a two-headed dog, not realizing it was a wolf.
Subi’s eyes were a sight to behold, possessing a brilliant emerald hue that bore the clarity of the finest gemstones. When Angel had queried about the second head, his intention was merely to scrutinize this unique eye color. Yet, as Subi suggested, removing the black ribbon could lead to unforeseen consequences, hence, Angel no longer sought to prod further.
After approximately an hour, a stirring from within the house indicated the completion of Leon’s meditation.
Instead of barging in immediately, Angel allowed some time for Leon to assimilate and digest the insights gained from his meditation before knocking and entering.
Leon was pleasantly surprised by Angel’s arrival. However, as Angel revealed his purpose, a somber expression gradually enveloped Leon’s face.
“You’re leaving so soon?” There was a flicker of regret in Leon’s eyes.
Having just stepped into the world of wizards, Leon still had a vague concept of distance. He envisioned the Feran Continent as being on the other side of the sea, unreachable and distant. Just like Angel in the past, a thousand-mile journey seemed insurmountable.
Yet, with Angel’s growing understanding of the Wizarding World and his increasing strength, a thousand-mile journey was merely a matter of minutes for him now.
“Jon’s body can’t withstand much longer, I have to seek out a cure. Once I find it, I’ll return after a while.”
“That old man again!” Leon gritted his teeth in frustration. His brother had finally returned, only to leave again shortly – an arrangement that left him disgruntled.
Nevertheless, Leon understood.
Life is an endless cycle of departures and reunions.
Moreover, each individual has their own life to lead. Despite Angel being his brother, Leon had no right to restrict his freedom.
“Speaking of which, Jon wishes to see you too. I can bring you to him when you’re free.” Angel suggested softly.
Meeting that old man? Leon was momentarily startled, failing to grasp Angel’s implication. As he was about to inquire further, Angel tactfully shifted the topic.
“These are for you. The notes contain instructions on their usage.” Angel handed the box to Leon.
Upon opening the box, Leon discovered a variety of potions such as antidotes and common healing remedies, along with several magical rune scrolls, primarily used for defensive purposes.
Within the box, Leon recognized most of the contents based on the notes’ descriptions. However, there was an object that took him by surprise.
It was a pale silver pocket watch. Though he hadn’t yet opened it, he could already hear the ticking sound from within.
“So, you’ve left a pocket watch for me. Is this a hint for me to cherish time?” Leon examined the pocket watch, noticing its intricate craftsmanship, particularly the symbols indicating hours and minutes—symbols he had never seen before.
“This is more than a pocket watch,” Angel paused, “It’s a special communicator I’ve left for you.”
“A communicator?” Leon echoed in surprise.
“My birthdate is the password to activate the communicator,” Angel pointed out the symbols on the watch arranged from 1-12, “When you need to contact me, set the hour hand to my birth year, the minute hand to my birth month, and the second hand to my birth date to activate the communication method.”
“However, this is a one-time communicator, so be cautious when you use it,” Angel paused, took Leon’s hand, and wrote a message on his palm: Don’t tell anyone, including your mentor.
Angel could have used the Geometric Lock to shield the device from external probing, but doing so might alert Suis, hence, he resorted to this method.
Fortunately, Angel sensed that Suis hadn’t noticed anything amiss with Leon for the time being.
The communicator was essentially a dream access device to the Wilderness of Dreams, but it only had a single-use login stored. This was done to prevent the device from being discovered and misused by others.
After hearing Angel’s serious warning, Leon carefully stored the device close to his body.
Fortunately, Leon didn’t know much about the Wizarding World yet, so naturally, he didn’t realize how powerful the communicator was.
Angel gave the communicator to Leon as a contingency plan in case something unexpected happened at Pat Manor or if there were complications with Jon’s body.
After chatting with Leon for a while longer, Angel bid him farewell and left, leaving Leon watching reluctantly.
Fifteen minutes later, Angel, accompanied by Drew, Vonman, and Guina, arrived atop the Cloud Soil.
At this moment, Eureka was leaning against the Demeter tree, while Blaire nestled among its branches. Suis, seemingly aware that Angel was leaving that day, was already waiting.
“Before you leave, there are some things I need to tell you. Come with me,” Suis said to Angel.
Angel nodded, indicating to the three talents behind him to wait, and then followed Suis aside.
Chapter 932 Sheriff Tulas <TOC> Chapter 934 The Arelle Principality