by Feng Yue
Behind the curtain, the vague silhouette nodded. “The Union will think that this event happened in Anglo, so the royal family should send a representative to partake in the appraisal.”
Maxwell thought for a moment. “Your Majesty, are you thinking of sending me?”
“You work with national matters and work hard. These small matters don’t concern you.” The queen’s voice was tinged with anger. She was clearly not praising the blood, sweat and tears he had put in for Anglo.
Maxwell froze. “Then…”
“Let the crown prince go.”
The queen’s words stunned Maxwell. “The crown prince?”
Your Majesty, are you joking?!
Though it is the royal family’s scandal, everyone in Anglo knew that the crown prince, the first heir of the throne, was a retard. His brain had not developed since he was four-years-old, and he still thought he was a sheep…If he represented the royal family and said something weird, the royal family would have no more dignity!
Thankfully, the empress’s next words gave him some relief. “His health is not good these days. I’ll have someone go with him.”
“Who?” As Maxwell asked, he suddenly heard a tidal sound from the throne.
It was the sea tide.
It was the sound of countless flames flowing together and burning everything to ashes. The broke sounds formed a roaring tidal wave. This was the terrifying power brewing in the royal family’s blood—the Dragon Bloodline!
This power and mysterious curse was passed down the generations of the royal blood. After centuries, it had grown stronger rather than weakening.
In that instant, Maxwell almost thought that the empress had risen from her seat, but he quickly realized that it was not the empress because it was controllable. A manageable power was not the Dragon Bloodline because the Dragon Bloodline was uncontrollable.
If the empress had truly risen, the entire palace would be reduced to ashes. Someone who could control this power…had someone in the royal family awoken their bloodline?
“Is it Queen Mary?”
It suddenly dawned on him. Mary had awoken her bloodline three years ago and had already reached this level…Was there another empress in this generation after Empress Elizabeth?
Behind the curtain and beside the throne sat a youth in a white dress. She did not speak, but the practically inhuman gaze made one feel danger lurking.
After her eighteenth birthday a few days ago, Arthur’s bloodline had further awoken, causing her coldness to become even more inhuman. Now, there were signs of Hermes’ arrogance in her.
When King Arthur had used the holy operation to cleanse his blood, he had transformed into a demigod, unique to the world. A demigod was neither a god nor a man. To the heirs of this bloodline, the human world was probably as boring as a desert.
It seemed that the queen was determined to foster Mary and let her take over the throne. Next, she would be given all kinds of orders to develop her popularity and ruling experience…ten years later, there would be another queen similar to the one currently on the throne.
Understanding this, Maxwell lowered his head and answered, “I understand.”
The queen on the throne seemed to nod. “This matter involves too many parties. During this, I hope that you will not play any inglorious roles, understand?”
“As you wish, Your Majesty.” Half-kneeling on the ground, Maxwell lowered your eyes. “All will go as you wish.”
Behind the throne was a long and narrow window. The sun had risen to its peak in that window. The blazing light shone down, elongating the throne’s shadow like a long sword.
In the air, a faraway bell rang out, echoing in all directions.
-
As the midday bell rang, the bustling city seemed to suddenly become muted; it was peaceful and quiet.
Under the afternoon sun, a white-haired youth sat lazily on a bench in a square of midtown. It looked as if he was sunbathing.
After sitting in the dark room for nine days, he had finally finished everything. Charles, Bai Xi, and he had all been close to going crazy. So for the last day, they decided to take a break and enjoy the last moment of relaxation. They could gather their spirits and be prepared for tomorrow’s battle.
Then Ye Qingxuan realized that he did not have anywhere else to go.
The Shaman’s? He did not want to interact with the Shaman when unnecessary.
Lola? Lola was one of the judges and it was improper to interact with her privately now.
The clock shop? No, the boss was looking at him more and more strangely these days, like a cat playing with a mouse. Ye Qingxuan did not know what he was planning.
The library? No, he had almost gone crazy from nine days of deciphering without sleep, and he should give himself a break.
So on this last day…Ye Qingxuan found that he had nowhere to go.
And so he wandered aimlessly down the streets. He bought some vegetables and meat to refill their supply; he could make something to treat themselves tonight. He also bought a bunch of snacks for Bai Xi, as well as alcohol and new Sacred City machinery magazine for Charles.
After doing all that, Ye Qingxuan discovered that there was nothing else he could do. He usually could not get any break, but now, he could not stand it. He could only sunbathe.
Sunbathing could supplement vitamins…Ye Qingxuan did not know what ‘vitamins’ from Charles’ dream talk meant but it sounded like a good thing. Under the gentle midday sun, he drowsily closed his eyes, close to falling asleep.
After a long time, he felt the sunlight weaken and a shadow envelope him.
“…” Someone seemed to say something but it was not in the lingua franca. Instead, it sounded foreign.
Ye Qingxuan opened his eyes in confusion and looked at the figure with his back to the sun. His contours were strange; his hair was tied and his head covered.
“Brother, may I ask for directions?” the man repeated. This time, Ye Qingxuan heard clearly that it was an Eastern dialect.
The youth straightened on the bench and stared. The middle-aged black-haired man stood beside him. He was clad in a blue-green Eastern robe and his hands were clasped in greeting; he exuded grace. Was this really an Easterner?
Ye Qingxuan asked, “Are you from the East?”
“Yes, yes.” The man nodded with an emotional expression. “My surname is Hu and I am just a traveler. Being in a foreign country, I was worried because my lingua franca is not very fluent, but I can’t believe I met my brethren. It’s such great news.” With that, he handed over a wrinkled strip of paper. “Would you know how to travel to this destination?”
His pronunciation was strange, like some Eastern dialect, and he spoke quickly. Ye Qingxuan had not heard Eastern languages in many years and had a hard time understanding.
Taking the paper, he froze when he saw the address. He quickly processed it and pointed in a direction. “This place is easy. Just turn right up front, walk to the end, and then walk toward the busiest direction. The place you’re looking for is in the center of the right. If you can’t read the names, it’s the one with least business.”
Hearing his directions, Mr. Hu let out a sigh of relief and grasped his hands, spouting words of gratitude.
“No problem.” Ye Qingxuan chuckled. Seeing that it was late, he picked up his belongings and got up to leave.
The middle-aged scholar remained frozen in confusion, watching the youth leave. After a long while, he muttered, “A Dragon Bloodline wandering around in the barbaric west? Whatever, let’s just see it as good luck. Those nine families do the weirdest things.”
-
Following the youth’s directions, the scholar quickly found the place. In the end, he stood before the quiet clock shop. Studying the deserted shop and the other bustling stores, his expressions grew rich.
“It really is the quietest store…does this man know how to do business? He doesn’t even have a hawker.”
He sighed quietly an
d stepped forward but he froze when he moved to knock. He had only raised a hand but the hair on the back of his hand stood up as if electrocuted. Sweat seeped out of his fingertips and his palm was moist but it instantly dried as if it was baking in an oven.
After a long time, he put his hand down and sighed. He wanted to leave but was not willing. He stood before the door for one full hour. He raised his hand three times and set it down three times.
Everything fell silent before the silence was covered by the bustling noise again.
“Boss isn’t here.” After a long while, an unfriendly voice sounded behind him. The burly man eyed him. “What are you standing there for? Blocking the way?”
The scholar froze but quickly laughed at himself. “Then I shall return another day.” He put his hands together and turned to leave.
“Crazy.” Holding a bucket of beer, Seton eyed the man as he left and looked away. But when he entered the shop, he felt there was something wrong with what he was standing on. Looking down, he realized that the mat had been ripped to shreds of cotton. The tatters of cotton and yarn had been forced into the cement as if they had grown there and seemed abnormally strange.
Seton squatted and grabbed a handful. He ended up pulling up two blocks of cement.
“You *sshole, when did you piss off Easterners again?” Seton pushed the door open and glared at the counter. Behind it, Hermes sat amongst a pile of beer bottles. He was drunk with dazed eyes, but Seton’s expression suddenly went slack.
“What’s wrong?” Hermes looked up at him. “You look like you saw a ghost. I’m still alive, alright. Be happier.”
Seton’s expression was still shocked. After hesitating for a long time, he asked quietly, “You…got taller?”
It had been more than a decade since Seton had been discharged and Hermes gave him his first illegal job. Hermes had always looked like a youth since then.
Seton was sure that Hermes had been like this for who-knew-how-long since before he knew Hermes—and he would continue living like a devil.
But now he suddenly realized that this guy seemed to have gotten taller. It was as if the frozen time had finally started flowing. The childhood years that had lasted forever had finally ended and adolescent years had come.
After measuring, Seton discovered that Hermes had grown around three centimeters and his frame seemed to have grown too. His clothing was slightly unsuitable now.
“You’ve really grown.” Seton asked in confusion, “What’s wrong with you?”
“I’m happy.” Hermes stared at him and then, unexpectedly, did not make any snarky comments. Instead, he just laughed weirdly and drank alcohol as he muttered to himself with a serious tone, “After such a long time, my childhood is finally over. What good news, good news…”
241 Why Not Just Hit Him
The next day at the palace, the doors opened slowly under the heavy ringing of the morning nine o’clock bell. A low-key, but elegant carriage drove out.
All guards before the palace gates lowered onto one knee to welcome the carriage. Before them was a silent giant. The knight was clad in a metallic armor of black steel. Its features were sharp and menacing but the body was thin rather than burly, making it seem abnormally agile.
This was the divine armor passed down through the Round Table Knights. Contrary to other heavy armor, this one was not paired with large weapons such as spears or shields. It only had a sword.
The cross-shaped sword hung at the knight’s waist. Precious stones and diamond pieces were inlaid in the hilt. It looked like a gorgeous and finely made piece of art rather than a killing weapon for the battleground.
The carriage stopped beside it. The knight lowered onto one knee and lowered his head politely. The sound of metal grating was like weak thunder.
“Greetings to Your Majesties from Galahad.” The voice that came from the armor sounded like a young girl’s but it was not gentle or sweet; instead, the voice had indescribable awe-inspiring seriousness.
After a long pause, Mary’s greeting sounded in the carriage. “Long time no see, Christine.”
“Long time no see, Your Majesty,” the knight known as Christine replied stiffly. “Please call me Galahad here. ‘Christine’ is too soft of a name for a knight.”
“Ever since you put this armor on, you’ve become…” Mary’s voice paused in the carriage as it became troubled and lost. “Never mind. Who isn’t like this?”
“In my humble opinion, Your Majesty is still as before,” Christine replied gravely. “Even if I’ve inherited the position of Galahad, I am still captain of your guard.”
After a long silence, Mary seemed to chuckle. “It seems that I’m the one who overthought. It’s getting late, my captain of guard. Escort my brother and I to the Musician’s Union.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Galahad stepped back, mounted her horse, and rode forward.
The guards in the back hoisted the ceremonial euphorbia, pulled the ropes and steered the carriage behind the steel knight as they marched forward. Ever since the queen went into reclusion, the royal family fell into silence. Now, the royal procession once again appeared in the city and it did not represent anything simple.
All was silent in the carriage’s path. The citizens all bowed and did not begin discussing quietly until the carriage had gone. Some with foresight saw the emblem of the second queen on the carriage and understood the queen’s decision. In the end, the carriage stopped before the Musician’s Union building on Queen’s Avenue.
Mary, clad in a formal dress, descended from the carriage with the help of a servant and reached toward the carriage. “James, stop hiding and come here.”
Soon, a frail figure covered from head to toe in white grasped her hand. Unwilling to come out, he lifted his mask and whispered in her ear.
“Bear with it. It’ll be over soon.” Grasping his hand, Mary’s voice was gentle. “I’ll go with you later, alright?”
The white-clad figure held her hand and wanted to say something, but seeing the eyes that looked like his mother’s, he lowered his head obediently.
“Welcome, Your Majesties.” Bayer walked forward and took off his hat in greeting. He was completely polite.
Mary nodded slightly. “Thank you for the welcome by the Musician’s Union. My brother has caught a cold and cannot speak. Please understand.”
Feeling the dangerous coldness, Bayer smiled wryly. He still uttered a well-formulated response, “Of course. We’ve prepared a resting room for Your Majesties. Please follow me.”
“Thank you.” Mary held the crown prince’s hand and followed behind Bayer. After two steps, she still did not hear the clanking behind her. The steel knight Galahad was still in her original spot. Rather than following, she stared at the distant crowd as if spacing out.
“Christine, what’s wrong?”
The knight quickly turned around. After a few seconds delay, she replied, “Nothing, Your Majesty. There is no problem.”
She caught up amidst the clanking sounds and stood beside the royalty with her sword. Before stepping through the door, she looked back to the crowd subconsciously. There, the white-haired youth disappeared like an illusion.
-
Curious scholars had filled the large hall of the Musician’s Union. There were not many musicians who were dedicated to theories, and there were even fewer who had become famous.
Now, those who had hurried to Anglo were practically all from the School of Revelations. The seventy-some people were all acquaintances and waved to each other in the hall. Most had white hair already; the youngest were over thirty-years-old.
“Ah, if someone bombed this building, it would be horrible! The ancient word of academia would be pushed back four-hundred years! It sounds exciting!” This came from Charles. It was a serious time, but he still could not help but spout nonsense. Beside him, the expressionless Ye Qingxuan sneakily kicked him. Bai Xi hated these serious events so she did not enter the building. She stayed outside with Old Phil and wa
ited for them to finish.
Ye Qingxuan, Charles, and Abraham sat in the corner, seemingly insignificant. No one recognized them, so while the scholars were discussing quietly, it never occurred to them that the stars were right beside them.
Ye Qingxuan had never expected that the arguments outside would be this interesting.
“Mr. Lennon, you are too naïve. Academia is a serious theory. Someone who has not been taught properly cannot easily make a breakthrough. Mr. Ingmar is orthodox and is a famous figure in the academic world. It’s logical that he can create such results. You can’t jump out, say that he plagiarized, and take the results for yourself.”
“The orthodoxy has been helpless against the Voynich Manuscript for centuries. All the grandmasters were unable to do anything, even grandmaster Miss Lola, but Ingmar can?”
“At least he’s more reliable than some quickly-produced musician!”
“I heard that he’d only been educated for three months! He probably didn’t even have times to learn all the runes!”
“Yeah, those rookie folk musicians just love public attention. Like some alchemy powder that turns water to oil, or that perpetual motor, aren’t they all just jokes made by those ‘folk musicians’?”
The crowd laughed quietly. It was obvious that the term ‘folk musicians’ accurately described what the amateur civilian musicians were like.
Ye Qingxuan had good hearing and could hear the voices clearly from dozens of meters away. He maintained his poker face but Charles’s expression grew worried.
“It seems like Professor’s situation isn’t good.” He sighed quietly.
Ye Qingxuan nodded. This was Abraham’s biggest weakness—he had no reputation in the academic world and was not even a Revelations musician. The academic world was isolated and everyone knew each other. Compared to the familiar and well-known Ingmar, it was difficult to trust Abraham.
The situation looked bleak but Abraham did not seem worried. Instead, he was calm and composed, and expressionless as always—this was how he was. At least being “slow” was a positive trait here.