A Sorcerer's Journey - Chapter 138

Chapter 138: Harmonious Culture

Two days later.

Peranos and Grimm flew away from the balloon airship. In the distance beneath them on the level ground was a crescent-shaped gleaming crystalline lake flowing with placid water, resembling a mother in the middle of nurturing new life.

“So bustling but also… so tranquil and peaceful?” Grimm was truly somewhat stunned.

On one side of the moonlake was a city that was like a resplendent pearl. There was an endless stream of bird caravans going back and forth. Birds rose and fell, amassing and also scattering, repeatedly towing and carrying merchandise on them and transporting them to their destinations.

It could also be assumed that the goods being shuttled by these birds were luxury goods that were unable to be preserved for a long time.

At the heart of this city, there was an imposing and prestigious structure of similar height to the Black Isotta tower. However, the peak of this structure wasn’t a spire but rather a huge cylindrical terrace with a line of a hundred moving human shadows. More than ten racks were anchored at this structure, the balloon airships all around busily transporting guests. These guests were, for the most part, all ordinary students, merchants, even some knights, sometimes also an adventurer, and scholarly people.

A little while later, a balloon airship full to capacity departed at the same time a new balloon airship from far away flew over.

It seemed that balloon airships at the Seven Ring Holy Tower had already been made into a means of transportation for commoners in the central area of activity.

Not only was the architecture developed for commercial exchange, but there was also a very large difference in culture and building composition between this city and regional academies.

The city here didn’t have tall city walls nor lookout towers. There were only castles, estates, and pure-white marble buildings crowded together, scattering out in all directions from the heart of the city. On the streets at any time, students dressed in magic robes could be seen. The sorcerers here apparently mixed together harmoniously with the commoners, an absence of a social class hierarchy.

Reaching a winding small river bank, Peranos and Grimm landed at a slice of bluestone neatly spread on the ground.

Several waterbirds in the middle of the brook were frolicking. A breeze blew past, setting rise to ripples in the water, making Peranos and Grimm unable to help but to slightly close their eyes as their robes rustled in the wind. They enjoying the refreshing breeze in the tranquillity of this single moment which belonged to this human region—the harmonious beauty of the sorcerer civilization.

“Every time I come here, my mood becomes a lot better,” Peranos unexpectedly said to Grimm.

Grimm nodded and quietly replied, “The surroundings here are beautiful. It has an auspicious and peaceful ambiance. Elegant as well as refined. It’s truly much more relaxed and harmonious compared to district academies. It suits arcane sorcerers leisurely investigating true knowledge.”

To the side, several commoners passing by respectfully nodded their heads toward Peranos and Grimm before leaving soon afterward. Several children who had been playing about, still attired in open-split pants, were staring over with large eyes. Looking at Grimm and Peranos in curiosity, there wasn’t even the slightest hint of the children being intimidated by Peranos’s frightening appearance.

It really was a lot more beautifully harmonious and open-minded here compared to district academies.

Somewhat less cruel, violent, and war-like. Somewhat more steady, generous, and peaceful.

“Let’s go. I haven’t seen that old guy in several decades. I don’t know what he’s been studying recently. This time… heheheheh… I must give him a ‘nice surprise.’ A very big nice surprise!” Peranos said this with a wicked, evil laughter. After covering his face with a layer of black mist, he walked ahead and led Grimm toward the flourishing city’s center.

On the road, Grimm was dazzled. It was a feast for the eyes, seeing so many wonderful merchandises.

Enchanted lanterns, souvenir photo crystal balls, invigorating body cleansing powder, and even some simple sorcerer medicaments. Sorcerer gourmet food has already become common merchandise here. In some stores were neatly arranged bright enchanted stones tagged with prices.

Inside a pet store, several copy-tongue parrots with brightly colored plumage were set up at the most conspicuous position. Additionally, the interior had all sorts of strange and bewildering small creatures, becoming a first date location for many boys and girls.

Midnight romantic bar. Young ladies successfully dressing as rabbit girls and cat girls, posing in every kind of adorable ways and even using some simple sorcerer stage props to enhance the ambiance. A brazen snake girl even faced Grimm and blew bubbles.

What’s more…

Grimm even discovered a shop that sold Love Vials. However, in addition to the Love Vial perfume inside the store currently, there were also many other kinds of perfumes and colognes scattered around. All with names that were strange and brimming with an air of romantic tenderness.

Atop a large outdoor stage was a play with some plot from a fictional biography and a large ground of men and women gave excited applause while encircling it. Some of them were even students attired in sorcerer robes and knights with large swords at their backs. Everyone was already completely engrossed in the plot of the stage play and could not tear themselves away.

Within a towering and awe-inspiring huge building, knights came and went. Students and even formal sorcerers each and every mission scroll hanging high on top of the wall, now and then discussing something in twos and threes…

Apparently, commoners can realize their desires if they spent magic stones, easily being able to hire certain students or even formal sorcerers to come and complete their task.

Within the whole city, sorcerer culture together with civilian life was already perfectly integrated, harmonious and easy.

“Grimm, when we arrive at where that old guy is, you must not, by all means, mention your Eldest Apprentice-Sister’s matters. Heh heh…” Peranos abruptly snickered after saying these words.

Startled for a moment, Grimm somewhat absentmindedly nodded and mumbled in agreement, “Understood.”

Grimm internally surmised the most likely something between Master Peranos and that “old friend” involved Eldest Apprentice-Sister and Master took up a lot of small advantages.

He could tell from that evil laughter…

A spotlessly white marble castle about seven-to-eight meters tall appeared before Grimm’s eyes. In front of the castle’s courtyard was a rolling, adventitiously verdant lawn. Bright and beautiful warm sunlight spilled down over it, once in awhile having one or two butterflies chasing each other around. The castle didn’t have a thick perimeter wall surrounding it so as to hide it from view. It merely had a parterre filled with flowers to provide a fence for people to pass by and admire, displaying the high-level of common honor and openness of the human affairs here.

Peranos brought Grimm in front of a big iron fence gate. He took out a crystal ball and let magic circulate.

A moment later, an ugly face that also resembled a sutured ball appeared atop the crystal ball!

“Hello, Junior Apprentice-Brother. Your senior brother came to see you, why don’t you come down and open the door.” As Grimm’s jaw dropped to the floor in astonishment, Peranos straightforwardly said these words.

Uh…

Teacher’s so-called friend is actually his junior brother?

The other ugly face inside the crystal ball stared blankly, when there suddenly was a “squelching” sound behind him. Apparently, something fell and broke. At the same time, a youthful little girl’s mischievous laughter was transmitted.

“Oh damn it! Barbara, can you give me a moment of peace. Don’t mess with me at this time.” It seemed the sharp noise woke him from his stunned state, as the old sorcerer inside the crystal ball turned behind him to shout. Afterward, he turned around and faced Peranos and fumed, yelling, “Old Three Per, don’t you be so pleased with yourself! Those plane fish will be won and come back to me sooner or later! You bandit and swindler!”

Grimm’s complexion was black. It seemed that the matters between his master and his junior brother ran a little deep.

“Heh heh! Little Junior Brother, you say this to your senior brother. Your senior brother is very broken-hearted, ah. Recounting that time we established a bet, you also agreed. Why do you now say I snatched up your plane fish? Your words not only deeply hurt me, but Garnigel would also grieve, ah.” Peranos’s current manner of speaking was simply extremely “self-deprecating.”

“Oh! Bastard, don’t mention that vile black cat with me! You both are swindlers—both are cheats—nothing good about you!” The old sorcerer over the crystal ball was practically jumping up and down, pointing at Peranos and snarling.

*Pop…*

The crystal ball shut off.

Peranos turned around just in time to catch sight of Grimm’s dumbstruck look himself. Unexpectedly, he burst out into dark, deep and evil chuckles, then he went to Grimm’s side and said, “You stand over there.”

Eh?

Grimm didn’t dare disobey his academic advisor’s command, walking to the place Peranos indicated. Subsequently, Peranos used some unknown spell of some sort and Grimm actually began to gradually shrink. Several breaths later, he stood on the bluestone floor stunned, having turned into a small person only as tall as the little finger.

However, contrary to what one would expect, Grimm was not alarmed at all.

This spell appeared to be some kind of deep application of spatial force. It seemed that Grimm was in a type of “half-sealed” state at this very moment.

Peranos stooped to take Grimm into a hand, withdrawing and putting him within his sleeve. Then waited in the original place like this.

A moment later.

After the castle’s wooden entrance slowly opened with a “creaking” sound, an old sorcerer attired in a white robe with a magic staff passed through the lawn and came over. The sewn together skin on his face was simply a carbon copy of Peranos. After waiting for this sorcerer to open the gate of the iron fence, Peranos entered the courtyard filled with excitement.

“Haha. Junior Brother, ah, I haven’t seen inside your estate for several decades and these seven-flavored fruit trees have flourished a lot,” Peranos abruptly said.

The white-robed sorcerer snorted, glaring at Peranos. “You don’t even think about it.”

Having said that, this white-robed old sorcerer belligerently took Peranos and walked toward the castle interior. However, Peranos nevertheless smilingly said, “Hey? Oh, that’s right. Didn’t you find a disciple sixty years ago? Why don’t I see that person this time?”

“What do you want?” the white-robed sorcerer was on guard as he glanced at Peranos.

That expression was practically the careful appearance of a helpless beauty guarding against a lecher’s peeping.

Peranos wrinkled his brows while shaking his head. He sighed, “Hey… Junior Brother, why are you like this? What can I still do as a senior brother? Only seeing you once again accepted a disciple that also appeared to have extremely good talent. I wanted to give a gift sixty years ago to congratulate you on finally winning our bet. As a matter of fact, it just so happens I already tasted plane fish and should return them to you…”

Peranos’s manner of speech resembled that of a feeble, old sorcerer who was extremely misunderstood by others in life.

The white-robed sorcerer gaped and pointed at Peranos skeptically for a long time. Stunned, he said, “Then you still don’t…”

“You see. You see. You see!” Peranos pointed at his hateful junior brother’s good-for-nothing expression and said to the white-robed sorcerer. “You are going to make Senior Brother directly return it to you with empty hands? Is that it? Of course, I’ll give! You, Junior Brother, need me to give those plane fish that were originally yours right? Of course, it’s unnecessary…”

Inside of Peranos’s the sleeve, Grimm almost laughed out loud. He used all his strength to cover his own mouth.

The white-robed sorcerer gritted his teeth. His eyelid twitched up. “That’s your idea…”

Peranos’s expression was solemn. “I agreed to that contract. It’s still the agreement from last time comparing my disciple and your disciple in a fight. I can return the plane fish to you as it should be by rights?”

“Contract! This is another setup! I’ll let you know…”

The white-robed looked like he was going to hop in place, however, Peranos stopped him. He furrowed his brows and scowled, saying with a deep and low voice, “My disciple gathered right before your eyes. You don’t have confidence in your disciple on this point?”

Varro?!

The white-robed sorcerer recalled something. His eyes shone and his spirit shook!

The white-robed sorcerer looked at Peranos in astonishment. He probably knew about Varro’s point of interest. Wanting to fight with his own disciple was a dream… This was practically given to him for free!

Haha!

The white-robed sorcerer relinquished his heart. Inside his head he was secretly smiling happily, glancing at the warm-hearted Peranos beside him. Looking please at Peranos, he asked, “Third Senior Brother, I didn’t expect these years change your temperament a lot?”

In a split second, the way he addressed Peranos had actually converted to Third Senior Brother.

Peranos lost his smile in embarrassment, unable to respond, actually having an appearance of being misunderstood by people for many years. He gave a single despairing sigh.

That expression simply was more well done than Grimm’s disguise technique.

A short period of time later, an equal contract was signed and complete. The stake from the white-robed sorcerer were those seven-flavored fruit trees while Peranos’s was twenty-seven plane fish. Subsequently, both parties’ faces secretly showed excited smiles underneath their wide robes, quietly letting out a breath in relief.