Chapter 15: Prying

That owl?

That owl from the wizard legend?

Thoughts flashed through Lu Mian's mind like lightning, and his blood seemed to freeze in an instant.

At this moment, he was even more terrified than when he saw the monster with three faces.

After all, this was reality, and the ruins were a dream.

Even if one died in the dream, reality would follow, but psychologically, there was still a layer of separation.

"What should I do?

"Will it implicate Aurora?

"..."

While Lu Mian was trying hard to think of countermeasures, the owl didn't make any other moves, quietly watching him as if conducting some kind of scrutiny.

After a few seconds, the owl spread its wings and flew up, heading toward the distant mountains and forests.

On the way, it glided downward and disappeared somewhere in Cordu Village.

Not until he could no longer see the owl did Lu Mian recover.

He sat down on the chair and raised his hand to touch his forehead.

It was drenched in sweat.

"Is it really that owl from the wizard legend?

"Has it really lived for so many years?

"Anyway, it's not quite the same as other owls; its eyes aren't dull, more like a human's...

"If it really is that owl, why would it fly outside my window? Just because I wanted to investigate that wizard legend? But we've already given up...

"It looked at me for a few seconds and then left...

"I don't know if it will come again, or if it will affect Aurora..."

Because nothing had happened for the time being, Lu Mian originally wanted to observe for a few more days, but considering it might implicate Aurora, he felt he couldn't hide it from his sister.

Leaving the room, seeing that Aurora hadn't woken up yet, he went downstairs and prepared breakfast, all of which were things his sister loved to eat:

Soft-boiled fried eggs, sugar-frosted pancakes, plain toast with jam...

I have to make noodles later; this time with meat sauce... Lu Mian saw that the compartment for noodles was empty and decided to refill it in the next two days.

This was Aurora's favorite staple food.

When Aurora walked down the stairs in her nightgown, rubbing her golden hair, the food was already set on the kitchen table.

"Morning." She covered her mouth and yawned.

Lu Mian smiled:

"It's not early.

"Didn't you often say that a day's plan should start from the morning?"

"Yeah, my plan is to sleep." Aurora sat down and ate breakfast with milk.

Lu Mian sat opposite her at the six-person table, chewing on a pancake while saying casually:

"I've been investigating the truth of those legends in the village these past few days."

"Why?" Aurora asked.

Lu Mian was very frank:

"Since you won't agree to help me obtain supernatural powers, I thought I'd rely on my own efforts. There might be clues hidden in those legends."

"Almost impossible." Aurora commented casually, "Those legends have either been adapted over several generations and are long unrecognizable, or they were recorded by someone having hallucinations; they are meaningless. Well, it could also be someone making up a story as an excuse, heh, and then there's the contribution of a 'fun-seeker' like you."

"What?" Lu Mian didn't understand what Aurora meant by "fun-seeker."

This wasn't even Intis.

"The full term is prank lover." Aurora explained simply, then frowned, "You're suddenly telling me this—did you get into trouble and know to come home to seek help from your sister?"

"It counts as an accident, but it hasn't reached the level of trouble." Lu Mian said righteously.

He organized his language and said:

"My first target is that wizard legend."

"What wizard legend?" Aurora looked puzzled.

"You haven't heard of it?" Lu Mian was quite surprised, "It's that a long time ago, someone in the village suddenly died. When he was being buried, an owl flew over and perched on his headboard until the corpse was lifted, at which point it flew away. Afterward, the corpse became very heavy, and it took nine cows to pull the coffin. Only then did the villagers know that the person was a wizard in his lifetime."

Aurora listened carefully:

"I really didn't notice such a legend before."

Not scientific... Lu Mian found it hard to believe.

Although Aurora stayed at home most of the time, she still went out a few days every month to chat with old ladies like Naroka and tell stories to the children. She was very knowledgeable about all kinds of rumors in Cordu Village. How could she not have heard of this wizard legend that many people knew about?

Moreover, their house was built on the wizard's original home!

Lu Mian had previously suspected that the reason Aurora chose to settle in Cordu Village was to get the wizard's treasure and successfully obtain supernatural powers based on it.

"And then?" Aurora asked calmly.

Lu Mian answered truthfully:

"We asked the old people in the village and confirmed that this really happened, but it's been decades, and the wizard's house was burned down by the church. The land is the one you bought."

"Is that so?" Aurora was clearly a bit surprised, "I was just saying, the price they sold me this land for was cheaper than normal, so there must be a problem... I thought it was because I was sweet-talked and knew how to coax the old ladies..."

She thought for a moment and said:

"The wizard's corpse was burned by the church?"

"Yes, the ashes are buried in the cemetery next to the church." Lu Mian nodded.

He continued:

"Because all the clues were broken, we gave up on this matter. Who knew that when I woke up this morning, I saw an owl outside the window, very similar to the one in the legend."

"Are you sure?" Aurora became a bit solemn.

"Not quite sure, but it really is different from ordinary owls." Lu Mian gave an answer from an objective perspective.

Aurora pondered for a while and said slowly:

"During this time, don't leave the village, and definitely don't leave the house after dark until I investigate the situation clearly."

Speaking of this, she laughed with annoyance:

"I told you, pursuing supernatural power is a very dangerous thing. Look, trouble has come!

"Fortunately, for now, it seems the other party has no malice, and the problem should be solvable."

You have precautions, so I'm relieved... Lu Mian lowered his head and said decisively:

"Sister, I was wrong."

He then changed the subject:

"Do your pen pals have any replies?"

"How could it be that fast? It's not electricity, uh, mail!" Aurora said "heh."

Doesn't mail mean letters and parcels sent through the post office? Lu Mian didn't quite understand.

He didn't care too much, as Aurora often came up with strange words.

…………

At the entrance of the old tavern.

Lu Mian stood there and looked.

He knew the lady who gave him the Tarot card probably hadn't woken up yet. This time, he was looking for the three outsiders: Ryan, Lyra, and Valentine.

As Lu Mian expected, the three outsiders were occupying a table in the tavern, eating breakfast.

Trout rolls, wine, mayonnaise bread... eating quite well... Lu Mian observed for a few seconds, exited the old tavern, and didn't disturb Lyra and the others.

After a while, Ryan and the others walked out, preparing to continue strolling in Cordu Village and "chatting" with people.

Lu Mian greeted them, spreading his arms with a bright smile:

"Good morning, my cabbages."

He saw the cold Valentine's facial muscles twitch, while Ryan and Lyra looked slightly embarrassed and amused, respectively.

Uh, they are wearing exactly the same clothes as the past few days... Traveling away from home, didn't bring many changes of clothes? Lu Mian noticed that Lyra was still wearing the unpleated wool tight skirt, white small jacket, and Marsil boots, with two small silver bells on the veil acting as a hat and on the boots. Ryan was still in that brown tweed jacket and light yellow trousers, with a simple dark round hat on his head.

Similarly, Valentine still had powdered hair and makeup on his face.

"Good morning, Lu Mian. Is there something?" Ryan asked calmly.

"You are my friends; can't I come to visit you even if there's nothing?" Lu Mian looked aggrieved.

He turned to ask:

"I've seen you chatting with people in the village these past few days. Are you trying to ask about something?

"You can come to me, my cabbages. I'm your friend; you can ask me anything!"

"We can't believe your answers." Valentine couldn't help but speak up.

Ryan turned his head to look at him, signaling him to calm down.

Lu Mian smiled:

"Then can you completely believe other people's answers?"

Lyra was momentarily speechless. Ryan thought for a moment and said:

"Actually, we can't completely believe them either. We will make comprehensive judgments based on different people's answers and the situations we observe ourselves."

"Exactly." Lu Mian spread his hands, "Then listening to my answer isn't a bad thing; at least it's a reference."

Ryan was silent for a moment, instinctively looking left and right.

In the early morning Cordu Village, there were many people going to the farmland, but almost none near the old tavern.

"It's like this." Ryan weighed his words, "We came here to find someone."

"The parish priest?" Lu Mian asked back with a smile.

Ryan shook his head:

"No.

"We visited the parish priest to find that person."

"Who?" Lu Mian showed an interested expression, "I know everyone in the village; I should be able to help."

Ryan wasn't happy because of this:

"In fact, we don't know who that person is, how old they are, or what they look like.

"Some time ago, we received a letter. It came from Cordu Village, unsigned. We now want to find the person who wrote the letter."

An informant? A thought flashed through Lu Mian's mind subconsciously.

He pretended to be puzzled:

"After you came to the village because of that letter, that person didn't look for you?"

"No." Lyra helped Ryan answer.

"Maybe they still lack a bit of security and don't trust you yet?" Lu Mian helped guess very enthusiastically, "Can't you judge based on the content of the letter?"

What he wanted to know more was what the letter said.

If it was targeting the parish priest and his gang, he would be happy to see it. But if it involved Aurora, he had to urge his sister to move quickly. After all, Aurora often corresponded with "pen pals." If one of her "pen pals" was caught, she might be implicated, and the clues would be those letters.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 16 =====