Chapter 16: The Letter

Ryan shook his head:

"That letter only had two sentences, and the content was very simple. It looked like someone trapped in a predicament asking us for help."

"Didn't it say what the predicament was?" Lu Mian breathed a sigh of relief inwardly.

Whether it was the letters Aurora wrote to her pen pals or the mail her pen pals sent back, it was impossible for them to be only two sentences long.

"No." Ryan sighed lightly.

You came just because of a help letter that said nothing? Aren't you afraid it's just a prank? Even the people from the Inquisition aren't as active as you. Isn't this too kind, too good, and too full of a sense of mission? Lu Mian mocked in his heart.

According to his habit, he should have said these words directly, but considering he still needed to get information from the other party, he couldn't anger them and interrupt the conversation, so he forcibly held back.

However, Lu Mian also knew Ryan wouldn't tell him the whole situation. They must have had other considerations or reasons for coming to Cordu Village for a help letter that didn't explain anything clearly.

"Uh..." Lu Mian touched his chin, holding the attitude that trying wouldn't hurt, and suggested, "How about showing me that letter? Maybe I can tell who wrote it from the handwriting."

Valentine, with his powdered hair, showed an expression of "do you think we are fools?"

Lyra smiled:

"You can identify handwriting?"

"Barely." Lu Mian said sincerely.

He then added in his heart:

Being able to identify Aurora's and my own handwriting also counts as being able to identify it.

"It's useless." Ryan shook his head again, "Every word in that letter came from the small blue book, and the whole sentence was pieced together from strips of paper cut from it."

Very cautious... Why does this method sound familiar? Have I listened to too many of Aurora's stories?... Since it's a request for help, why hide one's identity in such a way? Afraid the help letter would be intercepted and face retaliation? Or is there a problem with the person themselves, and they don't want to be exposed to others' sight? Lu Mian tried to analyze the writer's state of mind.

He deliberately showed an expression of sudden realization:

"Most families in the village have a small blue book. You chat with people, trying to confirm through them if their small blue book has similar damage?

"But that person could completely buy a new small blue book without anyone knowing and throw it away after using it."

"This is just one direction." Ryan said peacefully.

"There are other directions?" Lu Mian didn't treat himself as an outsider at all.

Ryan thought for a moment and said:

"Since there is a request for help, there must be harm. Something must be happening, and this will definitely leave traces."

"Makes a lot of sense." Lu Mian showed a look of difficulty for Ryan and the others, as if he had felt it himself.

He promised solemnly:

"My cabbages, I will keep an eye out for you. I hope to find clues."

"Thank you." Ryan responded politely.

And Lyra had already adjusted her state of mind and probed:

"Since we are friends, I have a question I'd like to ask you."

"You're welcome." Lu Mian signaled with a smile.

"When you call us cabbages, why do those villagers in the tavern laugh?" Lyra was quite curious about this.

Although this form of address was shameful, it was said to be a local slang, so logically, it shouldn't make people laugh.

Lu Mian answered sincerely:

"Cabbage in slang means little cutie or baby. My cabbage or little cabbage is mainly used in two situations: first, between intimate friends, and second, from elders to juniors. My rabbit, my little chicken, these are about the same."

He emphasized the word "intimate."

Immediately after, he added innocently:

"I just hoped we would become intimate friends at the time."

He looked like he was very pure and didn't understand what hidden meaning this "intimate" had.

I think you want to be our elder... Lyra finally understood why those villagers laughed.

Although Lu Mian's explanation just now wasn't necessarily true, it at least convinced her logically.

Ryan followed up with a nod:

"Is there anything else?"

"No." Lu Mian didn't want to appear too active, lest the other party think there was something wrong and investigate him and Aurora.

Sister couldn't withstand an investigation!

After watching Lyra and the others walk away amidst the tinkling bells, Lu Mian sat at the entrance of the old tavern, waiting for the lady with the mysterious origin and unknown purpose to wake up.

After a while, his partner Raymond Craig came over.

"Lu Mian, have you decided which legend to investigate next?" Raymond asked as soon as they met.

For the past two days, he had been more active than Lu Mian in this matter. After all, he didn't have that strange dream and didn't have another way to obtain treasure.

"Not yet." That owl had already come to his door. Before confirming the situation, Lu Mian didn't dare to investigate the truth of the legends.

He casually found an excuse:

"It's Lent in a few days. Let's consider it after the festival."

"Hmm." Raymond felt it made a lot of sense, "So, I don't have to be a 'green-watcher' for the time being. I'll go after Lent. Even if someone grazes these few days, it won't cause too much damage."

"In other words, you don't have to leave the village for the next few days?" Lu Mian asked back.

Seeing Raymond nod, he said with a smile:

"What a coincidence. I can't leave the village for the next few days either."

"Why?" Raymond asked suspiciously.

Lu Mian lowered his voice, looking serious:

"This morning, I encountered that owl, the one from the wizard legend. It said that if it weren't for the church in the village and God's gaze, it would immediately take my soul and cast it into the abyss..."

Raymond listened, both shocked and afraid.

He trembled all over:

"Really?

"I said we shouldn't provoke such evil creatures..."

Muttering to here, he suddenly saw a smile on Lu Mian's face.

"..." Raymond then remembered his good friend's nature.

"You're playing a prank again, lying to me?" He was both angry and anxious.

What he was angry about was himself—clearly knowing what kind of person Lu Mian was, clearly having been lied to many times, why did he still fall for it?

"You believe such an outrageous thing?" Lu Mian laughed "hehe."

This sentence is the one lying to you, so you don't go to the church to confess under pressure... He added silently in his heart.

"Phew..." Raymond relaxed.

Lu Mian then exhorted:

"Although the story just now was made up by me, it's also to tell you that investigating the truth of the legends might have certain dangers. Try not to leave the village or the protection of the church if you can."

After finishing, he muttered silently:

This is the truth. The story just now was indeed mostly made up, only a small part was true... If it weren't for needing help with many things later, I wouldn't remind you. Changing Aurora's exhortation into another way to tell you—whether others die or not has nothing to do with me...

Raymond thought of the fear from just a moment ago and nodded quite understandingly:

"Okay!"

He stopped talking about those legends and asked instead:

"When choosing the Spring Elf, who will you vote for?"

The Spring Elf is the protagonist of various celebrations during Lent and a symbol of spring. In the Dalie region, it is usually voted on by the whole village to choose a beautiful, unmarried girl to play the role.

"Ava, I guess." Lu Mian answered indifferently, "Hasn't she always wanted to be the Spring Elf once?"

"I'll vote for her too." Raymond breathed a sigh of relief inwardly.

Yesterday, Ava hinted to him to vote for her, so he felt it necessary to help her and help her get more votes.

…………

Outside a house not far from the old tavern.

Ryan, Lyra, and Valentine weren't in a hurry to find people to "chat" with.

"Is it really okay to tell that guy so much just now?" Valentine raised his hand to cover his mouth and nose.

The air here was filled with the faint smell of poultry feces.

Lyra fiddled with a silver bell on top of her head: "Whether there's a problem, I don't know. I can only confirm one point: my divination results tell me he is one of the useful helpers."

"In a situation where the deadlock can't be opened, appropriately leaking some news and letting relevant people act on their own due to fear is a very effective investigation method." Ryan explained his intention, "Next, we will observe him more to see what he does or who he looks for."

…………

After Raymond left, Lu Mian entered the old tavern and saw that the lady who gave him the Tarot card had appeared in her old spot again.

Today, she was wearing a white lady's shirt, paired with light-colored trousers with loose legs, and a round straw hat tied with a few small yellow flowers was placed beside her hand.

She has so many clothes in her suitcase, changing every day, unlike Lyra and the others who are so shabby... Lu Mian sighed while moving closer and sitting opposite her.

During this process, he casually glanced at the other party's breakfast:

A plump meat pie with thin sauce inside;

A few pieces of butter cookies;

Seasonal fruits cut into pieces;

A glass of light-colored transparent drink with some impurities.

These aren't things the old tavern can provide... Lu Mian pointed at the drink and asked familiarly:

"What is this? It doesn't look like alcohol."

"'Venus Holy Oil' special drink." The lady answered casually, "Made with sugar and vanilla-infused cinnamon water mixed with poppy flowers. It was invented by a tavern in Trier."

The word "Venus" came from Emperor Roselle, who mentioned in a story that she was a woman comparable to the goddess of beauty.

"Where did you get it? Did you mix it yourself?" Lu Mian doubted that even the nearest city, Dalie, could provide something similar.

The lady smiled:

"As a traveler, obtaining suitable things at the right time is a professional instinct."

"Don't understand." Lu Mian was very honest.

He turned to say:

"I solved that monster from before. This time, I encountered two more dangerous ones..."

He described the monster with three faces and the monster carrying a hunting rifle separately, and finally said:

"I feel they both have power that surpasses normal humans, not something I can deal with. Is there any way to handle them?"

The lady took a bite of a butter cookie, her eyes turned slightly, and she said with a smile:

"I dare not say about the three-faced monster, but for the one carrying the hunting rifle, you can completely solve it independently, as long as you make good use of your own specialness."

"My own specialness... What special place do I have?" Lu Mian was both surprised and bewildered.

I don't even know it myself!

The lady looked at him with a smile and said:

"That is your dream, after all. As the owner of the dream, you naturally have special treatment, only you haven't discovered it yet."

PS: Thanks to Chu Zhaolan and shalimarrrr for the Silver Alliance donation.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 17 =====