Chapter 710: Stories and Time

"It really was three seconds, not a second off."

When Xia De walked out from the white fog door, Miss Galina's voice immediately entered his ears.

Compared to when he left, nothing had changed here; the witch still maintained a smiling face, and Tifa was still watching him. Even Mia's pitiful eyes hadn't changed; this cat had likely not blinked at all in these three seconds.

"What did you gain this time? Xia De, I am looking forward to the stories you bring."

Miss Galina asked while holding a teacup; this was early morning tea, used by noble ladies to refresh themselves before breakfast.

"Before breakfast, can I ask one thing first?"

Xia De first hugged the cat that ran over, then asked hesitantly.

"Ask."

He stood at the door:

"Regarding Saint Byrons, have you heard of the connection between the library of Saint Byrons Comprehensive Academy and the ancient god 【Gray-Robed Sage】?

I have already learned from the librarian that the underlying ritual framework of the library was provided by the believers of that god. In addition, my friend in Coldwater Port also told me that after the 【Gray-Robed Sage】 departed, his believers continued to work for Saint Byrons, and after the sect collapsed in the Sixth Era, they even directly became a part of Saint Byrons."

But judging from this experience, the help that god gave to the library was definitely not just the underlying ritual framework. Otherwise, it wouldn't be worth Xia De bringing stories to this world again.

"Yes, do you want to know something more interesting?"

The red-haired witch put down her teacup and answered after thinking:

"It seems your experience this time was indeed unexpected. Yes, the connection between that god and Saint Byrons is of course not limited to this. That Miss Dannister will not tell you more about the gods because you only have low rings, and your friend in Coldwater Port probably doesn't know the deepest secret of Saint Byrons."

"What?"

"Relic levels are divided into six tiers: Poet, Document, Secret Keeper, Sage, Angel, and Unknowable. Among them, every Level 0 relic that is contained is the most powerful weapon for a Ringed Shushi organization, just like the 【Diesel Sword】 that appeared on the Night of God's Descent, which can temporarily limit the range of a god's activities."

"Are you trying to say..."

"The specific number of Level 0 relics contained by the Five God Sects and the three major miracle academies has always been a mystery, but the council happens to know that Saint Byrons possesses a Level 0 relic related to the ancient god 【Gray-Robed Sage】."

"It's the pipe!"

Xia De's eyes widened, but Miss Galina shook her head hesitantly:

"Why would you think so? Is the pipe related to the library? Excessive smoking will only make the head muddled."

Xia De really hoped he could tell this sentence to Priest Ao Gu Si.

A knock on the door sounded, and Tifa walked quickly toward the door; it was the maid coming to notify the masters of the manor that breakfast was ready.

Miss Galina stood up, and Xia De said again:

"Gray pointed hat? No, no, it should be, a wooden long staff."

The witch nodded:

"Yes, Level 0 relic, 【Old Sage's Staff】."

Until sitting at the dining table and starting to eat under the service of the maid, Xia De was still somewhat mentally dazed.

One wish, plus one of his stories, brought a Level 0 relic that had been passed down for thousands of years to Saint Byrons. The feeling of influencing history and time itself had never been so abrupt and realistic, and the voice in his ear only reminded him when Xia De's thinking was nearing its end:

【So, do you regret being so generous half an hour ago now?】

"Of course not... um... if I had known this result in advance, I would of course have hesitated, but regret is not the word."

He looked at the bacon in front of him; it was said to be transported from Miss Galina's territory, and one meal was worth a month's feeding cost for Little Mia.

"Just sighing that a relic is a relic after all, but those people have long since gone far away."

"She" ignored Xia De's long sigh in the autumn morning, only leaving behind a pleasant laugh.

And taking advantage of the time for eating, Xia De briefly talked about his experience from a few dozen minutes ago. Miss Galina indeed also thought Xia De's approach was truly "generous":

"Xia De, even if you took a fancy to the witches of the past, you shouldn't have done this; after all, they are all old women who have long since departed. If you really like witches, it's not like there aren't any in our era."

She complained to Xia De, without any hesitation using the very hurtful term "old woman":

"If you could let the council have one more Level 0 relic, I think even the great witches wouldn't mind giving you some..."

Tifa coughed, and the witch had a smile on her face and did not continue.

Unlike the last time when he only needed to prepare daily necessities for the witches, this time Xia De needed to find three items related to the power of the sun in his own era, and those items could not be relics, and their power had to be strong enough.

Yin Luna's "sunlight gun" brooch was certainly enough, and in order not to waste time, Xia De entrusted the Duchess who knew about this matter to help collect the other two. The witch readily agreed, but also warned Xia De that alchemical items or even materials related to the sun were not rare, but items containing the power of the sun were not many:

"You should also look for them through other channels, but since we only need two more, there is no reason we can't find them."

She seemed very optimistic about this matter.

Xia De did not mention the story of the "Sleeping Princess" at the end to Miss Galina, because this matter looked somewhat similar to Xia De telling the story of the "Match Girl" to 【The Innocent Creator】 and the three children. And the mystery corresponding to the "Match Girl" was now almost tied to the thirteen-ring Ringed Shushi "God Caller."

After eating a sumptuous breakfast, Xia De left under the pretext of having something to do.

Today, Tobesk was misty, probably because of the full operation of the steam company in late autumn.

He did not go home, but hugged the full cat and came to "Mary Jane Flower Shop" on Silver Cross Avenue, asking the maid of the little princess Ajielina to pass a request for a meeting to Lei Qianya in the Yodel Palace.

Today was Sunday, and Lei Qianya didn't have much to deal with, so she quickly sent a letter with lily-scented perfume, asking Xia De to wait at the Tobesk Grand Opera House tonight.

So Xia De spent the whole day in Tobesk, and that night, in the large box on the third floor of the opera house, he met Lei Qianya in a red long dress and Ajielina in a blue fluffy princess dress. The latter had golden ribbons tied in her red hair, and unlike Lei Qianya, who had a very girlish feel, Ajielina's attire was always very... childish.

The decoration inside the box was very luxurious, the floor covered with thick wool red carpet, and even the gas lamps had crystal embellishments. As expected, Lei Qianya welcomed Xia De with a very enthusiastic kiss.

The sixteen-year-old young princess looked as if she were used to it, and even ordered the maids to watch the door, not allowing anyone to enter without permission, and not to enter even if they heard strange sounds.

These maids were the personal servants of the two princesses, and some had even seen Xia De in Coldwater Port, so they had long known that this man, who had an unusual relationship with the "Duchess of Saladir" in the Tobesk street rumors, also maintained a close relationship with the two princesses.

"The differential engine data from half a month ago earned me my father's praise.

After brother Sax Cavendish was executed, part of the command power of the vacant New Continent Development Legion fell into my hands. Although as a kingdom princess, I cannot go far to the New Continent, this represents that I finally have a place where I can intervene in the kingdom's military."

Lei Qianya was very excited, her eyes seeming to glow as she spoke. She didn't tell Xia De about this on Saturday night, probably because she wanted to tell Xia De in person with her own body.

"Very good, intervening in the military, huh..."

Xia De found it hard to imagine what the princess he was holding, or rather, the princess who was holding him, wanted to do. But as long as Lei Qianya needed it, he could provide help at any time.

"Xia De, meeting you is truly my luck."

She kissed Xia De lightly on the corner of his lips, then signaled for Xia De to sit down.

The cat held by Xia De finally had the opportunity to "escape" from between the two. After nimbly climbing onto the back of the sofa, Little Mia stood on the back of the sofa and meowed at Xia De, clearly expressing her dissatisfaction.

The opera had already begun, and the view from the box specially prepared for royal members was quite good, but no one cared what was actually being performed. Lei Qianya hadn't seen Xia De with her own body for a long time and really wanted to continue using kisses to express her mood, but Xia De didn't ask the princess out for this:

"Regarding your low-fourth-ring sublimation language *Sleeping Princess*, I want to know its specific origin."

"How come you ask about this?"

The words were quite blaming Xia De for not understanding the romance, and Xia De smiled embarrassedly, seeing the red butterfly pendant hanging on Lei Qianya's waist. The shape of this one was much better than the one Xia De originally made at Old John's, but unfortunately, it still could only allow the princess and the writer, whose souls were linked, to look at each other from afar.

Clearly their souls were closely linked, but they could only look at each other from afar; this was probably the most distant distance.

"The story of *Sleeping Princess* originated in the early or middle part of the Fifth Era. This ancient fairy tale is related to the founding of the Zhalas Academy of Literature, and the first edition manuscript of the story is in our academy, which is why my tutor recommended it to me."

This point was as expected; Miss Olanode letting Miss Samuel have the manuscript should be because she wanted the Zhalas Academy to provide help in the founding process of Saint Byrons.

"The early version of the story is said to be preserved in Saint Byrons as well. Teacher once wrote to Saint Byrons wanting to borrow it, but unfortunately, your librarian refused."

Lei Qianya said, paused, and squinted slightly at Xia De sitting beside her; she was a very smart girl:

"Xia De, you wouldn't be trying to say that there is another spirit rune on your life ring, right?"

"Of course not, at least not yet."

Because Xia De hadn't finished telling the story, but he clearly felt that after returning to this era, the golden spiritual light representing "Enlightenment" was gathering more and more toward his life ring.

Time gives civilization enlightenment, and stories are sublimated in civilization.

Even though the story from the outsider's hometown hadn't been told to the end, Xia De could basically be certain that once he returned to the past time again and truly became the person who brought the story of the princess, the sleep, and the kiss to this world, he would definitely obtain the enlightenment spirit rune 【Sleeping Beauty】.

Just like the original enlightenment - 【The Little Match Girl】. ===== CHAPTER 711 =====