The Elusive Sorcerer

Chapter 253

On their journey toward Vinohoshi Province, particularly Tafox County, they discovered various unique and ancient things based on the information they had obtained.

The term "ancient" was not entirely accurate, because what they were discussing was none other than someone who had been involved in the investigation into the meteor city.

That person was Aaron Kwok; although the news had been published roughly 20 years ago, the information was still fresh among the underground world and had also caused quite a stir among the countless pieces of information that existed.

"I remember that legend had already disappeared, but it's all the same," Aaron said with a sigh.

Aaron himself admitted that he was merely a stranger using the name of that legend. Moreover, among the information printed on the old paper with its damaged edges, there was a description of how that "person" killed his enemies using his abilities.

It was clear that he was the original Aaron Kwok, not the Aaron Kwok of the present.

He also admitted that he was not that kind of person and had become aware of his narcissistic nature. After spending roughly a year with them, Aaron began studying the personalities of those closest to him and tried to rid himself of those bad traits while striving to become better than he had been before.

Yet he himself had instead become the subject of their conversation, regardless of the fact that the discussion was rather ancient and sounded unfamiliar to his ears.

“Forget it, that's old information,” Aaron said as he approached them, then pulled out the old paper with its faded ink.

'For a piece of paper, surviving for more than 20 years is quite an achievement. Even now, I don't know, or rather, that man never told anyone how old he was when he did that. Ah, damn it, why do I remember that woman whenever I think about that man?'

Aaron sighed inwardly, then turned around and walked away from them to breathe in some fresh air. Meanwhile, Zavi tilted his head slightly before looking at Zuhen and raising his shoulders.

“Maybe he doesn't want to remember his past,” Zuhen said hesitantly.

Zavi pursed his lips and said casually,“But he was the one who took that ancient newspaper.”

After several seconds of silence, something suddenly crossed his mind, making Zavi immediately voice his thoughts.

“By the way, why isn't there any information about you in that copy?” Zavi asked curiously.

Zuhen turned around, his mouth slightly open, but he quickly closed it as his eyes showed hesitation about explaining the real reason.

It was obvious that people knew where he came from, and they knew very well how dangerous he was. Being neither a Hollow, let alone a human, was more than enough for Zuhen to be avoided by others and hunted by the major factions out there.

“I erased my traces, but of course they can still track me down,” Zuhen finally said, his tone sounding desperate.

'Those people from that organization are very dangerous, and I don't have enough information about what level they're at or whether they possess sealed artifacts or high-level ones.'

“They can still track you?” Zavi asked, seeking a further explanation.

Zuhen nodded, his calm expression turning serious.

“If you want to know more, this has something to do with my place of residence becoming a place where a comet from outer space came to rest.”

“I see.” Zavi nodded as though he understood what Zuhen meant, when in reality he had absolutely no idea what he was talking about.

Therefore, to find the answer, he had to go there himself and investigate it personally. The thought of a meteor falling without causing the slightest impact made his entire body shiver, especially if he were to see it directly.

Honestly, when Zavi wanted to access his memories, instead of finding clues related to the meteor city, he was dragged into Zavi Actitus's own past, and this was connected to preventing him from accessing his primary memories.

Several questions began to emerge, still related to the overlapping memories.

Were the leaders out there trying to hide that fact, or were they afraid that their citizens would suffer something terrible, or was there another reason behind that secret game?

It was clear that information like this could shake the entire continent, regardless of the few people who had the freedom to break into the heavily guarded area after the incident.

'Well, I'll definitely find a clue once I get there. But what the hell is this? Why hasn't the next train arrived yet, and why do trains from other routes keep coming instead?'

While waiting by the roadside, the two of them lowered their gazes so they would not be recognized by others while remaining vigilant in case an enemy had been watching them.

....

Morning in the great city of Kuranda, Vleco, Jikusuma Street.

After informing Evelina about it, Luis immediately packed his belongings, although all he had with him were a change of clothes, the money he had left, and his work equipment in the form of a revolver and an anchor gun.

'This is bad, this is bad, this is bad. But I'm lucky that my money wasn't taken by that man with glasses, damn it!'

Luis stared at the man in question with furrowed brows, creating an uncomfortable feeling when Nuken realized that he was being hated by someone he was not even close to.

In this situation, the only thing that came to mind was acting. Yes, acting could help him solve the problem, regardless of whether the problem was minor or serious enough to concern his life.

“Calm down, I know you're worried about that,” he said while nodding. “Besides, how are we supposed to get out of this place?”

Luis immediately frowned.

“Figure it out yourself,” Luis said with a sharp snort.

After taking several steps toward the living room while carrying his suitcase, Luis suddenly remembered something. He slowly turned around and stared at the man with glasses longer than he should have, as though there were something wrong with him.

Nuken immediately realized it and corrected himself. After doing so, he did not feel anything strange about himself and realized that the man in front of him was the strange one.

“Hey,” Nuken said flatly. “Are you making fun of me?”

Luis was stunned, almost losing his words as he tried to reject the idea before saying loudly, “Are you picking a fight with me?”

Nuken instinctively raised his hands and said defensively, “That's not what I meant. You were staring at me like that, and I thought you were laughing at me in your head.”

Luis responded by nodding before falling into thought again, searching for the strange feeling that was bothering his mind.

After waiting for quite some time, Nuken finally got up from his seat, intending to get some fresh air outside.

As he stepped down the small stairs, his eyes observed the pedestrians and dry leaves scattering in the wind.

He became so captivated by the beauty that he forgot to leave this place immediately and instead remained absorbed in staring at the tree in front of the house where he was temporarily staying, even though he knew it was not his home.

'Autumn has begun, and I don't even know whether I'll be able to enjoy the changing of the year and reach my goal.'

Nuken soon snapped out of his reverie when a slightly large pedestrian greeted him with a warm smile and slightly lifted his hat.

He returned the greeting with a warm smile before adjusting his glasses, then turned around and went back into the house.

The man smiled before refocusing on his steps while lowering his gold adorned cane.

The door opened before closing with a click that seemed to last longer than it should have.

The room was dim, making it difficult for Nuken to walk steadily after returning from outside.

As he was about to grab his suitcase with the intention of leaving the house immediately, he unexpectedly bumped into something.

Thud!

“Huh?” Nuken was stunned for a moment, narrowing his eyes to make sure what he had just bumped into.

He was surprised to realize that Luis had not moved even slightly from where he was standing, with his back facing the door.

“Hey, is something wrong?”

There was nothing wrong with checking on someone who had been living with him for months, and Nuken certainly knew how to show appropriate concern.

Luis slowly turned around; his weary gaze locked onto Nuken's eyes for a moment before he spoke softly, “I know this sounds strange, but... now that I think about it, did they really not send you any word at all?”

Nuken nodded, confusion returning to his face.

'I have been searching for them myself for months, but it was all in vain. I want to give up, even though that's the only reason I'm still alive. Fatir... maybe he can survive if he's being targeted by the factions out there because of his connection to James Moriarty.'

Nuken was about to speak, but Luis beat him to it.

“We're moving. I don't know which one of us will die first.”

The corner of Nuken's lips twitched as the thought crossed his mind.

“Your way of speaking really is something,” Nuken remarked with a quiet chuckle.

....

Makoli City, Retsoj, Menteng Street.

After the search, Albert and the others obtained some information regarding the latest news in the city and the Kingdom of Norn.The news included the launch of a magnificent airship built by the Kingdom of Norn in GreyHeaven Province, which had become the target of sharp criticism from activists, the people, and even the nobles themselves.

As the ruler of GreyHeaven, Igrave Diminan Avvalen deployed his military forces to monopolize interprovincial trade, with the aim of preventing a civil war from breaking out in the kingdom.

However, instead of improving, citizens from various parts of the province unexpectedly took several days off from work and headed directly toward the Duke's residence.

Of course, it was not easy for them as ordinary citizens without the authority or power to enter an area guarded by hundreds of armed people, all of whom had undergone rigorous training, making them hesitant to do so.

Although the news had passed two months earlier, the issue was now growing hotter in Makoli City, with calls emerging for citizens to flock together and storm the Duke's residence.

There was no justice in this vast territory; there was only the increasingly severe problem of poverty, the difficulty of finding work, and crime rates that continued to rise every day.

Some citizens were willing to spend their savings to make banners bearing the words:

Nobles cannot stand on their own and will perish without the people, but the people can stand together by joining hands without the interference of nobles.

Seeing the words displayed prominently on the banner in the Talazze Vana language, Albert and the others smiled broadly, never expecting all of this to happen.

“So, what about the search? Should we postpone it for the sake of our survival?” Sodet voiced his thoughts, worried because his condition had not fully recovered after returning from that place.

Receiving no answer, Sodet made sure by glancing at Albert before adding, “Don't tell me you're going to continue this journey?”

Albert shook his head, his gaze still fixed on the crowd.

“I suddenly remembered what happened two years ago.”

Sodet's drowsiness gradually faded as his eyelids widened.

“You mean in Sanerva?” he muttered, seeking confirmation.

“Yes, there were a series of events after that tragic incident, and honestly, can I really survive and live through a crisis like that again?”

“Besides, they never learn from their mistakes, which is why the people are already fed up with them,” Sodet said loudly.

“Your words are true, but what can we do as ordinary citizens who have absolutely no authority to claim that right?”

Sodet frowned and turned his face away.

“I'm the ordinary one, not you, eh...”

Albert turned his head, his brown eyes continuously staring at Sodet, who had suddenly become enthusiastic and full of hope.

“What actually happened?”

“No.” Sodet shook his head and said, “I suddenly remembered something.”

“Something?” Albert repeated, slightly confused.

“Yes, you'll find out later, and you'll get paid afterward,” Sodet said confidently, unconsciously showing a smile as he played the role of a clown.

Seeing the smile that he found ridiculous, Albert immediately realized what he meant.

"Don't tell me you... want to do that," Albert said, his tone sounding nervous.

"Of course. With Mr. Sodet here, everything will surely go smoothly and..." His expression turned serious as their gazes met, "…I am bringing my loyal subordinates along, so of course I'll pay them."

"The consequences?" Albert felt his body begin to tense as he eagerly waited for the answer.

Sodet slowly turned around, looking at two people he knew who were also obstacles to this plan, walking toward where the two of them were.

"We'll be captured by the people from the church, that's all.”

He slowly stepped forward, forgetting to add the final sentence, "…and the cathedral will put something inside our bodies."