Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 1253: Section 1254: Shepherd City Under the Great Fog

Leaving Zithraide’s antique shop, there was silence all the way to the exit.

Perhaps sensing something on Angel’s mind, Sanders mused for a moment, “Zithraide harbors his own set of standards in his heart. He reveres balance, and while he takes, he also gives. This standard applies not only to his guests but also to those harmed by the transactions, treating them all equally.”

Sanders paused, then suddenly smiled, “Speaking of which, when Zithraide first entered the Wizards’ Realm, he was somewhat like you.”

“However, you are stronger than he was. Even if you dislike something in your heart, you can still face it rationally and objectively. But Zithraide back then was incredibly passionate.”

This was the first time Angel heard Sanders talk about his own past, and he couldn’t help but be a bit curious, “What about afterwards?”

“The lifespan of humans is too short, and human nature is too elusive. The longer you live, the more you understand. Time wore down Zithraide’s passion, even the most naïve can’t withstand the constant battering of the wind and rain.” Sanders didn’t explain what he meant by ‘battering of the wind and rain,’ but after a pause, he continued, “Speaking of which, the Zithraide of today, I feel, hasn’t changed much from before. At least, compared to others in the Wizards’ Realm, he has maintained a pure heart for hundreds of years.”

...
Sanders turned his head back to the lettering on the wall above the door—

“If you’re willing to burn the brilliance of life for a rose, I think, you must be mad.”

Although this sentence came from “Dancer of Sin and Flowerseller,” the author of the book was actually Zithraide himself. He carved these words on his own door, not only to signify his identity, but it also implied that this was Zithraide’s own experience.

He was both recounting and introspecting.

Because he too had once been impulsive, exchanging his life for an insignificant rose.

…

They took off in the gondola.

As before, the gondola was concealed by Sanders’ Illusion Technique, invisible to others.

But even without the illusion, the weather was such that no one would have noticed anyway.

Fog.

And it was a dense fog on an overcast day.

The daylight was gloomy, turning the entire Shepherd City into blue-black hues, teetering on the boundary between visibility and vagueness.

Add to that the fog, which although not thick, still reduced visibility further. Apart from near streetlights and the vicinity of lit buildings where things were clear, elsewhere only faint outlines could be discerned.

Angel piloted the gondola, flying towards the outskirts of Shepherd City.

Throughout the journey, Angel, pondering the transaction with Zithraide, fell into a sort of introspective questioning. Sanders also remained silent, his mind lingering on the series of impacts Angel had brought to him earlier.

For a time, the silence sustained.

It was not until they were nearing the peripheral areas of Shepherd City that Angel snapped out of his reverie—not because he had resolved his thoughts, but because he was drawn to a light on the ground below.

Beneath them was a sloping path flanked by the silhouettes of buildings, unlit by streetlights, but with light escaping from within the buildings, ensuring the slope was not entirely dark.

The sloping path was not on the main thoroughfare of the city, so the city planning had not yet reached it, leaving the ground a mere dirt road. It seemed there had been a light rain the night before, making the path quite muddy.

At this moment, on the muddy slope, a figure holding a lantern was making her way with difficulty.

The figure wore a rain cloak, so at first, Angel didn’t pay much attention, assuming it was just a lonely traveler. Later, Angel noticed her because she slipped and fell due to the slick ground.

She lay there, and due to her movements, her hood fell back, revealing a head full of white hair.

The lantern had fallen nearby, and its dim light happened to shine on her face. Looking down from the sky, Angel immediately saw the illuminated, aged face.

It was an old woman, the very one Angel had seen before in Zithraide’s antique shop!

As Angel watched the person on the ground, the sense of familiarity in his eyes grew stronger. Unbeknownst to him, as he observed, he had brought the gondola to a hover.

This caught Sanders’ attention.