Do ratmen dream of the sacred tree of spirits?

Chapter 90 Incompatible

The lighthouse in the distance swept across the dock, and a cold wind brushed against my face.

Fafnir and his parents would occasionally exchange a word, but most of the time they remained silent.

As time passed, a ship's horn sounded, and a dark gray vessel sailed in.

It was the "Anvil." Fafnir, with his night vision, immediately recognized the warship that had not yet docked. After a short wait, two people disembarked from the "Anvil." One of them was Captain Campbell, whom Fafnir recognized. He was not wearing the priest's robe of the Church of the God of War, but rather the naval uniform of the Holy Kingdom. Fafnir could tell from his cuffs that Captain Campbell was a lieutenant commander.

The other gentleman was dressed in the standard robes of the Church of the God of Death, with a golden raven feather on his chest.

"Greetings, Bishop! Greetings, Captain!" Fafnir quickly stepped forward to greet them.

"Fafner, hello," Captain Campbell said with some curiosity, having a good impression of Mr. Victor and feeling that he knew the young man. "Although I don't know why, I didn't expect your parents to return to the Nunns Empire first. Best regards."

"Thank you for your concern." Fafnir smiled and nodded.

The bishop of the Church of the God of Death stepped forward and opened a folded document: "Eastern Regional Council of the Holy Kingdom of the Elves, Eastern Regional Joint Court, Clint Beckett, Elisa Bell, in recognition of your outstanding contributions to the Holy Kingdom of the Elves, we hereby approve the termination of your 16-year employment period as professional and technical personnel."

The bishop was puzzled. He found it strange that these two Nunns had made such an extraordinary contribution. After listening silently to what was said, Elisa and Clint hugged Fafnir, their eyes filled with worry and reluctance. Urged by Fafnir, they walked towards the Anvil, constantly turning back to look at him. "By the way, Captain," Fafnir asked, "Excuse me, but I'd like to ask you, where is the Anvil going? Why were my parents allowed to ride on it?"

"Nan's Empire, Dawn Province, Dawn City, it's nothing really—our ship has been communicating with each other on the inland waterways of the Eastern Region. Our original mission was to pick up the diplomatic personnel from the Nan's Empire's consulate in the Eastern Region of the Holy Kingdom. They're on the ship now. Of course, it's just a normal personnel adjustment. Actually, I'm quite puzzled as to why we were given the mission to send your parents back home at the last minute."

Captain Campbell paused for a moment: "Fafner, actually this is not in accordance with regulations. The Holy Kingdom and the Nunn Empire are now very strictly controlled. It is said that the Nunn Empire has two diplomats on the list of those returning home who are temporarily not going back. So two positions that can be used to go to the Nunn Empire have become available. It just so happens that the council and the court in the Eastern Region have issued this order."

Thank you for your answer.

Immediately afterwards, Fafnir heard his parents calling as they boarded the ship, "Goodbye, little Fafnir!"

"Goodbye, Mom and Dad. I'll come find you as soon as possible!"

As the "Anvil" disappeared from sight, Fafnir was still somewhat stunned. He stared at the surface of the Ryan River, calmly watching the ships pass by.

It was almost dawn, and Fafner thought that after a short rest, he could go straight to work at the East End School for Poor Children.

Fafnir emerged from a small hotel by the harbor. He had only been lying there for a little over an hour, and the pillow still smelled of the previous guest's cheap tobacco. Fafnir didn't mind, washed his face, smoothed out the wrinkles in his priest's robe, and took a car to the eastern district.

On the way, Fafnir kept thinking about how Clint and Elisa had already returned home, and how he would get back. He didn't want to stay here anymore.

Why so suddenly?

The thought weighed on Fafnir's chest like a stone. He knew that Mr. Victor's judgment was correct. For a first-class bishop to contact him overnight through a remote information processing system, things must be complicated. But knowing this didn't stop Fafnir from feeling increasingly empty inside.

When I arrived at the school, it was not yet seven o'clock. Several construction workers were unloading bricks at the church entrance. They saw Fafnir, nodded, and continued working. The renovation project had been going on for several days. The exterior walls of the church had been repainted, and the gray-white walls looked quite clean in the morning light. The bumpy dirt road at the entrance had also been filled in and paved with gravel.

Fafnir walked straight into the classroom. Students arrived one after another, and the morning classes went relatively smoothly. The second-grade students were much more obedient than last year.

Luca's voice was still as loud as ever when he answered questions, and Eileen's handwriting was becoming increasingly neat.

At noon, Fafnir was eating lunch in his office. Anna had made some thick soup at home that morning and shared it with everyone. Martha and Allen sat in a corner, eating while flipping through a book they had borrowed from Grammar School called "Illustrations of First-Order Spells." "Fafnir," Martha walked over and said in a low voice, "You didn't go back to your dorm last night? I knocked on your door but no one answered."

"Something came up, so I went home," Fafnir said without further explanation.

Martha glanced at him, but didn't press for details. She simply said, "You don't look well; you have dark circles under your eyes. How about I cover your tutoring class this afternoon?"

"Thank you, Martha, but no, I can manage."

Martha was about to say something when footsteps sounded outside the door. The sound of leather shoes clicking on the stone floor was unhurried. Tyrell Gideon appeared at the office door. He was wearing a dark suit with a gold brooch on his lapel. His hair was slicked back and looked like he had just returned from a formal occasion. He glanced at the people in the office and his gaze settled on Fafnir.

"Fafner, come to my office after you finish your meal." He said this and then turned and went upstairs without even saying goodbye to anyone else.

The office fell silent for a moment. Anna put down her spoon, frowned, and asked, "What's he up to now?"

"I don't know," Fafnir said, equally puzzled.

The door to the principal's office on the second floor of the new teaching building was open. Tyrell sat behind a new desk, its surface as smooth as a mirror. There was a brass lamp, a bookshelf, and several documents on it. Fafnir recognized that the bookshelf contained several classic works of the Church of the Death, including "The Commandments." A map of Lorraine hung on the wall, and a potted plant sat on the windowsill. The curtains had been replaced with opaque cotton fabric. It was truly luxurious, and Fafnir felt somewhat uncomfortable.

"Sit," Tyrell said, gesturing to the chair opposite him.

Fafnir sat down in a chair that seemed to have a genuine leather back and cushion, much more comfortable than the benches in the classroom. Fafnir didn't lean against the back of the chair and sat upright.

"I called you here to discuss something." Tyrell leaned back in his chair, his tone much gentler than a few days ago, even carrying a hint of—closeness?

What's going on now? Fafnir had a bad feeling.