Wizard's Journey

Chapter 269 The Bad News of Time

On the high platform of the six-star teleportation array, Grimm looked down at the ram's horn skull in his hand.

This...this is the bone of the Lord of the World!?

Green was startled; the faint aura emanating from the ram's horn skull truly terrified him.

In addition, the exterior of the ram's skull is connected to an unimaginable source of magic in some unknown way. Its secrets are somewhat similar to the interior of Amonro's body where he cast the Enigma Seal, as well as the former Enigma Sanctuary.

Inside the ram's horn skull, the Black Sota Saint Mark Wizard had created an elusive, illusory space of spiritual energy.

Within the mental space, a certain malice lurked, locking onto Green.

"Hiss... This precious material looks like we should make good use of it!" Green gasped.

Based on the skull of the Lord of the World, it contains a spiritual illusory space constructed by a sixth-level holy mark archmage, and is connected to the magic source of the wizard tower.

The value of this material is unimaginable for a low-level wizard.

After temporarily putting away the ram's horn skull, Grimm stepped off the six-star teleportation magic circle platform and flew down to the lower level of the Black Tower, arriving at the room of Instructor Peranos on the seventy-ninth floor.

Two hourglasses later.

Green and Peranos sat facing each other, and Peranos was lost in memories.

"The people you mentioned... aside from Yorkriana and Amrund who returned to the academy to teach after becoming full wizards, I don't know anything about them. They were just wizarding apprentices, who knows? Maybe they went traveling alone after becoming full wizards, or maybe they died when their lifespans ended."

For Peranos, training generation after generation of short-lived wizard apprentices was like baking bread.

Every hundred years, an oven of bread would come out, box after box, until he was no longer the headmaster of the Hessotah Academy.

The faces of wizard apprentices changed constantly, but Peranos could only remember the wizards who returned to the academy to teach after becoming full wizards.

"Yokliana has successfully become a full-fledged wizard!"

While Green was overjoyed for Yorkriana, he was also worried about his other childhood friends.

As for the others, although they were familiar with each other, their relationship was not deep. The emotionally detached dark wizard Grimm could no longer evoke much emotion from him.

But there was also his good friend Binghamson, who had comforted him on his sad nights, and his most cherished Lafite, proudly and beautifully holding a glass of red wine…

The more I reminisce, the more I miss it.

Green could no longer suppress his longing to see him; it was the last time he would see him!

Looking back on those simple and beautiful days, it seemed as if the world consisted only of the six major wizarding academies.

Everyone worked hard together to learn wizarding knowledge. It was such a pure and beautiful time, filled with endless longing for the future. Every day, we made rapid progress in our enriching learning and understanding. The world was so unpredictable and wonderful.

Peranos, seeing the longing look on Grimm's face as he drifted into memories, waved his hand and said, "Go. After experiencing all this, you will be a full-fledged wizard."

Green nodded and turned to leave.

……

Taking out the crystal ball, Green channeled his magic and sent a signal to the frequency band that hadn't been connected for over two hundred years.

After a while, the crystal ball connected, and a surprised and incredulous voice came through: "Green?"

Grimm gazed at the aged face reflected in the crystal ball. After a brief pause beneath the Mask of Truth, the eyes gradually overlapped with the image of the lovely, introverted Yorkriana from his memory.

Green recalled the day her brother Joris died, and how heartbroken she was.

Recalling the wonderful time in the orchestra pit before the Saint Tower Qualifying Battle, she danced with Heinlo, the unassuming and introverted wizard apprentice.

Recalling the qualifying battle for the Holy Tower, she witnessed her own strength, sincerely blessed herself, and was proud of her legend.

All the memories are so beautiful, and I look forward to an even more wonderful future.

But reality...

I remember that little girl used to call me "Brother Grimm" whenever she saw me, but now that "little girl" has aged and become a full-fledged wizard, although she is happy to see me again, it is no longer the same as before.

Is this what time is all about...?

Green smiled, his voice soothing, and tried to use the vibrant voice he remembered to say, "Leona."

But as soon as Green spoke, his voice naturally took on the somber, hoarse tone of a dark wizard, and even the joy in his voice was masked by a cruel calm.

Beneath the mask of truth, Green's face was somewhat stiff. He tried to make himself more approachable, but found that he had completely lost his heart.

Unless Green sees this as a mission to disguise himself as an alien.

Yorkriana's expression also froze for a moment, but she quickly regained her surprised look. This once innocent and introverted little girl had truly matured.

This is a cruel kind of maturity!

Yorkriana looked at Green's mask. Although it had changed from pale to grayish-white and from small spiral patterns to a large spiral pattern, it still exuded the same aura of truth and mystery, unchanged.

"Green, where are you? I'll come pick you up," Yorkriana invited.

……

After about half an hourglass.

The rich aroma of coffee filled the cabin. Grimm and Yorkriana sat facing each other, with two guardian knights standing behind Yorkriana, and a beautiful female humanoid slave carrying plate after plate of exquisite pastries.

However, these coffees and pastries held no appeal for Grimm and Yorkriana, who had already become official wizards.

"Green, I really didn't expect you to come back now."

The aged-looking Yorkriana picked up her coffee, her withered hands resembling old tree bark, her sunken bird's nest-like eyes somewhat cloudy. The two guardian knights behind her were filled with awe and utmost respect.

Green smiled and gently placed the coffee on the table.

"Leona, I never expected you to become a full-fledged wizard. Congratulations!"

Yorkriana shook her head and smiled slightly: "I never expected that, without even realizing it, all the wishes my brother and I once had have been fulfilled."

To restore Yorkliana's damaged appearance from the shipwreck and to become a full-fledged wizard—this is the wish of both Yorkliana and her brother.

A hint of longing appeared in Green's eyes as he slowly said, "Leona, what about them..."

Yorkriana froze, remaining silent for a few seconds, the atmosphere somewhat tense.

"Robin disappeared without a trace 120 years ago. It is said that he never returned while traveling through the Jewel Sea."

"Where's Binghamson?" Green asked impatiently.

"Bin Hanson... He died seventy-five years ago in Scartomar, within the jurisdiction of the Black Tower Wizarding Academy, because he failed to become a full-fledged wizard. I was the one who saw him off for the last time. Bin Hanson and Robin also had a son named Moran, who failed the Black Tower newcomer trials."

"Is he dead...?"

Green's voice trembled slightly, as if he were in fear.

With a pleading look in his eyes and a trembling voice, Green asked, "Then... how is Raffi?"

"Raffi, Raffi, she..."

Yorkriana looked at Green, biting her lip tightly, unable to speak.

Green felt like he couldn't breathe, as if he had been punched in the chest. He leaned weakly against the sofa and slowly closed his eyes.

"Raffi, did she also fail to become a formal wizard and is she already dead?" Green asked in a sorrowful voice, his voice choked with emotion.

This kind of separation between life and death, the pain of never seeing one's dearest loved ones again, the regret of not loving more, not cherishing them more... this is what it feels like...

in case……

If I had chosen to give up the path of a witcher back then and spend my life with the one I love, would I feel completely different now?

Green didn't know, and he no longer had the chance to try.

This piercing pain, though foreseen by the wisdom of foresight when Green resolutely and silently left the academy, was still incredibly painful when it actually arrived.

The pangs of sorrow in his nose and heart even made Green feel his eyes begin to moisten.

This is truly a despairing and helpless regret.

"No! Raffi... Raffi isn't dead! Her symbiotic insect is a moth, she's still alive!" Yorkriana struggled, staring directly at Green and suddenly said.

Happiness came too suddenly; Green was somewhat incredulous, looking at Yorkriana with trembling eyes.

With his mouth agape, as if trying to confirm whether he was hallucinating, Green murmured, "You just said... Raffi, she... she's not dead?"

"Yes, Raffi may not have advanced to the rank of a formal wizard, but she is definitely not dead yet. I can confirm that!" Yorkriana bit her lip, and her eyes even reddened.

Green suddenly stood up, looking surprised, puzzled, and excited. "Where is she now? I need to see her! I have to go right now!"

Yorkriana looked into Green's sincere eyes, her sunken and cloudy eyes even redder, as if she were crying.

Is a fully-fledged wizard crying?

Green was extremely surprised.

I still have a chance to meet Raffi again. Even if Raffi doesn't become a formal wizard, I can still spend the last beautiful moments of her life with her. I will do everything I can to make up for the beautiful moments I missed.

He wanted to watch the sunset with Raffi on the beach, to have a grand wedding in her father's castle in Bisel, and to hold her hand and tell her he loved her ten thousand times.

Everything was so wonderful, and I even had a chance to make up for it, but why did Yorkriana have such a strange expression?

Green gazed at Yokriana, awaiting her answer.

Yorkriana looked at the mysterious, powerful yet pitiful person before her, slowly closed her eyes, and began to sob.

"Raffi...she and many other wizarding apprentices were bewitched by Hattori Hizo, the evil dark wizard from the Bone Clock Tower who was in our class, and became his followers. The reason I'm sure Raffi is still alive is because her name is still on this bounty list."

Yorkleyana's words struck Green like a thunderbolt, leaving him in disbelief.

Slowly, a scroll filled with the names of countless wizard apprentices appeared. There were hundreds of black wizard apprentices who had been hunted for bounties, and Raffi's name was among them.

(End of this chapter)