The Wizard of Dimension - Walking

Yame Province, the town of Gru. As the frosty month of Frozen Earth approached, this remote town on the outskirts of the Golden Sparrow Empire suddenly received a visit from a group of silver-armored knights carrying family banners high. Parsha, the elderly scholar of Gru Town, stared in astonishment at the emblem on their flags, and cold sweat began to bead on his forehead. —A fierce tiger trampling a serpent, the serpent coiled around a full moon. Seeing the bewildered expression on his old neighbor, the town's sole blacksmith, Dim, took a drag from his pipe and asked in confusion, "Hey, old buddy, what's with that expression... Do you recognize the origin of these knights?" Parsha took a deep breath and whispered to Dim, "If I'm not mistaken, the emblem on those flags seems to belong to the Montayne family." The Montayne family?! Dim, hearing this, turned to look at Parsha with a dumbfounded expression. "Are you sure you didn't make a mistake?" Without waiting for Parsha's answer, Dim suddenly thought of something, shivered, and hurriedly slipped into his cramped blacksmith shop, locking the door securely, his whole body trembling with fear. Through the window of the blacksmith shop, Parsha saw Dim's terrified look and couldn't help but shake his head. If it were any other day, these two old friends would have surely teased each other, but considering the unexpected arrival of the Montayne family in Gru Town, and the role they played in the Empire, Dim's behavior made sense. Parsha recalled the rumors he had heard at the Hunter's Tavern in the city. The Montayne family, known as the backbone of the Golden Sparrow Empire, had produced at least six outstanding military generals over the centuries, earning illustrious military honors in numerous battles against invading forces. Moreover, in every war, members of the Montayne family didn't sit in safety and give orders from afar; each member of this family served as frontline warriors, fearless and strategic. This hands-on and distinguished family naturally held the military destiny of the Empire in their hands. Recently, the Golden Sparrow Empire had entered into a state of conflict with the neighboring Sea Crest Dynasty, and the Sea Crest Dynasty's border was not far from Gru Town. The arrival of Montayne family knights at this moment... perhaps, it was precisely because of this reason. Parsha speculated that there were two possible purposes behind the Montayne family's arrival: recruitment or deployment, perhaps even both. Regardless of the specific purpose, for the blacksmith Dim, it was a matter of life and death. The Golden Sparrow Empire's conscription laws clearly stipulated that during wartime, towns within the conscription zones must provide either a young and able-bodied individual from each household or pay one hundred gold coins to obtain an exemption token. In Dim's case, he was the only male in his household and happened to be of conscription age. If he were drafted, the future livelihood of his wife and daughters would be in jeopardy. As for paying the gold coins? In the entire town of Gru, perhaps only the Pat family had the financial means to afford one hundred gold coins. It was worth noting that a single gold coin was enough to cover half a year's living expenses for his family. Parsha, who had initially been surprised, quickly returned to his usual state of mind. As an elderly bachelor approaching the twilight of his life, he was not within the conscription age range, so he had nothing to worry about. In fact, he had the presence of mind to observe the movements of the Montayne family. Hmm, they haven't approached the town's mayor. Could it be that they're not here for conscription? Parsha continued to observe, and the squad of cavalry actually headed in a different direction. —Towards the Pat Viscount's estate, which, even in the frosty month of Frozen Earth, remained full of lush and thriving foliage! ... Pat Manor. Two maids wearing pale yellow linen headscarves were busy with their work while whispering to each other. Their gossip revolved around the two young masters of the Pat family. "Master and Madam have been gone for two years now. According to the Empire's laws, the Frost Descent month after this year's Frozen Earth month is when the eldest master will inherit the title," the younger maid with an apple-shaped face said with a hint of worry. "I wonder if the situation will change for the second master after the eldest master inherits." "Oli, it's best for us servants not to talk too much about the affairs of the masters. However, I don't think you need to fret over this particular concern. Although you work in the second master's tea garden, it's quite far from the main house. You might not be aware, the eldest master and the second master have a good relationship! Don't worry too much. The kind of family feuds you hear about in opera scripts won't happen in our estate," the middle-aged maid with freckles said with a smile. At that moment, the sound of trotting horse hooves approached from the small path outside the tea garden. Soon, a knight clad in glistening bronze armor appeared before them. The horse neighed and the knight stopped at the entrance of the tea garden, removing his helmet. He was a young man with a sun-kissed complexion, and the backlighting emphasized the contours of his face, making his already handsome features appear even more extraordinary. His gray-green eyes swept over the two maids, skipping past Oli, and settled on the middle-aged maid. "Mistress Marna, good day." Marna set down the bamboo basket she was holding and curtsied to the young knight. "Good day, Lord Lyon." Lyon glanced at the fresh tea leaves in Marna's bamboo basket and a hint of helplessness flickered in his eyes. "Has my younger brother gone to see that old man again?" Marna lowered her head respectfully and replied, "Master Angell is currently studying with Mr. Jone." Lyon pursed his lips and muttered to himself, "Studying? I don't know what's gotten into that old man's head, spouting nonsense every day. My younger brother seeks to learn from him and even offers tea leaves as daily offerings. I think he's just a madman. I wonder what's come over my brother, insisting on studying with him." Lyon impatiently adjusted his horse's reins. "Alright, I understand. You may go about your tasks. I'll go find him now." After saying that, Lyon urged his horse with his legs and galloped away. A while later, Lyon arrived at the southeast corner of the estate, on a small hill near the woods. There stood an exquisite suspended wooden building. Its architectural style was unique, with upturned eaves and two stories, one side connected to solid ground while the other three sides hung in mid-air, supported only by pillars. This suspended building, in terms of construction method and architectural style, was entirely different from the typical architecture of the Golden Sparrow Empire. Even in the other countries Lyon had visited, there was no similar style. "What a peculiar structure! Three sides suspended without any movement." Although Lyon complained inwardly about Mr. Jone taking his brother's attention, he couldn't help but admire Mr. Jone's astonishing architectural skills. However, he never expressed this admiration on his face. Furthermore, aside from the suspended building before him, Lyon had no respect for Mr. Jone. He had spent nearly twenty years in Pat Manor, and Lyon still had no idea which country Mr. Jone came from. Pushing open the bamboo gate, Lyon entered the courtyard of the suspended building. There were some vegetables and fruits in the yard, and a shelf on one side was covered with withered vines. These vines would produce many "hanging clusters" during the Harvest Moon, which Mr. Jone called grapes. Lyon had tasted them, and they were quite sweet, but the season for eating grapes had already passed. As soon as Lyon opened the door to the suspended building, he saw a young boy with delicate features. The boy was bent over a scroll of parchment, quickly recording something with a feathered quill dipped in ink. Lyon approached, even though he had deliberately softened his footsteps, the sound of his copper boots still made a resounding thud when they met the wooden floor. "Oh, you're here?" The young boy put a period on the parchment and looked up at Lyon, his voice clear and filled with intimacy. "My dear brother, Angell. Judging by your tone, do you happen to know that I would come today?" Lyon asked with a smile. Angell shrugged, "I didn't know that. I just answered that way to assert a bit more initiative." "Did that old man teach you this?" Angell shook his head, "Did I need to be taught? Father used to speak this way." "What if someone misunderstands your intentions and, upon entering, remains silent? How will you break the silence?" Lyon raised an eyebrow. "I'd remain silent too and wait for them to speak first." "What if they never speak?" "That would be awkward. If it were me, I'd turn around and leave to avoid making the atmosphere even more uncomfortable. If they call me back, there will naturally be further conversation." Lyon nodded with a smile, refraining from commenting on Angell's answer. Instead, he scanned the room. "Where's that old man, Jone?" As soon as Lyon mentioned Jone, a slight frown creased Angell's brow, and a hint of worry appeared in his eyes. "You also know that Master Jone's health is deteriorating. Every part of his body is gradually withering. Just the day before yesterday, his legs became completely immobile. He's resting upstairs now."