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The owl? The owl from the sorcerer legend? A thought flashed through Lumian's mind like lightning, and the blood in his whole body seemed to freeze in an instant. At this moment, he was more terrified than when he saw the monster with three faces. After all, this was reality, and the ruins were a dream. Even if he died in the dream, he would die in reality too, but psychologically there was still a layer of separation. "What should I do?" "Will it implicate Aurore?" "..." As Lumian tried desperately to think of countermeasures, the owl made no other move, silently watching him as if conducting some kind of examination. After a few seconds, the owl spread its wings, took flight toward the distant mountains and forests. Along the way, it glided downward and disappeared somewhere in Cordu Village. Only when he could no longer see the owl did Lumian recover. He plopped onto the chair and raised a hand to his forehead. It was wet—all sweat. "Is it really that owl from the sorcerer legend?" "Has it really lived this many years?" "Anyway, it's not like other owls; its eyes aren't dull, more like a human's..." "If it really is that owl, why did it fly to my window just because I wanted to investigate that sorcerer legend? But we already gave up on that..." "It looked at me a few times and then left..." "I don't know if it will come back afterward, or if it will affect Aurore..." Since nothing was happening for the time being, Lumian had wanted to observe for a few more days, but considering it might implicate Aurore, he felt he couldn't keep it from his older sister. Leaving the room, seeing that Aurore hadn't gotten up, he went downstairs and started making breakfast, all things his older sister loved: soft-yolk fried eggs, sugar-glazed flatbread, and ordinary toast with jam... He'd have to make noodles later, this time with meat sauce... Seeing the noodle compartment was empty, Lumian decided to refill it within these two days. This was Aurore's favorite staple food. Aurore came downstairs in a nightgown, rubbing her blond hair; by then the food was already set on the kitchen dining table. "Morning." She covered her mouth and yawned. Lumian smiled: "It's not early anymore." "Don't you often say the plan for a day starts in the early morning?" "Right, my plan is to sleep." Aurore sat down and began breakfast with milk. Lumian sat opposite at the six-person table, nibbling flatbread as he said in a seemingly casual manner: "I've been investigating the truth behind those legends in the village these past few days." "Why?" Aurore asked. Lumian was completely frank: "You wouldn't agree to help me gain extraordinary power, so I thought I'd rely on my own efforts; those legends might hide clues." "Almost impossible." Aurore evaluated casually: "Those legends either have been adapted over generations and are unrecognizable, or were recorded by people having hallucinations, meaningless; uh, it could also be someone made up a story as an excuse, heh, and contributions from troublemakers like you." "What?" Lumian didn't understand what Aurore meant by "troublemaker." This wasn't even Intisian. "The full term is 'prank enthusiast.'" Aurore explained simply, then frowned: "You suddenly tell me this—did you cause trouble and now know to come home and ask your older sister for help?" "It's more like an accident, but not yet to the point of causing trouble." Lumian said righteously. He organized his words: "My first target is that sorcerer legend." "What sorcerer legend?" Aurore looked puzzled. "You haven't heard of it?" Lumian was quite surprised. "Long ago, someone in the village suddenly died. When he was buried, an owl flew in and perched at his bedside, only flying away when the corpse was lifted. After that, the corpse became very heavy; it took nine oxen to pull the coffin, and the villagers only then learned that the man had been a sorcerer in life." After listening seriously: "I indeed hadn't noticed such a legend before." Unscientific... Lumian found it hard to believe. Although Aurore mostly stayed home, she still went out a few days each month to chat with old ladies like Naroka and tell stories to children, knowing all the village rumors well; how could she not have heard this sorcerer legend that many people knew? Moreover, their house was built on the sorcerer's original home! Lumian had previously suspected that Aurore chose to settle in Cordu Village in order to get the sorcerer's treasure and thereby successfully gain extraordinary power. "Then what?" Aurore asked calmly. Lumian answered truthfully: "We asked the village elders and confirmed it really happened, but it was decades ago. The sorcerer's house had been burned by the church, and the land is the plot you bought." "Really?" Aurore was clearly surprised. "I said the price they sold me that land for was lower than normal—there must be something wrong... I thought it was because my sweet talk made the old ladies happy..." She thought and then asked: "The sorcerer's corpse was burned by the church?" "Yes, the ashes are buried in the graveyard next to the church." Lumian nodded. He continued: "Because all leads were cut off, we gave up on this. Who would have known that this morning when I woke up, I saw an owl outside the window, very similar to the one in the legend." "Sure?" Aurore became somewhat solemn. "Not sure, but it really isn't like ordinary owls." Lumian answered from an objective standpoint. Aurore pondered for a while, then slowly said: "During this time, don't leave the village; after dark, don't leave the house at all, until I investigate the situation clearly." Saying this, she smiled in a vexed way: "I told you, seeking extraordinary power is dangerous. Look, trouble has come!" "Fortunately, as things stand now, the other party doesn't seem malicious; the problem should be resolvable." As long as you're on guard, I can rest easy... Lumian lowered his head and said crisply: "Older sister, I was wrong." He immediately changed the subject: "Did your pen pals write back?" "How could it be that fast? It's not like sending a telegram, uh, mail!" Aurore snorted. Lumian didn't quite understand—didn't "mail" just mean letters and parcels sent through the post office? He didn't care too much, after all Aurore often came up with strange words. ... At the entrance of the Old Tavern. Lumian stood there, looking. He knew the lady who gave him tarot cards probably hadn't gotten up yet; this time he was looking for the three outlanders Leyn, Lia, and Valentay. As Lumian expected, the three outlanders occupied a table in the tavern, having breakfast. Trout rolls, wine, mayonnaise bread... eating quite well... Lumian observed for a few seconds, exited the Old Tavern, and didn't go disturb Lia and them. After a while, Leyn and them came out, preparing to continue strolling in Cordu Village and find people to "chat idly." Lumian went to meet them, opened his arms, and greeted them with a bright smile: "Good morning, my cabbages." He saw Valentay's facial muscles twitch, while Leyn and Lia—one slightly embarrassed, one with an amused expression. Uh, they were wearing the exact same thing as a few days ago... traveling outside, didn't bring many changes of clothes? Lumian noticed Lia still wore a pleatless cashmere form-fitting dress, white jacket, and Maxiel boots, with the veil serving as a hat and two silver bells on each boot; Leyn was still in that brown tweed coat and light yellow long pants, wearing a dark round top hat on his head. Similarly, Valentay still had powdered hair and makeup on his face. "Good morning, Lumian. Is something the matter?" Leyn asked calmly. "You're my friends; I'd come visit even if nothing was wrong." Lumian had an expression of being wronged. He then asked: "I see you've been looking for people to chat with in the village these days; do you want to ask something?" "You can come to me, my cabbages; I'm your friend, you can ask me anything!" "Your answers, we can't believe." Valentay couldn't help but speak. Leyn glanced at him, signaling him to calm down. Lumian smiled: "Then can you completely believe other people's answers?" Lia was for a moment at a loss for words; Leyn thought and said: "Actually we can't completely believe; we'll make a comprehensive judgment based on different people's answers and situations we observed ourselves." "Right." Lumian spread his hands: "Then listening to my answer isn't a bad thing; at least it's a reference." Leyn was silent for a moment, instinctively glanced left and right. In early morning Cordu Village, many people went to the fields, but almost none near the Old Tavern. "It's like this." Leyn chose his words: "We came here to find someone." "The parish priest?" Lumian asked with a smile. Leyn shook his head: "No. "We visited the parish priest to find that person." "Who?" Lumian showed an interested expression: "I know everyone in the village; I should be able to help." Leyn wasn't happy about that: "In fact, we don't know who that person is, their age, or what they look like. "Not long ago, we received a letter from Cordu Village, unsigned; we now want to find the person who wrote it." An informant? Lumian had this thought instinctively. He feigned confusion: "Since coming to the village because of that letter, that person hasn't found you?" "No." Lia answered for Leyn. "Maybe he still lacks a sense of security and doesn't quite trust you?" Lumian eagerly and warmly helped guess: "Can't you judge based on the letter's content?" What he wanted to know more was what the letter said. If it targeted the parish priest's group, he'd be happy to see it; but if it involved Aurore, he'd have to urge his older sister to move quickly, after all Aurore often corresponded with "pen pals," and if any "pen pal" was caught, she'd likely be implicated, and the clue was those letters, one by one.