Chapter 144: I Think I’m Growing Ears
The bustling town was full of life, with the constant hum of conversations reaching Kailun’s ears.
The passersby mostly wore smiles on their faces, appearing carefree and content.
However, Kailun didn’t focus too much on the ordinary people. He kept a close eye on the young Fox.
Using Instantaneous Movement, Kailun followed behind her, maintaining a distance of over ten meters.
He was contemplating what identity he should use to approach Fox.
The current situation was still unclear, and Kailun needed more time to observe.
Considering Isabella’s safety, Kailun had teleported her out while activating the “Chaos” magic circle.
In his judgment, this was the most convenient method.
The current situation was beyond the realm of magic. Kailun had to consider all aspects.
Fortunately, his judgment was correct. This place wasn’t suitable for Isabella.
He followed the young Fox, watching her choose vegetables, inquire about prices, haggle, and finally return to the small house with a bag full of vegetables. Kailun paused outside the house and observed for a while.
After a moment, Kailun turned and went to a small building not far from Fox’s house. It was the only inn in the entire town.
This inn was less than fifty meters away from Fox’s house, and from the second-floor window, one could see the entire house.
The innkeeper was an old woman with gray hair, probably around seventy years old. She looked very healthy.
Kailun carefully sensed the surroundings and realized that apart from himself, she was the only person in the inn.
The counter at the front desk was spotless, and the tables and chairs on the first floor were neatly arranged, indicating regular cleaning.
“Grandma, I’d like a room, please. On the second floor,” Kailun said.
“Is room number seven okay?” the old woman asked, hunched over behind the counter.
“No problem. How much is it per day?” Kailun rummaged through his pocket for coins as he responded.
“Three copper coins per day. It’s one copper coin cheaper if you stay for a full seven days. Young man, are you new here? You don’t look like a local.”
The old woman carefully examined Kailun’s clothes. The simple and elegant attire wasn’t something ordinary people could afford.
“My family is in the business in the Royal City. I didn’t want to deal with the Chamber of Commerce, so I jumped off the carriage halfway.”
Kailun placed two silver coins on the counter. “I might stay for a month. Please use the rest to provide me with food.”
He smiled innocently, like a naive young man who had never experienced the world.
“No problem, leave it to me.” The old woman happily accepted the silver coins. She didn’t refuse the money from this wealthy young man.
“By the way, I saw quite a few people in the town. Why does this inn seem so deserted?”
Kailun asked casually.
“Young man, you don’t know this, but most people in this town have their own houses. They can all go back to their own homes. Over a decade ago, when my husband was still alive, there were many merchants and tourists passing through, but in recent years, there have been fewer and fewer. I was planning to close down this month, but I didn’t expect to have you as a guest.”
The old woman’s eyes were filled with reminiscence as she spoke of the past.
“Is that so? It seems there are fewer and fewer outsiders these years.” Kailun nodded thoughtfully and continued asking, “By the way, I saw a very beautiful girl with white hair just now. I wanted to ask her name. Does she live with her parents?”
When asking about Fox, Kailun deliberately acted nervous. To make it more convincing, he adjusted his state, making his face flush slightly.
He projected the image of a shy young man.
Out of respect for this place, Kailun chose the safest way to probe.
“So the young man has his eyes on Fox, huh? I advise you to give up. Many good boys have confessed to Fox before, and they were all chased away with a broom. That girl is a homebody. She rarely goes out except to buy groceries. You’re staying here hoping to run into her, aren’t you?”
The old woman looked at Kailun with a knowing smile.
“You guessed it. I’m so embarrassed. What about her parents? What do they like?”
Kailun asked eagerly. To express his sincerity, he even placed two more silver coins on the counter.
This time, the old woman refused the money. She shook her head. “I can’t answer that question. Fox has always lived alone. She has no parents, and I’ve never seen any relatives. Every time I see her, she always has a warm smile. Everyone in town treats her like family.”
“Is that so? I understand. Excuse me.”
Taking back the silver coins, Kailun followed the old woman to the second floor and entered a simple room.
After another brief exchange of pleasantries, Kailun stood by the window and looked towards Fox’s house.
The old woman had just told him that Fox lived alone, but Kailun saw a hunched figure enter Fox’s house.
She had long white hair, but unlike Fox, her hair was white due to old age.
However, that wasn’t the most interesting part. The most interesting part was that Kailun sensed a ninth-rank aura from her.
Did the Xiya Kingdom have a ninth-rank mage in the past?
The possibility was almost nonexistent.
Kailun couldn’t guess her identity for now, but he had a feeling that she was somewhat similar to the innkeeper.
Sensing her turning around, Kailun hid behind the window.
By enhancing his mental power to a certain level, he could shield himself from her perception.
After the woman returned to the house, Kailun sat on the chair and pondered.
He had several main goals for this trip to Kuye Town. First, to rescue Shirley, which was already in progress.
Second, to find out what had happened back then. Kailun was curious about what had really transpired in this town.
Third, to find the ruin mentioned by the Laurist family. The parchment scrolls must be hiding something unknown.
And…
Kailun continued to analyze the current situation. This town was shrouded in too much strangeness. The old woman who had taken in Fox was definitely not an ordinary person.
His intuition told him that Fox’s guardian was directly related to the current events.
After organizing his thoughts, Kailun left the inn.
He wandered around the bustling streets, memorizing everyone he encountered and constantly comparing them.
He would occasionally join in other people’s conversations, either asking about Fox or testing their reactions.
After spending about six hours, Kailun had a preliminary understanding of the town.
Looking up at the sun in the sky, its position didn’t correspond to the normal flow of time. Time in this town seemed to be much slower than what he perceived.
He unconsciously arrived at the entrance of the town. Kailun glanced back at the town and then walked calmly towards the outside world.
He believed that this special phenomenon should have boundaries.
……
Placing the vegetables she had bought on the table, Fox diligently studied her arithmetic book.
“Fox, you didn’t go to my basement, did you?”
The hunched old woman asked the moment she returned home.
“No, Grandma, I’ve been studying arithmetic all morning.”
Fox shook her head, her pink eyes sparkling.
She had heard this question countless times. The old woman would ask her every time she returned.
At first, Fox didn’t pay much attention, but as she was constantly asked, she gradually developed a rebellious mentality.
“Maybe Grandma is hinting that I should go take a look?” This was what Fox had thought the first time she entered the basement.
“It’s good that you didn’t. You can’t go there.”
The hunched old woman nodded and took the vegetables on the table to the kitchen to prepare lunch.
“By the way, Grandma, where did you go this morning? Why did everyone I asked say they didn’t see you?” Fox put down her book and asked, looking at the old woman’s back.
Hunched old woman: “I went outside the town to see a friend.”
Fox: “But you go every day. Won’t your friend get tired of it?”
Hunched old woman: “No, my friend is very good. She just listens to me quietly. But soon, she’ll answer my questions.”
Fox flipped through her book, feeling bored. “So, are you going out again this afternoon?”
“Yes, I’ll be back before dark.”
“Okay, I understand. I’ll be good at home alone.”
“Yes, remember not to go to the basement.”
“…”
This kind of conversation had happened many times, always with the same boring answers.
Fox had once planned to follow the old woman, but she would lose sight of her as soon as they left the town. She had returned empty-handed many times.
She helped the old woman prepare and eat lunch as usual, then watched her leave the house.
After the old woman was gone, Fox, having finished washing the dishes, secretly sneaked into the basement. Lighting the oil lamp on the wall, she dug out a small box from the corner and took out the scrolls she had read countless times.
The studious Fox quickly became engrossed. Every time she saw these magnificent magic circles, she would lose herself in studying.
Perhaps it was her natural talent. Even without anyone teaching her, Fox could understand the Destiny Magic on the scrolls.
However, a few scrolls were more complex, and she hadn’t fully grasped their effects yet.
In the blink of an eye, half the afternoon had passed.
Just as Fox was about to stretch and adjust her position, a man’s voice rang out beside her. “Is it that interesting? Let me see too.”
“Ah!”
Fox screamed in fright, instinctively throwing the scroll at the person beside her.
“Thank you, Fox. You’re so kind.” Kailun caught the scroll with a smile.
He opened it and saw an unfamiliar magic circle, somewhat similar in structure to the magic on the parchment scroll.
Seeing Kailun engrossed in the scroll, Fox panicked and tried to run outside, but she was blocked by the basement door.
No matter how hard she pushed and pulled, the door wouldn’t budge, as if it had been sealed with magic.
Realizing that there was no escape, Fox leaned against the door, her back pressed against it, and asked nervously, “Who are you? What do you want?”
Fox sensed a great threat from Kailun. She felt that her chances of defeating him with her small frame were almost zero.
Even the Destiny Magic she had secretly learned was probably useless.
Fox was confident in her appearance and figure. What she was most worried about was Kailun doing something to her.
Kailun, still facing away from Fox, kept his gaze on the scroll. “Don’t worry, I mean no harm. I won’t tie you up and do anything to you.”
Fox: “…”
Kailun’s answer didn’t ease her vigilance but instead made her heart jump to her throat.
A man and a woman alone in a room. If anything happened, no one would come to save her.
It was still a long time until dark. This much time was more than enough for him to “devour” her and leave without a trace.
Fox’s legs trembled with fear, her beautiful eyes filled with panic.
Kailun looked up at her and said, “Miss Fox, don’t worry. I’m not interested in you without your tail and ears.”
Currently, apart from her eyes, Fox looked no different from an ordinary girl.
Although she was still very beautiful, was a “Fox” without a tail still a fox?
“If you want to see, you can come over and look with me. I’m quite generous. By the way, I suggest you don’t tell your grandma about this. If she finds out that you sneaked into her basement, you know the consequences, right? She might abandon you, and you’ll be all alone.”
Kailun lowered his head and focused on the scroll in his hand. He needed some time to decipher the magic circle on it.
Was the accident back then really caused by Fox’s magic?
Not necessarily.
The young Fox was just a kind-hearted girl, her heart filled with countless complex thoughts.
She didn’t listen to Kailun’s words because she was afraid he would suddenly pounce on her and tear off her clothes.
But as time passed slowly, Kailun, studying the scroll, would occasionally look thoughtful. Hours went by without any major changes.
Gradually, Fox’s courage grew.
She squatted on the ground, rubbing her sore legs, her gaze fixed on Kailun.
Another hour passed. Fox saw Kailun put down the scroll in his hand and pick up another one from the box.
She secretly tried to open the basement door, but it wouldn’t budge.
Perhaps sensing Fox’s actions, Kailun rubbed his temples. “I believe Miss Fox must be very curious about many things, but I can’t explain some things to you. So, how about we make a deal?”
“A deal?” Fox’s voice rose two octaves.
“Yes, a deal. Miss Fox, you might know that your grandma is an ordinary person. She can’t understand these scrolls. They’re a waste to her.”
Kailun took out a parchment scroll from his pocket. “So, how about we make a trade? I’ll show you a more advanced scroll, and you let me see these interesting scrolls.”
With that, Kailun tossed the scroll to Fox.
Fox jumped up and caught it. She quickly opened the parchment scroll and saw an incredibly complex magic circle inside, far more complex than the ones in the box.
To Fox, who hadn’t received any systematic training, complex meant advanced. So the scroll Kailun gave her was clearly many times more advanced.
“What kind of magic is this?”
Fox, obsessed with magic, was immediately captivated.
“A super rare special magic. I can’t tell you the name, but its effect is related to chaos.” Kailun, who was very familiar with Fox, smiled at the twinkling stars in her eyes. “So, the deal is that we exchange our scrolls and let each other take a look. What do you think, Miss Fox?”
Fox: “Let me think about it.”
Fox didn’t understand Kailun. Logically, he was so powerful that he could just take all the scrolls. In the worst-case scenario, he could even take her away.
But he didn’t do that. Instead, he offered a more advanced scroll and proposed a trade.
Fox was even more confused. A bunch of questions filled her mind, and she couldn’t make sense of it.
How did he know there were scrolls in the basement?
Did he really just want to trade?
What if her grandma found out?
Her head felt hot, and her scalp itched, as if she were growing ears.
“Don’t overthink it. This is just between us. If you tell your grandma, I might have to resort to force.”
Kailun looked at Fox with sincerity. If possible, he wanted to avoid a fight between two ninth-rank mages.
Strictly speaking, Kailun only possessed ninth-rank attributes. He didn’t have enough knowledge and currently couldn’t even cast a single ninth-rank spell.
He might win in a fight, but it was more likely that he would get injured.
However, to Fox, his words were a blatant threat. If she didn’t listen to him, he would kill her grandma.
“Bad guy!”
Fox muttered under her breath, feeling conflicted as she held the parchment scroll.
If only she were stronger. Then she wouldn’t have to worry about being bullied. She could even slap him against the wall so hard that he wouldn’t be able to get off.
“Don’t just stand there. You must be tired. Since you have nothing to do, come and give me a shoulder massage. If you do a good job, I might give you a special reward.”
Kailun sat on the only small stool in the basement.
He had deciphered one scroll in the past few hours. This was the benefit of having high mental power.
He was currently studying the second scroll. No matter what, he had to find the magic Fox had cast back then within three days.
Fox, threatened by Kailun, could only walk towards him timidly. She placed her hands on his shoulders.
For some reason, she felt a sense of closeness as her hands touched Kailun’s shoulders. She had the urge to hug him from behind.
It was an illusion! It must be an illusion!
Fox bit her lip and secretly increased the pressure in her hands. It was precisely because of this feeling that she wasn’t afraid anymore.
Secretly observing Kailun’s figure and back, Fox felt a sense of familiarity, but she couldn’t remember where she had seen him before.
He looked to be about the same age as her. Could he be her long-lost twin brother?
Otherwise, why did she feel this sense of connection?
Leave a Reply