Chapter 38: Azure
The path to the girls’ dormitory wasn’t easy, winding and secluded.
They walked in silence, having tacitly stopped their bickering after that slap.
Finally, Angel led Lena to an old apartment building covered in ivy, a strangely shaped iron gate blocking their path.
“Here?” Lena asked, looking around. “Your home?”
“Dormitory.” Angel took out a prismatic memory crystal, inserted it into the lock, and turned it. The gate creaked open. “Come in. I don’t have anything to offer you, just some worthless stuff. You can sit for a while and then go back.”
“…”
Lena didn’t mind Angel’s rudeness; instead, she was quite interested in the memory crystal.
“I haven’t seen this design in a long time… ten years? Maybe more…”
The advent of memory crystals was a groundbreaking invention. A person’s identity, information, profession, etc., were stored within the crystal, readily available for presentation.
It was like a different kind of ID card, leaving no secrets hidden.
Initially, these memory crystals were very popular, even promoted by the imperial family, encouraging widespread adoption. The inventor made a fortune and was even granted a noble title.
However, the dangers and flaws of memory crystals gradually became apparent.
Because the environment encouraged people to carry memory crystals with them, a group of crystal hunters emerged, specializing in stealing and trading them on the black market. Valuable crystals were sold, while worthless ones were destroyed or discarded.
The era of universal information leakage had arrived.
Later, the empire intervened, recalling the crystals, enacting new laws, arresting the inventor, and sending him to the guillotine, finally quelling the turmoil…
Lena remembered using one before, but not after becoming Grey Robe. She had heard about this from a Tidekin sea beast while fleeing the empire’s pursuers. A giant mantis shrimp covered in barnacles, speaking human language, had almost scared her to death.
It was a rather amusing memory.
“Only hardtack and black tea, is that okay?”
Despite saying she wouldn’t offer anything, Angel still brought out tea and snacks. They sat on the floor in the small, thirty-square-meter room.
Lena took a sip of tea, walking around the room. “A very cozy room, very ladylike.”
“Just say it’s small, no need to beat around the bush.” Angel bluntly pointed out Lena’s flattery, her expression indifferent. “My family’s decline isn’t recent, but my father still stubbornly clings to aristocratic airs, sipping wine among the upper class. Those who don’t know would think the Cavendish family is still powerful, but we can barely afford basic magic energy consumption. Every time, I have to use my own money to cover the deficit, robbing Peter to pay Paul…”
“So that’s why you don’t want to go back?” Lena returned to her seat, tracing the rim of her teacup with her fingertip.
“More or less.” Angel munched on the hardtack. “I send a little allowance home every month, and my father won’t bother me at the academy. Even if he opposes my career, he still has to use the money I earn from being an idol. That stubborn old fool, spending my money is the best way to prick his conscience!”
Angel slammed her teacup on the table.
The pale yellow tea splashed out, some landing on the back of Lena’s hand.
Lena seemed unfazed, continuing to ask, “Don’t you hate him? He spends recklessly while you work tirelessly, even praying late into the night, participating in the Saintess election…”
Bearing such burdens at such a young age, Lena felt a sense of kinship with Angel’s tragic fate.
“What good would hating him do? He’s my father. I’m afraid of his authority, and he’s afraid I’ll stop supporting him.”
Angel smiled wryly, picking up her cup and taking a sip, leaving a faint pink lip print on the rim.
“I’ve achieved all the goals he set for me. I became the obedient child he wanted, but now he has to rely on my sister and me to support him. Every time he comes to ask for money, he puts on an arrogant air, finding all sorts of excuses, making sure others think he’s doing well, unaware of how much it hurts his pride, shamelessly spending his daughters’ hard-earned money…”
Seeing Angel’s expression, Lena felt a pang of sympathy.
She suddenly thought of herself. At least she had food, drink, and entertainment before her family’s downfall and her ten years on the run.
At least before that, she had lived much better than Angel.
And Angel, from birth, had been burdened with her father’s unrealistic expectations, growing up in such a high-pressure environment, yet her personality hadn’t become twisted. Angel’s resilience was truly remarkable…
“My dream is to stand on a big stage, watching the fans cheering for me, singing my original songs.” Angel suddenly stood up, her spirits lifted. “I have some recording stones from my concerts, do you want to watch them?”
Lena raised an eyebrow, her mood improving. “I don’t mind watching.”
“Alright, wait here.”
Angel skipped out of the dormitory, returning shortly with a sack full of recording stones. “I left them with the dormitory matron, but I had too many, and she packed them all up in the attic. It took me a while to find them.”
Angel struggled to move the sack, sweat glistening on her forehead.
“Heave-ho!”
“Let me help.”
Lena took the sack from Angel, dragging it into the room.
“Which one should we watch first… my colorful debut performance? Or the ‘Under the Azure Sky’ concert… Ahhh, there are so many, it’s hard to choose.”
Angel rummaged through the sack, recording stones spilling out.
Lena noticed a plain-looking black recording stone rolling to her feet. She picked it up and examined it. It was no different from the other stones, just a bit dusty, seemingly having been in the sack for a long time.
“Let’s watch this one,” Lena said casually.
After watching, she could go back. The little fox girl at home should be asleep…
“No, no, not that one! Absolutely not that one!”
Angel quickly covered the black recording stone, her face flushing. “This one isn’t suitable. Let’s choose another one, how about my most recent performance?”
“Why?” Lena was puzzled. They were all the same recording stones, just different colors. Why such a strong reaction…?
Could it be?!
Lena’s lips curved into a smile.
“This is the one. I also want to see if the legendary ‘Azure’ lives up to its name…”
Azure, it must refer to Angel’s hair color, used as her debut name, it must have a special meaning.
“Don’t say anything…”
Angel’s face was crimson, like a cooked shrimp.
“If you insist on watching it, I’ll go out for some air.”
“Not together?” Lena toyed with the recording stone, extending an invitation.
“N-no,” Angel averted her gaze. “Who wants to watch their own performance? It’s so embarrassing…”
That’s not what you said just now.
Before Lena could speak, Angel dashed out the door with surprising speed.
Lena was left alone in the room, the lingering scent of Caraman grass the only evidence of Angel’s presence.
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