Return Magic

Although he was an elderly man, his eyes had not become cloudy with age; in fact, they were sharper than those of some young men. His amber pupils and sword-like eyebrows once made Galan feel as if he were staring at an eagle.

The old man wore an exquisitely crafted robe, the kind of top-tier garment that only illustrious Mages were entitled to wear.

In addition, his refined and reserved demeanor led Galan to conclude that the other party must be a prominent figure of considerable status in [Äußerst].

This kind of temperament cannot be faked; it is a manifestation of a person's inner self and an outward expression of their soul.

Only through the tempering and refinement of time and the tempering of the heart can one cultivate such a temperament.

In short, even though it was just to be polite to have such a powerful Mage receive him, Galan still felt a little uncomfortable.

But the unpretentious and gentle attitude he had shown when speaking to him earlier made Galan feel a strange sense of closeness.

"Um... so... can I go in now?"

He felt a little uneasy, unsure if the other party had any other plans.

They might even search themselves to make sure they leave any dangerous weapons outside.

"Of course, you are a distinguished guest of the teacher; I am merely here to show you the way."

To his surprise, apart from showing up in front of him, the old man didn't seem to have any other tasks to perform.

He merely bowed slightly, then extended a hand and flicked his sleeve. The gilded door in front of Galan opened slowly and automatically. Was he really making such a top-tier human Mage wait for him here just to open a door for him?

Galan was momentarily confused, but quickly stopped thinking about it and walked straight through the door. After all, the other party didn't seem to have any ill intentions, so there was no need to think about meaningless things.

After he went inside, he heard a "Yu" sound behind him as the door slowly closed behind him.

The old man didn't come in, seemingly intending to leave himself and Serie some private space.

The hall was spacious, and the air was filled with the fragrance of flowers.

"You're here? You're so slow."

A familiar voice came from deep within the hall. Judging from the voice, Serie should be very close to him, but Galan couldn't immediately spot her because this hall was too strange. In his mind, such a magnificent hall should be similar to a medieval Palace in the modern Western world.

But in fact, the moment he stepped into the hall, he was amazed by the sight before him:

There are no precious works of art as decorations here, nor are there any interiors similar to those in medieval Palaces. Instead, there are vast fields of flowers, a small pavilion made of white stone, and an ornate chair in the very center of the hall.

The sight made Galan feel less like he was in the Palace and more like he was in a back garden.

Surprised? Is it different from what you expected?

After turning a corner, Galan finally saw Serie. She was squatting on the ground, her eyes lingering on a small orange flower, occasionally poking it with her finger, but her movements were so careful, as if she was afraid that the flower would shatter like glass.

1

... That's quite unexpected... I didn't realize you were the kind of person who really liked flowers and plants.

Galan answered truthfully that he had realized he had no "true feelings" to share with Serie; perhaps she really did possess the magic to see through people's hearts.

When he thought of this, he specifically observed Serie's expression to see how she would react. However, she seemed completely oblivious to him, her long eyelashes drooping, her gaze towards the flowers still so reluctant, even... somewhat doting?

"You like flowers and plants? How could I like such boring things?"

She acted haughty again, saying she didn't care at all, but her hands betrayed her true feelings, not stopping for a moment. Only her eyes seemed to flash with something for a fleeting instant, but because her back was turned,

Galan did not observe this.

"Um, so... how do you want to investigate my situation?"

He stood there for a long time, watching the flowers with Serie, but in the end he couldn't help but ask.

As if struck by Galan's words, she finally remembered the reason for Galan visit. She then patted her bottom, stood up, walked to the chair in the center of the hall, and sat down cross-legged. Galan followed behind her, standing at the bottom of the chair's steps.

Waiting for the other party to speak, I said, "Because it concerns [Goddess Magic], I already consulted some Holy Scripture copies and related commentaries stored in the library before you came. I also visited the monasteries in the city, but I couldn't find any records related to your situation." "Monasteries?"

Seeing Galan's surprised expression upon hearing this, Serie pouted in dissatisfaction, seemingly unwilling to explain the reason behind it.

Because paper has a very short lifespan, it is easily damaged and rotten if not properly maintained. As a result, many books in the past, including Grimoire, were almost completely worn out after about a hundred years.

"The monks in the monastery often practiced copying books as a form of spiritual discipline, so you can find very old copies of ancient texts there, some of which even contain stories from the Mythical Era."

"As for the [Goddess's Stone Monument], being a product of the Mythical Era, the only way to find out about the history of such an ancient artifact is to look for copies of those ancient books to answer the questions."

In the end, they did explain to Galan, saying they should have at least held on a little longer.

When the word "old-fashioned" was mentioned, Galan subconsciously glanced at Serie again.

I feel like those books aren't even as old as you, Grandma. If we're talking about old-fashioned things, aren't you the most open-minded one?

There are things you don't know about that era.

Seemingly sensing what Galan was thinking, Serie's expression suddenly turned cold, making Galan shudder.

Galan:

"Hmph! In short, I've looked through a lot of materials, but I really couldn't find any cases directly related to your situation."

But it wasn't all for naught.

"Based on my research from a century ago and the records in the Holy Scripture regarding the [Chapter of the Time-Looping Bird], the Mythical Era story known as the [Blank Chapter] does indeed contain records about [Return Magic]."