Land of Wizards - Greenriel (Part 2)

The sudden question caught Lynn off guard.

As several figures gradually approached, Lynn recognized the leader at a glance. It was the person he had been searching for – Joanne.

The girl, wrapped in a black robe, was about twenty years old, with peculiar silver-grey hair and eyes like bright, clear blue gems.

Perhaps due to constantly being on the run, Joanne was much thinner than when they last met, her face pale with sickness.

"I don't understand what you mean, Joanne!" Lynn's tone was firm, unwavering. With all the memories of his previous life, he was certain Carl had never betrayed anyone.

At most, he might have thought about it, but that wouldn't explain why they had to hide in the slums, constantly in fear.

"Where is your sword?" the grey-haired Witch continued to question.

Only then did Lynn notice Joanne's gaze fixed on the long sword in his hand. His mind raced, and he instantly understood the problem.

"That's a weapon commonly used by witch hunters!" the burly Wizard Apprentice Buck exclaimed emotionally.

"Of course, it's my spoils of war. Is there a problem, Buck?" Lynn replied calmly, though cold sweat was already trickling down his back.

He had been carrying such a ticking time bomb around for days!

Of course, he couldn't blame himself for not being cautious. His personal short sword had been left behind in their slum dwelling, and it seemed a waste to just discard a perfectly good weapon when it was right in front of him.

More importantly, Carl's memories contained no information about [witch hunters being equipped with standard weapons].

Judging by the fact that he hadn't encountered any trouble these past few days, very few people must have known this information. However, it was obvious that Old Hawke at the [Drunkard] tavern would know.

No wonder he had been making excuses and probing when he bought the Guro Wine. Old Hawke must have passed on the information about him possessing a witch hunter's long sword to Joanne and the others.

"Spoils of war?! You mean you killed a witch hunter and took his sword?" Buck scoffed. "Carl, if I recall correctly, you can't even master the most basic Tier 1 spell, [Blade of Ice]... You should find a better excuse."

As lackeys of the Holy See, those chosen as witch hunters were the elite of the elite, far surpassing ordinary people in skill. They usually operated in small teams, and even Official Wizards would find them extremely troublesome.

For them, mere Apprentices, escaping with their lives would already be considered fortunate.

"Sometimes strength isn't everything, Buck!" Lynn shook his head. "Also, wasn't it four months ago when we last met?"

As he spoke, Lynn extended his hand, and the Hydrogen and Oxygen in the surrounding air were stripped away, rapidly cooling and condensing into form.

In an instant, a diamond-shaped ice blade appeared before everyone's eyes. Its shape was peculiar yet exuded a strange beauty.

The Wizard Apprentices present were momentarily stunned. It wasn't the unprecedented appearance of the ice blade that surprised them, but rather Lynn's casting speed!

Before becoming an Official Wizard, one couldn't engrave the corresponding Spell Slots in their mind. Therefore, how to quickly complete the complex casting steps and increase casting speed became a major challenge.

After all, in a real battle, the enemy wouldn't foolishly wait for you to finish casting. A typical Wizard Apprentice who could complete the casting preparation within two seconds was already considered competent.

Yet, Lynn had compressed the entire process to about one second. Perhaps in pursuit of pure speed, the ice blade's form wasn't a perfect Coru Configuration, but it was enough to make everyone present take notice.

"Also, I don't think the Holy See would appoint a Wizard as a witch hunter and issue them corresponding weapons..." Lynn continued his rebuttal before anyone could fully react.

Buck was completely speechless. The Holy See had always been ruthless with them, Wizards, killing without question. Appointing a Wizard "corrupted by demons" as a witch hunter would be a blasphemy against God...

The other Wizard Apprentices clearly understood this point, and their hostility towards Lynn lessened somewhat.

Joanne didn't lower her guard. She looked at one of them and asked, "Have you scouted the surroundings? White Dove?"

"No one is surrounding us..." the person replied, shrinking back into their black robe timidly.

Receiving the accurate reply, Joanne turned back and apologized to Lynn. "I'm sorry, Carl. The situation was urgent, and we had to be cautious."

"So, you just suspected me and were prepared to kill me without any concrete evidence?" Lynn questioned.

"I assure you, that spell just now was a test. No one would want to harm their companion!" Joanne explained solemnly.

Lynn gazed into the girl's blue eyes, not detecting any evasion or lies. However, when he was attacked earlier, he had genuinely felt a sense of danger.

But considering his suspicion wasn't fully cleared, and his senses weren't 100% reliable, Lynn didn't reveal this information publicly.

Compared to the other Apprentices, he had followed Coru for the shortest time and was the least trustworthy!

After a pause, Lynn suppressed his displeasure for the moment and asked again, "Did something happen? I need an explanation..."

"Come with me first. This isn't a place for conversation. The fight just now might have exposed our whereabouts!" Joanne gave Lynn an apologetic glance, then signaled for everyone to return to their base under the cover of night.

When the full moon hung high in the sky, a desolate, ruined village appeared before Lynn.

"This village was massacred and destroyed by a group of invading mercenaries during Duke Nordland's last conquest. Now, besides us, there are only wild beasts here." Joanne sighed and muttered softly, "These damned nobles, damned Holy See, damned war!"

Lynn looked at Joanne with a hint of surprise. He wasn't surprised by her words, but he wondered if it was appropriate to say such things when everyone present was likely of noble birth.

Despite an inexplicable aversion to nobles, Joanne still chose a noble's manor as their temporary base.

Ravaged by war, the vast manor had long lost its former glory. The main residence looked precarious, surrounded by ruins and rubble.

The interior wasn't much better. Cobwebs covered the dilapidated walls, and thick dust coated the overturned chairs, filling the air with a scent of decay.

However, this was still a noble's residence. To withstand the war, the massive main house was almost like a small castle, with several guard posts and even an independent drainage channel. This meant they wouldn't have to worry about drinking water here, at least.

Upon entering the manor, Lynn quickly spotted the Wizard Apprentice left guarding the castle – Barton!

Compared to his robust brother Buck, Barton was the opposite, appearing skeletal, as if a strong gust of wind could blow him over.

Joanne and the others carried the supplies to the entrance and sealed the gate again. Before Lynn could ask, she spoke up.

"Kent is dead!"

Who was Kent?

Lynn froze for a moment, then searched his memory before recalling that Kent was Coru's third disciple and the only Wizard Apprentice not present. He hadn't expected this guy to be dead already.

"On the same day our teacher was captured by the Holy See, Nordland Territory guards raided Kent's hiding place. Afterward, Buck, Barton, and Will were also pursued. Only White Dove's abilities were special, allowing her to evade the attack in advance," Joanne explained.

Special abilities?

Lynn subconsciously glanced at the Wizard Apprentice named White Dove.

She looked excessively young, perhaps only thirteen or fourteen, and wasn't even as tall as his shoulders. Her sallow face was dotted with sparse freckles, and her hair was messy. She was squatting alone in a corner, feeding a few grey crows.

Lynn's thoughts raced, and he quickly connected this to the crow caws he'd heard in the tavern. He immediately guessed that she must possess some kind of Magic that allowed her to control animals.

"I suspect someone sold us out, which is how the Holy See managed to pinpoint our hiding place," Joanne said worriedly.

"Then just how many people knew where we were hiding?" Lynn asked the most crucial question.

As Wizards being pursued and suppressed by the Holy See, they absolutely couldn't reveal their whereabouts casually. This meant that very few people could possibly know, and a process of elimination would be sufficient.

Joanne was silent for a moment, then shook her head. "Normally, only we few should have known."

"Could it be that our teacher..." Buck hesitantly asked from the side.

"Absolutely impossible!" Joanne's gaze sharpened, and she rebuked him with absolute certainty.

Buck immediately shut his mouth.

Lynn didn't dwell on the issue too much. Instead, he asked the second question that concerned him the most.

"What's our plan now?"

Lynn vaguely regretted seeking out these Wizard Apprentices. He had initially thought that although Joanne and the others were being pursued, they would at least be stable internally. Even if they couldn't lead him to another Official Wizard, they could be a decent help.

However, it didn't seem to be the case now.

If Joanne didn't have a reliable plan to escape the Holy See's pursuit, he would simply find an opportunity to leave this group.

For Lynn, acting alone was much safer than following a group of incompetent teammates.

Buck and Will also looked at Joanne simultaneously. Even White Dove stopped feeding the grey crows.

During the period of being pursued by the Holy See, they had asked the same question more than once, but Joanne had always evaded it, insisting on waiting until everyone was present before revealing anything.

This time, Joanne didn't hide anything and responded freely. "Next, we will take a ship across the Sea of Mists and head to the Land of Wizards—Greenriel!"

"Does the Land of Wizards really exist?" Will, who had been silent, suddenly asked. "But I heard that outside the Sea of Mists is a land of death. Those who sail out never return."

"Yes, I once traveled there with my mentor. It's a territory exclusively for Wizards, free from the Holy See's influence and witch hunters. Everyone can freely research Magic there!" Joanne said firmly.

"That sounds as wonderful as Ella's Holy Land," Barton murmured softly. He couldn't imagine a world where Wizards weren't pursued and could freely cast spells; it could only be described as dreamlike.

It was like the Holy Land of Ella described in the Bible, a place only the most devout believers could reach after death.

There was no sickness or aging, everyone could live in spacious Manors and enjoy the meticulous care of Dream Spirits.

In the Holy Land, the rivers flowed with mellow wine, wheat fields yielded abundant ears of grain without cultivation, and every tree branch was laden with juicy, plump steaks...

"Ella doesn't like Wizards..."

White Dove, squatting in the corner, said weakly, interrupting Barton's fantasy.

"Then how do we get there?" Will eagerly pressed.

Joanne hesitated for a moment before truthfully replying, "Ur Town is very close to the seaport of Nordland Territory. We can take a ship there. I think... Lame Laud should help us."

Laud?

Lynn couldn't help but be surprised. Old Hawke, the owner of the Drunkard tavern, had also mentioned this name to him before.

Rumor had it that Lame Laud had been a pirate in his youth and had made quite a name for himself. He only had his leg broken while plundering a merchant ship, and he managed to escape by playing dead.

However, it was precisely this experience that turned Laud's luck around. After that battle, most of the pirate gang's leaders died. Laud, who had luckily survived, smoothly became the pirate leader.

But this guy acted uncharacteristically. Instead of continuing his plundering business, he started legitimate trade. He now controlled the alcohol trade in Ur Town and the seaport, essentially becoming the biggest local power west of the entire Nordland Territory.

Considering the various rumors circulating in the city, Lynn immediately realized that the so-called alcohol trade he managed was merely a cover. His real main business was likely maintaining contact between the Land of Wizards and the outside world.

"In short, we must hurry. The path to the Land of Wizards only opens briefly on Moon Day," Joanne said briskly, drawing her long sword and sketching the locations of Ur Town and the seaport on the ground, marking the route with sword strokes.

"We'll set off early tomorrow morning. Detouring through Mount Kord should be inconspicuous. According to the stellar constellations, this year's Moon Day will last for five days, which is more than enough time!"

Joanne explained the general plan. Seeing that Lynn and the others had memorized it, she cast a Fireball spell, destroying all the images she had drawn.

"That's all for tonight!" In the flickering firelight, Joanne surveyed everyone and added, "White Dove, I'll leave the night watch to you. Tomorrow, have Carl carry you on the journey."

Why me?

Lynn, whose name had been called, touched his nose, feeling extremely dejected. They're really bullying the newcomer, aren't they?

(PS: I couldn't find a suitable place to break the chapter, so I'm publishing two chapters together today.)

Thanks to book friends 20180222162706940, Wonderful Memories, dsf23dd, and You Are Truly Lonely for the 100 Qidian coins reward.