The Dignity of the Wizard Family

The brief carriage journey did not last long. As the trees around them gradually thinned out, lively shouts from training drifted into Little Arro's ears from time to time.

The road began to slope downward, and the carriage tilted as it descended. Little Arro had to grip the decoration beside him tightly to keep from sliding out through the door at the front.

The steeds' heavy hooves scraped continuously against the gravel road, sending scattered stones rolling down the roadside with several rapid clatters.

Creak, creak!

The carriage's wooden body let out piercing groans without end, while the distant cries of training gradually became clearer.

Clack!

As the horseshoes struck the bluestone with crisp sounds, the carriage finally reached a smooth stone road.

Whew—

Little Arro drew a deep breath, barely suppressing the urge to vomit. He opened the wooden window and looked outside.

They were halfway up a vast valley. Beneath them lay a neat bluestone road, flanked on both sides by houses built from thick logs. Not far down the street was a level Training Ground, where more than a dozen fully armed warriors trained without pause.

Rather than a street or a Small Town, it looked more like a Military Camp—though it was somewhat empty at the moment.

Of the three knights who had accompanied them, two saluted David and departed, leaving only Kabir to travel alongside David and the others.

"Are we there?" Little Arro turned to ask his father.

"Not yet." David looked at the warriors training outside, a subtle expression on his face. "These are Garner Family Vassals. They also count as the Achilles Valley Knights stationed here. Your Grandfather's Castle is still ahead."

"If they're vassals, why do they also count as stationed knights?"

Vassals were equivalent to his own future strength.

A stationed knight order, just from the name alone, sounded like an outside force.

Little Arro did not understand why David had described them so contradictorily.

David turned back and explained, "I should have told you before. One reason your Grandfather built his Castle here was to guard against the Wild Forest. But there are seven Small Towns within the territory under your Grandfather's name alone."

"With such a vast area, how could your Grandfather defend it all by himself? So the Jungle Home Wizard Alliance regularly sends over potions that can help Apprentice Knights make breakthroughs."

"Those knights who broke through with the help of potions nominally belong to Wendell Wizard Academy. That's why they're called stationed knights. Under normal circumstances, we have no authority to take them beyond the borders of the territory."

Under normal circumstances?

Wasn't that the same as saying that, most of the time, circumstances could be made abnormal?

True enough—if no one reported it, then even if they were taken out, who would know?

They just had to keep up appearances.

Little Arro nodded in deep agreement, and his gaze toward the warriors outside softened considerably.

These are all my vassals!

"Oh, right, Father. What is 'Jungle Home'?"

"I once studied at Wendell Wizard Academy. It's one of the academies under Jungle Home. Once you enter the academy to study, you'll understand." David did not wish to elaborate and answered him perfunctorily.

The carriage continued onward. After passing through a stone gate, the sky suddenly darkened, as though an invisible line had cut off the sunlight.

At this point, apart from the winding bluestone road, everything around them was a pitch-black swamp. Twisted tree trunks, like grotesque corpses, lay scattered haphazardly within it.

The carriage moved slowly along the bluestone road, the clip-clop of hooves echoing endlessly.

Little Arro shrank his neck, unable to keep himself from feeling afraid.

Dark, twisted, grotesque, eerie... it really was starting to feel more and more like a ghost story.

Black Cat looked lazily around and said in boredom, "The water in the swamp has dried up a little. It can't even bubble anymore."

Kabir, who was driving the carriage, turned back and explained, "Ms. Gemma, if we filled it with enough water to make bubbles, those trees around it wouldn't be able to stand steady."

"Wouldn't be able to stand steady? What does that mean?"

Little Arro raised his head in surprise.

"Aren't those strange trees growing there?"

"No. Those tree trunks were branches we specially selected from the woods, then pruned and cut before transporting them here."

Little Arro's Eyebrows furrowed tightly. "Why do something so strange?"

"Because he believes that only this can display the majesty of a wizard family."

David shrugged, then pointed at the sky. "He even bought tree-growth potions specifically to Cover Up the sunlight over this half of the valley, cultivating vines to spread through the air above. Those potions used up nearly more than half his savings."

"More than half his savings!?"

Little Arro's mouth fell open in shock.

More than half his savings, spent just on planting trees?

Just to create an atmosphere?

The image he had built in his mind of a mysterious, powerful old wizard came crashing down. All Little Arro felt now was a deep ache in his heart.

What a spendthrift!

Black Cat raised her head and reminded him, "Something strange will appear soon. Timid Arro, don't wet your pants from fright."

There was something strange too?

With that towering image in his heart already shattered, Little Arro no longer felt afraid. Hearing Black Cat's warning instead made him even more curious.

What could it be?

Caw—caw—

Flap, flap!

Hearing that coarse, hoarse crow call, Little Arro hurriedly looked up.

Could it be this?

A crow?

"Oh~ Let me see which friend has come to visit my home today."

Rumble...

The ground trembled faintly. The steeds shifted uneasily, and Kabir hurriedly tightened his grip on the reins, steadying the carriage.

"Little Arro, look at the large stone on the left."

Hearing Black Cat's reminder, Little Arro hurriedly looked over. By the roadside stood a massive boulder. On the side facing the road were a set of indistinct Five Senses, and the lips on that face were trembling faintly.

"Oh~ Unfortunately, you must answer my question before you can pass through here."

A dull voice came from within the stone, but David slapped a hand over his own face and urged repeatedly, "Kabir, hurry up and go! I don't want to see that thing again!"

The muscles on Kabir's face twitched slightly, but he forcibly suppressed the expression threatening to betray him. Turning around, he cracked the whip.

"Oh~ You people are far too rude!"

The boulder cried out helplessly.

Little Arro watched the boulder curiously until it vanished from sight, then turned back and asked, "Why didn't we answer its question? Did we not need to?"

"It's not just that we didn't need to..." Kabir scratched his head, looking troubled for a moment. "How should I put this?"

"That thing is just a mechanism." David sighed as he explained. "As long as someone passes by it, the mechanism is triggered, and the Echo Stone buried inside the boulder releases a prerecorded voice."

"If you stand there without leaving, that Echo Stone can talk for an entire day without repeating itself. But as long as you move a certain distance away, it will play its final line."

"'You people are far too rude'?" Little Arro quickly answered, saying with great interest, "That really is an interesting thing."

An Echo Stone?

A recording?

Little Arro immediately thought of movies from his previous life.

With this thing, could he make a movie for fun too?

Just as Little Arro was about to start imagining again, a towering, enormous Castle appeared vaguely ahead.

Compared with the Castle Little Arro had lived in before, that previous place could only be called a stone house. This was a true Castle!

As expected of a Grandfather who could spend more than half his savings planting trees—the house he built certainly did not lose face!

Filled with amazement, Little Arro followed his father out of the carriage and entered on foot.