"Manor's changed a lot. It's so lively! Are you renovating the main house?" Daniel asked the captain of the Howlett Family's riders, who had welcomed him in Red Deer the day before. Thanks to James's advance preparations, they'd run into a band of gold-rush bandits on the road. If Daniel had been traveling alone, even with the coachman, they would have been stripped of their clothes and forced to walk all the way to Edmonton.
"We're digging a cellar. Young Master James is taking this project very seriously. As you know, he's in charge of the family's affairs now." The captain, Jack Pitt, was a new recruit promoted by James and not yet thirty. His father had served Mr. Howlett for many years. Those old retainers had gradually grown older, and most were enjoying their retirement. Their children, meanwhile, continued to work for the Howlett Family—and for James.
A new generation replaced the old. Perhaps their children would work for James too, and even their children after them...
"Ah... This doesn't look like some simple cellar," Daniel murmured. He'd spent a long time traveling in Egypt and had seen the scale of its enormous underground palaces. It made his student, whom he hadn't seen in years, seem all the more unfamiliar to him.
"Please, go inside. Mr. Howlett and Young Master James are waiting for you at the manor." Captain Pitt gently urged Daniel on. Daniel, who'd been lost in thought, gave him an apologetic smile and hurried inside.
A tall young woman stood at the entrance to the manor. Her vivid, thick red hair and luminous pale skin made her stand out brilliantly.
She lifted her chin slightly as she looked around. When she saw Daniel, she flashed him a sweet, knowing smile but said nothing.
"You're... O'Hara! Little Rose!" Daniel cried, both excited and astonished.
"Hahahahaha! You got it right!" O'Hara laughed aloud, pleased to be recognized. "Come on, everyone's waiting for you in the drawing room." As she led him inside, Daniel remarked that girls changed so much as they grew up, that ugly ducklings became swans, and so on. O'Hara scolded him playfully.
After a pleasant dinner with their guests, Mr. Howlett retired to his room early to rest. His energy was limited these days, and he rarely entertained anyone for so long.
O'Hara helped him back to his bedroom, while James invited Daniel to the study to chat and sample the special cigars he'd brought back from Cuba.
"Mmm... These are pretty good," James said, savoring the taste. Strangely enough, he'd never smoked or drunk before, and cigars had never appealed to him. But two years ago, after Mr. Howlett urged him to try one, he'd come to enjoy their smoky aroma.
"I've been to India and Egypt over the years, and spent the longest time in the countries of the Middle East. In the end, I sailed back from Morocco. I've seen the sights of many wondrous ancient lands. Can you believe that during Egypt's First Dynasty, it was briefly ruled by a man called En Sabah Nur? Yet there's no official record of him in the history books. I suppose the Pharaohs didn't want such a thing passed down."
Daniel smoked his cigar and spoke at length as he sipped fine gin. James listened with keen interest.
"Many of these ancient lands have histories steeped in myth. Strange figures, almost like Celestials, are said to have left their mark, but the stories are always vague. The locals, though, take them very seriously and won't tolerate outsiders dismissing them. I think that as industrialization spreads and civilization shines its light, these savage regions will gradually be assimilated."
There was a faint pride on Daniel's face. Though fascinated by the history of these wondrous ancient lands, he didn't seem to believe in ghosts or gods.
"By the way, Professor Daniel, would you be interested in traveling again for a while? I could fund you and pay you handsomely. There are some things I need to investigate." James thought for a moment, then blew a smoke ring as he spoke.
Daniel paused. After a while, he said, "I have considered whether I should keep living this way. Honestly, I may be getting too old to endure such harsh conditions. But..."
He gave James an amused look. "If the pay's good enough, I might consider it! Hahahaha!" They both laughed. Then Daniel continued, "But I don't want to go to Africa again. That place nearly killed me!"
Seeing James's awkward expression, Daniel suddenly had a bad feeling. "You're not actually asking me to go back to Africa, are you?" James didn't answer directly. He pondered for a moment, then asked slowly, "Since you spent so long in Africa, have you ever heard of a place called Wakanda?"
Among the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas stood a temple-like building halfway up the mountainside. The clear chime of wind bells drifted into the distance with the mountain breeze. Monks and ascetics passed by with scriptures in their arms, while Zen masters sat or reclined in meditation, bringing a little life to the temple in the lonely mountains.
In a quiet chamber in the central hall, a sorcerer in a plain robe, with pale gold hair falling to her waist, studied a thick, leather-bound book while seated on a cushion. Her features were those of a striking, refined woman, yet her movements and mannerisms were like a man's. She seemed to have no clear gender, while her eyes held an indescribable ancient sorrow, as though time flowed and meandered within them.
A hazy green light suddenly spilled from the pendant at her chest. The sorcerer raised her brows and shaped her hands into an arcane configuration. The pendant rotated open like a lock, revealing a radiant green light at its center.
She closed her eyes and lowered her hands to her sides. A pair of rings covered in inscrutable green runes rose around her arms. As the rings slowly revolved, her brow twisted again and again, as if she were caught in a nightmare. After a long while, she lowered her arms and pressed her palms together at her chest. The pendant slowly locked shut, becoming a simple brass ornament once more. The sorcerer opened her eyes and sighed softly. "An anomaly has turned the wheel of time. The future is now shrouded in mist..."
"I haven't heard of it."
Daniel answered bluntly. James visibly relaxed, though he also seemed a little disappointed. Daniel found his reaction strange and continued, "I've traveled in northern Africa, but never been to the south. And there aren't many established nations there; people usually refer to places by their tribes or regions. So I can't guarantee it doesn't exist. I just haven't heard of it myself."
James thought for a moment, then said firmly, "I need a definite answer. So please, you must make another trip!"
"All right... If you insist. But I'll need plenty of support from you—not just money and supplies. I'll need you to send capable people to go with me. I can't do this alone."
Daniel took a long time to consider before finally agreeing. James immediately assured him, "Don't worry! I'll provide enough people for you to assign as you see fit, and all the supplies you need. And once it's done, whether or not you find Wakanda, you'll receive enough money to live comfortably for the rest of your life. You have my word."
"I trust you. Those are minor details. Once I've finished this job, you'll have to support me in my old age anyway!" Daniel joked. "But can I ask what this is all about? Why are you so interested in some community or native tribe in Africa that may not even exist?"
James thought for a moment, then answered seriously, "I can't go into the exact reasons. But as you just said, the ancient lands are full of strange myths and legends. If we can find this place, then perhaps all sorts of impossible things could be proven true..."
Daniel lowered his gaze, deep in thought. James continued, "If you find it, gather as much information about Wakanda as you can, as long as it's safe—its location, history, culture, and so on. But you must be careful and keep your distance. If what I know is correct, it's an extremely isolationist nation. They've kept themselves hidden from outsiders. Don't try to enter!"
He warned Daniel. The two of them talked for a long time. Daniel suspected that his student, like many people fascinated by the mysterious, wanted to uncover the truth about the world. Though he didn't believe any of it, deep down he had always yearned for an unexpected answer. After all, hadn't these past eight years of exploration been an attempt to pursue the uncertainty he couldn't put into words?
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