"Surprised?"
Watching the two men, their faces plainly full of complaints they did not know how to voice, Connelly Earse smiled rather irresponsibly. "It's all right... we have plenty of time. We can talk slowly."
"Little Simon, bring three cups of coffee, then go mind the shop."
He invited Aaron and Bruce to sit at a metal table, studying Bruce. "You must be Bruce Field, right? Clark mentioned you many times in his letters to me... You were the one he worried about most. By the way, your teacher—is he well?"
"My teacher..." Bruce's voice was heavy. "He has passed away."
"Life shall ultimately return to nature. May the existence he believed in receive his soul..."
Connelly Earse traced an ritual gesture.
"Mr. Earse, are you a 'Druid'? Does the Eye of Ancient Meng School have a Druid inheritance?"
After Connelly Earse had finished, Aaron asked curiously.
"You are... Aaron, right? Sure enough, you have a pair of beautiful violet eyes."
Connelly Earse smiled and shook his head. "No, I belong to a Druid sect—the Oak Ring! I never joined Clark's school!"
"Then why did my teacher tell me to find you? And this!" Bruce took the silver 'Eye of Ancient Meng' necklace from beneath his collar.
"I think..." Connelly took a sip of coffee and pondered. "Your teacher probably wanted me to take you to the Druid holy land, complete a 'Historical Retrospection' ritual, and then introduce you into the Eye of Ancient Meng School... You know, the power contained in every piece of hidden history has its limits, so the number of people in a ritual must be strictly controlled. The secret-history imprint within the Druid holy land belongs to your teacher's branch. Now that your teacher has died, a place has opened up, and he wanted you