Nia's Continental Studies

"Very well, then tomorrow... what, you refuse?!"

Hearing Li Lin's answer, the mayor immediately spoke, but then froze for a moment as he realized what Li Lin meant.

"Isn't that only natural, human?"

Angela sneered at the man before her as though he were a beaten dog.

"What right do you have to demand a duel with Master? What do you think you are? A beaten dog, a useless piece of trash, a pathetic loser. What else are you? If you want to die so badly, there's no need to wait until tomorrow. Shall I grant your wretched wish right now?"

"Jieka, stop."

Nia stepped forward, blocking the mayor's furious gaze.

"You should understand that this is meaningless."

"Meaningless?"

Jieka looked at the girl before him, and his mouth suddenly twisted into a distorted smile.

"Yes, it's meaningless! You damned woman, you've kept our family in this godforsaken place since my grandfather's grandfather's grandfather's generation, just so we could be your watchdogs?! From my grandfather to my father, every one of them was utterly bewitched by you. That's right, they could sacrifice themselves for you and stay here as dogs. But I won't! You want to leave? Fine, but spend a night with me first! Consider it compensation for our family. I'm telling you, I've wanted to fuck you for a long time..."

The man's words stopped abruptly. He clutched himself between the legs and fell to the ground, gasping with his mouth wide open, as though he had suffered a devastating blow.

"A dog is a dog."

Angela drew back the fan in her hand and looked at Nia.

"If it dares bite its master, the only option is to castrate it."

"Thank you for your help."

Nia smiled faintly at Angela, then turned to the old captain of the guards at the door. She reached out, and a faint light soon enveloped the man, sending him into a deep sleep.

"Take him away."

Nia spoke quietly to the old captain, showing neither sorrow nor joy.

"Starting tomorrow, it will be up to you to decide what becomes of this town."

The old captain said nothing. He watched Nia with a complicated look, then glanced at Li Lin behind her and let out a long sigh. He bent down, lifted the unconscious mayor onto his back, and turned to leave.

Early the next morning, Li Lin and his three companions left the town, but Nia was nowhere among them. She had little magic left to begin with; over the course of a thousand years, simply maintaining her human form had consumed a considerable amount of power. Not to mention that Nia had traveled far and wide, often using spells, which had accelerated the depletion of her magic. Even so, she had lasted a thousand years, showing just how powerful the Eternal Library truly was. But she was a weapon after all, and could not restore her power on her own. Thus, after meeting Li Lin, Nia had returned to her book form to recover her magic through him. Nia's reputation in Yin Lanka had given her an excellent advantage, so when the group left town, an experienced coachman volunteered to drive their carriage and take them on their way. Naturally, Li Lin welcomed the offer.

During the journey, Nia also learned from Li Lin about the latest developments and his plans. As always, she offered her unconditional support.

"Indeed, the Magic Empire has been destroyed. But as you said, only by settling the past can we create a future. Only after we have avenged our homeland can we discuss the rest."

Her tone was measured, but exceptionally firm.

"Those who ravaged our land and killed our people will pay the price."

"But... what about the other weapons? Didn't they turn into humans and run around the world like you?"

"That's impossible, Miss Angela."

Nia answered Angela's question unhurriedly.

"Although my sisters can also take human form, maintaining it for a thousand years would be nearly impossible. I was able to last until today because I was responsible for controlling the power of magic among the Seven Ring Spirit Envoys. But the other weapons don't possess such vast reserves of magic, so I suspect that when they became aware of the upheaval, they immediately went into hiding, sealing themselves away and falling into slumber. I also tried to find them, but found nothing."

At this, her voice grew somewhat subdued.

"The only ones whose whereabouts I can guess at are probably Miu'erkasi and Antanaxisi, but the places where they are are exceptionally dangerous. I couldn't possibly reach them alone..."

"But I'm here now."

Li Lin gazed at the book's cover, his voice gentle and calm.

"We'll find them."

"Of course, Li Lin."

After that, Nia also changed how she addressed Li Lin, no longer calling him "Luoxia" at his request. After all, thanks to certain less than harmonious legends, that name was practically known in every household on the Morning Wind Continent. It was like someone naming himself "Adolf Hitler": whether or not he was that person, the name would attract attention. Li Lin didn't want to draw attention at the moment, and although his current name was strange, it was still much better than having people give him strange looks.

During their travels, Angela and the two sisters also noticed that Li Lin and Nia had very similar personalities. They both liked reading, although one of them was a book herself, and they rarely lost their tempers or liked to show their feelings. Their tones of voice were much the same as well, gentle and steady. Nia saw nothing odd about this. She was the first weapon Li Lin had created and had spent the longest time at his side, so it was hardly strange that their personalities and ways of speaking were similar.

Unlike Li Lin, who had not returned for a thousand years, and Angela, who had come to this world for the first time, Nia had traveled to almost every corner of the continent over the past millennium. Her familiarity with the continent as it was now made her the most qualified guide. She was also the one who offered a suggestion about where the group should head next.

"Although finding either Miu'erkasi or Antanaxisi could be considered our current goal, I suggest that we first go to the City of a Thousand Towers. We may be able to get some help there... and the empire's former magical artifact, the Eye of Kalatu, is there as well. It may be able to help us find the other weapons."

Nia paused here before continuing.

"And most importantly, the City of a Thousand Towers lies outside the Five-Nation Alliance..."

Clearly, neither Nia nor Li Lin wanted to set foot on their homeland's soil again unless necessary. To them, the land now occupied by their enemies could only symbolize humiliation and sorrow. Others might be captivated by the prosperity of its cities, but all they would ever care about were the countless bones buried beneath the earth. Their hatred would not be forgotten until the day their bloody shame was avenged.

For the rest of the journey, Nia took over from Li Lin and began telling the others what had happened over the past few centuries. If Li Lin had been telling them ancient history, then Nia was telling them modern history. Meanwhile, Li Lin devoted himself entirely to replenishing Nia's magic.

"After the fall of the Magic Empire... the Five-Nation Alliance took further action. They divided our land among themselves and killed our people. They also issued the Magic Ban. That was the darkest time, when almost every mage was captured and killed. Only a few mage apprentices survived. After that, magic entered a period of decline. Ordinary people had long since been indoctrinated with new ideas; they regarded magic as a terrifying creation and feared and hated mages. After three hundred and twenty-five years, magic was finally recognized once again. The Five-Nation Alliance acknowledged the status of mages, but also imposed a corresponding condition: all mage towers, where mages were trained and gathered, had to be placed under their supervision. In the end, the mages submitted."

Nia's voice held a trace of helplessness and sorrow as she spoke.

"Losers naturally have no right to set conditions."

Angela thought little of the situation. Unlike the two sisters, who were so ready to give away their kindness and be moved, she was more biting.

"If you want to set conditions, the only way is to become a winner."

"Exactly."

Nia wasn't angry at Angela's words; after all, what she said was true. Rather than wallow in self-pity as a loser, it was better to pull oneself together and find a way to become a winner as soon as possible. Only then would there be a chance to regain everything that had been lost.

Though that was no easy task.

The people of the Magic Empire had almost all died. Although those mage apprentices had survived the war, their skills in magic were not advanced, and after nearly three hundred years of suppression, very few had made any progress. What mages learned now consisted entirely of minor details. The original glory and splendor of the Magic Empire were gone. The possibility of relying on them for revenge was almost zero. Strangely, however, almost at the same time, a new round of conflict had broken out among the Temples.

"The Temples?"

Li Lin asked, somewhat doubtful.

"That's right."

Nia's voice also held uncertainty and confusion.

"During that darkest time for mages, problems also arose among the Temples. The Five-Nation Alliance declared that they would worship only the God of Justice, and ordered the destruction of all other gods' Temples and the killing of all their followers."

This disaster was far more difficult than destroying the Magic Empire, because their targets were not mages and were sometimes even ordinary people. But after a hundred and sixty-five years of bloody slaughter, most of the continent showed no trace of other faiths, at least on the surface. During this period, the elves and dwarves also went to war with the Five-Nation Alliance separately, ultimately suffering heavy casualties. The elves abandoned the continent and returned to the Eternal Island, relying on its natural barriers to resist human attacks. The dwarves likewise returned to the Hammer Mountains and no longer appeared before humans.

Things finally came to a close at that point, and afterward, the Temple of the God of Justice became, for all intents and purposes, the only religious sect on the continent. All other gods were collectively labeled cultists and heretics. After destroying the Magic Empire and dividing up its land, the Five-Nation Alliance also began to struggle among themselves. Up to the present, the situation on the continent had not changed much.

This really reeks of a conspiracy.

Li Lin carefully considered every word Nia had said. It looked like a meticulous plan: after destroying the Magic Empire, they had gone on to destroy the gods who no longer had its support. It seemed to have been planned long ago, but who had done it, and why?

"But in any case, there's one thing we can be sure of."

He gazed at the Eternal Library in his hands and spoke.

"The God of Justice was definitely up to something in all this."