The opposite routes and the trails of memory

Chapter 8

The opposite routes and the trails of memory

Terrin...

The capital of the Kingdom of Elixir, Lethoven. It was known to people even from distant lands and regions as the city of the God of Elixir. If there was someone unaware of it, they must have been people living secluded in the wilderness, underground, or perhaps there were a few exceptions. For example, the young man with black hair trailing behind him like a translucent shadow, glancing around excitedly, indifferent even as others brushed closely past... and through him.

Ghosts did exist.

Others truly couldn't see Dragoon.

"Amazing, right? When I was alive, Terrin was just a tiny village with no more than ten houses!" Dragoon exclaimed enthusiastically. Las had lost count of how many times he had heard such tales. After the first time, he just responded flatly to shift the conversation.

"The library is just ahead, Dragoon."

Las stated calmly, the young ghost sharply turning to look where Las was pointing.

"Where!?"

Las gestured down the street, there were various shops along the road with a three-story white brick building, elegantly designed located at the end. The upper floor was a guest area with a clean balcony, and the lower floor was a restaurant opening its doors welcoming people. Its sign was decorated with Ivy vines, proudly displaying 'Annedesure' – Anne was the plump cook who served every dish herself, and Desure was the mustachioed uncle greeting customers at the door, a renowned inn and restaurant in the outer district of Terrin.

"Ah, across from Auntie Anne's store, right there." Las pondered briefly before pointing out to the right. Past a flower shop stood a two-story wooden house resembling a small castle, perfectly positioned at the street corner.

"Wow, so grand! The mysterious benefactor you mentioned must be truly kind." Dragoon could hardly contain his excitement upon seeing the wooden castle, praising the library's founder nonstop. Las, too, was a stranger to this eastern town. Normally he would only come to sell vegetables near the city walls. However, today's library visit made him feel unfamiliar with the surroundings. He was increasingly nervous as they got nearer, and finally stopped at the two-step staircase leading to the balcony.

There, the gate doors swung open to reveal a grand room with a high ceiling, a chandelier hanging from the center, and stairs leading to a platform – far more magnificent than its exterior appearance.

"What are you waiting for?"

"Woah!"

A voice rang out. The ghost pushed Las who was still nervous, making him almost tripped over the stairs. He glared back at Dragoon, who followed leisurely while chuckling without feeling regret. He then glanced at the reception desk to the right. A few elders paused their activities, all eyes looking in their direction, especially a blonde woman in silver-rimmed glasses arranging books nearby. She paused, then clapped her hands.

"Las, Aerel and Garion’s son, isn't it?" the young woman said sweetly. Las nodded in response.

"Uh, sorry... Miss Airy." Las replied hesitantly. This woman named Airy was a true bibliophile, dedicating her life to books and working as a librarian for nearly a decade. He knew her because they were neighbors as a neighbor living a few doors down, but they had met each other only a few times.

"So, what brings you here today?" Airy asked while gently patting Las's head. Seeing that they knew each other, the onlookers soon lost interest and returned to their silent card games...

Looking around, Las noticed that besides the lamps, the place was decorated simply, from wooden tables to bookshelves. Each aisle had clear signs indicating different categories. Yet, finding the specific book he wanted would not be an easy task.

"I'm here to look for books on medicinal ingredient maps and new potion recipes. Do you know where they are, Miss Airy?" Las asked, glancing around again, unsure where to start. Airy looked at him with wide eyes, then she fell silent. Las turned back to see her chuckle softly.

"Are they not here...?" Las began to worry, as well as Dragoon.

"No, no, they are here. I just didn't expect you to be looking for such books." Airy explained, pointing upstairs. "The top floor is for pharmaceutical books and maps, but remember, no marking, no damage, no bringing out books, and returning them after I finished reading. Don't forget to place them back on the center table. No messing around, and no borrowing as they are valuable, got it?"

The woman spoke sternly, gesturing and staring into his face with seriousness. Las nodded. Once reassured, Airy smiled and returned to her book sorting task. Las went upstairs quietly, not wanting to disturb the few who were immersed in reading. However, Dragoon had already flown up.

On the second floor, Las felt a different atmosphere from the first floor, like stepping into another world. There was only silence. Just as he stepped up to this floor, he sensed a magic aura all over the space. Bookshelves stood against every wall for clear visibility from any angle. In the far corner sat a girl with long, flowing blue hair, her serene face showing no awareness of the newcomer. Her bright blue eyes were fixed on her book.

Las instantly recognized her as the high-class girl who left Uncle George's shop with guards, her attire implying her status. It piqued his curiosity why someone from the upper class was in a public library like this.

"Las!"

He nearly jumped when suddenly a loud voice called out beside him. Turning sharply toward the sound, he found Dragoon standing with a sly grin.

"What is it, Dragoon? You scared me!" Las whispered back, glancing at the girl in the corner. Just then, she looked up, meeting Las's eyes. She adjusted her glasses to get a better look at him. He might have imagined it, but he thought he saw a fleeting smile on her delicate face before she bowed her head to resume reading.

"You sure have good eyes. That girl will definitely grow up to be very beautiful." Dragoon commented while stroking his chin, obviously teasing.

"Stop it. Which book do you want to read, Dragoon?" Las whispered back irritably, trying not to lose his composure, unlike the ghost who laughed heartily without any restraint. Sometimes being invisible does have its advantages.

After having his laugh, Dragoon floated around, indicating Las to pick up six books for him and carry them to a nearby table. Las put down the books, spreading them out as Dragoon requested, then the ghost lay floating above the table. Dragoon then fell into a focusing state, occasionally asking Las to turn the pages for him.

With Dragoon being absorbed in his reading, Las found himself with nothing to do since the books laid out in front weren't comprehensible to him.

“I’ll be back” he told Dragoon who was still focusing on those books and walked off. his gaze then caught a shelf labeled 'The Beginning of the God of Elixir' placed near a window by the flower shop.

Upon getting closer, the pungent smell from the Tem flowers wafted up, almost making him sneeze. His eyes scanned for titles he hadn't read or ones that his grandmother Gathia hadn't mentioned. He quickly found many intriguing volumes, but the one that caught his eye most was...

'The Origins of Terrin.'

He pulled it from the shelf, flipping through it in search of any mention of Dragoon or Rezan's master, but to his disappointment, there wasn't a single reference. It seemed as though Rezan was a deity incarnate who developed the small town using his supernatural powers and divine medicine. He returned the book to the shelf, looking for another book when he heard a light, giggling laughter behind him.

Turning, he saw the young girl from the corner had approached unnoticed, now covering her mouth in amusement. Las paused, momentarily disoriented.

"It's rare to see someone your age so engrossed in their reading." the girl remarked, glancing at the six books spread out on the table. "You're also aiming to become a medicine inspector as well, right?"

"Uh." That was all Las said before putting back the book he was holding, followed by an awkward chuckle. A medicine inspector was also a role that could be achieved by anyone, but it required a deep knowledge of various medicines. For those who did not possess fire element, it was a great alternative. "Something along that line. So, you're not a fire elementalist?"

She shook her head in response. "My primary element is wind, with fire as a secondary one. But my trainer says my power level is too low to be an apothecary." she said, adjusting her glasses with a faint smile, seemingly unconcerned. "But you, being a water element of this level, must have it hundreds of times tougher than me."

Las flinched in surprise.

"How did you know?" Las stammered, blushing instantly. It was needless to ask. Anyone present at that ceremony would remember him as the joke of the year. The girl covered her mouth, laughing again, but Las expected it to be mockery, but it wasn't so.

"Try your best. As a rival in this profession, I won't lose to you." the girl said with a smile before walking past Las. Her azure hair wafted a gentle floral scent, masking Tem flower's strong smell. She returned some books to the shelf, picked new ones, and went back to her quiet reading corner.

Las...

Las...

Las...!!

Startled again by a familiar voice calling him, Las turned to find Dragoon calling him over. He glanced at Rezan's biography books once more before randomly picking one to read while waiting for Dragoon. A significant time had passed, Dragoon had read through more than half of every book. Las's stomach started to rumble from having only a piece of fruit for lunch.

"I want to make a copy of a few pages from this book." Dragoon motioned towards a seemingly old but useful map of medicinal ingredients. Although old, it was better than buying an expensive new one. However...

"Copying might take a long time, Dragoon. It's getting quite late." Las peeked outside, the sunlight was dimming. Dragoon frowned in response.

"It won't take that long. I'll handle it myself." Las raised his eyebrows, but Dragoon took possession of his body then descended to borrow leather and black ink from Airy downstairs. people playing card games were all gone, leaving Airy alone. Airy looked worried about the time but finally allowed it. Las rejected the quill she offered, he just took the ink and returned upstairs. She was full of curiosity and followed him, only to be astounded by the sight before her.

Dragoon in Las's body directed his finger over the ink bottle, then controlled the black liquid to rise and form intricate lines in the air. His eyes focused on the book, and his left hand flipped the pages, meticulously copying the content onto the leather, then arranging pages neatly afterward. Airy was speechless at the scene, as well as Las. Even the blue-haired girl peeking from afar adjusted her glasses, doubting what she just witnessed.

"Miss Airy, that's two silver coins for the ink and leather, right?" Dragoon spoke casually as if what he did was nothing significant... After paying, he neatly organized the books, nodded slightly, and smiled faintly at the girl before departing.

"Dragoon! That was too much!" Once Dragoon left his body, Las stormed off to a corner and exclaimed. The ghost looked slightly perplexed, then shrugged.

"What's the matter with you?" Seeing Dragoon's cluelessness, Las clutched his head in frustration.

"These days, nobody copies like that. How will I face Miss Airy after this!? Agh~~~!" Las's lament was cut short as he noticed the curious gaze from the nameless girl, and she even waved at him!

"It doesn't matter how she looks at you. Before long, you'll have to be able to do just this. It's not about power but about control." Dragoon laughed as if it wasn't a big deal. Las was fed up and hungry, sighed as he saw the sun setting, signaling it was time to head home.

Along the way, Dragoon urged Las to familiarize himself with his Spirit element, observing the life force of people they passed. But Las was startled when he saw a glowing orange-gold aura contrasting with the fading evening light. In front of the statue of Rezan outside the city stood a stern-looking young boy with deep blue eyes staring fiercely at Las, an expression of his dear friend he had never seen before.

"What are you doing, Las...?" Ceren asked sternly while approaching him. Las sighed, "I'm going home, and I'm very hungry." he half-joked. Ceren's brows twitched slightly.

"Branford said you've been skipping training" Ceren didn't beat around the bush.

"Hah, that guy never really wanted to teach me from the start." Las rolled his eyes and shrugged, just the mention of that name irritated him.

"People of that level always have their reasons. You should go back and apologize to Branford." Ceren commanded firmly, but Las immediately shook his head.

“ I won’t go back. I now have a far superior teacher." Las said, followed by Ceren's loud laughter, which drew attention from everyone around. Those deep blue eyes looked down at him disdainfully.

"Superior to an Arthurian trainer? Hilarious, Las. You should think of better lies." Ceren said sarcastically. Las felt frustrated but held back his response.

"You wouldn't understand, Ceren." Las sighed then turned away, intending to escape, but Ceren caught his shoulder, his gaze softening slightly.

"You don't realize how much I've done for others to accept you for training, only for you to be indolent and give up easily. When will you stop being a child?" Ceren's words were tinged with disappointment but caring. Las exhaled softly in response, "I haven't given up on anything, Ceren."

"And how much have you improved in a week?" Ceren pressed, but Las didn't want to argue anymore.

"You'll see at the test." He tried to end the conversation, and this time, Ceren sighed and looked away.

"I'm starting to believe Belz that you're all talk." Ceren muttered before walking away, leaving Las to watch his retreating figure. He wanted to explain everything but realized it would only complicate matters for himself and his family.

Moreover, no one would believe that the playful ghost was the tutor of the kingdom's respected hero. Dragoon, whose name was erased from history books, not to mention the betrayal stories. No matter when, it was too risky to tell anyone.

"That boy seemed quite angry." Dragoon commented, lightly patting Las's head, understanding his worries.

"It's alright. I'll show them the results of my training." Las sighed weakly, looking at the setting sun, then started walking down the dimming path back to his small village. "Dragoon, do you think I can do it?"

"That's up to you, not me." Dragoon responded calmly, gazing at the horizon. "But remember, Las, the brightest light always casts the greatest shadow behind it, and excessive hope can do the same."

Las listened in silence, quickening his pace along the dim path with the cool breeze.. He didn't grasp Dragoon's words then, and it would take a long time before he truly did...

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