Chapter 87 - 86: Ignorance Is Bliss

Chapter 87: Chapter 86: Ignorance Is Bliss

"Up until three months ago, Lord Mage, in poor health and constantly burying himself in Magic Potion research, fell bedridden. No medicine could cure him, and ultimately..." Gaode showed a sorrowful expression as he spoke.

After listening to Gaode recount everything, Mrs. Misu fell silent for a while before finally speaking faintly, "To think that our parting thirteen years ago would be the last time we saw each other in this life..."

Gaode was somewhat surprised inwardly.

Although Mrs. Misu’s mood was somewhat sorrowful, she was far less agitated than he had expected.

How could a normal person be so calm upon first hearing the news of their husband’s passing?

Was there a hidden reason... or had Mrs. Misu’s feelings for Mage Seda faded long ago after being separated for so much time?

"Before Lord Mage passed away, he instructed me to personally deliver this news to you, Mrs. Misu. He also wanted me to hand this Magic Potion Recipe to you personally."

Unsure of the actual situation, Gaode continued with his planned routine.

He took out an old piece of parchment from his coat and handed it to Mrs. Misu.

"Ah?"

Mrs. Misu let out a soft cry after taking the old parchment.

"Spirit Communication Potion (One Tier Magic Potion)"

"Main Ingredients: Half an ounce of Spirit Communication Bone Powder (approx. 14g), 1 pair of Illusion Butterfly Wings"

"Auxiliary Ingredients: 1 portion of Silver Thread Grass, Mandala Tree Bark, Dry Nettle, Sage?"

...

It was precisely the incomplete recipe for the Spirit Communication Potion from Mage Seda’s belongings.

"This... is this...?" Mrs. Misu asked hesitantly.

"Lord Mage poured a tremendous amount of time and energy into this Magic Potion Recipe. Before he fell ill, he was only one final auxiliary ingredient verification away from completing it," Gaode said.

"Success was right before his eyes, but unfortunately...

"Mrs. Misu, although the recipe isn’t entirely complete, it’s very close.

"I believe you understand the preciousness of this recipe, which is why Lord Mage specifically instructed me to deliver it to you in person.

"He couldn’t trust anyone else with it!

"However, he also specifically reminded me that here in Bremen City, there might still be people secretly watching and monitoring you, and he told me to act carefully.

"Lord Mage said that it was because he was forced by these people that he had no choice but to flee to Hogan City.

"Therefore, madam, that is why I deceived you with a fake identity at first. I needed time to confirm if anyone was still spying in the shadows. I am very sorry," Gaode said apologetically.

"I understand. I don’t blame you, so there’s no need to apologize." Mrs. Misu sighed and carefully tucked the recipe away close to her body, treating it with utmost importance.

"Before he even left, I had a feeling that this day might come..." She sighed again, a layer of mist finally welling up in her eyes. "Besides this recipe, there should be another item he wanted you to personally hand to me, right?"

Gaode’s heart skipped a beat, knowing the crucial point was approaching.

"There is no need to give me that item. Keep it for yourself." But before he could even speak, Mrs. Misu preempted him, leaving Gaode stunned on the spot.

"Madam, what are you..."

"That item... it should be a Scroll, right?"

Gaode hesitated for a moment but nodded anyway.

Since things had reached this point, he had no need to play dumb anymore, if only to see what Mrs. Misu had up her sleeve.

"It is actually a recommendation letter from Cyrus Magic Academy," Mrs. Misu said straightforwardly. "With this Scroll, one can unconditionally enter Cyrus Magic Academy to study Magic."

Gaode showed a timely expression of surprise.

Mrs. Misu continued, "It is also the root cause of my husband being forced away.

"He actually knew perfectly well who the so-called mastermind was. It was someone from the Harrell Clan, a family that had been close friends with his for generations.

"Back then, the ancestors of my husband’s family, the Norman Clan, and the ancestors of the Harrell Clan were life-and-death friends. During an expedition into some ruins, they made incredible contributions to the Sean Duchy.

"When it came time for rewards, they jointly chose a recommendation letter to Cyrus Magic Academy as a guarantee for their families’ continued legacies.

"It’s just that later on, my husband’s family gradually declined, while the Harrell Clan prospered more and more. They even left Bremen City and established a foothold in Saint Sean City.

"By my husband’s generation, he was the sole surviving heir of his lineage. The once-thriving family existed in name only; besides himself, hardly anyone even remembered the Norman Clan...

"It didn’t really matter. We were living our own lives just fine.

"But thirteen years ago, the Harrell Clan came knocking, wanting to buy the recommendation letter from him.

"Indeed, other than him, only the Harrell Clan in this world knew he had this item.

"However, my husband resolutely refused to yield at the time, stubbornly insisting that the letter had been sold long ago.

"I kept advising him that it was unnecessary, that being together as a family was more important than anything, and there was no need to suffer for the sake of a worldly possession...

"But he just wouldn’t listen...

"As a result, he was forced to flee to Hogan City. A perfectly good family was torn apart, unable to see each other even one last time..." The mist in Mrs. Misu’s eyes finally condensed into tears and rolled down her cheeks as she spoke.

"My condolences, madam." Gaode sighed inwardly as well.

After weeping silently for a long time, Mrs. Misu wiped away her tears with a handkerchief. "I apologize for losing my composure."

Gaode shook his head, gesturing that it was fine.

After recovering herself, Mrs. Misu explained with terrifying calmness, "My husband’s intention was to use this recommendation letter to send Seer to Cyrus Magic Academy to study.

"But although this letter can allow Seer to enter Cyrus Magic Academy unconditionally, how could it truly be that easy to enroll?

"The Harrell Clan is now in Saint Sean City and holds immense power. Perhaps the people who forced my husband to hand over the Scroll back then now believe Seda will never return, so they have given up monitoring our family.

"However, the moment I step onto the streets of Saint Sean City with this letter—or even while I’m still on the road, before I’ve even arrived—the mastermind behind this would likely receive word.

"If my husband was pushed to such extremes right here in Bremen City, how could Seer and I—a widow and an orphan—possibly fight against the locally entrenched Harrell Clan in Saint Sean City?

"Besides, I don’t want to think about it so much anymore. As long as our family can be together, that’s the best thing. There’s no need to achieve great things.

"Furthermore, even if he went to Cyrus Magic Academy, it doesn’t guarantee anything. Success ultimately depends on the individual; external environments are merely a supplementary aid.

"An ordinary person is guiltless, but hoarding precious jade will only invite trouble or disaster.

"Seer and I are living quite well right now. I don’t want this useless recommendation letter disrupting my life anymore.

"So, since you are my husband’s apprentice, I’ll give this recommendation letter to you.

"You are not like me. The Harrell Clan doesn’t know you. You can absolutely use this letter to directly enter Cyrus Magic Academy."

The development of the situation far exceeded Gaode’s expectations.

Yet, it also seemed perfectly reasonable.

If the Norman Clan had weakened to such a degree, why did they keep this letter for so long instead of using it earlier? This had always been the most incomprehensible part for Gaode.

Hearing this, Mrs. Misu sighed and explained, "This recommendation letter was left behind by my husband’s ancestors. It was meant to be relied upon to rise again in the event of the family’s decline.

"It’s just that when the family truly declined, new problems arose.

"Once a family weakens, its numbers dwindle day by day, and a talent capable of putting this recommendation letter to good use may not necessarily be found.

"Take my husband, for example. His Mage talent was lackluster. Even if he used this recommendation letter to join Cyrus Magic Academy, at most he’d barely manage to become a 1st Ring Mage.

"To be honest, it would be too much of a waste. After all, there was only one recommendation letter, and a mere 1st Ring Mage could not lead the family to rise again.

"Because of this, the recommendation letter had been kept all the way until now."

Gaode gave a slight nod. Put that way, even if he didn’t necessarily agree with the approach, he could certainly understand it.

It was like playing cards: when your hand was terrible with only one trump card, you naturally wanted to use that trump card to score big.

Played well, you might actually win a massive amount of points. But played poorly, the other players would finish their hands, and that trump card would rot uselessly in your grasp.

Mrs. Misu let out another faint sigh. "There was even another new problem that was difficult to solve.

"With the family’s decline, even figuring out how to travel to Cyrus Magic Academy became a conundrum for them.

"To go from Bremen City to Saint Sean City requires traversing thousands of kilometers. The journey is arduous and rugged. If you think about it, you should understand."

Well... that was the same problem he was currently facing.

"So back then, I advised him that it would be better to just sell the recommendation letter to the Harrell Clan.

"Wouldn’t having a lump sum of money on hand be far more practical than a useless letter we could only look at but couldn’t bear to use?

"Unfortunately, he refused to listen to me."

...

Long after Gaode had left, a faint sigh from Mrs. Misu echoed in the quiet house.

Gaode claimed to be her husband’s apprentice, but where did his skills as a Repair Craftsman come from?

It couldn’t possibly be something her husband taught him.

Seda was clearly only skilled in concocting Magic Potions; he knew absolutely nothing about repairing Alchemy Items.

And a Repair Craftsman’s trade required both the inheritance of knowledge and the tempering of time.

No matter how she looked at it, it conflicted with Gaode’s claims.

Yet Gaode was distinctly able to produce her husband’s letter and Magic Potion Recipe. He could also report detailed information about Mage Seda, including his properties and circumstances in Hogan City.

She did not know the truth or the exact details of the matter, but she had no desire to delve into them.

She only knew that her husband was definitely no longer in this world.

She only understood that whatever the other party had hidden away was precisely his true goal.

And Gaode had provided the letter from home and the recipe, but purposefully omitted the recommendation letter that her husband must have valued most.

The reason she "voluntarily" gifted the recommendation letter to Gaode—apart from the reasons she stated to him—was because she understood that whether she offered it or not, the letter would never end up in her hands.

Since that was the case, why not play dumb and completely believe Gaode’s story? Why not "voluntarily" gift it?

At the very least, she could earn some goodwill.

Mrs. Misu slowly stood up and walked into the kitchen.

Seer would be home soon. It was time for her to prepare dinner.

She was extremely shrewd.

Yet wise enough to play the fool.