Book 3: Chapter 277: Stepping into the "Land of the Moon"

In May, tender new buds sprouted on the branches outside the window, dotted with touches of pale green.

Spring had arrived unusually late this year, and with the rare turn of warm, clear weather, people shed their heavy clothing in favor of lighter, more comfortable attire. Farmers in villages and manors were busy with sowing, as most of the land had already been turned over by machinery in advance, leaving only the task of scattering seeds. Such a thing would have been unimaginable in the past, after all, mages held noble status, and mechanical creations were prohibitively expensive; no one would have used them for cheap agriculture.

But as the Sinking Fog season approached, many things had changed. Even mages of high standing who rarely left their towers had come to realize that the coming decade or so would be especially difficult, and those who didn't stock up now might pay a considerable price later.

Thus, the adoption of machinery in agriculture accelerated rapidly. A flood of demand generated a flood of orders, and those orders in turn prompted more mages to delve into this field, developing better and simpler-to-build implements.

As production scale expanded, costs gradually came down through continuous adjustment and iteration, making them no longer as unattainable as before.

Now even small towns in remote areas would pool their money together to have agricultural machines from the cities drive out to their towns, helping to plow the soil and reclaim new fields. If they had to rely purely on manual labor as in the past, it would be extremely difficult to cultivate land littered with stones and rugged terrain.

Now, with that surging mechanical power, an afternoon could accomplish what would take several hundred people a month of hard work. The efficiency was simply incomparable.

In her room, Sylutia looked over the recent reports submitted by the various villages and towns in Mishil District, which detailed the progress of land reclamation and cultivation across the region. The results were quite gratifying, even better than she had expected.

Of course, this was related to the fact that Mishil District itself produced all kinds of machinery. Many agricultural implements were even sponsored free of charge by local workshops, purely so the region could produce more grain, which would benefit the local residents in the long run.

However, even with machinery, the "fire seed" that powered it remained an irreducible expense. Over the past two years, the price of fire seeds within the Mage Alliance had climbed steadily. It was said that in response to the shortage in the central regions, the Alliance's official body had even pulled back some of the fire seeds stored in Candela for emergency use.

Among the steam machinery currently developed, aside from the most basic low-tier models that could barely be driven by burning wood and charcoal, most required fire seeds for energy, especially mid-to-high-tier machines.

Charcoal was admittedly a decent resource, but it required felling large numbers of trees to obtain, and within the Mage Alliance now, many forests near urban areas had been completely logged. In the future, obtaining it would only grow more difficult.

With the trees gone, the bare mountains weren't just unsightly; they also invited disasters like flash floods. Wildlife had grown scarce as well. Perhaps in another ten years, many children wouldn't even know what wolves and deer looked like, after all, this world had no zoos.

Sylutia set down the reports, turned to look at the newly sprouted buds outside the window, thought for a moment, and decided to go out for a walk today.

Come to think of it, she hadn't been out in a long time. These past two years had been consumed by all sorts of matters: her studies, Mishil District affairs, advancement, and occasionally keeping an eye on the movements of the two major power blocs, considering whether to get involved.

Stepping out of her room, Sylutia briefly informed the maidservant waiting outside, then took a parasol and walked out.

Some white clouds still lingered in the sky, not yet fully dispersed, but the blue undertone had already emerged. Sunlight fell brilliantly on the streets and the sand-textured walls.

For people who had endured a long, harsh winter, today was a rare good day. Many families could be seen out strolling and enjoying themselves.

Sylutia was dressed today in a bright, pale yellow gown, holding her parasol, her steps light. Occasionally she paused to look at the sky, the shops, and the passersby, listening to the little snippets of everyday life people chattered about. This contact with the simple, lived-in atmosphere of ordinary people gradually loosened the heaviness that had settled in her heart.

Thanks to the parasol's cover, unless someone approached her face-on at close range, it was hard for anyone to recognize her from just her silhouette, which made her walk much more relaxed. Over the course of the morning, only three people recognized her, but seeing Sylutia's subtle wink, none of them called out her name. They merely gave a simple bow from a distance and moved on.

At noon, Sylutia came to a café by the street, found a private room on the second floor, and sat down. She ordered a drink and rested for a while. Outside, sunlight filtered through the glass onto her legs, warming her stockings until they felt slightly hot against her skin. Only then did she stand up and leave.

Before she knew it, Sylutia's steps came to a halt before a residence in the city. She raised her hand and knocked on the door, and soon a capable maidservant with a long ponytail opened it.

"Good afternoon, Lining." She greeted the familiar maidservant, for this was where Instructor Franne resided.

Seeing Sylutia in that state, Lining seemed to want to say something but held back. In the end, she bowed her head and curtsied.

"Lady Hedra, good afternoon."

"...No need to be so formal." The young woman twirled the handle of her fan, then closed her parasol and walked inside, glancing around to find a place to put it down.

"Still just as clumsy as ever, give it to me." Lining reverted to her usual sharp-tongued manner, taking the parasol from Sylutia's hand and slotting it into an empty vase nearby.

"Oh, so that's what the vase is for?" Sylutia blinked, quite curious.

"Yes." Lining lightly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear with one hand, swayed her ponytail, then had Sylutia take a seat in the living room while she went to brew tea.

"Madam and Talier have gone to the estate to inspect the sowing. They'll be back around four in the afternoon." She explained as she prepared the tea.

Before long, the flower tea was steeped. Lining brought it over to Sylutia, then stood quietly to one side.

Sylutia took a small sip of the flower tea, praising Lining for being as skilled as ever, then curiously asked about all sorts of things.

Ten years had passed, and Lining's appearance hadn't changed much, though her hairstyle had matured somewhat. It was likely because she had advanced to Third Tier, aging had slowed considerably.

The maidservant progression path wasn't particularly outstanding in other areas, but it had quite a few special auxiliary abilities, and slowing aging was one of them.

From Lining's words, Sylutia learned many things that had happened after she left, including Lady Franne's long journey and her reclusive life after returning to the Wind Chime Grass Plains.

"Upon returning to her hometown, Madam was unusually low-key. She often stayed in the manor for months without going out, only tending to her flowers and plants, occasionally taking walks on the plains and hillsides." Lining recalled.

"Madam has very complex feelings toward her mother, Lady Edeline. Sometimes I can feel she wants to personally speak with that lonely Lady Edeline, but she restrains that impulse well, only watching from afar."

"Matters of the heart, perhaps only those involved can truly understand them. That bitter complexity mixed with longing, resentment, a desire for closeness, yet reason telling her the outcome would be bleak... Such delicate, intricate feelings are hard to explain to outsiders." Sylutia held her teacup, speaking slowly. From the clear, amber-green tea, she could see a faint reflection of the window, the pale green tea leaves drifting like small boats sinking in water.

"Ya's personality is still so considerate. Though compared to the past, it seems a bit better now, not as soft." Lining looked at Sylutia and remarked with a teasing tone.

The two had once shared a mistress-servant relationship, but back then Sylutia had just awakened and was quite naive, while Lining, though bearing the title of maidservant, had actually guided Sylutia through many aspects of daily life, occasionally offering sharp-tongued commentary, as if dealing with a simple, innocent younger sister.

Later, Sylutia quickly grew up, but by then the two had reached the time of parting. For a long while afterward, in Lining's memory, Sylutia remained that soft, slightly bewildered, yet understanding and delicate figure.

"Don't keep looking at me with the eyes of the past."

The young woman made a small protest. Even as she said it, she felt a long-missed sense of relaxation and closeness. Here, she didn't need to maintain the poise and authority she had to project in the office. She could move about freely, like sitting on the sofa and swinging her legs, occasionally lying on her stomach to read, or leaning back to sleep, just as she had when living at Lady Franne's residence.

And so, the two chatted and reminisced until four in the afternoon, when the door opened again and Lady Franne returned with Talier.

Ten years later, Talier had grown exceptionally mature. She had inherited her grandfather's robust, tall adventurer's build. Her chestnut hair was neatly combed and coiled at the back of her head. Her body was no longer thin and flat from malnutrition as it once had been, but showed a certain fullness. If she returned to the old village, she would undoubtedly be a skilled hand at farming and shepherding.

Standing beside Lining now, if one said Talier was Lining's elder sister, absolutely anyone would believe it.

However, after coming home and seeing Lining standing by the sofa, she still spoke in a timid, soft voice.

"Lining, sis? This is..." She could only see Lining, as Sylutia was lying on her side on the sofa sleeping, right in the blind spot of her vision.

"Shh." Lining raised a finger, one eye half-closed, signaling Talier to keep her voice down. Then she took Talier's hand and walked her slowly to the sofa, letting her see the young woman sleeping soundly on her side.

Soft, lovely features, black strands of hair falling across her elegant neck, a few loose locks slipping down. The sunlight from outside touched part of the sleeping Sylutia's skirt, while her face rested in the shadows nearby, giving her a somewhat hazy, dreamlike appearance.

Though ten years had passed, the young woman seemed to have changed very little since the day she first met Talier, still just as endearing and pitiable.

"Ya..." Talier softly called her name, then realizing what she was doing, lowered her voice to avoid waking her.

Lady Franne tucked her own parasol away, inserted it into the vase, and walked over slowly. Seeing the young woman sleeping soundly on the sofa, she smiled.

"This child, still the same as back then..." As she spoke, there was a hint of nostalgia in her voice, and something like fragments of happiness shimmering like broken light.

The people and things in her memories... if only they could stay like this forever, how wonderful that would be. Watching the sleeping Sylutia, Lady Franne was lost in thought for a long while.

After staring blankly for a moment, Lady Franne turned and instructed Lining and Talier to prepare a hearty dinner. The two quickly understood and headed to the kitchen.

Half an hour later, Sylutia woke from her afternoon nap, rubbing her eyes. She saw the figure seated on the sofa across from her, that hazy silhouette growing clear in the evening light. It was Lady Franne, holding a teacup and leafing through a book.

For a single moment, her memories blurred, as if she were still studying in Scorchstone City, and the experiences of these past years had merely been a long dream.

"Instructor Falan..." She called out the name, then sat up, and in that moment her consciousness cleared.

So it hadn't been a dream after all.

"Ti Ya, stay for dinner tonight." Lady Franne spoke up.

"Mm, alright."

That evening, the four of them sat together at the dining table to share a meal. Tonight there was a roast goose feast, crispy stuffed meat pastries, garlic snail soup, and red-braised beef.

Candlelight flickered, casting warm pools of soft yellow glow across the table. The four chatted occasionally, with Talier especially curious about Sylutia's experiences over these years.

"So Ti Ya has been through all these things? First the Hidden Grove, then venturing into the Shadow World, and now the Mage Alliance."

Listening to Sylutia's account, Talier's eyes seemed to sparkle with little stars, full of envy and curiosity. Compared to Sylutia, her own ten years had been rather plain. She had only traveled with Lady Franne and visited many places, without the same astonishing adventures.

But then again, this young woman was a truly exceptional case. It was safe to say that very few people had experiences as varied and unpredictable as hers.

After sharing dinner together, Sylutia felt as if she had relived a piece of her past. Even in a foreign land, she gained a measure of peace and grounding.

After leaving, Sylutia returned to her lodgings at the Mage Guild. In the following days, she finished handling the affairs of Mishil District, then formally began preparing for the specifics of her advancement.

Most of the rare gems and materials required had already been prepared, but a small portion still needed to be obtained by herself. That was the "Land of the Moon," where she would gather the lingering moonlight of the past and condense it into different lunar phase crystals to create the "Moon Clock."

At the top of the Sky Tower, Sordas gave Sylutia his final instruction on this step.

"Hedra, did you know that before the Seventh Epoch, the dream world was exceptionally prosperous." He slowly recounted the ancient history.

"In that era, the Silver Moon Dragon was called the Dream Master. It governed the world where all living beings slept after death, directly opposite to the Scorching Sun that governed the day. The two were respectively masters of the day and the night."

"In those days, many Transcendents could enter the dream world through 'dream entry,' communicating there, learning, exploring, and obtaining strange resources."

"But ever since the Silver Moon Dragon passed away, the dream world gradually withered and shattered. Now, living beings can only circle within their own tiny fragments of dreams, no longer able to enjoy the magnificent glory of converged collective dreams as in the past."

"The Land of the Moon is a region between reality and dreams. In the past, it was where the Silver Moon Dragon dwelled. With its passing, that region sank into the Twilight Sea. If you wish to go there now, you can only do so through dream entry."

"Because it has been submerged in the Twilight Sea for so long, the Land of the Moon is now infested with many monsters from the Twilight Sea, and throughout the process, you will constantly suffer the corrosion of Distortion. If not for the Luminous Moon Aspect, or without the protection of the Luminous Moon, one could easily become lost in such a place, forever becoming a wandering spirit, never to wake again."

"For this trip, I have prepared some things for you to protect yourself and prevent accidents. But if you encounter a rare, unsolvable situation, there's no need to push yourself. Simply activate one of the orbs, and I will use a special secret art to instantly pull your consciousness back from the dream and leave that place."

After finishing the explanation, Sordas began teaching Sylutia the "Dream Entry Technique," as well as "Records of the Land of the Moon," "The Legend of the Dream Master Standing Proud on the Silver Wax Tree Hill," "Simoke's Sevenfold Realms," and many other dream-related secret arts and secret histories.