Li Yue stood on the deck, letting the wind blow through her hair as she sorted out her messy thoughts. Like many gods, she had emotions but almost no feelings. She could clearly sense her own rationality, which outweighed the many screaming voices within her. She could clearly feel her own inherent evil, yet she was powerless to stop it.
Divinity was inevitably filled with malice; it was uncontrollable. After all, gods were not without desires; they had them, and perhaps even more intensely than humans. When she realized her malice could not be uprooted, she thought of death.
The bloodthirsty urge and the morbid pursuit of death clashed with her rationality. These were all parts of her divinity, and they caused her immense suffering. Occasionally, she would even admire the flesh monsters that had been twisted into lumps of meat. She knew clearly that the appearance of the blood demons was likely influenced by her stray divinity.
The sea breeze brushed gently against her face. She sighed, tasting a hint of sea salt in the air. It was always like this: behind the wind was more wind, and behind the road, more roads...
Captain Louis was a very charismatic man. His enthusiastic and optimistic personality was likely why he could lead such a crew. He occasionally shared stories of his past journeys with Li Yue, which sounded like a hot blooded adventure novel—a group of ambitious young men and women coming together to chase an ideal.
They had experienced life and death, honed their skills, faced partings, and finally reached the realm of Great Mage. Li Yue felt a twinge of envy. Though it was a cliché and boring story, as the protagonist himself, at least he wasn't lonely, nor was he tormented by divinity and desire like she was.
Why would such a person choose to associate with a group of conspirators? The Royal Court's support for the gods—whether the Reformists or the Traditionalists—seemed to have nothing to do with him.
Li Yue didn't ask; she simply listened in silence. Answers would come in time. Sometimes the answer didn't matter as long as everyone shared the same goal.
The sound of rhythmic clacking echoed across the deck. Li Yue didn't look back; she knew it was the captain. He seemed to favor those men's high heeled boots. She calculated that they were nearly at their destination.
Louis wanted to say hello but felt that the young lady had already noticed him. It was better to just walk up and speak. Even from behind, he knew she was beautiful. At first sight, he had ranked her beauty at the very top of his life's experiences.
She wasn't short either. If she didn't always go barefoot and wore high heels instead, she might even be taller than him.
“Artos Island should be reached by this afternoon,” Louis said, leaning against the railing. He savored the sea breeze and the rare moment of peace.
“Thank you,” Li Yue nodded. “And for teaching me your cooking skills.”
“You learned much faster than I did back then.” Louis laughed awkwardly, scratching his deep blue hair.
“I am a demigod, after all. You were human then.” Li Yue remained calm. She hid her aura perfectly. If one were to sense her directly, they probably wouldn't realize she was an incredibly powerful magic user. However, her appearance alone might challenge that thought—how could a mere mortal possess such beauty?
Li Yue hadn't considered this, and no one had reminded her. Changing her appearance was easy but felt unnecessary. Perhaps she would change it once they reached the island to look like an ordinary foreigner. Once she reached the Academy, it wouldn't matter; as Clo put it, there were all sorts of eccentrics there.
She also added that fools and self important idiots were everywhere.
Li Yue didn't dwell on it, taking it as Clo’s venting. Clo’s letters felt cheerful, while Li Yue’s own writing had become increasingly cold. But the other party didn't seem to mind, since they were about to meet soon anyway.
She remembered Clo mentioning the Time God's legacy. Amidst the pile of shattered remains she had nearly consumed, she found a silver pocket watch. She didn't know its use, but it was likely the item.
...
The ship slowly docked. Li Yue waved goodbye to the crew. Her appearance shifted rapidly until she looked like a female student. She became a bit shorter, with black hair and black eyes. A pair of glasses would have completed the look, but she didn't like how they felt.
This was the hometown Mr. Roland had mentioned in his letters. It was lush and green, with a sizeable town. She didn't know which country it belonged to, but it seemed prosperous. There were many public facilities like schools and hospitals, and several chambers of commerce had branches here. She passed a music shop and a factory that smelled faintly of glue.
Everything was exactly as Roland had described. She knew his home wasn't far. She walked down a small path and found the somewhat worn but well maintained house at the end of an alley.
She let a drop of blood from her fingertip seep into the lock, easily opening the door. She walked through the house, finding nothing special except for some dusty photographs.
She placed a silver Demon Hunter badge on the table. In the small yard outside, two gravestones stood side by side. With a snap of her fingers, the dust inside the house was cleared away. In the gaps between the furniture, she could almost see the young boy whose eyes always held a hint of sadness.
She leisurely walked out and carefully locked the door. An old man passed by as she was leaving.
“Hello...” He called out to her. “Who might you be?”
“I am... Mr. Roland’s student,” Li Yue replied casually.
“No wonder you know he lives here. I’m his uncle. Will he be coming home for the new year?” the old man asked with a smile.
“Perhaps not...” Li Yue was momentarily at a loss for words. She didn't say much more, bid the old man farewell, and bought a ticket to Karl Romon Academy at the town's harbor.
Well... let the wandering end here...
An old man wearing a tattered hat walked toward her. She could feel a faint ripple of magic from him and noticed him instantly.
He took out a coin and waved it in front of Li Yue. He tossed it into the air, and when it landed back in his hand, a flower appeared.
“Hello... my name is Merlin. I am a Magician,” he said with a smile. “You can call me the miracle magic user.”
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