Li Yue shifted her gaze away from the mages. Regardless of their purpose, compared to her, they were merely ants trying to shake a tree, incapable of exerting the slightest influence.
She let out a yawn and slowly walked back onto the ship. She stood on the deck for a while, letting the sea breeze blow against her. It was midday, a time without much scenery to admire. Having seen the ocean so many times, it had naturally become a monotonous expanse, losing the wonder of the first encounter and leaving only boredom behind.
Still, even the same scenery would look much more pleasant if there were someone to share it with.
But even if she went back inside, it would be extremely dull. At most, she could look at some music scores. That idiot hadn't replied today either, and she wasn't in the mood to read Lane's notes. Time felt empty, yet her heart was restless, making it impossible to settle down and do anything.
The departure time seemed to be approaching as the sailors began to busy themselves. Children on their first voyage ran around the deck happily. Happiness was so simple, and it made Li Yue feel a trace of envy.
“My apologies, gentlemen,” an old but gentle voice called out. An old man dressed in cleric’s attire shouted loudly from the dock. “I’ve arrived late. Is it still possible to get a ticket?”
“Old man, it’s too late! We’re about to set sail!” a sailor shouted back. The captain walked over and patted the sailor on the shoulder.
“Lower the gangplank,” the captain said, clearing his throat. “Old gentleman, please remember to be on time next time.”
“He’s an instructor from the Academy. Looking at his clothes, we should at least give him that much respect,” the captain whispered to the sailor. He looked down at the old gentleman; both of them had hair that had mostly turned white at the temples.
Li Yue also looked down. Her eyes took on a slight reddish tint, and her brow furrowed slightly.
An instructor from the Academy... I recall most of them are ordinary people with their own academic insights, but this old man is at least at the level of a Mage...
Perhaps even stronger. This aura... although he looks very old, his life force is comparable to that of a young man. His blood flows rapidly and feels very fresh.
Likely a professor specializing in life magic... why did he come aboard this ship?
Li Yue retracted her perception and inconspicuously glanced at the wealthy man chatting with his guards. He was looking in the old man's direction, his face devoid of panic, confusion, or resistance. It seemed he had expected this.
Not simple at all. It looks like another storm is brewing... is this just my fate? I should probably avoid it if I can.
She moved to the side. The old man ran with small steps, looking a bit disheveled, just like an ordinary little old man. He wore a slightly apologetic smile and stood with a slight hunch, carrying the air of a scholar.
He walked straight toward the wealthy man. Li Yue caught a glimpse of him; aside from the vigorous life force, there didn't seem to be anything too strange—except for those deep green eyes.
She turned around and returned to the ship's interior, heading straight for her room.
“Professor Fen'ao!” the young man dressed as a wealthy merchant let out a sigh of relief. He handed a small box to the other man. “This should be it.”
“The search by the Inspectorate made it a bit troublesome to evade,” the old man said with a smile. He opened the box, which contained a parchment scroll. He took it out, gave it a hurried glance, and quickly tucked it away.
“Professor, you seem a bit flustered.” The wealthy man unfastened some of the accessories on his person, and a trace of magical aura leaked out. Immediately after, the others did the same, handing their items over to Professor Fen'ao.
He placed the accessories into the small box. After a flash of cyan light, they seemed to fuse into a pair of glasses. He hurriedly put them on, and his eye color quickly changed to an ordinary pale blue.
“Someone just noticed me,” Fen'ao frowned. “There is a very strong magic user on this ship.”
“Ah... who is it!” the young man dressed as a wealthy merchant exclaimed in a low voice.
“A young lady...” Fen'ao frowned. “I caught a glimpse of her just now.”
“Her true form could be described as staggering, and the aura she hides is like that of a deity...”
“Does she have the same kind of thing as you, Teacher?”
“She has likely surpassed the limits of a normal person. It is highly probable she possesses two pieces of God's remains.” Fen'ao rubbed his hands. “But she doesn't seem to harbor any ill will toward us. Let's test her.”
Inside the cabin, Li Yue leaned against the bedside, boredly watching the sea through the window. It was unchanging and somewhat tedious.
“Three Mages and one Great Mage, all seemingly from the Academy.” Half of Li Yue's body was hidden within the Death Abyss, blocking all attempts to peer into her aura. Although the Blood Moon had a similar effect, if she deployed it, even the smallest range she could control would engulf the entire ship.
“Is this an academic trip... how secretive. What is the Eastern Continent up to?” Li Yue frowned. A bit further ahead, the region to the east was the territory of the Royal Court. She didn't want to go there for the time being; she only wanted to see Clo.
“They’re carrying very powerful magical artifacts. The concealment effect is quite strong; if I hadn't sensed it carefully, I wouldn't have seen them clearly.” Li Yue took out paper and a pen. “And those eyes... are they God's remains?”
She spread out the stationery and, after organizing her thoughts, began to draft a letter.
Dear Clo,
It has been two days since we set sail. Today, I encountered several magic users on the ship—three Mages and one Great Mage. They all seem to be from the Academy. Are there any large-scale academic trips happening lately? What rank or position would this level of strength hold within the Academy?
By the way, did you like the flowers I sent in the last letter? They were cultivated in the greenhouses of Yakutsk. I wonder if they are different from the ones in your area.
I have been doing well lately. The Death Abyss has improved my mastery over the God's remains. After a few days, the influence of the Death Abyss on me has also begun to decrease. It seems to differ from the descriptions in books; I appear to be adapting far too quickly, though I don't know why.
The scenery at sea is monotonous and not much to look at. I've seen everything you wanted to see on your behalf. Unfortunately, I don't have any equipment for magic recording.
Everything is well, do not worry.
Yours, Li Yue.
Li Yue handed the letter to little Clo. The girl looked listless as she lay on Li Yue, waiting quietly for her to finish writing before vanishing without a trace.
Leaning against her pillow, Li Yue closed her eyes for a short nap. She entered her mental space—that vast black river. She walked along it, hoping to discover something.
From books, she had learned that a person's inner world was usually a stretch of blue water, reflecting their most profound memories. But for Li Yue, everything seemed very abnormal.
So, she wanted to search here for her past.
Knock, knock, knock!
Her door was knocked. Li Yue opened her eyes just as a piece of paper was slid through the gap under the door, landing right at her feet.
She picked it up and read a few lines, her eyebrows arching slightly.
“Is this an attempt... to probe me?”
Rate on N.U.
