Chapter 12

Night.

After dealing with the neighbor who had come to borrow the oven, Lumian went upstairs to the second floor and entered the room that served as a study.

In Cordu Village, many poor families did not have ovens or large stoves. When they needed to bake bread or smoke meat, they could only borrow from others and use them on the spot.

Aurore was always open-minded and tolerant about this. Anyone could borrow, but they had to pay the corresponding fuel costs or bring their own coal and wood.

At this moment, she had already changed into a white silk nightgown and was curled up in an armchair, reading a book under the bright desk lamp powered by a battery.

Lumian did not disturb her. He casually pulled a thinner book from the bookshelf and sat down in a corner chair.

"The Veiled Secret"... What kind of magazine is this? Lumian glanced at the cover filled with strange symbols, feeling puzzled.

He quickly flipped through it, becoming increasingly shocked.

This magazine talked about the existence of human souls, the spirituality of all things, and how to communicate with different spirits through secret methods to receive different kinds of help...

Even though he was not particularly devout and only went to the "Eternal Sun" church for prayers and occasional masses, two words flashed through his mind:

"Blasphemy!

"Taboo!"

Although Aurore, as a witch who would be burned by the Inquisition if exposed, having such books at home was normal, Lumian clearly saw that this magazine had a government publication permit!

Can such things be published openly?

Wasn't the publication review always very strict?

Or is this a forged permit... Lumian lifted his head and looked at Aurore, asking:

"Is this a banned magazine?"

Aurore took her eyes off the book and glanced at her brother, saying indifferently:

"It used to be, part of underground literature. Later, it somehow passed the review and was officially published. The 'Eternal Sun' Church didn't interfere and just tacitly allowed it."

"Literature?" Lumian didn't quite understand his sister's choice of words.

"Of course, it's literature. Don't take it seriously," Aurore laughed. "If it were real, do you think it could be published? If you follow the methods in it, you'll only make yourself mentally weak and neurotic, with no additional benefits. Occasionally, there might be some truth, but without the corresponding ritual language, all attempts are in vain."

This was the evaluation of a professional witch.

"Alright..." Lumian couldn't hide his disappointment. "I'm just surprised that it can be published."

Aurore puffed out her cheeks as if thinking seriously:

"I'm not sure why. Perhaps in recent years, there have been more and more supernatural phenomena in various places, which cannot be completely hidden, leading to a certain trend. The government wants people to have some understanding, so they relaxed the control over such books. In Trier, the more popular magazines are 'Spiritual Communication,' 'Lotus,' and 'Esoteric Teachings.' I have them all on my bookshelf. If you're interested, you can read them. It will help you tell better stories in the tavern in the future."

"Okay." Lumian was indeed very interested.

At the same time, he marveled again in his heart:

Aurore's collection of books is truly rich and diverse!

It was thanks to these books and Aurore's occasional explanations that he, a dropout, could have a sufficient understanding of the world, the continent, and the country he lived in:

This world has two continents, the North and the South, separated by the Stormy Sea, where hurricanes rage and navigation is difficult. As for the legendary East and West continents, no one has reached them, and no one can confirm whether they exist or not.

The Intis Republic, where Lumian and Aurore lived, was located in the central part of the North Continent, bordering the Misty Sea to the west, the Fersac Empire to the north, the Loen Kingdom across the Honarchis Mountains to the east, and the Fennepot Kingdom, Lumburg, and Massey to the south.

Between the Fennepot Kingdom and the Loen Kingdom, there were smaller countries like Segal, which, along with Lumburg and Massey, were collectively known as the Central and Southern Countries, all of which worshipped the "God of Knowledge and Wisdom."

The South Continent had become a colony of the North Continent countries. Whether it was the Biron Empire, the Pas Kingdom, the Haggati Kingdom, or other countries, they had lost most of their autonomy. However, the resistance against colonialism had never ceased.

Besides the Stormy Sea between the North and South Continents, the Misty Sea to the west of the Intis Republic, the Sunya Sea to the east of the Loen Kingdom, the North Sea to the north of the Fersac Empire, and the Polar Sea to the south of the South Continent, they were collectively known as the "Five Seas."

Among the North Continent countries, the Loen Kingdom had the strongest overall strength, followed by the Intis Republic. The Fersac Empire, which lost the last war, fell to fourth place, while the Fennepot Kingdom rose to third. Among the Central and Southern Countries, Lumburg was the most powerful.

Compared to the villagers in Cordu who only knew the Intis Republic, the Fennepot Kingdom, and Lumburg, Lumian could be considered a geographer.

Of course, this was because the shepherds in Cordu needed to move to the nearby Fennepot Kingdom and Lumburg, so they had some understanding of these two countries. If it were the northern rural areas of the Dariel region, the people there would only know the surrounding villages, towns, and cities, and could only name major cities like Trier and Suthet in their own country.

Sometimes, Lumian was really puzzled about how Aurore could have so much knowledge?

All the textbooks he studied were compiled by Aurore, all the practice papers were made by Aurore, and any questions he had about the books he read, Aurore could answer!

More importantly, she mastered various schools of martial arts.

This didn't seem like something a girl in her twenties could do. Some people accumulated such knowledge over fifty or sixty years.

Could these be the basic conditions for becoming a real witch? Lumian looked up at Aurore again.

Aurore, while reading, lightly tapped her cheek with her finger, not looking like a scholar or a witch at all.

"What are you looking at?" Aurore noticed his gaze.

"You said last time that I have the knowledge to take the unified entrance exam for higher education?" Lumian changed the subject.

Aurore thought for a moment and said:

"Theoretically, you could get into any university, but I haven't taken that entrance exam, so I can't be sure about the specific scope of questions.

"Roselle really caused a lot of trouble, but it's also a good thing..."

Undoubtedly, the unified entrance exam for higher education was established during Emperor Roselle's reign and has continued to this day.

Aurore suddenly remembered something, looked at Lumian, and smiled:

"Why didn't you go to the tavern to tell stories today?"

"I'm not a real drunkard," Lumian shook the magazine in his hand. "Reading at home is also a good way to entertain."

And it can make me calm and relaxed... He silently added in his mind.

Aurore nodded and looked at Lumian's corner:

"Why are you sitting so far away? Are you trying to look pitiful, weak, and helpless?

"Come over, you need good lighting to read at night, or it will harm your eyes."

Aurore really says a lot of strange things... Although I understand the words "pitiful," "weak," and "helpless," they sound very odd when put together, not like normal usage... Lumian was already used to Aurore's behavior, picked up his chair, and came to the desk.

Under the bright desk lamp, he and Aurore sat on either side, quietly reading, occasionally chatting.

The sound of breathing, the rustling of pages, and the occasional night breeze through the window were soothing and peaceful.

...

After saying goodnight to Aurore, Lumian returned to his room.

He took off his coat and hung it on the back of the chair, not trying to bring the "Wand" card to bed.

This was to avoid arousing Aurore's suspicion, as his sister had said she would always watch over him.

Lumian was about to walk to his bed when he suddenly felt a sense of unease and stopped.

He turned his eyes and adjusted the chair, which was usually placed diagonally, to face the window.

Then, he got into bed and extinguished the kerosene lamp on the side table.

After falling asleep, he suddenly woke up after an unknown period of time.

He saw his bedroom filled with a faint gray mist.

Lumian, who was mentally prepared, calmly looked around and noticed something:

The chair he had placed straight before bed was still diagonally placed in his dream, maintaining its usual appearance.

This meant that the bedroom in the dream was not a strict reflection of reality, but rather came from the deepest impressions of his subconscious... Although he didn't know what this meant, he felt it was something to remember.

He went to the window, leaned on the table, and looked outside.

The mountain made of brownish-red stones and reddish-brown soil, surrounded by collapsed buildings, appeared before his eyes again.

It was so quiet that it felt like death.

Time passed quickly. After hesitating for a while, Lumian finally made up his mind:

To do some preliminary exploration tonight!

His past life as a wanderer gave him a sense of determination.

He didn't immediately go downstairs into the ruins but opened the cabinet and started putting on more clothes.

This was not because he felt cold but to increase his "defense capabilities."

After putting on a cotton jacket and pants and a leather jacket, Lumian moved his body, feeling that he couldn't add more, as it would significantly affect his flexibility.

This was more important.

While adapting to his current state, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind:

This is my dream; if I want something, won't it appear?

With a sense of trying, he began to whisper:

"I want a chest armor, a pistol... I want a chest armor, a pistol..."

The room filled with a faint gray mist remained unchanged.

It seems it doesn't work; this dream is indeed special... Lumian calmed his disappointment, opened the bedroom door, and stepped into the corridor.

It was dark and dim without any light.

Lumian successively opened the doors to Aurore's bedroom and study. The arrangements were slightly different from reality but generally consistent. The biggest difference was that neither scene had Aurore, as if frozen in a gray world.

The first floor was the same.

Lumian began to search for weapons for self-defense. With his familiarity with the house, he quickly had two choices:

One was a nearly two-meter-long fork made of steel. According to Aurore, as long as the target did not have a ranged weapon, this thing was absolutely useful and effective.

The other was a relatively sharp iron-black hand axe.

The adult answer is to take everything... Lumian inexplicably remembered a phrase Aurore often said but ultimately did not do so.

Because he was doing a preliminary exploration tonight, he needed to be hidden, cautious, and almost stealthy.

Bringing such a long weapon would definitely hinder his movements and make him easily exposed.

Lumian slowly exhaled, bent down, and picked up the axe.

He then straightened up and walked step by step toward the door in the faint gray mist.

Silently, he pulled open the front door.