NABC Chapter 56 Inheritance
Chapter 56 Inheritance
Chapter 56 Inheritance
Where do you plan to start?
"Talk to the descendants of the Zanti people, and I think they should have passed down some of the stories from back then, and perhaps some of the records have been preserved," Gunn emphasized. "If Aslipan was indeed a mead werewolf, she would probably have had offspring living a peaceful life, and maybe she would even be lucky enough to survive to this day."
The crow rubbed the corners of its eyebrows.
Gunn asked, puzzled, "There's been progress, but you don't seem very interested?"
"If she possesses a peculiar property related to cognitive interference, isn't it strange that she can't completely erase the traces of her existence?"
"Even the most powerful nightmares have varying strengths."
"I'm not going to accept that the nerd is a nightmare for now."
"What's your reasoning? How do you explain cognitive interference?"
Silence spread between the two.
"Never mind, let's talk about Nan'an. They've arrived at Ellu Manor."
"Oh?" Gunn laughed. "What was your reaction?"
They mistakenly thought Corella was playing a trick on them and wanted to leave.
The reactions of each Erlu newcomer visiting the estate are like dessert for Gunn, something he can savor.
It's a pity that he wasn't there this time and missed the moment.
"Corella—the eldest daughter of the Tica family?" Gunn vaguely remembered her and frowned. "How did Nan'an end up with her?"
"Perhaps it's because she's pretty, young man—uh—" The crow swallowed back its instinctive, veteran-like gesture, "Even great heroic spirits were once made of flesh and blood."
"If I remember correctly, she is—"
"We don't understand how young people play, and the Senate doesn't care anyway. That's the trend now." Crow said dismissively. "You're decades younger than me, so you shouldn't be more of an old fogey than me."
After leaving the museum and boarding the carriage, with only the two of them left, Huoya felt relieved enough to activate the soundproofing array.
"What did the Senate say?"
The argument that this was "a legacy of the frontier adventurers from the Gray Star era" gradually gained traction within the Senate. They were very satisfied with the efficient and violent suppression and destruction of gods and demons that Southan had demonstrated within the black mist, believing this to be precisely the kind of power that Soliz, and indeed the entire Nora, desperately needed.
"That's a very high rating."
"But we still need to meet with the Senate before we can officially accept this honor."
"Will the Veterans' Home still issue Suiyue's bonus retroactively?"
The two exchanged a wry smile and tacitly avoided the topic.
"Now that both crowns are abuzz with the topic of the Living Eclipse, it's really rare to hear some normal progress," said the crow.
Gunn gave a wry smile, clearly also deeply troubled by the recent chaotic atmosphere in the Twin Crowns.
The heated debate over whether or not to accept the live eclipse has created a festive atmosphere both inside and outside the Double Crown.
Inside the tavern, one can often see pre-stored drinks available for those who share the same stance to take as they please.
The opposing group often arrives upon hearing the news, bidding even more money and shouting, "I'll deposit double!"
Pre-deposit quickly evolved into a form of implicit comparison and a display of one's stance.
You save one cup, I save two cups.
You buy meat beer, I'll buy you a more expensive spirit.
It seems that whoever has more money saved up and buys better drinks represents a more popular stance.
When people enter a pub, their first focus is often not on the menu, but on the small sign next to the counter that is covered with "Sponsored Drinks," and they decide whether to stay or where to find "like-minded people" based on their own stance.
Nan'an had already heard about this, and while strolling around, the local expert Corella had reminded him not to drink pre-stored liquor even when going to a tavern.
On the outskirts of Twin Crown City, beside a packed tavern, he witnessed a passionate man, brimming with emotion and expressive body language, standing on a high platform, raising his arms and shouting: "The Living Eclipse will destroy everything we have!"
The crowd below the stage was equally passionate and indignant, including the people of Shuangmian.
Their upbringing instilled in them a natural aversion to erosion.
Nan'an couldn't understand what the Senate was thinking.
Truth can indeed become clearer through debate, but reason can not always be.
What is most easily transmitted in the process of information dissemination is emotion itself.
The more radical the viewpoint, the easier it is to gain attention and spread.
Since he was new to the place, Nan'an did not immediately tell Gu En what he was thinking.
When Nanan discovered that Elu, his biggest "patron" and logistics manager, Gunn Palka, was actually a Forest Elf, he couldn't help but ask a question that had been lingering in his mind for a long time.
"Is the age limit really locked at 180 to 200 years old? Is there no Pokémon that can break through it?"
During the Gray Star era, the elves, with their lifespans often measured in millennia, were a feat that other races, including humans, could only dream of. They were essentially living on different time scales.
Now, facing this forest spirit born after the "bug fix," Nan'an could no longer suppress the curiosity that belonged to the "ancients."
Upon hearing this, Gunn did not show any sign of being offended; instead, he smiled gently.
He got up, walked to the wine cabinet embedded in the wall on one side of the study, took down a bottle of the same chestnut wine that he had given to Nan'an and the others before, and took out a few clean crystal glasses, pouring half a glass for Nan'an and Suiyue respectively.
“It’s not just us Forest Elves,” Gunn said calmly, sitting back down and gently pushing his glass toward Nan’an and Suiyue. “Almost all the races that were considered immortal by you humans in the Gray Star era have been restricted by invisible shackles since the Black Mist descended. Their lifespans have been roughly locked within this range, until now—”
He picked up his wine glass and swirled it gently.
"Only hybrid dragonkin have barely broken through this limitation. The longest-lived hybrid dragonkin on record lived to be 261 years old. With the blood of dragons mixed in, they are indeed powerful."
"Speaking of dragons—" Nan'an smoothly steered the conversation in another direction that puzzled him, "I didn't find much detailed information about them in the books in the Cavern of Kren either. During the Gray Star era, at least three dragons were definitively identified as existing in Nora. What happened to them? Did they disappear too?"
The raven explained, "One of them, in the early stages of the Black Mist's arrival, believed that the root of the crisis might lie on the continent outside of Nora, and voluntarily left Nora—and has been never heard from since."
"One of them fell in the Battle of Gransol."
There was a moment of silence in the room. A breeze blew in from the lake outside the window, bringing with it the faint sounds of the pasture.
"Listen—" Suiyue blinked and whispered, "There's one more?"
From a young age, she loved listening to all sorts of legendary stories and ancient secrets at Dawn, which was much more interesting than the boring magic theory classes. "He is sleeping and recovering from his injuries. As for his opponent and the reason for his injury, it is an absolute secret to most of Nora's people, but I can only reveal it to the two of you."
Nan An and Sui Yue exchanged a glance, then tilted their heads.
"Your wish-fulfilling promise," the dragon Dunakaron paid with half its tail and half a wing to curb it. Raven's tone was full of reverence.
Nan'an was equally filled with awe.
The fact that such a bizarre mechanism as "wish fulfillment" could be forced upon a race like this is truly remarkable, considering they are the most senior and powerful race in the magical world, a race that was imbued with magic from the very beginning of the game.
Even as the black mist swept in with overwhelming force, capable of altering the heavens and earth and distorting the rules, the dragon, with its terrifying physique and vast power forged over countless years and by the magical environment, remained the ultimate numerical monster, able to look down upon all living beings in Nora and stand at the very top of the food chain.
I'm bowing down to the veteran.
"You will have the opportunity to meet him, but the most urgent task is to prepare for tomorrow's meeting of elders."
"So fast?" Nan An looked up in surprise.
He knew he would have to face Solitz’s highest authority sooner or later, but he didn’t expect it to be arranged so quickly.
"If it weren't for the debate over the living eclipse, your discussion would have been the most extensive in the Senate during this period."
"What preparations do Suiyue and I need to make?"
"No need to be too deliberate," Gunn advised. "Just be natural and spontaneous, that's the best approach."
The crow stroked its beard and looked Suiyue up and down.
"Maybe you should change your clothes."
He wore a thick, worn-out linen shirt, over which was a durable leather vest, and equally sturdy, dirt-resistant dark trousers. On his feet were a pair of ankle boots stained with mud and some unknown dirt.
It's so rustic it's almost unbelievable.
However, it strangely highlights Suiyue's exceptionally good looks even without any makeup.
It is absolutely convenient and reliable for daily operations and missions, but it is clearly unsuitable for social situations and important occasions.
Nan An seized the opportunity and blurted out, "The school uniform, she likes it very much."
"ha?"
Suiyue was stunned. Before she could argue, Guen nodded.
"The school uniform is indeed a very appropriate and proper choice. I believe that even the elders who have reservations about you will find it difficult to find anything wrong with this choice. Moreover, Suiyue's age is also very suitable for this style of dress."
After saying that, he turned around and pulled out a scroll from his desk drawer.
"Take it to the corresponding store in Twin Crown City and purchase it there. The bill will be in my name." Gunn looked at Nan'an, hesitated for a moment, and said, "I know this may be offensive, but—when you're choosing, you can ask Miss Corella for help, or ask the shop assistants for their advice."
Nan'an knew that his attire was also inappropriate.
The upper body was covered in a dark gray long coat of unknown material, which was tattered and patched.
She wore slightly loose brown linen shorts.
A pair of ill-fitting animal skin boots, tightly bound with thick rope.
As far as the outfits go, this is incredibly tacky.
If he hadn't displayed formidable combat prowess, making people somewhat overlook his outfit, which was both tacky and utterly lacking in style, the two elegantly dressed big shots would probably have directly told him to change his clothes immediately.
It's ugly, that's what it looks like when the clothes are pieced together.
The clothes in Nan'an were all taken from the bodies of the dead; whatever was comfortable to wear was taken.
All the expensive, exquisitely crafted items were sold for cash.
Aslipan was terrified of Nan'an's frugality.
The entire Red Rat Adventurer Group once collectively suspected that Nan'an might be a follower of some obscure sect that practiced strict asceticism and abstained from material desires. Although Nan'an himself repeatedly insisted that he had no faith, this explanation was weak and no one believed him.
It is the presence of desires that makes us human.
Yet, in everyone's eyes, Nan'an shone with the brilliance of a paladin, and was the most devout ascetic paladin, the kind of person a necromancer would turn to ashes at a glance.
Be strict with yourself – don't gamble, and don't eat out.
The tolerant Nan'an will not stop the lecturing and preaching, the extra meal at the "restaurant", the heart-to-heart talk with the foreign beauty, and the teammates who learn the foreign language.
You can even borrow money from him when you're broke, interest-free.
Often, after a bloody and brutal battle that leaves everyone physically and mentally exhausted, when everyone is slumped by the campfire, their minds still filled with the chaotic images of slaughter and death, Nan'an would calmly speak.
He told some bizarre stories, far removed from the reality of his present moment, in what he considered to be a rather flat tone.
His narration seemed to possess a peculiar calming power, slowly dispelling the bloodshed and violence lingering in everyone's hearts.
This behavior looks exactly like the "preaching" or "spiritual comfort" of certain religious sects.
A person who works a job that puts them constantly on the edge of life and death and is under immense pressure has never shown any signs of indulgence or depravity.
He has no interest in women, no ambition for status, and his only hobby is kicking the heads of heretics and commissioned targets like balls—where is his desire?
The desire to kill, when taken to extremes, will inevitably lead to despair and distortion.
Out of concern, the entire Red Rat Adventure Team inquired about and guided Nan'an. You must have some desires, right?
"Saving money?"
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when they learned that Nan'an's secret stash of money had accumulated to a considerable sum.
Their feelings were similar to ————
"That's great, that's great! The child isn't useless, he just likes anime characters."
77
"Why are you saving so much money?" Aslipan asked, puzzled.
"After I stop being an adventurer, I'll buy land, buy a tavern, and retire," Nan'an answered frankly. "I'm thinking about the future."
""
Everyone in the Red Rat Adventure Team fell silent.
For these outlaws who roam the border, where every commission could be their last, the "future" is a foreign, almost luxurious, and even somewhat laughable concept.
"Drink today, for tomorrow we die" is their deeply ingrained way of life.
No one knows if they will live to see tomorrow. Instead of thinking about the distant and uncertain "future," we should enjoy the present while we still have breath and spend our money on things that bring immediate pleasure.
Drinking, gambling, eating out, and having women on both sides.
Few members of an adventurer's group have enough commission money to keep in their hands for a month after receiving it.
Once the money runs out, the next round of commissions is executed, until suddenly, during one of the rounds, someone collapses to the ground with a "bang" and can never get up again.
Aslipan is probably the person least able to understand Nanan's idea.
She once grabbed Nan'an like an eagle snatching a chick and threw him into a group of women.
Asripan was furious when she saw Nan'an knock out all the women around him.
"Wake up! Buying land and dreaming of running a pub are too unrealistic. What you need most right now is to learn to indulge yourself. If you die tomorrow, what's the point of saving so much money?"
"Then when I die, you can use my money to buy land."
"You're hopeless!"