Chapter 12: What If Your Spawn Point is in the Enemy Fountain? Online and Waiting, Urgent!
When Shaya’s consciousness resurfaced, the first thing he perceived was the icy cold metal floor.
Had his attempt to enter the Historical Echo failed? Was he still in that secret chamber’s ruins?
Shaya quickly dismissed this thought as he heard hurried footsteps behind him.
“Shaya, time is almost up, aren’t you coming?”
Shaya didn’t recognize the voice and assumed he didn’t know the speaker. However, it was clear that the speaker knew him.
“I’m sorry, I was just thinking about something. My apologies.”
Shaya turned around naturally, a apologetic smile on his face. In just a few breaths, he had sensed the Soul Pact link between himself and Shiny and Silver. As a Beast Tamer, even in an extremely unfamiliar environment, as long as his familiars were present, Shaya had the confidence to face any unknown.
“The family’s Coming-of-age Ceremony is about to begin. This is a major event that concerns our future status within the family. You can’t continue to be so listless.”
The speaker appeared to be around Shaya’s age, seventeen or eighteen, and wore a clan emblem of a silver-white longsword on his chest.
“Elder is already summoning us. If we’re late, the consequences…”
As he spoke, a hint of undisguised fear flashed in his eyes. It seemed this “Elder” held considerable authority, leaving such a deep psychological scar.
Shaya’s mind raced, but he showed nothing. He knew he was essentially an imposter right now, and listening more than speaking was his top priority. He repeated the other person’s words.
“Then let’s hurry. We really can’t afford to upset Elder, or the consequences would be unimaginable.”
The young man wiped sweat from his brow and hastily nodded. “Yes, yes.”
In an inconspicuous hall within the Grand Duke’s Mansion, Shaya found a corner and sat down. He scanned the other seven or eight people present, all around his age. Their attire was neither shabby nor luxurious. Besides their age, their greatest commonality was the silver-white longsword clan emblem pinned to their chests.
“This clan emblem must be the symbol of the Brunnhildr Family, the former rulers of the Azure Court Duchy.”
“I never imagined that ‘Echoes of History’ could actually achieve an effect similar to time travel.”
“Everyone I’ve met here feels like a living person, not an illusion or a projection.”
Shaya judged this internally. He had initially thought that the so-called “Echoes of History” might just be a replay of past historical imprints. Even if he entered it, he might have been a mere observer, unable to interfere with any historical progression, otherwise, the grandfather paradox would be unexplainable. But now, it seemed this particular Echo of History within the Azure Court Duchy was not as simple as he imagined. Perhaps it was formed by the lingering obsessions of a supreme being, a powerful illusion so grand it was indistinguishable from reality. Or perhaps, it was truly a segment of captured history.
When it came to the laws of spacetime, Shaya could only guess. But regardless of the principle, he was now indeed within the still-standing Azure Court Duchy. Of course, this was good news for Shaya, as if it were a form of time travel where he could only watch and not interact, his favorability quests would be impossible.
“Fortunately, fortunately, we made it,” a relieved voice came from behind Shaya.
“Leonard, relax. Maintain your composure. Be careful not to lose your dignity in front of Elder,” Shaya said faintly, frowning slightly.
Through his guiding remarks and subtle probing on the way here, Shaya had already gathered enough information to understand his current situation. As a duchy, the highest ruler of the Azure Court Duchy was Grand Duke Brunstadt. However, the borders of the Azure Court Duchy were constantly plagued by beast tides, so Grand Duke Brunstadt had been leading troops on the border defense line for a long time. Most matters concerning the Brunnhildr Family in the royal city were decided by several family elders. Among them, the most powerful was the Grand Duke’s own brother, Elder Norton, who was currently acting head of the family. Shaya, this young man named Leonard, and the others present were all orphans taken in by Elder Norton on the battlefield. Although they were considered part of the Brunnhildr Family, they were not direct descendants. This gathering had naturally been convened by Elder Norton.
“Yes, Shaya, thanks to your reminder, I would have truly embarrassed myself in front of Elder,” Leonard nodded repeatedly.
“Good that you know.” Shaya spoke faintly. He had already noticed how terrified Leonard was of Elder Norton, and brought it up now to control the conversation. Having laid the groundwork, he then subtly brought up the question that concerned him most.
“By the way, how has Sylvia been lately?”
Shaya didn’t have much information about the Grand Duke’s daughter, who was his quest objective. He wasn’t even sure if she was currently in the Grand Duke’s Mansion, so his question was deliberately vague, leaving room for maneuver even if Leonard hadn’t heard of her.
However, to Shaya’s surprise, almost the moment he asked, an undisguised look of disgust appeared on Leonard’s face.
“Her? How else could she be? Of course, still as detestable as ever.” A hint of hatred flashed in Leonard’s eyes. “If it weren’t for her, perhaps that disaster sixteen years ago would never have happened, and we wouldn’t have become orphans.”
“The disaster sixteen years ago?” Shaya sensed a major scoop. Unless there was a significant hidden reason, an adopted outsider like Leonard would likely not dare to question Sylvia, the Grand Duke’s daughter, so openly.
However, before Shaya could follow up on his questions, a unified voice calling out “Greetings, Elder!” suddenly came from afar. Shaya stood up with Leonard to greet the Elder, while discreetly observing the elderly man, who walked slowly amidst the reverent gazes of the crowd, clad in luxurious robes. His presence was imposing, carrying a heavy aura, clearly having surpassed the realm of a high-tier Beast Tamer to enter the domain of a Master-level Beast Tamer.
More than the Master-level Beast Tamer’s strength, what caught Shaya’s attention was a faint, elusive scent of decay emanating from this powerful Elder. To ordinary people, this trace of an aura might be imperceptible. However, having come into close contact with an Evil God’s artifact, Shaya could definitively say that the aura was not just similar, but identical. Coupled with the historical record of the “Azure Court Duchy’s destruction due to the Twilight Calamity,” Shaya realized with a jolt, “Good lord. My spawn point is right in the cult’s den.”
