Chapter 482: 99. The Bright Moon at Night
Outside the cave where Fisher went to retrieve the relic left by the Sorobato Angel, under the leadership of Chuan and Gouwen, the Snake People orderly took out the belongings from their tribe. Kakaro also mentioned he would go submit a letter to his elder brother Kakafu, explaining how their clan had been deceived by the angels.
However, Gouwen always felt this matter was not so simple. While these things were trivial to the angels, for the Snake People it was not the case. It represented the experiences of two whole generations. Moreover, they had done so much for the angels, only to end up with nothing; anyone would find it hard to let go, especially when there was still a glimmer of hope.
But this was not something Gouwen should worry about. He was preparing to organize the Snake People according to Chuan’s previous arrangements, which also included their belongings and the like.
“So, the relics you left behind were sold in the Dragon Heart Continent? But why have I never seen them before on the Dragon Heart Continent?”
“We’re not sure either. Part of the relics was given directly to the Snake People on the Dragon Heart Continent, and another part was sold to other subhuman races in need of them. But to be honest, such customers are few because lower-ranked races either lack money or simply can’t use them.”
According to Kakaro, the trade route discovered previously by Chuan and Fisher was indeed their additional route. Gouwen’s judgment was correct; this road led to the Dragon Heart Continent, but it would undergo many hands along the way, rather than being sold directly. Only the relics taken to the Dragon Heart Continent by the Snake People were direct.
The reason is that the trade distance is very long. The distance from Dragon Tail Island to Dragon Heart Continent is like a moat, longer than the distance from the southernmost to the northernmost parts of the Southern Continent, followed by crossing the vast Southern Ocean to reach the Western Continent. This is because, without the intervention of the Mother Goddess, there are mountains obstructing the way between Dragon Tail Island and Dragon Heart Continent.
The most common merchants dealing with the Snake People are a race called “Shark Folk,” which Gouwen knows. They are a subhuman race living in shallow seas, completely unrelated to Whale Folk, and it is possible these Shark Folk took the relics into the sea.
Gouwen’s gaze flickered slightly as the Snake People counted all manner of items. Chuan still needed to treat hundreds of slaves here, so the time spent far exceeded their original estimates, and returning was no longer an option.
“Hmm, I think that’s fine. You can train its reactions further.”
Mikhail prepared some dinner for everyone and stayed by the campfire to rest. As Gouwen passed by, he noticed Mikhail talking to himself, looking a bit puzzled. He glanced around but saw he was alone.
“What are you talking to yourself about? Is something wrong? Where’s Fisher? He hasn’t returned yet, and it’s already dark.”
Gouwen quickly used his curse to check Mikhail’s current state, but the results showed everything was normal. This guy’s aura was still quite high, and he seemed somewhat happy?
Why is he so happy talking to himself?
Mikhail was startled by Gouwen’s sudden addressing. He immediately turned his head to look at Gouwen, who then noticed that there was a flicker of holy light in his eyes, as if it were different from his usual microcomputer.
“I don’t know where Fisher went. He went into the cave and hasn’t come out yet. Apart from the guiding Snake Person who was driven away, no one has come out. It’s been almost half an hour; you might want to check.”
Gouwen raised an eyebrow and turned back without looking for Fisher, but instead kept staring at Mikhail’s shining eyes, asking,
“Wait, wait. First, tell me why you were talking to yourself. What’s going on? Who were you speaking to?”
Mikhail had already turned his head away, but he couldn’t withstand Gouwen’s curiosity, so he pouted and said, “Archangel Michael. Just a little remote communication about technical issues, so the progress can be faster.”
“Oh, oh, progress can be faster. Wait, were you talking to Archangel Michael while resting in the house this afternoon?”
“No, I was asleep then.”
“.”
Mikhail said this expressionlessly, but Gouwen squinted at him for a long time, feeling that it had no persuasive power at all.
Feeling uncomfortable under Gouwen’s gaze, Mikhail handed Gouwen a skewer of cooked food.
“.Eat something to keep your mouth shut.”
“No need, I’m not hungry.”
While Gouwen and Mikhail were chatting, since it was already evening when they came out, and now they had to worry about treating slaves and transporting items. Even though Chuan was a Mythical Being, this was not something that could be completed quickly. Soon it was completely dark at the site.
In the dim night, there were no clouds stained with evening purple, revealing the twinkling stars in the sky and the full moon that was particularly round but not very bright.
At this moment, it was the time of the full moon.
Gouwen looked up at the moon in the sky, no longer talking to Mikhail. He decided to check on Fisher but had a private purpose to fulfill first.
He slowly walked among the Snake People, as if to count, sweeping over the piled items around and casually asked other Snake People,
“By the way, I forgot to ask before, what’s up with those thieves who have been attacking your merchant vans lately?”
The Snake People exchanged glances, flicked the tongues hidden in their heads, and shook their heads. However, a few higher-ranking Snake People seemed to know some rumors,
“Well, I’ve heard something that might relate to the worries of Kakaro and Kakafu. Apart from us on Dragon Tail Island, there is also a powerful Elephant People tribe. Unlike us, they specialize in capturing human slaves. The chief of the Elephant People has many sons, and the youngest and strongest among them is said to be timid, and the chief doesn’t like him. For the sake of peace between us and them, he plans to arrange for this son to marry the daughter of our Kakafu.”
Gouwen thought about the towering Elephant People and the plump Snake People before him and, for some reason, his body shuddered slightly, as if it were hard to imagine.
“But that chief’s son didn’t want to accept such an arrangement, so on the way to marry a batch of slaves arranged by the chief, he went berserk and ended up killing the attendant nearby and our summoned Brain Demon translator before jumping into the sea to commit suicide. But he must have been particularly unhappy with his father and our arrangements, so after his death, he became a ghost and attacked the merchant vans of both our tribes.
“And because he died on the day of the marriage, he probably harbors hatred towards our Kakafu’s daughter, so he will attack any female he sees. But when he finds out that the female he found isn’t Kakafu’s daughter, he lets her go and continues to search, which scared our chief’s daughter so much that she didn’t dare to leave her room. But this also indicates that the son of that Elephant People chief is actually a good person.”
Gouwen raised an eyebrow, not really believing such ghost stories.
Previously, when he was underwater, he believed the stories about Sea Ghosts eating the Whale Folk who didn’t return home, and those Whale Folk who were eaten would turn into ghosts to entice their compatriots to be eaten by the Sea Ghosts, terrifying Gouwen. He was afraid every time he saw a Sea Ghost.
However, ever since his wife heard about it and personally dove into the Sea Ghost’s den and beat them until they fled in panic, he no longer felt much fear about these things. That fear had likely all been transferred onto his wife.
“So, your things are still being stolen, and people are panicking, yet you’d rather go to the Ideal Nation for help than seek that Sorobato Angel? Didn’t he leave you any way to contact him?”
Gouwen rubbed his chin, feeling puzzled.
The Snake People flicked their tongues but appeared somewhat fearful,
“The Sorobato Angel did leave us something to contact him, but, hmm, after all, he is an angel, and his temper seems quite bad. Kakaro and Kakafu don’t dare to contact him; usually, he comes down of his own accord. We have never seen him. It’s enough if he doesn’t hold a grudge against us; let alone seek help from him.”
“Oh, what is it to contact him?”
One of the Snake People flicked its tongue, turned around, and started rummaging through the belongings placed on the beach. Soon, it found a glowing horn. Gouwen recognized at a glance that it was a complete relic and seemed not to be the Life Gospel relic.
“Here it is; it’s said that as long as you blow it, that angel will feel our call. But Master Kakaro has never done this.”
“Hmm, I see. Thank you.”
Gouwen seemed a bit curious and gently reached out to take the horn handed over by the chubby little hand, and after a moment of silence, he squeezed out these words from his throat.
But before he could say anything else, in the cave on the beach, Fisher, leading a camel, had already come out unharmed. Gouwen slowly placed the horn back in its original place and then waved to Fisher, signaling him to come over.
At the same time in the Ideal Nation, under a cloudless sky and a gentle night wind, smoke rose from the various settlements of different races in the Ideal Nation, symbolizing the vitality of dining, which seemed so precious at this moment.
Meanwhile, the lanterns flickered atop the central stone tower, where Tang Zeming Asuka quietly watched the deep moonlight below, not knowing what she was thinking.
“Asuka, it’s time to eat.”
“Ah, okay, Ms. Margaret.”
Hearing the gentle call from behind, Tang Zeming Asuka barely regained her senses and returned her gaze from the rising smoke below to Margaret, who was smiling with dishes in hand.
Upon closer inspection, the table was already adorned with a considerable number of dishes that looked extremely delicious. The meat patties and unknown flowers decorated the elegant Western cuisine, instantly brightening Tang Zeming Asuka’s eyes. These dishes were ones she had never seen before, not even in Japan previously.
“Wow, these dishes are just so beautiful! Ms. Margaret, your culinary skills are truly amazing.”
“Just call me Margaret, Asuka. Although the ingredients I usually work with are not available here, luckily my mother taught me to cook with what is local. There are many strange-looking dishes in French cuisine, but they are all very tasty. Have you ever tried baked snails, Asuka?”
“Snails?”
Tang Zeming Asuka stared blankly at Margaret, seemingly shocked. Her expression made Margaret chuckle; she covered her mouth as she sat down, pushing the knives and forks and other utensils in front of her.
“Don’t worry; I’ve tried them, and the snails here can’t be eaten. Chuan told me so, you don’t need to worry.”
“Oh, I… I didn’t say it was bad to eat snails; I’m just not used to it.”
“Haven’t you eaten these before? What do you call them where you’re from?”
“Western cuisine?”
“Ah, that’s about the right name.”
Tang Zeming Asuka picked up a knife with her left hand, pouted, and said, “No, I haven’t eaten them before. My mother doesn’t cook, and even if she could, she wouldn’t cook for me.”
Margaret noticed her mood drop because her voice got softer as she continued. Therefore, she didn’t press for the reason but instead smiled and said, “Then I’ll cook for you. Try it and see if it tastes good.”
“.Hmm!”
Tang Zeming Asuka was about to cut the meat when Margaret smiled and reached out to switch the incorrectly held knife and fork, then lifted her hand to demonstrate the proper method, slowly teaching Tang Zeming Asuka how to cut the meat patties.
Margaret was very skilled in cooking; the previous dessert macarons were so, and now the formal dishes were even better. Tang Zeming Asuka felt her taste buds impacted after just one bite, and her little face bloomed with happiness.
Well, indeed, she hadn’t had good food for a while; during her time in the Holy Realm, the angels didn’t eat, relying solely on the fruits brought by Hela for sustenance; the food from the Tree Continent’s elves tasted okay, but was just too weird in appearance, making Tang Zeming Asuka have no appetite at all; and while outdoors, the meals prepared by Teacher Fisher… well, Fisher only grilled meat; it didn’t seem like he knew how to cook.
And tasting delicious food is the simplest and most direct way to feel happiness, Tang Zeming Asuka firmly believed.
“Is it good?”
“Delicious! It’s really delicious, Ms. Margaret!”
“Margaret, just call me Margaret, Asuka.”
“Oh, oh, Ms. Ma… Margaret.”
Tang Zeming Asuka paused, chewing on the name, and under the approving smile of Margaret, repeated it twice more.
This dinner was indeed quite delightful, although Tang Zeming Asuka felt a little unnatural at the beginning because her familiar companions were not around. Just now, Margaret had invited Hela and Neceria to join, but the people below said they had already eaten by themselves, so Margaret had no choice but to let it go.
The two Trans were enjoying the food while chatting about random topics concerning their places and pasts.
“1996, huh? That feels like a long time ago for me. Did anything happen in those 40 years?”
“I, um, sorry, my history isn’t that good. I only know things that happened after I was born, and just about my hometown. Sorry.”
“There’s no need to apologize; that’s normal. When I was young, I only knew of a few villages near Montmedy. Even after the creation of the Maginot Line, when my husband went to war and I moved to Paris, I knew very little about the world.”
“Is Margaret’s husband a soldier?”
“Ah, yes, but he passed away in the war. Not long after that, my child also passed away.”
“A martyr…”
“Kind of, I guess. I don’t really know.”
Hearing Margaret’s somewhat lonely words, Tang Zeming Asuka felt a small pang of sadness in empathy. At this moment, she seemed to understand why Margaret rejected the remuneration from Pandora.
Aside from the matter of the Ideal Nation, she likely had no one to miss even if she returned to her world, right?
“Alright, enough of that. In any case, I have to thank you for your help. We are making quick progress. Shall we toast to celebrate?”
Margaret smiled as she lifted a wooden cup beside her, a little wine splattering from within. It was at this moment that Tang Zeming Asuka noticed there was also a wooden cup next to her plate.
Is this wine?
But I’m still not of age…
“Cheers.”
Regardless, after swallowing a bit of saliva, Tang Zeming Asuka raised her cup, clinking it with Margaret’s, then closed her eyes, cautiously like everyone trying something for the first time.
After taking a small sip, she found only the sweetness of fruit juice.
Tang Zeming Asuka blinked, looking at Margaret, who had taken a sip of wine and had a faint blush, and saw her laughing as she said, “You aren’t of age yet; how can you drink wine? It’s just fruit juice.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me, Margaret? I thought…”
“Hahaha, it’s because you’re so cute.”
Tang Zeming Asuka shyly took another sip of juice, but her heart raced excitedly.
At that moment, even such simple conversations made her feel an indescribable sensation, one she had never deeply experienced before. It felt as if Margaret before her was like her own mother, possessing a connection that was unspoken but so tacit.
Could it be that they were related by blood? Did they look alike?
Impossible; Margaret is Caucasian, and I’m Asian.
Perhaps this is entirely different from the relationship between a real mother and daughter? But Tang Zeming Asuka didn’t know; after all, she had seemingly never felt such warmth and surely couldn’t define such feelings.
She only felt that being in front of Margaret was so warm and relaxing—a joy she had never experienced before.
“The moon outside is so round; it’s a rare full moon. But since I arrived in this world, I rarely have the time to observe such scenery. It’s the first time like this for me.”
Margaret took another sip of the wine, which was home-brewed by the race of the Dragon Continent and offered to her as a welcoming gift.
She gazed at the round moon outside, seeming particularly relaxed like Tang Zeming Asuka at this moment.
“Hmm, it’s indeed beautiful. But didn’t Teacher Fisher and Chuan say they would be back before nightfall? Why haven’t they returned yet?”
“Maybe there are other matters. I’ll use the item Chuan gave me to contact them shortly.”
“Alright, thank you, Margaret.”
Margaret looked at Tang Zeming Asuka with slightly tipsy eyes, then took another sip of her wine and softly said, “Don’t worry; our progress has been much faster than I expected. We should finish ahead of schedule within a week. By then, you can return to your hometown, right? We should hold a banquet to celebrate.”
“A banquet?”
“Well, not exactly a banquet. It’s a traditional festival in my hometown. The first full moon after the vernal equinox is Easter. I used to celebrate this holiday often, giving gifts and making lots of good food. When the Loom is fully under control and the situation in the Ideal Nation stabilizes, I’ll set this day as a commemorative holiday. What do you think?”
“Sure, will there be a lot of good food then?”
Margaret chuckled, stroking her cheek as she said, “If you want, I can also cook for you tomorrow.”
“That’s great! Thank you! I want to eat as much as possible before going back to Japan. There won’t be any then.”
“I can teach you how to cook it; you can make it yourself by then.”
“Really?”
“Yes. My mother taught me that, and once I learned, I could have delicious food anywhere I went.”
Tang Zeming Asuka was slightly stunned, her eyes lit up, then vigorously nodded, patting her chest with assurance, “I will do my best!”
“Haha, you’re so cute. This isn’t something to promise about; you’ll learn my signature dishes quickly, and my ‘French Montmedy Country Pie’ style will have a successor.”
“French Montmedy Country Pie?”
“Ah, it’s just a name I came up with. I always thought my daughter would become a chef when she grew up.”
“She was so young and already interested in cooking?”
“No, it’s just that she really liked food, but people who love eating usually have good sensitivity to food, hmm. If nothing else, ‘French Montmedy Country Pie’ can also refer to other fields.”
“Hahaha.”
The candlelight in the tower at night flickered gently, veiling the discussions between the two women of different ages.
The golden light in the water pool slowly dimmed, drifting farther from reality, as the breeze from the sky rose again, carrying a hint of warmth from spring to the ancient and unchanging land and scenery. The full moon, strikingly similar to the one from the worlds they came from, remained quiet, and the crystalline moonlight between them illuminated the distance, accentuating the connection between the bitterness of alcohol and the sweetness of juice.
At this moment, the night moon was indeed bright.
