Check out my new translation!
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Dehya sat atop her Sumpter Beast, while Shao Yun rode on Boedicia. The two traveled together for two days straight before finally arriving at their destination—Aaru Village.
At first, Shao Yun hadn't intended to ride Boedicia at all.
But then something unbelievable happened.
When he whistled, both Carrot and Boedicia appeared before him at the same time!
Even more astonishing—the two brave mares locked eyes for mere seconds before instantly bristling with hostility, ready to brawl right then and there to determine who had the right to carry Shao Yun on this journey.
Startled, Shao Yun had to rush between them, talking them both down. It took nearly all his patience and strength to finally calm the situation before it got out of hand.
In the end, he sent Carrot back and chose to ride Boedicia to Aaru Village. After all, he'd promised to alternate between them—it was simply her turn.
…
At the entrance of Aaru Village—
Dehya hopped down from her Sumpter Beast and stretched her somewhat stiff limbs before turning toward Shao Yun with a bright, sincere smile.
"Thanks for coming with me to Aaru Village. Without you to talk to on the way, I would've gone mad from boredom."
Shao Yun waved a hand dismissively, grinning. "Don't be so formal. By the way—any idea where Candace might be right now?"
Dehya tilted her head in thought, glancing around the village, then up at the blazing sun overhead.
"At this time of day, she's probably still somewhere in the village. You should take a look around—if you're lucky, you'll spot her soon."
After a short pause, she added, "Oh, and if you do run into Candace, say hi for me, will you?"
"I've got something important to take care of—Rahman needs a proper burial."
As she spoke, Dehya carefully lifted the clay urn containing Rahman's ashes.
Shao Yun looked at it and nodded solemnly. "Understood. I'll tell her."
With that, Dehya hurried off in one direction while Shao Yun stepped into Aaru Village.
…
After searching around the village for a while, Shao Yun finally found Candace standing in front of the village chief's house, staff of the Scarlet Sands in hand, calmly patrolling.
"Miss Candace!"
Shao Yun's voice immediately drew her attention.
Her steady footsteps faltered. She turned her head swiftly, and her beautiful heterochromatic eyes locked onto him.
Upon recognizing the man before her, Candace's face softened into a warm, familiar smile.
"Oh, it's you, Mr. Shao Yun. It's been a while."
Before he could even respond, she strode briskly toward him, her steps graceful yet firm. In the blink of an eye, she stood before him.
Candace didn't speak right away. Instead, she quietly studied him from head to toe with those vibrant, mismatched eyes of hers.
After a few seconds, a faint look of relief appeared on her face. Her voice softened. "The aura of decay around you is gone… You've recovered?"
Shao Yun puffed out his chest proudly, patting his solid muscles with a broad grin. "All thanks to you. What you gave me really protected me when it mattered most."
He reached into his pack and pulled out a broken ankh, offering it to her with an apologetic look. "But… I'm really sorry, Candace. I ended up breaking it."
Candace gazed at the cracked charm. Though she'd already given it to him freely, seeing it damaged still brought a pang of sadness to her heart.
After a pause, she gently shook her head and said softly, "It's all right, Mr. Shao Yun. Compared to this little trinket, your health matters far more."
Shao Yun carefully put the broken ankh away and said solemnly, "Believe me, it helped me more than you can imagine. So—if there's anything I can do to repay you, anything within my power—just say the word."
Candace looked slightly puzzled at how serious he sounded.
Tilting her head, she smiled faintly and teased, "Mr. Shao Yun, it was just a simple charm I gave you to ease your worries. No need to be so earnest."
"I appreciate your gratitude—but there's no need for repayment."
But Shao Yun's tone was unwavering. "Believe it or not, that little thing saved my life. You'd better not waste this rare chance—I don't often owe people favors."
Seeing how insistent he was, Candace gave a small laugh and lightly tapped her finger against her temple, thinking for a moment before speaking again.
"All right then… if you really insist on returning the favor…"
"Have you heard of someone named Kaveh from the Akademiya?"
At that name, Shao Yun's mind sifted through fragments of memory until he recalled something relevant.
After thinking for a moment, he nodded. "Yes, I've heard of him—a rather brilliant architectural designer, right?"
Candace nodded slightly, then went straight to the point.
"You probably noticed last time you were here—Aaru Village could really use a library."
Hearing that, Shao Yun immediately assumed she wanted manual labor.
So… does she want me to help build it? he wondered, half-expecting it. After all, Aaru Village was short on strong hands lately—that much was true.
He made a vague gesture in the air with his right hand. "So you're asking me to be a construction worker? Help you build it myself?"
Candace chuckled softly and shook her head.
"You're thinking way too much. Of course not!"
Then she clarified her real request.
"I was hoping you could help me contact this Kaveh and invite him here to Aaru Village. I want to discuss building a library with him—better to have a professional handle the design."
Shao Yun blinked, surprised by the simplicity of her request.
"That's it? That's all you need?" He squinted. "You're not pulling my leg, are you?"
Candace raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "Is it really that simple? I heard Kaveh is the pride of the Kshahrewar Darshan—an ordinary person can't just meet him easily."
Shao Yun just laughed lightly.
He slapped his chest with confidence. "For me? That's nothing. But honestly, you're wasting such a valuable favor on something this small."
Candace was still uncertain—she couldn't think of anything else she truly needed his help with.
She tilted her head, thought for a moment, then joked, "Unless you're volunteering to fund the construction too—hah, just kidding. Helping me reach Kaveh is already a huge help."
But—what was a joke to her, Shao Yun took seriously.
Without missing a beat, he replied, "Sure. I'll pay for it. Consider it done."
The decisiveness in his tone caught Candace completely off guard.
"I was just joking! You don't have to—really!" she said, waving her hands.
But Shao Yun remained resolute.
"Candace, that charm you gave me saved my life. Covering the cost of a library for Aaru Village is nothing. If you asked me to rebuild the whole village, I'd still agree without hesitation."
After all, he had over fifty billion mora tucked away—how much could one library possibly cost?
Seeing he wouldn't be dissuaded, Candace smiled softly and nodded in gratitude.
"Then thank you, truly, for your generosity toward Aaru Village."
Then her expression brightened.
"By the way, it's around lunchtime, isn't it? You probably haven't eaten yet. Why don't I cook for you? Consider it a thank-you meal."
Shao Yun removed his hat with a graceful gesture and smiled. "Then I'll gladly accept."
…
Inside the familiar village chief's house, Shao Yun and Candace sat facing each other at the modest yet spotless wooden dining table.
From the kitchen came the mouthwatering aroma of her cooking.
Since the food didn't need constant tending, they chatted idly while waiting.
At first, the conversation was light—casual stories, little bits of daily life.
But after a while, Shao Yun suddenly asked, "By the way, Miss Candace—do you have any information on Abyss Mages?"
Candace blinked, caught off guard. "Abyss Mages? What made you start asking about them all of a sudden?"
Shao Yun thought grimly to himself: I'm just trying to find my dear brother-in-law, Aether.
Most of the Abyss Mages in the rainforest were gone—turned into branches by Lumine for her own use. Now, only the desert might hold any leads.
But he couldn't exactly say that.
So he came up with a more reasonable excuse. "Oh, nothing big. I just took on a commission to hunt down a particular Abyss Mage."
Candace nodded, accepting that explanation. After all, she knew he was an adventurer—taking commissions was routine.
Still, something about it nagged at her.
"I thought you didn't like taking commissions," she said. "What changed?"
Shao Yun leaned back lazily, waving his hand. "I just don't bother with boring ones. You know—lost cats, walking dogs… those are nanny jobs, not adventures."
Candace smiled at that—his reasoning made sense.
Adventurers who roamed the desert usually craved danger and thrill. Someone like Shao Yun wouldn't waste time on trivial errands.
She tapped her fingers on the table thoughtfully. "I see… well, I don't know much about them. I rarely leave Aaru Village, after all."
"As for the monsters that attack the village—aside from those odd wolf-like beasts, it's mostly just Hilichurls. I've never seen an Abyss Mage myself—only heard about them from Dehya."
Shao Yun chuckled lightly. "No worries, it was just a passing question."
But then, Candace's tone shifted slightly, a hint of intrigue in her voice.
"Though… I do know someone who might know more."
Her mysterious smile caught his full attention.
"Really? Who?" he asked, suddenly eager.
Candace's mind conjured an image of a young man—emerald eyes like gemstones, brown hair streaked with gray.
"His name is Sethos. He might have the information you're looking for."
The name sparked recognition in Shao Yun's mind.
Sethos—the young member of the Temple of Silence. If the timeline was right, their leader, Bahmun, should still be alive.
Running through everything he knew, Shao Yun nodded thoughtfully. "I see… In that case, could you help me get in touch with him? I'd really appreciate meeting him."
Given that the Temple of Silence managed the remnants of King Deshret's knowledge, they likely knew something about the Abyss.
Candace agreed with a nod. "No problem—but I'm not sure when he'll come to Aaru Village. If he does, I'll let him know you're looking for him."
Shao Yun bowed his head slightly. "Thank you. I don't know what I'd do without your help."
Candace smiled warmly. "And I should thank you—for giving Aaru Village a library."