On the empty road, a wagon rode fast without raising any noises of hooves or wheels, as if it were an envoy from the Silent Hell.
The wagon was so quiet because it did not have any wheels. The four horses running ahead were all as hazy as if they were made of pale mist. However, an intense fire was burning on each of their heads, and two red spots were bouncing in their eyes.
“Is this the famous ‘nightmare’?” Inside the carriage where the window was half open, a magnetic and enthralling female voice echoed.
Antec’s magic robe had turned into a formal suit with a collar that reached the back of his head. It was quite fashionable, but he was very unused to it. He kept pulling different parts of the clothes, as if he had trouble catching his breath. “Yes, these are special horses that my teacher created. They can directly enter dreams. They are made by melting the ghost horse and ‘Dream Controllers’, a type of demon with special abilities.”
There were so many kinds of demons that even the most knowledgeable legendary sorcerer could not declare confidently that they could recognize all. Also, knowledge sharing was not a trend in the Magic Empire. Nobody would give away their knowledge without getting something important in return. Therefore, even though some kinds of demons had been discovered, it was possible that only a few people knew them. For example, Fernando had never heard of “Dream Controllers” before.
“Since ‘nightmare’ is dragging our wagon, is the party in a dream?” Fernando, who appeared as a gorgeous girl, was greatly enlightened.
Antec smiled dryly. “Not exactly. I borrowed it on purpose. Now that I have a date, I’d better be serious.”
“It seems that you are not entirely hopeless,” Fernando praised him in a unique manner. The red and bright eyes on his delicate and pretty face were as attractive as the flashes of lightning in a dark night.
Antec held his head high for a moment, but his back was soon hunched again. He sighed in grief. “It will only be more miserable when I am mocked later. ‘Look, the date that the idiot found through all the trouble and brought here with a nightmare has been stolen so easily. A loser is always a loser’.”
The latter half of his sentence was so vivid that he was obviously mimicking a companion who always laughed at him.
“It’s better than when you don’t have anyone to be stolen.” There was no telling whether Fernando was comforting him or mocking him.
Antec thought for a moment. “Fair enough… It’s good to make progress every time. After all, I have never dreamed to find a real date. After I become an archmage, I will have as many dates as I want in my dream.”
“Don’t mistake illusions for reality,” Fernando reminded his friend solemnly. After so many years, he realized that Antec seemed more and more addicted to dreams.
“Why can’t illusions be the reality? Why can’t dreams become a real world?” Antec was rather excited after suppressing himself for a long time. “It’s the wish of all the sorcerers of the school of illusions.”
“So, your highest achievement is to deceive yourself?” Fernando was much meaner than Antec.
Antec shook his head. “No, it’s not deception, but dreams really become reality…”
Before he finished, the “nightmare” already stopped. It was a gloomily-decorated villa ahead of him.
“We’re here. Hold that thought on illusions.” Antec pulled his collar again and walked out of the wagon. Then, he turned around, extended his hand, and helped “her” to get off according to the etiquette that Fernando taught him. Fernando was much more experienced than him in that aspect.
“There’s still hope in you.” Fernando nodded and took Antec’s hand with the professionalism of an actor. Since he was rather short, he was a good match for Antec who was slim and tall.
Antec immediately blushed, and his left hand moved unnaturally, as if he sensed certain firm and elastic parts below Fernando’s neck.
“Are… Are… Are they real?” he stammered. His body was so tightened it appeared as if he had been attacked by a serpent.
Fernando said proudly, “Don’t question my magic expertise. Even a legendary sorcerer couldn’t have actualized such a perfect effect without my belt.”
“But I still feel it is weird…” Antec led Fernando to the gate rigidly.
“Hehe. You don’t even get to enjoy ‘weird’ on other occasions. Seize the opportunity,” Fernando said with a brilliant smile.
Antec realized that Fernando’s meanness was something that he could only look up to. So, he could only shut his mouth and climb the stairs.
“Do you think the demigod capabilities that Pope Gregory showed in Lance were real, or did he count on the divine power facilities in Lance?” Fernando suddenly asked something else.
“Huh, what?” Antec was not on the same “frequency” with Fernando at first. He wasn’t back to himself until a while later. “I’m not clear, but according to my teacher, he was undoubtedly beyond the peak of legendary back then. However, he hasn’t left Lance since the battle.”
Fernando nodded his head before asking another question that Antec could barely follow. “Will Stanis be at the party tonight?”
It was a small party. Most of the participants were students of legends.
“Huh, what?” Antec expressed his confusion in the same way. He then said, “He’s not in Aalto recently. He’s out searching for materials.”
Many sorcerers had been gathered in the cities like Aalto, but materials would not follow them without a reason. So, sorcerers had been taking turns to leave the cities for forests and the Dark Mountain Range to collect resources. Some of them even went further into the north where gems were more abundant.
That gave the night watchers and the clerics an opportunity. Assassinations and sieges happened many times. The sorcerers, unwilling to swallow it, also set up traps and killed the personnel of the Church instead. So, although the cities were in peace, the areas around them had already become hot spots.
Some of them were traps trying to attract the legends to attack, but neither party secured great achievements.
Therefore, Stanis’ journey might be really meant for material collection, or it might just be a trap.
Fernando had learned a lot about the situation. He nodded. “I’ll talk about illusions and dreams with him after he’s back.”
“Alright. You can spend a few more days in Aalto so that you can look for the sorcerers who are talented and willing to go to Holm,” Antec said delightedly as Fernando was one of the only three real friends in his life.
Fernando grimaced. “Then, my nickname will become ‘Antec’s Humiliation’?”
“On second thought, I think you should go back as soon as possible… You’ve known the general situation after all.” Antec looked at his right hand sadly.
“Hehe. I need to know more about the details and collect the files of grand cardinals and legendary knights for future battles. So, I’m afraid that you have to be humiliated for a while,” Fernando said unconcernedly.
At this moment, the villa door was opened automatically, and a shrieking male voice echoed, “Hey, Antec, where did you find a date? Did you hire her from the ‘Pink Mill’?”
Sorcerers, dark knights, dwarfs, and ordinary people all have biophysical needs, so there was still room for prostitutes to survive, and “Pink Mill” was one of the places in the trade. Of course, they mostly provided their service in dreams.
“This is my good friend that I met in Rentato, Nando,” Antec introduced anxiously, fearing that other people realized that Fernando was a male.
Fernando said with a brilliant smile, “So, Antec does not have a girlfriend in Aalto.”
He sounded so pleased that Antec was almost stunned.
“Hehe. First of all, somebody needs to appreciate him…” The shrieking voice went away.
Antec secretly raised his thumb at Fernando, complimenting his performance. “He’s Beto. He likes to mock me most. His teacher is the Lord of Elements.”
…
In the villa, dozens of sorcerers, holding strange beverages, roamed in the hall. They were vaguely around four men and a woman.
Before the four men and the woman, a water curtain was floating and displaying the scene before the gate.
“Hehe. Antec turns out to have a female friend that he knows since childhood.” The shrieking voice was made by a man who had a mustache. He seemed angry at being embarrassed.
“Well, isn’t she pretty?” The woman, who was holding a strange drink, clicked her tongue. “Red eyes and red dress, bright and passionate, how appealing!”
She was tall and looked like a proper lady, but her words were unbelievably rude. However, those around her seemed to have already been used to it.
Beto sniffed. “Furan, it’s just a cheesy woman from the countryside, rude and stupid.”
He tried to speak evil of Fernando.
For the sorcerers of Antiffler, Holm was exactly a barbaric, underdeveloped village.
“However, you cannot deny that the countryside girls who are not corrupted by the luxuries of Antiffler and Tria are innocent and shy.” Furan, the beautiful girl, chuckled.
A gloomy, golden-haired man next to her snorted. “Are you planning to embarrass Antec? He’s also a legend’s student, and he is close to Stanis.”
“It’s all about our feelings toward one another. Why is it an embarrassment? Hey, just because you like me doesn’t mean you get to interfere with my life.” Furan scorned. She was just saying it randomly just now, but now that she was stopped, she was tempted to try in her anger.
The gloomy man closed his mouth, hoping that he could forget the pervert as quickly as possible.
Sensing something, Beto intentionally said, “That countryside girl has known Antec since childhood. Their bond must be strong. Furan, you wouldn’t succeed even if you try.”
“Is that so?” Furan knew that Beto was deliberately provoking her, but after seeing Fernando’s face on the water curtain, she still said, “Should we have a bet?”
