After a moment of silence, Nana spoke again: "Nobody expected that my uncles and aunts would start fighting right after my grandmother passed away. Although the Kuruvis family is not a great noble family, they still have a lot of assets. My uncles and aunts fought fiercely over the inheritance, and my aunt couldn't stand it anymore, so she asked someone to take me to the Kuruvis family."
Stone frowned. So, the Klu siblings are Nanako's aunt's children.
"Later, things got so out of hand that they reached His Majesty's ears. In a fit of anger, His Majesty stripped the Kuruvis family of their noble titles and confiscated all their property. Although my uncle helped, my uncles and aunts were still punished in the end, and the Kuruvis family was completely ruined."
Seeing Nana's sorrowful face, Shi Tou felt bad too. Actually, she hadn't initially liked this fiery-tempered girl. However, after hearing Nana's words, she felt some sympathy for her, even though she didn't know the details. After all, Nana was only eight years old. Being sharp-tongued for self-preservation was understandable.
However, strangely, Stone didn't understand why Nana treated her differently.
"Serena, are you curious why I'm telling you all this?" Perhaps the expression on Stone's face was too obvious, because Nana hesitated for a moment before asking directly, "Are you suspecting I have ulterior motives towards you?"
Stone gave a wry smile. "Something you're after?" "I have nothing for you to scheme against, Nana. You're overthinking it."
“Yes, maybe I’m just overthinking it. I’ve changed since my parents passed away. Grandma said I used to be a carefree, even a little heartless, child. But now…” Nana’s voice was tinged with sadness: “Grandma loves me very much, but I always feel that she’s just pitying me. Pitying me, this little orphan who lost her parents at a young age.”
"And now, Grandma has passed away too. I can only live with my aunt and uncle. I can't deny that my aunt loves me very much, but it's not my home after all. I can only live cautiously. The only thing that makes me feel at ease is that I was lucky enough to become an apprentice mage last year. In any case, with this guarantee, I can at least live in peace."
Stone didn't know how to comfort Nana for a moment. Just then, Lin Qi found a campsite and called everyone over. There were only three rooms in the tent, one for Annie and one for Huo Xiaoxiao. The others weren't in the mood to stay in the tent, so they lit a campfire and sat around it.
"I'll go check if there are any wild animals nearby." Lin Qi stood up after everyone had sat down and said, "Nana, you're in charge of security here. If anything happens, have them hide in the tents immediately. Don't worry, I won't go far."
Nana readily agreed, then took out water and food from her spatial bracelet: "Serena, have your servants bake us something to eat!"
Stone looked at Linda, who obediently took the things and skillfully began grilling the meat. Judging from her posture, it seemed like she often did this before.
"By the way, Nana, how long did it take you to break through after you ate the Blood Pearl Fruit last time?" Shi Tou glanced at the tent, unsure if the Blood Pearl Fruit was like a magic pill that required seclusion or something.
“I ate two Blood Pearl Fruits last time. When I ate the first one, I felt very hot and uncomfortable at first. After about three or four hours, I had no reaction at all,” Nana recalled. “Later, when Lin Qi was about to leave the Blood Forest, we found another one just before we left. I ate it then, but strangely, my body did not react at all.”
"And then? You succeeded?"
“How could that be?” Nana gave a bitter smile. “At the time, I thought I had probably failed, but because I was still young, I didn’t care too much. A few days after I returned to the capital, my grandmother passed away, and my uncles and aunts started making a fuss. When I found out that His Majesty had ordered the stripping of the Kuruvis family’s noble titles, I was so angry and anxious that I fainted. I never expected that when I woke up, I would have already become an apprentice mage.”
The stone stared wide-eyed. What's this called? "A blessing in disguise?"
"By the way, why didn't you buy Blood Pearl Fruit? Is it because you're out of money?" Nana looked at the stone and asked softly.
How was she supposed to answer that?! Was she supposed to say she didn't really believe in these little red berries?! Or was she supposed to say she never even considered becoming a magician?!
"Yes, although I brought some money with me when I came last year, it's almost all gone now. Lin Qi and the others said they can escort me back to the capital next spring, but it will cost 1,000 gold coins, so I..." The most crucial thing is that Shi Tou has a lot of gold mines, but he really doesn't have many gold coins!
Nana nodded knowingly, "I can't help you with anything else, but if you want to go back to the capital next year, you can come back with us, and we won't charge you." However, she immediately slapped her forehead, "Wait a minute, you can't steal the Blood Pearl Fruit from my sister-in-law!"
Stone o(╯□╰)o
"Miss Beth, Miss Kuruvis, the barbecue is ready." Linda came over with the grilled skewers, but she was very perceptive and knew that Stone had been talking to someone, so she didn't get too close and spoke from across the campfire.
Stone glanced at the pile of roasted meat in Linda's hand and said decisively, "Linda, divide it up, and remember to give some to Young Master Kru and Miss Huo as well."
Nana only noticed her dejected cousin after Shi Tou reminded her, and she immediately became furious: "Idiot Cage, what are you doing? I had my reasons for letting Annie take the Blood Pearl Fruit first, are you unhappy with me?!"
Shi Tou was sweating profusely. "Miss, even if you're really unhappy, you don't have to make it so obvious, do you?"
Poor Cage Crew was quite frightened. He glanced timidly at Nanako and mumbled, "No."
"You!" Nana was even angrier. Turning around, she saw Huo Yi carefully taking the roast meat from Linda's hand and quietly saying 'thank you.' She immediately flew into a rage: "Serena, look at that! Look at that Huo Yi! Aren't Cage and that Huo Yi a perfect match?!"
"Pfft!" Stone had just eaten a skewer of grilled meat and was drinking water when he immediately spat it out.
Seeing the resentful look in Shi Tou's eyes, Nana felt quite pleased: "Hmph, why don't I give the Blood Pearl Fruit to Cage? Isn't it because of his stubborn nature, like he wouldn't even fart if you slapped him? Honestly, he's nothing like my aunt's son!"
Stone felt even more resentful. Shouldn't noble ladies be as gentle as water? How come Nana is... well, actually she could be considered a pool of clear water, but unfortunately it's just been boiled.
“Cage, don’t be sad. If you see Blood Pearl Fruit again, it’s yours. I can’t promise anything else, but I promise I won’t fight you for it.” Stone’s maternal instincts kicked in when she saw Cage’s innocent and bewildered look.
Nana glared at Shi Tou with annoyance: "You mean well, but..." As if she had thought of something, Nana suddenly lowered her voice: "Don't blame me for not warning you beforehand. The Beth family is not as simple as you think. At least, after that great upheaval, you, as a member of a collateral branch, will probably be forced to step into the limelight."
What is this all about?
Shi Tou stared blankly at Nana Ke, her intuition telling her that things seemed to have changed. She suddenly regretted it; why had she listened to that unreliable Baozi? Pretending to be a noble lady, even telling her she was a minor noble, and what happened? Baozi's so-called insignificant minor noble turned out to be a well-known figure.
Hmph! Stone has made up her mind. When no one's around, she's going to give that brat a good beating!
But for now, let's find out about the Beth family! Ugh, poor Miss Beth...
With Shi Tou's deliberate inquiries and Nana's intentional revelations, it didn't take long for Shi Tou to gain a more direct understanding of the Beth family. Of course, after learning about the Beth family's current situation, Shi Tou developed a deep hatred for that damned Baozi!
"The Beth family was once a prestigious family, but in recent years it has declined somewhat. Last year, the Beth family spent a lot of money to hire the Eternal Night Mercenary Group to escort you into the Crimson Forest. All the school-aged children in your family participated, and what was the result?"
Nana's face revealed a hint of sarcasm: "The Eternal Night Mercenary Group is divided into five teams, each with five children. Besides the sixteen children from the Beth family, there are also children from several other families. But at the beginning of this year, not a single child managed to leave the Crimson Forest safely!"
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There will be more at the second update~~~
☆, Chapter 114 Awakening of Magical Talent
Damn it, a total wipeout! What kind of god did the Eternal Night Mercenary Group offend to have all five of their teams wiped out?!
"But why was that milk still jumping around?" Stone was unsettled. Although she had no connection to the Beth family, hearing this still made her heart ache. No wonder the Beth family was going to such lengths to settle scores with the Eternal Night Mercenary Group.
All the children are dead, how can we not hold them accountable?!
"Milk?" Nana looked confused. "What kind of milk can make someone jump around like that?"
╮(╯_╰)╭ Okay, that advertising slogan is just too powerful.
"Telunsu..." Shi Tou swallowed hard, managing to swallow the next line of his bold speech with great difficulty.
Nana tilted her head and thought for a while: "Terensu? The Eternal Night Mercenary Group was originally formed by several families, and there seem to be several people with the surname Terensu. Serena, which one are you talking about?"
“A blond guy, probably in his early twenties.” Stone thought for a moment, “I remember Lin Yao calling him Dali Terunsu.”
"Oh, it's him! That show-off." Nana shrugged dismissively. "You don't need to pay any attention to him. He's already twenty-seven years old, but he's still only a three-star Qi Master."
Is this disdain? Stone is depressed, and it seems Nana is only an intern, right?
Wait, a Qi Master?!
"You mean that Terunsu is a Qi Master?" Stone suddenly remembered that Linda had once told him that her father and brother were both Qi Masters, but from what Nana said, it seemed that magicians were much more powerful than Qi Masters.
“Yes, Terunsu is a Qi Master. In fact, Terunsu’s entire family are Qi Masters.” Nana answered while eating barbecue. “The Fallen Empire values magicians but neglects Qi Masters, so Qi Masters don’t have a very high status. Of course, if you can become a high-level Qi Master of seven stars or even a Saint-level Qi Master, you will still be valued.”
Before Stone could say anything more, a faint scream suddenly came from the tent behind him!
Although the scream was quite soft, Nana jumped up instantly. She threw the half-eaten piece of grilled meat she was holding onto the ground and dashed into the tent like an arrow.
This day was destined to be anything but peaceful.
When Lin Qi returned, his once neat clothes were almost completely stained with blood, but fortunately, most of the blood was not his. Nevertheless, Lin Qi announced that he would rest there for a week.
The two people who were originally in the tent were startled by that scream. Anne Cree miraculously became an apprentice mage, leaving everyone stunned.
Because Huo Xiaoxiao was still in her own room, Huo Yi was arranged to rest in Shi Tou's room that night. Huo Yi was completely different from her sister. She was timid and shy, and even her breathing was very careful. You couldn't tell at all that she was also a young lady of the Huo family.
The next morning, Huo Xiaoxiao finally emerged from her room, but she looked utterly dejected and defeated. Everyone tacitly refrained from asking her what was wrong, because her appearance clearly told them everything.
After resting for a week, because of Huo Xiaoxiao's terrifying expression, not only Huo Yi, but even Nana dared not easily provoke her. Adding to this, Huo Xiaoxiao later learned that 7-year-old Anne Cree had succeeded on her first try. Her expression became as if she wanted to devour someone.
So, Huo Yi completely chickened out. Well, she'd always been like that, except now she didn't even dare to show her face in front of Huo Xiaoxiao. Shi Tou and Nana both felt deep sympathy for the little girl and tacitly allowed her to continue living in their room.
In this way, a week passed quickly. Although Lin Qi's injuries had not fully healed, at least there were no major problems.
"Let's continue. More than a month has passed. Hopefully, we can find enough Blood Pearl Fruits next." Although he had rested for a week, Lin Qi's spirits did not seem to have improved much. Instead, he looked tired and tense. "When we travel from here, you must stick close to me. Also, try not to make any noise."
Shi Tou glanced at Lin Qi with surprise. For some reason, she suddenly had a bad feeling, as if something bad was about to happen.
Fortunately, nothing much happened in the following days, except for the rather tedious journey. Of course, the Blood Pearl Fruit remained elusive.
Seizing an opportunity, Shi Tou secretly asked Nana Ke, "Nana Ke, was it like this when you came last time? Something felt off to me."
Nana hasn't been in a good mood lately either. Although Annie has successfully awakened her fire magic talent, Cage is still nowhere to be found. In addition, Huo Xiaoxiao's increasingly gloomy face and the resentful look she sometimes gives her are driving her crazy.
"The situation was similar last time, but my luck wasn't as bad. At least when I entered the Crimson Forest almost two months ago, I had already found seven or eight Blood Pearl Fruits."
Stone pursed his lips: "Why do I feel like something's off? Was the Crimson Forest always this quiet? Even in winter, it's too peaceful. And, is this the right direction? Are we lost?"
“How could that be?” Nana rolled her eyes in a very unladylike manner: “The Crimson Forest isn’t a maze. Although the path is hard to find, we’re on the outer edge. We’ve only ventured a little bit into the outer area. Lin Qi has been here more than ten times. How could he possibly get lost?”
Outer edge, perimeter...
Shi Tou's heart sank; she finally realized what was wrong.
Damn it, we're getting closer and closer to the Dwarf Kingdom!
Stone glanced cautiously at Lin Qi, who was walking in front, though he wasn't sure if it was unintentional or deliberate. Just to be safe, Stone decided to change direction. Walking quickly ahead, Stone raised his voice slightly: "Uncle Lin Qi, is there something wrong with our direction?"
Lin Qi paused, and asked, quite puzzled, "Why do you say that?"
"This direction... hmm, it seems there aren't any Blood Pearl Fruits." In her haste, Stone could only make up a reason, after all, she couldn't very well say that this direction was almost to the Dwarf Kingdom, could she?
"Oh? Then which direction do you think there are Blood Pearl Fruits?" Lin Qi raised an eyebrow in surprise. Indeed, Lin Yao had instructed him before coming not to deliberately search for Blood Pearl Fruits. He admitted that he hadn't deliberately searched for them at first, and even sometimes, when he clearly sensed the aura of Blood Pearl Fruits, he deliberately ignored it.
But things are different now. Huo Xiaoxiao has already eaten a Blood Pearl Fruit, and if she finds another one in the next few days, she won't be able to consume it. So he's been diligently searching for it these past few days. He doesn't know why, but when he doesn't want to look for Blood Pearl Fruits, he feels they're everywhere, but now that he's deliberately searching, they're…
Blood Pearl Fruit, oh Blood Pearl Fruit, have you learned mind-reading? ~~o(>_<)o ~~
"I don't know where to find Blood Pearl Fruit, but I've been here before." Stone, having lived an extra lifetime, might not be good at much, but he was quite adept at conning people: "There definitely aren't any Blood Pearl Fruits here. How about we try another direction?"
Lin Qi stared at the stone for a while. The stone's eyes were clear and there was no evasion. He believed it: "Okay, then let's change direction. Hmm, which way did you go last year?"
There was another reason why Lin Qi believed Shi Tou's words. In the mercenary association of the capital, the Starry Night Mercenary Group was indeed a first-class team, but it could never compare to the Eternal Night Mercenary Group, which was formed by the alliance of several ancient families.
The Eternal Night Mercenary Group existed even before the Mercenary Association was established, meaning it has a history of at least several thousand years. This is why the Beth family chose the Eternal Night Mercenary Group and didn't even consider the Starshine Mercenary Group.
Since this Miss Beth had once participated in the Eternal Night Mercenary Group, her words should be credible.
Poor Lynch never imagined that this so-called Miss Beth was a complete fraud from the start...
"Try this way?" Stone casually pointed in a direction.
Lin Qi looked up at the others and nodded: "Alright, let's try this way."
Whether it was Stone's good luck or Lynch's bad luck, after only two days following the direction Stone pointed, they found a Blood Pearl Fruit. Although there was only one, it was still quite rare.
At this point, fifty-three days had passed since they entered the Crimson Forest, and twenty-six days had passed since they last discovered the Blood Pearl Fruit. More than half of the three months had already gone by.
"Miss Huo, would you like this Blood Pearl Fruit?" Although he knew that Huo Xiaoxiao would never buy the Blood Pearl Fruit for Huo Yi, Lin Qi still asked Huo Xiaoxiao's opinion out of politeness.
However, having already experienced it once, no one took these words seriously this time. Even Huo Yi acted as if he hadn't heard, simply shrinking into a ball. Meanwhile, Nana was already gesturing for Cage to take out gold coins—no, purple gold coins.