Chapter 134: Sudden Change
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The moon rose exceptionally early for the Single Moon Festival. The sun would usually only set after six on most days, but it started to get dark after five that day.
Xiao Lin used his break to look out of the palace, only to see the two round moons had converged, as if they had merged into one. However, it did not dim the moonlight. It was actually brighter than usual; a vibrant, silver moonlight lit up the world. Even the weeds and bugs on the ground within the palace could be clearly seen.
Xiao Lin stared for a moment when a cold breeze blew by, causing him to sneeze. He shook his head. “Why is it suddenly so cold?”
Lolander had followed him and heard his complaint. He smiled and said, “You really don’t know anything about the New World, huh? Even though Planet Norma has the four seasons, it’s different from on Earth. The seasons here are not wholly dependent on the position of the planet relative to the sun. Even the moons have a very big effect on the changing of seasons. That is why Planet Norma’s seasons are calculated from when the moons converge to when they converge again, so their four seasons span four to five years.”
“So each season lasts an entire year?” Xiao Lin was surprised.
“More or last, sometimes it’s longer, sometimes it’s shorter. Even more interesting is that there’s a branch of magic called Astrology on this planet, which is similar to astronomy on earth. The converging on the moons are usually calculated by astrologians. After the Single Moon Festival today, it will be autumn from tomorrow onward.” Lolander rubbed his neck. He was only wearing a thin T-shirt, so he felt the chill as well.
“Doesn’t it start with spring?”
“The New World’s seasons start with autumn. Don’t ask me why. I know nothing of astrology.”
Xiao Lin ma.s.saged his shoulders. “Then let me ask another question. What type of magic is astrology? I’ve never seen anything like that in my academy’s courses.”
“Haha. I’ve heard that the dean of Dawn Academy doesn’t like astrology. It seems that’s true.” Lolander laughed softly. “Astrology has very high requirements to begin studying in. The course exists in our academy, but it is only available after the third year. There are usually a lot of people who take it up, but more than ninety percent of them usually quit after half a year.”
“Is it really hard?”
“Ah, don’t ask me that. I’ve never liked magic. However, astrologists are quite rare on Planet Norma. Only a member of royalty or someone like a high priest would be able to take up the study.”
“So was the high priest of Thunder Kingdom back in the day a student of this branch of magic?”
“Who knows.”
As the two of them chatted, they heard Professor Brown’s footsteps coming from the hall. His footsteps had the unique quality of always sounding very rushed, so they could make it out after a while.
They looked at each other in exasperation and prepared to continue working. They used to only work until six in the evening, but once tensions started rising within the city, they started to work overtime in order to leave New Washington sooner, only leaving at eight.
“Oh? It’s Norn.” Xiao Lin saw the American man who sent him to work everyday from the corner of his eye. Norn usually came at eight since he started working overtime.
Xiao Lin turned and told Lolander, “Norn is the one in charge of bringing me around. He’d probably forgotten the time. Why don’t you head back first? I’ll remind him.”
However, after a few steps, a look of horror suddenly appeared on Xiao Lin’s face. He was in shock for a moment as his entire body quivered before he immediately turned around and ran back to the palace, quickly closing the door behind him.
Behind him, under the silver moonlight, Norn’s face had a strange and sinister smile. The muscles and flesh on his face seemed abnormally rigid, and he looked like a machine that was trying to mimic a smile, but it only ended up making his face even more terrifying.
Beneath Norn’s legs was an entire floor full of blood. Two corpses lay down on the floor next to him: palace guards. Their eyes were wide open, frozen in disbelief before their death. They probably did not expect their fellow American to suddenly attack them, completely overwhelming and killing them with one strike.
The corpses did not remain there for long. After a few seconds, they started to turn into streams of light, floating toward the resurrection tower in the middle of the city and quickly disappearing into the air.
Norn looked up toward the tower, furrowing his eyebrows before mumbling to himself in a rigid tone, “The resurrection tower. What a troublesome thing. These G.o.dless, evil demons!”
In the palace hall, Xiao Lin was still in a panic. He tried to lock the main door, but the palace had not been touched up in ages; the door lock was rusted beyond repair, and the latch was stuck in place.
“d.a.m.n this stupid lock!” Xiao Lin angrily shouted in defeat. He looked at Norn’s sinister smile through a crack in the door. He walked past the blood on the floor as he leisurely headed toward the palace.
“Xiao, what’s wrong with you?” Lolander, who arrived earlier, asked curiously.
Xiao Lin gave up on locking the door. To be honest, after seeing the American’s display of skill, he did not really feel that the ancient door would have been of much use.
Xiao Lin did not have time to explain to Lolander. He looked at Professor Brown who was standing next to the staircase with a difficult expression before running and shouting, “Professor Brown, there’s an intruder! The guards were eliminated. If there are other guards in the palace, I think you should get them here quickly!”
“An intruder?”
“This is the deepest part of the castle district. Who would dare intrude?”
“Xiao, this isn’t funny.”
...
Bam!
A heavy impact stopped everyone’s discussions. This was the second time someone forced the door open that day, and the ancient door was finally at the end of the road as it shattered.
“Norn?” Professor Brown called out in shock. He seemed to recognize the man, but his words only earned a cold and sinister laughter.
“Professor Brown, please retreat. Everyone else, please come up to the second floor.” A clear voice came from behind the professor as the blonde American girl walked past the professor. She stared intently at Norn.
Her name was Pamela, and she was the one who produced the spirit chains to aid them in communication every day. At the same time, she was the a.s.sistant of the leader of the greatest regiment in New Washington: the captain of the dragon-eagle knights, Harry.