Nathan's heart skipped a beat.
Up to now, even Nathan didn't know what the gem on the necklace truly symbolised or what power it held. He knew little about it, only that it was the secretion of Gideon Runaria's corpse, a type of crystal with a colour that could not be described or even perceived.
Does the woman before him know the secret behind it? If so, that alone was enough for him to show her. However, Henry's words regarding it were convincing enough for him to believe that it carried too much power to be exposed to the public.
"Thank you," Nathan began, choosing his words with care. "But perhaps we could speak somewhere more… private?"
"Oh yeah, of course, of course. Please forgive my thoughtlessness," she apologised hurriedly. The excitement in her voice could barely be held in. "I run an orphanage just outside town. If you don't mind the children, you're most welcome to stay."
Lily and Nathan exchanged glances. It wasn't as if they could find a place to stay with their empty wallets. They nodded in agreement and followed her outside, but kept enough distance that they could talk amongst themselves.
"Lily, do you know what this necklace symbolises?" Nathan asked, just in case his mentor knew.
Lily grabbed the necklace to examine it carefully. "I've definitely seen this crystal somewhere… Don't quite remember when." She furrowed her eyebrows, trying to recall her memories.
It turned out that Granny Bella's fame was not limited to the small bar. Joy and comfort were always accompanying her side, bringing smiles to people's faces along the way. Storekeepers suggested discounts and promoted their products lively. Rune Artists flying in the sky, which passed by every once in a while, greeted her like children reunited with their mother after a long day at work. What impressed Nathan was how Granny Bella remembered the names and personalities of all the citizens she conversed with, which was, without exaggeration, basically everyone. She wasn't the oldest of all the citizens of Isterann, but to some extent, all citizens, even older ones, saw her as a mother figure of the town.
Nathan and Lily walked awkwardly behind her as they passed the sparse crowd of unfamiliar faces. Isterann did not carry the same scenery as Nathan expected. Except for the calming yet grand view of Mount Mirra in the background and the beautiful, unique garments on citizens' clothes, there really wasn't much of a difference to be distinctively listed. Yet somehow, even the comforting aura Bella emitted couldn't remove the tight, dense feeling strangling Nathan's heart, as if there was a radar within him that warned him instinctively about something he couldn't decipher yet.
"Oh, my old age is really besting me recently," Granny Bella stopped on the way and turned back suddenly. "I haven't even asked for your names, have I?"
"I'm Nathan."
"I'm Anna," Lily said innocently and without hesitation.
Nathan's focus, however, was not on how Lily used a fake name. In fact, he wasn't even sure if "Lily" was her real name or not. There was still quite a lot of mystery in Lily's character as the Spirehead of the Tower of Delight.
They were walking past the Holy Shrine as the conversation took place. The Holy Shrine was the major tourist attraction in Isterann, and where most of the people gathered naturally. The building itself and the court that confined it were intentionally designed to be purely white, but somehow, the same colour gave out a different shade visually.
Nathan's focus was not on the shrine itself either. Compared to the grandeur in Endnest, he doubted that he could ever see constructions that could impress him in Runalond. His eyes were fixed on a figure on a stage at the court, a shrine maiden who danced to the faint, slow music produced by the runes she traced among her movements.
It wasn't that the shrine maiden had a beauty no one could best, nor was her dance so alluring that Nathan would forget everything else going on around him. There was just an uncontrollable attraction between them. For a moment, as Nathan's eyes lost focus on her figure, it seemed as if his whole purpose in coming to this town was to see her.
Her eyes began to shift towards their direction. Their eyes met in a hasty and anti-climactic way, but Nathan just couldn't shake the moment out of his head. She cast a Rune Art on him, Nathan thought without doubt, it had to be the work of an illusion-type Rune Art.
She smiled at Granny Bella but didn't say anything or interrupt her dance. Bella replied with an equally bright and polite smile, her eyes giving rays of compliments.
"Granny Bella, it's been a long time, too long."
A hoarse but frighteningly soft voice appeared behind them, dragging Nathan out of his thoughts almost instantly.
Two men were walking in the direction of the shrine, both covered in traditional divine garments signalling their identity as shrinekeepers.
And it only took one glance for Nathan.
The leading man was not necessarily old in terms of appearance, but his cascading grey hair was clearly not the effect of hair dye, but from the natural fading of colour. His eyes were of a similar shade. With the further enhancement of his pale robe, his entire character seemed as if it were made of grey, misty concrete, a statue more than a human.
It only took one glance for Nathan to feel the thumping radar in his heart. Nathan saw the shimmering light in his eyes. It was so similar to his, even the faint sorrow under the determination was identical.
The man behind him was much more ordinary, with nothing particularly special or memorable. However, Lily's focus seemed to be on him.
For Granny Bella, however, her attitude towards them was no different from that of any other citizen.
"Fellvion, tomorrow is a big day for you. Boy, I'm sorry to say that I can't come, but I wish you the best." She grinned, but there was something in her voice that was slightly off, slightly distracted, if Nathan could say.
"Don't worry, Granny Bella. Everything will work out exactly as I intend," Fellvion, the pale man, replied with a slight bow. Smiling faintly, his voice was still strong. "After all, I have Mica and Phoebe by my side. With them, there is nothing in this world that I cannot achieve."
Mica, the man behind him, nodded in quiet acknowledgement, a smile of pride creeping onto his face silently.
"Trust me," Fellvion continued and signalled Mica to follow him towards the shrine. As they passed, Nathan heard a faint echo coming from his mouth, though it might just have been his imagination.
"I'm going to be the liberator that this kingdom needs."
Nathan watched as the man called the maiden on stage to halt her dance and follow him into the shrine, his eyes squinting with concern and a bit of curiosity.
"The boy is named Fellvion," Granny Bella explained, "Fellvion Sheorad. You seem quite interested in him, Nathan."
Nathan shook his head. "Nah, just my overthinking brain doing its thing again… Anyway, let's get going." He smiled as if nothing had happened.
Lily murmured to herself by the side, "That Mica person… I've seen him before in the royal palace…"
Granny Bella dismissed her with a slow, soft chuckle. "Mica has been living in Isterann for almost 15 years now. Girl, if he did appear in the palace before, wouldn't the appearance of someone change in the span of 15 years?"
"Must be someone with a similar appearance, then?" Lily sighed. "I saw him like… last year."
But Nathan was interested in something else. He lashed out without too much thought, "Granny, you aren't surprised that um… Anna visited the royal palace before?"
Granny Bella's slow, forward steps halted for a slight second. "Why would I be, boy?" She turned around with her usual smile. "You are the possessor of Gideon's Crystal, isn't that enough explanation?" Her tone sounded almost expectant, hoping for Nathan to deny her statement.
And of course, Nathan did. "This necklace? What does it prove?" Though he was slightly concerned at heart. He persuaded himself that it would be fine for him to show an irrelevant stranger the necklace.
"Gideon's Crystal?" Lily asked in curiosity, clearly lacking knowledge of what it symbolised, either.
Granny Bella's smile flickered, and her body began to tremble slightly. "Boy, you don't know what the crystal is?"
"Do you?" Nathan questioned further.
Granny Bella didn't reply, not because she didn't want to or was out of words, but because of the uncontrollable quiver on her lips.
"Are you alright?" Nathan rushed forward and steadied Bella's body worriedly.
"Of course! Of course I'm alright!" She almost gasped. "I'm better than ever. I thought… I thought…" Her voice died off with a fading trace, "I thought I would never be fortunate enough to see…"
"To see what?" Nathan asked in a hurry, his heart burning with inquiries. "What's so significant about this crystal?"
Bella dismissed his question and placed her hands firmly on Nathan's shoulders, seeming quite silly due to their height difference. "Nathan, promise me, don't lose this crystal. Protect it with your life, alright? It will construct a future for you… No, it will construct a future for the entire kingdom. Please, boy."
Nathan was quite surprised at her reactions and words, but he was well aware that Bella probably wouldn't provide him with the answer he needed. What she said was comforting in a way. Seeing the anticipation and determination in her eyes, Nathan simply couldn't bring himself to deny her request.
"I will, Granny Bella, I promise you," he said strongly. "Treat it as my payment for your kindness. Also, even if you didn't ask, I know how important this crystal is. I will protect it with my life. As long as I live, it will remain by my side." As he spoke, Bella's eyes drifted towards the shrine in excitement, but she nodded vigorously.
"Are we finished here?" Lily yawned in boredom by the side, not interested in the matter at all. "Let's get going, then."
"Sorry, sorry!" Bella apologised in embarrassment and sincerity. "I got carried away. My orphanage is outside the city. We will go there directly from here."
The atmosphere was completely silent as they strode out the city gate and towards a small, green hill in the direction of Mount Mirra. The dark blue light above seemed to have reached its boundary at this exact point, casting a mythical, dim ambience on the flourishing grass that enveloped the landscape.
Nathan's heart hollowed under the beauty of the environment around him. It carried a completely different feeling to the urban, neon city of Endnest—one filling him with pride and energy, the other providing just the right amount of comfort and serenity. Mount Mirra really did carry a magical, even divine energy. Nathan couldn't recall how many times he had dazed off today.
A pack of boys lay on the gradual, slow slope of the hill leading up to a relatively large building on top. One of them was handing out small packets of goods with a mischievous smugness, his movements drastic and sharp, quite the contrast to his youthful, brittle voice.
"Great work, boys! They would've never guessed it was us who stole them."
"Word choice, word choice, Krayte. It's called 'sharing.'" An older boy pointed out suggestively, his smile much more innocent and content.
"Exactly. The people of Isterann are so generous. We just… helped ourselves a little early, can't blame us," added another with messy hair.
"Everything aside though," another boy, too muscular for his age, took a bite of his food and gestured a thumbs up to the first boy, "Krayte's strategy is honestly genius."
"Leave some for the rest of the family and Granny Bella!" The last of the bunch, the only boy standing, snatched the bag of packets from the ground and held it close to himself. "Just say we bought it."
The boys were clearly too focused on their conversation and food to notice the three figures walking towards their direction. Nathan overheard their conversation with his superior senses and naturally linked the scenery to his memorable childhood.
It wasn't until they could see the features of their faces clearly that the boys noticed their presence. Jumping up from the ground enthusiastically, they gathered around Granny Bella at different paces.
"Granny, look!" The apparent leader of the group, Krayte, grinned towards her. "Exclusive products from Vonamport, have a taste!"
He ripped open a packet and passed it to Granny Bella. Nathan couldn't see exactly what was in it—thin tentacles, for the record, but that was almost too bizarre to be believable.
"And you got it legally?" Granny Bella interrogated him with suspicion.
"No," Krayte shook his head innocently. "We stole it."
"Krayte…" the boy behind him sighed in exasperation. "Why must you be so hopelessly honest?"
"Why even bother lying?" Krayte dismissed with a relaxed shrug.
"Has there ever been a time she didn't know?"