"However, I know one secret. Would you like me to tell it to you?" the blind old man asked, hoping to spark the twins' curiosity.
"Yes / Umu, tell us, Grandpa," the children replied, falling for his provocation.
"There is a legend. It is very ancient, forgotten even by the gods.
Once, while I was traveling the world, I met a scholar-historian. A very intelligent man from a wealthy family who devoted his life to science, despite his talent for cultivation. He showed me images of ancient cave paintings where a single continent was depicted, vast and immeasurable.
Together we studied its outlines and realized that once all eight continents had been a single piece of land. However, there was a massive stretch of land that had been lost with the passage of time.
Where did it disappear to? How did it happen? All of this remains unknown even now. We concluded that a ninth continent must have once existed, but because of an enormous catastrophe it sank and remains hidden to this day.
Even the mermaids cannot find its traces. Believe me, I have asked them for such a favor more than once."
"Wow!" the twins exclaimed in unison.
"Grandpa, maybe some monster carried the continent away?" the girl asked. The scene he had described had stirred her imagination so much that goosebumps ran across her skin.
"Ahahahaha, only the legendary Eternal Turtle could do something like that. But it is a fairy-tale monster, just as mythical as dragons and phoenixes. I have never seen a single real piece of evidence that they exist.
Most likely, mortals simply perceived wyverns and fire pheasants that way before they learned how to use mana. However, there is no smoke without fire. Who knows? Perhaps such a creature truly does exist somewhere," Grandpa replied, making no attempt to dampen Grace's enthusiasm.
"And what does the Eternal Turtle look like?"
"In ancient tales it was described as a majestic blue monster, the color of the ocean depths. It is enormous and has existed for countless ages. The flow of time does not concern it, for it exists forever. People believed that all of Eridania was merely a part of its immense shell," the blind grandfather explained.
"That's so cool!" Grace exclaimed.
"Ahahahah, yes, it is. But all of this is nothing more than rumors. Powerful people long ago proved that our world is an enormous sphere hanging in the void, where there is no mana, no air, nothing at all. What lies beyond that void, we do not know, because it is impossible to breathe there. Perhaps only the gods could answer that question..." Having revealed yet another secret to them, he stretched.
"Whew, it seems we've been sitting here far too long. We'll end our lesson for today."
'So soon.' the twins thought in unison, still wanting to ask so many questions.
"Well then, your assignment for the next lesson is to learn everything you can from the villagers about the peoples of all the continents. You must be as informed as possible about their political systems and rulers if you wish to travel there one day."
"If you do it properly, I will tell you more secrets. I will even answer your questions."
"Thank you for the lesson, Grandpa, we'll do everything," the children replied, reluctantly leaving his hut.
For today, they had finished all their lessons, and at last some free time appeared when they could run around to their hearts' content and do whatever they wanted.
Naturally, the little troublemakers had no desire whatsoever to go to the library building that had been constructed especially for them. Instead, they were heading toward the barn, hoping to find Lucky and take him out for a walk.
During the time that had passed, the puppy had grown noticeably stronger. In appearance he resembled a large pit bull with three heads, a powerful neck, and sturdy paws.
Although he had not yet fully grown, his features already reflected the ferocity of the wild beast he truly was. However, the puppy lost all the wildness and dignity of a noble beast whenever he saw Grace.
The moment the dog noticed the white-haired figure of the little girl, he forgot about everything and came bounding toward her.
Even though Grey often played with him, Lucky chose Grace nine times out of ten. Only when the girl forgot to feed her pet did he remember the boy, who was far more attentive.
Right now the dog had thrown his powerful paws over Grace's shoulders and was licking her face from every side with his three heads, showing his affection for her. It was impossible to say what exactly she had done to deserve such love and devotion.
"Hee-hee-hee, Lucky, that's enough, enough. You're always drooling all over me and ruining my hair. What am I supposed to do with such a messy dog? How can I follow the teachings of Grandpa when you behave like this?" the girl scolded, yet a wide, cheerful smile was clearly visible on her cute face.
"What are we going to do now?" Grey asked his sister, having been left to the side.
"Hmm..." The girl fell into thought, but very soon came up with a wonderful idea.
"Didn't Grandpa tell us about the blue turtle? What a majestic creature! It can carry an entire world on its back! We should paint Lucky. Maybe then he'll look a bit more... presentable," Grace suggested, and the dog immediately stopped his antics and glanced around, searching for an unknown threat.
Although the animal did not understand what exactly the little troublemaker intended to do, his sixth sense urged him to run without looking back. A feeling he successfully ignored, since he had finally ended up in the company of his beloved mistress.
"That sounds fun, but where will we find paint?" Grey asked, not rejecting her idea.
"And you tell me that I'm the one who doesn't pay attention during lessons? Grandma Cornelia told us that if we grind blueberries and dry them with fire magic until they turn into powder, we can make blue paint," Grace scolded her brother.
"I know that, but where are we supposed to find that many blueberries? In case you didn't notice, Lucky has grown quite a bit," Grey bristled as if someone had stepped on his nonexistent tail.
"Let's go to the forest. There are still four hours before sunset. We'll find something."
"Alright, if you say so," the boy quickly capitulated.
He knew that if his sister had set her mind on something, no logic in the world could stop her. So he simply chose to follow her without asking unnecessary questions. The facts would sort everything out on their own.
Thus, the twins, accompanied by Lucky, headed deeper into the forest, where wild animals were almost entirely absent.
The forest was beautiful and picturesque.
Everywhere grew purple plants in countless shades. Mighty treetops towered above the ground, forming a majestic vault. Their branches intertwined, creating an impenetrable violet dome that shielded the forest from prying eyes.
The purple leaves, like drops of precious amethyst, sparkled in the rays of the sun. They swayed gently in the wind, producing an enchanting rustling sound. Beneath their feet stretched a soft carpet of purple moss that bounced lightly with every step.
This familiar landscape filled the children with a sense of lightness and adventure, since they always ran here whenever they wanted to have fun. It stirred their imagination and pushed them to explore it in search of new wonders.
Here the children could forget about bustle and worries and simply enjoy their freedom.
They did not concern themselves with safety, for during the day this place was just as safe as the village. The elders, their mother, and the maid were extremely meticulous about such matters. Knowing all too well what the spirit of adventure meant, they had cleared the surrounding perimeter and also set up magical constructs to drive predators away.
Because of this, the twins could play without a care.
"We need to move faster if we want to go deeper, past the Crystal Waterfall, find enough blueberries, and still make it back before sunset," Grey remarked, glancing around.
"You're too slow, brother. Take Lucky's leash, he'll pull you along," Grace replied.
"Alright."
After reaching the majestic waterfall with crystal-clear water, about two meters high, the children ran around it and found a large clearing with blueberries nearby. The berries glowed faintly with a bluish light in the dimness of the forest, resembling crystalline fireflies. The scenery was simply magical.
Grace and Grey spent a moment admiring the beauty of the place before they began picking the berries, occasionally popping them into their mouths.
From the very first bite, they felt a refreshing coolness. The berries literally melted on their tongues, leaving behind an elusive aftertaste. The flavor could be compared to a gentle breeze on a hot day. It was the taste of freshness and purity.
After eating their fill and piling the berries into a heap, Grace began forming a spell of fire and wind to dry the fruit and produce the paint they needed. Grey watched her performance but could help very little. To keep himself occupied, he continued gathering berries, making sure to crush them before tossing the handfuls onto the growing pile.
Very soon the pulp had become dry. All that remained was to grind it once more to obtain a uniform powder. After that, the powder would need to be mixed with water and brought to the proper consistency.
Lucky watched the children's activity, unaware that very soon he would regret not listening to his instincts.
"Grey, now you need to grind everything with the dagger. I'll run to the waterfall to get some water in the meantime," Grace instructed her brother.
"Why can't you just conjure it?" the boy asked.
"Foolish brother, I'm only a Legionary (2). I used almost all my mana while drying the berries. You know, it's not so easy to use two elements at the same time."
"How would I know the problems of talented practitioners?" he muttered in response, but followed his sister's instructions.
When the paint was ready, it was Lucky's turn to sacrifice his dignity for the sake of research.
The twins dipped their hands into the paint and began rubbing it into their pet's smooth fur, starting with his back. For the paint to spread evenly, they had to put in a lot of effort, working it all the way down to the skin.
The dog waited patiently, occasionally glancing at the children and wagging his tail.
He felt wonderful. It seemed as though the twins were giving him a full-body massage. From paws to back, from muzzle to the very tip of his tail, they rubbed every part of him. He was so comfortable that drool began dripping from all three of his mouths, and his six eyes rolled back in pleasure.
'What kind of service is this? Maybe Mistress feels guilty for forgetting to feed me? But the servant boy already took care of everything. Didn't he tell her? Never mind... Just keep going... This feels so good...'
When the back was finished, the children decided it was not enough and moved on to the sides. Lucky tried to sit still, although the paint tickled a little. The foolish animal still had no idea what he had gotten himself into.
Half an hour later, the work was finished. Lucky's appearance turned out to be far from what they had expected. Right now he looked more like a stray dog that had been dipped into a bucket of blue oil than an Eternal Turtle.
"It turned out nothing like I wanted. Maybe we should rinse him off?" Grace complained, clearly dissatisfied with the result.
"We don't have time. Let's leave him to dry like this. Tomorrow we'll check the result. We should run home, Mom has probably already come back and is waiting for us for dinner," Grey replied.
"Damn, I completely forgot about the time. Let's run." The girl reacted instantly, grabbing Lucky's leash.
==============
Dear readers, I have to inform you that this work was rejected when applying for a contract without the possibility of revision. Therefore, I was forced to create a second version of the book, where I will publish the latest updates.
I will not give up on this version, but some chapters will be posted a little later than in the main one.
The book is called "The Mad Immortal"
https://www.webnovel.com/book/the-mad-immortal_34969618200258905###
Many thanks for your support, active comments and reviews.
This will help more readers to get acquainted with my book, which means my chances of getting a contract will increase and you will receive content more often. (The author also needs to eat and provide for his family)