He Holds a Rose from the Abyss

Chapter 20 – Advice

In fact, the answer given by Margaret was almost the same as no.

She said a long list of magic materials that Chi Lang could not understand, and only said at the end: “…but even with these magic materials, what kind of spell should be used to unlock that magic formation, no one knows except Hubert.”

Chi Lang was stunned.

Margaret spoke very slowly: “Hubert had a magic handbook, which recorded his magic notes, but now it is lost. Maybe the method to unlock the magic formation will be on that handbook.”

Chi Lang: “Lost? Even you don’t know where it is?”

Margaret turned her eyes to the sky outside the window, showing a look of nostalgia, and said, “Hubert is my old friend, he wouldn’t want me to use exploratory magic on his things, so I can’t find out where the handbook is.”

Margaret clasped her hands together: “There were rumors before that the magic handbook was lost in Zefnar City. At that time, almost all the magicians came to Zefnar City to study and wanted to find the magic handbook.”

Chi Lang was a little surprised. Based on his observations, Zefnar City was definitely not a city with a strong magical atmosphere. Except in the academy, he hardly ever saw others using magic.

“At that time, the development of magic in Zefnar City was thriving, but all things declined after reaching the apex of development, and with the gradual scarcity of magical materials in the surrounding area, the inability to break through in magical research, and many other reasons, the magicians gradually all left.”

“So, the magic handbook hasn’t been found?”

Margaret smiled and said, “It’s a rumor, I don’t know if it’s true or not, maybe you can try to find it.”

Chi Lang felt that the time was almost up, and said, “I seem to have asked more than one question, thank you very much, the time should also be…” At this time, Chi Lang looked up at the clock hanging on the wall, and suddenly found that the clock did not seem to be moving.

It turned out that it wasn’t that the pointer turned slower, it was that it hadn’t moved at all.

Margaret noticed his gaze and explained: “This clock seems to be a little faulty. It is often winding, but also can not last long, can you help me take it down and wind it?”

This was just a simple request, Chi Lang did not have any reason to refuse such a request, he answered “yes”, and went to take down the clock.

He had recently gradually mastered the use of “mechanical time”, he would directly enter “mechanical time” without getting a clock. But if he was not focused, he would still unconsciously enter the state of “mechanical time”.

For example, when he was winding the clock, he accidentally entered the state of “mechanical time”, but after only a few seconds, Chi Lang quickly reacted and let himself out of the state of “mechanical time”.

After winding the clock, he hung the clock back on the wall, and said to Margaret, “Then I will go first, thank you very much today.”

Margaret had been paying attention to his movements, and stopped him when he offered to leave: “Micah, I may need to apologize to you.”

Chi Lang looked over.

Margaret stood up and closed her eyes: “That clock was originally broken, and its mainspring has been broken.”

Chi Lang snapped his eyes to the clock, but its hands began to turn after he had wound up the clock.

Why is that? Is it the effect of “mechanical time”? He had previously thought that “mechanical time” only allowed him to become proficient in the use and repair of mechanical creations within a minute, but was there such an effect?

The clock didn’t run for a long time, and Chi Lang watched its hour hand stop. Could “mechanical time” still make a broken thing run for a short time?

But at this time, exploring the role of “mechanical time” is not the most important, but Margaret.

Margaret said slowly: “Do you have some kind of ability to act on mechanical creations?”

Chi Lang didn’t speak. In fact, his face was pale, his thinking was almost frozen, and he couldn’t speak.

“You don’t have any magic power in your body, but I can’t use prophecy magic on you. If I’m not wrong, someone should have used protective magic on you. Later, I used a little higher-level magic to vaguely see a little bit of the future.”

Chi Lang: “Why…why did you use the prophecy magic on me? I’m just an ordinary student of the Saints Magic Academy, you shouldn’t…”

“This is because of my own reason, it’s inconvenient to tell you, so I will apologize to you first,” Margaret spoke slowly, “but, what I want to say is that what you have is beyond the knowledge of this era. It is best not to show it to people, and it’s better not to use them, otherwise, you will be very unfortunate.”

Chi Lang didn’t expect Margaret to be so kind, and replied: “Even if you don’t say it, I won’t show it in front of people, but, as you can see, I have no other ability to protect myself, except for this knowledge, I would be unfortunate if I did not use it.”

Chi Lang bowed to Margaret: “But thank you very much for your advice, no matter what I do, maybe there will be unfortunate things, let me be a little more prepared myself.”

Margaret smiled helplessly: “Yeah… I won’t tell anyone about you, please don’t worry about that.”

She looked at Chi Lang again: “But there is one more thing I need to remind you, although it’s a small thing…”

“The protective magic on your body is actually a combination of space and illusion magic. When others use magic on you, it is easy to not feel your presence, and the magic will lack direction and be used in another space instead.”

Chi Lang nodded as if he understood: “Ah, so that’s how it is…”

Margaret smiled: “But for the person who applies this protective magic, your presence will be magnified, in other words, you may become unique in his eyes, like sunlight or something…”

Chi Lang said “oh” and thanked Margaret, and then said a long list of “goodbye and good health”, but he didn’t really know what he was saying, then he stumbled down the stairs and out of the magic tower, and almost fell down.

After leaving the magic tower, the rain stopped, the sun slanted on the rice fields, and when the wind blew, it was like golden waves surging.

Chi Long also looked at Joyce very nicely at this time, and asked Joyce very sweetly: “Are you tired? Are you happy today? Are we going straight back?”

Joyce looked at him as if he had seen a ghost: “What stimulated you? Did you change your view of the world after communicating with Margaret?”

Chi Lang was in a good mood and didn’t want to argue with Joyce: “I’m just in a good mood, let’s go.”

When he left, he looked around and didn’t see Sheffield’s figure, but it didn’t affect his good mood.

After Chi Lang returned to school, he finally calmed down from his floating state, and still went to work on his business first.

He made a list of the things he was going to do recently. The first was to verify the function of “Mechanical Time”, then he began to prepare things for the Magic Research Society, and finally… to see if he could find out the information about the priest.

‘As for the way to go back to modern times, if even Margaret doesn’t know about it, maybe there really isn’t,’ Chi Lang thought, ‘so let’s put this aside for now.’

Chi Lang thought for a while, crossed out the word “first”, and added one before the first thing to do, prepare Sheffield’s birthday present.

Chi Lang was satisfied and went to do the first thing first.

Joyce was very efficient, he heard about the priest in only one afternoon and ran to the dormitory to tell Chi Lang.

Joyce stood by the door, panting: “It’s a newcomer, his name is Raphael. I heard that he is extremely talented in divine magic, so he can replace the old priest.”

Such little information can’t judge anything, Chi Lang thanked Joyce: “Is there any other more information about him?”

Joyce’s expression was a little weird. He looked at Chi Lang: “I can help you find out more. But…why are you inquiring about him?”

“…He looks like one of my former friends.” Chi Lang had to make up a reason.

Joyce smiled at Chi Lang: “Haha… It turned out to be so, I thought, I thought…”

Chi Lang: “Put away the dirty thoughts in your heart.”

Joyce: “Don’t blame me, that look in your eyes, tsk tsk tsk, is like seeing a long-lost lover.”

Chi Lang:  …

“Shut up you.”

Joyce wanted to say something more, but as if sensing something, he turned around and saw Sheffield.

Sheffield stood at the head of the stairs with a book in his hand.

Joyce’s movements stopped, and he waved his hand toward Chi Lang.

Chi Lang lowered his head and was still thinking: “Come on, what kind of look do you understand? If you can understand my eyes, it’s better…”

He was very surprised that Joyce didn’t respond, and when he looked up, he saw Sheffield as well, and a sense of weakness inexplicably rose up in Chi Lang.

“Then I’ll go first, I’ll inquire about it again for you tomorrow.”

Chi Lang sighed in his heart how Joyce was so good at observing words at such a time.

“I met Margaret today, and she didn’t answer my dream, but I asked the question for you, she said she lacked Hubert’s magic handbook,” Chi Lang explained what happened today.

“I see.” Sheffield closed the bedroom door.

“Margaret said something strange to me, can prophecy magic really see the future?” Chi Lang asked.

“What did she say?”

Chi Lang was slightly uncomfortable: “Like meeting misfortune in the future or something like that.”

“Don’t take it seriously,” whispered Sheffield. “Prophecy magic is the most faulty magic. And—”

“I won’t let you have misfortune. I hope you can trust me more than Margaret.”

Sunlight poured in from the window, lengthening their shadows on the floor.

Chi Lang looked at the ground: “I believe in you, and I will work hard myself.”

Chi Lang suddenly felt a cool touch on his chin.

Sheffield took the rose out of the vase and picked his chin.

Chi Lang had no choice but to meet Sheffield’s eyes.

He saw Sheffield’s eyes curl up, the corners of his mouth rise, and heard Sheffield say, “Will you look at me for a moment?”

Huh??

“The rule is that the time should be longer than the time you spent looking at that priest today.”

Chi Lang felt that his heart was going to explode if he kept looking at Sheffield like this.

“…Is there any other option?”

Sheffield put down the rose, raised his eyebrows slightly, and moved closer to him.

“Don’t, don’t, don’t come any closer, I’ll take this one, just this one!”