Chapter 28: Mimir’s Trail and the Horus Tribe

Qing Yu visited the magic academy in the Midrealm for the first time.

As Aldoran possessed the lord’s decree, the guards readily allowed her and Qing Yu entry into the campus.

Due to the underdeveloped economy of the small town, the elementary magic academy he and Aldoran were visiting was not particularly large.

Qing Yu estimated its area to be around eight thousand square meters, comprising only a few scattered, small teaching buildings.

The sports field was tiny, seemingly at its limit with about a thousand students.

****

Qing Yu and Aldoran arrived at the school precisely when classes had ended.

Students jostled and played boisterously in the center of the corridors, while teachers chatted amongst themselves as they moved through, preparing for the upcoming lessons.

“What exactly is taught in the History of Elemental Magic?”

Passing a classroom, Qing Yu peeked in to glance at the timetable, noting that the students in that room had “History of Elemental Magic” next.

“It’s a theoretical course, designed to give students a foundational understanding of the evolution of elemental magic and some of its simpler applications,” Aldoran explained unhurriedly.

The students in the corridor were a noisy throng, chasing each other playfully.

Some girls playfully teased boys, hoping to catch their attention, while groups of boys huddled together, whispering secrets.

Other girls quietly discussed the contents of books they had read the previous night.

Upon noticing the strangers, students quickly gathered around Aldoran and Qing Yu, their eyes sparkling with excitement.

“I used to do things like that when I was in elementary school,” Qing Yu mused, a wave of nostalgia washing over him for his own childhood days.

“Back then, to get the attention of the girl I liked, I would pull her hair all day long.”

Once Qing Yu’s floodgates of conversation opened, he immediately began prattling on into Aldoran’s ear, speaking whatever came to mind without a moment’s pause.

Aldoran listened attentively, occasionally interjecting with a few words of agreement.

****

Approximately five minutes later, the two arrived at the principal’s office.

“Knock, knock, knock,” Aldoran rapped on the closed birch door, inquiring, “Is the principal in?”

After about three seconds, a response came from within the room.

“Come in.”

With a soft “click,” the door opened to reveal a white-haired old woman seated primly behind a large desk, a benevolent smile gracing her face as she waited for Aldoran to close the door.

“Please, have a seat, Lady Aldoran.”

Unexpectedly, the principal recognized Aldoran at a glance; she rose, gesturing for Aldoran and Qing Yu to take the two sofas in the room.

“Mrs. Simpson?” Aldoran seemed somewhat surprised. “What are you doing here?”

The principal chuckled as she settled back into her chair, taking a delicate sip of tea before wiping her mouth and clasping her hands on the desk.

“As one ages, one becomes less capable; it felt right to return to my homeland.”

“Then, uh, Aldoran?” Qing Yu, somewhat bewildered by the current situation, tugged at Aldoran’s sleeve, hoping she would offer an explanation.

“This is Mrs. Simpson; she was a tutor at my home for a period,” Aldoran clarified for Qing Yu.

“Hello, Mrs. Simpson,” Qing Yu greeted politely.

Mrs. Simpson smiled, her facial wrinkles deepening, then waved a hand, scrutinizing Qing Yu before dabbing at the corners of her mouth.

“What a charming child! Is he a friend of yours, Aldoran?”

“This is my husband, Qing Yu,” Aldoran replied, shaking her head.

Qing Yu offered a shy smile, appearing endearingly soft.

Mrs. Simpson’s eyes immediately widened, her mouth forming an astonished ‘O’ in an expression of disbelief.

“Aldoran, you’re actually married?”

“Yes, I married him about a month after you resigned,” Aldoran confirmed. “I had wanted to invite you, but alas, time was short, so I had to forgo it.”

“Congratulations, congratulations!” Following her initial shock, Mrs. Simpson’s smile grew even more radiant, her face beaming with an uncontainable happiness. “To think that little girl is now married! How quickly time flies.”

“I feel the same way,” Aldoran agreed, gently taking Qing Yu’s hand, the warmth of her palm instantly bringing him a sense of calm.

Witnessing this tender moment, Mrs. Simpson’s face blossomed into a wide smile, her many wrinkles seeming to almost obscure her twinkling eyes.

“Oh, what an enviable pair you are! You remind me of the days when my old man and I were young.”

“Speaking of which, why did you resign from your tutoring position back then?” Aldoran asked, a hint of disappointment in her voice. “If you had stayed with my family, you would have been able to witness Qing Yu’s and my wedding.”

“I resigned from my tutoring job because the mayor wished for me to become the school’s principal,” Mrs. Simpson explained.

“After much deliberation, I decided it was an opportunity to nurture more excellent students, and being older, my thoughts naturally turned to my home,” Mrs. Simpson continued, shaking her head and revealing a similar expression of regret. “So, I resigned from tutoring and returned here to serve as principal. If only I had left a little later!”

“It truly is a great pity,” Aldoran agreed.

“However, there’s no use regretting what’s already happened; after all, it’s in the past.

For an old woman like me, it’s best to simply live in the present.”

Mrs. Simpson’s disappointment lasted only a few seconds before a cheerful smile once again brightened her face.

“Since fate has brought us together again today, why don’t we catch up properly?”

“Mrs. Simpson, before you and Aldoran catch up, may we ask you a few questions?” Qing Yu spoke up, and Mrs. Simpson nodded.

“Of course, feel free to ask me anything you wish.”

“Then I won’t stand on ceremony, Mrs. Simpson,” Aldoran said, getting straight to the point. “I wanted to ask if you’ve ever heard anything about Mimir.”

“Mimir?” Mrs. Simpson pushed up her glasses. “I have indeed heard of her deeds.

She’s that goddess, isn’t she?

I heard she’s quite a beauty.”

“That’s right, that’s right, it’s her, the goddess named Mimir!” Qing Yu eagerly confirmed, looking at Mrs. Simpson with anticipation.

Mrs. Simpson glanced at Aldoran, then at Qing Yu, pondering for a few minutes.

“I did hear some rumors once, that there’s a Horus tribe (TL Note: A mythical bird-headed human tribe) along the road to Alast, and they are said to have some connection to Mimir.”

‘The Horus tribe?’

Aldoran and Qing Yu exchanged a glance.

Not long ago, Aldoran had heard the very same words from Alice.

“Then, where exactly is the Horus tribe’s settlement?” Aldoran interrupted Mrs. Simpson before she could continue, beginning to inquire about the Horus tribe.

“About that, I’m not entirely sure,” Mrs. Simpson admitted, a look of uncertainty crossing her face. “However, it is said that the Horus tribe’s settlement cannot be seen with the naked eye.”

“Is there a way to find their tribe, then?”

Mrs. Simpson tapped her head, deep in thought for a moment.

“I have heard it said that the entrance to the Horus tribe’s settlement lies within a certain ruin.”

“Ruins?” Aldoran and Qing Yu exclaimed in unison.

This time, however, Mrs. Simpson could not offer any further information; she spread her hands helplessly.

“I’m not entirely sure what kind of ruins they are.

I only heard this from a traveler, and she only told me that much.”

“A traveler?”

“She was a young woman with cherry-blossom hair and cherry-blossom eyes.

As I had recently begun preparations for research on the Horus tribe in the past few months, I happened to encounter her two weeks ago while searching for materials at the town library.

Since not many people research the Horus tribe, and she was at that moment looking at books about them, I approached her out of curiosity and asked a few questions.

She told me her name was Ms. R, and that she was a traveler.”

Having said this, Mrs. Simpson took a sip of tea.

“And then?” Aldoran asked, a touch of eagerness in her voice.

The aforementioned Ms. R had only met Aldoran two days prior.

“I discovered her research on the Horus tribe was incredibly profound, and her insights quite unique,” Mrs. Simpson said, pushing up her glasses. “The knowledge she shared about the Horus tribe was identical to what was written in books, and her logical deductions were flawless.”

“Then who exactly is she?” Qing Yu impatiently interjected, as this Ms. R sounded like she could be of great assistance in their search for the Horus tribe’s settlement.

“I don’t know,” Mrs. Simpson replied. “What’s more, she had a very gentle demeanor, almost like—”

“A mother?”

Indeed, gentle, serene, and instilling a sense of security—that was precisely how Aldoran and Qing Yu had felt in her presence.

She was like a maternal figure.

“She even referred to me as ‘child,’ so I imagine she might belong to the Elf tribe,” Mrs. Simpson mused, her gaze falling upon Aldoran, who herself had once been an elf.

Aldoran remained noncommittal.

She had no particular opinion about the young woman.

“Excuse me, do you know where she is now?” Qing Yu asked on Aldoran’s behalf.

Mrs. Simpson sighed.

“I wish I knew her whereabouts as well.”

The trail of clues ended there.

Nevertheless, they had gained a new piece of information: the Horus tribe’s settlement could only be entered through certain ruins.

“However, even though I don’t know Ms. R’s whereabouts, I’ve heard that a bard, supposedly from the Horus tribe, has recently arrived in town; you might want to check them out,” Mrs. Simpson added, seeing the hopeful expressions on Qing Yu and Aldoran’s faces.

“I plan to go see them this weekend, near the general store in the town center.”

“Really?”

Aldoran and Qing Yu exclaimed simultaneously.

“Yes, perhaps you could go take a look; you might just uncover some valuable information.”

“Thank you very much, Mrs. Simpson,” Aldoran said, bowing. “This information is extremely important.”

“It’s nothing, I’m just happy to be of help,” Mrs. Simpson replied with a cheerful smile, simply observing Aldoran and Qing Yu.

Qing Yu and Aldoran seemed to have caught a glimpse of hope in finding Mimir.

What they failed to notice, however, was the fleeting flicker of malice that crossed Mrs. Simpson’s eyes…