Chapter 83: Unexpected Encounters and Ancient Secrets

Determined to uncover more about Fafnir, Aldoran resolved to revisit the zoo with Qing Yu. She faintly remembered the paleontology museum there displaying the remains of a Fafnir, and linking this to the name of the dragon maiden, Aldoran sensed a subtle, yet significant, connection between the two.

“Aldoran,” Qing Yu began, his voice laced with boredom as he squatted on the ground, watching the fish glide beneath the floor, “isn’t there some sort of guide in this exhibit hall?” Aldoran had been fixated on the ancient remains throughout the entire morning. Now, with the sun high in the sky and midday approaching, Qing Yu’s stomach had long since begun to rumble with insistent hunger.

Aldoran shook her head.

“No.”

A sigh of disappointment escaped Qing Yu’s lips at her reply. He then turned his gaze to Aldoran, extending a hand.

“Aldoran, I’m hungry.”

“Go buy something you like to eat,” Aldoran instructed, her words accompanied by the rustle of her hand as she retrieved two silver coins from her pocket and offered them to Qing Yu. “I’ll be staying here a bit longer; you can come back to find me later.” She added a caution, “Don’t wander too far. Should you get lost, remember to head to the visitor center; someone there will assist you.”

“Don’t worry, don’t worry, I’ll be fine,” Qing Yu assured her with a cheerful voice. Clutching the coins, he then dashed out of the exhibit hall.

****

The zoo, sprawling across an immense area, was a verdant haven. Despite having visited once before, Qing Yu found himself captivated anew as he strolled along the cobblestone paths, every sight and sound striking him as remarkably novel.

‘I can’t believe there are so many races I’ve never seen before!’

The zoo teemed with an even greater diversity of visitor races than during his previous visit. As Qing Yu meandered through a narrow path embraced by white jade trees, he even caught sight of a peculiar race, sporting goat horns above and a serpentine tail below.

‘If only Earth had such an interesting zoo,’

Qing Yu mumbled to himself, utterly oblivious to the woman approaching him head-on. She, holding a box of ice cream, continued to eat as she walked. Just as Qing Yu seemed destined for a collision, the woman gracefully lifted a hand, gently pressing it against his head to halt his progress.

“Qing Yu?”

A familiar voice drifted down from above, prompting Qing Yu to look up. There, with her long green hair and statuesque figure, was none other than Roalsa.

Today, Roalsa was not in her usual striking uniform; instead, she wore a casual tracksuit.

‘Qing Yu wasn’t sure what Roalsa’s outfit was actually called in the Midrealm, so he simply referred to it as a tracksuit.’

“Roalsa? What are you doing here?” Qing Yu exclaimed, his voice tinged with surprise at the unexpected encounter. He had certainly not anticipated running into an acquaintance at the zoo.

Roalsa chuckled softly, then, as if performing a magic trick, produced a rose and placed it into Qing Yu’s hand.

“I’m here today to investigate matters concerning Fafnir. And you?”

“What a coincidence!” Qing Yu exclaimed, accepting the rose. “I’m also here today with Aldoran, investigating matters concerning Fafnir.” He then gestured behind him. “Aldoran is in the paleontology museum. If you go in now, you’ll find her by the Fafnir remains.”

“Ah, thank you very much,” Roalsa replied, maintaining her customary polite demeanor. “Will you be joining me to find Aldoran now? Or do you have other plans at the moment?”

“I’m going to eat lunch. I’ll come after I’ve finished.”

“Then I wish you an enjoyable lunch.”

****

Waving goodbye to Roalsa, Qing Yu made his way to a pleasant snack shop situated to the west of the paleontology museum. Among the staff, a young man with a distinctive crocodile tail seemed rather intrigued by Qing Yu. With the midday rush having subsided, the young man took a seat opposite Qing Yu, eager to strike up a conversation.

“Customer, may I ask what you think of our signature fried rice?” the young man inquired, seated opposite Qing Yu, his smile cheerful and his demeanor radiating warmth.

Qing Yu ate heartily, his mouth full, offering continuous praise.

“Mmm, it’s delicious, very fragrant, absolutely wonderful.”

Hearing Qing Yu’s words, the young man’s smile brightened considerably.

“Of course! The ingredients are fresh rum fruits, harvested daily from the mountains. To ensure we have them, I rise at six every morning and climb the mountain!”

With his mouth full of food, Qing Yu could only nod in muffled agreement.

Perhaps sensing Qing Yu was a pleasant companion, the young man grew increasingly talkative. His gaze lingered on Qing Yu’s hair, a flicker of envy in his eyes.

“Customer, you’re so adorable! Your hair is so long and soft, and it even smells fragrant. Unlike mine, which is always dry and stiff—it’s a nightmare to manage every day!”

The young man touched his own hair, then suddenly grasped Qing Yu’s hand.

“Customer, you must be very popular with girls, right?”

Upon hearing this, Qing Yu nearly spat a mouthful of rice onto the young man’s face.

Prior to his arrival in the Midrealm, Qing Yu had been constantly ridiculed as effeminate, with barely anyone willing to befriend him. The sole individual who had ever shown him genuine kindness was Aldoran, whom he had met only after reaching this new world.

“No, not at all. I’m already married.”

“Oh, how wonderful! The person who could be with a customer like you must be, well, the young lady of some prominent family, right?” The young man’s eyes widened in astonishment.

“Something like that,” Qing Yu mumbled, unsure how to respond, and simply scratched his head.

“So, customer, what brings you here today? Are you visiting with your beloved?”

“I suppose so? She came here to see the Fafnir remains housed in the paleontology museum.”

“Fafnir?” Hearing those four words, the young man nodded thoughtfully. “I’ve heard they were incredibly powerful overlords in ancient times. Girls sure do like powerful things, don’t they?”

Then, the young man smiled shyly, appearing a little embarrassed.

“Come to think of it, I quite like them too.”

Observing the young man’s eager demeanor, Qing Yu mused that since he was simply idling away his time, he might as well glean some additional information from him, considering it a helpful gesture for Aldoran. Thus, Qing Yu continued the conversation, following the young man’s lead.

“Indeed, the Fafnir are truly a formidable race. I’ve heard their venomous gas is virtually unstoppable.”

The young man nodded.

“That’s true, but I’ve also heard my grandfather tell stories about heroes defeating Fafnir. That tale is quite popular in many places.”

“Heroes defeating Fafnir?!” Qing Yu exclaimed, startled. “Aren’t the Fafnir ancient creatures?”

“Yes, such a belief certainly exists,” the young man acknowledged, “but some scholars have actually questioned it. Customer, are you familiar with Arebos?”

Qing Yu quickly searched his mind for the name “Arebos,” realizing it seemed to belong to a dragon held at the zoo.

“Is it the dragon exhibited at the zoo?”

“That’s right!” the young man affirmed. “It’s said that the Arebos species of dragon should have gone extinct five hundred million years ago, but just over a decade ago, one reappeared and devastated an entire country. That event caused an absolute sensation throughout the entire paleontology community at the time!”

“Because of this discovery, many theories had to be rewritten, and even textbooks underwent a major revision.”

Although Qing Yu understood nothing of it, he still found it quite impressive.

“Consequently, some scholars openly supported the stories of heroes triumphing over Fafnir, believing such widespread tales must have a basis in reality. However, there are also many who oppose this view, given that the sheer toxicity of the Fafnir’s internal gases would prevent any other race from even approaching them.”

The young man shrugged at this point.

“So, the current paleontology community is practically in chaos!”

“Well, the history of the Midrealm is incredibly ancient to begin with. Perhaps some ancient civilization, coexisting with the Fafnir, managed to defeat them, and that story simply endured through the ages—it’s certainly possible.”

Qing Yu listened intently, striving to commit every piece of information to memory. However, as the young man spoke, a new question surfaced in Qing Yu’s mind: just how long had the Midrealm’s history truly spanned?

“Excuse me, may I ask a question?”

Qing Yu pushed aside his rice bowl and looked at the young man.

“Of course, please do. I promise to tell you everything I know.”

“Could you tell me, approximately how old is the Midrealm’s history?”

What Qing Yu had assumed would be a simple question seemed to stump the young man. He propped his head with his hand, pondering for a good while before finally replying to Qing Yu.

“I don’t know. There’s no precise answer to how long the Midrealm has existed. Every time people think they’ve pinpointed a date, new ancient artifacts appear, completely overturning their understanding.”

“However,” the young man’s tone shifted, “the oldest recognized historical ruin is located in a duchy in the Northern Lands. To this day, scholars are utterly unable to conclusively determine its age, knowing only that its existence far predates all other ancient artifacts in the Midrealm. Beyond that, I have no idea.”

‘That must be the mural displayed in the paleontology museum,’ Qing Yu thought. However, with no way to verify it now, Qing Yu could only store the idea in his mind, intending to confirm it once he reunited with Aldoran. It seemed the young man had shared all he knew. As Qing Yu was now thoroughly satisfied with his meal, he bought some food for Aldoran, paid, and bid the young man farewell.

‘Looks like I’ve gathered some useful intelligence,’ Qing Yu mused, his steps light as he walked.