Chapter 3 - Assassination in the Valley (1)

Chapter 3: Assassination in the Valley (1)

Translator: Ma Shaoyi and Pan Junqian

Proofread by Peter Gong

The boy wearing a baggy magician robe has a handsome and delicate feature, with brown hair and a body build similar to Rowen’s, but his is a little thinner; while that girl with angelic face has golden hair coupled with sapphire-like eyes as attractive as the blue sky. She wears black tights and black leather jacket which add much charm to such a nice hour-glass figure, which is sure to capture any man’s attention.

“Why did you come here?” A natural smile spread over Rowen’s face when he saw the two whom he was very acquainted with.

They are both Rowen’s cousin, the boy in magician robes named Carl, while the blonde was called Nina.

“Nothing, just come here for a visit and warm the body up by the fire. Oh, it is a cold day, isn’t it?” said Carl with a casual air.

“Yeah, me too, the fire.” Nina echoed immediately, and her voice is so pleasant to ears that it seems like a nightingale’ singing.

Rowen shook his head, “Can’t you just come up with a better excuse?”

“Well, emm, well, to be honest, Nina told me that she missed you so much.” A I-can’t- stop-her expression appeared on Carl’s face.”She wants to come and see you, but it is so late at night and snowing heavily outside, and she feels a little scared, so I have no choice but to come here with her.”

“What the hell are you talking about! Do you wanna get punched?” Nina angrily waved her lovely fist at him.

Carl immediately winced. Well, he couldn’t stand Nina’s fists.

“That’s enough, you two stop making excuse. I understand why you are here.” Rowen smiled, “Trust me, I won’t give up, I always remember our vows.”

“Great, why didn’t you tell me earlier? I was so worried about you!” Carl relaxed as if relieved of a heavy load.

“I’ve told you that Rowen could withstand such setbacks, and you don’t believe me!” hummed Nina.

“Did you?” Carl looks at Nina skeptically, and said, “Seems that you are the one who care Rowen the most?”

“Rowen, you look fine, that’s great!” Nina pretends not to hear him, and just stares at Rowen. “My Dad told me that a mysterious beast was not necessarily a pet beast, and some mysterious beasts were proven to be level-10 summoning beasts in the past.”

“That’s right, Rowen, we believe you’ll make the most powerful summoner on this Continent!” Carl chimed with Nina.

“Yeah, I believe we are sure to fulfill our pledges that we have made!” Nina waved her fist vigorously.

“Right, I believe,” Rowen nodded, “that we can make our dreams come true.”

Rowen’s thought drifted back to six years ago when Carl, Nina and he were only ten years old. That was a starry night when they looked up at the sky and made their vows with the witness of those twinkling stars.

“I, Carl·Wolf hereby vow that I will be the most famous enchanter on the Cang Yun Continent…”

“I, Nina·Wolf hereby vow that I will spare no effort to become the strongest warrior of the Red Fox Empire…”

“I, Rowen·Wolf hereby vow that I will be the most powerful summoner in this land…”

Those vows are still lingering around their ears. Today, after 6 years, when Carl is still preparing himself to be a level-1 magician, Nina has already become a level-2 warrior. As for Rowen, he has just become a level-1 summoner and successfully summoned a mysterious beast.

Although the goal of fulfilling their vows is still hard to achieve, they never come up with the thought of giving up. Additionally, they well know that they are the hope for the Wolfs’future.

The Wolfs have anchored the greatest expectation on Rowen, but they also pay enough attention to training Carl and Nina.

Of all members in this generation, Carl is gifted with the best magic power, while Nina is the one most likely to make a name as a warrior.

“Rowen, since you’re OK, we have to go now.” Carl’s voice jolted him from his thoughts.

Rowen nodded, knowing that Carl had been practicing hard these few days to prepare for being a level-1 enchanter. If it were not for his worry about Rowen, he wouldn’t even bother to come here at this very moment.

The house seemed deserted in a sudden after they had left. There was no one else in the room except Rowen who had been living here alone since his parents disappeared ten years ago.

In Spring of the year when Rowen was six years old, his parents never came back after they went to the Imperial City-Red Moon City. In the next ten years, the family members guessed that they had been unfortunately murdered because they never heard from them. However, Rowen still had faith in his parents, hoping that they would come back home one day.

After Rowen lost his parents, Patriarch Blaine started to teach Rowen in person. However, instead of moving in with him, Rowen chose to stay here alone.

Having put aside all muddled thoughts, Rowen went to the bedroom, sat on the bed, and began his daily routine—meditation.

Like other enchanters, summoners have to improve their magic power and spiritual power through constantl meditation. Although talent matters greatly in making an excellent summoner, it is also necessary to persevere in boring meditation.

Howling wind and heavy snow are still dominating the outside world, but Rowen has gradually cleared away all distractions around him and concentrated on meditating.

…

The next day.

The snow finally stops, and the sun is shining on the town of Mayor. The town comes back to life as pedestrians appear and shops open. Rowen also turns up in the street of Mayor. He’s heading to the Yadi city nearby.

The Yadi city, about twenty kilometers south of the town of Mayor, is the closest city to the Mayor town and one of the largest cities in the northern part of the empire.

The snow has not yet melted and it is unlikely for the wagon to pass, so Rowen has to walk to the Yadi city and it is not until noon that he arrives in the city of Yadi.

This is not Rowen’s first visit to the Yadi city for he knows the place well. After entering the gate, he goes directly to the north of the city and enters a bookstore.

The owner of the bookshop is a man of forty with a full beard and narrow eyes, who lies half asleep in his armchair.

The bookseller’s name is Dibit, and he is the true mentor of Rowen on his way to being a summoner.

After he discovers that Rowen has the talent to be a summoner, the patriarch Blaine spends a lot of time looking for a mentor for him, but it turns out in vain. The declining Wolf family possesses an Earl title of patriarch Blaine only. And there seems to be an invisible force in the dark to make troubles. In the end, Rowen has to learn on his own through summoner books.

Basic summoner theory books are available at regular bookstores, and Rowen met Dibit while buying books. After getting familiar with him, Rowen finds that Dibit has quite a lot of summoner’s knowledge, so he sometimes asks him difficult questions. Every time, Dibit would give him a satisfactory answer, and sometimes, Dibit would give Rowen some precious summoner books that are not available at bookstores.

All the while, though, Rowen has no idea whether Dibit is a summoner. Since Dibit has the extensive knowledge of summoning, Rowen always thinks he should be a summoner. However, he never sees a summoning beast around Dibt. And when he sometimes asks Dibit that question, he always minces his words and never gives him a definite answer.

Rowen regards Dibit as his first mentor all the time, and he calls him master. But Dibit never officially admits he is Rowen’s mentor, though he does not object to being called as that.

“Mentor,” Rowen walks over and says hello respectfully.

Hearing Rowen’s voice, Dibit only opens his eyes slightly wider. However, still with a drowsy look Dibit yawns and asks, “Why are you coming, kid?”

“Mentor, I have just summoned my first summoning beast,” Rowen replies.

“Oh?” Dibit immediately gets a little spirit and sits up straight. “Em, show me.”

“Mentor, my summoning beast is a little strange, and the space here is a little bit small, so let’s go to the backyard.” Rowen suggests. The space of the bookstore is too small to accommodate his huge iron block.

“A little strange?” Dibit becomes more interested, “OK, let’s go to the backyard!”

A few moments later, in the backyard of the bookstore.

Dibitt stares at the huge hunk of iron in front of him, and his tiny eves are as wide as brass bells. After a while, he looks Rowen in the face, saying, “You’re right, boy, your summoning beast is pretty strange. I always think you are a little different from others, but I didn’t think your summoning beast is so different!”

“Mentor, have you ever seen or heard of this summoning beast?” Rowen asks nervously.

Although Rowen knows the the Summoning Beast Archive by heart, there should be something missing from the books so Rowen is looking forward to the well-informed mentor who could give him good news. Although he will not give up his goal because of a mysterious summoning beast, he still hopes that this mysterious summoning beast is not a so-called pet beast.

“I’ve never seen or heard of it,” Dibit shakes his head and asks. “Are you sure this is a summoning beast, kid?

Rowen feels a surge of disappointment, and he nods, saying, “Mentor, it is really me that summon it, and it can be reclaimed into my calling space, so I think this should be a summoning beast.

“Well, that makes sense.” Dibit thinks for a moment and feels it with his hand, and then his brow creases slightly again. “It’s really a cold stuff that I couldn’t feel a bit of body temperature, and I have never heard of such a summoning beast before!”

“Well, mentor, you think this is really a pet summoning beast?” Rowen asks after hesitation.

“A pet summoning beast?” Dibit narrows his eyes again as if he is thinking of something. After a moment, he shakes his head and says, “Although the mysterious summoning beasts that have shown up over the past 100 years are basically pet beasts, this iron stuff should not be a pet beast.”

“Mentor, are you serious?” Rowen is given a lift by such words.

“Kid, do you know why a level zero summoning beast is called a pet beast?” Dibit asks in reply.

Rowen wonders, “Isn’t it because they have no lethality and can only be pets for summoners?

“That’s just one reason.” Dibit shakes his head, “Another important reason is that pet beasts are usually pretty and small enough to be kept as pets. But your iron stuff is too big, let alone pretty, so it can’t be a good pet.”

Rowen thinks it over and realizes that Dibit is right. All the pet beasts in the Summoning Beast Archive are really small and cute.

“It means it’s really not a pet beast?” Rowen feels an uncontrollable surge of excitement.

Dibit immediately pours cold water on Rowen, “Kid, don’t be happy too early. I don’t think it’s a pet beast, but I don’t see any use for it, either.”

“Mentor, I ‘m sure I can find its true ability,” Rowen is confident.

“Then take your time, kid,” Dibit says lazily. “If I have any information about it, I’ll have a message sent to you.”

“Thank you, mentor,” Rowen says gratefully. “Then I’ll go home now.”

“Just stay a little longer and go back after lunch,” Dibit says casually.

“Yes, mentor,” Rowen replies. Dibit speaks casually all the time, yet Rowen always respects him as a mentor.