Chapter 290

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Chapter 290

After listening, Xerath looked at her strangely before saying, "Is there anything else you want to buy?"

Sylas didn’t have many things to carry. Some Earth Child helped her with the groceries for next week. She carried some miscellaneous items herself. She didn’t need to be like them, who had to carry everything they bought every month from Withered Leaf City.

"What about buying that?" She pointed at the small bag on the opposite stall. "It’s a kind of calming fragrance. Remember when you had insomnia in Sotralo?"

Xerath looked hesitant once again. Sylas asked with a confused frown, "What’s wrong?"

"You had insomnia too. But I slept well yesterday."

"Oh, that’s because… because you were there, so I couldn’t fall asleep." Sylas paused and then continued, "Anyway, let’s buy one. I think it’s pretty. Even if we hang it as a useless decoration at home, it would still be interesting." But wait, Xerath was also there yesterday, and she slept really well.

Xerath nodded slightly. The red and blue dyes from the Caliari region were quite famous, so this red, white, and blue ornament was very popular. Sylas went to the stall opposite, said something to the vendor, and came back with a small cloth bag fastened by a delicate iron frame.

"Do you like this?" She asked nervously, only relaxing when Xerath nodded. "If you don’t like it, we can exchange it."

"I like it, and I actually wanted to have this." The iron piece is a dwarf craftsmanship, quite common on the other side of the desert, but not easy to come across over here. This braided style is very traditional in the Caliari style, with a touch of wildness from the highlands. Imagine hanging it in the bedroom, it matches very well with the stone walls. But for the simple and cold style of a mage, it’s quite impactful, just like Sylas herself.

She squinted her eyes, admiring this artwork, then gently moved it back onto Sylas.

A creepy feeling came over him as the little mage inspected him. He couldn’t help but wonder: what exactly is she here for? Does she still hold onto that kiss that once happened? Did she come to find the truth? And how did she manage to awaken from such silence?

Was it because of that sleep that should never have happened?

She silently avoided Xerath’s gaze, thinking, can’t she just allow us to be together? Doesn’t she realize how precious the atmosphere is when we are together?

"Sylas." But at that moment, Xerath called out her name, startling her, and then Sylas’s reaction startled Xerath.

"What’s wrong?" Xerath looked at her strangely, and asked, "What are you thinking about?" But before she could answer, Xerath continued, "When should we go back? It seems like the sky has already started to darken."

Sylas thought it was because she didn’t want to continue wandering, and then she noticed that the sky had indeed turned dark. The mountains had already blocked the sunlight, casting long shadows on the land. She hurriedly stood up, glanced in the direction of Lake Yongning, and said, "Yes! Yes! We should go back!"

Xerath stood up with her, and said, "Don’t panic, we’ll go back now, but is there any particular reason?"

Sylas, however, chose not to answer when given the opportunity to summon the Earth Child. As she walked on the way back home, she shyly smiled and said, "I didn’t realize we’ve been sitting for so long."

"We talked about a lot of things, and it’s about time," Xerath casually stated the fact that Sylas had actually been concerned about. "We even had three more drinks."

"Oh, I didn’t notice…"

"It’s hard to notice, but when you’re discussing interesting topics, time always flies by very, very quickly."

Yes, that’s true. Looking back, I realize we’ve already shared twelve happy years together with Xerath. But these past six months have been unusually slow, each day feeling like a disaster.

"Hmm, so why did we come back so early?" Xerath keenly noticed Sylas’s unusual behavior and asked.

"No, it’s nothing… People always want to go home before the sun sets, so the whole market will disperse in a while. It gets cold after dark, even with magic it can be quite uncomfortable… The wind blows from the direction of the snowy mountains."

Xerath thought to herself, I’m not afraid of the wind from the snowy mountains, I’ve passed through such a landscape before…

But of course, she gladly accepted Sylas’s kindness, not delving further into these doubts. She remained silent until they got home.

When we returned to Lake Yongning, it wasn’t completely dark yet, but the sky was gradually revealing a different beauty. The clouds were blown open by colorful wind, like the tail of an immortal bird unfolding.

"The scenery here is really beautiful, completely different from Aimekotes, but both are breathtaking," Xerath remarked objectively.

"Yes, it’s very beautiful," Sylas smiled with reservation. "We’ll be back in time for dinner. Are you hungry?"

Xerath intended to shake his head, but suddenly felt a slight hunger. Sylas’s smile widened, "Dinner should be ready soon. I asked Hubert to prepare in advance."

During the climb, Sylas always looked at the sky, while Xerath kept looking at her. He wondered why the highlands always had a unique climate, so he curiously asked, "Are you worried about the weather? Will there be any unusual weather?"

Sylas shook her head too.

Silence persisted until they entered the living room. Xerath couldn’t help but take a deep breath and compliment, "Oh, it smells so good…"

A mushroom cloud rose above Hubert’s head, burning his entire chef’s hat.

Leunen emerged from a rift in space, its tentacles dramatically crossing the entire living room, stacking the food on the kitchen counter into two layers as if on display.

"What’s this?"

Sylas finally said, "There are some very pretty things that I was afraid I would miss during dinner, so I asked Leunen to arrange them like this." She took the plate and utensils outside, picked up a fork and plate for herself, and piled a little bit of grilled beef skewers, mashed corn potatoes, grilled river clams, and pickled river prawns on her plate. "These are all leftovers, so there are many types but very few in quantity. I hope you will enjoy them, hmm?" She used her fork like a magic wand, peeled a shrimp in mid-air, and placed it on Xerath’s plate.

Xerath slowly picked up the shrimp with her fork, took a bite, and asked, "So what are we waiting for?"

Perhaps she didn’t need Sylas’s answer. The truth slowly unfolded before her eyes—the shining silver core was in the farthest part of her field of vision. She was surprised to find that she had never thought about what the edge of a storm looked like before—or rather, she had always assumed it was a mass of clouds, but she had never really given it much thought.

The storm at the Elemental Gate was sustained by the tidal forces of the Elemental Realm and the mortal realm. But how would the storm be sustained once they left the Elemental Gate?

The answer was obvious: the storm could not be sustained. It violently collapsed at the edge of the desert, with the edge gradually moving along with the distant storm. The collapse continued one after another, and the gray clouds dispersed completely, while the wind element that had maintained the storm returned to its natural state, flowing into the embrace of the mountains.

Lake Yongning was surrounded by mountains, and the space between them was filled with blue winds. Lake Yongning became a massive island in the wind, and enormous waves crashed against the mountains, making a sound similar to that of waves in the sea. And the waterfall of wind continued to collapse, falling continuously before her eyes.

The embrace of the mountains revealed a purple hue, nearing the end of their burning. The colorful elemental substances kept falling into the "lake" like a pool, and the rippling waves converged towards the lake’s only island. Some even overflowed the barrier-like peaks and merged with Lake Yongning. The clear lake water became lively as a result, with droplets leaping up and creating small splashes gliding across the surface.

Xerath stood still, the fork stuck in the beef skewer, making a crisp sound as it fell into the plate. But she didn’t care anymore. The illusion of being submerged in water and the undisturbed reality simultaneously struck her from opposite directions. She took a deep breath, smelling the dampness of the lake water and the chill of the west wind. And above their heads, the clouds stretched out like the tail of a phoenix, blazing brightly.

"Do you like it?"

Xerath suddenly woke up and asked, "What? Where? This? Or your house, your tower?"

Sylas looked around and smiled a little, saying, "Hmm… Both?"

This smile was already captivating, or perhaps it had always been this way. But today, in this scene, it was especially irresistible. Xerath calmly turned her head, resting her elbows on Sylas’s balcony railing, and stared blankly at the phoenix’s tail. She replied, "It’s beautiful, too beautiful. I never imagined such a beautiful place… Thank you for bringing me here, I really, really like it. I also really like Lake Yongning, it’s truly a miraculous place, just as amazing as Aimekotes." She realized she was talking too much and too casually, so she politely and shyly smiled, looking at Sylas and saying, "I also really like these food items, they suit my taste. But you’ve never mentioned them in your letters, hmm?"

Sylas lowered her head, absentmindedly poking at her food with a fork. After a moment, she slowly said, "I’ve always wanted… if there was a chance, I had to share with you what I’ve seen and felt. Unfortunately, my words cannot describe everything, and I don’t want inappropriate words to ruin your first impression. It’s better to have a chance for you to see it yourself." She glanced at Xerath and continued, "I thought this chance was very slim…"

"…Hmm…" Xerath responded noncommittally. Originally, it was indeed very unlikely.

Sylas cautiously asked, "So, what made you suddenly visit Lake Yongning?"

Xerath paused, instinctively turning her head. She looked at the West Wind Vein, which seemed to flow like a river in the distance, and thought in a daze: Aimekotes was on the other end of that wind vein.