The Demon King is unfathomable

Chapter 603 The Seeds Fall in the Winter Month

A long, drawn-out whistle tore through the winter wind, and a colossal steel beast emerged from its cave, puffing out smoke rings.

Watching the monster hurtling towards them from afar, old Hans, standing on the edge of the field, couldn't help but think to himself, "That thing looks scary at first glance, but after looking at it for a while, it doesn't seem so remarkable."

Although he wasn't as strong as this thing, and he didn't pull as much stuff, he still had the ability to exhale smoke.

Thinking this, old Hans took another puff of his pipe, his eyes narrowing into slits in enjoyment.

Although he initially went to work on the construction site to supplement his family's income, he soon discovered that he didn't need that much money at all.

He quickly bought bread, salt, and cloth for making new clothes, and stocked up quite a bit at home, making his wife very happy.

Old Hans himself was beaming with joy.

Fifty copper pounds a day, and he could save up a silver pound in two days. By Saint Sith's grace, he had never been so rich in his life!

With his week's savings in hand, he wandered around the market for half a day, but couldn't figure out what he was missing. So he bought this thing from a mysterious shopkeeper.

At first, he coughed because of the spicy taste, but after getting used to it, he fell in love with the trendy feeling.

The guys in Thunder City really know how to enjoy life...

correct.

We still need to buy some coal!
He slapped his thigh in frustration, realizing he had completely forgotten this important matter!
……

The clanging sound as the train rolled over the tracks woke Damon from his afternoon nap as he sat by the window.

He subconsciously tightened his grip on the old leather suitcase in his arms, then cast his hazy gaze out the car window. Seeing that all he could see was a vast wilderness, he breathed a sigh of relief and turned his attention back into the car.

Actually, there's no need to be nervous at all.

Huanghuncheng South Station is the terminus of this railway line, so there's no need to worry about missing it.

Like the other twenty-odd passengers in the third-class carriage, Damon was a Ryan returning home from Thunder City.

The only difference between him and the other passengers was that he was the youngest among them.

In addition, he kept himself very clean, and his leather shoes were spotless.

So much so that even passing train attendants couldn't help but glance at him a couple of times, wondering if he had boarded the wrong carriage and mistakenly ended up in third class with a first-class ticket.

It must be said that although Damon polished his shoes to a high shine, he didn't consider it fussy.

It doesn't cost much to tidy yourself up, but it can leave a good first impression on others.

Just like humans, the gods are more inclined to favor those who bring joy to others than those who are always frowning.

This was one of the things he learned from Thunder City.

As Damon looked around, the passenger sitting opposite him was also observing him, his gaze naturally falling on the suitcase in his arms.

The old leather suitcase was bulging with stuff, and one of the brass locks was broken; it was only held together by hemp rope that it didn't fall apart.

Perhaps because he had been staring at it for too long, his gaze naturally caught the attention of the box's owner.

Seeing the owner of the box looking at him, he put on a friendly smile and took the initiative to start a conversation.

"My name is Lud, what's yours?"

"Damon."

“Damon, what a nice name,” Ludd smiled and extended his right hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Damon smiled shyly, reached out and shook hands with him. He wanted to say "How is it good?" but worried about killing the conversation, so he kept quiet.

Then, he successfully killed the conversation.

Fortunately, Mr. Ludd, who was sitting opposite him, was clearly very interested in him, or rather, in the suitcase he had been carrying all the way, and was unwilling to let the conversation that had been so hard to get started fall silent.

"Although this question may be a bit presumptuous, please satisfy my curiosity after I've been holding back all this way... What treasures are you carrying in that suitcase? You can't even bear to put them on the overhead rack."

Faced with those curious gazes, Damon looked embarrassed.

"Then I might have to disappoint you."

"Is it inconvenient? Never mind then, please pretend I didn't ask." The man withdrew his curiosity with some disappointment.

Seeing that he had misunderstood, Damon quickly said...

"No, what I mean is... there's nothing special about it, just some books."

"Books?" Lud opened his eyes in surprise. "You sell books?"

Damon shook his head and said seriously.

"No, to be precise, I'm a teacher."

"Teaching? I didn't realize you were a teacher." Lu De looked at him with admiration, subconsciously using a respectful title.

Damon scratched his face a little embarrassedly.

“Strictly speaking, I haven’t started teaching yet… I just applied for the teaching position and haven’t officially started working yet.”

"It's amazing that I even got the job! Divine Child, I never expected to be sitting across from a teacher." Lude's face was full of disbelief, as if he was really shocked by this small matter.

Damon noticed that he had mentioned the Divine Child, so he asked a question out of curiosity.

"Are you a Protestant?"

“That’s right!” Lud grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, and said smugly, “I converted last year!”

"Last year? In Thunder City?"

“Of course, otherwise, would it be under the very nose of the court? I wouldn’t dare do something that could cost me my head.” As he spoke, Lud made a face as if he had been hanged.

Although Damon didn't think his antics were very funny, he still smiled along.

"I hope my confusion is not presumptuous. I'm just wondering... there don't seem to be any New Testament priests in Thunder City."

“Priest? No need for that. Didn’t Her Majesty say that as long as one’s heart is turned toward the light, everyone is a child of God?” As he spoke, Lud placed his right hand on his chest and made the sign of the cross, seamlessly switching from his frivolous smile to a devout expression.

Damon's expression was somewhat subtle as he looked at this casual guy.

Strictly speaking, he was not a traditional believer, but rather what the royalist Lane called an "encyclopedist," or, in his own words, a believer in "science."

He considered himself to be a fairly open-minded person, but even so, he still felt that this guy was a bit too casual.

However, after thinking about it, he felt relieved.

Many citizens of Thunder City did the same, buying a copy of the New Testament from a private bookstall and then converting to Christianity to follow the trend.

Some people probably skipped the whole process of buying books altogether, simply flipping through them while standing by the newsstand.

"Alright, let's not discuss matters of faith... Are you in business?"

Damon changed the subject.

Ludwig shook his head vigorously.

"No, what has caused this misunderstanding? Do I look like a rich person to you?"

"Sorry, I heard you talking about a business involving beheadings, so I thought you were in business..."

Lud was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"Haha, buddy, you're really funny. That's just a way of putting it... I never said I was in business. Do I look like someone that rich?"

"May I ask what you do for a living?"

"What are you talking about? You mean work? I..." At this point, Lude's eyes became a little unfocused, and he changed the subject, "Well, I haven't decided what to do yet, but I've heard that there are quite a few opportunities in Twilight City. Maybe I'll find out when I get there."

He wanted to skip the topic.

However, Damon didn't understand his implied meaning. Instead, he took it as a secret he couldn't tell, so he looked at him with great enthusiasm and seriousness.

"Having an idea is better than having no idea. Can you tell me what you're good at? Maybe I can give you some advice."

"Are you serious? Well... there's nothing to hide from you."

Unable to persuade this guy, Lude scratched the back of his head and sighed.

"To be honest, I used to do farm work for the lord, and that's all I knew how to do. After the lord died, I went to Thunder City with the others and found a factory job there."

"and after?"

"Later, I stopped... Oh right, I also worked as an adventurer for a few days, but that job was really inhuman, so I eventually came back here."

At this point, Lud suddenly changed the subject.

"Don't just talk about me, what about you? Why did you come back? You could have earned more teaching in Thunder City, right?"

As Lude spoke, his eyes held a mixture of curiosity and a mischievous, half-smiling expression. His expression seemed to say, "You're definitely hiding something, aren't you?"
Stop keeping me in suspense, you can't fool me!
Damon didn't know what his friend was thinking, but he felt that his friend had probably misunderstood something. He hadn't returned for any complicated reason, simply because—

"This is my hometown, and I want to do something for it."

Lud was taken aback.

"Your Highness, Divine Child... Just because of this? Are you serious?"

"of course."

Damon nodded, his gaze falling on the suitcase, a hint of gentleness in his eyes.

“I’ve been in Thunder City for a while now. What impressed me most about that city wasn’t Thunder City University or the Clock Tower, but the books there… I think that’s what’s causing us to fall behind, so I decided to bring them back.”

This is actually Professor Ferguson's opinion.

He was fortunate enough to attend that professor's open class, which deeply impressed him and answered many of his questions.

While most "encyclopedists" believe that Roland's problems stemmed from feudalism, and that eliminating the Devallo family would solve everything, Professor Ferguson, also an "encyclopedist," offered a different perspective.

In that gentleman's view, ignorance would inevitably lead people from one extreme to another, and only by eliminating ignorance could a true republic be achieved.

Those grand goals were too far removed from Damon's vision; the National Assembly would never invite him to a meeting. However, there were still things he could do, such as teaching.

He wants to impart correct knowledge to his students, teach them to love those around them, and to be an upright person.

Lud stared at the schoolteacher in disbelief for a long time before finally speaking.

"But why? I mean... what does this have to do with you?"

Damon smiled and said.

"If I had to say, this really has nothing to do with me. But I always feel that my soul ultimately belongs to this land and will eventually return here. If I do nothing, then next time I will probably get the same script from the gods, and I may not be so lucky next time... By the way, I also read this sentence in the New Testament, although we are probably not church members."

Rudd had never read this sentence, nor had he ever actually read the New Testament. Nevertheless, he was still stunned by the man before him and was speechless for a moment.

The two remained silent for a long while.

The vast wilderness outside the car window slowly receded, occasionally flashing past a bare tree, as if shaved bald by winter. Occasionally, a dark, sprawling manor would pass by, it hard to tell whether it was the work of the Green Forest Army or the Court of Justice. So much had happened in Twilight Province in recent years that the boundaries between ruins had long since blurred into a single, indistinct mass.

Lud opened his mouth, wanting to say something to break the awkward silence, but he found himself at a loss for words.

This feeling was unfamiliar to him, and it also caused him a slight pang in his heart. He felt that he had let this guy down.

His gaze involuntarily shifted downwards, then drifted back to the old leather suitcase in Damon's arms.

At this moment, he was absolutely certain that there were only books inside, not the treasure he was looking for.

"...Is what you said really in the New Testament?"

"Ah."

Which page?

Damon thought for a moment and answered seriously.

"I remember it should be in Chapter Four."

"Okay, I've got it."

Lud nodded, silently memorizing the number. Although, given his personality, he would most likely forget about it once he left the carriage, at least he was serious for the moment.

It's about time to go.

Just as he was thinking this, a train attendant in a railway uniform walked in through the front door of the carriage.

He walked slowly down the aisle, his gaze sweeping over the seats on either side, as if searching for something.

When he reached the spot where Ludd and Damon were, he suddenly stopped.

"Excuse me, are you Mr. Luther?"

Lude instinctively looked up.

"……What is wrong with me?"

"A gentleman in the next carriage is looking for you. He says he's a friend of yours and would like to invite you to sit down." The train attendant wore a polite smile and spoke in a gentle and courteous tone.

Lud's smile remained on his face, but his eyes had already involuntarily shifted slightly.

friend?

He has no friends on this train.

To be precise, he had hardly any friends in the world, and a bad feeling began to creep up his spine.

He didn't answer the flight attendant immediately, but instead very naturally reached for his coat hanging on the back of the seat, using the action to glance behind him.

Beside the rear door of the carriage, a man wearing a wool coat was leaning against the door frame, his hands casually in his pockets, as if waiting for someone.

The action was far too deliberate; the officers in Twilight City clearly lacked experience. If it had been Officer Campbell, he certainly wouldn't have acted so carelessly, and he certainly wouldn't have sent a flight attendant to alert the enemy.

They're very experienced.

If they are unsure whether the other party possesses superhuman abilities, they will treat all targets as bronze-level superhumans—this is something a police officer told him personally.

Lude casually looked away and glanced towards the front door of the carriage.

Sure enough, another man of similar age stood there, his hands in his pockets and his hat pulled low.

His heart was racing, but his expression remained unchanged.

The flight attendant was still smiling and waiting for his answer, her face devoid of any extra information.

In an instant, a number of thoughts flashed through Lud's mind.

The train wasn't moving fast, especially now that it was slowing down, and the snow outside was up to my calves. If I just rolled off like that, I could definitely escape.

or--

Hostages are another option; neither the schoolteacher sitting opposite nor the flight attendant seemed like a particularly capable fighter.

And he happened to have a knife in his pocket.

However, this thought only lasted for less than half a second before he extinguished it himself.

“Mr. Ludd?” Damon thought he was hesitating about whether to end the conversation, so he smiled understandingly and said, “Your friend is still waiting for you, don’t keep them waiting too long, I’m fine here.”

Looking into those clear eyes, Lud felt as if something had struck his chest hard.

He couldn't quite describe what it was; it wasn't a fist or a stick, but a kind of embarrassment he hadn't felt in a long time.

Perhaps the word "embarrassing" is not quite accurate; a more fitting word would be "ashamed."

Your Highness, Divine Child, and Your Highness the Holy Maiden… For your loyal followers to feel “shame” is truly blasphemous.

He thought he had long since given up any sense of shame.

That happened after his illusions about the Holy Light were shattered... actually, not long after, it happened this autumn.

"Okay, I'll go take a look."

Lude slowly got up, his hand unconsciously sliding under the table. As he passed Damon, he patted him on the shoulder, and a wallet he had casually "picked up" slipped into Damon's pocket.

"Oh, right."

He looked at Damon, then suddenly seemed to remember something and said with a smile, "I'll consider that thing you mentioned before... about the job. I really shouldn't be wasting my life like this. If the Holy Maiden knew, she would definitely shed tears for my blasphemy."

That might not actually be the case.

But who cares?

Damon was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, then a sincere smile appeared on his face.

"Really? That's great... Oh, just in case, I'll give this to you first."

He suddenly remembered something halfway through his speech, rummaged through a hidden compartment in his suitcase, pulled out a business card, and handed it over.

The business card felt cheap, like it was made from the scraps of a hard newspaper, but the handwriting on it was very neat.

"This is the school where I work, located in the southern district of Huanghun City. Once you're settled in, or if you need any help, feel free to come find me anytime!"

Lude took the business card and glanced down at it.

[Diamond, Science and Math Teacher at Dusk City Third Public School.]

The handwriting is quite beautiful.

He carefully folded the business card and put it in his inner pocket, saying in a joking tone.

"You're so fashionable, I don't have one of these."

Damon smiled sheepishly.

"It's not that I'm trying to follow the trend, it's just more convenient this way."

"Okay, I'll accept it. I'll treat you to drinks next time we meet."

"I'm not a big drinker."

"Then let's have tea, or coffee. Haha, I wonder if they have that in Twilight City. Maybe they will when we meet again... Anyway, see you next time."

After saying that, he waved to Damon and, before the person at the door could cough to remind him, turned and followed the train attendant toward the front door of the carriage.

His back looked relaxed, as if he really was just going next door to visit a friend.

However, even after the train pulled into the station half an hour later, Damon didn't see him return and could only take his wave goodbye as a farewell.

Perhaps that gentleman felt he was talking too much.

The whistle sounded long and deep, like a sigh.

Fine snowflakes drifted on the rubble-covered platform. Station staff rubbed their hands together as they waited at the exit, while several impatient hunting dogs circled around their owners' feet.

Damon stepped off the train with his old suitcase, his footsteps making a crisp sound as he stepped on the snow.

The air here is different from that in Thunder City; it smells less of coal ash and more of earth and sawdust.

The smell wasn't pleasant, but it was strangely comforting.

Looking at his hometown so close at hand, he felt a surge of indescribable peace of mind. Then his gaze fell on the rickshaw in front of the platform.

The next task is to register at the school.

Just then, he subconsciously reached into his left pocket, intending to pull out his wallet and count out some change, but he found nothing.

Damon paused for a moment, then reached into his pocket again, before finally letting out a sigh of relief.

That was close!

He thought he had lost his wallet!

Going back to Thunder City would be too much trouble. Not only would tickets be hard to buy, but finding a place to stay and eat for the next few days would also be a problem.

He heard that the school where he was to work was still under construction. Although the principal asked him to go to work as soon as possible, he was not sure what the situation was like there.

Damon was overjoyed.

The only thing that puzzled him was that he clearly remembered always keeping his wallet in his left pocket and his keys in his right.

He didn't think much of it, figuring it was probably just the wrong thing they gave him when they bought lunch...

Just as Damon was thinking this, a small commotion came from the other end of the platform. Several men in police uniforms were escorting a prisoner off another carriage.

The man had a black hood over his head, was wearing prison clothes, his hands were tied behind his back, and he staggered but did not struggle.

Passengers around stopped to watch for a moment, then casually left the platform.

In these turbulent times, catching a petty thief is hardly newsworthy, much less worthy of discussion.

They could even guess that guy's fate; they figured he'd end up like those rail thieves, sent to the same place to dig sand.

Damon glanced in the direction the person had left, feeling that the figure looked familiar, but he couldn't quite place where he had seen it before.

"It's just my imagination," he muttered to himself, then stepped off the platform and hailed a rickshaw waiting by the platform.

In the winter of 1054 in the Os calendar, the people who arrived in Twilight City were not only Prince Corin's "official merchant," but also an unknown schoolteacher.

Although the epic about the end of the Second Age probably won't leave behind this light-hearted name, he still brought much to his homeland.

That's something Mr. Punk could never give them.

Similarly, even the gods cannot provide it.

(End of this chapter)