Kobold Wizard's Journal

Chapter 302 Compassion and Opportunity

Luger silently ate the last delicious and tender meatball.

In fact, his problem, like that of the people here, is a bloodline issue, only from a different perspective—a curse originating from the source of his bloodline.

He looked up at old Lenser.

In truth, he was somewhat curious about the relationship between Old Dog Head and Aunt Jenny; it seemed to be more than just a simple relationship between relatives or friends.

“And…” Old Lunser added, glancing in a certain direction, “the City of Burning Blood might not be peaceful anytime soon… it would be good to go out for a while, unlike me and Newondo, who can’t stay away from here for long.”

Ruger understood what the old dog head meant, and the direction he was looking in was the old man's house.

“Remember, the bloodline issue must be resolved as soon as possible. Increased strength only temporarily masks the problem; it will eventually erupt more violently,” Old Lunser said. “As for learning potion-making, that lord is far more skilled than I am…”

Old Doghead clearly considered his bloodline problem to be the common kind.

Ruger nodded, sensing that old Lenser's condition was off, as if something was affecting him.

Just two days ago, when he obtained what he craved with the help of Mr. Nuondo, that confident spirit seemed to have vanished from old Lenser.

"What happened?"

Ruger tentatively suggested.

Old Lenser just sat there rolling his eyes and didn't say anything.

Luger smiled, thinking that the old dog head might have also sensed the changes in the City of Burning Blood. Just like after the continuous rainy nights, the city suddenly grew larger. It wasn't that the city walls that blocked the blood beasts on the wasteland had grown bigger, but rather that the area where the power of the Blood Sun was truly effective had expanded. Countless years ago, when the city was built, its location was defined by that area. Of course, those places have long since been occupied and become new districts, and new city walls have also risen from the ground with the blessing of magic.

This old fellow is no ordinary fifth-level wizard apprentice. He may have noticed details that others might miss, and the numerous anomalies have already alerted him, so his worry is inevitable.

“Your progress is rapid,” Old Lunser suddenly said. “It’s time to find a suitable ascension ritual for yourself. Since that lord has said he will take you as a student, he will definitely provide some assistance, which is quite important for you. You also need to find and determine a first-circle spell. All of this needs to be prepared in advance. At times like these, having an extraordinary teacher by your side would be a very good thing…”

"The City of Burning Blood is good in every way, except... it's not a true wizarding power with a lineage. Some people come here and die quickly, some leave not long after, and most are just pitiful wretches who can't leave the city after arriving. Even if you occasionally encounter a high-level wizard, they come here with their own purposes, come and go in a hurry, and won't have time to pay attention to you."

Old Lenser pursed his lips and took out a wine glass.

Ruger also took a cup.

Rather than saying that Old Dog was trying to persuade him to leave, it would be more accurate to say that he was pointing out the way forward for him, helping him to clear his mind, or perhaps he was afraid that he would miss this opportunity.

Luger had actually been interested in that for a while, otherwise he wouldn't have asked old Lunther to inquire about it.

He hadn't decided when to leave yet, thinking it would be a long time from now. After all, wizards' lives are long. His initial plan was to refine potions here, bathed in the glow of the blood sun, until he honed his spiritual power to its limit.

He enjoys peaceful days of meditation here, while also learning about potions. The exposure to the Blood Sun also has some effect on his bloodline issues, albeit slowly and weakly, but it's definitely a good choice. All of this is thanks to his interactions with people like Lord Grin of the Temple of Knowledge, and Raiden and Vito—those wizarding apprentices who continue to refine their skills even after reaching their mental limits. This makes him less impatient, perhaps also related to his attainment of the fifth level of wizarding apprentice.

But now, things seem to have changed.

The City of Burning Blood does not seem to be safe enough.

As old Lenser said, it's safer to find what you need in advance.

After all, that cheap teacher, Lord Emmanuel, may have already forgotten about him. Although his features are still quite distinctive, anything is possible, so it's never a bad thing to prepare in advance.

"My dear uncle, what is your relationship with Aunt Jenny?" Ruger couldn't help but ask.

Old Renser remained surprisingly calm, even giving him a dismissive glance.

To Luger's surprise, the old dog didn't make excuses this time.

“She is... she doesn’t have a clear identity, but to me she is my teacher, and in my heart she is more like family. Of course, when I was young and foolish, I also had feelings for her. She was like that when I was young. No one knows her age. She seems to never age. She is still my owner, my guardian,” Old Lunser said.

Ruger raised an eyebrow slightly, somewhat puzzled by the two strange words he heard at the end.

"Do you know why there's a seemingly joking clause in the contract about training a junior? That's her pity for me," old Lenser said with a smile, his expression unchanged. "I didn't exist originally. I was just a substitute, created to replace a negligent fellow. That fellow, wanting to escape his predicament and go out to play, created many things similar to me. In the end, only I survived the experiments. Jenny discovered what he had done and ran away in fright... So Jenny raised me... hoping I would grow up to replace that fellow..."

Ruger gradually lost control of his expression; these things were somewhat beyond his expectations.

Judging from this, old Lenser might not even be a real person.

He initially thought Jenny was old Lenser's former lover, but later realized something was wrong, and that there was a strange contract between them, but he never expected it to be this special relationship.

Therefore, the way Old Renser treated Jenny was both affectionate and ruthless under the contract; both distant and intimate. Despite the vast difference in their strength, they could still talk so casually. Everything had a reason, and everything came at a price.

That didn't sound like a good job, and Jenny was more like an administrator.

An administrator who raised this old dog, born from an experiment, from a puppy to adulthood.

But is Jenny a heartless administrator? Clearly not. The fact that old Lenser is here right now is the best proof. It's giving him, the experimental subject, a chance to break free from the shackles of his fate. If he fails and can't resolve the bloodline collapse on his own, then since he'll die sooner or later anyway, he might as well comply with Jenny's wishes, return to that place, fulfill the duty he was born to bear, and incidentally allow old Lenser to survive. Perhaps this is roughly what a contract is all about.

“Yes,” old Lunther smiled, watching the change in Ruger’s eyes, “this is also her pity, letting me fight for a chance to change my fate, a gamble between us.”

Looking at the old dog's head, Ruger suddenly realized that perhaps this old fellow had never had a human face at all.

Seeing Luger's shocked expression, old Lenser picked up his wine glass, raised it to him, and drank it all in one gulp.

(End of this chapter)