I'm really a serious wizard.

impossible!
Absolutely impossible!
As a person from Oran with normal values.

Ron found the scene before him utterly unbelievable.

Because whether in the Kingdom of Oran or the Radiant Federation, such a pure love story only exists in fairy tales.

Could it all really just be a dream or an illusion?

At that moment, Ron was deeply plunged into self-doubt.

Seeing that he was speechless for a moment, Olivia nudged Ron hard in the lower back.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Sigh~ I was just pondering a philosophical question about the distortion of human nature and the decline of morality."

I'm probably sick.
Ron sighed, then rallied his spirits and looked at Langdon and Lucia.

"Gentlemen, now that you know our purpose, there's no need to waste words."

Where is Fiona?

Although he was asking about two people, Ron's gaze remained fixed on Lucia.

He suspected that some people in this world should be aware of the existence of the outside world.

After all, Grandma Fiona must have come from outside.

Of course, this is on the premise that she is famous enough here.
Ron silently added in his mind.

“Of course!” Lucia nodded emphatically. “That lady left many traces.”

As she spoke, she gently raised her hand, and a faint starlight burst forth from her palm.

That is
Star Magic!

"Young master, this is my exclusive magic!"

As Ron expected, Fiona's arrogant and boastful voice rang in his ears without any restraint.

I'm sorry, but you've misunderstood something. Just because someone else learns it doesn't mean it's exclusive.
The blond boy thought to himself, but his tone remained unchanged as he said:

"Ms. Lucia, please speak frankly."

He could tell that the apprentice monk in front of him knew something, but didn't seem to intend to say it directly.

Talking to smart people is so easy!
Lucia was overjoyed and quickly bowed, saying:

“Gentlemen, ever since I learned of your existence from Langdon, my teacher, the administrator of the Holy City, has wished to meet you.”

"If you want to know more, please follow me."

-

"Oyster soup, fresh oyster soup, a whole bowl of it keeps me energized all day!"

"Imported silver crystals from the Oran Continent—buying one is a steal!"

"This is genuine armor from Anse Continent, of excellent quality and unparalleled."

The sun was directly overhead, and the bluestone slabs were scorching hot.

Ron glanced at the pedestrians on the wide street and the shouts from the shops on both sides, then turned his head to the side.

"Is your place connected to other continents?"

“Of course,” Lucia nodded in response, then looked at Ron with a puzzled expression.

"Isn't this common sense? Aren't you all from other continents too?"

Good question. I don't even know how to explain it to you.
A sense of confusion suddenly arose in Ron's heart.

It's as if the apocalyptic scenes outside are just an illusion, while this peaceful world with sunshine and green grass is the reality.

"Ron, do you think we could go and take a look at the Oran continent here?"

Just then, a faint peach scent wafted to Ron's ear, tickling his ear as the speaker spoke.

"It's highly unlikely; probably only 'locals' can go to the Oran Continent."

The blond boy responded softly.

He had another guess, but chose not to reveal it.

In this world, the Kingdom of Oran most likely wouldn't exist.

Those who set sail on distant seas probably only believe they have been there, but in reality, they never reach that distant, illusory destination.

Perhaps the locals really did reach other continents, other continents that outsiders could never set foot on.

The blinding sunlight was blocked by cool shadows, and Ron snapped out of his thoughts to see a massive Gothic building.

It bears a resemblance to the Stardust Club headquarters, but its architectural style leans more towards antiquity.

Lucia stopped and gracefully pointed into the arched doorway.

"Gentlemen, we've arrived. This is the central hub of the Holy City. Our teacher is waiting for you inside."

"Only she knows more about that woman."

"And don't forget our payment."

She's thrifty, good-looking, and has a strong sense of responsibility...

Ron thought about his five women and felt a wave of dizziness. He took out his money pouch from his pocket and quickly settled the remaining balance.

Lucia quickly took it, weighed it, and couldn't help but show a hint of joy on her chubby baby face.

"Great, Langdon, with this huge sum of money, you've finally saved enough to marry me."

“My mother can only keep her promise to me, and with the savings I’ve accumulated from doing odd jobs over the years, we can definitely open a shop in the Holy City!”

“Lucia, but this is your money for learning magic…”

"It's okay, we'll figure out a way later. Let's convince my mom to let me get married first!"

Listening to their discussion, Ron walked away silently.

This is truly a perfect love story...

He silently sighed, glancing at the dashing woman beside him, unable to contain his excitement, and said:
"President~ After we resolve the apocalypse, I'll marry all five of you..."

boom--

"roll!"

Before he could finish speaking, a powerful, pinkish-white fist slammed down on his head.

With a soft, embarrassed groan, Ron stood upside down, his head plunging deep into the hard bluestone floor.

The stark reality left Ron bewildered.

This must be a dream!

-

Tuk-tuk-tuk...

"Please come in."

At the invitation of the room's owner, Ron, who was suffering from a headache, took the lead and pushed open the wooden door.

The first thing that catches the eye is a row of bookshelves leaning against the wall, where sunlight is completely blocked out, with only a dim oil lamp providing illumination.

A woman who looked to be in her thirties was sitting behind the desk, smiling as she watched Ron and Olivia.

Ron intended to politely greet them first.

Unexpectedly, the silver-haired woman's first words left him speechless.

"You two are also from the outside world?"

"Please have a seat. It seems you have quite a few questions."

?

"Madam, you are indeed very frank."

Ron snapped out of his daze and nodded slightly.

To be honest, he thought it would take some effort to figure out what was going on here.
To uncover the truth, one must go through complex reasoning, hypotheses, and conjectures before arriving at the final answer.

but.
Life is always full of surprises.

After exchanging a glance with the president, Ron quickly sat down on the wooden chair in the study.

In the dim firelight, he asked:

"Madam, it seems you already know that this is a dream, right?"

"No, this is not a dream."

The silver-haired woman refuted Ron's guess, then tapped the table twice with her fingers and said:

"Oh, right, I haven't introduced myself yet. You can call me Ms. Paley. I'm 1365 years old this year."

"His strength is that of a fifth-tier mage, and he was rescued from that disaster by Lady Fiona."

More than a thousand years old?
Seeing Ron's surprised look, Paley still smiled and twisted his body a couple of times.

“You seem surprised, but there’s really nothing to be surprised about.”

“I’m only alive now thanks to a sacred relic left behind by Lady Fiona.” As he said this, Perry’s expression became extremely serious.

Holy relic!

Does that sound like it can make you stay young forever?
Ron quickly gathered his thoughts and asked:

"Madam, what exactly happened here?"

"You really want to hear it?"

The blond boy nodded eagerly.

Upon seeing this, Ms. Paley smiled and said:
"Actually, it's nothing. The Endless Continent is no different from other continents. It was also struck by the Apocalypse."

"Yes, that's what Ms. Fiona said."

She paused, her smile fading slightly. "Logically speaking, with the Mage Association headquarters on the Endless Continent, dealing with this kind of disaster shouldn't require much effort."

“We have many legendary elders, and even several demigods still exist.”

"But we still failed in the end."

"why?"

Ron's heart tightened, and he subconsciously asked a question in return.

This lineup is strong enough, considering that some of Fiona's teammates weren't even legends.

Upon hearing this, Perry's smile suddenly turned somewhat bitter.

"Because on that day, a broken god descended, and I remember the sky was black. The mages could hardly put up any decent resistance."

"It all happened so suddenly. One moment it was a peaceful morning, and the next disaster struck, crushing the association headquarters like a tidal wave."

"Dark and incomplete gods roamed the earth, and the entire endless continent was almost corrupted by divine power. Water sources became highly poisonous, herbs were twisted into parasites, and everything edible grew flesh and limbs to prey on the fleeing humans."

Ron recognized what he was hearing.

I couldn't help but recall an ancient god-king who was constantly being cuckolded by the goddess of life.

After thinking about the divine power that even the guild master could hardly withstand, Ron felt that the sudden destruction of the Mage Association was not unjust.

It's like your ancestors have lived in the same place for generations, and one morning, just as you're about to start your day as usual, two atomic bombs fall from the sky and greet you warmly.

Who can bear this?

"So, later it was the great Fiona who bravely saved the world, killed the remains of the evil god, and finally rescued you!?"

These words weren't spoken by Ron, but by the haughty senior in his bracelet, who mimicked his voice in a high-pitched tone.

You arrogant jerk!

Ron's eyelids twitched, and even Olivia, who had been listening in, couldn't help but roll her eyes.

Ms. Paley raised an eyebrow, as if she had noticed something.

Instead of exposing the truth, she exaggeratedly denied it repeatedly:

"No, no, no, Ms. Fiona was beaten like a dog!"

Is this something that can't be let go of? Grandma, how have I acted like a dog?

Fiona, enraged by the bracelet, let out a mournful cry as if her chest were made of steel.

Fortunately, although Grandma is a bit arrogant and narcissistic, she has no intention of coming out to humiliate herself.

"So how was it finally resolved, or is the remnant of that evil god still wandering the earth?"

Ron asked curiously.

"The remaining two demigods handed over their divine qualities to Lady Fiona."

"From that moment on, the six divinities became one, and Lady Fiona became the true one."

"Gods?" Ron couldn't help but interject.

"Do not."

"It is the real Genshin Impact."

You guys are really something!

As expected of the original and the clone, they even have the same naming style.
Ron's breath almost stopped. He rubbed his stiff face and forced a smile:
"It sounds like everything is resolved, but why?"

The blond boy made a large circle with his hands to represent the outside world.

"I don't know about that. I was just an 'anchor' planted by Ms. Fiona to maintain this history that is detached from reality."

Mentioning this matter, Perry seemed to regain his spirits, and a smile returned to his face:
"To be honest, if it weren't for the fact that the artifact had to be used every few decades, I would have doubted whether that apocalyptic disaster was just a dream."

"This place is no different from the real world. People really exist, working and living generation after generation, for ten years, a hundred years, a thousand years."

The peaceful and tranquil voice even allowed Ron to conjure up a beautiful picture in his mind.

But in the end, he still sighed.

"Madam, although these are not illusions, we will eventually have to face the apocalypse."

"Do you know where Fiona is? This is important!"

Paley shook his head upon hearing this.

“It’s not that I’m unwilling to tell you, but I can sense that Ms. Fiona has been missing for a long time, and I don’t know where she is.”

"After all, I can't leave here and go back to the harsh reality."

"but."

The silver-haired woman changed the subject, her eyes scanning Ron up and down.

Suddenly she noticed the cat paw bracelet on the blond boy's wrist.

She smiled and continued:
“Ms. Fiona once said that her sacred artifacts could only be taken by her herself.”

"I didn't understand why she said that before, but it seems she had already made preparations more than a thousand years ago?"

Ron felt uncomfortable under the scrutinizing gaze and quickly fiddled with the cat paw bracelet.

After waiting for a few seconds, Grandma Fiona did not appear.

They were beaten so badly they're too ashamed to show their faces?

Meeting the silver-haired woman's gaze, Ron awkwardly shrugged and said:

"She seems unwilling to face reality."

"This is just a minor issue."

Paley nodded knowingly, then got up and skillfully pulled out several books from a row of bookshelves.

slam-la-

The bookshelf slid to the sides, revealing a hidden compartment at the back.

Inside the hidden compartment was an iron box engraved with intricate patterns and locked with more than a dozen iron chains.

Peli carefully moved it out and placed it on the desk.

"You seem to trust us a lot?"

Seeing this, Ron finally asked the question that had been bothering him.

A sacred artifact that could allow a fifth-order mage to live for over a thousand years—no, over a thousand years in the outside world, but here it would probably take tens of thousands of years—was just displayed like this.
Peli didn't speak, but just looked at Olivia, who had remained silent.

"Were you spying on the Holy City a few days ago?"

"Yes."

Olivia spoke succinctly, displaying a ruthless demeanor.

"Was that demigod at the city gate just now?"

This time, the black-haired woman didn't reply at all, acting like she was the most awesome person in the world.

Paley smiled and said:
"Even if I don't reveal it, you will find out sooner or later that I have a sacred artifact."

"My old arms and legs can't withstand two demigods, and besides, didn't you come with her?"

Okay, I get it...

Ron dismissed his doubts and looked expectantly at the sacred relic left behind by Fiona.

The silver-haired woman reluctantly opened the box and took out a garment that shimmered with divine light, its fabric soft and smooth…

White underwear.

It even has a small red bow sewn on it.

"Ah, Lady Fiona's sacred object, just smelling it can make you live 360 ​​years, wearing it can make you live 3,600 years..."

As Paley sighed, he pulled his underwear over his head and took deep breaths.

Ron looked at it with a slightly distorted expression.

I finally found a familiar feeling.

That's it! (End of Chapter)