Noxus Glory

Chapter 26 Gregory, the Snowy Village

The mountains rise and fall, surrounded by snow-covered forests.

The small village was covered in white snowflakes, and tiny icicles froze on the eaves. Occasionally, a hazy figure would appear in the village and then disappear in an instant.

This is a very normal thing in the northern border region of Noxus.

Compared to the raging blizzard outside, most villagers choose to stay inside their houses.

The entrance to a deserted village.

Huo Jixing rubbed his hands together, looked at the crimson flag fluttering in the wind above his head, put on his cloak, and strolled inside.

The dirt road, after being covered with snowflakes, became muddy and difficult to walk on.

Huo Jixing walked silently through the snow, noticing many prying eyes along the way.

Clearly, his arrival had attracted the attention of the villagers.

But upon seeing the armor beneath his cloak and the long sword at his waist, they all averted their gazes, not daring to peer inside.

dong dong!dong dong!

Looking at the mud and stone houses in front of him, Huo Jixing smiled helplessly and knocked on the dark gray, dilapidated wooden door.

The village wasn't large, but the houses under the snow looked too similar, making it difficult for him to find his way around. Since he had already arrived at his destination, and not wanting to waste any more time, he decided to ask Gregory for directions directly.

Crunch!

As the wooden door opened, a slightly hot aura rushed out.

The villagers, dressed in thick linen clothes, looked timidly at the Noxian soldier before them and whispered, "Sir, is there something you need?"

Huo Jixing raised an eyebrow, then smiled and asked, "May I ask where Mr. Gregory lives?"

"Oh, you mean Lord Gregory?" The villager looked enlightened, poked half his body out of the door, and pointed behind the village: "Keep going straight ahead, and behind a two-story wooden house, that's Lord Gregory's residence."

"Okay, I won't bother you any longer!"

Huo Jixing nodded slightly, gazing thoughtfully at the closed wooden door in front of him.

The villager who had just opened the door was dressed in linen, which looked to fit him well. There was firewood burning in the room, so his life was not bad. However, he was thin, pale and emaciated, and looked somewhat malnourished.

"Is there a lack of enough food?"

Huo Jixing shook his head, clearing his mind, and followed the direction indicated by the villagers. After walking about a hundred meters, he saw a two-story wooden building standing in the wind and snow.

Looking into the distance, the wooden building is surrounded by a low wall of gray-white earth and stone, and the oak trees with their crowns weighed down by snow are taller than the wall, bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun.

The rooftops, covered in ice and snow and streaked with icicles, emitted wisps of smoke that mingled with the swirling snow.

In the hazy distance, the exquisite wooden building before me seemed to exude a tranquil atmosphere, making me yearn for it.

Huo Ji stood before the thick, heavy solid wood door, gently swaying his body. The snowflakes piled on his body drifted down and covered the ground.

dong dong!dong dong!

A dull knocking sounded on the door.

Huo Jixing waited in place for a moment, and then the wooden door opened from the inside out.

"Pregnant woman?"

Huo Jixing, who was examining the wooden building, shifted his gaze and looked at the person in front of him with a surprised expression.

A thick, dark blue sweater covered her protruding belly, and short leather jackets were worn on her shoulders. Perhaps she was too tired from opening the door, as she was leaning against the door, her long brown hair cascading down, partially obscuring her cool and aloof face.

"Who are you looking for?"

Amoryn frowned slightly, her jewel-like blue eyes fixed on the Noxian soldier clad in armor before her.

"Good day, Madam!" Huo Jixing greeted respectfully, then took out the letter Wilson had given him from his pocket, preparing to hand it over.

"I'm here to see Mr. Gregory."

"Oh, you were introduced by Wilson, right? Gregory mentioned that someone would be visiting him soon." Amoryn didn't take the letter, but turned to the side, gesturing for Huo Jixing to come in, and prepared to close the heavy courtyard gate.

"I'll do it!"

Huo Jixing, who had just entered the courtyard, hadn't even had time to adjust to the change in temperature before he quickly went forward to lend a hand and close the courtyard gate.

"Thank you!" Amoryn bowed slightly and expressed her gratitude.

"You're welcome, Madam!" Huo Jixing waved his hand in acknowledgment, and then followed Amoline's slow steps toward the two-story wooden house that stood not far away.

At that moment, out of the corner of his eye, Huo Jixing noticed the magical runes engraved on the door, which were shimmering with light.

"As expected, the power of magic!"

It turned out that just as Huo Jixing stepped into the courtyard, he suddenly noticed a sudden change in temperature; it seemed as if the inside and outside of the door were two different worlds.

Outside the courtyard gate, it was freezing cold, and the wind was howling.

In contrast, inside the courtyard, despite the harsh winter, the temperature was pleasant and there was no feeling of cold.

"Looks like we've come to the right place!"

Huo Jixing's expression shifted as he looked at the exquisite and elegant two-story wooden building in front of him.

The wooden building is not tall, and it blends the solemn and majestic architectural style of Noxus with a unique and charming little style.

As Huo Jixing observed, a sense of unease suddenly surfaced, as if there was something within the exquisite wooden building that could threaten him.

Pushing open the wooden door of the small building, a wave of heat hits you.

Amoryn stepped onto the soft carpet and guided Hojixing to the fireplace, speaking softly, "Please sit down. Gregory is still in his study; it's his research time now, so please be patient."

"Okay!" Huo Jixing nodded, his eyes curiously taking in the exquisite decorations inside the small building.

Although it lacks the magnificence and elegance of what I had seen in my previous life, the fact that Gregory could own such a small wooden house in a village speaks volumes about his extraordinary nature.

"Didn't you hire anyone?"

Generally speaking, people living in nice two-story houses would hire servants to clean their rooms, but he hadn't seen a single servant since he came in.

"Hehe, it's just Gregory and me living together, we haven't invited anyone else." Amoryn said softly, as if recalling something happy, a smile appeared on her lips.

"Then, Madam, how should I address you?" Huo Jixing sat upright on the soft sofa.

"You can call me Amorline. Gregory and I have been married for quite some time now," Amorline said apologetically when she saw the empty desk. She then got up, supported by her chair, and went to the room next door.

"Oh, I'm sorry, our guest has been here for so long, I forgot to bring you a cup of tea."

Huo Jixing looked at Amolin, who was heavily pregnant, got up and walked over, supporting her shoulders, and together they took a pot of hot tea and some snacks from the next room.

Before the warm fireplace, the crimson flames leaped and flickered, casting swaying shadows.

Huo Jixing and Amoline talked quietly, mostly about the local customs and culture of Noxus, and some about life in the military camp.

During the conversation, Hojixing learned that Amoryn came from a small village called Finsworth, and that she and Gregory met on their journey and traveled together to the Ironthorn Mountains.

"The Noxian Empire is going through a turbulent period, and many people are choosing to leave the imperial capital."

"Gregory and I believe that rather than getting involved in the power struggles among the nobles, we should go to the border regions of the empire and let Noxus's power be demonstrated."

"So I came to this village to teach the villagers some knowledge and to find some people with special talents."

Amoryn glanced meaningfully at Huo Jixing, then turned to look at the sky outside the window and spoke softly.

"It's almost time. Gregory should finish his research. You can go to his study on the second floor to find him."

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(End of this chapter)