Academic gathering with Lich colleagues

The church also loves this activity, but their targets are convicted heretics or cultists, as well as the recently popular witch hunts. A decade or so ago, dragon hunting may have been a popular activity as well.

"It would be great if you could come with me. I have to participate in more than a dozen hunting expeditions this fall, so I need to practice now to avoid making a fool of myself. If you're here, Lyle, then I won't be the worst one." Kevin chuckled, his blond hair reflecting the charm of the sunlight.

“I’m just a commoner, I can’t compare to Lord Kevin. Hunting is out of the question for me, I can’t even ride a horse. I’m here on other business. Kevin, do you know Olliv?”

“I know,” Kevin stroked his chin, he was starting to grow a beard, it seemed that Baron Borre had prepared quite a few matchmaking parties for his wild boy. “My father probably has a whole box of those Ollives, but I can’t bring them out, he treasures them. I can only take a look, I can’t touch them. I’m sorry, Lyle, I may not be able to satisfy your curiosity.”

"No, what I mean is, I have some Oliva I want to get rid of. You know, I'm short of money, but using Oliva is too flashy."

"No way!" Kevin's voice rose several octaves. "Where did you get this Olius from?"

"Um... my friend gave it to me."

Kevin patted Lyle on the shoulder. "I knew I wasn't wrong about you, Lyle. You've really made something of yourself. You've risen to prominence so quickly. Looks like I'm no longer your biggest backer. I feel a little disappointed. Where's Ollie? Let me see him, let me touch him. Hurry up, I haven't touched him yet."

"What's so great about touching it? It's just gold," Lyle casually remarked, handing him an Oliva.

"Tch, as if you've ever touched gold. The most gold-like thing you've ever touched is probably my blond hair," Kevin said, taking the coin. "It's real, just like the Aurelius I've seen before. It's a genuine ancient Roman gold coin." Kevin rubbed it against his hand, as if trying to etch the feel into his palm.

"Lyle, how many do you want to exchange?"

"Two, I don't have many." After all, it was a scholarship from Mr. Dragon, so it wouldn't be good to spend it all. I'll keep one as a souvenir.

"Hey Lyle, have you really hooked up with some nobleman?"

"Why do you assume that taking the Oliva means I've necessarily aligned myself with the nobility?"

"You may not know much about Oliva, so let me tell you a bit more."

"The Olwes, as ancient Roman gold coins, were issued in large quantities at the time, but as the currency of the empire, they were never reinstated after the empire's collapse. In other words, their quantity was limited, and with the hoarding and collection by nobles, even fewer circulated outside. Now, they are almost never encountered by commoners. This is why my father treasures them. The Olwes are the gold coins of the nobility, so anyone who entrusts you with Olwes is definitely a high-ranking noble, and their rank is no lower than my father's. At the level of a baron, having five hundred Olwes is considered a sign of a distinguished family."

"Isn't there any other way to get Oliva?"

"Yes, Oliva is a noble's gold coin. Even dead nobles are still nobles, and they will use Oliva as burial goods. That's why it's becoming increasingly scarce. Some people, even in death, are unwilling to let go of it. I don't think you have the guts to dig up a noble's ancestral grave."

"By the way, it's possible that it's a fallen nobleman, but how fallen would they have to be for you to use Olivier as a bargaining chip? Can your clothes even be worth one percent of Olivier? Or are you hoping to run into a fallen nobleman in dire straits, and your medical skills just happen to be able to help him? Isn't that idiotic? He could just go to the church and ask for a blessing, wouldn't that be much better than getting stabbed by you?"

"..."

So, Mr. Dragon is also a nobleman; those who indulge in extravagance are either rich or noble.

"Alright, I guess I've found a golden goose. How about it, how about trading two Oreos?"

“Trade! But, Lyle, I have a suggestion for you. Why don’t you give me these two first, and I’ll pay you back another day? Trading with me is definitely not as good as trading with my dad. My capital is limited, but I’ll find a way to make my dad bleed a lot. Since you’ve fulfilled my dream of touching the Oliva, I can’t let you suffer a loss.”

"Are you really going to treat me like this?"

"What are you talking about? When I inherit the title, all of those things will be mine. I've just used a portion of them in advance. This is an investment in you, Lyle, after all, you have great potential."

"Thank you, Kevin."

"Hehe, actually I have a selfish reason too. My old man keeps nagging me, saying that I'm good for nothing, that I went to some crappy medical school, and that I've made some bad friends. I'm going to take Ollie back and dazzle him, so he'll understand how good my judgment is!"

"Okay, then I'll leave it to you, Kevin."

“Okay.” Kevin took the other gold coin and kept it safe. “In a few days, no more than three days, I’ll come to your house and bring you the money.”

"Row."

Chapter 41 Andre News

After the deal was done, Lyle declined Kevin's hunting invitation and returned home. He picked up the "Anatomy Guide" or rather, the Necronomicon, and began to study. It was morning, and the saying "the early bird catches the worm" was very true, as the sunlight streamed through the east-facing window and onto his table, saving him the trouble of using an oil lamp.

After reciting the incantation for reviving the corpse ten times to make sure he hadn't forgotten it, Lyle began to preview the next part. Apart from the incantation being in Emorian script, the rest was written in Latin and Greek, which Lyle found easy to read.

The second page, as expected, contained a spirit-possession spell, a spell to infuse a soul. The illustration was a staff, teaching how to make one, how to make the dead sentient, and how to possess others after death—a practice known as possession. Of course, whether you could defeat the original owner after entering the body was another matter. This situation was called "possession" by the locals, and usually involved hiring an exorcist. If it was a powerful priest, you would be purified, leaving no trace of your soul. If it was a powerful exorcist, a so-called demon exorcist, you would be banished to hell to keep company with real demons. Only a true charlatan would allow you to escape and successfully possess someone, giving you a new life while they received their reward. Things always had a perfect ending—either you were dealt with, or the original owner was dealt with. The high success rate made exorcism rituals widely believed. If demons exist, don't you believe in the existence of holy light? This was yet another bond that kept the masses superstitious.

The spell and the resurrection of the corpse were largely similar. Lyle could recognize a few familiar words: "Ancano... Overflow... Split... Dicano... Container." Ancano meant soul in the annotation, but there was another word with similar syllables, Dicano, which was annotated as living soul. Moreover, this word appeared very frequently and was a rather ominous victim in the spell, serving as the object of the curse.

As he pronounced the spell, Lyle could feel the restlessness of his own magic, but because the incomplete spell made it intermittent and he couldn't cast it. Lyle also discovered that because of his mispronunciation, reading Ancano as Dicano, his power was actually acting on himself. Did I punch myself? If I mispronounce this spell in the future, will I possess myself?

The Emor script isn't simply nouns used as spells; it's a script with a complete grammar, a language, a language imbued with mystical power, like a spell. Lyle spent the entire day immersed in learning this language.

He discovered that the wording and embellishment of the Emorian script were rather pale and gloomy, mixed with a kind of malice that living beings disliked. But its power made it charming. When the white moon was full, Lyle finally had no chance to use the convenience of sunlight. He splashed some cool water on his slightly tired face, and pressed the Jingming acupoints on both sides of the bridge of his nose and the corners of his eyes with his fingertips to relieve fatigue.

After a cursory glance at his reflection in the water, Lyle noticed, through the moonlight, that he looked a little pale.

Without further hesitation, Lyle pulled out a carrot from the ingredients and pressed the Ring of Andrei.

The luxurious teacup remained unchanged, except for the few people present. The gentleman leaned back in his chair, his hand gripping the handle of the teacup, a newspaper spread out in front of him. He maintained this posture for a while, the cup not moving an inch, perhaps just a habit.

“Ariana is having a music rehearsal. Mr. Dragon has left for some business. It would be unfortunate if the Plague Doctor needs to contact them.”

"I am content with the presence of this gentleman. This is what you see."

"The Andre News is a newspaper, a highly timely publication that focuses on current events. It's published by the Literary Society reporter and has a considerable readership. Let's take a look, 'Epidemic Doctor'?" The gentleman took out another newspaper roll.

“Okay.” Lyle was very curious about medieval newspapers.

The largest section was the dean's freshman orientation speech, which included a picture of the dean standing on the stage as punishment. To be honest, it was quite boring, and the text was also terrible; it was just a copy of his speech. I guess only the dean was satisfied with that.

The reporter probably knew all this, which is why he had many small columns around the area, about the welcome party.

The top ten best disguises for the fifth annual welcome party have been selected, and illustrations have been provided. The first place winner is Ariane the Iron Maiden, who will reportedly be awarded a pure gold medal.

There were also ten worst pieces played during the welcome performance. The number one piece was a requiem from northern Norway. The reason for the selection was that the drums were too loud and interfered with conversation.

And in the enchantment guessing game where the Dean beat Raymond up, only one percent of people guessed "Deep Sea Pressure" correctly, and the prize was thirty-two Orioles. Another version of the story is that sixty percent of people guessed that it was a fusion enchantment of five or more types, and they all bet a considerable amount of money, as if the more they bet, the greater the chance that Raymond would get beaten up.

Incidentally, Lyle also discovered his own special section, titled "Sacrifice of the Holy Light, New Plague Doctor," featuring an illustration from a club recruitment event—the one where everyone else is falling while I stand out. Lyle appears handsome, dashing, and exceptionally imposing, standing out from the crowd. It seems that even while the reporter was secretly running away, he didn't forget the professionalism of a journalist.

The article was edited by a journalist who vividly described Lyle as an indomitable fighter, writing with increasing fervor as he portrayed him as a martyr. The response seemed quite positive.

The last sentence mentions Lyle's escape from the Cup of Luxury by entering it, giving the Cup of Luxury a little free advertising.

At this point, the first meeting is mostly over.

The second page displays various updates from the clubs.

The third successor of the Death Star lineage has been confirmed.

The first new member of the Witches' Guild, Ms. Daly.

Lady Ariane, the only child of the Holy Light.

The 158th organization to be brutally beaten by the Holy Light: the Witches' Guild.

and many more.

The third aspect is current events in the outside world.

Gelber, the third undead academy destroyed by the Holy Light.

Cinderella's Sorrowful Witch curses the Holy Light before her death.

The Council of the Wandering City has announced the addition of a new mobile magic circle, along with newly etched sea-avoidance spells, making underwater travel a reality.

Diamond King Mavis, the fifth son of the family, recently bought a new property in the High-tech Zone of the City of Hesitation.

The eldest son of Lady Pomfrey, the Demon Lord, began his coming-of-age ceremony at the Arena of the Wandering City.

Elf druids established an environmental association in the City of Wanderers to protest against the destruction of land and deforestation caused by the city.

Ms. Beatrice has announced the 132nd Stone Carving Auction at her Bloody Rose Bar – a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

The council members jointly presented 1,383 accusations against Andre College to the highest council members. The meeting will be held in seven days. Dean Andre College is not to be outdone and said that he will apply for a professional team to defeat the unfounded accusations against the school. Justice will surely be served.

Twilight Memories welcomes new members.

The last page contains various requests from clubs and small advertisements.

Andre News is a very informative newspaper.

Chapter Forty-Two: Before the Ceremony

Lyle selected a few sections that interested him from the paper to read, and the recurring phrase "City of Wandering" naturally caught his attention. He asked the gentleman for an answer.

"The Wandering City, originally named Moonnafar, is a special city that welcomes all races that abide by its laws—humans, elves, and otherworldly beings—and is a bustling commercial metropolis. Not long ago, it was the capital of a certain country. After the king's downfall, the nobles, who had become obsessed with magic, feared the Church's purging and carried out a magical transformation of the city, turning Moonnafar into a mobile city. Every so often, it will appear in a different location on the continent, and no one knows its next destination, hence the name 'Wandering City.'"

"For outsiders to enter this legendary city, they can only hope for good luck, that is, for the city to just happen to come into their view."

"Is there no pattern to the changes in the City of Wandering?"

"The reason why the Wandering City can withstand magical modifications is that the deceased king and archmage rewrote its foundation, using the entire city as his mage tower, making the Wandering City a huge magical hub. The movement module is powered by this magical node. The magical hub has been out of control for a long time, and the overflowing magical power has a significant impact on the movement module, making the movement of the Wandering City full of randomness."

"An uncontrollable mobile city."

"We can control a portion of it. The current Wandering City is controlled by the Secret Council, which consists of noble mages who originally lived in the city. They can modify and upgrade the city, and if necessary, they can supply energy to the city to accelerate the next leap."

“Of course, it’s not that complicated for Andre. The Dean and the Secretariat have reached an agreement. We have a special teleportation array in the City of Wanderings. We can go and take a look together. It’s a novel experience that’s different from what Andre has to offer. Of course, that’s the most important thing after your awakening ceremony.”

Lyle folded the newspaper and placed it on the table. "Sir, regarding the awakening ceremony, if there's nothing particularly important to say, I think I'm ready now."

The gentleman's gloves left the teacup, and from above the newspaper, the eyehole of the ball gown looked at Lyle.

The gentleman spoke slowly, “Plague Doctor, Awakening Ritual, although Andrei did not strongly advocate it, it is still important for individuals. I hope that you will think twice before making decisions in the future.”

His final words were hoarse and low, as if he wanted Lyle to remember them, just as Lyle was apologizing for his recklessness and was about to reconsider.

“However, decisive action is always the best option,” the gentleman tossed the newspaper aside, sprang up from the soft cushion of his chair like a spring, and straightened his top hat. “Let’s go, Plague Doctor. I think the other two are ready as well.”

"Isn't the saying 'think thrice before you act'?"

“That was just guidance from a senior, it’s the normal procedure. How to do it specifically is up to the individual. Aren’t you also itching to do it yourself?” The gentleman tilted his head, his eyes gleaming behind his mask. “I’m very good at accepting other people’s opinions.”

“Yes, let’s set off then.” After carefully checking the small leather bag given to him by the dragon and making sure all the materials were safe, Lyle followed the gentleman out the door.

He had an additional goal: feeding him onions. This agreement had been delayed long enough.

The sound of heels tapping on the ground, the empty road with only two people strolling, and the light bats perched atop the arched pillars.

They just radiate light, like inanimate objects, but Lyle has a way of waking them up; they are actually very sensitive to sight.

As Lyle watched, a target slowly approached. Lyle extended his left hand, and the light bat landed on the back of his hand in perfect harmony.

It was black, which was quite rare, because glowing is one of the great abilities of light bats. Light bats' fur is mostly in warm colors such as bright white, but this one looked like an ordinary bat.

"What is it, Doctor of Plague?" It was a young woman, her voice a bit shrill.

"You know me?"