Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 259 - 242: The Magic Flute Performer

Lyle handed over the dishes he was holding to Rachel, the girl with the radiant smile in the restaurant. Now, like himself, she was wearing a mask, gathering used plates among the crowd of the masked. Karen, with her unique aura and dazzling armor, had become the center of attention for the children, and she was already mingling with some of the more daring ones. Apart from the group activities of the Guardians, there were also a few outsiders like Lyle who were warmly helping out, though their numbers were quite scarce.

"Thank you very much for your help, sir, your kindness shines like the holy light." Rachel placed the plates Lyle handed her into her cart, which were quite clean, with only a thin layer of grease on the surface.

Lyle watched a Paladin not far away boasting to companions about the gifts he’d received, those trinkets in hand being extolled as if they were treasures. "I just offered the help I could afford, compared to their golden souls, there’s nothing about me that shines."

Rachel’s work continued.

"Kindness knows no hierarchy, in my eyes, and in the eyes of my brethren, you are all great people."

Lyle let out two light chuckles as a response to her excessive praise. He looked at her mask, as if seeing through it to her beautiful eyes.

"Rachel, are you also one of these sufferers, no offense intended, because your face... it’s beautiful."

"A beautiful soul has more value than a skin. Yes, Mr. Lyle, I am one of the sufferers, I was just like them a few years ago. The only difference between me and them is just the blessing of Raphael Pembai."

"You mean, a few years ago, you were also healed by Raphael Pembai?"

"Yes, like Ellie, I received healing from the sacred sword Nobergain. But unlike her, it wasn’t in front of a large crowd. The place where I underwent the ritual was right here, in the shadows that nurtured me. Every time the Holy Light Ceremony comes around, when the Guardians come to the city, Raphael would secretly heal some of us."

"Why secretly?"

"To maintain the basic balance of Lokarot. The other residents of Lokarot and we have already evolved into different classes. The opposition of classes is easy, but eradication is a hundred times more difficult than establishment. The current order is fragile, any displayed injustice could affect those zealously seeking the light. I was chosen by everyone to look after the children, this restaurant would also serve as an orphanage at other times. In Lokarot, an orphanage is enough to support the children’s growth. Perhaps in a few years, when Raphael has healed all of us, the sufferers and their masks will vanish from history. I’m looking forward to that day. Until then, I will appreciate all the kindness bestowed by the holy light."

The collection of plates was quickly finished with the active cooperation of the sufferers, Rachel stretched her back, "Thank you very much, Mr. Lyle. Now please rest well, there’s still quite a bit of time before the Holy Light Ceremony, please enjoy."

Rachel and some women, pushing carts filled with dishes and Guardians’ helmets, disappeared into the alley. They would complete the subsequent cleaning work, cleansing every grease stain with what Rachel jokingly claimed was a meticulousness far exceeding that of men.

Then, with post-meal leisure and spiritual satisfaction, both the sufferers and the Guardians found a rock to rest on with ease. Although they didn’t differentiate themselves from each other, their topics still split them apart. A few Guardians were telling stories of their battles abroad, while some of the elderly sufferers were narrating ancient legends.

Lyle was originally more interested in fantastic legends and memories turned into history, but Karen thought he needed to be imbued with holy light. Thinking it wouldn’t have much of an influence, Lyle compromised. Before joining the circle of sitting Paladins, Lyle glanced at the crowd surrounding the old man out of some unknown compulsion. On the very edge, a frail figure in a mask crouched there, enjoying solitude among the crowd.

It was a poorly dressed male in a thin formal outfit, his dust-stained clothes showing signs of decline, the mask on his face covering the only gap left beside the scarf-wrapped head. Such attire wasn’t unusual here; some who wanted to help the sufferers while hiding their identities would wear such a thorough disguise. The man, leaning against the corner, listened to the elder, his soul wandering behind the mask as he heard the deep, slow voice.

A small hand grasped his dangling palm, at first startling him, but seeing that it was a little girl in a mask, his body calmed down against his control. His voice carried a repressed tremor as he looked at the small figure holding onto him.

"What’s the matter, child?"

The voice from behind the mask chirped like a little bird. "I’m Ellie, sir."

"Oh, hello, Ellie, I...I watched your performance at the ceremony, you did...great! Congratulations, child."

Ellie’s mask faced him, and after a thank you, her gaze did not cease.

"You haven’t told me your name, sir."

"I...my name is Irwin." Ellie held Raven’s hand with joy, swinging it happily.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Irwin. You’re quite thin."

Irwin grabbed his arm, tried to pull away from Ellie’s grasp, but to no avail.

"Sigh, is there anything else, Ellie?"

"I saw you standing alone just now, Mr. Irwin, and I thought you might need me... need me to hold your hand. Can we be friends, Mr. Irwin?"

Irwin’s body paused for a second, his tense arms started to relax, and the hand Ellie was holding no longer felt stiff. He reached out and touched her silky, slightly yellow hair.

"We are already friends, Ellie." 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Ellie happily hopped a bit, leading Irwin toward the old storyteller.

"Grandpa Angola’s stories are very interesting, but his voice is very soft. We should get closer."

A sequence of long and short footsteps appeared on the floor.

Irwin’s voice broke this rhythm.

"I am so sorry, Ellie, for everything I’ve done."

The abrupt apology made Ellie bow her head. "Although I don’t know what bad things you did, Mr. Irwin, the Holy Light will forgive you. Thank you for telling me." Ellie turned around to hold onto Irwin’s waist and counted down from three before letting go. "I forgive you, Mr. Irwin. We are friends!"

Elder Angola’s voice was indeed faint, just as Ellie had said, and they had to get close to hear his story.

"Lokarot, decades ago before the Holy Light, was no different from other cities. Oh, there was one difference. Lokarot had something in abundance, and that was rats. In people’s closets, on their plates, in their wine glasses, in their toilets, these ugly black creatures were everywhere. The residents of Lokarot suffered terribly from them, to the point where it even got a name, Rat City."

"The Lord of Lokarot suffered greatly from the rats and offered a huge reward of a hundred thousand Gold Coins to whoever could eradicate the rat plague. All the citizens, enticed by the massive reward, tried countless methods to get rid of the rats, but in the end, they all failed."

"That was when a peculiar individual appeared. No one knew where he came from or his name, only that he wore a grey and white suit. He had a flute with him, a Magic Flute. He accepted the Lord’s reward, promising to clear the rat infestation within three days."

"In fact, he managed it in a single day. He played that Magic Flute, and the mischievous rats were lured by its music. The rats, like soldiers, followed en masse behind the player of the Magic Flute. Over the steps, across the stone bridge, through the fields they went. To the tune of the Magic Flute’s music, one by one, the rats jumped into the Loren River, drowning themselves. That day, the bodies of dead rats filled the surface of the Loren River, and their ugly death spectacle sent Lokarot into a frenzy of celebration."

"After tidying up his attire, the Magic Flute player pushed open the grand doors of the Lord’s Mansion, politely requesting the promised payment. But the Lord refused and, in his greed, went back on his word, driving the flute player out. However, the player was not an ordinary person to be bullied so. He was angered by the Lord’s betrayal and disgusted with the apathetic onlookers of Lokarot; he thundered that they would pay a price."

"It was the third night, the predetermined time for collecting his payment, when the sound of the Magic Flute once again filled Lokarot. The music, no longer pleasant, was filled with the player’s rage, and the eerie melodies echoed through the dark night. Some of the people who were still awake saw demonic shadows flitting across the city, spending the night cowering in fear."

"The next day, all the children of Lokarot had vanished. As the anxious adults called out for their beloved ones, a few people stepped forward, claiming the demonic shadows that appeared on their walls the previous night were indeed the shadows of the children. The Magic Flute player had taken their children just as he had with the rats. As everyone was filled with regret, he disappeared with all the children, never to be seen again."

"That is the story of the ’Magic Flute player.’"

Elder Angola’s voice ceased, and the excited children began to discuss.

"The Magic Flute player is a bad guy; he shouldn’t have taken the children away from their parents."

"But it was the Lord who was wrong first; it’s just that his method wasn’t right."

Ellie didn’t join in her peers’ argument; she raised her hand, seeking the old man’s attention.

"Grandpa Angola, do you know the name of the Magic Flute player?"

"I do not, Ellie. Nobody knew his identity, just like in the story—he just popped up out of nowhere. Perhaps people knew his name in the past, but they’ve grown old."

"Or perhaps, they have forgotten."