Whispering Poems

Chapter 2612 The Baron's Story

Seeing that their strongest ring wizard suffered a crushing defeat as soon as they fought, the bears, eagles, snakes and tigers all stopped. Thinking of the power increase of "Transfiguration-Owlbear", they now suspected that the man with an owl on his shoulder was transformed by the dragon using "Human Transfiguration".

"Do you want to fight again?"

Shade, who had stopped casting spells, asked, the white air he exhaled lingering in the air for a long time.

The animals hesitated, and seeing that the other party did not answer, the owl, who could not control itself because of feeling the warmth of the soul, flew off from Shad's shoulder.

After landing, the grayish-white fog spread out, and behind the fog, the witch appeared on the snow in a new transformed form.

Its fur is as white as snow, gleaming in the cold winter sun, blending in with the surrounding snowy scenery. Its slender limbs step lightly on the snow, leaving shallow footprints with every step, as if outlining a dreamy painting on the snow-white canvas.

On the top of its head stands a gleaming horn, a symbol of purity and strength. The horn emits a faint silver light, and its mane flutters gently in the wind, as soft as silk, blending with the snowflakes, like an elf in a fairyland.

"unicorn?"

Not only the five animals, but even Shade was very surprised. Transforming into a unicorn was no easier than transforming into a dragon, not to mention that he was standing behind the unicorn, but he didn't feel the unicorn's fakeness at all:

"You are indeed a master of Transfiguration!"

However, the unicorn did not say a word, but just stood in front of Shade and looked at the animals. Then the animals retreated together, and the owl bear that was knocked away by Shade's punch also climbed up from the snow. The five animals bowed to the unicorn together and turned back into human form in the green light:
“No need to fight, I’m afraid there’s some misunderstanding between us.

Only a truly kind and compassionate being could transform into such a noble and beautiful creature. Sorry, you are not our enemy. "

Five people came back wearing brown robes, and the pure white unicorn raised its head, looked back at Shad, and then turned back into an owl, cooed twice, and flew back to Shad's shoulder.

Xia De subconsciously raised his hand and touched her wings again, then immediately realized that this was not his cat, so he pretended not to notice what he had done:
"My fellow hermits of the Forest Hermits, I am not your enemy. I have tracked that man from the distant future to the present day in order to prevent him from further disrupting the stability of time."

The high-level warlock who was injured by Shade's amazing power just now was only injured internally, and his condition is much better now:

"Young man, we know you come from a different time. But sorry, please prove that you are not chasing him for the ownership of the tree hole, otherwise we will not let you see him again."

The five hermits stood together in the snow. They probably couldn't beat Shade and the witch together, but Shade had limited time and didn't want to "convince" these people through a meaningless battle:

"Proof? How can I prove it?"

He shook his head:
"Aren't you protecting him for the sake of the tree hole's secret?"

The hermits were not angry. The high-level sorcerer who was leading them answered:
"With the power of our Lord, Vestal Forest has signed a contract with us. Time and trees will protect us. However, if we are greedy for the tree holes, time and trees will punish us. The forest can prove this."

Xia De didn't understand what "forest proof" meant, but that didn't stop him from remembering another thing:

"If it is the forest's approval, wait a minute, I found it. Look, can this prove it for me?"

He took out the wreath of verdant flowers that the elf girl in the forest had woven for him from his pocket, and then put the wreath on his head.

The owl on his shoulder pecked at the silvery-blue flowers, and the hermits bowed to Shade:
“Since you have been recognized by the Father of Trees, you have proven yourself.

We apologize for our hostility to you just now. Please come with us now and we will answer your questions. "

"I don't have much time to bother with you guys."

"Don't worry, we'll be at our campsite soon."

The five hermits led the way and took Shade deeper into the woods. They knocked on the trunk of a large tree not far away, and then a tree hole large enough for an adult to pass through appeared on the tree.

However, this tree hole did not connect different times, but connected different spaces. After passing through the tree hole, we entered deeper into the Vista Forest. After walking for less than five minutes, we saw a small camp in the snow-covered forest.

This reminded Shad of the caves he had encountered in the Pantanal (1105). Like the inescapable forest, these should also be part of the secret of the Vista Woods.

The low-level sorcerer and Baron Kamin who had left earlier were already in the small camp. In addition to the two of them, there were two other low-level sorcerers tending the campfire. So the high-level sorcerer among the five people leading the way talked to them and explained the situation, and the group sat down in the camp.

There were 10 people and 1 owl, and there were three bonfires. In addition, there were five simple tents and some daily necessities scattered around the bonfires. The fire was boiling water, boiling soup, and roasting potatoes. Shade took a quick look at the environment, then looked at Baron Cumming and the high-level warlock:
"Who can tell me what's going on?"

"Let him talk. We are only providing assistance. What happened has nothing to do with the Hermit Order."

Shade then looked at the Baron, who was now wrapped in the same robe as the hermits and warming himself by the fire, but still looking at Shade warily, obviously not wanting to say anything.

So Shad took out the book "Opening the Forest Door: Our Animal Companions" and shook it.

"It's not yours, you can't take it!"

The baron, who had been silent at first, suddenly widened his eyes, then stood up angrily and rushed towards Shade, but was immediately stopped by the hermits:
"Please don't do anything in our camp. It's for your own good."

They warned Baron Cumming seriously, and the embarrassed middle-aged man sat down again dejectedly:
"I don't know who you are, or what you want to know. If you want to ask me a question, at least make your purpose clear."

Xia De took the teacup handed to him by the hermits, and held the cup while looking at him sitting in the snow:

"I just want to make sense of it all. Now at least you have to tell me why you stole your one-year-old wife in 1809?"

The baron gave him an incredulous look:

"how do you know?"

The hermits were busy with their own affairs in their small camp in the snow, and did not interrupt their conversation. Shade did not answer this question:
"Of course, the Ring Warlock has his own methods. Tell me your purpose. I have no intention of threatening you, but you must understand that since I have risked my life to follow you here, I have plenty of ways to make you speak."

The baron obviously understood this truth. He sniffed his nose and felt that he was really frozen:

"If you want to know the damn story, yes, I can tell you that I have been trapped by this story all my life!

This story is basically a circle, but if I were to find a starting point, it would start many years ago, yes, after my mother passed away. "

"Wait a moment, the Silencing Spell."

The high-ring hermit reminded him and winked at Xia De:

"This is your story, and we who live here shouldn't know the future. It will cause trouble."

Shade then cast two Silencing Notes, and the hermits went to the other two bonfires. Baron Cumming watched them finish their actions before speaking in a suppressed voice:
“I don’t know why you are interested in this story, but my mother died in 1817, 15 years later. And in 1826, nine years after my mother’s death, when I was 9 years old, I accidentally discovered some of my mother’s relics.

Those relics were packed in an iron box and buried deep in the basement of the old house left by my grandparents. Yes, my mother, Erica Cumming, was also from Creekwood. The book in your hand should have been taken from that house, right? "

Shade nodded:
"I have no intention of possessing it. Once you have told your story, it will return to where it belongs."

The Baron seemed relieved:

"Well, this will motivate me to tell the story more completely.

The relics left by my mother that I found in 1826 included the book in your hand and my mother's diary. Through the diary, I learned about my mother Erica's secret before marriage and my true life experience, and my mother also recorded the identity of my father. Yes, she recorded every word they said across time through that book. "

His face turned dark:

"My mother regarded them as the most romantic love poems and never thought of destroying them even before she died."

"Your mother actually knew before she died that her lover was actually her grandson, your 'son'?"

"Yes, my mother simply wrote down this fact, but she did not express any regrets or other feelings about it. She loved that man deeply."

Xia De had no intention of commenting on this love that transcended time. He just felt a little sympathetic towards the man in front of him:
"So, you knew at the age of 23 that your father was actually your future 'son'. But what does this have to do with you stealing the baby in 1809?"

Shade asked in confusion, holding a cup of tea. The baron stretched out his hand to warm the fire and looked at him. The crackling sound of the flames was really the best background sound for the story:
"You really know everything. I have never told anyone that James is my father. I thought I was the only one in the world who knew this secret."

"You mean your 'father' James didn't know about this? I mean in 1854."

PS: Additional update 2/3.