Lunch... well, eating too many snacks can indeed affect your appetite. It's fine to eat a little bit now and then, but if you can only eat this kind of tasteless stuff from now on, it won't be very interesting.
I heard a soft laugh beside me. I turned around suspiciously, but Yao still had that extremely calm face, and the curve of his mouth had not changed at all: "[Aisha] spends most of her time wandering around the terrace and attic. From what she said, it seems that she wants to choose a suitable location to start her [studio]."
It's one thing to project an illusion into reality, but how come some people take advantage of being rare artifacts to use high-difficulty spells at will?
However, this also makes it difficult to preserve newly created paintings, which will most likely disappear when the [studio] is closed.
Moreover, there were no suitable painting tools.
Using her own paintbrush wouldn't be a problem. However, I learned from [Aisha] after she accepted the invitation that the paintbrush seemed to possess a strange, magical power; any creature it drew would evolve into a life form similar to a [cat], possessing a colorful head. Although it wasn't intentional, this was indeed a very troublesome characteristic.
I made a decision: "Let her write down a list, and we can go to the Sacred Tree Stronghold while we're there. I can get whatever I need while we're at it."
That city happens to be the main production area for these tools, although shipments have decreased sharply in recent years.
"I understand. I'll pass it on to her later."
Yao nodded, his iridescent gem-like eyes flashing: "But the Sacred Tree Barrier... it feels like quite a coincidence. Back then, we had just taken on a mission from the lord there and thought we'd help look for it along the way. Now, several years have passed in the blink of an eye. It really is the longest-running commission we've ever taken on. I wonder what the other party thinks of us."
“My mentor mentioned to me before that since we’ve entrusted you with this task, we should expect to see results soon.”
"[Witch], you think so highly of us? We are truly unworthy of such praise."
Yao paused for a few seconds, then said, "Speaking of this, I've been trying to investigate the paintbrush that [Aisha] has been using, as well as the wooden comb that Miss White Fox commissioned to be repaired. I found that the wood used to make them is very similar, and they both have dense tree-shaped engravings in their decorative patterns."
“Dense tree-shaped engravings?” I was taken aback. “Doesn’t that mean they’re all made of wood from the Sacred Tree Barrier?”
Yao nodded: "Yes, that is the unique anti-counterfeiting mark of the wooden products produced in that city. And according to the style and materials, if I am not mistaken... if it is not different from what I know, perhaps they are made from the branches that fell off the World Tree in the past."
This was indeed an unexpected discovery.
I originally thought this trip to Piss City would be a waste of time, just like Yao and the others' experiences over the past few years. After all, we rushed there in the first place precisely because we thought there might be traces of the World Tree, but in the end, apart from [Aisha's Gallery] and that paintbrush, we found almost nothing.
What Yao is saying now is nothing short of progress from 0 to 1.
This also means that I'll be closer to receiving the compensation from them sooner.
“I tried asking Miss White Fox, and she said that the comb was a gift from the Lord of the Sacred Tree Stronghold to her and her master. As for the paintbrush… Lord of the Box Garden, I remember you mentioned that you saw the being who gave the paintbrush to Miss Aisha in the illusion. Do you remember what he looked like?” Yao asked.
I nodded, then shook my head: "I can only say that I saw it, but not very clearly. The person was standing against the light, and I only remember that she was petite, with a rather androgynous appearance and voice, and short blue hair. Moreover, if we take into account how long [Aisha] was lost and how long she herself had been dead, it's hard to guarantee whether the other person is still alive."
A soft sigh came: "Just like Miss [Aisha]."
"It seems this lead can only end here for now, and we'll have to put it on hold."
There's nothing we can do about it.
Tracing history upwards and digging into the future downwards are equally difficult tasks, let alone the subtle details that almost no one records. Apart from a few who manage to delve into it and extract the accurate information they need, it is more common to only receive vague premonitions and directions in return.
"However, thank you again, [Witch]. Perhaps I can first look through the relevant information stored here and try to confirm the possible time frame in which that person and Miss Aisha lived. At least this task is not too difficult."
She seemed to have a new idea, so I didn't disturb her anymore. I nestled to the side with the cat in my arms and we played together intently.
It has to be said that cats are truly adorable creatures. If you ignore the strange shape of their heads, they are just like real animals. They also have a very good temper. No matter how much you tease them, they will not run away. At most, they will meow softly instead of choosing to come up and give you a swipe.
I didn't let go of Hikari until she came and knocked on the door, and then I got up.
Then I heard a calm voice from behind me:
“Lord of the Box Garden, although I don’t know why Lady [Witch] wants you to go to the Sacred Tree Barrier as soon as possible, I have a vague feeling that this might be related to what we are pursuing.”
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