Chapter 79 Foxtail River Bend She has grown up and taller.
When Ashlin woke up, she thought she was dreaming.
Her mind was foggy, her throat was parched, and her limbs felt weak and sore.
The warm sunlight gently caressed her face. She stared at the green origami cranes fluttering overhead, the constantly spinning ceramic stars, and the hanging pothos plants, and it took her centuries to realize where she was.
Home.
She hadn't thought of that word in a long time.
Her little attic remained unchanged, just as it had been when she left, still filled with the smell of burnt cookies. One wall was green, one was blue, and there were two other walls she was too lazy to paint.
The roof's sloping arc was exaggerated, covered in vibrant green vines imbued with magical life. Simple line drawings of zebras, antlered rabbits, and long-haired turtles adorned the windows, while the walls were strewn with messy spell notes. On the tree stump table beside the bed lay an unfinished storybook; she vaguely remembered having just read chapter nineteen before leaving.
"Oh ho! You're awake!" the origami crane exclaimed in surprise.
Ashlin rubbed her temples.
"Green?!"
"Green" was the first spell she cast as a child: to make the origami cranes talk. Sanova taught her more than twenty times before she learned it. However, it had no consciousness or intelligence and could only talk nonsense based on its environment.
The origami crane fluttered its wings. "Well? Finally remembered your old friend, huh?"
"Watch your tone," a familiar voice said.
The real Sanova Bailey leaned against the wall, holding a plate of mysterious black objects, with a cup of hot milk floating beside him. He looked just as good as he had before he first left home, his graying hair braided, and a smile on his face.
Ashlin jumped up suddenly, then screamed in pain. She had overexerted herself a few days ago, and her magic had been depleted.
"Wait! Don't come any closer!" She jumped out of bed in a panic, holding the blanket up to Sanova. "Tell me one thing that only the two of us know. No, three things. Tell me three things."
“You’re threatening me with the blanket.” Sanova’s observation skills were sharp.
"Don't change the subject!"
She was in such a hurry that she accidentally bumped her toe on the bedpost. Both she and the bed groaned at the same time.
“Okay.” Sanova put down the black object. “Your favorite color when you were a child wasn’t green, it was blue.”
“Continue.” Ashlyn stared at him. Knox might also have guessed this from subtle clues.
“For your ninth birthday, I gave you a magic broom. But as soon as you sat on it, the broom exploded,” Sanova recalled. “It scared Mia so much that she cried.”
Ashlin's blanket fell to the floor. "Anything else?"
“Your divination magic is the worst I’ve ever seen,” Sanova said, “because you made a great prophecy that you yourself actually died five years and six months ago.”
Ashlin finally felt relieved and rushed into her adoptive father's arms.
“When did you become so suspicious? Tell me quickly, where did that innocent little girl go?” Sanova asked with a smile.
“She’s grown up,” Ashlin grinned. “She’s gotten taller too.”
“Hmm, let me see.” Sanova looked at her thoughtfully, then suddenly gestured with his hand to indicate the distance between her head and his body. “She’s probably… two centimeters too tall.”
“Ah! This,” Sanova said casually, “Actually, I used magic to send the soul to the spirit world, where I had a rather wonderful few months.”
"What?" Ashlin exclaimed incredulously, but in a good way. "Did I worry about you for nothing?"
The adoptive father shrugged. "Being a descendant of death should have some advantages, right?"
"And your body..."
“It healed itself,” Sanova said proudly. “Three weeks ago, Princess Elaine sent people to rescue me, and that’s how I regained my consciousness.”
Ashlin let him go.
"Three weeks? How long exactly was I unconscious?"
Green fell onto her shoulder.
“Hmm,” Sanova looked at her hesitantly, then suddenly picked up the black, unidentified object. “Would you like some dessert? I baked it myself.”
“I usually won’t eat it if you add the last sentence,” Ashlin said. “Answer me.”
Sanova took a bite of the "dessert" and then spat it out.
“Ahem… It’s like this, Ashlin. I don’t know if anyone has mentioned this on your adventures, but your forest magic… consumes life.” He tossed aside the food. “After you turned the labyrinth into a forest and purified those monsters, you fell into a near-death coma. We were worried you wouldn’t wake up…”
You still haven't answered my question.
Sanova sighed. "More than a month. Ashlin, you've been in a coma for more than a month."
For a moment, the world stopped turning because of that sentence, and then it started turning even faster again.
Ashlin looked out the window. The ash trees had sprouted new leaves, and the grass was a lovely tender green. Blue-purple hyacinths were blooming in the garden, and a few white cabbage white butterflies landed on their petals.
The children of Foxtail Bend ran and laughed across the grassy slopes, one of them a girl wearing a green witch's hat and clutching a rough black cat doll; the boy opposite her wore a terrifying white mask.
"Come and catch me! I'm the most powerful witch in the kingdom!" The little girl waved a cat plushie at the boy. "This is my cat, he's my right-hand man. Together we'll defeat you, you evil illusionist!"
“I can’t believe it,” Ashlin murmured.
"Can't believe what?"
Ashlinn shook her head. She wasn't sure what she was trying to say; there were many things she couldn't believe.
Suddenly, a scream shattered their peaceful conversation.
“Ashley Bailey!!” A brown-skinned girl pushed open the door, followed by a small beagle.
Mia Collins stormed over, her footsteps so powerful they shook the room. Ashlinn then realized that someone could make a room shake without using magic.
"Hi, Mia!" Ashlind greeted with a big smile.
Mia grabbed her by the neck.
“I miss you too, Mia.” Ashlin patted her on the back.
Just like I remembered, Mia smelled of buttered bread all over, and her face was dotted with freckles.
"Woof woof!" The little beagle licked Ashlin's face, leaving it covered in saliva.
Green flew away in disgust, and Ashlind pushed the puppy away with a grin.
“Do you know? While you were unconscious, your story with Prince Lucas spread to every corner of the kingdom,” Mia said. “People say you are a legend. You killed the dark wizard, stopped the dark witch’s plan to resurrect, purified all the monsters, and even turned the illusion labyrinth into an underground forest that can be visited.”
Ashlin blushed.
“It’s not that exaggerated. Many of these things weren’t my doing. Not entirely.” She took a breath. “I also did a lot of wrong things… Part of the reason the monsters in the maze escaped to the surface was my fault.”
“Don’t say that,” Mia said seriously. “That was the dark wizard’s plan. Even without you, he would have continued, wouldn’t he? You saved the world.”
“We,” Ashleigh emphasized, “I, Prince Lucas, and many other friends.”
“That’s right. However, there are different versions of some details. For example, some people say that you cursed the prince into a cat, while others say that you fulfilled the prince’s wish…” Mia changed to a gossipy tone, “There are even some rumors that you are the prince’s secret lover.”
Ashlin pouted and pointed at herself in shock.
"Hey, it's all just made up by bards."
“Queen Elaine is ruling very well,” Sanova said. “Your friend Zach has become one of her loyal knights. She and Lucas have lowered taxes, helped repair farmland and houses destroyed by monsters with the court mages, and executed several proponents of dark magic. Trade with Ilovenia has also resumed, and Elaine is now trying to open up trade with the dwarven mining cities.”
“Elaine has also given countless books to the children in the village,” Mia said happily. “She also plans to send more teachers to the parish school, some of whom may even be magicians.”
This statement should have had a tremendous impact. However, he did not receive the response he expected.
"That's great." Ashlin waved dismissively, took a sip of milk, and asked, "Where's Lucas?"
Sanova and Mia exchanged a glance. They knew she had finally asked the most crucial question.
"He helped Elaine with many things. His understanding of magical theory came in very handy..."
“That’s not it,” Ashlin said impatiently. “Why isn’t he here?”
“Actually, he just left yesterday,” Sanova said. “He would come to see you at least once a week, silently weeping by your bedside. What a beautiful youth… Ah, Foxtail Bay has never been as popular with royalty as it is now…”
Sanova stopped talking because Ashlin had unknowingly walked to the door and was rummaging through a drawer.
"Ashlin? What are you looking for?"
"My 271 copies of Aidan's sheet music."
“Oh.” Sanova paused, puzzled. “It’s in the purple drawer on your left. What’s wrong? You want to relive the music of your childhood idol…?”
Ashlin stuffed all the thick sheet music into her spatial backpack. Several old and tattered sheets tried to escape, but she stomped them under her feet and then picked them up.
She slung her bag over her shoulder, casually stuffed a dark, unidentified object into her mouth, and opened the door.
"I'll be back! Soon. I promise."
Mia asked, "Where are you going?"
“Go find Lucas,” Ashlin said matter-of-factly.
Sanova raised an eyebrow. "Hiking?"
“No,” Sanova said regretfully. “Ever since her return, Elaine seems to have developed a certain phobia of horses. She can’t even look at any picture of a unicorn…”
Ashlin opened the door, but knocked over a broom. She quickly picked it up, but then froze.
Her eyes lit up.
Mia covered her mouth.
Ashlin frowned dramatically. "How could that be?"
Before Sanova could even marvel at the youth's boundless energy, she had already nimbly hopped onto the broom and kicked off with all her might.
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