Chapter 737 — Shadows of the Mind
Blade of Dawn · Page 1 of 4
As the Frost Moon drew to its close, winter had arrived in the northern kingdoms of the continent.
A bitter north wind howled through the city streets, raising a shrill whistle in the gaps between buildings; snow was torn from the rooftops and whirled through the air into a hazy curtain, as though a fresh snowfall were descending.
And all of this was shut out by the thick walls, the layered crystal glass, and the heating system.
Gao Yang sat in his study, leafing through a light volume on the gods and monsters of the northern continent, while in his other hand he held a dip pen, idly sketching on a sheet of scrap paper the images and inspirations that surfaced in his mind. The howling wind outside, filtered through the glass, reached the room as only a faint residue of sound; blended with the slow music drifting from the arcane apparatus in the corner, it made the mood settle all the more.
Beside the desk stood Bettie, perfectly still, her hands folded over the apron of her maid's uniform, her head dipping again and again as she gave a soft little snore.
Gao Yang glanced at the dozing Bettie, shook his head with a smile he could not suppress, and turned his attention back to his idle sketching — but the hand holding the dip pen suddenly met an odd sensation, accompanied by a soft *pop*. Looking down, he saw that the tip of the pen he had used for so long had split, and the ink leaking from it was running down the crack onto the paper, spreading into a blot.
Gao Qi frowned, set the ruined pen aside, and looked at the lines sketched on the paper: a small river winding quietly along, old-fashioned brick-and-tile houses on its banks, a little stone bridge spanning the water, the sun setting in the west and spilling its afterglow along the eaves of the waterside homes.
The spreading ink crept across the little stone bridge, as though it were slowly devouring the picture.
Gao Lan crumpled the scrap paper into a ball and tossed it aside; almost at that same moment the study door opened, and Amber walked in.
Bettie, who had been dozing, started awake and stood up straight — but once she saw who it was, she yawned again and relaxed.
Gao Yang looked up at the half-elf lady who had pushed the door open, and the corners of his mouth could not help but curl: "...It really has turned cold."
"...Huh?" Amber had not even opened her mouth before she heard this, and was caught off guard. "Why bring that up all of a sudden?"
Gao Yang pointed at the window. "In this season, even you aren't coming in through the window."
At that Amber planted her hands on her hips and glared. "Obviously! It's freezing and the wind is blowing, and I'd have to climb your second-floor window against the wind and snow, all while risking you locking me out — I'm not insane!"
As she spoke she noticed the paper ball on Gao Yang's desk. Amber, as everyone knew, was a creature of boundless curiosity, so she could not help but lean in; having judged from Gao Song's expression that it was nothing confidential, she casually smoothed the paper open — and saw that it was nothing but an odd little drawing.
"What place is this... the Gondor Empire? Isn't the sun drawn a bit small..." Amber blinked. "What a strange architectural style. It actually looks rather nice... though judging by the building forms, it can't possibly be a northern region, right? Where are you planning to promote this?"
"It's just a doodle. Call it my imagination," Gao Yang said, flicking the paper in Amber's hand with his finger; the sketch depicting that otherworldly landscape crumbled silently into dust. "Never mind that. Is there any news?"
"Hey, don't destroy it, what a waste..." Amber cried out instinctively, then pursed her lips. "Nothing major, really. It's just that word has come recently that Typhon's border troops have begun equipping with arcane vehicles... faster than we expected."