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Chapter 107 The Deer Disbandment
Chapter 107 The Deer Disbandment
The desk was messy, cluttered with miscellaneous items, and the wall lamp cast a lazy, warm yellow light, which made Gu En feel tired.
The night breeze drifted into the study, lifting the curtains, rustling the pages, and making a series of "rustling" sounds that stirred the mind.
Tracing Nan'an's past, they once again entered a dead end.
Following a clue from the old red log tavern, he visited the direct descendants of noble families from nearby academies and requested to view their family archives.
Without borrowing Ellu's privileges, the small exchange of interests between the Palka family behind Gunn was enough to open up these once-glorious family private collections.
The description of the Crimson Wood Tavern becomes clear through diaries and travelogues.
Grandy the mead werewolf, the tavern owner who is suspected to be Aslipan, appeared in the capital of the Zanti Empire in the same year that Nanan died.
The year 1601 in the Grey Star Calendar marks the beginning of this traceable history.
The description of the Crimson Wood Tavern contains some intriguing elements.
"The main architectural style of the tavern is no different from that of Nora, a secluded courtyard for patrons who prefer a quiet and private environment to enjoy a drink, full of exotic charm."
Such descriptions appear in more than one record.
Although no drawings have survived, Gunn was able to piece together a picture in his mind by combining the information available.
The magically powered stream meanders among the scattered stones.
The water is crystal clear, and brightly colored ornamental fish swim leisurely in the pebble-lined pond.
A wooden bridge spans the central courtyard, connecting to an umbrella-shaped pavilion, with carved railings along the way adorned with mythical beast patterns unknown to anyone.
The academy's magicians most recommend visiting on rainy days.
In the misty, rainy weather, buying a cup of tea that leads to the backyard, along with a photo roll, and enjoying a drink by yourself offers a unique and delightful experience.
At this point, Gunn was basically certain that the actual operator of the Crimson Wood was none other than Aslipan.
The exotic landscape style originates from the imaginative and poetic creations of Nan'an.
She lacks the ability to memorize everything, draw up effective blueprints, and hand them over to craftsmen for construction.
Someone is helping her; this person is most likely studying at a nearby imperial academy.
It's obvious who it is.
Unfortunately, the trail ends there.
Aslipan remained devoted to the business of Crimson Wood and never left Zanti.
120 years after Nan'an's death, in 1720 of the Grey Star Calendar, Asripan was no longer the nominal tavern owner, and his adopted children took over Crimson Wood.
Aslipan has completely disappeared from history.
Gunn speculated that this was the end of her life.
Until the black mist descended and the world changed drastically, the description of the deep red logs ended there.
Six years later, the history of Gray Star came to an end, and black mist enveloped the land.
How fortunate it is to be able to sleep peacefully before the dawn of an age of despair.
Gunn swirled the rose-red liquor in his glass, listening to the clinking of ice against the glass, lost in thought.
Suppose the nerd uses Zanti to embark on the road to fame, becoming an indescribable and unrecordable special being, would she not continue to help Aslipan?
The tavern seemed to be the last place the two ever met; after that, Aslipan and the nerd never saw each other again.
Even if one becomes powerful enough to erase oneself from history, will one no longer interfere in the lives of former close friends?
Gunn was somewhat puzzled.
He wanted to explain everything by saying "respecting Aslipan's choice," but his intuition made him instinctively question it.
Setting down his glass, a slightly tipsy Gunn stood up, carefully avoiding the narrow path that had been piled up, barely wide enough for two people to pass through.
.
He decided to have another cup; the sleep-inducing effect was wonderful.
The room containing the communication array emitted a piercing notification sound. It was late at night, and he frowned as he triggered the message.
It was the sound of a bewitching raven.
"The Bamboo Moon Witch has been killed. Soon, many people will want to talk to you. Be prepared."
Gunn repeated the short sentence twice to make sure he wasn't delirious from drinking.
"What happened to you? Are you hurt? Let Nan'an bring you some cat food!"
Long-distance communication should transmit as much information as possible, but upon hearing the nonchalant tone of the crow, Gunn's mind conjured images of mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
No one understands the crow better than him.
This guy always wanted to pull off one big heist before he died—to break into the Bamboo Moon Witch's Society, purge it from top to bottom, kill until blood flowed like a river, and die from exhaustion.
Erlu had always suspected that the Bamboo Moon Witch was secretly handling a deal closely connected with the Living Eclipse.
Due to a lack of manpower, their investigations always came to nothing.
Despite the lack of evidence, Bewitching Raven firmly believed in his intuition—even if it was wrong, the actions of the Bamboo Moon Witches over the years were enough to make him, out of righteous indignation, choose to go to hell with them before his death.
Gunn paced back and forth in front of the communication array; the delay in long-distance communication had never made him feel so tormented.
He chugs the liquor straight from the bottle, his voice trembling, the pungent liquid flowing down his throat without him feeling a thing.
"I'm fine, it's Nan'an who's in charge."
The reply from the raven explained the whole story, and Gunn leaned against the wall and breathed a long sigh of relief.
It's good that you're alright.
What's the big deal? It's just killing a witch.
He had long ago helped the Crow write its deathbed prayer, its defense statement to the Senate, and its arguments accusing the Bamboo Moon Witch of misconduct.
Everything was done to preserve his posthumous reputation.
Just to be on the safe side, he asked another question.
"Are you really okay?"
"You've always been so fussy and indecisive since you were little. It was the right decision to hand over the management of the Parca family to your younger brother. Your intellect isn't capable of achieving success in business."
The insults were powerful, the words still vicious, but Gunn felt relieved.
"If they want to disband the Deer, then just agree to it. I'm tired," the crow suggested. "You've been working on your retirement plan for so long; it's a shame not to use it."
Are you serious?
"Even if you become an ordinary Mist Breaker, everyone will still fight against the Black Mist. There will be no difference. You will no longer be a burden to suffer in the Senate. We have been making things difficult for you all these years."
The still-active Elu are aware of their awkward position and have received hints from the two early on.
The disbandment was not a sudden event for anyone; it was simply an expected outcome that had finally been confirmed.
Gunn also believed that those who were fighting in the Kroro mines might feel relieved to hear this.
"The decision is yours. If you want to continue, I have no objection." The crow then changed the subject, "I remember there are still two spots available this year?"
"You have another suitable candidate?" Gunn said, both amused and exasperated. "They're already discussing disbanding the group."
"It only makes sense to join before the dissolution. The pension and support payments promised by the Senate can be withdrawn along the way, and the reputation of Erlu can also be inherited," said the crow. "Everyone says Erlu abused his privileges, and it's such a loss to be slandered for no reason."
"Okay, give me a name."
"Corella".
Suiyue's record has been broken; Corella has become the fastest Evil Deer to pass Gunn's review in history.
Given the uncertainty surrounding Elkeson's future, this record is highly unlikely to be repeated.
Ordinary people would only feel their scalp tingle if they heard the conversation of the Raven Gunn.
The disbandment of the Elu was a major event that could shake the Senate, yet it was confirmed by the two men in a few words, in a lighthearted and joking tone.
It was as if the El Deer were just an insignificant little organization to Nora.
As he scrutinized the decision-making power entrusted to the Bewitching Raven, and held the future of the Deer in his hands, Gunn leaned against the door of his study, gazing at the piles of books and documents scattered on the floor, and grinned silently.
"As irresponsible as ever, even in something like this, I have to make the decision all by myself."
"Since you're so impatient—let's find some fun along the way."
Gunn pulled out a scroll from the partition of the room, and after confirming the communication array pattern on it, the corners of his mouth turned up.
Communication connection successful.
"Soon, Solitz will be holding a hearing, and I would like to invite you to be my guest."
The other end of the magic circle was filled with bewilderment at being disturbed and awakened, as well as the annoyance of being grumpy upon waking.
When the term "deliberation hearing" appeared, the anxious breathing turned into suspicion.
"About what?"
Should the Ecuadorian deer continue to exist?
"6
'
"Huh?"
Gunn respectfully replied, "As you have heard, the El Deer are about to disband."
"ha?"
Messages were sent to various parts of Nora as the communication array was turned on and off.
Those who were awakened by Gunn all showed the same reaction.
"Am I still asleep?"
After the communication ended, Gunn went to the bookshelf in the study and ran his hand over the plans one by one.
"This is the result of the Ravens' rampage, slaughtering smuggling nobles."
"The Bewitching Crows slaughtered the Bamboo Moon Witch."
"The Dialectic of Privilege in the Deer"
"Um----
Having found two contingency plans related to the disbandment of Eldruff, Gunn smiled and sat back down at his desk.
Strangely enough, just a short while ago I was drowsy, but when I pulled out the plan and started revising it, I was incredibly excited and full of energy.
At daybreak, having completed his preparations, he took two bottles of invigorating potions and returned to the Palka family's luxurious woodland estate.
Amidst the astonished gazes of his servants, the young nobleman of the Palka family, who always regarded the Elru base as his home, returned to his own room.
"Formal attire," he instructed his servants, "grand and solemn formal attire."
The butler, who hadn't served Gunn in a long time, hesitated and asked, "What kind of occasion does Master wish to handle?"
Gunn blurted out, "The funeral—forget it."
He changed his tune: "Let's say school uniforms, we should say we've graduated."
Enjoying the maids' attentive care, he then gave further instructions.
"There's a party list I've prepared in my study drawer. I can start making preparations now. The date is set for the day after tomorrow, and the guests will be all the important figures from Shuangmian."
Gunn had no intention of waiting. No matter how things developed, no one would dislike a feast where everyone ate and drank to their heart's content.
The Parca family is wealthy enough to support the continued operation of the disbanded El Deer.
Even if the Senate doesn't allow it, he has ways to find a good place for everyone in Elru to contribute their remaining energy.
"The Deer of Evil was founded by the Crow and me, and only we can disband it."
After changing into his school uniform, Gunn stood in front of the full-length mirror, admiring himself dressed as a naive student, and couldn't help but burst into laughter.