Half-elf Notebook

Chapter 189 Distress and Chance Encounter

October 25th, Earldom of Kersloy, Thunderstone City.

The rare bright sunshine in a few days seemed to pierce through the haze shrouding the hearts of the city’s citizens, bringing them some comfort.

After a simple breakfast, Ina left the South District early and headed to the Magician's Association in the East District alone.

She was going to kill some time, or buy some magic materials that had been used up.

By the way, find a quiet place to think about the question that Rick asked me for advice last night.

"Do you want to study at the magic academy?"

This sudden decision and change left her a little overwhelmed.

It's not about the upcoming qualification exams and identity changes.

On normal days, she would be happy to accept Rick's arrangements.

However, at this moment, an inexplicable anxiety and confusion arose in my heart.

I was terrified to leave this city where I had lived since I was old enough to understand.

Secondly, it was sudden.

She had only been an official adventurer for half a year.

Although she was deeply aware of the limitations of her own abilities during the recent battle to defend the city...even though she was a rare bronze rank, she still couldn't help.

But even so, even though I understood it in my heart, all this happened too suddenly.

It made her feel confused.

In addition, the deaths of several familiar people, Mitaokel ​​and Bol, were like a heavy stone pressing on her heart, making Ina even more upset.

Ina was in a trance, her steps were a little stiff, and she walked slowly along the side road beside the store. There were fewer people on the street than a month ago.

But it was just a little cooler.

Although the orcs' attack on the city caused more than two thousand casualties among the citizens, and more than a thousand soldiers were killed.

Some citizens and merchants with substantial assets or who are relatively wealthy have already sold their properties in the Thunder Stone and fled to safer cities.

But that is always only a minority.

Most citizens continue to work and live as usual and repair the damaged houses and shops.

They do not have extra time to blame the injustice of fate, nor do they have the ability to change or escape the next disaster that is coming - being able to squeeze out a little time to pray and mourn for their deceased loved ones is one of the few things they can do.

In a trance and with her thoughts surging, Ina had arrived at the tall blue and white building with a large number of reliefs on the exterior walls without knowing when.

There are not many people in the association.

Everything seemed exactly the same as the last time Ina came. The hustle and bustle and coldness of the city seemed to be completely isolated by the glass door.

If you insist on saying there is any difference.

That might be the addition of black and white signs with the words "Temporarily Closed" placed on the reception counter.

But it obviously will not affect the association's business and the services it provides.

Ina did not place an order immediately to buy the missing magic materials, but walked towards the rows of bookshelves that were open to customers free of charge.

There aren’t many categories of books on the shelves, and each book has several or even dozens of copies placed side by side.

Thanks to this, they filled the entire shelf, most of which were novels published by the Chamber of Commerce, church books, folk tales, bound newspapers of various types, and historical documents with the author's personal subjective color, etc.

These books are closer to the reading habits of ordinary people rather than professional knowledge - but the books are borrowed and the empty spaces are still very rare.

Even among ordinary people who are formal citizens in the city, those who can read, or even have enough words to read fluently, are always a minority.

And often, rather than reading quietly, workers who had worked hard all day preferred to stay in the bar and listen to the bragging of wandering merchants and the stories of bards with a groce or two of cheap light beer or rum in hand.

Ina picked up the same unfinished novel that was as thick as a finger joint. Just like last time, she found an empty seat and started reading from almost the same place.

Time moves on.

Time passes faster between the half-elf's fingertips and the turning of pages.

The content was reflected in Ina's mind through her eyes, but the irritability in her heart still lingered.

She later changed several books, but never read any of them in depth.

Ina was turning the pages of the book, but her thoughts were no longer on the pages. Instead, she sank into a whirlpool of emotions that led to no results.

One hour, two hours...or maybe not that long had passed.

Until a pretty figure approached the coffee table and greeted the half-elf girl sitting on the sofa with her usual lively voice:

"Good morning, Sister Ina, you seem to be in distress."

"…Ms. Aixia?"

Waking up from her thoughts, Ina rubbed her forehead, looked away from the book in confusion, and looked at Aixia.

As a high-level magician, she was unable to notice the changes in her surroundings.

Then, she saw the reserved blonde girl in front of her put one of the drinks in her hand on the table and pushed it in front of her.