CHAPTER 119: ONE DAY, ONE ANSWER

"This is definitely a masterpiece." Master Yule stood with his arms crossed. As the forging master who personally crafted the core component of the Spellweaver's Tome, he was well aware of how ingenious Avia's design was. A magitech device powered by this core would be a masterpiece among masterpieces.

"Wang Yu, give it a try." Avia handed the Spellweaver's Tome to Wang Yu.

"Alright." Wang Yu fastened the tome to his waist, letting his mental energy pulse as he connected to its magitech circuits. The process was unbelievably smooth—an invisible external conduit guided the mana into the metal receptacles in the tome.

The surge of energy filled in the incomplete circuits and completed the spell impression.

A searing fireball hovered in Wang Yu's hand. None of Wang Yu's own energy had been consumed; every bit of mana that constituted this fireball came from the high-purity mana crystals within the energy core. Wang Yu now possessed the ability to cast spells without invoking his wizardry.

"This prototype should have greatly improved stability over past versions. Try to make fine adjustments, Wang Yu," Avia said, encouraging him to take his testing further.

This newly optimized Spellweaver's Tome was a true marvel.

Once more, Wang Yu connected his mental energy to the circuits to activate the mana for the next spell. The spell impressions formed in quick order—fireballs rapidly formed and floated in place above his palms. The Tome's incredibly stable spellcasting kept them motionless.

By the time Wang Yu reached his limit, there were already twenty fireballs suspended between his hands. Even so, the tome showed no signs of overload.

Wang Yu brought his hands close together. His ripples transmitted mental energy into the tome. "Collapse."

The magical circuits recharged and activated once more. Wang Yu clapped his hands together, and the twenty fireballs between them dissolved into pure fire mana and dispersed.

"Incredible. This level of control would be beyond even most magicians." Wang Yu glanced at his hands in shock, impressed by the Tome's ability to cast and dispel spells at will. It would surely enhance his combat capabilities by a large margin.

"Wonderful!" Avia pumped her fists in excitement. The success of her prototype filled her with joy—not just for Wang Yu's sake, but also because she had achieved a breakthrough in her favorite field, alchemy.

With their magitech device completed, the two bid farewell to Master Yule and left the workshop.

Master Yule indicated that he would be willing to lend his aid for the future development of any such innovative alchemical constructs. For an artificer of his level, crafting such novel equipment would represent a form of growth.

As they walked down the corridor, Wang Yu scratched his head and suddenly came to a stop. Puzzled by his behavior, Avia watched as he crouched down, placed both hands on her shoulders, and—just like he always did when he had something serious to say—looked her directly in the eyes and spoke, "This might be a bit sudden, Avia, but can I have a day of your time?"

His gaze was so earnest that Avia found herself at a loss for words. She fumbled for a response, uncertain how to interpret Wang Yu's request.

A vague guess surfaced in her mind, but considering Wang Yu's personality, she hesitated to believe it outright. Her eyes wavered and avoided his gaze.

"I feel like we've been too tense ever since arriving at the capital. Honestly, we haven't had the chance to relax like we did back at the forest cabin—taking strolls through the woods and unwinding.

"I've been either training or studying, and you've spent nearly all your time researching magic, wizardry, and alchemy.

"Why don't the two of us take a day to explore the capital together? To be honest, despite being here for so long, beyond what I've seen incidentally while on various missions, I've never really taken a proper look at this city."

Wang Yu continued to explain himself while Avia considered the idea.

"And most importantly, I want to show you something tonight. Also, even though you haven't brought it up, I know I still owe you an answer. So... may I have a day of your time?"

Wang Yu extended his hand to Avia with unwavering sincerity as he awaited her response.

A faint blush spread across Avia's pale cheeks, giving her face a warm, rosy hue. She placed her hand in Wang Yu's, a mix of shyness and anticipation in her voice as she agreed to the invitation.

She still remembered what Wang Yu had once told her—sometimes, it wasn't that he didn't understand or failed to read the atmosphere. He just lacked experience and didn't know how to respond. But he always listened, and he was always willing to give her an answer.

"Thank you." Wang Yu smiled, standing back up. "Then let's head out."

"Shouldn't I change into something else?" Avia hesitated, glancing at her outfit. She hadn't dressed up at all—she was just wearing a thick winter coat for warmth. She really hadn't expected Wang Yu to suddenly invite her out.

Though Avia had been forced to mature as a result of her harrowing experiences, she was still a young woman at heart. The suddenness of this date left her feeling completely unprepared.

"There's no need—you already look great." Wang Yu chuckled, shaking his head.

Avia was wearing a warm brown fur-lined jacket. It was simple and unadorned, and it suited her perfectly.

Her golden hair, usually draped down her shoulders, was tied up in a neat ponytail for the workshop, giving her a fresh, energetic look.

Her fair skin tinged with a soft blush, and those clear, slightly flustered eyes—Wang Yu shook his head. "You're beautiful."

There were surely more stunning beauties than Avia out there; Avia's looks were just above average by the standards of this world. But to Wang Yu, Avia was Avia. That would never change.

Wang Yu smiled as he tugged on Avia's dainty hand, his sincerity evident.

"R-Really?" Genuine praise had a way of touching the heart. Avia felt her mind going blank for a moment.

Wang Yu's behavior today was so different from usual that it left her feeling dazed. Then again, Wang Yu had always been this way. His sincere and earnest nature made her stick with him despite the fact that he was a dense blockhead when it came to such matters.

"Alright, let's go." That sudden realization put Avia at ease. She let Wang Yu's gentle tug guide her forward.

Her face was still flushed, but the awkwardness had faded and been replaced by quiet excitement and joy.

The two strolled through the capital's streets as snowflakes drifted lazily from the sky. Despite the heavy snowfall, the large, slowly descending flakes gave the world a peaceful, almost dreamy quality.

Few people were out—most preferred the warmth of their homes on such a cold day. The only ones still moving about were city guards and the Nightblades operatives.

Wang Yu's ripples ensured that no one would interrupt them and that he could enjoy his walk with Avia.

Avia's hands were much smaller than Wang Yu's, and she could clearly feel the warmth radiating from his palm.

The sly winter wind snuck into the gaps in their clothing, leaving them shivering with chills.

Even so, at this moment, Avia felt nothing but warmth and comfort. The warmth in her hand reminded her of their first encounter, sitting by the campfire in the forest—of the sense of security and warmth she found with Wang Yu.

The feeling of not being alone, of always having someone by her side, was truly wonderful. During those turbulent days of the past, it was Wang Yu's companionship that helped her find her own strength.

Unconsciously, she closed her eyes, a slight smile forming on her lips, as she let Wang Yu lead her along the streets of the capital. Even though she couldn't see anything, she still felt a faint sense of contentment.

"Whoa, damn!" Wang Yu's sudden exclamation was accompanied by a sensation of weightlessness underfoot. Avia felt herself losing her balance, only to be quickly steadied before she could fall.

"You should watch where you're going! Be careful," Wang Yu chuckled wryly, a hint of complaint in his voice as he looked at Avia, who had nearly stepped off the curb while walking with her eyes closed. The young woman opened her eyes, still looking a little dazed.

"You caught me anyway, didn't you?" Avia suddenly flashed a rare mischievous smile, patting the hand Wang Yu had placed on her back to support her.

"Uh... well, I guess so." Wang Yu was momentarily stunned.

Then, the two of them exchanged a glance and burst into laughter at the same time.

After strolling through the capital, they both realized they had never properly explored the city before. They came across many fascinating sights.

At a street corner, a pair of dwarf brothers were performing for a small audience. Relying purely on their sheer strength rather than any real technique, one of them shattered a large stone on the other's head. Then, after chugging down a bottle of liquor in one gulp, he pulled out another and used it as fuel to breathe fire. The thrilling performance drew applause from the small crowd.

Wang Yu smacked his lips. Even street performances in this world were this intense... He reached into his pocket, intending to toss them a silver coin, but found nothing. He had always used his mana crystal card, hadn't he? He glanced at Avia, who had the same helpless expression on her face.

They then passed by a store that was thriving despite the weather. To their surprise, all sorts of animals were walking out of the shop—even a wolf lying atop a tiger's head. The city guards on patrol didn't seem to react at all.

Only later did they realize the shop belonged to an elderly druid who was highly skilled in transformation magic. He offered residents of the capital a chance to experience what it was like to become an animal.

The price was fair, and the business honest—there were no tricks involved. Wang Yu and Avia were astonished. The people of the capital certainly knew how to enjoy themselves.

Next, they visited the Gilded Rose, a famous theater. Initially, Wang Yu had assumed that the entertainment and storytelling in this world wouldn't be very impressive.

After experiencing it firsthand, he was stunned. Through magic, the performance combined the senses of sound, scent, temperature, and even touch, offering an entirely different sensory experience compared to Earth's entertainment.

Coupled with the exceptional skills of the capital's artists, even the storybook tale of a knight fighting against a dragon became a spectacular show filled with dark humor and satire.

Who could have imagined the final twist? The dragons brought in dwarves and elves as arbitrators. In the end, the hero who had wounded the dragon prince was turned into a drake and forced to serve as the mount of the now-humanoid dragon prince. How this storyline was conceived—let alone how it passed muster—was beyond Wang Yu.

All he could say was that the culture and media of this world, freed from certain constraints, had flourished in countless unexpected ways. Wang Yu mused that he would definitely return with Avia to watch more plays. After all, without phones, computers, or the Internet, their options for entertainment were far more limited.

They had gained quite a bit of insight into the capital via their exploration. The city, with all its strange and wondrous sights, was truly a microcosm of this fantasy world. Wang Yu was determined that, one day, he would set out and see more of this land so different from Earth.

For dinner, they had a simple yet satisfying meal at the Golden Azalea before returning to their small home on Redmaple Street. Sitting beneath a tree, sheltered from the falling snowflakes, they watched the sky darken and the stars began to shine.

"It's so beautiful... You could never see such a dazzling night sky on Earth," Wang Yu sighed in admiration.

"Wang Yu, what are you going to show me?" Avia asked curiously. Wang Yu had promised to show her something unique right here. Surely he wasn't just talking about the stars?

"There's no distinction here between the lunar and solar calendars, so I have no idea when New Year's actually is. But I figure it's around this time, so why not celebrate it now? I think watching fireworks together is a perfect way to do that." Wang Yu smiled and snapped his fingers.

Suddenly, the distant sky lit up with brilliant bursts of color, illuminating the snowfall over the capital. The dazzling fireworks were reflected in Avia's clear eyes, shining beneath the vast expanse of stars.

"What did Wang Yu call us out here for—whoa!" Charles, standing at the entrance to Redmaple Street, jumped in shock at the fireworks Wang Yu had released.

"They really are beautiful," Edward, sitting under a large red maple tree, gazed up at the fiery blossoms blooming in the sky. They were fleeting yet breathtaking—perhaps that was what made them so stunning.

"Right, nyah?" Sue, bundled up against the cold, echoed Edward's sentiment.

"So this is what he needed our approval for? I thought he was planning something big," Hugin muttered, his ever-present trench coat draped over his shoulders. He puffed on his pipe as he watched the fireworks alongside Sieg and Garcia.

"It really isn't his style," Sieg replied, chuckling. "But it looks amazing, doesn't it?"

"You're wrong. This is exactly his style." Garcia, having known Wang Yu the longest, smiled knowingly.

"Wow, the alchemical bombs I made look spectacular! I bet I could make a fortune off of them—hey, hey! Don't push me! Those are my creations—ahhh!"

In the capital's shadow, within the Church of Nightfall, the devout watched the fireworks in awe. Lady Darkness was projecting the scene before them.

Some followers unconsciously pressed forward to get a better view, shoving Elliot, the gnome merchant, until he nearly toppled over. Fortunately, Emmon caught him just in time.

The Lady of the Night gazed upon her believers, delighted by the fireworks orchestrated by her archbishop, Wang Yu. Feeling the faint but steady influx of faith, she smiled gently, pleased by the spectacle.

All across the capital, countless citizens peered out to admire the simple yet undeniably beautiful fireworks display.

Avia stared at the alchemical fireworks blooming in the sky, awestruck and moved. Wang Yu had often told her about grand firework displays on Earth, but seeing it in person was another experience entirely.

Suddenly, she felt a hand rest on her head. She turned to meet Wang Yu's gaze.

"I've owed you an answer for far too long. On this special night, let me finally respond." Wang Yu scratched his cheek—an unusual sight. He tended to play dumb in such circumstances, but now, he actually looked embarrassed.

"I've told you I've been looking for a way back to Earth. I don't know if my assumptions about your feelings are correct, but whether or not I'm overthinking things, I do want to give you an answer. "If I find a way back but can't take you with me, then I'll choose to stay. I'll never leave you behind. Alright?"

Wang Yu looked into Avia's eyes, from which both the fireworks and the night sky were reflected. He spoke each word with unwavering sincerity. He didn't make promises lightly—but once he did, he would always keep them.

"Trust me, okay? I swear—"

Avia's eyes were gleaming. It almost seemed like she was tearing up. He prepared to make a serious vow, only to be interrupted by her actions.

Before he could finish, Avia threw herself into his arms. Her lightning-fast reflexes usually outmatched his, but this time, she caught him completely off guard. His lips felt the soft, warm touch of hers.

"Okay, I trust you. Wang Yu, I like you! And I will definitely find a way for us to go back together!" Avia buried herself in his chest, finally letting out all the feelings she had suppressed for so long.

"I feel the same," Wang Yu smiled, wrapping his arms around her. For the first time, he didn't hesitate—he gave her the answer she had been waiting for.

Under the endless stars, amid the dazzling fireworks and falling snow, the capital's night seemed more beautiful than ever...