CHAPTER 174: CHAPTER 153: RETURN TO HOMETOWN

Lindong was very happy today.

After coming home, she hummed a little tune Ethan had never heard before, took out a tray, and conjured many snow cherries using magic power. She placed the tray on the table and patted the table, motioning for Ethan to sit over.

Coming back to his senses, Ethan placed the local specialties he brought from Ximu Town at the entrance of the mountain cave.

"This was Mr. Big Cat’s home. After it passed away, I inherited this place."

Lindong spoke with such a light-hearted tone that there wasn’t a hint of sadness. She pointed to the thick cushion in the corner of the cave and a neatly folded blanket, "Ethan, did you know? A cat’s lifespan is much shorter than a human’s. When I came back during my second year at the academy, Mr. Big Cat was forever asleep there."

Only then did Ethan understand the meaning of the sign at the entrance of the cave—it was a simple little grave mound, where the Mr. Big Cat she mentioned was buried.

It might have been a magical creature resembling a cat, possessing intelligence.

"So, did Mr. Big Cat teach you how to conjure snow cherries and transform into a cat?"

Ethan picked up a snow cherry and put it in his mouth. The sweet and cool taste filled his taste buds. He had occasionally heard the gourmet Piran mention that snow cherries were originally discovered by magical creatures in the northern region. The sweet taste was much loved by the Imperial Capital People, but due to their scarcity, they gradually became a delicacy that only a few nobles could enjoy.

Two years ago, after the Fallen War broke out, no one could find snow cherries anymore. The Hunter’s Guild of the imperial capital had organized many exploration teams deep into the northern regions, and the great nobles were willing to pay high rewards, but ultimately, they all returned empty-handed.

Many in the imperial capital loved snow cherries, including Piran, who was willing to risk her tongue freezing to participate in the "snow cherry roulette" game Lindong provided.

"This was Mr. Big Cat’s home. We’ve always lived here."

Lindong thought for a moment and said, "This is the first time I’ve brought someone back."

Every time she returned here, her mood would involuntarily relax. Although it seemed like there was nothing here, she could always sit alone at the table for an entire day, listening to the wind and snow outside the cave, and drift off into thought.

Ethan got up, found a container, filled it with a few snow cherries, and picked out a few small items from the local specialties he brought, packing them together and placing them under the sign at the entrance.

This was quite different from his imagined "meeting the parents." Only upon arriving here did he understand that Lindong’s "living alone" meant this.

He gazed at the sign for a long time before returning to the cave.

For Lindong, this place seemed to have some special kind of magic. She completely relaxed, sprawling out on the ground in the cold winter, idly swinging her feet. When she came back to her senses, she would eat a snow cherry and then continue her daydreams.

Ethan started a conversation, "How did you and Mr. Big Cat meet?"

"It picked me up."

Lindong seemed to recall a beautiful memory, a smile appearing on her face, "I was chased out of the village and got lost in the heavy snow."

"They chased you out? Why?"

Ethan was shocked. Lindong always seemed to use a calm tone to convey surprising information.

"They saw me talking to the Ice and Snow Elves."

This was a story from quite a long time ago.

Lindong had never been able to form any affection with her people. From the time she could remember, she had been wandering alone in the village, eating what others discarded. There were many orphans in the villages of the Northern Clan, who, due to their peculiar hair color and eyes, were cast out from the imperial capital and could only set up villages amidst the wind and snow. Aside from the harsh weather, they also had to fight off the marauding Bigfoot monsters.

Many adults perished in battle, and there were always many orphans in the village.

Now Ethan knew that Lindong’s "talking to the Ice and Snow Elves" was due to her extraordinary talent in elemental manipulation magic, yet to the Northern Clan People, it made her seem like a freak.

The Northern Clan People loathed the wind and snow; monsters and suffering all emerged from the wind and snow.

"That’s why I’ve always felt we were a good match."

Lindong lay on the table, watching Ethan intently, "You see, we’re both refugees and seem to be the kind that no one particularly wants."

She recalled the first time she saw Ethan in Ximu Town, this refugee boy who had come to Ximu Town finally landed a clerical job at the Hunter’s Guild.

With nowhere else to go, he was taken in by the Guild, living in someone else’s house, working tirelessly until nightfall, and spending his free time studying books related to mysticism in the library.

Why did she go home with Ethan at that time?

Lindong thought about it and realized that the scene back then was actually somewhat coercive—she had nothing to do but observe Ethan outside the library, and before she knew it, he had picked her up and taken her back to his guild lodging, even giving her the unflattering name "Lucky Star."

As for the reason for her having nothing to do...

It was because she became the empire’s most wanted criminal, gravely injured after being besieged by several Saints, and could only escape the pursuit in cat form, wandering to the border town of the empire. Her confusion about the future kept her in Ximu Town for a longer time.

Initially, Lindong was extremely unwilling, feeling that anyone who could come up with the name "Lucky Star" probably wasn’t very knowledgeable and was just dreaming of unrealistic wealth.

However, this refugee boy was very good at taking care of a cat.

He cooked food for her and groomed her fur. More strangely, at night, after turning off the gas lamp, he lay in bed and talked to her.