The Record of Unusual Creatures

After chatting for a while, Hao Ren stood up and got ready to leave.

“You have an appointment? Have you found an acquaintance here?” Veronica asked curiously.

“No, one of the nobles invited me,” Hao Ren explained. “He said he came from a family in Hohenberg. He’s called Willie. He said his family had ties to many ancient hermits and knew many secrets of previous generations. Sorry, I’m not really familiar with your aristocratic system, so I don’t quite remember his title.”

Veronica’s eyes widened in surprise. “You mean Count Willie of the Kant family, who lives in the Hohenberg? Willie Tilian Kant. He’s a very famous man. He’s a famous young aristocrat of Taros, also the youngest count in the history of the kingdom. When he has inherited all his estate and has accumulated a little more merit, he will certainly be a role model and leave behind a good reputation.”

“So cool?” Hao Ren was a little surprised. “I didn’t know that… I just think he’s quite handsome.”

Ania laughed and said, “The young count is very famous indeed. In fact, this time, the two young Kants are not simple individuals. The lady won the golden title of the genius knight at a young age, and Count Willie is doing very well in the political arena. His experience of leading troops to pacify seven barbarian rebels in the Northern Wilderness has impressed many older military aristocrats. Achieving this level of achievement before the age of 30. I’m afraid it will be very hard for the kingdom to meet such talented young people again in a hundred years.”

“Heroes emerge in troubled times. But the two princesses of Taros seem to be more famous than the two young Kants. Count Willie had only succeeded in putting down the rebellion of several hill tribes in the kingdom, but Veronica had been fighting on the chaotic border for many years,” said Hao Ren.

Veronica looked a little shy at the compliment. She gave a demure smile and said, “Yes, I’m indeed better than him.”

Two princesses got up and personally walked Hao Ren out. And just as they came to the end of the gravel road in the little garden, a black carriage, decorated with wild rose and dagger, suddenly turned from the road.

The carriage drew up slowly on the gravel path. A servant in a black uniform jumped out and opened the door on one side of the carriage. Hao Ren was just passing by at the moment. When he saw the figure coming out of the carriage, he paused for a moment.

A tall, thin man got out of the carriage. He was thin, looking gloomy as if his face was permanently covered with frost. Below a pair of pale gray eyebrows was a pair of eyes as sharp as a falcon’s. Hao Ren was familiar with this pair of eyes.

This pair of eyes looked at him with hostility when he had just arrived in White City.

At this moment, Ania suddenly interrupted Hao Ren’s thoughts. “Uncle Loen, why are you here?”

Loen? Was it Grand Duke Loen? The one who recommended the alchemist who cured the prince and princess’ ‘cursed dreams’ with the magic potion?

Hao Ren was a little surprised and asked, “You’re Grand Duke Loen?”

Grand Duke Loen did not show any emotions when he saw Hao Ren this time. He was just keeping a poker face as usual. He first bowed slightly to the two princesses and Prince Andrew, who was hiding behind them, and then finally looked at Hao Ren and said, “Lord Guardian, it’s good to see you. I think we have met at the banquet yesterday?”

“We first met when the airship landed.” Hao Ren also hid his emotions and replied with a smile. “I can’t remember others’ names very well, please forgive me.”

“I heard that you are a powerful ancient warrior and a high-ranking bishop of the temple. It’s normal that you don’t pay much attention to us,” Grand Duke Loen said indifferently. “I am here to see how Princess Ania and Prince Andrew are recovering. I wonder…”

“Oh, I’m here to visit the patients, too. Veronica brought me here.”

Grand Duke Loen immediately glanced at Hao Ren suspiciously. This time, he hardly hid his emotion.

“What’s the problem, Uncle Loen?” Ania immediately felt the change in the atmosphere, and her address to Grand Duke Loen showed that she seemed to have a good private relationship with the king’s eminent minister. Of course, it was also possible that they really had some kind of kinship. After all, in the kingdom’s complex upper aristocracy circle, the blood relationship had become a kind of intricate network structure. You could even say that the upper aristocracy of the entire Taros kingdom was composed of two or three big bloodlines. “The Guardian is very concerned about Andrew and me,” said Ania.

“Well, thank you so much for paying attention to us,” said Grand Duke Loen, still with a grim face. “Now that we met, I’ve got some questions I’d like to ask you.”

“Questions?” Hao Ren was curious.

“I am not a scholar, but I am interested in a lot of ancient knowledge.” Loen raised his eyelids as if he were really talking about his area of interest. “It’s just that history is full of incomplete and fictional shadows, and it’s hard for an outsider like me to touch a truly valuable knowledge. I want to ask you, the guardian of a thousand years ago, how the three ‘The Blessed Braves’ split the temple in two about ten centuries ago. And how did it recover?”

Hao Ren froze immediately, but the expression on his face remained unchanged. After some superfast thinking, he answered, “Ahem, I was stationed at the Cassouin Temple. The temple had fallen before the battle you mentioned. Then I fell into a long slumber and knew nothing of what followed. I’m sorry I can’t help you in this respect.”

“Is it… It indeed happened at the end of the war.” Grand Duke Loen nodded, but then came the next question. “And do you know who destroyed the scepter of the Frost Queen in the battle of the fall of Wagner, the ‘Pale Knight’? As we all know, it was the breakage of the scepter that caused the Fimbulvinter Coalition Army to fail to reach the battlefield in time. But there are many versions of the truth about the destruction of the scepter. I’m afraid that only someone like you who experienced that era can tell us the truth.”

Veronica couldn’t resist cutting in, “Uncle Loen, isn’t it…”

Grand Duke Loen immediately raised his hand to interrupt Veronica, “I want to get the answer from the guardian. Your Highness, you sleep through every history lesson. It’s better to listen as well.”

“…”

Hao Ren got it. This Duke Lun was clearly suspicious of his status as an ancient guardian. He was not asking for advice at all, he was questioning Hao Ren.

“I know, but I don’t have time to tell you right now.”

Grand Duke Loen paused for a moment. He did not expect that answer.

“I have an appointment. The Kants are inviting me, and they are also discussing ancient knowledge. As an ancient guardian who values commitment and justice, I can’t tell you more before I finish this appointment.”

The two princesses heard this and whispered to each other. “Ania, is there such a commandment in the sacred land?”

“No…”

“Yes, a thousand years ago,” Hao Ren said, trying to keep a straight face.

“In that case, I was a being little rube. Please go to the appointment first, my Lord Guardian, and I will wait for your advice.”

That meant the Grand Duke Loen would come back and test him again.

Hao Ren kept his face expressionless. He nodded to Grand Duke Loen as he maintained his gentility and said, “No problem. It’s my duty to teach common people. My little fellow, I’m so glad you are diligent and eager to learn. Go back and wait. When I sort out my thoughts, I’ll certainly come back and enlighten you.”

Without waiting for a reply, he turned his head and left.

Grand Duke Loen looked petrified behind him. After a while, he muttered to himself, “L-Little fellow?”

Veronica and Ania thought that it was totally okay to call him that way!