Whispering Verse

God squinted his eyes and asked Shade in front of him with a smile. His face was wrinkled, just like an old man walking on the street asking a boy he met by chance if he wanted to eat candy.

Shade turned to look at Miss Olanode, who nodded carefully and said very respectfully:

"God, I am preparing to build a library to assist my teacher in collecting knowledge. Please give me your blessing within the scope allowed."

Sure enough, this wish was true, and Shade once again felt like witnessing history. Of course it was a pity to give up his wish, but at this moment he knew that he had done the right thing.

"This wish is really good. It is a wish that I can realize."

The kind-looking old man smiled and nodded:

"I admire your determination very much, and I can see how excellent the library you want to build is. It's very good. As a descendant of the long-leaf elves, I am willing to bless you."

"Longleaf elves" are a division of the ancient elven race, which is mentioned in Shade's elven knowledge.

He stretched out his free hand, and dots of white light were gathering. But suddenly he glanced at Shade and took back his hand. He casually pulled his pipe back from the air, smiled and asked:

"If you want to build the library you want, a simple blessing may not be enough for you. So, do you want more blessings and power? I can give it to you."

The witch of Zalas was slightly surprised, while Miss Olanode was horrified:

"God, I don't have enough to pay."

God's blessings are never free, and Shade knows this best.

"What I want is very simple. I am the keeper of the library, but I also like to collect stories. Give me some interesting stories. Things that have never existed in this world and should not exist in the past, present and future. s story."

He took a drag on his pipe and slowly exhaled a puff of smoke. In the swirling smoke, Shade seemed to see an illusion of the great library of St. Byrons Comprehensive College. Although not exactly the same, it is so familiar.

"I originally just wanted to give you a simple blessing, but your determination moved me. Now I give you a chance, mortal, you can choose to try it."

The gray-robed god smiled and raised his eyebrows:

"This is a rare opportunity."

"I"

Miss Olanold wanted to speak, but Miss Samuel behind her grabbed her sleeve:

"Think before you speak. You know what the current situation means!"

She adjusted her glasses and spoke quickly, her face flushed with excitement:

"Knowledge that should not exist in the past, present, or future. This is the most forbidden knowledge. Brienne Oranod, since God has made a request to you, then what you can obtain after completing the request is definitely beyond you. imagination."

"Forbidden Knowledge"

The two witches were discussing in a low voice, and Shade, who was running out of time, looked at the gray-robed god sitting on the pile of old books like a throne, who looked at him with a smile.

"Please let me answer for her."

Shade pointed at himself.

"are you sure?"

Of course, because no one in this world knows more stories that the world has never seen before than outsiders.

The two witches behind him couldn't see Shade's expression, but the gods could. He touched his beard, like a wise man in an oil painting thinking:

"I only give you this opportunity once. If you help her, then no matter what, you will not be able to get the knowledge from me about enhancing time perception until you discover the forbidden secret."

Shade frowned slightly:

"Did you know? I once almost had my heart broken and died in order to help a woman I didn't know on the street look for her child. Also, in order to help a girl I had only met once, I turned around to face the shadow of the evil god in the sky. . I don’t want to be a saint who helps anyone, but I never hesitate to help those in need within my ability. What’s more, the witch over there is my friend.”

"So, do you have any interesting stories?"

The two of them didn't pay attention to the witch behind them at all. This was not their place to interrupt.

"this"

There are actually many options, and Shade is happy to share the story of his hometown with the gods in front of him. He glanced around casually, then looked at the ice coffin and the red-haired girl with his tail wrapped around her waist, and he immediately had an idea in his mind:

"Would you like to hear an interesting fairy tale? That is indeed a story that should not appear in this world."

The sage in gray robe showed a kind smile:

"what story?"

"The Story of Princesses, Sleeps, and Kisses."

Shade said with a smile, and then he was startled. The figure of the blonde girl who had been appearing in the study every Saturday for more than a month, and the appearance of the princess holding the spindle, immediately jumped to his eyes.

He took a deep breath. The chaotic time was continuous for Shade. He touched history again:

"Ha, I see, I knew there weren't that many coincidences."

The old man wearing a pointed hat in front of him showed a somewhat unpredictable smile:

"You seem to understand something."

"Yes, and it looks like you understand, so do you want to hear the story?"

Shade made an inviting gesture.

"Of course, sit down and talk, everyone, sit down."

The old man wearing a pointed hat blew out a puff of smoke towards the bonfire. The smoke made the fire light a little blurry:

“Surrounding the campfire and listening to children tell stories is what I look forward to most.”

Neither Miss Samuel nor Miss Olanold understood why the atmosphere had become a little weird. They wanted to ask Shade, but Shade just shook his head:

"Sit down, ladies. Please sit down and listen to me tell you a story about a princess and a prince. I don't have much time."

The god left the pile of old books, holding a staff in his left hand and a pipe in his right hand, and sat on the ground in front of the campfire. Shade sat on his left, and to the left were Miss Samuel and Miss Olanode, but the two witches were close to each other.

No one spoke, but looked at the bonfire surrounded by them. In the flames swaying because of the smoke from the god, the fire became brighter and brighter until a grand palace setting appeared. This is not Shade controlling the flames, but the guardian god of the library helping Shade, telling the entire story that follows.

The scenes in the flames became more and more realistic, until the faces of mortals and gods turned red. Cover up the chill and cover up all the troubles. It is indeed a pleasant thing to sit around the campfire and tell stories about your distant hometown.

Shade squinted at the bonfire, thinking about the story connecting the past and the future, and its meaning to his life:

"A long time ago, in a distant kingdom, a queen gave birth to a princess."

Flames formed the palace, and middle-aged men and women holding babies were showing the "treasures" in their hands to the dense crowd outside the palace.

"The king invited people from all over the country and twelve witches who lived in the Black Forest to come to the feast, but he did not invite the old witch who lived in the Black Forest."

The scene in the flames was divided into two halves. One half showed the beautiful witches in the banquet hall blessing the newborn princess, and the other half showed the terrifying witches in the forest brewing potion.

The flames of the bonfire continued to splash outside, illuminating the four people in the bonfire. Shade's voice was calm. The gray-robed god squinted his eyes and enjoyed the tobacco in his hand. Miss Samuel frowned and looked at the flames, and Miss Olanold tilted her head and looked at Shade.

"So, after the twelve witches offered their blessings to the princess, the witch imposed a vicious curse of fate - when the princess turns sixteen, she will touch the spindle and fall asleep forever!"

As Shade raised his voice, the bonfire actually burst into flames and shot directly into the sky, even engulfing the yellow moon summoned by Miss Olanode. The exploding bonfire not only spread upwards, but even spread to all sides, until it almost drowned the people around the bonfire.

The wind and snow outside could no longer be heard at all. Feeling the extremely hot temperature in front of them, everyone was staring at the scene in the flames——

The flame constructed a life-size, lifelike young princess, even somewhat similar to the appearance of [Desire] in front of Shade. She carried the candlestick and walked up the attic stairs constructed of flame. And in the flames on the top floor, facing the huge yellow moon, there is a textile machine.

"This is the loom that represents destiny."

Shade said softly, and the princess in the flames also walked to the top floor. In the flickering firelight, the princess and the loom were enlarged until they occupied the entire bonfire. The princess holding the oil lamp stretched out her finger and touched the spindle of the loom.

"Just as the witch cursed, the princess fell, but she did not die, but fell into a permanent sleep."

Shade paused for a moment, because his whole body was already wrapped in white mist. The mist seemed to seep out from the bonfire in front of him, and with just the effort of lowering his head, it almost completely enveloped him.

"This story is not finished yet. Sage in gray robe, please allow me to tell it next time."

"Of course, see you next time."

The old man nodded.

The white mist completely enveloped Shade and took him away. At the same time, the god sitting in front of the bonfire also disappeared, leaving only the shrine on the pile of old books, as if he had never left at all.

“It feels like I’m witnessing an epic.”

After everything calmed down, Miss Samuel said softly, looking at the bonfire in front of her, her glasses reflecting the flickering light of the fire:

"Bryony, is he really here to witness our story?"

Miss Olanold shook her head and waved her hand to control the flames. Shade's lifelike appearance appeared in the fire:

"The teacher said that it is us who are witnessing his story."