Chapter Forty-One: The Sound of the Mortal World

Qi Xiao stood in silence as Midiel flipped through his notebook. Before long, the crisp, rhythmic sound of high heels broke the quiet of the study.

Suddenly, a heavy crash rang out—the door to the study was kicked open with an undeniable force, the door slamming into the wall with a muffled thud.

Qi Xiao looked up to see a witch with one foot braced against the door. She wore a long dress of dazzling colors, the hem swaying gently with her movements, like flowing hues dancing in the air.

Her high heels were a vivid scarlet, leaving deep gouges in the wooden door. Her long hair, black as midnight, tumbled in curls down to her waist, interwoven with fine silver threads that glittered like starlight in the dim light.

Her makeup was equally bold and arresting—thick eyeliner, shadowed eyes, and lips painted a striking crimson that matched her heels.

But most eye-catching of all was her hat—a tall witch’s hat, its brim adorned with strange symbols and trinkets that swayed with her every gesture.

Qi Xiao met her gaze by accident and was startled—the sharp, penetrating look in her eyes seemed to see right through him. The corners of her eyes slanted upward, hinting at defiance and mischief, while a confident smile played at her lips. She seemed utterly unfazed by her own abrupt entrance, perhaps even relishing it.

Qi Xiao quickly lowered his eyes, afraid that meeting this obviously ill-tempered official witch’s gaze would get him into trouble.

“Three hundred magic crystals.”

Midiel’s calm voice cut through the tension.

“Tch, this lousy door is worth three hundred? It fell apart with one kick, can’t you get sturdier wood?” The witch’s words were crude, but her voice was unexpectedly melodious, clear as a silver bell in the wind, graceful and rhythmic—a sharp contrast to her flamboyant attire.

Midiel didn’t reply, only met her gaze with steady calm.

“Alright, alright… three hundred it is. Next time, get a better door, honestly.” The witch, face sour, tossed a pouch into the air. It vanished instantly, reappearing in Midiel’s hand.

“Thank you for your patronage. To what do I owe the pleasure this time, Lady Elinor Ravenclaw? Surely you didn’t come just to destroy my door.”

Elinor smiled lightly, sauntering with feline grace to sit beside Midiel on the sofa, as though Qi Xiao were invisible. She hooked an arm around Midiel’s neck and murmured, her breath soft as orchid, “Don’t be so cold, Brother Midiel. After all, we are partners, are we not?”

Midiel seemed well accustomed to Elinor’s flirtatious antics and remained unruffled. “Please conduct yourself appropriately in front of a junior, Lady Elinor.”

At these words, Elinor knelt on the sofa, turning with a playful grin to study Qi Xiao. She extended a long, manicured finger to tilt his chin. “I didn’t notice before—he’s quite the handsome one. Is he your new apprentice? Why not let me have him?”

Midiel ignored her, his tone dismissive. “If you have nothing else, you should leave. I’m busy.”

Elinor withdrew her hand and sniffed her finger with a mock sigh. “Still so dull. No wonder you’ve stayed a lonely old man for centuries.”

Qi Xiao ducked his head further, but his ears strained for every word.

At last, Midiel’s patience snapped. His expression blank, he began to intone a spell in Elinor’s direction.

A flicker of panic crossed Elinor’s face. She spoke quickly, “Reinhardt has pinpointed the coordinates for that plane, you—hey!”

As her displeased voice faded, Midiel finished the spell, making Elinor vanish on the spot. He cast a glance at Qi Xiao.

Qi Xiao understood the message and hurriedly indicated that he had heard and seen nothing.

Midiel sipped his tea and spoke in a slow, measured tone. “That woman was Elinor, also known as the ‘Voice of the Mortal Realm’. I’ll be away for some time; I only returned today to prepare a few things. If you need anything, go to the Music Hall and find her—she can contact me. If all goes as planned, I’ll return at the end of the month to take you to the Purple Gold Auction.”

Qi Xiao nodded his understanding, then gathered a few books on natural magic and, at Midiel’s signal, left the study.

Back in his room, Qi Xiao immersed himself in the study of natural magic runes. He pored over a tome on ancient nature magic, seeking inspiration.

He picked up a quill, dipped it in ink made from special herbs, and meticulously drew each detail of the rune on parchment, striving for perfection.

During the process, he would pause, tracing the lines with his fingertip to sense whether the flow and balance of magical energy were smooth.

Each time he completed a drawing, Qi Xiao would head to the testing room for small-scale experiments, observing the runes’ reactions in practice.

He recorded every result in detail, adjusting and refining his designs based on the feedback.

Qi Xiao understood that mastering magical runes required extensive practice—especially for an entire magical discipline. He had previously taken shortcuts, but now reminded himself not to grow weary of regular practice.

So he repeated the cycle of drawing and testing, determined to achieve the desired effect, undeterred by slow progress.

As night fell, the magical lamp on his desk lit automatically, casting a gentle glow. Qi Xiao remained absorbed in his work, his heart filled with a love for alchemy and a thirst for knowledge. He seemed to catch a fleeting glimpse of what it meant to pursue truth.

With his teacher away and no desire to wander lest he stumble into danger, Qi Xiao spent the entire week immersed in natural runes. Afraid to lose his fragile sense of enlightenment, he barely dared to pause, not even to forge the alchemical weapons needed for this week’s auction.

Inevitably, that feeling faded as fatigue set in, but the fruits of his practice were substantial.

Qi Xiao’s understanding of natural runes deepened; he could now skillfully draw several basic yet powerful designs. His technique became more refined, every stroke smooth and precise, greatly improving the stability and activation efficiency of his runes.

During his studies, Qi Xiao also reflected on how to combine natural runes with other branches of alchemy and how to apply this knowledge to practical creations.

Though his grasp of the “pursuit of truth” remained elusive, he gained profound insights into both natural runes and magic.

Through experimentation, Qi Xiao accumulated a wealth of inspiration and ideas, confident these would serve him well in his future alchemical endeavors.