Chapter 45: It’s a Silver Weasel!
“Mr. Silver!”
The moment Isda spotted the white creature, her elegant twin tails drooped instantly.
Right after that, Rast noticed that the presence of this psychological evaluator beside him was fading at a visible speed.
Her figure seemed to blend into the air, merging seamlessly with the train carriage and the surrounding environment.
The lights on the carriage ceiling flickered, yet no beam of light could touch Isda’s figure.
Just seconds ago, she was speaking face-to-face with him, but in an instant, it felt like she never truly existed.
If it weren’t for Rast’s absolute control over his memory attic, he might have subconsciously overlooked Isda’s existence after this fleeting moment.
“The Secret Path”
Once activated, this ability significantly reduces one’s presence, allowing one to silently navigate through bustling crowds without being noticed.
Rast immediately thought of this Hermit Sequence First Tier ability from the “Library of Fools.”
After activating “The Secret Path,” Isda, whose presence had diminished to an extreme degree, quietly stepped back towards another carriage.
However, just as Isda was about to completely vanish from this carriage—
Rast saw the pure white creature, resembling a large cat, reveal a slightly malicious smile at the corners of its mouth.
A silver moon appeared in its ruby-like eyes.
The next moment, accompanied by a subtle spatial fluctuation, Isda’s figure abruptly froze, then vanished from the spot.
Inside the empty carriage, only one person and one beast remained, along with the rumbling sound of the train moving along.
After completing all of this, the white creature didn’t spare a glance at the suddenly vanished Isda; the silver moon’s illusion in its eyes flickered and vanished.
It elegantly rose from its seat, its keen eyes curiously observing Rast.
A Third Tier Hermit, evaporating into thin air without any resistance?
Rast gazed at the lazy, remarkably graceful white creature before him, lost in thought.
During his time in Deep Blue Harbor, he had indeed encountered countless individuals, each with different personalities, ages, and genders…
So much so that no matter what type of person he faced, Rast could don the most appropriate mask and respond with the most suitable demeanor, achieving his own objectives.
However, when it came to this creature that he couldn’t tell whether it was a fox or a cat, he truly lacked experience.
After all, the Iron Cross Plague does not infect animals other than humans, so for Rast, who was solely focused on navigating Deep Blue Harbor, there wasn’t much value in in-depth research.
His only knowledge of cats and dogs in Deep Blue Harbor came from using them as topics to spark conversations with cat lovers or dog lovers.
Looking at the snowy white creature with red eyes in front of him, he pondered for a moment and finally arrived at a conclusion—
“Meow meow meow?”
“What do you mean, meow?! I’m a silver weasel, do you understand?”
“Also, you’ve been hanging around that hellish place of Deep Blue Harbor for hundreds of years, and you still speak in that cutesy tone without feeling any shame at all?”
The white creature immediately bristled, and Rast felt as though it even got goosebumps.
“I have indeed experienced hundreds of years in Deep Blue Harbor, but in the cycle, I deleted most of the useless memories.”
“In order to avoid self-destructive behavior and to maintain hope of escaping from Deep Blue Harbor, I self-hypnotized, permanently anchoring my mental state at seventeen—”
“The age when hope and ideals burn brightest, the time when one stubbornly refuses to yield and doesn’t bow down… even in the face of countless setbacks, pain, and suffering.”
Rast smiled and sat down on the seat opposite the white creature.
“Otherwise, I would be an old man, sullen, lying on a sickbed day and night, just waiting for my soul to slowly decay… and I wouldn’t have encountered Hiltina, let alone appear before you in the real world like this.”
“Moreover, I don’t think there’s anything shameful about it.”
“As long as I can achieve my goals, I wouldn’t care if I spoke in the tone of a child or an old man; even if I had to disguise myself as a pitiful member of the opposite sex, I wouldn’t mind.”
He opened the refrigerator in the carriage, took out a few bottles, and skillfully mixed a drink, placing it on the table.
“Anyway—thank you, Mr. Silver, for your help.”
“If it weren’t for you, I might not be able to sit here freely.”
“I added some mint flavor, which cats tend to prefer, hoping you like it, Mr. Silver.”
“You…”
Mr. Silver sat on the train bench, looking at the drink placed in front of him. It seemed to consider that the animal’s size might make direct drinking inconvenient, so this creature even thoughtfully included a long straw.
It had a thousand complaints to voice.
For instance, it had already stated that it was a silver weasel, not a cat, and what kind of bias was it to say that cats preferred mint? Catnip and mint are not the same thing at all…
But looking at the enticing green drink, which emanated a fresh scent, Mr. Silver ultimately chose to restrain the urge to complain.
It extended its small paw, grabbed the straw, and took a sip.
The taste was indeed quite good, reminiscent of rolling hills, quiet forests, and the small town nestled at the foot of the mountain.
Mr. Silver subtly pulled the glass closer with its fluffy tail.
It squinted its eyes, looking at Rast, who was observing it with a caring gaze as one would for a small animal: “I’ve been watching you since you came out of the Night World. From what I observe, Isda hasn’t told you these things, or perhaps she doesn’t have the authority to know.”
“So, how do you know I helped you with the risk assessment at the Academy?”
“Is it just because Isda called me Mr. Silver earlier?”
“That’s not it.”
Rast mixed himself a drink and sat down across from Mr. Silver with a wine glass in hand.
“Isda’s words, at most, only allowed me to determine that you are the head of the Magical Creatures Research Institute, after all, her expression was way too straightforward, as if she were caught badmouthing her teacher.”
He raised his wine glass, gazing at the rapidly changing scenery outside the train window: “As for the other matters—”
“It’s all just my guesses.”
(End of Chapter)
