Light red wine, as expected of someone from a big city... Lumian's eyes finally fell on the glass in the lady's hand.
Light red wine is a liquor made from sugar and pickled cherries. Both its color and taste are very popular among ladies. Of course, other suitable fruits can be used instead of cherries, and the taste will be slightly different, but not too big.
This is one of the few high-quality wines that the old tavern in Cordu can offer. The reason they have it is because Mrs. Puaris fell in love with this light red wine after visiting Bigorre, the provincial capital.
—Mrs. Pualis is the wife of Beost, the local administrator and territorial judge. Her ancestors were nobles, but they lost their titles during the reign of Emperor Roselle.
She was also one of the mistresses of the parish priest Guillaume Bennet. Not many people in the village knew about this, and Lumian was one of them.
Lumian withdrew his gaze and walked towards the bar.
Sitting there was a man in his forties wearing only a linen shirt and matching trousers. His brown hair was not thick enough and was rather messy, and there were wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, mouth, forehead and other parts due to years of hard work.
This is Raymond's father, Pierre Clergue.
Another Pierre.
That's why Lumian joked in front of Leah, Ryan and others that if they shouted Pierre in the bar, at least one-third of the people would agree.
When the villagers talk about Pierre and Guillaume, they always add the qualifier "so-and-so's family", otherwise it is impossible to tell them apart.
In many families, the father and the child have the same name, both called Pierre or Guillaume, and the neighbors can only distinguish them by adding "old", "big" or "small".
"Dad, why don't you go to the village square and chat with the others?" Raymond walked up to his father.
The men in the village liked to gather under the elm tree in the square or at someone's house to play dice, cards, chess, and discuss various rumors - going to the tavern cost money.
Pierre Clegg held a glass of red wine and glanced at his second son:
"Wait a little while before going. There shouldn't be many people in the square now."
Yes, where did all the men in the village go? Lumian was suddenly confused.
He didn't see a single person in the square just now.
"Uncle, I want to ask you something." Lumian said bluntly.
Pierre Clegg was alert:
"A new prank?"
The story of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" does have a basis in reality... Lumian tilted his head and motioned for Raymond to speak.
Raymond organized his words and said:
"Dad, how long ago did the wizard legend you told me happen? The one where it took nine oxen to pull the coffin."
Pierre Craig took a sip of wine and said doubtfully:
“Why are you asking this
"This is what your grandfather told me when I was a child."
The Reston Province where the village of Cordu is located and the neighboring Orle Province and Suchit Province are all located in the south of the Republic of Intis. They are famous grape producing areas. The wine here, especially the inferior ones, is very cheap. In some years, people can even drink wine as water.
Raymond was disappointed when he heard this because his grandfather had passed away a long time ago.
At this moment, Pierre Craig added:
"Your grandfather said that he saw it with his own eyes when he was a child. Since then, he has been afraid of owls, worried that his soul would be taken away by this evil creature."
Lumian and Raymond's eyes lit up at the same time.
There actually is a clue!
The legend of that wizard is actually something that some people have experienced personally
"Did grandpa tell us where the wizard originally lived and where he was carried to and buried?" Raymond asked.
Pierre Craig shook his head:
“Who cares about this?”
Seeing that Raymond wanted to ask something else, Lumian reached out and patted him, saying loudly:
"It's time to go to the river."
Raymond was about to follow Lumian and leave when Pierre Clegg suddenly remembered something:
"Wait, Raymond, you're going to be a 'prostitute' in a couple of days. Let me tell you something you need to be careful about."
The "green watchers" are responsible for patrolling the highland grasslands and surrounding fields near the village to prevent people from grazing during the grazing ban period or allowing livestock to destroy the young crops.
Lumian did not listen and went to the bathroom attached to the tavern.
When he came out, he deliberately passed by the foreign girl who was drinking light red wine and whose exact age could not be determined.
Although he would not do such things as chatting up people, he wanted to observe in advance and collect details, which might come in handy when the time comes, just like he used Ryan, Leah and others to catch the parish priest having an affair.
After a few inconspicuous glances, Lumian prepared to go around the corner and wait for Raymond at the door of the tavern.
At this moment, the lady in the orange dress and with a lazy temperament raised her head.
Before Lumian could look away, his gaze collided with the other person's.
For a moment, even Lumian, with his thick face, felt a little embarrassed.
Thoughts immediately popped up in his mind:
Should I follow the example of the parish priest and the administrator and compliment her beauty, turning from observation to chatting her up, or should I show my immature side and turn around and leave in a hurry...
Just as he made up his mind, the lady smiled and said:
"Have you been dreaming frequently recently?"
Suddenly, Lumian seemed to be struck by lightning. His entire mind became paralyzed and all his thoughts were frozen there.
It took only a second or two for him to force a smile and say:
“Isn’t dreaming a normal thing?”
The lady held her chin with one hand, looked at Lumian, and smiled softly:
"A dream of being in a thick fog."
How did she know... Lumian's pupils dilated instantly, and there was a hint of fear in his expression.
Although he had experienced a lot, he was still young after all, and for a moment he was unable to control his expression.
Calm down, calm down… Lumian calmed himself down while relaxing the muscles on his face and asked back:
"Did you finish listening to the story I told those three strangers last night?"
The lady didn't answer, but pulled out a stack of cards from her orange purse on the chair next to her.
She looked at Lumian again and smiled:
"Draw a card. Maybe it can help you unlock the secret hidden in that dream."
This... Lumian was shocked and suspicious.
He was both excited and highly alert at the same time.
He glanced at the deck of cards, frowned slightly and said:
"Tarot?"
That looked like the tarot cards invented by Emperor Roselle for divination.
The lady looked down and said with a self-deprecating smile:
"Sorry, I got the wrong one."
She stuffed the twenty-two tarot cards back into her medium-sized handbag and took out another deck.
"This is also a Tarot card, but it belongs to the Minor Arcana. You are not qualified to draw a Major Arcana card, and I am not qualified to let you draw..."
There are fifty-six Minor Arcana cards in total, consisting of four "suits": Cups, Wands, Swords, and Pentacles.
What is she talking about... Lumian was completely confused.
This lady looks beautiful and elegant, but her actual behavior is not normal and she seems to have some mental problems.
"Take one." The girl who seemed to be from a big city shook the Minor Arcana card in her hand and said with a smile, "It's free. Try it for free. It may even solve the problem in your dream."
Lumian laughed and said:
"My sister said that free things are the most expensive."
"There is some truth in this statement." The lady thought for a moment and said.
She placed the Minor Arcana next to the glass of rosé wine and continued:
"But as long as you don't pay no matter what, how can I, a foreigner, force you to pay in Cordu Village?"
That's right... It won't hurt to take a sip... I finally got a hint about the dream, how can I not give it a try... But will this involve the wizard's curse... Ask Aurore for help? Lumian's mind was full of thoughts and he couldn't make up his mind for a while.
The girl didn't rush him.
After more than ten seconds, Lumian slowly leaned down, stretched out his right hand, scattered the stack of minor Arcana cards, and pulled out a card from the middle.
"Seven of Wands." The lazy lady took a look at the cards.
On that card, a man with a resolute face and wearing green clothes stood on the top of a mountain, holding a scepter, fighting against the six scepters of the enemy attacking from the bottom of the mountain.
“What does this mean?” Lumian asked.
The lady smiled:
"You can interpret the patterns yourself: crisis, challenge, confrontation, courage, etc.
"Of course, none of this matters. What matters is that this card is given to you now. When destiny comes, you will discover its true meaning."
“Give it to me?” Lumian became more and more confused.
Is this card really cursed
The lady put away the remaining Minor Arcana cards, picked up the glass, and drank the small amount of light red wine in it.
She ignored Lumian's question and strolled towards the stairs on the side of the old tavern, going up to the second floor.
Apparently, she lived there.
Lumian wanted to chase after him, but he stopped after taking only one step, his thoughts fluctuating:
Is this really an ordinary card
If she gave me this card, wouldn't the deck always be missing one card and couldn't be used
Aurore should be able to see the problem...
At this time, Raymond came over:
"What's wrong?"
“Nothing, that foreigner is really good-looking.” Lumian said casually.
"I think your sister Aurore is prettier." Raymond lowered his voice and said, "Lumian, what should we do next? My grandfather has been dead for a long time."
Lumian, who was anxious to go home, thought for a moment and said:
"One is to ask an elderly person who is about the same age as your grandfather and is still alive. The second is to go to the church and look through the register. Uh, I'll consider this last."
Thinking that he had just ruined the priest's good deeds, Lumian felt that he should not go to church unless necessary.
—In a rural village like Cordu where there is only one church, since the administrator has very few subordinates, the church takes on some government functions, such as recording funerals and marriages.
Without waiting for Raymond to ask again, Lumian added:
"Let's split up and look for elderly people who meet the requirements and ask them tomorrow."
"Okay." Raymond agreed immediately.
… …
In a semi-underground two-story building.
After listening to Lumian's story, Aurore looked at the "Wand" card carefully for a while and said:
"It is indeed a very ordinary card. I don't notice any curse or other special existence."
"Aurore, uh, sister, what do you think that stranger wants to do? Why did she know that I was having such a dream?" Lumian asked.
Aurore shook her head.
“Since she has revealed her cards, it’s relatively okay.
"I will carefully 'observe' her in the next few days.
"Hmm... Take this card for now. Maybe it will change. Don't worry, I'll be watching."
“Okay.” Lumian tried to relax a little.
… …
Night time.
Lumian stuffed the "Wand" card into the clothes hanging on the back of the chair, went to bed, closed his eyes and fell asleep.
After an unknown amount of time, he seemed to see the gray fog again in a daze.
Suddenly, he shuddered and "woke up" from his dream.
He felt himself regaining consciousness and sanity.
And the dream filled with gray fog still exists.
PS: Thanks to livy37 for rewarding the Silver Alliance