Do ratmen dream of the sacred tree of spirits?

Chapter 46 Emergency Situation

"Fafner, please wait a moment. I'll have the kitchen prepare a meal for you to take home. Don't be shy."

Fafnir waited for a while in the castle's first-floor hall and received a silver lunchbox from the kitchen.

Cecilia had no objection; it was perfectly normal for the Viscount's daughter to reward those around her with food.

"Thank you so much, Joël," Fafnir said earnestly.

"See you later. I'll stay home this afternoon and read 'The Spirit World's Spirit Language'."

"You're welcome, Fafnir. Eat it quickly, it won't taste good when it gets cold. Goodbye! Come to the garden early tomorrow to practice your magic."

Oh, how beautiful is Roelle, what a kind noble lady!

When Fafner got home, he opened the lunchbox.

Oh, the plump goose meat and stewed fish look very appetizing.

But he wouldn't eat it at noon; Elisa had saved lunch for him that morning.

Fafnir wants to enjoy the delicious food with his parents in the evening.

……

During the holiday, Fafnir also visited Martha and Allen, and they are in much better spirits now.

"Fafner! Thank you, I've mastered the basics of meditation!" Martha was delighted.

A few days later, he received the same good news from Allen.

"Fafner, thank you. Martha and I are heading back to school to try out clairvoyance. Have a great holiday!"

Although the ledger states that the interest rate after the two learn the framework is "Basic Meditation Progress +1/Debtor/Month," meaning that if Martha masters Basic Meditation in this month, Fafnir will gain one point of progress in Basic Meditation,

However, since Fafnir's basic meditation practice was already maxed out, Martha and Allen's "interest" was negligible and didn't increase their progress in Fafnir's meditation practice.

However, Fafnir felt that he entered meditation a little faster, but he wasn't sure if it was just his imagination.

……

The holiday passed by day by day.

Fafnir practices spiritual training and fireball magic in the morning, and Cecilia teaches him the basics of swordsmanship in the afternoon.

Now Fafnir packs his lunch in a lunchbox and brings it to the castle, so he doesn't have to go home for lunch and can practice his magic in the afternoon.

Joel would occasionally ask him questions about magic or challenge him to a sword fight—of course, Joel always won.

"Fafner, you've improved," Joelle said. "At first you couldn't even hold a sword properly, but this time you at least managed to block one."

"I couldn't block the second one."

"That's still better than before."

……

The day before school started, Fafnir didn't go to the castle to practice his magic. He was packing his things in his room when he heard someone knocking on the door.

Joelle stood outside the door, wearing a school uniform, her golden braids hanging down her chest. Cecilia stood behind her, carrying a suitcase.

"Good morning, Fafnir!"

Tomorrow morning, we'll meet in the square and get on the carriage together.

Fafnir paused for a moment.

"No need, thank you. I can take the carriage myself."

"It's not far, and it's on the way," Joelle said casually, as if it were a matter of course. "Cecilia has already told the driver."

Fafnir glanced at Cecilia, and Cecilia nodded.

"Thank you!"

……

When Fafnir arrived at the square at dawn, the carriage was already waiting there; the carriage was dark, and the coat of arms of the Lorraine family was emblazoned on the doors.

Joël jumped out of the car and waved to him: "Fafner, good morning! Get in quickly."

The carriage was lined with deep red velvet cushions, which were very comfortable to sit on.

Fafnir placed the cloth bag containing some luggage at his feet, sitting upright, not daring to lean back.

I felt a little uncomfortable.

"Why are you sitting so upright?" Joël leaned back in his chair, holding a book in his hand.

"I'm used to it."

Joelle glanced at him, asked no more questions, and continued reading her book.

The carriage drove through the streets of Ryan, through the city gates, and headed toward the grammar school. Fafnir watched as the scenery outside the window gradually became familiar.

The opening ceremony was similar to last year's. Bishop Andrei stood on the stage to give a speech, welcoming the new students and encouraging them to study diligently. Sister Fanning explained the library rules. Mr. Victor sat in the first row of the faculty section. Fafnir winked at him.

There were more impoverished students in the last few rows of the auditorium than last semester, and some of the children were quite small.

Fafner stood at the end of the faculty and staff line, listening to Bishop Andrei read out the list of new students.

The holiday is over, and my fourth semester at the grammar school has begun. I hope this semester will be peaceful.

……

On an ordinary Tuesday afternoon, Fafnir was browsing books on second-tier spells on the third floor of the library. Sunlight streamed in through the stained-glass windows, casting a blurry patch of light on the table.

Sister Fanning was reading at the reception desk on the first floor; the only sound in the library was the turning of pages.

However, the floor suddenly shook.

It wasn't an illusion—Fafner's book wobbled slightly. He looked up, and the sunlight outside the window was as usual, as if nothing had happened.

A few seconds later, screams came from outside.

Fafner stood up and walked to the window. Downstairs, several students were running towards the teaching building. They were running very fast. Some of them fell down but got up again, not caring about anything else.

Another loud bang, this time closer, shook the ground so much that several books fell from the bookshelf and hit the floor with a dull thud.

Fafnir turned and went downstairs. He encountered several students running up the stairs. One student almost bumped into him, and his eyes were red.

"What's wrong?" Fafnir asked.

"Someone...someone is attacking the school..."

Fafnir didn't ask any more questions and quickly walked downstairs.

The lobby on the first floor was in complete chaos. Several students in school uniforms stood at the door, too afraid to go out, their faces pale. Sister Fanning was not at the reception desk; her book was still open on the table, and the dark drink next to it was still steaming.

Fafner walked out of the library,

Several people dressed in gray robes were standing in the open space in front of the teaching building.

Their robes were old, with holes in some places, and they looked no different from the dockworkers.

The thing beneath their feet was peculiar—dark red patterns spread outwards from where they stood, like veins slowly growing on the ground.

Where the patterns passed, the stone slab emitted a faint cracking sound.

Fafnir activated his clairvoyance.

The gray-robed man's spiritual aura was dark red, murky, and unstable, like blood seeping from a wound.

Mr. Victor, dressed in an old black priest's robe, stood in the center of the open space. He seemed to have arrived at some unknown time.

The situation seems alright; Fafner did not see any students injured.

Mr. Victor raised his hand, and silvery-white spiritual threads shot out from his palm, striking the gray-robed man at the front, who was instantly knocked to the ground.

A familiar and loud voice rang out throughout the school: "Stay alert! All students, please remain indoors!"