Chapter 57: Scene in a Box

A gentle breeze from the Charles Plains rustled the leaves of the tall trees in the forest. Countless wide, green leaves swayed in the wind, touching and shaking, creating a rustling harmony. The natural melody echoed through the forest. A lone leaf, unable to withstand the wind’s disturbance, broke free from its branch and spiraled downwards. It didn’t fall to the earth, but was caught by a hand mid-air. Selene looked at the leaf in her hand, then at the caravan behind her. The neighing of horses and the creaking of wheels over stones echoed incessantly.

It was a familiar scene. She was the daughter of a merchant, and she had traveled all over the Divine Construct with her father, not just the Loki Mountains, but also the Holy City and Summit City in the north, and Nymph Fu and the Black Flow River in the south.

Nothing was wrong.

A merchant she knew emerged from a carriage, looked at the caravan behind them, then ahead, and saw her sitting on the roof of the carriage, staring at a leaf in a daze. He couldn’t help but call out,

“Hey—Little Selene! Snap out of it!”

“Ah—”

Just then, the carriage she was on suddenly hit a rock protruding from the ground, and lurched violently, almost throwing her off. Luckily, she reacted quickly and grabbed the armrest—she liked to sit on the roof, so her father had specially installed an armrest just for her.

“This road is so bumpy!”

Selene couldn’t help but complain. Ever since they started on this path, this kind of jolting happened every few minutes, making her backside sore.

“Why are we taking this small road… I remember there’s a flat, wide road further east, built by the empire…”

Before she could finish her sentence, the merchant said in surprise,

“What road? There’s only this dirt road from Nymph Fu to the village ahead. I remember it was built by the local priest himself. Those nobles who have banquets every day wouldn’t bother building roads here! Girl, are you still asleep?”

Selene was startled, instinctively wanting to retort, because she clearly remembered the details of that road, she had just been there half a month ago… Wait? What was she doing half a month ago…? She thought for a moment. She was talking to the guards in Nymph Fu. Because of the “Arorne Black Sun” incident, security there was very tight… Although Mittal had officially claimed victory in their war with Tophis and lifted travel restrictions, Lanstier was still very strict…

There was no road there.

But Selene thought for a moment, then asked,

“We’re going to Molan, aren’t we? Why aren’t we taking the magic train? I remember the government offers subsidies…”

The merchant laughed.

“I told you, you’re still asleep—we’re in Lanstier! Even if Emperor Evans wants to build a railway, it’ll take at least five or six years for him to get Lanstier back on track, and for the construction to be completed. We’re not in Mittal!”

Something’s wrong.

Though what the merchant said made sense, Selene felt that something wasn’t right.

She looked up at the swaying canopy, rubbed her head with a headache, and said in a low voice,

“Perhaps I’m still not quite awake… Right, what’s the date today?”

“October 20th,” the merchant answered without hesitation. “We’ve been on the road for twenty days… When we left, we didn’t know such a big event would happen in the North Continent! Overnight, a Evil god descended and was killed. The Divine Glory Church has a new Saintess…”

He rambled on, talking about things that Selene already knew, like a “narrator” setting the scene. Selene, without hesitation, cut him off. Her father was the leader of the caravan, so she had the power to do this.

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“I didn’t ask about that. I asked what day it is. What year is it?”

“Ah, it’s October 20th, 1446.”

That’s wrong, today should be… should be… Selene’s vision blurred. She suddenly felt a little lost, then confused. She had gotten her answer, so why did she feel this way?

Why am I so confused today?

She looked down, not answering.

The merchant didn’t seem to mind and quickly went back into the carriage, probably to rest.

The carriage Selene was on lurched again. A tall man emerged from within and looked up at her, speaking gently.

“I heard you and ■■ talking. It sounded like you were arguing…”

Selene frowned at the man. Her memories and emotions told her that this was her father, but seeing him, that feeling of “something’s not right” that had been lingering in her heart surged, a mix of resistance and disgust. She felt conflicted.

After a moment of hesitation, she still softly replied,

“We were just chatting.”

“Chatting,” her father nodded, glanced at the carriage belonging to the merchant from before, and said seriously, “But your tone didn’t sound very friendly… I understand. Children your age are often rebellious, but you should still be polite to others.”

“I know—”

“What?”

“I know,” Selene rolled her eyes and lay down on the roof of the carriage, feeling the warmth of the wood warmed by the sun, “I’ll apologize later.”

After a moment of silence, her father spoke again.

“Where did you get the ring on your left hand?”

Hmm?

Selene looked at her left hand and saw a silver ring with a ruby on her pinky finger. The moment she saw it, intense yet genuine emotions and memories surged within her. A strong, impenetrable barrier blocked them, leaving only a single, powerful thought.

【Something’s not right. Wake up—】

And a faint, mocking laughter.

Selene’s body tensed slightly. She casually replied,

“It’s from Mrs. ■■■ in the caravan. I bought it with… uh… my allowance.”

She immediately stood up and jumped down from the carriage roof. She didn’t look at her father’s face, which seemed to be a mix of countless colors, swirling and shifting, but lowered her head and walked towards the back of the caravan, waving her hand.

“I suddenly feel a little… uncomfortable, so I’m going to change—”

Her father, who had been about to stop her, paused, then hesitated. Finally, he didn’t stop her.

It seemed as if she had truly blended into the caravan, happily going about her business.

...

Richter emerged from the forest, his expression grim.

His hair was covered in fallen leaves. His clothes were torn. His shoes and pants were covered in mud.

He looked at the long caravan passing before him, stretching from one end of the forest to the other, seemingly endless, then at his small hands, his limited height, his ten-year-old body, and took a deep breath.

He gritted his teeth.

“Jose—”

He knew where he was.

“Grandmasters” had a very special ability. Their magic went beyond the concept of “painting.” The people in their paintings could interact with others. The scenes in their paintings could be entered… But this special ability wasn’t limited to paintings. Statues, poems, plays, everything that could be considered “art” could carry this strange power.

They were now in a work of art—the inconspicuous wooden box.

“The 【Scene in a Box】 miracle, a lost technique… Jose, how did you learn this?”

This was a technique that could even be called a “miracle.” It was said that before the “Twin Mirror Butterflies” became the envoy of the God of Wisdom, in charge of beauty and art, he was a master of this technique.

To create a real world in a limited space. And those who entered would be bound by the unique rules of this “world in a box.” They either had to assume someone’s identity perfectly, or accept certain limitations. Richter had been somewhat prepared for this… But why was he ten years younger?!

…Isn’t this the same as before?

Richter calmed himself, realizing that if he wanted to find Selene, he would have to interact with this caravan, which was clearly unusual.

He didn’t hesitate and joined the caravan, merging into the flow of people.

His vision blurred for a moment. Then, he saw the slow-moving line of carriages in front of him. Looking back, he could also see the end of the caravan. The anomalies he’d seen before were gone.

—Except for these “merchants.”

A “merchant,” whose body was completely normal, but whose face was covered in a chaotic mix of colors, making it impossible to distinguish his features or hair, saw this uninvited guest, and, smiling warmly, approached him.

“Little mister, whose child are you?”

Richter frowned, thought for a moment, then said in a cold, wary tone,

“My father said I’m not allowed to talk to strangers.”

“Ha, ha. We’re all in the caravan. There are no strangers here,” the merchant chuckled, patting what seemed to be a hat on his head. “Look at my memory. You’re… ■■■’s child, right? I’ll take you to your father’s carriage.”

“No need,” Richter refused directly. The indistinguishable name “father” was just a temporary setting in this world. He wasn’t interested in playing house.

The merchant rambled on about things he “just remembered,” claiming “I held you when you were a baby,” and Richter walked past him, moving forward.

He passed a young girl. Her footsteps were light. Her expression was calm, but her eyes betrayed a hint of panic.

The two stopped simultaneously and turned around.

“Selene?”

“Who are you? Why do you look like an ordinary person?”