Chapter 219: Etiquette

Chapter 219: Etiquette

After the conversation, Kaden and Bernard fell into deep thought. The Wizards were established entirely because of one person. Their rise was too sudden and rapid, so they lacked the sedimentation of time and had no foundation of their own.

After leaving Northland City, when faced with greetings from Nobles, their words and actions unconsciously leaned towards the other party’s style. Many influences had long been deeply ingrained; even if they didn’t agree with them, they weren’t so easy to shake off.

The Northlanders had their own customs and their own system of speech and behavior. Even if this system seemed very crude in the eyes of outsiders, it still provided guidelines for their actions.

But what about the Wizards?

The two then realized that Wizards, as an emerging group, needed to establish and learn too, too many things.

A raven carried the two men’s shame, along with their discovery, back to Northland City. The Wizards of Northland City needed a new set of behavioral norms, etiquette unique to Wizards.

Although they had no authority to enact it, they could prepare in advance. Moreover, Northland City had a ready-made model—Wizard Bran. They only needed to refine and improve it based on his words and actions.

Zack’s behavior reminded the two of them. They were Wizards and should not be trapped by worldly trivialities. Those false polite formalities no longer belonged to them.

The two men began to sit still, imitating Bran’s manner, only giving reminders about nearby movements when necessary. Their transformation was a bit too sudden, which attracted many inquiring looks. Thus, they gradually came to understand some of Bran’s awkward situations.

If it were just one or two people’s scrutiny, it wouldn’t be a big deal. But when all eyes were focused on them, especially under their keen perception, it all seemed infinitely magnified. This made them feel as if sitting on pins and needles, yet they had no solution.

The two now knew that being the center of attention was not an enviable thing, especially for Wizards. That lingering feeling of being watched gave them the urge to curse loudly. They really wanted to ask the people around, “What are you looking at!”

In the end, they found hoods to cover their heads and faces. The moment the hoods were raised, the two couldn’t help but sigh in relief. But the occasional snickers that came through were even more irritating…

Zack looked at the two accompanying Wizards and secretly snickered.

There was basically no privacy within the City Manor. Bran would often mention many things to everyone casually.

Except for Bran’s bedroom, they could enter any other place in the City Manor as they pleased. Most of Bran’s notes regarding plans and ideas were kept in the library or the map room, which were also good places for the clan members to pass the time. It satisfied their curiosity and let them see many strange and bizarre ideas. These things weren’t fixed; they were often revised.

Seeing them often made their hands itch, so they would also find paper to write down some ideas and then very solemnly place them in the library or map room. Bran occasionally flipped through everyone’s notes and then added his own thoughts. Most people treated this as a kind of game; no one took it too seriously.

Because Bran wasn’t very keen on realizing these ideas, many things were just thoughts for fun. But over time, everyone understood Bran’s intentions clearly.

When Bran was around, he could worry about many things. Before he left this time, he said he would return soon, but now that the Western Territory was mostly peaceful, he still had no definite news.

With him gone, everyone had to step forward, and they had to get involved in some things. Bran didn’t want to have too direct conflicts with other countries, saying there wasn’t much benefit. This hunting ground was what Bran left for those Wizards, which was why he said those words to Kaden and Bernard.

Zack knew how outsiders saw him, but so what? Did other people’s view of him as foolish or shrewd have anything to do with him? He only needed to do what he wanted to do, say what he wanted to say, and help those he wanted to help.

And right now, he needed to teach the two Wizards beside him to understand true pride.

…

The pride of the Northlanders was hard for outsiders to understand. In Bran’s eyes, this pride was more like a kind of stubborn defiance. It ignored the added weight of identity, status, wealth, and so on, simply comparing whose arm was thicker between “my old man and me.”

Bran liked it this way because he found that not many dared to compare arm thickness with him, except for his sister who only grew muscles. At this moment, he was sitting by the seashore, looking far away at the Dragon Riders’ homeland, the Azure Wave Archipelago.

He originally wanted the nearby Dragon Riders to help ferry him over. Logically, the Northlands and the Dragon Riders had interacted for many years, and he, a little Northlander, wouldn’t take up much space. The result was that the ships that hadn’t docked raised their sails and fled at full speed to the deep sea, while the ones by the shore were violently scuttled.

Several Dragon Riders kept a not-too-close, not-too-far distance, constantly explaining that the sea winds and waves had been too strong lately, so the ships were severely damaged. Next time, they promised to welcome him with the whole clan when he came.

Bran patiently explained that he meant no harm, he just wanted to go and see. He heard the Dragon Riders’ homeland was beautiful and pleasant, and that the Dragon Riders had lived there for generations surely meant there was something unique about the place.

The Dragon Riders very tactfully reminded him that they knew what happened in Anya’s Royal Capital. The winds on the Archipelago were too fierce, the waves too noisy, really unsuitable for sleeping. If he wanted to sleep, he could do it right here, with the warm sunshine and soft sand. If Bran needed, there could even be beautiful women accompanying him.

This sentence made Bran feel disgusted! He eyed the nearby female Dragon Riders up and down with a twisted expression, almost spitting. Then he said something that disgusted the Dragon Riders even more: Only our Northlands produce beautiful women! He even flexed his already rather muscular arm for emphasis.

Seeing they couldn’t agree, both sides felt lazy to talk further. The Dragon Riders didn’t dare provoke Bran too much, and seeing he stopped talking, they tactfully withdrew to a distance.

Bran and Huahua gazed at the sparkling sea, motionless. In the clear seawater before them, giant sharks swam and lingered. Just moments ago, an unknown large fish actually used the waves to leap at him, then turned into a pile of minced meat, swallowed back by the sea.

Bran wouldn’t take unnecessary risks, so he quieted down and began to explore the unfamiliar ocean before him.

The Dragon Riders didn’t understand Bran’s methods, but they also didn’t think Bran would find a solution in a short time. The ocean environment was too complex. Facing the great power of nature, a Wizard from the Northlands was just like an insignificant ant. They even hoped Bran would be reckless, just grab a plank and jump into the sea.

With the moonlight, the tide slowly rose, submerging Bran and Huahua bit by bit. This scene left the Dragon Riders dumbfounded. People who heard the news came running, wanting to see what was happening.

Under the Night, on the sea surface, a full moon cast scattered light and shadow that rose and fell with the waves. Under the light and shadow, a man and a cat also continuously scattered and reassembled.

They were like two heavy Statues, sleeping peacefully beneath the sea surface. The waves were their pulse, the light and shadow their breath, and the entire sea surface was their gauze gown.

The Dragon Riders became afraid, and also somewhat regretful; the Azure Wave Archipelago was going to have trouble…

At daybreak, the tide slowly receded, revealing the figures of the man and the cat. In the sunlight, they stretched lazily at the same time, but no water stains were seen on their bodies.

Two days later, Bran got up and left the shore. When he returned, he held a thick plank of wood. A Dragon Rider gathered their courage and came over, asking if he needed help.

“Too late.”

With those words, Bran threw the thick plank towards the sea surface. The plank changed shape and elongated in mid-air, completely transforming into a spindle shape when it hit the water.

“You know,” Bran said with a smile, “if you had sent a ship to take me in, then I should have been considered a guest, right? Out of politeness, I would have maintained the decorum expected of a guest, but you didn’t. Now I’ve decided to go over as a robber, so please forgive my rudeness.”