Chapter 56: Real Facial Markings

Chapter 56: Real Facial Markings

After the Dragon Riders left, Bran seemed worried. Zoya had recovered from the shock of last time these past few days, and began visiting the Mountain Villa every day to chat with Bran again.

“I sort of miss Eileen, do you miss her?” Zoya asked casually.

“No!”

“You seem troubled. Or maybe you miss them a little?”

“Do you know the characteristic of the Northlanders?”

“What characteristic?”

“That they are heartless.”

Zoya imitated Eileen’s manner and lightly punched Bran. Seeing he grinned without reaction, she felt emboldened and punched him hard.

“I heard you went to see Eileen off?”

“No, just like when they arrived, I just watched the fun from my doorstep.”

Perhaps thinking of the time Bran watched with his family’s beasts, Zoya laughed.

“Will you watch the fun when we leave with the delegation?”

“No.”

“Why?” Zoya asked back, a bit dissatisfied.

I might be leaving for a while. I’ll leave before you do.

“Where to?”

“I really can’t tell you, it’s a big secret of the Northlanders,” Bran said with a grin.

“Liar again.”

When seeing Zoya off, Bran gave her a hug. He explained to the slightly blushing Zoya that this was an early farewell gift.

…

At the castle dinner, the Duke again began to lecture Bran about the dark circles under his eyes. Lily also added fuel to the fire, accusing Bran of being petty, deliberately keeping the dark circles to make her look bad. With a wizard’s constitution and Bran’s abilities, he could have made the dark circles disappear in a short time. He didn’t need to keep them for so many days and embarrass her.

Bran was silent for a while, seeming hesitant, struggling to make a decision. Only his always doting mother saw his conflicted feelings.

Bran looked up and explained, “These are Facial Markings, the reaction when a Northlander hears the call of the Wasteland.”

“Rubbish Facial Markings, I’ll give you two more right now.” Ever since Lily’s ability Evolution, her increased strength made her violent tendencies worse, but this really wasn’t a good habit.

Bran sighed, raised his head, and said seriously, “They really are Facial Markings.”

Seeing his sister looked ready to pounce, Bran quickly explained, “I can barely hold it back anymore. I didn’t want to hear it now either, but the voice has already sounded. So I have to make a choice.”

“Acting again? What do you want to pretend to be this time…” Lily was getting angry. Then, she could no longer speak. She saw the bruises around Bran’s eyes slowly fade, revealing some faint patterns underneath.

“This can’t be? How old are you? You’re not even 10 yet,” Lily cried out.

“I am 10 now.”

Apart from the siblings’ voices echoing in the dining hall, everyone else in the hall was quietly looking their way. Some were surprised, some at a loss. Had a Northlander child ever heard the call of the Wasteland before 14? It all happened too suddenly.

“This is impossible. I’m your sister, I’m much stronger than you. I haven’t heard it, why have you?” Lily began being unreasonable. Worry for her brother’s safety made her babble. But this time it was useless. In the past, her brother would yield, would compromise, but today he didn’t give in to her.

“I didn’t want this either. I thought I could hold it back, wait until you also heard the Wasteland’s call, then enter together with you. Although after entering the Wasteland, we would follow our separate calls and part ways, there was at least a chance to be together at the start…” Bran shook his head and didn’t explain further.

“You can leave. Leave the Northlands now. When you reach adulthood, the Wasteland’s call will fade. You can come back then,” the Duchess said urgently.

“Come back as what?” Bran asked his mother back. “I know. You wish for me to survive, no matter what. In your doting way, with the reason to survive, you would cast me out of the Northlands. And then? How is that different from abandonment?

I don’t want to become what you plan for me. You used your own experience and knowledge to arrange all possible paths for me, but that shouldn’t be everything.

I know, this is the Northlands trying to break its isolation, trying to form marriage alliances and communicate with the outside world, trying to break our tradition of Northlanders not marrying outsiders. That I survived, my mother’s doting is one reason. But this is the Northlands. How could they just allow an Idiot to grow up in the castle because of doting? Ever since I saw those young men and women prepared for the marriage alliance, I wondered, when was this news released? Some things I didn’t want to recall, didn’t want to remember, gradually became clear. Having memories from too young an age isn’t always a good thing. During that period, my sister, I, and my sister might have all been chosen as candidates for the marriage alliance.

Don’t look at me like that. It’s not your fault, Father. Don’t worry, I never hated you either. At least when you realized your son wasn’t an Idiot, you gave him a decent hug. Now, please don’t stop me.

Tomorrow I will leave alone. I will temper myself on the road to the Wasteland, and I will return from the Wasteland. There are many kinds of power. At least I am a decent Wizard. In a life-and-death struggle by any means necessary, I am not weak. So don’t worry. Since my two foolish older brothers could come back alive, then so can I.

After completing the Trial, I will leave the Northlands as you hoped, with the identity of a Northlander.”

Everyone fell silent. After a long time, the Madam spoke, “Let Danny accompany you part of the way.”

“If you still want me to return alive, I must walk out on my own.

If, I mean if, Danny were my Attendant. According to tradition, I have no descendants, so everything of mine would belong to my sole Attendant.

I’m going to rest. I won’t come here to say goodbye tomorrow.”

Bran got up and left the table.

…

In the Mountain Villa Courtyard.

The Madam was filled with regret and said to Bran, “If I had known this, I would never have let you be so free no matter what.”

“Mom, don’t be like that. Being able to live an easy life for a few years is something Northlanders wouldn’t dare dream of.”

“Are you going to the Wasteland alone? Can you leave Huahua for me?” the Little Loli Xirui asked.

“Huahua will come with me. He won’t leave me.” Seeing the little girl’s disappointed expression, Bran added, “If one day Huahua comes back by himself, you must treat him well.”

“I promise,” the Little Loli said with a firm nod. “But I still hope you will come back with him.”

Bran took Danny’s hand and said, “Guard our Manor well.”

Danny squatted down, pulled Bran into a hug, and held him for a long time before letting go. “Take my horse when you go.”

“No. My brothers rode horses in, but ended up sneaking back on their own two legs. Better to save one from Death if possible. I won’t drag them into it.”

…

Bran left before dawn, heading towards the Wasteland with his inseparable companion, the Black Cat Huahua.

…

At daybreak, Danny also left, taking the two Snow Falcons and the two White Wolves that often lounged on the third floor of the Mountain Villa.

With the departure of Bran and Danny, the Mountain Villa also seemed to lose some vitality. Now, Bran’s mother, sister, and younger sister sat in the somewhat desolate Courtyard, not wanting to speak.

“I want to follow behind, escort my brother for a part of the way.”

“No need. Danny is there. These past two years, it’s been him and Danny. We can’t insert ourselves anymore.”

“But I am his sister.”

“Regret now?” the Madam pulled her daughter into her arms. “Regret not taking good care of your brother?”

The Madam sighed deeply and said, “Don’t worry. Bran will take care of himself. He never truly needed others to care for him. It’s been like this since he was little, always like this. He always took good care of himself, took good care of you and your sister too. I just never noticed. He doesn’t need care. He just needs recognition. That’s why he must participate in this damned Trial. We’ll just wait for him to come back.”

“He never says what he wants. He’s always like that. That’s why I…” Lily said softly, as if to others, or to herself.

…

The young girl Zoya came, and then left disappointed. The girl finally understood that hug truly was a farewell gift. Bran didn’t lie to her this time. But she always felt that when Bran hugged her with a smile, there was a sense of finality.

Not long after, before leaving with the delegation, she finally learned that Bran had gone to undertake the Northlands Trial, that Trial with an extremely high Death rate. She found it hard to believe. That pale-faced little Northlander who always rocked in his rocking chair, showing no hint of wildness, why would he go for the Trial now? Wasn’t he supposed to be part of a marriage alliance and leave the Northlands? Or was it true, as rumors said, that Northlanders were always trying to get themselves killed?

Zoya began to worry about her friend, so much that she lost her appetite…