Chapter 98: Spring

Chapter 98: Spring

The mother appeared just in time. She first calmed her son and then persuaded her husband to leave. Then, under Bran’s gaze that seemed both amused and mocking, she smacked his head angrily.

Bran grinned. “See? It all went wrong. He’s just not suited for this sort of thing.”

“We really don’t want you to go to the Eternal River. Once you go out, you will surely face all sorts of dangers. You are very important to us now.”

“So, you stage this whole thing? Hoping to keep me here? How is this different from when you were planning to throw me out of the Northlands?”

“It’s different. Now, everyone here values you highly.”

“My age is what it is. Even though I’ve shown enough strength, you still treat me like a child. You still hide and keep secrets from me about many things. It’s hard for me to get involved in matters here.”

“If you go outside, you won’t be a child anymore?”

“Outside, anyone who needs to communicate with me will have to listen to my voice. Otherwise, how could they talk to me? Here, it’s what you want to hear that I end up speaking.

But this world has already begun to change. Our power will far surpass yours. Let’s not even talk about my sisters, or the children who have become partners with the Fairies. Just my older brothers, even though they have completed their Trials and seem to have little room left for growth, in this new environment, their power will certainly exceed your expectations too.

I’m just the unlucky one who became the first to stand out before everyone was ready. You don’t know how to handle me now, do you? But what about in three, or five years? How will you handle all those children?

New Wizards will grow in the Northlands. Even stronger Warriors will appear. By then, I won’t count for much anymore. You’ve seen it yourself, Father can no longer suppress me with force. Give me a little more time, and he will be no match for me. Believe me, my father must be hiding somewhere right now, venting his excitement and pride at having such a strong son.

Actually, you feel proud too, don’t you? You never thought your useless son would grow to this point.”

Bran’s mother smiled. “I do feel proud.”

“Actually, me going out now is the best choice. You old folks aren’t prepared at all. This change is too sudden and intense. You can’t accept the younger generation giving orders yet.

Let my siblings grasp this opportunity to build prestige among the new generation. Right now, at home, only I am suited to go out. I’ve always been alone, and my personality isn’t suited for getting along with people. Let my brothers stay home for a few more years, until their bodies are fully grown.”

His mother made one last attempt. “I still hope you can stay and help them.”

Bran smirked. “I’m not foolish enough to stay. That would only let our conflicts pile up. There are too many of you right now; I can’t shake you yet. But I’ll watch from afar. I’ll watch these children grow up, then clash fiercely with you, and eventually replace you.”

…

In the following days, the changes in the castle became faster and more obvious. Another Ancient Tree rose in the flower bed of the castle courtyard. The Fairies invited everyone to watch this process. While watching, Bran noticed that the Fairies placed great importance on the Meteorite Fragment. The Meteorite Fragment in the flower bed was directly incorporated into the Ancient Tree and became its core.

The separate Mana environments of the castle and the Mountain Villa began to overlap as they continuously expanded. The two Ancient Trees became one entity through some means. In Bran’s Spiritual World, they were like two giant pillars holding up a hall of Mana.

After this hall was raised, the children’s growth entered a period of rapid acceleration. As everyone hoped, more and more children and Little Fairies became partners.

Above the castle, Snow Falcons frequently flew in and out, rapidly carrying all sorts of information. Every progress a child made was reported back to their Territory at the fastest speed. Likely, the people waiting for news in those Territories were thrilled.

Some children who had completed their Trials also began to show dramatic changes, which similarly drew everyone’s attention. People started proposing to bring some of the children who had just completed their Trials to the castle as well. So, the area between the castle and the Mountain Villa was re-planned. Even though it wasn’t a suitable season for construction, it couldn’t dampen people’s enthusiasm. Bran watched helplessly as his Mountain Villa was gradually swallowed by the castle. He watched helplessly as more and more buildings appeared around the Mountain Villa. He watched helplessly as more and more children occupied the first and second floors of his Mountain Villa.

He watched his sister train with the Wizards on the first floor of the Mountain Villa. He saw her finally earn the respect of these Wizards with her strength. He saw her arrange for the Wizards to stay on the first floor of the Mountain Villa. He saw her, as their leader, ride proudly on the Little Bear, showing off with these Wizards.

He watched his sister lead a group of children, roughhousing on the second floor of the Mountain Villa. A few White Wolves stood guard on the third floor, constantly stopping some mischievous kids trying to sneak in.

Near the Ancient Tree in the castle, a training ground was set up. Most of the teenagers gathered there to complete their daily training. He could see his brother and the small group formed by the castle’s children fighting against the youths from the Western Territory.

Everything was good. New forces were growing and strengthening.

Bran wasn’t idle during this time either. He was constantly summoned here and there to adjust the new buildings, making them support points for this hall of Mana. Since he started being called the Great Wizard, his every job attracted a crowd of observers. Even though these people couldn’t understand his work at all, it didn’t affect their enthusiasm for watching. Annoyed, Bran made himself a hood to hide his face in shadow, trying to block people’s gaze. The effect was uncertain, but it caught his sister’s interest, and she copied him by making one too. This trend quickly spread among the Wizards, so they wore hoods every day to show their uniqueness.

Stimulated by these Wizards, the young Warriors in the castle also started looking for their own symbols. Finally, Bran’s two older brothers came to him, and Bran casually made them wolf-head shoulder ornaments to send them away. Inspired by this, the youths created various forms of shoulder ornaments, gradually forming two major styles—wolf heads and falcon heads. With these distinct symbols, the factions became clearer. The two factions often fought fiercely on the training ground, often ending up with bruised faces.

Compared to the Warriors, the Wizards became a transcendent presence. It seemed that from the moment of their Awakening, they naturally belonged to a more unified group—the Northern Wizards.

Now, the youth of the Northlands finally recognized the Wizards, seeing them as a separate group. The Wizards also gradually revealed advantages far beyond ordinary people. Their natural affinity for Mana made their physical improvement extremely significant. Under the current training conditions, Wizards often possessed much stronger power. Combined with their various magical abilities, the youths began to feel Reverence for these Wizards.

…

With the arrival of spring, Bran made preparations to depart. He called his sister to the Courtyard to give his instructions before leaving. He needed to entrust everything in the Mountain Villa to his sister.