Lucian weighed his words carefully. "My knowledge of astrology is completely limited. I can only infer from poems and records that describe similar events. Of course, it's also possible that this is a prophetic poem, in which case every word would be an abstract reference and impossible to guess."
In truth, astrology was the area of knowledge Lucian was most proficient in right now. There was indeed a constellation named "
"It's definitely not a prophetic poem — just a folk song that circulated near Altor," Droni answered with certainty.
Lucian slowly organized his thoughts. "Due to civil wars and fragmentation within the Arcane Magic Empire, as well as the Church leading its heroes westward, wars involving meteor strikes, earthquakes, mountain collapses, and city destruction have occurred many times over the past few centuries. You can find at least several hundred similar descriptions in books like *Folk Poetry of the Dark Ages*, *The Syracuse War Chronicles*, *The Holy City*, *Confessions*, and *Chronicles of the Sacred Continent*."
"A clash between two powerhouses at the Legendary realm could produce similar effects," Natasha nodded, agreeing with Lucian's assessment. "Although such battles have been rare in the last two or three centuries, during the 'Dawn War' and the campaigns against heretics, battles at that level were not uncommon."
"Exactly. That's why I've always been curious — which battle does this poem actually describe?" A flicker of disappointment crossed Droni's somber features.
Lucian smiled. "But descriptions like 'crimson water rising to the lips' are very rare. In Her Highness's library, only one obscure historical text called *The Marius Manuscript* contains such a passage. It records the topographical changes northwest of Altor."
"In the year 115 before the Sacred Calendar, whether by human action or natural disaster, the area around Altor was plunged into darkness during daylight hours. A massive meteor fell from the sky, utterly destroying the remaining mountain ridges to the northwest and the Arcane Magic city of 'Ercino.' The earth then split open, and a strange crimson liquid — not magma — surged from underground, flooding the surrounding area. Because that blood-like liquid vanished so quickly, records and poems about the event are extremely scarce."
Droni's expression turned somewhat grave. "So you're saying, Lucian, that this poem describes the birth of Lake Ercino northwest of Altor? But how do you explain the part about the sun entering Thanos's palace?"
"It's said that when the 'Sun King' Thanos reached the pinnacle of the Legendary realm, the Arcane Magic Empire's capital experienced three full days of darkness without the sun — which fits perfectly as a description of the pitch-black sky at the time," Natasha supplied for Lucian. "Moreover, the poetic style matches that era as well."
Droni nodded gently. "It seems this poem was created by a survivor of Ercino from that time. Her Highness, Lucian — can you see anything else from the poem?"
Lucian and Natasha shook their heads simultaneously. The rest was simply a description of normal scenery.
"Oh." Droni looked rather disappointed, but he quickly brightened with a smile. "Being able to learn the time period and background of this poem's creation satisfies a long-held curiosity of mine. I'm very grateful. Thank you, Your Highness. Thank you, Lucian. Heh heh — you are a *true* historian. I consulted Mr. Beck about this before, but he didn't know."
Lucian answered modestly. "I simply happened to come across this manuscript, and I can't be entirely certain either."
Sylvia rose gracefully with a gentle smile. "Regardless, thank you for satisfying my father's curiosity. Now, let's put this topic aside — dinner is ready. Let's enjoy some good food."
"Lucian, make sure to savor it. One of Sylvia's chefs comes from Trias, and the Syracuse dishes he makes are truly distinctive — rare delicacies you won't easily find. Compared to Trian cuisine, Altor's food is far too monotonous and bland — it's always stewed beef with potatoes, always pan-fried steak, always sausage, fat goose, and roast chicken…" Natasha vented her intense dissatisfaction with Altor's food, clearly revealing herself as a fellow food lover.
Lucian's mouth watered at her description. "Then I'll definitely make sure to taste everything."
Lucian had always been a "foodie" — he simply hadn't had the means to indulge before.
Even now, the chef at the garden villa was merely average, and the daily dishes had become so repetitive that Lucian was nearly numb to them.
Natasha, warming to her topic, complained even further. "Actually, Altor's food isn't that bad. But if you're in Hallum, in Rentat, then the daily fare is grilled fish, steak, french fries, and salad — the worst cuisine on the entire continent. I went there once as a child and never wanted to go back."
Hallum? Rentat? The countries across the
The dinner at Sylvia's home was indeed excellent. Fine porcelain tableware rested on crisp white napkins, and three glass goblets held plain water, red wine, and rice wine respectively. The first course was pan-seared foie gras, the second was Trian fish soup, the main courses were roasted lamb leg and braised beef tripe in white wine, followed by a vegetable salad and a Syracuse-style pudding cake.
This whetted Lucian's appetite enormously, and since becoming a knight, his appetite had grown significantly as well — so for the main courses alone, he ate three full servings.
Fortunately, Sylvia had learned about Lucian's condition from Natasha and prepared portions for him equal to what Natasha and Camille received — far larger than what an ordinary person would eat.
Droni showed no surprise at this.
…………
The cold winds of "Frost Moon" howled past as Lucian, Natasha, and Camille strolled along the streets of Gisu District.
Sylvia had originally intended to escort them part of the way, but Natasha persuaded her to go back inside — the weather truly wasn't suitable for someone with her delicate constitution to venture outdoors.
"If we were at the Northern Fortress, it should already be snowing heavily." Natasha extended her pale, slender hand, feeling the biting wind as she spoke to Lucian, a touch of melancholy in her expression.