In the Gloria Empire, January is called the New Year’s Month.
The first day of the new year's month is a festival to celebrate the new year, which is called the new year's day.
On that day, all taverns in the empire will serve ale, thorn wine, and some other cheap drinks at half price according to Gloria tradition.
After the New Year's Day, until the 15th of the month, there is a fourteen-day North Wind Prayer.
During this period, all people in the empire will pray to the god of the north wind, Karast, for a good harvest in the coming year.
During this period, major professional colleges will also have a fifteen-day holiday.
According to Gloria tradition, the interior of the academy will be decorated with beautiful garlands of silver-leaf roses and floating orbs of light that exude colorful halos.
Tutors will not teach during this period, and students are allowed to go home briefly to visit relatives.
Those students who choose to stay in school can also enjoy the rich and delicious food specially provided during the festival during this wonderful time.
At this time, Anvis, who said hello to the academy, finally returned to Yuelin Castle in the Kalras Province after a long absence.
"Brother! Welcome back! May the north wind bless your footsteps!"
Wearing a gorgeous light cyan dress with tiered ruffles, a girl with shiny long light blonde hair, and a face as delicate and fair as a doll, ran up to him and greeted him warmly.
"Long time no see, dear Fei, may your future be bright——"
Breathing the familiar crisp and cold air of Yuelin Castle, Anvis smiled softly and gave a cordial hug to the little girl who ran over to welcome him.
"Welcome home, Avis——"
Behind the girl, Duke Carrot in a formal dress nodded to Anvis, while Duchess Elena in a long dress smiled and waved to him.
"Father, Mother!"
After hugging his parents respectively, Anvis greeted them both politely.
"Anvis, can you tell me what happened to you in the academy?"
Holding Anvis's hand, Fiona looked expectantly at the boy's pale and handsome profile, her big lake-blue eyes blinking, and her tone was full of curiosity.
"My lovely little Avis, are you uncomfortable with life in the academy?"
Elena also looked at him with caring eyes and touched his cheek with pity.
"Oh, poor child, look at your face, you're so thin—"
"College life is great, mother. And dear sister, if you don't mind, I can tell you about it later -"
Faced with the enthusiasm of the two, Anvis seemed a little overwhelmed.
"After half a magic hour, come to me in my study—"
Seeing this, Duke Carrot cast an understanding look at Anvis, and then left on his own. Leave this short time of reunion to the two ladies thoughtfully.
.….….
Half a magic hour later, Butler Leonard led Anvis to the main study of Yuelin Castle.
Inside the study, Duke Carlot sat behind the thick black dragon blood wood desk, his figure facing the door.
The morning sunlight poured into the towering arched window, forming a slanting white hazy light column, covering something in the Duke's hand.
A faint dark silver reflection reflected in Avis' blue eyes.
That's a key -
A simple key with a handle as long as a palm, without any trace of magic, and with delicate vine patterns carved on the handle.
"Father--"
Facing the Duke, Anvis bowed respectfully.
"You came"
Carrot nodded slightly and signaled Anvis to wait a moment with his eyes.
At the same time, he glanced at Leonard.
Mr. Butler immediately understood and pressed the surface of the study door with one hand. After mentally confirming the authority, he activated the multiple isolation and protection arrays in the study.
Among these interlocking magic circles, this study has almost become an independent small space.
Make sure that no matter what happens next, the impact will be limited to a minimum.
After turning on the highest level of protection, Duke Carrot let go of the key in his hand and let it float in front of him.
Then, I don’t know what the Duke did.
A mysterious and strange fragrance, as if coming from a distant foreign country, suddenly filled the air in the study.
The original dull and rustic color of the vine-patterned surface of the key handle quickly began to fade away, as if time was flowing backwards.
Revealing underneath, the beautiful silver-white color of the original metal material of the key is revealed.
"Father, what is this?"
Looking at the key that was undergoing strange changes, Anvis slowly asked Duke Carrot a question with a hint of doubt in his tone.
"As you can see, this is a key. As for its inner nature... I can't tell you-"
Regarding Anvis's doubts, Duke Carrot shook his head while staring at the key.
"Since getting it, the two ninth-order extremes of the family have studied it specifically.
But no firm conclusions can be drawn afterwards about its use.
Judging from the shape of the key, its most likely use is to open a lock on something.
It may be a magical lock of some entity, or it may be a 'lock' of a completely conceptual nature. "
“But to us, it doesn’t really matter what its original purpose was.
What is really important is the extremely high nature of power attached to it!
"The family has done many experiments on it, but even the power of the ninth-order peak rules cannot erase even a trace of its power.
To be more precise, its essence is like an endless and vast world.
The power of rules injected into it is also included in it, rather than competing with it. "
The change of keys finally came to an end during the Duke's explanation to Anvis.
The brilliant silver-white metallic luster completely replaced the original dullness, making the entire key seem to have been newly cast.
When the color of the key finally stabilized, Duke Carrot reached out and held the key again.
At this time, an indescribable feeling spread instantly over the key in his hand.
It's as if you're in the cold, dead, dark sky, facing the dim stars in the endless distance.
Anvis suddenly felt that what he was facing was not a key, but an infinitely vast world.
In contrast, as an independent and small individual, he appears particularly ignorant and fragile.
"Anvis, take out the "Old Secret Book" and use your spiritual power to make it show its true form."
At this moment, Duke Carlot suddenly spoke, breaking the unusual atmosphere in the room——
"Okay, Father."
After coming back to his senses, Avis did as he was told.
The thick old secret book appeared in his hand, and the pages opened on their own.
On the strange dark green leather cover, the amorphous black mass appeared again.
.
