A Wizard's Secret Chapter 12 - Old Man Etha

Chapter 12: Old Man Etha

Translator: J_Squared Editor: J_Squared

The carriage ca to a gradual halt. Moss pulled open the curtains in the carriage and said in a low voice, “Master rlin, we’re here.”

rlin nodded and alighted from the carriage. Once he was out from the carriage, a chilly wind blew over his face, causing him stinging pain as though he had been cut by a knife.

rlin hurriedly covered his face with both hands. It was only then that he knew how much Moss suffered, sitting outside all that ti.

“Moss, when I go in, I won’t be coming out for a while, so during this ti you may just sit in the carriage.”

A look of gratitude washed over Moss’ face as he nodded before darting into the carriage. To be hit by the cold wind outside was also a form of torture.

rlin only turned and walked in after seeing Moss climbed into the carriage.

It was still the charming Linny at the counter. Although Anson and Gutt were not with him this ti, it was evident that Linny rembered rlin. There was an imdiate smile on her face upon seeing rlin’s arrival, and she opened the secret passage in a respectful manner.

rlin darted into the passageway easily as he was familiar with it. It felt much warr there as there was no backflow of cold wind.

Very soon, rlin reached the underground hall. Perhaps it was because of breakfast, or perhaps the weather was too cold, it was quite empty with not many people in it currently.

It seed that Nathan was not here as well. Alone, rlin began to stroll about casually.

There was no sunlight in the hall. Everything was illuminated by candles made of the fat of a strange sea creature. Although they were more expensive, they did not emit the unpleasant burning sll. On the contrary, they emitted a strange hint of natural fragrance.

The antiques were placed on stone platforms surrounded by even more expensive, transparent crystals for viewing. rlin did not have a clue regarding antiques. After walking around the hall, he did not discover any antique that could cause him illusions like the relief sculpture did. This also indirectly proved the extraordinary quality of the relief sculpture.

As rlin was admiring the antiques, he suddenly heard light footsteps behind him.

“Miss Carice?”

rlin turned to discover that the person behind him was soone familiar – it was the person that little fatty Gutt had been constantly thinking about. Indeed, she was very pretty. She was wearing a white mink coat with tight cotton pants, accentuating her long and slender legs. It seed that won would never forget to groom themselves no matter what the occasion was. Even on a day as cold as this, she still had to wear body-fitting cotton pants to accentuate her beautiful long legs.

Carice looked at rlin rather hesitantly. It looked as though she did not have much of an impression of rlin.

Anyway, rlin did not mind. He smiled gently and said, “Miss Carice, we’ve just t a few days ago, right here. I ca with Anson and Gutt...”

Carice’s eyebrows loosened up lightly. In a thoughtful manner, she nodded and said, “I rember now. Are you Wilson rlin?”

rlin nodded before taking two steps forward, drawing closer to Carice.

“Miss Carice, I’ve heard from Anson that you’re an antique specialist, especially in the antiques of the Molta Empire era. Recently, I’ve co to like so extrely special Molta Empire antiques but there’s nothing here at Mr. Nathan’s that I’m satisfied with. So, if there are so special antiques in Miss Carice’s possession, could you let have a look?”

After he said that, rlin looked at Carice. He knew that Carice had collected many antiques, perhaps one of them would be the mysterious relief sculpture that he yearned.

“Rare and strange antiques? You like the sa things as an old gentleman I know. He also likes collecting rare and strange antiques from the period of the Molta Empire. If you have ti, I can bring you for a look now, and perhaps you’ll find an antique that you’ll like.”

Carice and rlin were standing close to each other. As a result, her warm breath blew toward rlin’s neck, creating a weak and numb sensation. Carice’s perfu was also exceedingly refreshing and this made him happy and carefree.

“Then, I thank you, Miss Carice, for leading the way.”

Naturally, rlin agreed cheerfully. As long as he could find that mysterious relief sculpture, he would be very contented even with a re hint of a clue.

Thus, rlin followed Carice from behind and walked out.

Light snow was still drifting about outside. The cold wind that blew on their faces felt like knife cuts. Carice had a carriage as well so she quickly darted into her carriage and it slowly moved forward.

“Moss, follow Miss Carice’s carriage in front.”

rlin woke Moss up, who then drove the carriage slowly behind Carice’s carriage.

As the weather was very cold and there was still light snow, the surface of the road had also been frozen, which made it wet and slippery. Both carriages moved at a very slow pace, and it was only after half an hour that they reached their destination.

Carice and rlin arrived at a small, old-fashioned wooden house. There was a garden in front of this small house with various flowers and trees. However, the garden was currently in a pitiful state; tiny trees that had yet to grow their big and thick branches were falling all over the place, squashed by the accumulating snow.

Snow had fallen the entire night yesterday, and the wind was very strong. A small garden like this would be destroyed easily. All that could be done was to wait for spring to co and replant them.

Seeing the ss in the garden, Carice shook her head gently and said helplessly, “Mr. Etha’s garden is ruined again. Poor Mr. Etha, he’s wasted a few months repairing his garden, but now it’s beco like this.”

Both of them walked into the small house as Carice led the way. They went up to the second floor and ca to a wooden door that had faded in color and looked extrely old.

Carice turned her to give an advice. “rlin, Mr. Etha likes quietness, so you have to be a little quieter after you go in.”

rlin nodded. It seed that the person Carice had wanted to find was in this room.

“Is Mr. Etha here? I’m Carice, here to see you today.”

Carice knocked on the door and whispered into the room.

“Creak...”

The old, wooden door opened and an old man, around fifty years of age appeared.

The old man was short. The top of his head was balding and had very little hair but the old man had carefully combed the sparse hair back behind his head. He wore a black overcoat and had a thin face with fair skin, and he kept a pair of beautiful mustaches under his nose. He looked very sharp.

Just as rlin was sizing up the old man, the old man was also doing the sa. He looked at rlin and Carice contemplatively. However, he rely gave rlin a cold glance before shifting his gaze upon Carice. He said in a hoarse voice, “Carice, co in.”

The old man turned around and walked back into the room. rlin and Carice followed him from behind before rlin closed the door after them casually.

The fireplace in the house was still burning with fierce flas. The old man imdiately walked to a wooden chair before the fireplace and sat down while speaking in a hoarse voice, “Carice, tell , for what matter have you co looking for this old man today?”

A smile broke out on Carice’s face. She brought rlin straight to the spot before the old man. The light from the fiery flas in the fireplace shone upon his face, turning his originally chalk-white skin to sowhat rosy.

The old man did not even raise his head. He held a thread-bound book with a black cover with both hands, reading it with relish.

“Mr. Etha, I’ve brought my friend here to visit you today.”

Carice gave rlin a look, signaling him to introduce himself.

rlin nodded and spoke as he stepped forward slightly in respect. “Mr. Etha, I’m Wilson rlin. I really like so antiques, especially the antiques during the ti of the Molta Empire. Today, Miss Carice ntioned that there are many unique antiques from the Molta Empire era in Mr. Etha’s house, which is why I’ve taken the liberty of coming here to trouble you, sir.”

The old man added more wood into the fireplace. The crackling sounds emitted by the burning wood in the fireplace could be heard clearly. It was after a long ti before the old man slowly put down the book in his hands and stood up. He said coldly, “Co with .”

“Mr. Etha’s temper is very weird.”

rlin felt that this old man Etha had a sowhat odd and unpredictable temper.

“Shush, lower your voice. Mr. Etha’s personality is just a little eccentric and antisocial, but he’s a very good man. Alright, follow Mr. Etha in.”

It was obvious that Carice knew old man Etha very well. Along with rlin, she followed Etha into another room.

This room was small and seed slightly cramped with the three of them inside. There were two gigantic red bookshelves which had been arranged in an extrely organized manner. There were no books on the shelves but so small and exquisite antiques.

So of these antiques were broken and incomplete while so were flawless. However, these were unique and different from the antiques that rlin had seen over at Nathan’s. They were like porcelain in distinctive shapes that rlin had never seen before like the ancient bottle which had a curved opening on either side. It was indeed very strange and special.

rlin stretched his hand out, wishing to touch these antiques. Old man Etha, who was beside him growled fiercely. “You may only look but you cannot touch!”

rlin felt embarrassed and all he could do was withdraw his hand.

There were approximately over a hundred uniquely-shaped antiques arranged on the bookshelves. rlin looked as far as he could, but there was not a single one that was the sa as the relief sculpture. He could not help but felt sowhat disappointed, and casually asked, “Are these the only antiques here?”

Old man Etha seed to be quite disgruntled with rlin’s tone of voice and said in a deep voice, “I’ve been collecting them for a very long ti. Why, do you consider them few?”

Seeing that old man Etha was sowhat upset, Carice hurriedly explained, “Mr. Etha, don’t get upset, it’s just that rlin’s only interested in the antiques of the Molta Empire. Also, he has only just co into contact with antiques so it hasn’t been a long ti.”

Carice whispered into rlin’s ear, scolding him, “Don’t simply say things. Mr. Etha is quite upset already.”

rlin nodded. Old man Etha really had a weird temper so it was better to speak less and not provoke him.

Although the antiques here at old man Etha’s were very strange and unique, rlin did not find the mysterious relief sculpture he was looking for. Thus, he could not help but revealed a hint of disappointnt on his face. Shaking his head a little, he spoke to Carice, “Let’s go out first.”

It was after rlin and Carice had left the room that the odd-tempered old man Etha narrowed his eyes, fixing his gaze on rlin’s back for so ti. There was a hint of a weird expression on his face.

After they left the house, Carice asked in a low voice, “rlin, did you find any that you like?”

rlin shook his head. Carice did not persist so she could only bid old man Etha goodbye. “Mr. Etha, sorry for bothering you today. We’ll co and visit again in the future.”

The odd-tempered old man Etha suddenly asked, “You’re called rlin?”

“Yes, Mr. Etha. What do you wish to request of ?”

rlin looked at old man Etha doubtfully.

“Are you willing to learn antiques appraisal from ?”

As old man Etha’s voice fell, rlin beca sowhat dazed and was puzzled. Why would this old man with a weird temper want to have him as a disciple now?

Although rlin did wish to learn how to appraise antiques, he thought it would be easier for him to understand the origins of the relief sculpture. He was also absolutely clueless with regard to this weird old man Etha.

Just as rlin was hesitating, there was a hint of delight and surprise on Carice’s face. She hurriedly spoke to rlin in a low voice, “Agree quickly. Mr. Etha’s appraisal of the Molta Empire antiques can be considered to be the most authoritative in Blackwater City. It’s your good fortune that he wants to have you as a disciple. Others don’t even get this kind of opportunity even if they beg for it.”

rlin was amazed. How could this old man, who lived in such an ugly house and possessed such a weird temper had such great skills?

“Why? Aren’t you willing?”

Old man Etha’s face darkened as his anger grew.