This Necromancer Just Wants to Plant Trees - Chapter 133

"Even so, seducing a young lady, isn't that something Lawrence should do? He's a real warlock!" Matthew hesitated.

Reiga had a look of heartfelt distress. "How can you bear it?"

"With Zeller taking care of so many things in Rollstone Town, shouldn't we share his burdens?" Matthew reasoned. "Besides, the mystery of the Southern War is still unresolved. He went to the Southern Trade Station today to observe the situation, and he might not make it back tonight."

"That's settled, then. I'll take care of Miss Lysanna, and you go deal with Miss Judy!" Reiga decided.

Matthew couldn't find any more excuses and reluctantly agreed.

"By the way, your graveyard has quite a unique style. The only problem is that the restroom is not in the right place. Who puts a restroom in the center?" Reiga looked relieved and casually added.

Matthew's nerves suddenly tensed. "Which restroom are you talking about?" he asked.

Reiga pointed behind him at the fountain of negative energy. "Isn't that it?"

Matthew noticed that Reiga had a belt in his hand, and his cheeks were slightly red. "Have you been drinking?" Matthew's voice raised a whole octave.

Reiga patted his cheek. "Well, I had a bit in the afternoon. There's just been too much going on lately."

Matthew heaved a sigh of relief and then said seriously, "That place is not a restroom; it's a fountain from a negative energy plane. You should thank my zombies. If you had shivered while doing your business, you wouldn't even need to consider Miss Lysanna."

"And if the one guarding the fountain were Peggy instead of zombies, you wouldn't even have a chance to take it out!" he continued.

...

Matthew saw Reiga off in his slightly intoxicated state. As he walked back, carrying the invitation, he met Eli.

"Matthew, I heard it all. That uncivilized old rogue invited you to the ball, right? I heard Miss Lysanna will be there too. Can you take me with you?" Eli looked at Matthew expectantly.

Matthew looked conflicted. "In theory, there shouldn't be a problem, but this involves political relations between Rollstone Town and Deep Blue Harbor. You know, our politics often involve wooing women."

Eli asked straightforwardly, "Is your politics all about wooing women?"

Matthew was momentarily stunned, but he couldn't argue with that. He replied, "Human interactions involve many complex gestures and meanings. Tonight's situation is quite special, and I can't afford to cause trouble for Reiga. Can you understand?"

"I'm afraid that if you go inside and meet Miss Lysanna or others, you might do something extreme," Matthew said.

Eli assured him, "I'm a druid, and I won't do anything extreme. If you're worried, I can turn into a little kitty, and you can take me inside. I just want to get a closer look at Miss Lysanna and see what kind of person she is. I won't cause you any trouble, please trust me, Matthew."

After some thought, Matthew agreed with a condition, "Okay, but you must stay in your cat form throughout the evening, no matter what happens. Can you do that?"

Eli nodded vigorously, "I promise! I won't reveal myself!"

Matthew added, "By the way, you should know that Miss Lysanna is the Lord of Deep Blue Harbor, with significant power and wealth on the East Coast. It's said she's also quite beautiful. Many in the South desire her. You need to be prepared."

Since he had agreed to take Eli, Matthew wanted to give him a warning.

Eli corrected him, "You're wrong. Miss Lysanna is as beautiful as a goddess, not just 'quite beautiful'."

Matthew felt his heart skip a beat, and he had been feeling that way more frequently lately.

"So, there will be many competitors for her attention in the South, right?" Eli asked eagerly.

Matthew decided to bring Reiga into the conversation to dampen Eli's spirits, "Yes, Rollstone Town already has a contender. He's more mature, powerful, wealthier, and even somewhat more handsome than you. Even in terms of fighting ability, the two of you are evenly matched. The only thing he lacks compared to you is age."

Eli's face grew more serious as he listened.

In the end, he looked at Matthew in despair, "I knew it. You won't let Miss Lysanna go, will you?"

Matthew was surprised, "Why do you think it's me?"

Eli blurted out, "The Way of the Wild has given me a hunch!"

Matthew said in a less friendly tone, "I have no interest in Miss Lysanna, so you can rest assured."

Eli breathed a sigh of relief, "Really? If you also like Miss Lysanna, we can compete fairly!"

Matthew didn't want to argue further, "Just remember to be a cute little kitty when you go in tonight."

...

At eight in the evening, rare lights illuminated the official inn in Rollstone Town. Several carriages lined the street in front of the inn, and occasionally, elegantly dressed couples accompanied by young people entered through the main gate.

Invited guests discreetly adjusted their clothing or accessories when no one was looking.

The waitstaff at the entrance wore stiff smiles.

Above the main entrance, two brand-new lanterns dispelled the darkness.

In the corner not far from the main gate, a thick layer of dust had accumulated on the steps.

Obviously, this type of social gathering was relatively unfamiliar to the people of Rollstone Town, even to the respectable residents who were invited by Reiga. They exchanged glances with each other to confirm if their etiquette was correct and tried to appear as if they were seasoned partygoers.

Matthew entered through the main gate with an adorable little black cat in his arms. A staff member approached, but Matthew politely declined their offer to guide him.

He quickly made his way through the grand stone building that served as the Rollstone Town Inn, which was cool despite the summer heat.

The inn was said to have been constructed to the standards of a castle. The southern part of the building had a layout that resembled a palace, with a simple and rugged architectural style.

Matthew felt a wild and passionate atmosphere as soon as he entered the hall. However, the temperature inside was surprisingly low, possibly due to the excessive height of the building. Even with the warm lanterns, there was a chill in the air.

This was originally intended to be the Lord's residence for Rollstone Town, but Reiga's father had abandoned the project for unknown reasons. After Reiga inherited it, he built a more modest lord's mansion. The inn was only used a few times a year.

Matthew knew that the northern part of the inn, where the entrance was, was filled with stones and lumber as a construction site. It was only half a block away from the bustling Farmer's Lane where people bought groceries.

Luckily, the ball was held at night. The northern part of the inn was also shielded from view by a massive stone wall, providing some privacy. Otherwise, the inn would not look very impressive to the visitors.

"How does Peggy manage to find out about even this kind of place?" Matthew wondered to himself as he arrived at the second hall of the ball. This hall was very close to the villa where everyone from Deep Blue Harbor was staying and also belonged to the southern part of the building.

He took Eli to a corner and put him on the ground, reminding him, "Remember, no exposing yourself."

The little black cat confidently responded, "Got it, won't expose myself!"

Matthew added, "And don't forget about your dignity."

Eli, who was excited like an unleashed wild dog, asked, "Dignity and self-exploration, right?"

Matthew's face darkened, "It's self-respect!"

Eli responded enthusiastically, "Oh, self-respect! Can I go now, Matthew?"

Eli nimbly leaped and disappeared into the ball, transforming himself into a sleek black cat.

After a while, Matthew adjusted his attire and approached the brightly lit wooden door.

He greeted the guards at the entrance and his eyes quickly adjusted to the light inside the hall.

Matthew surveyed the area and found that this hall was indeed more suitable for a ball. The first hall was too large, and it was challenging to create the right atmosphere in such a spacious dance floor.

This hall was narrower, with rooms on both sides of the east and west corridors, and besides the central area that could serve as a dance floor, the rest of the space was filled with stone sculptures, cabinets, and other items that could obscure sightlines.

Reiga had put in some effort to make this hall suitable for the event, with sofas, a bar, and a snack counter all in place.

At this moment, the hall was filling up with guests. At first, everyone was a bit reserved, but since they were all familiar faces from Deep Blue Harbor, a few individuals skilled at setting the mood started warming up the atmosphere, and the rest of the guests soon followed suit.

Two bards were playing their hand harps not too far from the dance floor, and their melodious music beckoned people to embrace joy.

Matthew noticed that some bolder couples were already dancing in the center of the room. Their dance moves might not have been perfect, and their gracefulness was questionable, but their enthusiasm and energy were a perfect representation of the dance.

Matthew walked along the edge of the dance floor, observing the surroundings. In a corner, he saw a group of young men and women chatting.

One young man, who had a lot of freckles on his face, blushed brightly after being teased by a friend about something inappropriate. The others burst into laughter.

A small black cat darted agilely from the wall and leaped into the garden behind. It quickly disappeared from sight.

As he passed by a display of knightly armor in the style of the underworld, Matthew also noticed Lysanna, one of the members of the Five-Person Council, and another middle-aged woman introducing a young lady to Lawrence. The bearded man looked extremely uncomfortable and kept his head down. When Lysanna or the girl asked him questions, he barely raised his head to respond. Matthew found it quite intriguing.

"Every young person pressured into marriage who sees this scene will instinctively feel sorry for Lawrence, but I have no sympathy for him, and I'm annoyed by his stubbornness," Matthew thought.

Suddenly, a young man in his early twenties approached Matthew, holding a glass of red wine. He introduced himself, "I'm Patton, the tax official from the northern part of Deep Blue Harbor. You've probably heard my name. I also know you, Matthew, the nature-loving mage, a prominent figure in the city, and now, the esteemed magical consultant in Lord Reiga's hall. You're quite the celebrity, aren't you? Nice to meet you."

Matthew shook hands amicably with Patton. He had heard of Patton while working on a case concerning tax evasion in the western villages recently. Patton was the key figure in that case. He was also the younger brother of Captain Brad of the city's guard and the son of Mrs. Lysanna.

"It seems you're harboring some resentment," Matthew said.

Patton smirked, "I've lost two women who loved me because of this tradition. I can afford to wait, but they couldn't."

He sighed and continued, "See, we have a tradition in our family. If the eldest son remains unmarried, no matter how much the second son and I want to marry someone, it gets postponed indefinitely. I've already lost two women because of this."

With a wistful smile, he added, "It's frustrating, really. I'm here today just to witness the moment when Brad finally gets married. But judging by his performance tonight, no woman would want to spend the rest of her life with a guy who can't even look at her while talking."

Amused, Matthew inquired, "So, you're leaving now? Not going to enjoy the event a bit longer?"

Patton waved his hand, "Nah, I'm on some medication because of an itchy problem I got from that situation in the north. I don't want to pass it on to anyone."

"From what I've seen tonight, I might not get married in my lifetime. It's sad, truly sad!" He said as he walked away.

Matthew watched his departing figure, puzzled. But Patton suddenly turned back, handed a small package to Matthew, and said, "I won't be needing this in the short term, take it. With that face of yours, you might need it tonight. Don't forget to protect yourself and your partner. That's it for now, Mr. Celebrity. Hope you can put in a good word for Brad in front of Reiga and help him find a wife soon."

Matthew curiously opened the small package and found three carefully cleaned and well-made sheep intestines inside.

"What are you holding there, Matthew?" a pleasant voice inquired.

Matthew turned to see Sophia in a light green, flowing gown, her forehead adorned with beautiful gems. She was smiling at him, both warmly and somewhat shyly.

Swiftly, Matthew concealed the package and the intestines in his magical bag.

"Oh, nothing, just some magical items," he coughed.

Sophia, her eyes beaming, approached him. She reached out and took his hand. "It's alright; I can't dance either. Would you like to dance with me, Matthew?"

Matthew hesitated and responded, "I'm not much of a dancer."

Sophia took his hand and said confidently, "It's fine; I'm not a great dancer either. Let's just dance for fun."

As they spoke, the lights in the dance floor dimmed a little. Two bards who joined the scene exchanged some hand signals, and the accompanying music suddenly turned soft and romantic. The movements of the people on the dance floor also became slower and more elegant.

It was early summer, and the faint sound of crickets from the garden could be heard. It was like a symphony of life, gently playing over this land.

...

In a narrow chamber on the east side of the second hall, Lawrence kept adjusting the angle of a crystal ball. He had a full view of every corner of the ball.

"Why didn't you stop them?" Zeller's voice came from the shadows in the chamber.

Lawrence remained silent for a while, then said, "I did want to grab Matthew and give him a good beating, but before the ball began, Sophia found me and talked to me for a long time. We discussed many topics, and some of them I had never considered discussing with her, including the topic of remarriage."

Zeller remarked, "Has the old man finally noticed that his daughter has grown up?"

Lawrence clenched his fist involuntarily, then gradually relaxed it. "I just didn't want to be the kind of father she would hate."

"Suppose she does want to get married," Zeller said. "Matthew seems to be a good choice, but don't you mind?"

Lawrence smiled and replied, "You mean Westfell Academy? Are you kidding? Matthew's excellence does not require support from a mere human teaching position. This guy is a darling to everyone. I bet even if he hadn't gone to that school as a teacher, given Sophia's character and preferences, just a glance from him would have been enough to charm her."

Zeller agreed, "You're right, Sophia and her mother have surprisingly similar tastes in men."

Lawrence feigned a sigh and responded, "Honestly, for a wizard, I'm just an average practitioner. Compared to those I graduated with, the stuff I know is basically nothing. As the daughter of one of the five council members, Sophia deserves someone who's out of the ordinary. I'll take Matthew's marriage proposal to the Lord of Deep Blue Harbor."

Zeller nodded and said, "Remember, you're just a layman. Leave the decision to your lord."

...

Back on the dance floor, Matthew was dancing with Sophia. They twirled in harmony with the slow, elegant music. Sophia's eyes sparkled as she looked into Matthew's, and a faint blush touched her cheeks.

"Matthew," Sophia said, her voice soft, "I wanted to thank you for coming here today, and for being so understanding about everything. You're a good friend."

Matthew smiled warmly. "The pleasure is mine, Sophia. I'm glad I could be a part of this special day for you and your family."

As they continued to dance, the night deepened, and the guests in the hall reveled in the celebration. The two bards played a love ballad that filled the air with enchantment.

The enchanting night wore on, leaving memories that would be cherished for years to come.

Table of content

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