Warlock Apprentice

The premise of music captivating the audience is that the performer must also immerse themselves in the role. Therefore, even though ”Prayer to the Sea” had concluded, Flafiel, like the others, did not immediately step out of the role and was still immersed in the lingering atmosphere of the music.

It wasn’t until the surrounding area was filled with the sound of ”creak creak” that Flafiel’s thoughts were pulled back to reality from the beautiful temporal space of the music.

She opened her eyes, ready to ask who was making the noise, but before she could speak, she was startled by the sight of a group of alien species in front of her.

There were twelve of them in total. Although their appearances varied, their eyes shared the same immersion and longing. Their chests vibrated slightly, producing a ”creak creak” sound.

From their expressions, this ”creak creak” seemed to express joy. It was like some kind of feline species that purrs when happy.

”When did they come?” Flafiel asked Jon in a low voice, somewhat surprised.

”When you were singing,” Jon paused and seeing the trace of fright in Flafiel’s eyes, he reassured her, ”You don’t have to worry. Judging by their fascinated looks, they might have become your fans.”

Flafiel was about to say something when suddenly she felt a flash of blue light in front of her.

The blue light exploded instantly. Unprepared, Flafiel felt her eyes dazzled. She instinctively closed them, waiting for the light to stabilize.

As she closed her eyes, she could hear a surge of noises around her.

It seemed that many were talking, but not in the Universal Language. It was likely those alien species were conversing.

Flafiel didn’t understand what they were saying, but she could hear that the emotional tone in their language was full of surprise and delight. It was like something extraordinary had happened.

When she felt the light around gradually recovering, Flafiel finally opened her eyes.

The first sight she saw upon opening her eyes was a little girl in a blue dress floating mid-air.

This little girl was miniature; even smaller than the initial one, not even palm-sized.

Previously, when ”Prayer to the Sea” ended, Flafiel also saw her, but at that time, this little blue-dressed girl had soft light-green vines growing from her back.

But now, those vines wrapped around her back... had blossomed.

Yes, they had blossomed. A blue flower as large as the little girl hung on her back.

This flower was emitting a faint blue light, proving that it was probably the source of the glow earlier.

Mist surrounded the flower, causing the petals to be perpetually adorned with shimmering dewdrops.

Almost all the alien species were gathered around the little girl, expressing surprise and joy.

Their joy was not just shown through language but also through behavior: as they held hands, encircling the little girl in blue, jumping and spinning around her. Meanwhile, they hummed a tune.

The song they hummed was the final segment of ”Prayer to the Sea,” filled with joy and ending perfectly.

”What’s going on, it actually blossomed? Is this the aliens expressing some emotion?” The one speaking was Adar standing by the piano, voicing a question that echoed everyone else’s thoughts.

”I don’t think it’s that simple,” Shanni said, ”If the flowering was just to express emotion, they wouldn’t be so delighted.”

Adar: ”You mean...”

Shanni: ”Perhaps, flowering carries a special meaning within their species.”

While everyone pondered Shanni’s words, Jon suddenly spoke, ”Shanni is correct. In their civilization, flowering represents growth. It is akin to a coming-of-age ceremony for humans, bearing significant meaning.”

Jon’s words caught everyone’s attention. Flafiel also looked over curiously, ”Mr. Jon, how do you know these things?”

Jon didn’t reply, only smiling silently. However, Shanni and Adar exchanged glances, seemingly understanding where Jon had gained such knowledge.

Shanni: ”Judging by their expressions, flowering indeed holds significant meaning to them. But why are they flowering at this moment?” As Shanni spoke, she glanced at Flafiel, ”Is it because of listening to ’Prayer to the Sea’?”

”Perhaps the music promotes their maturity,” Adar speculated, tilting his head.

Shanni: ”It depends on whose music it is. If you were the one singing, perhaps not only would they not bloom, they might even revert into a seed.”

Adar stared blankly at Shanni, his complexion turning from rosy to pale as he wrinkled his nose, showing a grievance, ”...Actually, my singing is quite nice too.”

Though Shanni enjoyed teasing Adar, her words suggested she agreed with Adar’s theory.

Perhaps, music really promoted their maturity.

Indeed, this was the case. After frolicking around the little girl in blue for a few circles, the excited alien species flew over to Flafiel.

They chattered away, though no one understood. Yet from their closeness and enthusiasm, it wasn’t hard to guess they were thanking Flafiel.

Among them, the little girl in blue even broke the Dream Plant Fairy tribe’s strict tradition, approached Flafiel, gracefully curtsied, and kissed her forehead.

A forehead kiss, in any scenario, is an expression of goodwill.

The little girl used her utmost respect to express her gratitude to Flafiel.

The scene was filled with warmth.

Meanwhile, atop the Sky Tower, Angel manipulated the Celestial Alternation, demonstrating the happenings in the Marine Theater using the Mirage Technique.

It was the first time City Lord Monroe had ever seen such a peculiar illusion technique. Yet before her shock could set in, she was captivated by the spectacle in the illusion.

”I never expected Flafiel’s music to have such a significant impact on the Dream Plant Fairy,” Frode mused, then turned to Angel, ”Sir, could this be related to Flafiel’s...”

Connection?

Since City Lord Monroe was present, Frode didn’t finish his sentence, but Angel understood his meaning.

”It’s hard to say,” Angel replied.

Though his reply was somewhat ambiguous, internally, Angel agreed with Frode’s speculation. Maybe there really was a connection. After all, this sort of affinity, despite being said to be random, likely has some underlying logic they don’t yet understand at their current level.

Flafiel, without having acquired Authority, was able to influence the Dream Plant Fairy to such an extent. Given her high potential affinity with the ”Tree Civilization” Authority, it’s hard not to suspect a connection between the two.

But in the end, it’s all speculation without tangible evidence. Thus, this question remains an inquiry rather than a conclusive answer.