abcnovels
Chapter 471: History
Chapter 471: History
Chapter 471: History
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As snowflakes silently fell, swirling around the cobblestone streets of Stratford, Eleniey slowly made her way toward the town's public library.
She was draped in a heavy, hooded cloak that was made of animal fur, keeping her warm from the chilly weather. Leaving a trail of deep footprints behind her, she glanced at the residents walking around in a somber mood.
The night of the full moons was nearly upon them, causing the atmosphere in the town to turn depressing. This was a stark contrast from what they'd witnessed when they had arrived at the town three weeks ago.
Back then, the residents were happy and cheerful, having just recently survived the beast horde. They were grateful to be alive. Now, however, with only a little less than a week left to the next full moons, panic had begun to slowly but surely settle in.
From what I've heard, the beast attacks began nearly half a year ago. The townsfolk have had more than enough time to leave this place behind and migrate to another place. Yet, they haven't left... How strange!
Eleiney couldn't help but think this to herself. She found this quite peculiar. If it were her and her family residing in this town, she would have left this place immediately after the first beast tide.
Are these people so attached to this town? She thought in confusion.
Her friends, Art and Aiden, had also grown visibly nervous lately. They had never dealt with something like this before. She was also the same.
The three young Magi had spent the vast majority of their lives under the care and protection of thier families. This mission could be considered their first step as a true Magus, in a manner of speaking.
As the days passed by, they became more anxious about the upcoming battle. Adam had already instructed them to partake in the defense of Stratford. So naturally they had to.
Each had their own coping mechanisms to battle the anxiety. Art and Aiden began practicing spell-casting like their lives depended on it-because it did. Meanwhile, Eleiney found comfort in reading books.
Her breath misted in the air and the cold bit at her fingers despite the thick gloves she wore. Night had just fallen and the oil lampposts illuminated the way towards her destination.
As she approached the grand entrance of the library, two wooden doors slowly swung open with a creak, seemingly in response to her arrival.
An old woman, dressed in thick woolen clothing stepped outside, holding a lantern in one hand and gazing at the newcomer with a gentle smile.
"Come, little one," said the librarian. "I have been expecting you. I've just brewed a hot pot of tea."
Eleniey beamed. "Thank you, Old Kathy!"
The youth had been visiting the library almost every day now, so she had gotten along with the librarian who looked after this place.
As she followed the old lady into the library, the warmth from inside spilled out, enveloping her in a welcoming embrace. After making some small talk with the librarian, she grabbed the warm cup of tea and made her way toward a secluded corner.
Tall bookshelves reached up to the ceiling, each of them containing volumes of books. Although none of them contained arcane knowledge, Eleiney didn't mind it.
She wanted to read books written by the local mortal residents. It's what she was here for anyway. This was what she liked to do in her free time when she wasn't studying magic.
Eleniey selected a random book from the bookshelf beside her. Glancing at the title, she read it out aloud, "History of Stratford. Hmm, interesting."
The scent of parchment, ink, and a hint of incense filled the air, creating a very relaxing atmosphere perfect for reading. Eleiney settled into a high-backed chair as she kept the cup of tea on the table.
As the snow continued to fall outside, blanketing the town in white, the youth flipped over the hard leather cover and began reading.
In the beginning, the region that would become Stratford was a place of darkness and despair. An evil spirit, known as Morven the Malevolent, resided in the Weeping Woods, casting a shadow of terror over these lands.
"Morven the Malevolent?" Eleiney whispered with a raised eyebrow. She took a sip of the warm jasmine tea and lightly chuckled, "Quite the ominous name."
Morven, with his black magic, wantonly enslaved the people of these lands, using them for his horrifying experiments. Hope was a distant memory for the oppressed inhabitants.
The people's cry for salvation was answered one fateful day when a righteous Magus named Stratford arrived from a distant land.
Eleniey was slightly taken aback. So the town is named after this Magus? I wonder how much of it is true. Or perhaps, this whole book is a work of fiction...
Stratford was renowned for his wisdom and mastery over the arcane arts. He could not ignore the suffering inflicted by the evil spirit, Morven.
With justice in his heart, he vowed to free the enslaved and end the reign of terror.
The battle between Stratford and Morven was legendary, shaking the very foundation of the region.
For days and nights, their battle raged on. It was legendary.
The evil spirit had brought an army of monsters to fight alongside him. On the other hand, Stratford fought alone. Despite being outnumbered, he easily dealt with the evil spirit's minions and, with a mighty magic spell, turned them into wailing trees.
"Wait a minute!" Eleiney was astonished. "Those strangely shaped trees are the result of Magus Stratford's spell? These texts are too exaggerated!"
Ultimately, Stratford's unwavering determination and righteous magic triumphed over Morven's evil forces. With a grand spell, the evil spirit was defeated.
The people were freed from their chains, their eyes filled with awe and gratitude for their savior. In honor of Stratford's bravery and righteousness, they decided to build a small settlement upon the very land where the battle had taken place.
They named it Stratford, a testament to the Magus who had shone light upon them.
Over the centuries, the settlement flourished and grew to the size of a large-scale town. The townsfolk constructed a public library at the center of the town, filled with books and scrolls to ensure the legacy of their savior was never forgotten.
Eleniey took a sip of the tea, finishing it. She glanced at the last few lines of the book and sighed, "Even such a powerful Magus couldn't stand the test of time. The book says that before dying, Magus Stratford established his own family and had many descendants."
She looked out of the window, glancing at the snowfall and muttering under her breath, "But I've never heard of a family related to the Magus residing in this town. I wonder how much of this book is even true..."