Diary of a Dead Wizard

Chapter 97: The Cocoon of the Nightmare Butterfly

Ada let go of the old madman and rushed forward.

The man called Jayce turned back and said nonchalantly, “What are you so worked up about? I was just checking on how Penny’s doing.”

“Penny’s none of your business!”

Ada lunged forward, grabbed Jayce by the collar, and yanked him close. His other fist hovered in the air, seemingly ready to strike at any second.

Jayce didn’t flinch or get angry. He simply grinned and said, “You’re out all the time, and you keep Penny locked in at home every day. I was just trying to cheer her up a bit so she doesn’t get too bored alone.”

This time, Ada really did want to swing his fist.

But he couldn't beat Jayce.

Saul, still supporting the old madman, saw everything clearly from the side.

That Jayce was disheveled—his hair and beard were tangled together—but his exposed arms were densely muscled.

And they were covered in scars, clearly the marks of someone who had lived a life licking blades.

Ada, while fairly sturdy himself, looked smaller and more fragile standing next to Jayce.

That was probably why, despite all the bluster, he didn’t dare to actually throw the punch.

Thankfully, when Jayce saw Ada’s reddened eyes, he chuckled awkwardly and swatted away Ada’s hand. “Alright, alright, I’m going. That good enough for you?”

He left the fuming Ada where he stood, casually straightening his collar as he passed by Saul and the old madman.

He glanced at Saul’s ragged appearance and rolled his eyes, “Big-hearted Ada, bringing home strays again.”

Saul watched Jayce leave the courtyard, then turned back.

At this point, Ada was crouched by a window in the same pose Jayce had used, talking to someone inside.

A moment later, he turned around, looking a bit glum, and saw Saul still standing at the courtyard gate with the old madman.

Ada directed Saul to drag the old man into the room closest to the gate, while he returned to unlock the door and slip inside.

Saul hauled the old madman into the room and found it dimly lit.

The room had no furniture, with belongings strewn about in a mess.

Saul looked around and laid the old man on a straw-stuffed mattress.

The old man had stopped resisting by now. He muttered a few words—“barbarians,” “evil spirits”—then rolled over and started snoring.

Saul stood there for a moment and asked softly, “There are barbarians here too?”

The old man’s only reply was deafening snores.

Saul was convinced the old madman wasn’t as crazy as he seemed, and it looked like Captain Jeff had noticed something too.

If the term "barbarian" hadn’t also come from Senior Nick, Saul probably wouldn’t have paid this man any mind.

Saul glanced at the gate. The courtyard was empty; Ada had gone back to his room to deliver something.

A slender black tendril extended from the back of Saul’s neck and gently tapped the old madman’s back.

It slid up along his spine and lightly touched his neck.

The old man seemed truly asleep—his snoring steady, his breathing even.

Little Algae returned to Saul’s side and lightly waved the tip of its tendril.

That meant it didn’t detect any evil spirits or lingering souls.

Little Algae was more sensitive to spiritual entities than Saul.

While Saul needed to enter a semi-meditative state to see obvious spiritual forms, Little Algae could instinctively sniff out even the tiniest soul fragment as if it were food.

It seemed the old man wasn’t showing any signs of abnormality for now.

Saul had Little Algae retract itself and stepped out of the room.

When he walked into the courtyard and looked up, he saw that one of the windows in Ada’s room was haphazardly boarded up with wooden planks.

Through a crack between the planks, a pair of silver eyes were staring straight at him, unblinking.

Saul met the eyes for a moment. They were so cold and clear, like a spring in the woods.

But if you reached into that spring, you’d find it bottomless.

“Saul, get in here! If you stand around too long, people’ll think you’re about to steal something.”

Ada had come out by now, stripped of his sweat-soaked shirt, and called Saul over.

“Alright,” Saul replied. When he looked back at the window, the silver eyes were gone.

He stepped toward the house, feeling a faint sense of anticipation in his chest.

The room was simple, just like Saul’s dorm—no partitions. A wooden bed frame was set against the wall, both ends sealed up tight.

At the head of the bed was a cabinet, its doors and side panels riddled with thumb-sized holes.

Clearly intentional.

As Saul looked, one of the holes suddenly revealed a silver eye.

Then the eye shifted and was replaced by a pair of cracked, dry lips.

Ada laid some dry grass over the room’s only small wooden table, then shook out a tattered piece of clothing and spread it on top.

“It’s getting dark. You’ll sleep here tonight. Try not to wander around after sunset.”

“Oh, right,” Ada turned toward the cabinet and called, “Penny, come on out. Come say hi to a big brother—you remember him, right? He used to be our neighbor.”

Creak—

With an ear-piercing sound, a little girl crawled out of the cabinet on the bed like a kitten.

She clumsily scooted to the edge of the bed, raised her head toward Ada, and revealed a pair of silver, nebula-like eyes.

“This is Penny. Last time you saw her, she was only three. Pretty, right? She's growing up nicely.”

Penny wasn’t exactly pretty.

Her skin was sallow, her cheeks sunken, and her hair dry and straw-like.

But her silver eyes were truly beautiful—so beautiful it made you want to fall into them.

As Saul stared into those eyes, his diary suddenly flew out.

April 11th, Year 316 of the Lunar Calendar,, Clear

Lovely weather today,

and lucky you,

To stumble upon the cocoon of a Nightmare Butterfly?

Fancy spending your life entangled with nightmares?

Then here’s a tip—dig those eyes out~

Ada, still grinning foolishly, noticed how Saul was staring wide-eyed at Penny and suddenly scowled.

“Hey! Saul, you better not be thinking anything funny!”

Saul finally pulled his gaze away, meeting Ada’s overprotective glare. “What are you talking about? She’s, what, seven? I was just curious about her eyes.”

“She went blind. After we ran out of the village, I was carrying her the whole time, didn’t notice when she got hurt. By the time I found the wound, it was too late. It healed like that. Still, they look kind of nice now.”

Ada was clearly used to explaining this and sounded calm. He walked over and handed Penny some food.

Penny refused it, pushing her brother’s hand away and staring directly at Saul.

Is she... really blind? Saul walked over and waved his hand in front of her eyes.

Penny stared straight at his face. She didn’t blink, didn’t flinch.

“Brother Saul!” the little girl suddenly chirped.

“Hello, Penny.” Saul bent down and smiled at her.

“Brother Saul!” Penny called again.

Ada suddenly yanked Saul back and cried exaggeratedly, “No way, Penny, you remember him?”

Penny smiled shyly and retreated back into the cabinet.

Ada ignored the oddness of her movements and grumbled, “She only ever calls me ‘Ada,’ never ‘brother,’ but you show up and she’s all sweet and polite?”

Seeing Saul shrug innocently, Ada repeated himself again, louder.

“No funny ideas about my sister!”

(End of Chapter)