Chapter 289 – Moonlake City (III)

Chapter 289

Moonlake City (III)

Though the exterior reminded me of a post-war building left alone to serve as a grim reminder of what had taken place there, the building’s interior was… surprisingly pleasant. There was a rustic, almost artisan feel to it, as all furniture was covered with pink satin, with the walls themselves being home to over a dozen paintings–some in watercolor, some in oil, and some with graphite.

Only Lao Shun and I entered while the kids stayed outside; there was a set of dividing walls both to our left and right, and from the space between them soon came out a rather old woman, hunched and short, draped in a loose, white, cotton shirt and a long, dark skirt. She had a colorful bandana-like scarf wrapped around her head, though streaks of white and gray hair fell from the gaps.

She eyed both of us rather suspiciously for a moment before Lao Shun opened his mouth and spoke… a language I’ve never heard of before.

It was a bit of a whiplash, to be honest, despite the fact it shouldn’t have been. I mean, of course there are other languages besides the one I was speaking at the moment; it should be more of a shock that I hadn’t encountered one before today.

It sounded, very broadly, like a mix of a random East Asian and sub-Saharan set of languages, though that’s only loosely, at best.

The woman’s expression seemed to relax slightly as I glanced back and saw kids peeking in from the doorframe, their expressions coated with curiosity. I also heard Dai Xiu ask what language it was, and Wan Lan actually answer.

“It sounds like L’tish,” she said. “Madame mentioned it once or twice when she was teaching me history. Supposedly, most of the Ancient Clanfolk speak it, as it was once considered the common tongue.”

“Ooh! Why isn’t it anymore?” Dai Xiu pressed.

“I’m not sure,” Wan Lan said, sighing. “Madame never said.”

“For the same reason most tongues fade,” Long Tao commented. “There was a war. And then another. And then a hundred more. And, before long, speaking L’tish was a symbol of oppression–only those from Noble Clans would use it, while the common folk used Anvali. And then, in due time, the same thing happened to Anvali.”

As the kids ruminated on Long Tao’s words, the old alchemist reached over and hugged the woman as she laughed, glancing over at me and then toward the kids, waving her arm as though inviting us in.

“The Madame will take us in,” Lao Shun said. “But…”

“… what?”

“I promised you’d bathe her late at night, under the full moon.”

“Alright,” knowing full well he was yanking me, I agreed with a shrug. “Won’t be the first time I have to bathe an elderly woman to have a place to sleep.”

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“… what?” His jaw turned agape, though mine did too, almost, as I didn’t realize the kids had come in already and heard me say those words. Comically, Wan Lan reached out and covered Light’s ears while Xi Zhao covered Xing Feng’s. And Dai Xiu… she covered her own.

And yet, they didn’t look at me with disgust–no. Before I could even begin to offer an explanation, pity swelled in the form of tears, and as they looked at me with such sympathy, I felt my heart bleed.

“Master… has suffered… so much…” Dai Xiu said.

“And to think he is willing to suffer yet again, just so we have a place to sleep! No, Master! We are fine sleeping under the stars! Please don’t sacrifice yourself any more!” Xi Zhao said.