Chapter 153: Castrobrusso's Secret
Chapter 153: Castrobrusso's Secret
After entering the Emerald Dream, Liam found the Headmaster of Castrobrusso and a few students still standing under the Totem Pole, discussing something. However, instead of hiding, he walked over confidently.
As he approached the Totem Pole, the Headmaster of Castrobrusso looked at him warmly and said, "I'm glad to see a fellow traveler from afar. You can join our discussion here for now, and after we're done, you can go upstairs to look at some of our records."
Hearing the Headmaster's words, Liam immediately realized that he had been noticed the first time he entered the Emerald Dream. It seemed that Castrobrusso welcomed visitors who entered the Emerald Dream.
This reminded Liam of Aunt Betty the Centaur's teachings. In her class, she told him that those who could enter the Emerald Dream on their own, except for the evil ones who twisted their surroundings into the Emerald Nightmare, were generally treated as fellow travelers and received kindly. At the time, Liam had been skeptical of Aunt Betty's words, but now it seemed she was right.
While pondering these thoughts, Liam listened to the discussion. There weren't many people present—only the Headmaster and six students. Unlike the Headmaster, each of these students wore a mask made of tree bark.
They were discussing how to handle a sudden emergence of the Emerald Nightmare in the rainforest. It appeared this issue had been ongoing for a few days, and today they were making the final decision.
Clearly, everyone was on equal footing in this setting. Liam noticed that the students were engaging in serious discussions with the Headmaster, sometimes even contradicting him, but the Headmaster took these contradictions in stride.
After convincing all the students, the Headmaster turned to Liam and asked for his opinion on the matter. Liam thought for a moment and briefly described how he had cleared the Emerald Nightmare caused by a Giant Octo-Eyed Spider in the Forbidden Forest, leaving out the details.
"Hmm—" The Headmaster was about to say something when a figure in a green robe entered from outside. Despite wearing a mask, he had placed it on his head, and Liam recognized him as the professor of Herbology at Castrobrusso.
"Headmaster, sir, I have returned from my reconnaissance. The cause of the Emerald Nightmare is a broken seal at an Evil Deity's Temple, from which a corrupted Saksisakju has escaped."
"Saksisakju? What's that?" Liam asked a nearby student curiously.
"It's a giant bird that resembles an Andean Condor and can gather clouds to create thunderstorms. It's similar to the Thunderbird in North America", a girl wearing a red mask explained enthusiastically.
"Now, everyone, follow me to deal with the corrupted magical creature. The guest can stay here; we'll be back soon", the Headmaster said after listening to the professor's report.
"Oh, and guest, while you're here, you can explore the house and read the books. Any door you can push open is fair game", the Headmaster added after assigning everyone their tasks.
Watching the eight people leave the courtyard, Liam turned and went upstairs to see what books they had mentioned. Since this was a smaller version of the school, there weren't many rooms. Aside from those that clearly served as meditation or laboratory spaces, only one small room functioned as a study.
The study contained stone shelves, each holding books made of leaves. Each book was protected by a transparent, emerald-green magical barrier.
After trying around, Liam discovered that his current permissions only allowed him to access one book.
This book was placed at the entrance of the room, the largest in the entire house. It stood nearly half a person's height and was displayed on a Stone Platform. The title of the book was "The Other Half of Castrobrusso's History."
Why would a school history be stored in such a place? What made it so valuable? Curious, Liam opened the book and found that it contained parts of the school's history that were not mentioned in the official records. For example, it detailed the origin of the masks worn on the faces of students and professors.
The third Headmaster of Castrobrusso was a wizard who could communicate with the Emerald Dream. He wanted to integrate this power into the school's legacy. To achieve this, he completed several arduous tasks and obtained seven masks from the Jungle Dwarves.
Wearing one of these masks allowed the user to enter the Emerald Dream. With frequent access, the user had a higher chance of mastering the Power of Nature and entering the Emerald Dream at will.
For instance, the Herbology professor wearing a mask indicated that he had already grasped a portion of the Power of Nature. With the mask's power as a catalyst, he could enter the Emerald Dream semi-autonomously.
No wonder the school was renowned for its magical creatures and Herbology. If they could produce a steady stream of individuals who could enter the Emerald Dream, their affinity with nature naturally gave them an edge in these areas.
The book also detailed how the school had overcome various challenges and achieved greatness with the help of these individuals.
After finishing the book, Liam began to ponder some questions. He finally spoke to himself, "In the Emerald Dream, those who have mastered the power of nature are neutral, even if not hostile. Why did I sense friendliness from the Headmaster? I'm not gold; there's no way everyone would like me."
"Because little Bettie asked me to look after you", a male voice came from behind him.
"Ah, I'm sorry, Mr. Headmaster", Liam said, looking somewhat embarrassed. Being caught talking about someone behind their back was indeed an awkward situation.
"It's fine. Anyone in your situation would be suspicious. You're considered Bettie's apprentice, so you can call me Mr. Fernando in private. By the way, I see you have some doubts. Feel free to ask them directly", Headmaster Fernando said, stroking his white beard with a kind smile.
"Alright, Mr. Fernando. I'm wondering why I'm allowed to enter the Emerald Dream here. From what I know, some schools keep everything secret, even hiding their exact locations. Why is Castrobrusso so open about its secrets?"
"Because Castrobrusso's secret is the Emerald Dream, my boy", Headmaster Fernando explained. "You need to understand that the Emerald Dream is an open space. In the Emerald Dream, the intelligent beings who can act autonomously, aside from the evil natural Raiders, all gain their power by maintaining the balance of nature and receiving feedback from it."
"So, as long as we determine you are not a natural Raider, you are our natural ally. As you saw, this is the largest rainforest in the world, so the local Emerald Dream has many issues. We have ample resources here for everyone to use, but the problem is the lack of people. Most of the time, we are overwhelmed. Therefore, we sincerely welcome anyone who shares our goals. Not to mention, you are here on Bettie's recommendation, which makes you almost one of us. We are naturally welcoming."
"I see", Liam nodded. This answer finally resolved his greatest doubt, and he felt his tense nerves relax.
(End of Chapter)
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