novelraw Chapter 290 Rome Stories February 15 New Share
Chapter 290 Rome Stories February 15 New Share
“My experiment is almost done here. Remember to save the soup—this stuff is valuable. The kid can only have one bowl right now, don’t let him drink too much.”
“Of course. In a moment, he’ll probably be seeing the Spirit Realm. He won’t have the time to care about soup.”
“Grandfather and grandson meeting at a time like this—now that’s interesting. I wonder if that old man will be scared back to life when he sees Leon in the Spirit Realm.”
“Unlikely. He probably won’t show himself. It’s not time for them to meet yet.”
“Too bad the Spirit Realm is under that old man’s control. Otherwise, I’d love to see how things turn out.”
“Quit gossiping. Let’s clean up the mess.”
“Two minutes.”
The exchange between Linus and Rasmodius was subtle. But even if they had spoken openly, Leon in his current state wouldn’t have been able to figure out what they were saying.
Right now, the world around him spun wildly. Twisted streaks of color filled his vision—something like an aurora, yet also reminiscent of the distorted background in Edvard Munch’s The Scream. In short, it was dizzying.
The worst part was how disturbingly clear-headed he felt. He was stuck in that strange state where he could think, but couldn’t control his own brain.The feeling was familiar—like that first encounter with caramel-capped poisonous mushrooms during his trip to Yunnan, only this time they were under-ripe.
Leon wanted to call out to Linus, but he couldn’t even open his mouth. His limbs refused to obey him. The colors in his vision grew more fantastical, and tiny fairies with translucent butterfly wings appeared, fluttering around him in circles.
“He’s already inside?”
By the fire pit, Linus pointed at Leon—now lying on the ground with his eyes rolled back—and asked Rasmodius.
“He’s in. His soul’s no longer in his body, but he should be sent back soon,” Rasmodius replied with a nod after glancing at Leon’s current state.
“He only took one sip, not a whole bowl. Did I add too much?” Linus looked at the half-full bowl in Leon’s hand, uncertain.
“It’s fine. He’s in good shape. I can feel his Life Energy growing. Let him rest.”
Rasmodius leaned closer to inspect the pot of green broth, dotted with chunks of white fish meat. “I never thought sewer water and void mayonnaise could produce a fish species balanced perfectly between life and death. This is a major discovery.”
“Aren’t you supposed to watch over Stardew Valley year-round? And you didn’t notice this in the sewer?” Linus said with open disdain.
“I don’t pay much attention to the sewers. Krobus is… special. It needs its own space. I trust and respect it, so I don’t monitor it. And I don’t watch Stardew Valley all year—I only check in from time to time,” Rasmodius explained.
“Fine, fine. I don’t get your guardian rules anyway. I just want to know—this stuff really boosts soul strength and enhances affinity with nature?” Linus asked, pointing at the strange fish soup.
“Without a doubt. I may not know all of Stardew Valley’s secrets, but my eyes don’t lie. This mutated fish clearly blends shadow and nature, perfectly neutralizing their conflict. It’s top-quality, no harm at all,” Rasmodius said confidently.
“Then you keep half, I’ll take the rest back for research. When Leon wakes up, have him finish the bowl. Everybody wins.”
“This was the kid’s find. If you take half, you should compensate him,” Linus protested. “You can’t just take advantage of a junior and give nothing back.”
“Bah, me taking advantage? Do you know how much trouble I’ve blocked for him? And I haven’t even blamed him for pestering Abigail. If he weren’t one of ours, I’d have wiped his memory and tossed him into the Rantluff pit to feed the toads,” Rasmodius said in disgust.
“That ruthless? Now I’m starting to think the rumors about Abigail being your daughter might be true,” Linus teased.
“Don’t be ridiculous—she’s not my daughter,” Rasmodius denied immediately.
“Then why did Miranda leave you and turn into the cursed witch out of jealousy?” Lester asked.
“I did wrong by Miranda, yes. But that has nothing to do with Abigail. She’s just a child,” Rasmodius said, looking awkward.
“Right. Just a child. And you’re too old to have such a young illegitimate daughter. So her mother… is Caroline?” Linus mused.
“Hmm. By Caroline’s age, that lines up with when Miranda broke things off with you. So that’s how it is.”
“Enough! That’s all in the past. Drop it! Do you want Leon’s soul to return or not?” Rasmodius snapped.
“I don’t need your help. That old man won’t let Leon’s soul wander the Spirit Realm for long,” Linus said casually.
“Only in the Spirit Realm. If his soul’s to return to the material plane, it needs my guidance,” Rasmodius added.
“That’s why I called you. Now get to it. You’re not getting that fish soup for free,” Linus urged.
“You don’t understand magic, so stop bossing me around. If I could pull him back now, I would. His soul is still drifting inside the Spirit Realm,” Rasmodius said helplessly.
“The old man really wants to talk to him? He’s not worried Leon will spit in his face? The man dumped a pile of trouble on Leon and then went off to retire in the Spirit Realm.”
“Does Leon even know about that trouble?” Rasmodius countered.
“He doesn’t. Figures. An adopted grandson really is treated differently. Poor Leon,” Linus muttered.
“Stop stirring things up. Leon can’t hear you right now. And he’s the old man’s grandson, not yours. He’s not calling you grandpa. You’re just jealous that the old man found such an outstanding successor,” Rasmodius said, cutting straight to the point.
“I’m not in a hurry. The old man hinted at something—my future grandson is on the way. Soon, we’ll both have grandsons to entrust the future to. But you? You just have to watch your daughter marry a greedy merchant and can’t even visit your granddaughter. How pitiful,” Linus said mercilessly.
“Old fool, do you have a death wish?” Rasmodius’s face darkened, purple flames igniting in his hands.
“I’m not afraid of you!” Linus stood, the soil at his feet churning. A slender sword, its blade fading from pale violet to deep purple, shot up from the earth and into his grip.
The air crackled with tension. A fight was about to erupt.
…
Author’s note: Regarding Abigail and the wizard’s relationship—this is purely an adaptation for the novel. Don’t overthink it or compare it to the game. This is just fanfiction.
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