Chapter 557: Why Do You Look So Old Now? And So Ugly?!
Having secured his entry point and finalized his destination, Noah rented a modest room on Caracol Island and enjoyed a peaceful night's sleep.
As soon as the sun crested the horizon the next morning, he checked out of his room and walked down to the pristine, white-sand beach.
He cast a complex array of stealth and presence-concealment enchantments over himself, then waded into the ocean, diving beneath the waves. Using his localized gravity manipulation to propel himself forward, he began his submarine journey toward the Alvarez Empire.
To avoid detection by any submerged magical radar grids, Noah didn't move at breakneck speeds. He stayed low, hugging the contours of the ocean floor.
He occasionally paused to eat, creating small pockets of breathable air around his head. By the time the sun began to set, casting a brilliant orange glow across the surface of the water, he finally approached the western coastline.
As the sun sank below the horizon and a faint, hazy moon rose in the sky, Noah used his heavily suppressed sensory magic to scan the coastline.
The intelligence he had gathered on Caracol Island was spot on: the naval security at this specific port was incredibly lax. It seemed the Alvarez Empire's unbroken streak of military victories had bred a profound sense of complacency among the rank-and-file soldiers stationed away from the capital.
Taking advantage of the guards' negligence, Noah vanished from the ocean floor.
He materialized several miles inland, completely bypassing the coastal town's perimeter. Instead of entering the town immediately, he used his Earth-Make magic to hollow out a small, reinforced subterranean bunker beneath a nearby forest.
He ate a quick dinner in his bunker, then extended his sensory magic toward the town, passively eavesdropping on the locals to gather a baseline understanding of the region's current events.
Once he had gathered enough preliminary data, he slept until 3:00 AM.
Under the cover of absolute darkness, he cast his invisibility enchantments and slipped into the sleeping town. He broke into the local bookstore, using his Archive magic to instantly digitize and copy every single map, history book, and local directory in the shop.
Next, he visited a clothing boutique. He didn't steal anything; he simply analyzed the local fashion trends and used his Requip magic to instantly alter the generic fabrics he had brought with him, perfectly mimicking the style of an average Alvarez citizen.
He returned to his bunker, reviewed the digitized maps to pinpoint Grammi's exact location, and slept for a few more hours.
When morning arrived, Noah ate a quick breakfast, collapsed his subterranean bunker, and began his journey.
Grammi's city wasn't too far inland. After three massive, calculated spatial jumps through the unpopulated wilderness, Noah arrived at the outskirts of his destination.
Dressed in his newly tailored Alvarez civilian clothes and layered in profound presence-concealment enchantments, Noah seamlessly blended into the morning crowds entering the city.
His first stop was, once again, the local bookstore. Pretending to browse, he digitized their entire inventory, expanding his cultural and geographical database.
With his mental map updated, he navigated the winding city streets until he arrived at a moderately sized, respectable-looking storefront.
He walked inside and browsed the aisles. The vast majority of the goods on display were local Alvarez products and generic daily necessities. Only a tiny, dusty corner of the shop featured specialty items imported from Ishgar. The shop was also relatively empty.
Noah easily deduced the reason. Before the continents severed ties, Grammi had been heavily sponsored by the Heartfilia Conglomerate, likely importing massive quantities of Ishgarian luxury goods and running a booming business. Now that the supply lines were permanently cut, her inventory had dwindled, and business had naturally slowed.
Noah walked down the aisles until he spotted the woman he was looking for: Grammi, currently restocking a shelf of local spices.
He walked up behind her and subtly pulsed his magic, erecting a localized soundproof and perception-filtering ward around them.
"It's been a long time, Aunt Grammi," Noah greeted her softly.
Grammi jumped slightly and turned around. She saw a strange, middle-aged man standing right behind her. She searched her memory, but she was absolutely certain she had never met this man in her life.
"Excuse me? Did you say my name?" Grammi asked, her brow furrowing in confusion. "I am Grammi, but I think you have the wrong person."
"I haven't made a mistake. I'm looking for the Grammi who shares a profound bond with Layla Heartfilia," Noah smiled.
Hearing Layla's name, Grammi physically flinched, her eyes widening in shock.
Her respect and love for Layla were absolute. Hearing her name spoken in a foreign country after years of isolation triggered a massive wave of nostalgia.
But her confusion quickly returned. She had never spoken Layla's name to anyone in this city. How did this stranger know? Furthermore... the more he spoke, the more familiar his voice sounded.
Grammi stared intently at the man's face. Beneath the haggard features and the dark skin, she suddenly recognized the underlying bone structure.
"Are you... Young Master Noah?" Grammi asked, her voice dropping to a terrified whisper.
"I've told you a hundred times not to call me 'Young Master.' It makes me feel old," Noah chuckled, shaking his head.
"It really is you! What are you doing here?! Are you crazy?! You'll be discovered!" Grammi hissed, instantly panicking. She frantically looked around the shop to see if anyone was watching them.
The continents were locked in a cold war. If an Ishgarian mage was discovered in an Alvarez city, they would be executed as a spy.
"Relax. I cast a localized perception ward around us before I spoke. No one can see or hear us," Noah assured her.
"Oh... thank god," Grammi sighed, her shoulders slumping in immense relief.
"Young Master... Noah, come to my house immediately. We can talk safely there," Grammi urged, quickly correcting herself under Noah's amused stare.
"Alright. You head back first. I'll follow you," Noah instructed. "My presence-concealment magic is still active. If you suddenly walk home with a strange man, your neighbors will gossip, and that will draw unwanted attention to your life."
"That's a smart idea," Grammi agreed. She stepped out of the ward, quickly gave her employees a few instructions, and headed out the back door toward her private residence. Noah trailed silently behind her.
Grammi's house was directly behind the shop. She unlocked the door, stepped inside, and waited a few seconds before closing it.
"Noah? Are you in here?" she whispered into the empty hallway.
"I'm here," Noah replied, dropping his concealment enchantments and materializing right beside her. "This is a really nice house."
Noah looked around. The house was significantly larger than the neighboring buildings, and the interior was beautifully decorated and immaculately maintained.
"I owe it all to Lady Layla and Mr. Jude," Grammi smiled warmly, walking toward the living room. "Before the borders closed, the Heartfilia Conglomerate sent me so many high-end Ishgarian goods. I made a massive profit selling them, which allowed me to buy the shop and this house outright."
Building a successful, comfortable life in a foreign country was an incredible achievement, and Grammi was rightfully proud of it.
"Please, have a seat. I'll go prepare some tea and snacks," Grammi offered, gesturing to the plush sofas in the living room.
"Don't go overboard, I already had breakfast," Noah called after her as she hurried into the kitchen.
"I know, I know," Grammi replied, though she immediately returned carrying a massive tray loaded with various local pastries and steaming tea.
"These are Alvarez specialties. Please, try them," Grammi smiled, setting the tray down.
Noah didn't hesitate. He grabbed a pastry and took a bite. This was his first time tasting authentic Western Continent cuisine, and he was pleasantly surprised. The flavor profile was completely unique, blending savory spices with subtle sweetness. He smiled in genuine appreciation as he ate.
Seeing Noah enjoying the food, Grammi's smile widened.
"Oh, Brandish is still asleep. I'll go wake her up. Take your time eating," Grammi said, suddenly remembering her daughter. She hurried up the stairs to the second floor.
Noah continued eating, listening to the muffled sounds of Grammi aggressively shaking her daughter awake and dragging her to the bathroom to wash her face.
Ten minutes later, Grammi descended the stairs, dragging a young woman with a matching mop of vibrant green hair behind her.
The young woman had short green hair pinned back with two cross-shaped clips. She was dressed in an incredibly revealing, bikini-style outfit, with a long, heavy coat draped over her shoulders.
She was currently yawning massively, rubbing her bleary eyes with the back of her hand, clearly suffering from severe sleep deprivation after being rudely awakened.
"It's been a long time, Brandish," Noah smiled, looking up from his tea.
Brandish stopped yawning, blinked heavily, and stared blankly at the man sitting on her living room sofa.
"Who the hell are you, old man? Do I know you?" Brandish grumbled, her sleep-addled brain completely failing to process the situation.
"Brandish! He is not an old man! He's—!" Grammi immediately began to scold her.
Noah raised a hand, cutting Grammi off. "Let her guess. I want to see if she remembers me."
Grammi closed her mouth and looked at her daughter expectantly.
"I know him...?" Brandish muttered, her brain finally starting to wake up.
She vigorously slapped her cheeks to clear the grogginess and stared intently at Noah. She studied his face, but she couldn't match the haggard, dark-skinned middle-aged man to anyone in her memory banks.
But based on her mother's reaction, this man was obviously incredibly important, and she absolutely should know him.
"He taught you magic when you were little. Don't you remember?" Grammi finally sighed, unable to bear the awkward silence.
"What?! You're NOAH?!" Brandish shrieked, her eyes bulging out of her skull as the realization hit her. "Why do you look so old now?! And so ugly?!"
"Brandish! Apologize this instant! Where are your manners?!" Grammi immediately yelled, mortified by her daughter's bluntness.
Honestly, Grammi had been wondering the exact same thing. She remembered Noah as an incredibly handsome, refined young man. Seeing him look like a weathered, exhausted manual laborer was jarring. But she had been too polite to ask!
"It's fine, Aunt Grammi," Noah laughed, waving her off. "This is just a disguise. It's not my real face. It's completely natural for her to be shocked."
"Oh... thank god," Brandish exhaled a massive breath, sagging in relief. "I seriously thought you had aged terribly over the last three years."
"Don't worry, underneath this disguise, I am just as ruggedly handsome as ever," Noah smirked, dramatically flipping an invisible lock of hair.
"So narcissistic," Brandish deadpanned, rolling her eyes.
However, the shock had completely cured her sleepiness. She walked over, plopped down on the sofa directly across from him, and casually snatched a pastry off his plate.
"So, what are you doing here?" Brandish asked, chewing thoughtfully. "The borders are closed. Are you an illegal immigrant now? Because I could totally report you to the military for a massive bounty."
"Please, oh merciful Brandish, spare this humble traveler," Noah pressed his hands together in mock prayer, bowing his head dramatically.
"Ugh, reporting you sounds like way too much effort. Never mind," Brandish sighed lazily, grabbing another pastry.
When she was a child, she had lived at the Heartfilia estate and studied magic directly under Noah. Even after they moved to Alvarez, she and her mother had traveled back to Ishgar every single year to visit Layla, meaning she had seen Noah regularly right up until the borders closed three years ago.
She was incredibly familiar with Noah and Lucy. While three years of separation had built a slight wall of awkwardness, their casual banter instantly shattered it. Within minutes, the dynamic felt exactly as it had back in the Heartfilia manor.
Seeing that her daughter was happily chatting with Noah—and rapidly devouring all the snacks—Grammi smiled. She headed back into the kitchen to prepare a more substantial breakfast for them, leaving the two mages to catch up in the living room.
~~~
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