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nA boundless sea of flowers, resplendent in purples and reds, stretched out as far as the eye could see, seemingly extending to the ends of the earth from every direction. Amidst this dazzling ocean stood a modest, simple little cabin, beside which was a long swing chair. A young boy with radiant golden hair sat on the swing, engrossed in a book larger than his own head, his expression serious, even somewhat stern. Beside him, a gentle woman with the same hair color, her long, soft hair flowing, her demeanor as if she was one with the floral landscape. “Ans,” the woman sighed, “Do you find your mother boring?” “No, it’s just that reading is more interesting,” the young Hydral replied without lifting his head from his book. “So, you’re saying I’m boring?” The woman playfully tugged at the boy’s ear, “I’m going to get angry.” The young Ansel obediently lifted his ear, but continued reading, “Choosing interesting over boring, and choosing more interesting over interesting, are two different concepts, mother.” The woman helplessly let go of her hand, which hadn’t been applying much force to begin with, and said somewhat sullenly, “Fine, I can’t win against you anyway.” Her words and feigned attitude did not elicit comforting words from her son. What troubled her more was that her son was not emotionally unintelligent, but rather too clever. The little boy sitting next to her was well aware of why she was pretending, and felt that her behavior was somewhat childish, so he chose not to respond. — This was what Ansel said to the woman when he was nine years old. Being called childish by a child, the woman sometimes wondered whether she was a failure as a mother, or too successful. The woman could only sigh again, and read the book with Ansel. “What is this book about?” “On the End of the Empire,” Ansel replied, “Written by my great-grandfather.” His index finger gently traced the pages, his brow slightly furrowed, and he criticized with a somewhat arrogant tone, “From what I can see so far, my great-grandfather seems to be somewhat out of touch with reality. As long as there are no problems with either of us and the Flamefeastl, the two ‘races’, there is no possibility of the empire ending.” “And obviously, there is no situation that would cause problems for both of us at the same time.” “So, violence can never end the empire, the real way to change the empire is…” Whenever he talked about these things, Ansel would always speak incessantly. From the moment he became self-aware, he was immersed in the ocean of knowledge from another world. Although most of that vast treasury could not be practically applied in this world, it still gave the young Hydral a perspective that no one could imagine. However, his parents were not interested in this. Most of the time, he was just entertaining himself. “Alright, alright… I understand,” The woman couldn’t help but interrupt her son’s words, and changed the subject, “Ans, you’re already ten years old, you should have your first pact head, haven’t you chosen one yet? Do you want your father to take you to find one?” “Father still has a lot of time,” Ansel frowned, “I don’t have a great need for a pact head, I’m not in a hurry.” Only Hydral knew what a pact head meant to them. The young Ansel had high self-esteem, and his requirements for a pact head were also high. Merely having strength and talent was not enough to catch his eye. “You…” The woman helplessly rubbed his head, “Ans, time flies, in a few years, you will become a big boy.” “Only in terms of psychological age,” Ansel said precisely, “I think I’m not a young boy now.” The woman was taken aback, then burst into laughter, “Only children say they’re not young, Ans. Well… I’m relieved, you’re still a normal child after all.” The young Hydral didn’t respond, but he was somewhat annoyed. Then, he reminded himself that only children would be annoyed at being called children, and managed to maintain his calm. The woman quietly watched Ansel, and suddenly hugged him quietly. Ansel didn’t react, obviously used to his mother’s actions. In his knowledge, mothers were such creatures. They often felt uneasy for no reason, but when they touched their children, they could calm down immediately. He closed the book and said very calmly, “I was born with things that most people in this world can’t get even if they sacrifice everything, status, wealth, power, and the most important force in this world. Everything is within my reach. Moreover…” “Ans.” The woman said softly, “Do you… not want to be a Hydral?” “…What are you talking about, mother?” Ansel looked at his mother somewhat puzzled, “Do you think I’m dissatisfied with my current life?” He closed the book and said very calmly, “I was born with things that most people in this world can’t get even if they sacrifice everything, status, wealth, power, and the most important force in this world. Everything is within my reach. Moreover…” The boy paused, looked up, reached out and pinched the woman’s cheek, giving it a hard squeeze. “On top of that, I have the best parents in the world. I didn’t have to sacrifice anything to get all this, so what do I have to be dissatisfied with?” The woman lowered her head and looked into those big sea-blue eyes, she couldn’t help but laugh, and rubbed Ansel’s head hard, “Ans is right… it’s just that I’m overthinking. Well… since Ans’s life is so fulfilling, can you promise me one thing?” “Do these two things have a necessary connection?” “Because I gave birth to you!” The woman pinched Ansel’s face angrily, “Is this connection necessary enough!” Ansel, whose face was pinched flat, nodded expressionlessly. The woman relaxed, she held Ansel and said softly, “Promise me, be a kind person.” “Kindness is a bit far from me and father, mother,” Ansel replied. “…No, Ansel, you have the wisdom and power.” The woman held her son tightly, “Those who have both power and wisdom will have more choices. This is what you told me, Ans.” She looked into Ansel’s eyes, those equally beautiful pale purple eyes, filled with the purest hope and tenderness, “You must be the person in this world with the most choices, right?” Ansel was silent for a while, then nodded. “You’re right, mother. If it’s the kindness you expect, I don’t think it’s hard to achieve.” He was confident in this. In that world, even what could be considered oppressive behavior would be considered saintly in this era of backward systems and thinking. The woman laughed happily, “I didn’t plan to force you to do this, it’s just…” “Is it because no mother wants her son to be blood-stained and burdened with sin, right?” Ansel said in a timely manner. “You naughty boy!” The woman slapped Ansel on the forehead, “Such touching words should be said by me!” After the slap, she rubbed Ansel’s head again and said softly, “But, it doesn’t matter if you’re blood-stained or burdened with sin.” “Ans, whether you’re kind or evil, as long as you never feel pain for what you’ve done, you’ve never strayed from my expectations of you.” Ansel touched his head, looked at his mother for a long time, and suddenly said, “I think I understand why father is called the longest-lived Hydral.” — Love is the best restraint for madness.

nThe woman laughed and touched his forehead, “You can be slick rarely… alright, I’m going to make some food, you keep reading.”

nShe left the swing and walked towards the wooden cabin, while Ansel, engrossed in his book, watched her retreating figure.

nAs soon as his mother closed the cabin door, he immediately closed his book, leaned back in his chair with his eyes closed, and let his thoughts sink into his mind. The knowledge of that world fascinated Ansel more than the knowledge of this era.

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