Free Web NovelChapter 2002: Chapter 2002: The Final Edwards Family Banquet
Miss Aphrola watched Shard toy with the newly acquired weapon, while Ciris continued reading the letter:
"The use conditions of the relic ’Stigmata of the Stars’ are very demanding; one must possess ’Moon’ or ’Light’ or derived spirit runes related to them, otherwise the longbow cannot be drawn no matter what. Injecting one’s spirit into the unfolded bow can make it expand, chanting ’Moon’ in ancient language can make it revert, or it automatically reverts after a period of time when released."
The letter included the ancient rune, but neither Ciris nor Miss Aphrola or Miss Benanis could read it, fortunately, text has never been a problem for Shard.
"Classified as Sage Level (Level 2), not only due to its powerful effects but also because of its destructiveness. Normally drawing the bow results in no other phenomena, but excessive use of spirit leads to the ’Starfall’ effect, which simply means attracting meteors; frequent use will also cause meteor disasters. However, the likelihood of ’Starfall’ occurring during the daytime is minimal, but the relic’s power is also reduced."
"So what’s the containment method?"
Shard asked Ciris, who continued reading the letter:
"The red cloth is a temporary containment item, it has Dawn Chapel’s divine rune ceremony. The official containment method is to soak the unfolded ’Stigmata of the Stars’ in clear water. As night falls, ’Stigmata of the Stars’ will display different lunar phases in the water depending on the month’s moon phase."
"The Church has put quite some thought into preparing this gift for you."
Miss Benanis said, and Miss Aphrola nodded:
"The True God Church really is giving you some face this time."
"I knew the gift wouldn’t be an Unclassified Level Relic, those relics are virtually unusable. But I thought it might be an Angel-Level Relic. The Church of the Five Gods has deep foundations and immense wealth, yet they only came up with a Sage Level weapon?"
Despite the complaints, Shard is quite satisfied with it. The power attribute matches him perfectly, not to mention, this weapon might even have been used by the Ancient God - Sage of Silvermoon.
Hearing Shard say so, both witches laughed:
"The higher the level of relics, the more dangerous they are. The relics circulating in the black market, at most, reach Keeper of Secrets Level (Level 3) due to this reason. The Church and the Three Major Academies have indeed contained many Angel-Level and Sage-Level Relics, but not many are usable, and even fewer are suitable for you.
The Angel-Level Relic ’Night Watchman’ in your possession is the most top-tier Angel-Level Relic, unmatched in the history of the Material World. The Angel-Level magic wand you have is also unheard of by anyone. Shard, you see, our council also has many private collections, but besides Megan’s ’Tome of Desire’ being Angel-Level, have you ever heard anyone possessing an Angel-Level weapon they can carry around?"
"I heard someone mentioned my name, oh, good morning, Shard, your bow is truly beautiful."
Audrey said as she walked in from the doorway, easily identifying the relic with her wisdom as the Grand Witch:
"’Stigmata of the Stars’? The Church actually parted with this to give to Shard?"
"Shard was complaining that the Church didn’t provide an Angel-Level Relic."
Miss Benanis said with a smile, Megan took off the gold and silver small book hanging around her neck, transforming it into the ’Tome of Desire’, and then turning that book into a longbow shape, placing it alongside Shard’s bow:
"Want to go outside and test the power of these relics? This island is mine, you can shoot anything and I wouldn’t mind."
The effect of ’Stigmata of the Stars’ is quite remarkable. Shard’s vision extends while aiming the drawn bow, and the bow has auxiliary aiming functionalities as well as arrow direction correction features. Regarding the arrow’s power, at close range under the same consumption, the attack area isn’t as large as Shard’s ’Moonlight Slash’, but the single-point attack power is stronger than normal ’Moonlight Slash’, although drawing a bow and shooting arrows is inherently more troublesome. freewebnσvel.cøm
However, ’Moonlight Slash’ ultimately has limited range, whereas ’Stigmata of the Stars’ excels in sheer range, ensuring no reduction in arrow power because of distance.
Hence, the appearance of this bow provides Shard with yet another ultra-long-range attack weapon. Notably, its compact size is only slightly larger than the palm, making it conveniently portable in a bag, much superior to ’Night Watchman’.
[Perhaps, you might consider carrying a violin case.]
"She" suggested with a smile, and Shard quickly shook his head envisioning that scenario. freēwebnovel.com
Crucially, Shard perceives the true function of the newly acquired relic as not merely its power, but the ability to shoot the ’Aikenora - Arrow of the Chosen’.
That Angel-Level relic arrow was also brought by Shard to partake in the Battle of Green Lake. If Shard personally fires it, anyone qualifying as a Circle Sorcerer hit by it becomes the ’Chosen One of Knowledge and Wisdom’, but to unleash the arrow’s full power, Shard alongside someone else must shoot it.
Without Shard’s involvement, its power cannot be utilized.
Furthermore, the ’Aikenora - Arrow of the Chosen’ must be fired using a special bow or crossbow. Shard even ordered an alchemical crossbow at a high price from Old John, readying for it to break after firing the arrow, though he ultimately never got to use it. Originally contemplating borrowing Megan and Audrey’s ’Tome of Desire’, yet never needed it.
Now owning ’Stigmata of the Stars’, worries about having arrows but no bow are a thing of the past.
The gifts sent by the Church are an unexpected joy; Shard never imagined he’d receive rewards or praise for everything he has done... sometimes he even looks forward to Luviya’s praise. Hence, when attempting ’Stigmata of the Stars’ with Audrey, he even felt like he was taking something that didn’t belong to him, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
After storing those items at home, he returned to the inn and then walked with Audrey towards Edwards’ Old House.
Today is Sunday, close to eighty hours have passed since the Green Lake Battle concluded early Thursday morning. How the descendants of Edwards, those souls, and those living beings will be arranged became the last matter Shard needed to face.
Shard and Audrey didn’t have any pressing matters, they walked side by side on the sunlit island. Audrey appeared somewhat preoccupied, knowing once this matter concludes, Shard’s visits to the Green Lake Region would most likely decrease, pondering if she should be more daring and do something unexpected.
Additionally, she treated this as a date, possibly her last one with Shard for the time being.
Her right hand continuously expanded until it transformed into Megan, walking hand in hand with her. Shard curiously glanced at the sisters, still finding it magical even now.
"I heard from Luviya that you’ve met Miss Pavo?"
Audrey initiated the conversation, and Shard nodded, having already recounted that night on the island in fragmented detail:
"I met her, and she said I would learn some interesting things from your ancestors and invited me to witness the ’truth’ they chose when I have time."
Before the final confrontation with Laplace Klein Howard, Shard didn’t understand much about this sentence. Now, Shard roughly knows Miss Pavo must have learned some things about the Apocalypse from the Diviner’s mouth.
The two sisters, who have known the current president of the Truth Society for a long time, nodded:
"In my view, Miss Pavo is a genius not inferior to the ancestors. It’s just that she’s not as old as the ancestors; otherwise, she might become even more terrifying than them."
Such an evaluation is quite exaggerated, but Shard knows Megan and Audrey wouldn’t randomly exaggerate such matters.
He sighed softly and nodded:
"It really might be necessary to chat with Miss Pavo again in the future. I always thought that Miss Sylvia would have more common topics with her, you know, they both like mathematics."
"Speaking of Sylvia, though I can’t yet open portals across half the Old Continent like she can, after the Edwards’ Ascension Technique, when I reach the Twelfth Rank at some point, my spatial power will also strengthen."
Thus, the three chatted side by side, walking through the forest path, through Green Lake Town, which now seemed increasingly empty, towards the road beneath the hill, and towards the Edwards’ Old House.
Although the Circle Sorcerers of the church still operated on the island, Megan and Audrey’s identity as "island masters" allowed them to sense others from afar, so they avoided the gaze of strangers along the way.
And the Edwards’ Old House is currently not open to the church. The spatial power formed a barrier preventing others from approaching there, so the vicinity of the old house, which should have been the island’s core, instead had no one around.
When Shard and the two sisters arrived at the old house’s courtyard entrance, Megan did not push the door first but stood with Shard at this high place, looking towards the small town below the hill;
"The anomaly of space leads to the anomaly of time; this town, even without frequent maintenance, would probably remain this way for centuries."
"Seems like you’re quite melancholic."
Shard looked at them. The witch bit her lip:
"Since I became a Circle Sorcerer and a witch, I’ve been worrying and preparing for the family’s final day. Now, the nightmare night has finally ended...well, with you protecting me, it’s not much of a nightmare."
They looked towards Shard:
"It just feels like suddenly there’s no goal."
"There’s still much to come in the future, thirteen Chosen Ones, only six have appeared so far. Audrey, Megan, you must continue to help me."
Shard said with a smile:
"And you also have to help the Green siblings, manage Green Lake Central Island in reality well... I hear it’s going to be renamed Paradise Island now? After all, it’s your hometown, help it restore to its original state. Oh, and looking after the seal on this island has become your duty; every generation of the Grand Witch of Wisdom and Knowledge must inherit this responsibility in the future unless you wish to give this island to the church."
"The way you say it, I feel really pressured."
The witch with light brown shoulder-length hair said softly, looking into Shard’s eyes:
"Thank you."
"Do you need to thank me?"
Holding hands, the two sisters smiled and nodded, then surrounded Shard, each reaching out a hand to embrace him and kissed him together.
Actually, this should count as kissing the same person, but fortunately, the Outlander has learned in this year’s time how to simultaneously kiss two girls, hence not fumbling.
The late spring wind gently brushed past; although it snowed yesterday, today’s temperature wasn’t very low. Sunlight spilled over the small town beneath the hill, over the Edwards’ Old House behind them, where various stories had occurred, and over their shoulders.
The Outlander knew that once again, he had found the best ending to the story.
In the area not open to the church, Megan and Audrey easily crossed over with Shard after reverting back to one person. The closed courtyard gate opened with just a light push from Megan.
The people in the house probably guessed that Shard would come today or tomorrow, so they were ready to welcome them.
The building’s door was opened a step in advance. The once tentacled Evil Object, now the living Sloss Edwards, as the eldest in the family currently, also temporarily responsible for managing the family after the "ancestor’s" death, welcomed them at the door.
The Green siblings, who were still on the church’s key surveillance list, had arrived here before Shard and Megan; thus, besides Laplace Howard, Laster Edwards, the remaining 19 members of the Edwards Family, regardless of life or death, were all gathered in this house now. Besides them, Durut Giles was also present, but he did not participate in the subsequent gathering, waiting in a room upstairs for Shard to find him.
This special "Edwards Family Banquet" was no longer held in the basement or the banquet hall upstairs but in the family dining room on the first floor with the "family lineage".
Although Megan and Audrey appeared as one, adding Shard, the "outsider," there were still 19 people seated around the table. At one end of the long table, covered in a tablecloth, the family head’s seat was finally taken by Shard. The verdant giant tree replaced the bloody big tree, and he replaced Laplace Howard.
Sunlight poured through the windows, illuminating the white tablecloth and the teacup before each person. The living basked in the light, all eyes on the young man in the host’s seat; the souls under the sunlight manifested a milky white luster. Perhaps there were once conflicts among them, but with the fall of Laplace Howard, now nothing else mattered.
They probably talked about many things during these days, but Shard didn’t know any of it.
He could only see the family lineage, originally hidden, now fully revealed on the wall between the windows. Someone, unknown who, filled in the names of the fifth and sixth generations’ descendants in the previously vacant positions.
Now the family lineage is complete, and everything has come to an end.
