Free Web NovelChapter 2016: Chapter 2016: New Collectibles
As she spoke, she tried to discern any clues from the expression of the surrounding "people," but unfortunately, she couldn’t see anything:
"Five tasks need to be completed, the Primal Fire and the cards don’t seem to require my effort, Shard and the Nun can collect them themselves, but I will continue to pay attention; enhancing the power and Shard’s goodwill towards me can’t be achieved all at once, it needs to be done step by step, but I will definitely succeed. Only resurrecting the dead, that’s the most difficult. First, we need to know what exactly it refers to, and then we can ’resurrect.’
It might be a human, but it could also be something else.
"I need to remind you, Chosen of Balance, even if you complete the five tasks, it doesn’t mean you will necessarily achieve what you want. The sun and the moon, angels and demons, virtue and sin, and many other things can influence the future, you have only gained what you can do,"
"If" said again, and Iluna nodded heavily.
Upon looking around again, the Nun, the grey-headed eagle, the angels, and those mists had disappeared at some point. She knew the game of "If" was about to end, but she had one more thing to do:
"The game isn’t over, the story continues. Let me take one last action."
"If" naturally did not object:
"Certainly."
[You received the Guardians’ hint, in your pondering state, you decided to do one last thing before resting, so what will you do?]
"Go to the Prophet’s Society on Silver Cross Avenue and find Luviya Annette, then inquire about what she did to Space-Time."
The man in white robes nodded with some surprise:
"As you wish."
[You arrived at the local Prophet’s Society.] free𝑤ebnovel.com
[With an appointment, you saw Luviya Annette in the divination room, and you inquired about what she did to Space-Time.]
[The fight began.]
[You lost.]
[You were locked in the basement of No. 6, Saint Delan Square by Luviya Annette. She didn’t abuse you, but the next time you see sunshine will likely be a long time from now.]
The parchment roll was rolled up again, and Iluna shook her head in dissatisfaction:
"You say I’m the Chosen Savior, yet in these three games, I barely defeated anyone?"
"That’s for you to find out on your own. However, congratulations on successfully completing my game!"
After putting away the parchment roll, he gently clapped and then pulled out another piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to her;
"This is the prize for the game. Farewell, Savior, may you achieve your ideals, and may you work alongside the Outlander to help this world."
He bowed to Iluna and the displeased cat behind her, then turned and stepped over the threshold, returning to Saint Delan Square. The crowd parted like currents of water to make way for him, and he quickly disappeared from Iluna’s view.
The eighteen-year-old girl suddenly felt a sense of loss, but then she gathered her spirits again:
"Flame, cards, resurrection, power, love, flame, cards, resurrection... What, exactly, are the dead things around us?"
Then she looked down at the paper in her hand, seeing thirteen golden symbols connected by lines. In an instant, it was as if lightning struck her, making Iluna’s hand tremble, and the paper fell, turning into ashes before reaching the ground. But it didn’t matter; the strange pattern formed by the thirteen Holy Emblems was already deeply etched into her mind. The Ring of Fate didn’t move, but she clearly felt that her unique balance power, the strength she got from previous Chosen Ones, had become even stronger.
[Iluna, you have gained further understanding of "balance," your soul has grown stronger; you can inflict more damage on the Chosen Ones; your mastery of all Arcane Techniques has increased.]
[Iluna, you have gained some insight into ’Fate.’]
Your own gentle whispers sounded beside her ears.
"Iluna!"
A familiar figure ascended the steps and called out her name. Shocked by her unusual progress, Iluna looked up, realizing that Luviya had also returned to Tobesk.
"Why are you standing in the foyer staring at the door? Did something happen?"
The purple-eyed Diviner, dusty from travel, worriedly patted Iluna’s shoulder and closed the door after entering the house.
"It’s nothing, really, just some thoughts,"
Iluna said while looking around the foyer; all the anomalies had disappeared, leaving only some ashes on the carpet. The cat was already flicking its tail, heading back upstairs, while Shard had not yet returned:
"I just thought of... there’s something I need to tell you, uh... the Grand Witch of Wisdom opened the door, Shard has given her the key."
Iluna whispered, but saw Luviya was not angry, but surprisingly nodded:
"Do they really have such courage now? Seems I’ve underestimated these witches a bit."
At this time, Shard was still in Green Lake City, having sent off the doctor and his group, intending to go directly home. But after returning to the Green Lake Hotel, he went to Green Island again to say a few more words to Megan, with whom he had just breached a relationship barrier last night, and then happened to run into Miss Sylvia and Miss Aphrola on the hotel’s first floor:
"We’re leaving tomorrow to return to Velindale City. We’ll leave things here to Megan and Hevy."
"In such a hurry... Well, safe travels. I’ll go to the train station tomorrow to see you off."
Miss Sylvia nodded and then smiled, asking Shard:
"Did you know? Megan and Audrey have both been promoted to Twelfth Rank. When we met her earlier, she was speaking with us with a very happy smile, probably because she’s pleased with her promotion."
Shard felt that Megan was definitely not happy for that reason, but he couldn’t reveal the true reason, so he had to brush off the topic:
"Most of the matters here at Green Lake have been dealt with. Have you chosen the time for me to enter the Council?"
"Either tomorrow or the day after. Galina will notify you anytime if there are any updates."
Megan’s journey from Green Lake Hotel to Shard’s place would be more convenient, but she still has a lot on her hands, unlike Miss Galina who could send a maid to the Shard Family whenever she wishes.
"Alright, I’m prepared as well."
Shard nodded, and Miss Benanis reminded:
"I heard from Megan that you have His Excellency the Speaker’s hair?"
"Yes, it was the reward for completing the tasks on that list."
"Bring it to the Council with you when we prepare the Sublimation Incantation ceremony. We’ll conduct a simple conjoint ritual for you, using the Speaker’s hair, to see if it can imbue you with the Council’s power. If successful, it will make using the Sublimation Incantation easier for you."
That’s not really an issue. As the three were talking, Megan walked in from outside the hotel. She exchanged glances with Shard, each recognizing a fundamental change in each other’s gaze.
But neither showed it, and Megan called the girl behind her to hand over a box.
She had just gone to Edwards’ Old House and, with the help of her girls, transported a batch of books that Miss Sylvia and Miss Benanis wanted to take away. But during the packing, she found another item:
"Shard, look at this—could it be what you need?"
The wooden box contained a bloodstained short dagger. The dagger itself was ordinary, but the box was not. The wooden box had features preventing the dagger from rusting and being corroded, indicating the dagger was an old item.
"The label says this was the dagger used by Jester Higgs when he killed the Swan in the late Fifth Era."
Megan explained, and Miss Sylvia appeared rather surprised:
"Token Jester Higgs from the fairy tale ’The Jester and the Swan’?"
"Yes, the story about beauty and jealousy."
Megan nodded, prompting Shard to take out a stack of cards from his pocket, outlined with butterfly marks, and align one with the dagger:
"Enlightenment writes the story, the story writes civilization."
Glimmering light from a "Butterfly Card" spilled onto the dagger, and soon the dagger within the box transformed into faint light points that merged into the card.
When the glow ceased, the formerly blank card surface now depicted a dagger held by a hand wearing a white glove. However, there weren’t any textual descriptions or symbols representing suits and numbers, so even without the butterfly border, there was no worry of mixing these cards with "Roder Cards" or "Calamity Cards."
"Looks like it works."
Megan said cheerfully, pleased to help Shard. Miss Sylvia and Miss Benanis weren’t informed about the Butterfly Cards, so Shard explained a bit, and the blonde witch promptly summoned Ciris:
"Ciris, I remember a special mask is in the Opera Troupe’s warehouse. It’s white and without patterns, that could enhance a face with an Illusion Technique when worn."
Ciris thought for a moment:
"Yes, it’s the cursed Faceless Man mask. An antique from the mid-Fifth Era, not a relic but made into an alchemical item to preserve it. It was used by the Baroness from the Carsonrick Southern love story ’The Masked Baroness.’ Rumor has it she wore it when she went to death with her lover, so then the witch presumed the mask carried a curse, which led it to become an alchemical item."
Shard explained further about the Butterfly Cards, and Ciris agreed to give the mask to Shard. However, the Golden Dawn Opera Troupe didn’t bring the mask out of Randall Valley when they left, so it’s stored in the Wilder Opera House’s warehouse. Therefore, Ciris wrote a note for Shard to fetch it himself from Randall Valley.
"Speaking of, do you remember the White King Club?" free𝑤ebnovel.com
Miss Sylvia suddenly asked. Shard nodded:
"Of course I remember, my vampire friend Mr. Benhart and I first met you and Margaret there. At the time, Margaret was visiting Tobesk and had heard that I had good wines, which she wanted to purchase."
Miss Sylvia continued:
"That club is called ’White King’ because the owner loves collecting chess pieces representing the ’White King’ from the ’Knight Chess’ game. He possesses a special piece believed to have been used by the protagonist and the enemy during the last game at the castle in the classic horror story ’Hart Lane Revenge.’ I have Margaret’s signature and seal, I’ll write you a note, maybe you can purchase it too."
Although Raplace Howard remarked those classic story-related items were hard to find, Shard has a wide network and can easily track what he seeks. The mask from Randall Valley shouldn’t take long to acquire, so Shard directly traveled from Green Lake to the "Spring City," greeting familiar girls at the Wilder Opera House to obtain the mask.
Indeed, the mask fit the requirements and was smoothly sealed into the Butterfly Card. As for the chess piece from Huntington City’s White King Club, riding from the White Valley Vineyard into the city would be troublesome. Thus, Shard decided to visit later when convenient, since there’s no urgency.
