Although he couldn't see, the piercing curses and imprecations in his ears almost burst his eardrums. At the same time, the immense terrifying presence perceived by his senses seemed to be slowly retreating.
Princess Margaret, of course, didn't understand the demonic language, which itself carried curses and malice, but she and Dorothy both understood the furious last sentence:
"You just wait!"
The hand, melting into the white light of the badge, tried to strike down at the three before retreating, but the Moonlight Greatsword was already swinging towards the sky:
"Silver Moon!"
A third color, beyond darkness and pure white holy light, erupted. The holy silver Moonlight, almost blinding, finally completely shattered this bizarre space.
The darkness receded, and the unspeakable evil presence departed. As the Princess gasped for breath, she suddenly felt as if she had broken through the surface of the water after being under immense pressure. Noises entered her ears, and looking around, everything in the Three Cats Inn was so normal, and the Bard's singing was still so soothing and gentle.
Aside from Victor Fanny's empty seat, everything else seemed unchanged; even the victor box on the table had vanished. Yet, she felt as if she had just woken up after a long sleep.
The Princess finally came to her senses, grunting from a severe headache, but not forgetting to wipe away the blood from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief. At this moment, she heard Xia De snap his fingers and ask the waiter for three cups of hot tea.
Xia De and Mrs. Sangmei had a good relationship. Although it was a busy time, their tea was served quickly. Xia De rummaged through his pocket for holy water—not fourth holy water, but a liquid close to third holy water that Priest Augustus could currently make—and added two full bottles to two cups of tea.
After stirring slightly with a teaspoon, he pushed the teacups to the two girls. Dorothy was still in good condition, not only because she had encountered many strange things with the group and hadn't looked or thought too much just now, but also because the Red Butterfly pendant she carried was protecting her.
Dorothy took a small sip of tea, feeling warm all over, and curiously looked around, seemingly eager to ask Xia De questions. Princess Margaret took a large gulp of tea, and her pale face finally regained some color.
"It seems this estimate was a bit off. How unlucky. I originally thought I could get a relic, but I didn't expect to encounter something like this."
Xia De's voice rang out, truly full of regret:
"Sorry, I'm truly sorry."
He expressed his apologies to the two girls:
"It was I who brought you into such a dangerous environment. I will make amends. Don't worry, that thing just now was too bold, trying to directly touch us. My badge and Miracle caused it some minor injuries."
The badge made by Priest Augustus from the bones of the Death Angel played a significant role, allowing Xia De's Light Spell's final blow to be effective. After all, both almost directly countered Evil Spirit demons of the third epoch; it wouldn't have been so simple against other opponents.
"Was that really..."
Princess Margaret still couldn't believe it. For her, the legendary "Evil Spirit demon" of the third epoch was truly just a legend.
"Yes, a monster from ancient times. For a short period, a week or two, it won't directly come after us. But we can't relax too much. Dorothy, stay at my place during this time."
Xia De held the Golden-haired girl's hand. Dorothy smiled and nodded. Although she knew this was dangerous, compared to Xia De's other experiences, it wasn't particularly dangerous. Dorothy knew Xia De well and could tell from his expression that this matter was not too tricky.
"Miss Mary, do you have a High-Ring Sorcerer protecting you?"
He asked softly again, and after the Princess nodded slightly, he said:
"Please try not to stay too far from her during this time. To prevent accidents, I will also visit you frequently for a while, using..."
"The excuse of learning carson rick," said the girl with light golden long hair, realizing her voice was so hoarse as she spoke. She held the teacup, feeling the warmth of the tea, and her peripheral vision caught sight of Xia De and Dorothy's clasped hands:
"The interestingness of today truly exceeded my imagination. In the capital of a human kingdom, in a bustling inn, directly encountering an Evil Spirit of the third epoch... if I were to tell anyone, no one would believe it."
Xia De said nothing, then pulled out a small glass bottle from his pocket. The price of the holy water he bought from Priest Augustus was much cheaper than its container. This special liquid, "holy water," must be stored in glass, glazed, pure gold, or pure silver containers, making it not easy to carry.
He placed the holy water bottle on the bench where Victor Fanny had been sitting earlier. As the bottom of the bottle touched the wooden surface of the bench, the transparent liquid inside the bottle immediately began to boil.
"It is indeed that kind of thing, but it's alright; I'm quite familiar with them," Xia De said, retrieving the bottle.
"Actually, I'm not surprised by this. I have equipment left by the Demon Hunters of the third epoch in my possession, so encountering demons is a fate I must face."
He was referring to the Demon Hunter seal and the Night Watchman.
"This isn't your first encounter with those evil demons?"
Princess Margaret lowered her voice, her eyes slightly widened.
"Yes, it's the third time. Madam, it's nothing remarkable."
This was the truth; compared to the doctor, Xia De's encounters were insignificant.
"Please rest assured, I will resolve that thing within two weeks."
In his heart, he thought he would kill it in a week at most. The Outsider would definitely not leave such a terrifying thing lurking around him and Dorothy:
"During this time, Miss Mary, you should stay with your High-Ring Sorcerer, and I will also visit you frequently."
Princess Margaret pursed her lips, watching Xia De pour the faintly glowing holy water onto the tabletop to check if any traces of the demon remained on the table.
"Mr. Hamilton, it was my own choice to follow you on this investigation. You don't need to apologize. Today's experience, for a Ring術士 like me, confined to the palace, is quite a rare encounter with a demon."
She indeed didn't show too much worry; on the contrary, a unnatural flush appeared on her face:
"However, do you often experience such things?"
"Of course not."
Xia De shook his head. Currently, only residual demonic power was found on the chair; the table was completely normal:
"I'm not always unlucky. This was an accident. I didn't expect to encounter something like this after finally getting a commission. Drink all that tea. Close contact with that kind of thing greatly increases the chance of losing control."
Dorothy didn't need to worry about this. Soon, Xia De would have the Writer go behind the dark door in the basement to meet her "dark side."
He sighed:
"That guy probably won't dare to come back. I'll find someone to search Room 413 for contraband later. For now, let's go back home together. I have a batch of holy water stored at my place, Miss Mary, you can take some back."
"holy water," if sealed and stored in a low-temperature environment, can be kept for a long time. Therefore, Xia De stored a large batch in his home basement for backup. Even if the effect of fourth holy water was relatively less obvious, Priest Augustus's supply was large and inexpensive.
Dorothy recovered quickly, excitedly writing things in her notebook. Princess Margaret still looked a bit unwell. After Xia De bought the bench contaminated by demonic power, the three of them took a carriage back to Saint Delan Square Six.
Upon entering Xia De's home, the Princess from the southern kingdom clearly felt better. After Xia De, holding the Night Watchman wrapped in cloth, "stabbed" the Princess's forehead and chest once each, her complexion completely returned to normal.
Today's encounters were a bit too stimulating even for a Ring術士. After the Princess performed a simple exorcism ritual in Xia De's attic, she left, agreeing to let Xia De visit her when he had time. She was somewhat curious about the so-called "demons," as such Knowledge was not something ordinary Ring術士s could access.
After sending off Princess Margaret, Xia De informed the Writer that she should stay at Saint Delan Square Six for the next few days:
"Of course!"
Dorothy said with a smile, hugging the reluctant Mia:
"I know you can solve this. Don't feel bad about getting us involved in dangerous things. In the summer, when you first became a Ring術士, I got you involved in the dream pen of joy out-of-control incident, wasn't that similar to the current situation? We are all Ring術士s; this kind of situation is unavoidable."
She leaned closer to Xia De:
"However, Leia's and my souls are connected; will that demon hurt her?"
"I've considered that. Tonight, when we watch the opera, I'll temporarily lend her the Demon Hunter seal. That way, even if she's not with me, she won't have to worry about anything happening for a short time."
After all, as long as Leia didn't run around, there were large-scale exorcism, blessing, and spirit-expelling rituals arranged by the Church around Yodel Palace. The security level of Yodel Palace in Tobesk City was second only to the churches of the five 的正神.
Hearing "opera," the Writer smiled:
"Aren't you still going to clean up Room 413 at the Three Cats Inn? You go ahead and be busy; you don't need to accompany me back to Feather Pen Street to pack clothes. I need to tell the landlady that I'll be staying out for a few days, I hope she doesn't think I'm a bad girl."
"You take the night watchman with you."
"Yes, yes, so cautious."
Dorothy said, then slightly lowered her voice:
"Remember to come back early after you're done. I've picked out clothes for you. Take a shower before you go to the opera with Leia. She's really looking forward to tonight, after all, she rarely gets to go out alone with you in her own body."
She then added:
"She chose a four-hour opera this time."
Xia De thought for a moment, then whispered a question in her ear. The Writer's face flushed slightly as she shook her head:
"Tonight is Leia's time. I won't disturb you two. Have fun."
