The sounds of the banquet's music and chatter drifted up from below. The dining room itself wasn't quiet either; although only Xia De and Miss Aurora were seated for dinner, there were over twenty servants in the room, and even more miraculously, every maid had something to do.
"The second Chosen One is very dangerous."
"But you can still hunt him down."
Xia De offered a small compliment.
"Actually, in this incident, the most dangerous thing wasn't him, but the suicidal Mermaids. Suicidal Ring術士..."
The Great Witch shook her head with a sigh, and Xia De asked curiously, "What happens if a Ring術士 commits suicide?"
Among the requirements Saint Byron's placed on its correspondence students, not going to the New World was merely a restriction on students, but not committing suicide was common knowledge for all Ring術士.
"Flip."
The Great Witch's answer was simple.
"What does that mean?"
"The flip between you and your other you. Although 'the other me' sounds dangerous, they are us. And suicide is the only way to lose control of the other me. The two reverse, and this process of the soul being split open, inner becoming outer, and outer becoming inner, is extremely painful, so ordinary people would absolutely not do it. But once one successfully flips after committing suicide... it's equivalent to a lost Ring術士, fully possessing the power of Sublimation Words."
Xia De gasped, "That Mermaid also flipped?"
He hadn't seen anything unusual after the other party self-destructed last night.
"Of course not, its soul was directly taken away by the deity."
Miss Aurora chuckled, "A flipped soul is a deformed soul, even more despised than an unbeliever's soul, so ordinary people would absolutely not do it."
Xia De nodded, finally gaining a preliminary understanding of the consequences of suicide. But on closer thought, the Ring術士 system was truly strange.
Miss Aurora then brought up another matter:
"Speaking of Darkness, there's something even more interesting. This morning, the Blood Spirit School suddenly posted a bounty for Darkness in the local black market. This Chosen One stole all the personal belongings of the Mercury Blood Ring術士s who defected to the New World, as well as three relics the Blood Spirit School had temporarily lent him."
Xia De thought for a moment, and while cutting his meat, quietly confirmed, "Ivan Darkness betrayed the Blood Spirit School?"
"Yes, the bad guy was betrayed by an even worse guy; perhaps that demon enticed him."
The Great Witch replied, and though there was a smile on her face, there was no mirth in her eyes, which was a terrifying expression:
"I have already notified the Witch Council that among the relics Darkness stole is the Puppeteer's Script. If he can find the correct usage and pay the price, he might be able to learn about the Sea Offering Ritual through the relic. My people haven't found any trace of him yet. I think Ivan Darkness has probably already left Coldwater Port after escaping from my grasp."
Luvia's divination was truly astonishingly accurate.
"As for where he went after that, other Witches will be responsible for searching; the boots he left behind will be an important clue. With the Sea Offering Ritual over and the second Chosen One gone, my responsibility in Coldwater Port is also concluded."
The Great Witch sighed softly, and Xia De raised an eyebrow, which meant he needed to be prepared to "welcome" Darkness in Tobesk City.
However, Leia would definitely arrive in Tobesk City before Darkness, as the Princess was traveling by special train, while the second Chosen One was currently almost universally wanted, requiring him to constantly change transportation to evade the pursuit of the Orthodox Church and other forces.
This way, by the time the other party arrived in Tobesk City under the guidance of the Puppeteer's Script, it would probably be the end of Flourishing Flower Month, or even the beginning of next month. By then, autumn should have arrived.
Xia De sincerely hoped that Ivan Darkness would not affect the staging of the Great City Player in Tobesk City, nor the letter he was to receive at the beginning of next month, nor his peaceful life.
But thinking of Tobesk City, Xia De thought of even more questions:
"The demon on him enticed him to obtain the ritual to become a true Chosen One through the Puppeteer's Script. The three parts of the ritual: understanding Darkness, obtaining items related to ancient god power, and completing the final ritual... that ritual, surprisingly, has to be completed in Tobesk City."
And thinking of this, Xia De found it hard not to associate it with the out-of-control angel-level relic outside Tobesk City, that strange dark area.
"What are you thinking about?"
Seeing Xia De lost in thought, Miss Hivi Aurora asked. The plates in front of them were replaced, and more dishes were being brought from the kitchen. The maids carried plates, replacing food, and Miss Aurora spoke without avoiding them.
"Oh, I was thinking about the Witches. Miss Aurora, I learned from Miss Jialinna that Great Witches all cultivate their successors. Why haven't I seen The Lady by your side?"
Great Witches cannot bear children, so their successors cannot be their own offspring. Miss Jialinna had not found a suitable talent among the royal family members, and Leia joined Zaras Academy after awakening her talent, which is why she cultivated her personal maid.
"That's my niece; she helps me manage my business in Carson Rick. Coldwater Port is so dangerous, I didn't let her come along."
"So, will you stay in Coldwater Port indefinitely after this?"
Xia De asked curiously again.
"Of course not, my business is very busy. However, for the matter of the Coldwater Port shipyard, I will probably stay here for half a month before leaving. As for later, I might occasionally return."
The Great Witch replied, it seemed that without Xia De's knowledge, she had already reached a preliminary cooperation agreement with Leia.
Miss Aurora touched the golden ring on her finger. Only faint muscle lines were visible, and the corner of her mouth, covered with some fine fuzz, curled slightly. The Great Witch examined Xia De's face:
"Hamilton, you did very well this time. I know you can move between Coldwater Port and Tobesk City. So, in the future, if you encounter any difficulties here, you can always come to the manor for help. Even if I'm not here, the manor's butler can mobilize the Aurora Family's influence in this area. This afternoon, Jialinna and I communicated a bit, and both of us will protect your information and not tell the Witch Council."
Xia De guessed that the communication method between Witches might be that "Witch Council."
"Additionally, you provided important information about the second Chosen One this time, allowing me to contribute to the Witch Council. I plan to give you some gifts."
This was why she was in a good mood at the moment; even though Darkness escaped, the Witch Council still obtained firsthand information. And when discussing a Great Witch's gift, Xia De subconsciously thought of the kiss the red-haired Great Witch had given him on the forehead not long ago.
"What do you think of this manor?"
The Lady with long brown wavy hair asked.
"A very nice place."
Xia De honestly evaluated.
"Alright then, from now on, when you come to Coldwater Port, use this as your base. I can't give you the manor; after all, you can't afford the maintenance fees, but you can treat this as your home in Coldwater Port. You can command the servants here, and you can use all the facilities here, but don't change the decor; I still live here... and you can't enter my bedroom; you must respect a lady's privacy."
Xia De raised an eyebrow. Although it sounded like he was just saving on hotel expenses, in reality, this not only meant he had a manor not under his name. More importantly, it meant that the Third Seat of the Witch Council, Hivi Aurora, completely trusted him.
"Also, do you currently have any Ling Runes you urgently need?"
"Um... Vibration?"
Although Xia De originally intended to use 【Slumber】 for the Ling Rune corresponding to the Two-Ring Sublimation Words, if the Great Witch could provide others, he could ask Leia again at Three-Ring.
"Very good, not a rare Ling Rune. Within a week, I will help you find a way to obtain it."
"Lady, you are truly generous."
Xia De was first stunned, then said sincerely.
The Great Witch with long brown curly hair shook her head. In the light of the golden candelabra between the silver plates, she elegantly raised a tall glass of red wine, as if gently caressing the slender stem with her fingertips.
Silver and gold cutlery, exquisite dishes; everything on the table could not compare to the Great Witch's appearance, and she was looking at Xia De:
"Xia De Hamilton, you are worth this price. Although Darkness ultimately escaped, the Witch Council is a step ahead of the Orthodox Church. Look, they even got the help of a Thirteen Ring Sorcerer Summoner, yet they still couldn't catch him."
Xia De wanted to avoid this topic, so he corrected her:
"But at least, the Orthodox Church saved Coldwater Port this time and annihilated the Scarlet Cult. They sacrificed the Church's interests for the benefit of the people; they are noble."
"No, no, there are two errors in your statement."
The Great Witch smiled and extended two fingers; her fingers were long:
"First, the Church only annihilated the Scarlet Cult in the Coldwater Port area. Coldwater Port has believers, but that doesn't mean believers are only in Coldwater Port. The followers of that evil god are widely distributed in the coastal and island regions of the Old Continent; what was eradicated this time was the main force on the West Coast."
Xia De was momentarily stunned, realizing his thinking wasn't broad enough. Not just Coldwater Port, perhaps the small town on the East Coast where Mia's owner, Miss Gaode, was from, also had Mermaids.
"Second..."
The Great Witch narrowed her eyes, looking at Xia De:
"The one who successfully resolved The Shadow Over Cold Water Harbor in 1853 incident was that Thirteen Ring Sorcerer, the Summoner."
Xia De was startled, his eyes moving away from the greasy roasted meat on the plate in front of him. The piano downstairs was playing a piece that sounded like it was describing surging waves, which was very similar to Xia De's mood:
"But the Church did ninety-nine percent of the work. According to what I understand, even without that Summoner, the Orthodox Church would have been able to stop the final tsunami."
"You're right, but who made that Thirteen Ring Sorcerer suddenly rush out at the end? People don't look at the process, only the result. It's like the Church cooked a grand meal, but the Summoner rushed up at the last moment and plated the food. Although the Church certainly won't care about this, the name 'Summoner of Tobesk' will definitely be known by more people."
【In the Summer of common era 1853, the Outsider came to this world.】
"You again?"
Listening to the voice in his ear, Xia De thought in surprise, but his expression quickly returned to calm. He enjoyed the night breeze blowing in through the window, ate delicious food, listened to music, and conversed with a trustworthy, pretty woman. Besides not having a cat by his side, he couldn't imagine anything more pleasant than this moment.
【The shadow shrouding the port dissipated, and the departure of Darkness revitalized this vast port City, a symbol of the steam age. You have left a new imprint on this world; space-time and destiny are gradually shifting with your footsteps.】
Xia De tilted his head and looked out the window, which overlooked the beach.
【Perhaps you are confused, perhaps you still have doubts, but keep going, Outsider. The story continues, and you will witness more legends.】
The Great Witch suddenly laughed:
"Hamilton, I guess you don't want to show your face at the public banquet, so would you like to see the Mermaids?"
She asked suddenly.
"What?"
"Mermaids, those pretty creatures. They usually don't come to the shallow seas. This time, I requested their help in the name of the Aurora Family, and only then did they agree to come to Coldwater Port. They plan to rest all night and depart tomorrow to return to their deep-sea habitat. Would you like to see them? Mermaid girls are very enthusiastic towards handsome human male Ring術士s."
Her tone was slightly ambiguous.
"I really am a man; there's no need to verify that."
Xia De said very seriously.
"I didn't say you weren't a man."
Hivi Aurora chuckled, then saw Xia De also start to laugh.
"I'm different from Jialinna. I don't care why you're not covered by the Great Witch's curse. I, for one, don't want more men like you to exist. Having you as an exception, to prove that anything is possible in this world, is enough for me."
She paused, and Xia De recalled Miss Jialinna's evaluation of this lady; this lady truly liked women.
"After all, not all men are as interesting as you."
She laughed to herself, her laughter sounding particularly sharp in the quiet dining room. Xia De didn't know what to say, only confirming again that most Great Witches truly had mental issues.
But the major incident of the Coldwater Port shadow truly ended. In the first ten days of Flourishing Flower Month, as midsummer was about to conclude, the Mermaids' century-long plan ultimately failed. And Xia De, at the cost of one relic, once again obtained a drop of divinity.
If he didn't need to consume the two drops of divinity currently in his soul, this meant he wouldn't need to find new divinity until before Four Ring.
"However."
She spoke again.
"If you want to prove you're a man, you can choose any of the maids here."
The tone of this sentence was truly very similar to Miss Jialinna's.
Xia De glanced at the surrounding maids; he admitted he was tempted but still shook his head:
"That won't do."
"Why not? Do you have no desire?"
The Great Witch asked curiously.
"No, I just know what I truly want."
Perhaps in this matter, Xia De's greatest gain wasn't divinity, but witnessing his own desire.
