“Xia De, so, your amazing investigator experience was actually truly going back to the past. And if the time key corresponds to the right time, you might still encounter Miss Feilianna in the past in the future?”
After waking up, the maids brought supper and fruits to the two people talking in the study. Although they had just finished dinner, the snacks were still plentiful. Tifa stood behind Miss Jialinna, adding details to Xia De's description.
After the Darkness Domain receded, perhaps due to Miss Feilianna's Felianna's Witch Light, those affected by the domain suffered almost no after-effects. However, everyone who had fallen into slumber lost their memory of that period, only thinking they had inexplicably fainted for a long time. This was how this angel-level relic altered cognition, so the Church didn't have to worry too much about the potential consequences of this incident; they could just blame it on water quality issues caused by environmental pollution.
“Yes, I think it's indeed possible. Moreover, I can actually take people to the past. For example, I once took this cat there, and Miss Feilianna has seen Mia before.”
Xia De scratched Mia's chin as she lay on his lap:
“Not long ago, while borrowing that necklace from you to fight the Silver-Eyed One, I came into contact with the power left behind by The Innocent Creator in the ruins. Because of this, I learned the Miracle, Toy Manufacturing. This Miracle can turn objects into toys and can also turn living beings who completely trust me into toys.”
“I remember, the time key doesn't allow extraordinary items to pass through that door, and only one person can use it at a time… So that's how it is. You can circumvent the rules left by the Old God this way. This is quite ingenious.”
Listening to Xia De's introduction, Miss Jialinna narrowed her eyes. After he finished speaking, she immediately had a maid fetch a bedsheet.
The sight of her then sitting on the sofa wrapped in a bedsheet was even more ridiculous than Tifa standing beside her wrapped in one.
“If you dare to laugh now, Xia De, I'll show you the power of a Witch.”
This was the voice coming from under the bedsheet.
However, neither the Duchess nor Tifa could be affected by the Miracle, Toy Manufacturing. Instead, the cat, who was curiously burrowing under the bedsheet, was successfully transformed into a small cloth doll again, proving that Xia De's Miracle was effective.
“Meow!”
After being restored by the handkerchief, Mia happily stood on the coffee table looking at the small snacks, wagging her tail and anticipating what Xia De would give her. This cat had performed a great service today. Although she had rashly burrowed into the god's gift box and was accidentally brought into the Darkness Domain by Xia De, it was precisely because of this cat that the fish training ring unexpectedly left Darkness's right hand, allowing Xia De to face one less form of Darkness in the final battle.
“It seems no one can go to the past with you for a short time. However, I can help you acquire some time keys from time points where Miss Feilianna still clearly exists. I hope you can help me ask The Lady some questions.”
Miss Jialinna suggested, and Xia De naturally wouldn't refuse free keys:
“I can't go on adventures frequently, so it will probably be a while before I use a key again.”
“It's alright, it's good for you to rest. Xia De, time travel is not a normal phenomenon, and you should also pay attention to your own safety.”
The Witch reminded him lazily. She was actually injured in the battle too. Even if her body was healed by The Witch's Light, the mental fatigue was irreversible.
“I will pay attention. Oh, actually, I also have something I'd like to ask you about.”
Xia De sat up straight, picking up the orange cat that was standing on the coffee table:
“Please help me check this cat. It's been behaving quite unusually lately.”
“What's unusual?”
Miss Jialinna motioned for Tifa to take the cat. Mia, of course, didn't want to leave Xia De, but after a few struggles, Tifa still managed to pick her up.
“It's very smart, extremely smart. Today in the Darkness Domain, it could even glow on its own. Of course, it was a very weak light. It didn't seem to be affected by the Darkness.”
“Such a thing exists?”
Miss Jialinna took Mia from Tifa's hands and stroked her a few times amidst the orange cat's strenuous struggles:
“Aside from its tail powerfully gripping the ring, it should be fine.”
The final conclusion was quite unexpected for Xia De.
“But why—”
“Has it eaten anything strange?”
The Witch asked. Mia, taking advantage of the other party's inattention, suddenly jumped onto the coffee table, then bumped her head against Xia De, and lay down on his lap again.
“Probably… Yes, it has.”
He had always suspected that after the second night of the god's descent, this cat had absorbed some of the scattered divine power.
“Then it's possible it has a very faint bloodline of a magical creature, which was activated by eating something strange. This isn't a rare occurrence. After all, no matter how unusual it is, it's still just a cat.”
Miss Jialinna said. Xia De thought about it and nodded. Indeed, no matter how unusual Mia was, she still hadn't exceeded the limits of a cat. Instead of worrying about Mia having problems, it would be better to worry about what strange bloodline this cat actually possessed.
But he had no friends skilled in the study of magical creatures and Xenomorph. Saint Byron's School of Political Economy was not open to Letter-based Ring術士.
“It's hard to say whether Miss Feilianna's appearance was the most important thing tonight, or the death of the second Chosen One was the most important thing.”
Seeing that Xia De was no longer talking about the cat, Miss Jialinna sighed and held her teacup. The steam from the tea blurred her face, but her worried expression was still visible.
“The Council asked you to personally kill Ivan Darkness, but in the end, he died at the hands of the Church. Is that alright?”
Xia De asked.
“It's fine. The Council only asked me to do my best. Moreover, tonight, a powerful Great Witch from the fifth epoch appeared. The Council won't blame me for not succeeding; that was Mana Feilianna after all. Xia De, you've caused big trouble tonight.”
“What does that have to do with me? The Summoner summoned Miss Mana Feilianna.”
Xia De bent down and took a small crisp from the plate:
“The Chosen One Iluna Bayas is my friend; she won't betray me. The only people who saw what I did were her and Tifa.”
Xia De smiled at the black-haired maid:
“Tifa certainly won't say anything, so we just need to push everything onto the Summoner. Since he can summon an Old God from the fifth epoch, people will surely believe he can summon a Witch from the fifth epoch. Oh, I'll emphasize again, I'm not a Summoner. I really only have two, now three rings, and my Mystic Lock is also different from his.”
“Speaking of Iluna Bayas—”
“Yes, my friend.”
Xia De repeated. The Witch smiled:
“Don't worry so much. The Council doesn't intend to win over the Chosen One trained by the Church; it's simply impossible to succeed. However, you really do have a lot of contact with the Chosen One.”
She teased, while Xia De broke the crisp in his hand into two parts. He extended the smaller piece to the cat, and Mia immediately poked her head out, her two front paws gripping Xia De's palm.
“It's just a coincidence, but I hope you can let Tifa follow me tomorrow when we go to hunt down Human Pus. I'm worried about other unforeseen circumstances. We absolutely cannot let it escape this time.”
The reason they weren't acting now was because the Church was on edge, and tonight was not suitable for action. Moreover, the other party only had the last bit of pus as its main body and couldn't run far. It would be most appropriate to go when they were ready tomorrow.
“That's fine, but Xia De—”
The Red-haired Witch rested her face on her right hand, tilting her head to look at the Outsider who was feeding the cat:
“Do you really know what you're doing?”
“Of course.”
“That's good to know. After all, since you're already connected to the Chosen One, I'm really worried you'll—”
She blinked and smiled:
“Nothing. Looking at you, you don't seem like someone who doesn't cherish their life. I won't mention you in the report to the Council, but next time, don't take such risks. After all, people aren't always lucky, especially for Ring術士.”
“Yes, yes. The gifts of fate are already marked with a price in the dark. I understand that point.”
“That's good. Remember, Miss Feilianna's appearance has nothing to do with you—no, what happened today has nothing to do with you. Your name should not be in the records of the Church, the Council, or the Academy.”
“Okay, and you're the only ones who saw me in the Darkness Domain. However, Miss Jialinna, I hope you can help me look at this.”
With the sound of steam and whistles, Xia De's Destiny Ring slowly appeared behind him.
Miss Jialinna and Tifa both looked up:
“Two and a half months, already Three-Ring Arcanist…”
The cross-section of a Three-Ring Arcanist's Destiny Ring is triangular. Currently, two of the three faces each have four Ling Runes, and as Xia De controlled the Destiny Ring's rotation, he let the Enlightenment Ling Rune - The Witch's Light faintly glow with a brassy light:
“This, the Enlightenment Ling Rune - The Witch's Light. It comes from my reading of The crazy light chaser and the light inherited from Miss Feilianna. Currently, the Miracle corresponding to the Ling Rune is 'Felianna's Witch Light'—”
“Oh?”
Miss Jialinna frowned:
“Felianna's Witch Light is a high-ring Miracle, its prototype being the power used by Witches in the fifth epoch. It summons a golden light that spreads outwards, melting all surrounding matter, and has a strong effect against dark and evil forces.”
This is an area-of-effect Miracle, its power limited by its level. Its inherent attack power is not as strong as the single-target Moonlight Slash, but for area damage, its effect is quite good.
Miss Feilianna hesitated:
“When you were just describing it, I wanted to say, this Miracle… how should I put it? From the sixth epoch's perspective, only females can learn it. Yes, only females, and Witches have a higher chance of successfully learning this Miracle.”
The learning rituals for different Miracles vary, and not every Ring術士 can learn all Miracles. Gender is also a strict condition for learning Miracles, but it usually only appears in Miracles recorded in texts like the pink book.
