The light of dawn was already illuminating the courtyard of Russell Manor. In front of the smoking bonfire, the Old Witch glanced at Xia De again.
"Very good. Young man, rest assured, I am a very open-minded person. I won't blab about you and Jialinna's affair."
She winked at Xia De.
Whether it was an illusion or not, Xia De's peripheral vision seemed to catch Sister Devlin, who had always been expressionless, curving her lips into a smile. But upon closer inspection, her fair face beneath the silver, crown-shaped eye mask remained devoid of expression.
After the excitement, weariness had now surged into Xia De's heart. He had been fighting evil spirits all night, intruding into the realm of death, using a Mystic Lock, and even attending a banquet of an evil god. Even if the physical exhaustion was bearable, the mental fatigue was already uncontrollable.
Since he had finished telling his story, he could only bid farewell to the Witch and Sister Devlin for now, agreeing on a time for his next visit. After confirming that no one was following him, he ascended Sicar Mountain from its base, found the ruined tower in the forest, and returned to his home.
"Oh, Xia De!"
Just as he returned to the first floor from the basement, someone outside opened the door of Saint Delan Square Six with a key.
It was Luvia. She was carrying a metal lunchbox and looked at Xia De emerging from the basement with shock.
Footsteps came from upstairs as well, but Luvia still closed the door without hesitation, placed the lunchbox on the shoe cabinet, and then opened her arms to hug him.
"Xia De!"
Dorothy and Mia came down the stairs together. Luvia abruptly released Xia De, then pushed him away, her face slightly flushed as she went back to pick up the lunchbox. Thus, the blonde Writer Miss did not see the scene of the two embracing.
"The Priest is safe now."
Xia De told the two, letting out a yawn, feeling his eyes almost unable to open.
He bent down and picked up his cat. Mia squirmed around in Xia De's arms, not caring how dirty he was.
"That's great."
Dorothy breathed a sigh of relief, wanting to hug Xia De, but couldn't due to Luvia.
"Was last night smooth?"
"It was alright."
He didn't mention that he had died once, worried about causing panic to the two girls.
"Doctor Schneider went back last night, but he'll probably be back in a bit. We both stayed here with you last night. I just went out to buy breakfast, so we can eat together."
Luvia said, gesturing to go upstairs to talk.
Both ladies could cook, but Xia De's kitchen, which could almost starve rats, had no good ingredients, and they weren't in the mood to cook anyway, which was why Luvia went out to buy breakfast.
"Speaking of which, I'm really hungry and extremely sleepy."
As he spoke, Xia De yawned again. And as if infected by his yawn, the cat in his arms also opened its mouth wide and yawned.
"No problem, but let's eat breakfast first before sleeping. We'll go tell the doctor the good news in a bit."
Luvia, walking in front, shook the lunchbox in her hand, a smile already appearing on her face.
The blonde Writer Miss walked behind, confirming that Xia De had indeed returned safely, and she also said with a smile:
"Your milk and Mia's goat milk are also heated. Really, Xia De, your house is so big, can't you store more food?"
Perhaps death had, after all, affected him. Omitting the story behind the door, after telling the girls about last night's experience at the dining table, Xia De slept from past seven o'clock on Sunday morning after breakfast until eight o'clock the next day, Monday morning. When he opened his eyes again, the window outside the bedroom still showed the dawn of Tobesk, making him wonder for a moment if he had actually slept.
"I actually slept for twenty-four hours?"
"Yes."
After waking up, he felt a stuffiness in his chest, so he reached out and, sure enough, found the cat curled up on the quilt. Seeing Xia De awake, the cat looked at him in surprise, then suddenly tried to rub its face against Xia De's face.
It probably thought Xia De, who had slept for an entire day, was on his last legs.
He walked out of the bedroom in slippers, carrying the cat, but as soon as he opened the bedroom door, he saw Tifa standing by the sofa, two unfamiliar maids busy in the kitchen making tea, and Miss Jialinna sitting on the sofa with a book.
Hearing the sound, the Red-haired Duchess put down her book and tilted her head to look at the side bedroom door. The morning light of autumn shone on the Witch's almost flawless face, and her golden eyes truly sparkled in the afterglow of the morning glow.
"What kind of look is that?"
The lazy Red-haired Witch asked, putting the book aside:
"I've been waiting for you all morning. How did you sleep?"
"Very good."
Xia De, having come to his senses, said with a smile, his eyes surveying the Witch's figure in the morning light. Miss Jialinna also noticed Xia De's gaze and said with an unconcerned smile:
"I have nothing else to do today. Let's have breakfast together in a bit. I'm still waiting for your story."
She motioned for Xia De to sit down and talk. Xia De also noticed the letters left by Dorothy and Luvia. They also had their own things to do, so they left shortly after Xia De fell asleep, confirming he was safe.
They had come again last night and found Xia De still sleeping, so they didn't wake him up. Instead, they prepared dinner for Mia, left a note asking him to let them know when he woke up, and then left again.
As for how Miss Jialinna opened the first-floor door of Saint Delan Square Six this morning, it was because Xia De had specifically given Tifa a spare key so that the maid who came to clean every week could enter.
"You don't have to worry about Grandma Cassandra. After hearing about your matter, she's even overly friendly towards you... You're quite good at pleasing Witches."
The last half-sentence was spoken softly, which made Tifa, who was nearby, smile. Seeing Xia De look at her, the black-haired maid Miss winked at him.
"Grandma Cassandra has already told me about your experiences in Middelburg. You are truly bold."
The Witch looked at Xia De, her golden eyes gazing at him, but she didn't blame him for his excessive risk-taking:
"You were very lucky this time, but you can't always be so fortunate, reckless Knight."
"I've always believed that the difference between recklessness and bravery lies only in the outcome, not in what the decision was based on."
Xia De, holding the cat, stated his opinion:
"In any case, I succeeded."
"But Middelburg is in chaos."
The Witch said lightly, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
"This time it has nothing to do with me."
Xia De immediately shook his head, wanting to distance himself, while also feeling how familiar his own sofa was.
"The local aurora phenomenon before dawn on Sunday probably has nothing to do with you. The main suspicion now is on that Summoner from Tobesk, who appeared from who knows where, and the Merman Bane of Coldwater Port."
These two titles should refer to the same person. As she spoke, she glanced at Xia De:
"But because of the disappearance of your team members, you sought help from Saint Byron's, which then led Saint Byron's to send an inquiry letter to the Dawn Church, subsequently causing the Academy to discover the Five Gods Church's small movements in the Middelburg and Sicar Mountain areas."
The maid brought a tea tray with some appetizing snacks. Tifa bent down and placed the plate on the table. Xia De and Miss Jialinna both glanced at her figure. Xia De released the cat, but the reserved Mia wouldn't touch the food on the plate herself; she was waiting for Xia De to give it to her.
"So..."
The hand not stroking the cat tapped on the sofa.
"So the Academy discovered something remarkable. No, not 【Life and Death Gap】. The Academy has heard of this relic, but it doesn't have much to do with the Three Great Arcane Academies. The Academy discovered that the whispering chapters in the Church's hands pointed to the third Chosen One, who would eventually hold a ritual in Middelburg."
The whispering chapters were written by the last Thirteen Witch Emperors on different artifacts, so people in the sixth epoch could only see fragments. Regarding the second Chosen One, people knew that he would experience an adventure in Coldwater Port, and the information about the third Chosen One was the location of the final ritual.
"The Chosen One of death?"
Xia De frowned slightly, then stated his judgment:
"Since it's such a special location as Middelburg, I don't think it can be unrelated to death."
"Most people think so too, including the Council. This time it's Middelburg's affair, so I can finally have some leisure—this matter is handled by Qi Na Cassandra, the Twelfth Seat."
The Witch glanced at Xia De, unable to help but laugh:
"However, it's really wherever you go, the Chosen One appears. How about next time, before you plan a long journey, you tell me your destination in advance?"
"I think it's just a coincidence."
"You'll definitely be going to Middelburg recently, and I won't stop you. But you must remember, do not go to 【Life and Death Gap】 again. After seeing Grandma Cassandra last night, I saw the Speaker again. She warned me not to easily try to touch the secrets of Middelburg; it's more dangerous than imagined."
That "Speaker" was the strongest Witch of her generation. As a Thirteen Ring Sorcerer, her Witch rank should be at least Thirteenth-Order. And Xia De had already witnessed how powerful Thirteenth-Order Witches were from Miss Olanorde, the initial librarian, and the Academy's founder.
