“Sorry, ten months ago? Are you saying I died at the beginning of this year?”
Not only Xia De, but even Sister Devlin looked up slightly at the Boy.
“I died at the beginning of this year?”
Xia De repeated, pointing to himself incredulously:
“Mr. Barton, you can’t joke like that. Please hold my hand and tell me if I’m still alive.”
Even by the time the Outsider occupied the original body, the “date of death” should have been the third Saturday of June this year, not the earlier beginning of 1853.
As Xia De spoke, he reached out his hand. Joey Barton indeed struggled to stand up, bent down, and took his hand.
【One Ring.】
“Yes, you are still alive.”
He released his hand after just a touch, the Boy’s face still showing an expression of disbelief:
“The divination just now was 【death】, and now it’s like this… Oh, Mr. Watson, I’m sorry, I don’t think I can perform divination for you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Maybe my divination is flawed, or maybe something happened to you that you don’t even know about.”
Joey Barton pointed to the envelope on the table:
“You only need to pay for one person. I think you are one of those people who escaped the fate of death.”
He looked a bit dejected and whispered:
“But sometimes, death is also a very good thing, after all, life must have an end. Normal birth, normal growth, normal death, this is nature, it is a very enviable thing.”
Before Xia De could ask again, Joey Barton clapped his hands, signaling for the person outside to come in and prepare to see the guests out.
Although Xia De was still puzzled, he knew it was best not to ask too many questions, as he would have plenty of opportunities to come back here. So he stood up and pushed Sister Devlin to leave, and the Sister also had no intention of asking any other questions.
When the two returned to the carriage, Xia De immediately expressed his confusion to the Sister, who told him not to worry:
“Mr. Hamilton, perhaps you were truly helped by a great one without even knowing it. Did you encounter any accidents at the beginning of this year?”
At the beginning of this year, the Outsider had not yet arrived. Since he hadn't inherited any memories, Xia De didn't know what the original owner had encountered at that time. He only knew that Sparrow Detective had met a vagrant and taken him in around that time. And Saint Byron's Comprehensive College, when investigating Xia De's identity information, had not indicated that the original owner had encountered anything unusual at the beginning of this year:
“This is really strange. Perhaps I should investigate whether there were any news of collapsing towers in the Old Continent and New World at the beginning of this year. If what that Boy said just now is true, I hope the tower he referred to isn't an inconspicuous mill tower in the countryside, or an abandoned tower in a remote mountainous area.”
Xia De sighed, not expecting such a divination result for himself:
“Let’s not talk about this for now, let’s go back to the purpose of this visit. Sister, that Mr. Joey Barton, he really seems very unusual. Did your eyes perceive anything?”
“His body is indeed 13 years old, but his soul’s age seems to have exceeded 40.”
The Eleven Ring Sister said.
Xia De was startled and asked softly:
“So, that body isn’t his?”
He thought of his own situation.
“No, that body is his, and the soul is perfectly integrated with the body.”
“His soul was once separated and experienced a long period of time?”
Xia De offered another guess, but the Sister shook her head slightly:
“It's just a guess for now. I will have the Cultivation Order investigate. He is very strange. Since his accent is local, then he must have a long record of living locally.”
“What about his eyes? When he used his eyes to see through death, did you notice that rhode cards? Did that card give him the power to see through death, or was that card just a facade?”
Although there was only a tea table between them at the time, Xia De couldn't discern the source of the power. He only knew that those eyes were at least not demonic eyes.
“His eyes are indeed remarkable. I think seeing through death should be his innate talent.”
The Sister said, and after a moment of hesitation, added:
“But that rhode cards gives me a very strange feeling. The card is indeed an ordinary item, but... it seems to enhance the power of his eyes. Perhaps, this is a strange spellcasting condition that I don't even understand.”
Xia De had some guesses about this, but everything would have to wait until the Sister investigated the other party thoroughly.
“So, do you think Joey Barton might join the Spiritual Cultivation Order?”
“I don’t think I will recruit him. The Cultivation Order does not welcome people with too many secrets.”
The Sister put on the crown-like silver eye patch again, using the metal straps on both sides of the eye patch to secure her long hair:
“The Cultivation Order will re-investigate Joey Barton. There might be a method to resolve the danger of the Gap hidden within this person. Mr. Hamilton, this collaboration has been pleasant. You are a friend of the Cultivation Order, and you are welcome to come to me for help. As for Joey Barton’s matter, I will inform you when there is further information. It’s clear that you are quite curious about him as well.”
The carriage took Xia De to Oak Street, then departed with Sister Devlin.
Xia De got off at Oak Street because he had already arranged to meet Priest Augustus at noon today to ask him some questions.
Since the last time the Priest gave Xia De information on Miracles and the Gap, the two had not met for over half a month. When they met again at noon today, the Priest expressed his recent busyness with much emotion.
Concerned about being seen with Xia De, the Priest specifically chose a restaurant far from Mi Fort city center to treat Xia De to lunch. The two exchanged updates on Tobesk and Middlesburg, and Xia De also told the Priest the good news that Dorothy had successfully advanced from Four Ring to PentaCircle.
The Priest, in turn, told Xia De that the Five Gods Church had gathered so many Old Priests from various parts of the Old Continent to prepare for a large ritual, and the ritual was currently on track and would likely take place later next week.
“So, it really is a ritual to suppress the Gap?”
Xia De asked while cutting the steak in front of him with a knife. It was a beef steak, said to be a famous local variety in Middlesburg.
“Yes, there was originally a Thirteen Ring Sorcerer from the Natural Church, ‘Nature Singer,’ here, and two more have been transferred recently. Besides them, Iluna Bayas from our church has also returned, and I remember she is your friend.”
Xia De nodded:
“Yes, she’s coming by steam airship and should arrive in the city tomorrow, which is Monday.”
Priest Augustus looked left and right, then lowered his voice and said:
“Then you certainly don’t know, I just heard the news last night that that steam airship encountered trouble during its journey! So, it was originally scheduled to arrive tomorrow, but now it will probably be delayed until Tuesday.”
“What did they encounter?”
Xia De looked at the Priest in surprise, who said with much emotion:
“A Green Dragon.”
Priest Augustus shook his head, saying with considerable emotion:
“It seems to have flown in from the outer sea and somehow encountered that steam airship. But don't worry, the problem has been resolved. It is said that Miss Bei Ya Si, with a single Sunlight Gun, killed that dragon in the air.”
Seeing Xia De's curious expression, Priest Augustus added:
“That was a pure-blooded Green Dragon, although it was only a young dragon, and it was severely wounded by the High-Ring Sorcerers also on the airship, and further weakened by the divine spell ritual on that Sun Church airship. But to be able to kill a dragon in aerial combat as a low-Ring術士, perhaps only the legendary heroes of ancient times could do it.”
He stirred the broth in front of him with a spoon:
“The young people nowadays are truly remarkable. I think Iluna Bayas will definitely become a hero on a rhode cards in the future. The title of Dragon Slayer Hero, in this era where most dragons have disappeared, even Thirteen Ring Sorcerers might not be able to obtain it.”
As he spoke, he pulled out his pipe. Of course, the Priest wouldn't smoke in a public place like a restaurant; he just habitually took it out to wipe it.
“How was the Green Dragon’s corpse handled?”
Xia De asked again.
“It is said that it was left there to be dealt with, after all, they need to investigate where this dragon came from. However, besides that Green Dragon, I heard that after the airship took off again, a Sage-level humanoid relic sneaked into the cabin. I am not a Ring術士 of the church, so I didn't get much specific information, but I heard that its true form was a black humanoid, and after disguising itself as people who didn't exist in memories, it created a series of murders, and was only successfully expelled when discovered.”
“That ship was really unlucky. I mean, their journey was really not peaceful.”
Xia De lamented, picking up the fruit wine beside him. Priest Augustus also picked up his glass and clinked it with Xia De's in the air:
“Wishing them luck!”
This was Xia De's own fruit wine; this restaurant allowed outside drinks.
After they put down their glasses, Xia De finally asked about the matter he was most concerned about:
“Priest, do you have any power related to the Eye of death? Miracle, demonic eye, or talent.”
“That’s a strange question.”
Priest Augustus said, but he had no reservations about Xia De, so he didn't mind telling Xia De such private matters:
“Of course, these eyes of mine can see any spiritual body, yes, any spiritual body.”
But Xia De's eyes could also do this, and Xia De couldn't assume he might be a Chosen One of death just because his perception was strong.
“Also, I can vaguely see some signs on people who are about to die, very vaguely, almost like intuition.”
“Is this the Miracle you gave me?”
“No, no, it’s another talent of mine.”
Priest Augustus said, the two were sitting in the innermost part of this “John Steak Restaurant,” so it was convenient for him to glance around the entire restaurant:
“Just like that gentleman.”
The Priest pointed to a stranger who had just entered. He was wearing a decent suit and carrying a black briefcase, likely a clerk working nearby:
“He will die within three months.”
“What’s the cause of death?”
“How would I know? Oh, Detective, don’t think such talents are too powerful.”
The Priest said, while Xia De thought that Priest Augustus's talent was somewhat similar to the Boy he met in the morning, but its manifestation was undoubtedly weaker than the latter's.
“Also, I can vaguely perceive the thoughts of a soul by staring at it, but it must be at a very close distance and require prolonged staring.”
This was also very similar to Sister Devlin's talent, but compared to the grey-haired Sister's ability to discern soul secrets with a single glance, the Priest's talent was undoubtedly much less expressive.
