WCBD CH141

Chapter 141: The Undertone of Civilization

Last December, when Siles was organizing club activities, he learned from Madame Fuller that a foreign art exhibition was going to be held, so he made visiting the exhibition a club activity. That was the art exhibition from Middleton.

At that exhibition, the paintings by a painter named Frank Ronchi were highly eye-catching. Those paintings all carried a soul-stirring sense of power: humanity’s struggle against the storm, the disparity between insignificant life and magnificent nature… that feeling was both fascinating and dangerous.

The era when Frank Ronchi enjoyed his great prestige was not far from the present. He was born in the three hundredth year of the Age of Mist, and passed away in his sixties, after which his paintings immediately became famous. Calculating the time, it was a matter of just the past thirty-some years.

If the Foster Ronchi standing before him was truly related to the painter Frank Ronchi, calculating based on the general age of marriage and childbirth in one’s twenties, then that painter was highly likely his… great-grandfather?

Foster Ronchi’s Konst language was a bit rusty, but there were no problems with daily communication. Over lunch and on the way to Bethune University, Siles struck up a conversation with this introverted young student.

From him, Siles learned that Foster had studied the Konst language precisely because of his family’s academic background. Foster himself had also traveled to countries like the Duchy of Konst and Kansas to understand the local culture and arts.

Siles then said, “I once heard of a painter from Middleton named Frank Ronchi. He is your…?”

“He is exactly my great-grandfather!” Foster said, somewhat surprised. “I didn’t expect the Professor to know of my great-grandfather. Have you seen his works?”

“Konst once held a Middleton art exhibition, and I saw some of his works there. I am very interested in the oceans of Middleton, and Mr. Ronchi’s paintings happened to express exactly this aspect,” Siles said.

Foster nodded repeatedly. It was apparent that the young man had become unexpectedly excited because his family was mentioned. Family, clan, lineage, tribe—these concepts were all condensed within the bloodline of Middleton people.

Foster said, “My great-grandfather was once the president of Bethune University. He single-handedly spearheaded the artistic trend in Middleton and mentored several famous artists who are highly renowned today. Prior to this, the people of Middleton didn’t even have much of a concept of art. You are from Konst, so you might not be able to imagine the daily lives of many Middleton residents.

“Their lives repeated the exact same content every day, with nothing worth commemorating. Their faith in the ocean was equally dull; they didn’t know why they believed, nor what relationship they had with this sea. It was my great-grandfather who developed and enriched this concept.”

Siles listened thoughtfully to the young man’s impassioned words. He said, “You admire your great-grandfather very much.”

“Yes, Professor,” Foster said, a bit shyly. “My great-grandfather passed away before I was born. He was very low-key during his lifetime. Even though he painted many incredible works, he rarely let others appraise them.

“My father said that great-grandfather always deeply appreciated the act of practicing, depicting, and recording art and beauty in the real world. But great-grandfather felt his own works weren’t authentic enough, so he was reluctant to display his paintings.

“…But I believe my great-grandfather was already incredible enough. Therefore, right after he passed away, people immediately swarmed in, madly praising his works. I can very much understand this frenzy.

“During the years I was born and grew up, my great-grandfather’s works just happened to be at their most popular. I listened to my family, classmates, and teachers constantly mention my great-grandfather, his concepts, and his works. …I think my great-grandfather was a truly formidable person. So I also revere him deeply, as if he could secretly inspire me. I am deeply regretful that I never got to truly spend time with him, only able to glimpse his past life through historical texts.”

Siles nodded thoughtfully. He thought, The reason Frank Ronchi’s paintings only became popular after his death was because, while he was alive, he felt his works were not yet perfect? This mindset was indeed very much like an artist. However, Siles didn’t have much understanding of the painting profession; he just felt that Frank Ronchi’s works were indeed quite good.

Foster added, “However, I don’t have any talent in painting, so in university, I ultimately decided to study philosophy. It is also a very interesting major.”

“What does the philosophy department at Bethune University study?” Siles was somewhat curious about this.

At Lamifa University, the School of Literature and History indeed had a philosophy major as well, but this major had always been obscure. The research scholars were all eccentric and not very likable, so they always kept a low profile and rarely interacted with outsiders. Hearing about the philosophy major unexpectedly in a foreign country, Siles was rather intrigued.

“It’s… humanity…” Foster fell into the predicament of not knowing how to translate it. He said with slight embarrassment, “Like, the question of the relationship between humanity and the world?”

Siles nodded, able to understand. However, what he was actually more curious about was, in this world possessing bizarre powers, how would people construct their worldview?

But they had no more time to discuss these topics, as they had already arrived at Bethune University.

Bethune University was situated by the sea, looking more like a resort than an institution of knowledge. Most of the buildings here were blue and white, very refreshing and eye-catching, though they appeared a bit frigid in winter. The arched domes of the buildings made the entire campus feel less cold, and this architectural style also gave off an approachable feeling. There were students walking about the campus; most were tall with poised gazes.

The looks they cast over carried curiosity and a subtle scrutinizing intent. The feeling this group of students gave off was actually somewhat different from the Bethune residents outside the school.

Siles and his group marched grandly into Bethune University. The people from the Church of the Past hadn’t all come; only a portion arrived to handle their security. But even so, a group of over a dozen people still appeared quite crowded. They walked in through the school gates and strolled around the university. Bethune University occupied a considerable amount of land, and the entire campus was noticeably expansive and open, which was starkly different from Lamifa University.

In Bethune, the different majors of the university each had their own distinct buildings, while the teaching buildings were set up separately. There were dormitories specifically provided for students, as well as several bustling dining halls. This setup made Siles feel a sense of familiarity and warmth.

He exchanged notes with Foster about the differences between the two universities, and both felt a little surprised. Foster stammered, “Lamifa University sounds very interesting too. A giant castle, like something out of a legend.”

Siles couldn’t help but smile.

They eventually arrived at a relatively broad two-story building. The leading young professor from Middleton said, “This is our School of Liberal Arts building. In the coming days, you all will be interacting with other professors here.”

The people of Konst nodded. Siles thought to himself, School of Liberal Arts. A fascinating name.

At this moment, he felt an unavoidable wave of longing for his homeland, Earth. The familiar names, the intimate teaching buildings, the familiar dormitories and campus stores… In a daze, he felt those things were both so close yet so far away. After all, even for He Jiayin, his university days were a decade ago. And for Siles Noel, they were matters of an even more distant past.

He spaced out blankly for a moment before suddenly snapping back to his senses, looking at the people around him. They were conversing in either the Konst language or the Middleton language. In that split second, he felt a subtle sense of alienation.

…A foreigner. Not just to this land of Middleton, but to the entire Fisher World.

But… but…

But at the same time, he very clearly felt that crisp self-awareness corresponding to the out-of-place nature of a foreigner. It was precisely because he felt this unfamiliarity that he would feel nostalgic for the things from even earlier, believing they were things closer to his true self.

He was out of place with these people right now because this was Middleton and he was more familiar with Konst; but fundamentally, it was because he was from Earth. He possessed a cultural undertone entirely different from this world.

Culture. Civilization. Self-awareness.

…Undertone?

He froze.

“…Professor Noel?” Foster called his name hesitantly.

Siles abruptly snapped back. The wind from the sea brushed past his cheeks, bringing a startling coldness.

He said, “Apologies, my mind wandered. I just thought of things from my university days.”

“Oh, during your university days?” Foster said. “But you still look quite young.”

Siles thought for a moment and smiled faintly. “But that is also a very distant matter now. Recalling student days after becoming a professor feels incredibly novel.”

Foster looked at Siles with a bit of suspicion.

Lorenzo happened to be standing nearby and interjected, “Oh, I know what you mean, Professor Noel. You mean, assigning students even more homework than you had when you were a student is very enjoyable, isn’t it?”

Siles: “…”

He cast a speechless glance at Lorenzo, then thought to himself, Forget it; this world is actually quite similar to Earth.

Meanwhile, Foster looked at Lorenzo in sheer horror, though that expression gradually shifted to thoughtfulness, then deep contemplation, and finally, temptation.

…Look what you’ve done, Professor Lorenzo Grantham. Siles couldn’t help but shake his head.

He said, “They are heading to the next place; let’s catch up.”

The three of them then continued walking forward.

Siles, meanwhile, absentmindedly pondered the question he had just thought of.

In fact, he had always held onto this idea—that the reason his Will stat was so high was that he was a foreigner from Earth.

His self-awareness had always been this resolute; he knew his true name was He Jiayin, which was why he wouldn’t be polluted by the Old Gods of this world. After all, He Jiayin was wholly unique to this world, wasn’t he? Just like Chendo’s identity as an Old God’s Scion, the two of them both possessed clear and definitive self-awareness, which was why they possessed firm, unshakable Will.

However, having just thought deeply about this issue and combining it with what he had seen and heard over the recent period, Siles suddenly felt that this idea wasn’t entirely correct.

For example, that foreign lady bishop, Elizabeth Hosier.

Her Will stat wasn’t that high, or at least that was the case in the RPG script’s settings. Yet, her identity was clearly also quite definitive. It was just that she struggled between two types of self-awareness, unable to find a certain answer.

…But Siles hadn’t run into this problem; he never felt that the two identities of “Earth novelist He Jiayin” and “Fisher World literary history professor Siles Noel” would cause him to hesitate in indecision.

He recognized the identity of “He Jiayin” far too firmly, so even though he had now also accepted the identity of “Siles Noel,” it didn’t affect his awareness of the former.

But why was it so firm?

Siles suddenly felt puzzled.

Because of his identity as the Keeper of Secrets? Or was it because… Earth?

Perhaps his homeland was a bit more… special than he imagined?

In that instant just now, Siles felt completely out of place with this world, while also feeling that this incongruity highlighted his self-awareness.

This shared the same underlying logic as what was mentioned in the conversation between the wandering poet Aldous Gershwin and Graves Darrow Klimo—that only in a foreign land can one recognize oneself more clearly.

In other words, this created a contrast.

If a person existed in isolation, then they could not possibly possess any clear self-awareness; only when interacting with others, when differentiation occurs, and they realize the distinctions of “me and you” or “me and him,” can they realize their own uniqueness.

When Siles was previously conducting experiments related to the “Replicating the Self” ritual, he recalled how, back in his homeland, Earth, he had directly encountered countless other people’s concepts and ideas on the internet.

This process of having other people’s thoughts smacked into his face and then being forced to wash his face clean on his own was something he was already extremely familiar with. At the time, he even thought this experience might have raised his Will.

These two worlds were different. Even if they shared commonalities in certain aspects, he had always understood that the essence of the two worlds was fundamentally different.

And the question he was pondering right now was, exactly how different was this variance?

Earth and the Fisher World… did this not merely signify a difference in space and time, but further signify the difference between Earth civilization and Fisher civilization?

This subsequently involved the issue of “undertone” that Siles had considered before.

He once thought that if used as a color metaphor, the souls of the people in this world might be blue, and other things—such as spiritual pollution and the like—might also be blue.

Therefore, when Revelators were polluted, they might not be able to realize this distinction. Because between blue and blue, even with differences in brightness and depth, the contrast wouldn’t be that severe, and they might unwittingly overlook it.

But the undertone of Siles’s soul might be red. Because the contrast was so stark, whenever any blue pollution seeped into his soul, he could instantly realize it and expel it.

Perhaps he had now gradually accepted this identity in the Fisher World, and perhaps the undertone of his soul was already slightly tinted with a bit of blue.

However, because that red was so rich, so profound, this small amount of blue was harmless, so he still retained his resolute self-awareness as an “Earthling.”

…This was highly possible. It was just that Siles had never previously considered why his Earth red could be so “solid”? And what did this “solidity” signify?

For an entire afternoon, Siles was practically plagued by this question.

He pondered it repeatedly, taking out some details from the past to deliberate over them carefully. He thought of the dice’s previous metaphors regarding this world. But now, he suddenly realized, did this “world” merely refer to the Fisher World, or did it mean the world in a much broader sense?

The dice had also mentioned before that the relationship between Earth and the Fisher World was much more intimate than he imagined.

From what dimension did this intimacy actually stem?

This dilemma actually stemmed from civilization.

Taking this word purely on its own, the nation of Middleton could also be considered a type of civilization. Yet, Elizabeth Hosier, a native-born Middleton citizen, did not possess a resolute self-awareness like Siles.

Therefore, in this current context, civilization must symbolize something far more colossal.

Siles also thought of a strange matter simultaneously. The dice said that when he arrived in the Fisher World, he was already in the identity of the “Keeper of Secrets.”

But this tabletop RPG couldn’t possibly have only been played by him and his group of friends on Earth; there would be other players and game masters involved. If they transmigrated, would they become Keepers of Secrets too?

Was it because he himself was special, or because Earth was special? Or was it because of a combination of the two?

Siles formulated a vague idea. He gradually leaned toward the third possibility.

That is to say, it was “Earth” combined with “He Jiayin” that enabled him to become this world’s helper. The latter might be due to his personal personality, abilities, and other reasons, while the former was the root of him possessing such a high Will stat.

…His homeland, Earth, was his true backing and his greatest weapon.

By the time he realized this, their group was eating dinner in the dining hall of Bethune University. Almost every university had a dining hall specifically for entertaining foreign guests, rarely open to students, but with dishes absolutely at the top-tier level of dining hall food.

Siles’s silence along the way hadn’t actually drawn much attention from the others, because his personality had always been like this. And when he occasionally snapped out of it, he would join in on the others’ conversations, so no one noticed his abnormality.

If Chendo were here, he might be able to tell at a glance that his beloved deity was weighed down with a heavy heart. But Chendo was not here.

An afternoon of contemplation gave Siles some ideas. He believed that the next time he communicated with the dice, perhaps they could delve more into Earth-related topics.

For example, if the Fisher World needed a helper, then why did the dice travel to Earth to seek this person out?

Thinking this, Siles couldn’t help but sigh. He felt he had been a bit slow on the uptake. No, it should be said, he hadn’t managed to connect everything together earlier, failing to realize Earth’s special nature.

But it wasn’t too late now either. It just so happened he was gradually touching upon the topic of the “shadow.” These mysteries seem to be advancing in sync, he thought.

He thought jokingly to himself again that perhaps his game master had just rolled a Spirituality or Knowledge check for him, and he rolled a Critical Success, which was why he could figure out so much; it was just that he himself didn’t know of this fate’s existence.

…Wait, seriously, that dice guy wouldn’t secretly roll checks for me, right?

Siles pondered this question with considerable vexation.

[Will +1.]
[You need to perform a Will check.]
[Will: 94 (+1)/25, Success.]
[You have realized the world’s issues, but from another perspective, overthinking these problems will only add to your troubles, because you can simply ask me, this lonely and desolate old ‘die’. By the way, this current Will check has nothing to do with that single point of Will you just gained.]

Siles was slightly taken aback.

The instant these prompts appeared, his subconscious thought was, had the dice peeked into his thoughts? But the very next second, he denied his own conjecture.

Instead, he felt a bit ashamed of this thought. After all, the dice had told him long ago that it wouldn’t do such a thing. This suspicion was baseless.

Therefore…

The dice’s explanation was actually divided into two parts.

The first part was aimed at that one point of Will stat he had gained. Clearly, Siles’s line of thought was correct; he realized Earth’s uniqueness, further solidifying his self-awareness, which was why he possessed this additional point of Will. The dice had also specifically provided an explanation for this.

The second part, however, had absolutely nothing to do with his recent contemplations. The second part was what truly pertained to this baffling check he had just experienced.

A value of 25, a Will check…

Siles’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he abruptly snapped back to reality, realizing they were currently in a dining hall in Middleton.

…A dining hall?

His gaze fell upon the dishes in front of him, and then onto his surroundings.

If it was a Will check, then it could only mean spiritual pollution, and a value of 25 indicated a very faint level of pollution. The reason the dice rolled a check at this moment was likely to alert him to this very fact.

Siles wasn’t currently in ritual time, nor was he wearing [Akamara’s Eyeglass Frame], so he completely failed to notice anything wrong with the scene before him.

He thought for a moment, then used the restroom as an excuse to excuse himself, swallowed the potion, and put on the glasses. When he returned to the dining table, no one even paid attention to his absence, as everyone had been passionately discussing related topics.

Siles’s gaze fell on the dishes in front of him. He looked carefully, and only then did he notice that there was nothing wrong with the food; the problem lay with the plates.

Those ceramic plates holding the exquisite dishes were all shrouded in faint, hazy, grayish-black mist. It was very subtle, feeling more like it stemmed from the material of the plates themselves rather than anything else. It could only be observed through [Akamara’s Eyeglass Frame].

Siles thoughtfully took off his glasses.

…He really didn’t want to look at this scene. Even though there was nothing wrong with the food itself, he had just eaten quite a lot of it. This feeling always made one a bit squeamish.

It should be said, the dice rolled this check precisely because he had eaten food served on these plates?

Siles cautiously decided to roll a Will check for everyone present afterward, especially the professors from Lamifa University, who were essentially entirely ordinary people with no understanding of Revelators; if they fell victim to it, it would be bad news.

Those plates were very inconspicuous, and furthermore, the real problem lay within the inner material, not the outer glaze or decorations, which made it even more suspicious.

…Where did the problem lie? Was it Bethune University that purchased this batch of plates, the merchant who sold them, or the raw material supplier?

“I noticed these plates are very beautiful,” Siles said suddenly. “Are they a specialty of Middleton?”

Siles’s words surprised the others slightly, and they all directed their gazes to the ceramic plates. Initially, people hadn’t noticed the plates because the food covered them. People were all eager to eat, with no time to pay attention to the containers underneath.

But now, as dinner was drawing to a close and the dishes were mostly finished, the beautiful plates underneath were revealed. The patterns spread all around, intricate and dense, while also containing some rather exquisite oceanic elements.

Looking at the patterns, Foster Ronchi revealed a slightly puzzled expression.

Professor Bella said in surprise, “They really are quite exquisite!” She looked like she wanted to buy a few to take back as Middleton gifts for her friends.

…Siles had to secretly think of a way to stop Professor Bella from carrying out this idea.

The people from Konst were all full of praise for these plates. Thus, acting as the host, the professor from Bethune University smiled and said, “Then I will go inquire about the origins of these plates later on.

“I do know that some ceramic goods in Middleton are very famous. Tomorrow, when we tour Bethune, I can also take you all to choose and buy some.”

They all enthusiastically agreed with this idea.

It was getting late, so they were also about to return to the inn.

Bethune University had actually arranged accommodation for the visiting scholars from Lamifa University, but they hadn’t expected so many people from the Church of the Past to accompany them, so they didn’t have that many rooms available on short notice.

Therefore, Professor Bella simply tactfully declined the offer. Since they had already checked into the inn, and it wasn’t far from Bethune University anyway, they could just continue staying there, avoiding the hassle of packing their luggage and moving to another hotel.

This could be considered a solution that satisfied both sides. So, the person in charge from Bethune University escorted them back to the inn and then bid them farewell.

After an afternoon of touring, they also felt exhausted, quickly saying goodbye to each other and returning to their rooms. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Siles swiftly rolled a Will check for everyone who had just eaten, confirming they were all fine.

Even though ordinary people wouldn’t suffer excessively severe pollution due to their low Spirituality, Siles couldn’t guarantee whether there was someone with Revelator aptitude among these ordinary people, so he simply rolled a check for everyone.

The Will stats of the vast majority were within the normal range, entirely capable of resisting the spiritual pollution corresponding to a value of 25 on their own; Siles’s checks merely added an extra layer of insurance.

However, what surprised Siles was that Foster Ronchi had a Will stat of 72, which could be said to stand head and shoulders above the rest.

He couldn’t help but gaze thoughtfully at Foster’s departing back.

This could be considered an unexpected harvest, he thought. Was it the influence of his philosophy major? Or did Foster Ronchi also possess some unknown, resolute self-awareness?

As Siles was thinking, Knight Commander Bunyan walked over and asked in a low voice, “Professor, you specifically asked about those ceramic plates at the dining table just now, and even put on your glasses. Is there some problem?”

Clearly, the Knight Commander had realized something was wrong. After all, [Akamara’s Eyeglass Frame] originated from the Church of the Past, and they were very clear on the power of this ritual.

…Of course, as for Siles, he highly suspected that the reason this eyeglass frame was so powerful for him was fundamentally that he possessed Akamara’s power, which further enhanced the capabilities of this ritual.

Siles nodded and said, “I believe those plates harbor spiritual pollution.”

He didn’t explain further, but Knight Commander Bunyan had already revealed a shocked expression.

Clearly, Bunyan believed Siles’s judgment without hesitation; after all, Siles was the inventor of the “Replicating the Self” ritual, and everyone knew Siles possessed rather profound research on spiritual pollution.

Bunyan immediately frowned, saying, “This is a bit abnormal. Why would items with spiritual pollution appear in Bethune University? This seems…”

“Too dangerous,” Siles said.

The danger lurking beneath the facade of ordinary, mundane events in everyday life. Who would have thought that they were merely having dinner in a university dining hall, yet those beautifully patterned, exquisitely crafted ceramic plates would harbor some strange little problems?

…He was reminded of Greyson’s meat and desserts again. How terrible.

Perhaps this was also why Bishop Elizabeth had told them to hold their ground earlier and first observe the situation in Bethune. This city was not as safe as it appeared on the surface; hidden undercurrents similarly surged.

Siles didn’t continue dwelling on this issue, saying, “We can observe the situation of the others and then wait for the reply from that professor at Bethune University tomorrow. It’s still best for us to keep a low profile as much as possible in Bethune.”

Knight Commander Bunyan also agreed with this. Even though he was still arguing vigorously with Elizabeth this morning, he had completely calmed down now. Perhaps he, too, had finally realized that they were in an unfamiliar foreign land.

That night, Siles did not enter the deep-sea dreams. He originally could have entered the dreams that day, but considering he might receive news related to that strange ceramic material afterward, he decided to postpone it for a day.

He also found it unusually difficult to fall asleep. Of course, he knew perfectly well in his heart that it was because he was thinking of his homeland, Earth. It was that heavy bond and homesickness holding back his steps toward sleep.

He knew this was human nature, and unavoidably, he also admitted that he didn’t quite like this emotion. It made him feel a slight sense of weakness.

…Enough, He Jiayin, he thought. It’s perfectly normal for an adult to have some soft, sappy emotions late at night. Don’t be so hard on yourself.

He stared blankly into space for a while before letting out a soft sigh. He had to admit that while eating today, he had thought of hot pot and milk tea from Earth. Perhaps next time he was with Chendo, he could try to see if he could recreate some classic dishes from Earth in this other world.

…Even though my tomato scrambled eggs was a massive failure, hot pot and milk tea shouldn’t possibly fail, right?

He fell asleep amidst his nostalgia for Earth’s delicacies.

The next morning, they embarked on their tour of Bethune. However, Siles was extremely curious about the issue with those plates from yesterday. It would be too conspicuous for him to continue pressing the matter himself now, so he spoke to Dr. Chester privately.

The doctor was clearly surprised that Siles had found a new incident needing investigation after only a few days. But this surprise was fleeting; Chester had likely gotten used to it.

He then found an opportunity to ask that professor later.

At the time, they happened to be visiting the port of Bethune, which was the port where fishermen went out to sea, different from the passenger port where they had previously landed. The name of this port was a rather complex Middleton word.

Outside the port was a bustling market with vendors of all sizes; fishermen were selling freshly caught fish and other seafood there, while Bethune’s residents shuttled through it, picking and buying what they needed.

The early morning port was exactly at its busiest and most lively moment. The time was now March, and the weather was gradually getting a bit warmer. The azure sky and the deep blue ocean intertwined in the distance, and paired with the cacophony of voices in front of the blue and white buildings, it gave off a rare sense of peace.

That professor mentioned that the fishing industry and markets like this one were major economic pillars of Bethune.

Since the economy happened to be mentioned, Chester took the chance to say, “Speaking of Bethune’s economy, didn’t you mention yesterday that the ceramics industry is also very prevalent in Middleton?”

“Exactly!” the professor said. “I specifically went to inquire about it yesterday, and only then did I learn that on the isolated islands in the deep sea, the soil of some islands is very suitable for pottery. Some fishermen went to those isolated islands by chance and unexpectedly discovered this.

“It is said that this practice was actually learned from the natives on those islands. Those residents used a very crude method to make pottery, yet it was extremely durable.

“So some merchants specifically dug up some of the soil and tried making ceramics, and the final results were indeed quite good. They then viewed those islands as a source of raw materials, making them their exclusive supply.”

Siles couldn’t help but ask, “Then, what about the residents on those isolated islands?”

“Uh, what?” The professor was slightly taken aback. “Those residents… naturally still live on the islands. Oh, but I heard that some merchants would drive some of the residents away when excavating that special soil. This is unavoidable.”

Siles wanted to say something, but ultimately just said in a low voice, “I understand.”

Someone understood what he meant to say, but others merely felt it was inconsequential. One person asked, “So, are these ceramics relatively rare?”

The professor explained, “You can’t exactly say that. Actually, the final quantity of ceramics produced is still quite large, but the vast majority are bought up by the upper class, and some are purchased by institutions like our university.

“Only the small remaining amount reaches the market, and the prices for those are usually quite expensive. So, if you all want to buy that specific kind of ceramics, it probably wouldn’t be very cost-effective.

“However, ordinary ceramics are also very suitable as souvenirs. Middleton’s geographical location is vastly different from Konst’s, and the ceramics here are also quite beautiful and exquisite.”

Several people nodded, seemingly intending to buy some to take back to Konst.

Siles also nodded, secretly breathing a sigh of relief that they didn’t plan on buying those special ceramics.

Clearly, the soil from those isolated islands had some problems, carrying some sort of spiritual pollution—a grayish-black mist, not the fog; Siles had seen such pollution when he was dispelling spiritual pollution for those Revelators, but he didn’t know which Old God it belonged to.

Judging purely by color… perhaps Hoodoka?

But, if linked with the mist, then perhaps it could also be said that multiple types of pollution were mixed together? Siles wasn’t entirely sure what this situation entailed.

In any case, it was a certainty that the raw material carried pollution. However, ordinary people were completely unaware of this, and even Revelators or others who possessed power would find it hard to detect the problem if they didn’t have power like Siles’s.

After all, the spiritual pollution corresponding to a value of 25 was extremely minute; even ordinary people could resist it through their own Will. But precisely because it was minute, once it accumulated over time, the situation could become extremely severe.

Nearby, Knight Commander Bunyan asked a question that Siles was also puzzled about: “Excuse me, when did this special kind of ceramics start becoming popular?”

The professor was taken aback for a moment, thought for a while, and then said, “Probably about, over thirty years ago? I’m not entirely sure either. The person who told me about this just mentioned that it was only after a generation of improving the craftsmanship that this kind of ceramics gained market recognition in the last dozen or so years.”

Siles almost subconsciously glanced at the distant ocean.

Over thirty years ago?

A subtle intuition told him that this matter was highly likely tied to the incident with Enoch Gielgud, as well as the disappearance of Josephine Hosier.

Chester, Bunyan, and Catherine Kinsey, who was accompanying them at the moment, clearly thought of this as well, and they tried their best to control their facial expressions.

Fortunately, the scene was a bit chaotic now, and the professor’s attention was quickly drawn to other things, no longer focusing on the matter of the ceramics.

Bunyan walked up to Siles and said in a low voice, “From the looks of it, there must be some problems with the soil on those isolated islands.”

“Indeed,” Siles said. “However, we have no evidence to prove this. Did you bring [Shadow of the Old Gods]?”

That was a ritual specifically used to measure spiritual pollution.

Bunyan nodded.

“We’ll definitely still go eat at the dining hall of Bethune University later; remember to record your pollution levels then,” Siles considered for a moment, then added, “It would be best to let Lady Elizabeth know about this and ask for her advice.”

“I understand,” Bunyan nodded. He acted decisively, calling over a knight and instructing him to make a trip to Elizabeth’s to relay this matter to the lady bishop.

Siles noticed that the knight was exactly Darrell Hobbs’s older brother, Lloyd. As Lloyd left, he specifically smiled at Siles and greeted him.

Siles breathed a slight sigh of relief and said in a low voice, “I hope this matter won’t cause too much of an impact.”

Bunyan also couldn’t help but sigh. They didn’t discuss this topic much further, since they were still outside. However, it was evident they were no longer in the mood to tour Bethune.

Siles pondered the possible truth behind the events from over thirty years ago, but had to admit the information they currently possessed was still too scarce.

As they were leaving the port, Siles accidentally walked next to the translator Johnny.

Johnny noticed Siles, hesitated, and then said, “Professor, there’s something I’m not sure if I should tell you.”

Siles snapped out of his thoughts and asked in confusion, “What is it?”

“I think I just noticed Garrett Gielgud,” Johnny pointed toward the port further away. “He seemed to want to board a fishing boat, but was chased off, and then left the port. Though I might have been mistaken, since it was quite far away.”

Siles was surprised to hear this. He said, “Perhaps you weren’t mistaken. However, I wonder why Garrett was chased off.”

“Perhaps his reputation has already spread to Bethune?” Johnny said in a half-joking, half-serious tone.

Siles thought for a while and had to admit this was highly possible.

The two of them paused here for a moment, and the others had already walked far ahead. They stopped discussing it and caught up with the main group. Afterward, they went to visit Bethune’s museum, gaining a deeper understanding of this nation’s history.

Just as Siles had learned previously, Middleton was a nation that had endured from the Age of Silence into the Age of Mist. However, since that time, this country had been a xenophobic, closed, and self-sufficient region, so they weren’t particularly knowledgeable about developments in the outside world.

As for Middleton itself, the mist of the Age of Silence had also struck this nation.

Siles suspected that the mist that once covered this region originated from Brancani; at least judging from the geographical location and the data on the fall of Old Gods provided previously by the Church of the Past, this possibility was quite high, because the location where Brancani fell was very close to Middleton.

However, it was also possible it was a deity whose fall location had never been confirmed, such as Amois, Elco, or Timiafa. Their fall could very well have been near the ocean.

Thinking of this, Siles suddenly realized, if Timiafa’s paradise was indeed the “Island Whale,” then when He consumed Elco, could that have also happened over the ocean?

Therefore, Elco’s Stardust had never been discovered by anyone until now, remaining shrouded by the mist over the ocean.

This possibility, in turn, further strengthened the authenticity of the speculation that the “Island Whale” was Timiafa’s paradise, Siles thought to himself.

The tour of the museum left everyone present feeling fascinated and reluctant to leave. These liberal arts professors clearly all loved Middleton’s museum very much, because it carried more traces of history; the unbroken history of this nation was especially intoxicating.

Unfortunately, due to the language barrier, they were still unable to appreciate more of the charm of Middleton’s history.

Despite this, Siles, as well as the other professors, still decisively spent money to buy a book introducing Middleton’s history and culture. It was said to be the work of the director of this national museum.

This portion of their expenses was also counted as academic funding supported by Lamifa University, so they naturally purchased this book with joy and without hesitation.

They spent quite a long time in this museum, and afterward, they took a cursory look at the scenery of Bethune’s city district, and indeed went to stores to purchase some exquisite ceramics.

Of course, besides ceramics, the professors also selected some other souvenirs.

When picking out souvenirs, Siles specifically drank the potion and put on his glasses, only breathing a sigh of relief after confirming those items had no problems. With great interest, he also picked out some interesting items for Chendo, for his mother, and for his friends.

Around evening, they had dinner at a well-known seafood restaurant in Bethune, and then returned to the inn.

This day’s tour made them look forward even more to the academic exchange with the professors of Bethune University the next day.

And that night, Mr. Ghost also successfully entered Garrett Gielgud’s dream bubble.

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