Chendo didn’t leave immediately, but waited until Mary returned.
Mary said in a rather brisk tone, “It’s resolved. That coat… seemed to have turned into an out-of-control Time Trace. Miles inactivated the coat’s spirituality.”
Everyone present knew what an out-of-control Time Trace meant, but…
Chester said in disbelief, “How could that be? That’s my coat! How could it become an out-of-control Time Trace?”
Mary shook her head as well. It was an unsolved mystery.
Siles thought thoughtfully, an out-of-control Time Trace… It seemed he needed to re-examine this concept. The focus wasn’t on “Time Trace,” but on “out-of-control.”
Under the perspective of Akamara’s Eyeglass Frame, he had seen that strange hazy mist…
What exactly was that?
He didn’t have time to think much before Chendo quickly bid them farewell. The other three were slightly uneasy about Chendo’s temporary departure, but to resolve this incident, it seemed necessary.
After deciding to leave, Chendo wasn’t coy or reluctant. However, before leaving, he still gave Siles a light hug.
Alva’s eyes widened from the side. Realizing they had only hugged, Alva let out a very regretful sigh.
Chendo glanced at him, showing a rather genuine smile.
Mary sighed, “Mr. Chendo, you’ve become much more peaceful now.”
Usually, Chendo Praia wouldn’t communicate and interact with them so cordially, let alone jointly analyze and solve dilemmas. He always just put on a high-and-mighty, arrogant posture, refusing to communicate with anyone, only taking action at the most crucial moments.
But now, he was almost like a completely different person.
Chendo was noncommittal. He gave Siles one last look, then waved goodbye to them.
“I will try my best to return before tomorrow evening,” Chendo said. “So, please don’t put yourself in danger tomorrow.”
This time Alva knew the reminder wasn’t aimed at them bystanders, but solely at Siles. He widened his eyes, looking at Siles, expectantly waiting for the usually aloof Professor Noel to say something nice.
However, unfortunately, in the end, Siles simply said, “I understand.”
Chendo seemed to leave satisfied, but the other three sighed in unison.
Siles gave them a baffled look.
Alva was the first to recover, and then eagerly asked, “Professor, quickly tell us, what did you discover outside this afternoon?”
Siles pondered for a moment, then recounted their findings, roughly the same as his explanation to Mary earlier. Of course, he also added his speculation that “Lila caused the workers’ deaths.”
However, regarding the true nature of Stardust and the condition of the tent fabric, he kept it a secret for now. That involved the world’s secrets, and it might not be appropriate to speak of them at this time.
Mary suddenly understood, “So, you asked Mr. Chendo to return to Biedel City to investigate Joseph and Lila?”
“Yes,” Siles nodded.
Alva pondered for a while, seeming to figure it out, and muttered, “So, a group of Old God followers once splintered, resulting in the doctor’s experience, as well as Joseph and Lila’s.
“And these Old God followers are still carrying out their schemes, planning to do something at the House of Hales. Probably soon—is that right?
“…Huh, that looks like it has nothing to do with my ancestor Barnett!”
He seemed to breathe a huge sigh of relief. Over the past period, he had likely been constantly on edge due to the map’s “error,” fearing it would lead to terrible consequences.
“That heart-shaped canyon…” Mary pondered for a moment. “Indeed, it didn’t cause any tragedy. However, the concept of a ‘mistake on the map’ itself has made people constantly fixate on ‘the Non-existent City’.”
They all fell silent for a moment.
Chester said in a much gentler tone, “But, now that the truth has been spoken, the storms and rumors surrounding this legend will slowly dissolve into people’s casual banter.”
“Perhaps so,” Mary’s mood seemed a bit low as she said, “To be honest, I also grew up listening to the legend of ‘the Non-existent City’.
“I can’t imagine that this story was merely a coincidence, or even that someone deliberately fueled the flames, capitalized on the mistake, and sent countless explorers to their deaths.”
Sent to their deaths. Indeed.
Siles thought, the appearance of the heart-shaped canyon was also a very strange problem. What’s even stranger…
Siles finally recalled the line of thought that was interrupted by the attack earlier.
Why did the heart-shaped canyon actually appear?
On the early Barnett version of the map, the reason this heart-shaped canyon appeared was that Barnett wanted to use it to please his wife. The heart-shaped canyon in the lower right corner, to the southeast of the map, exactly symbolized the beating heart in the left chest cavity.
If the map was held facing outwards towards someone, the heart-shaped canyon would perfectly overlap with a human heart. A kind of romance and confession that only a mapmaker could think of.
And that happened in the first century of the Age of Mist.
In other words, by then the gods had completely fallen, Antinam had appeared, and human civilization was entering a state of extreme decline but was also about to usher in vigorous development. At that time, the rumor of “the Non-existent City” had already spread across the Ashless Lands.
…Subsequently, the mist covered the area where the heart-shaped canyon was located, which was near the House of Hales.
Therefore, humans couldn’t verify whether the heart-shaped canyon actually existed, and whether this was where “the Non-existent City” was located.
If they could go explore nearby, this “mistake” would soon be discovered and eliminated, and everyone would be happy. Although Barnett’s reputation would be damaged, the subsequent four hundred years of death, slaughter, and getting lost would cease to exist.
But as luck would have it, the mist covered that vicinity. And by the time the mist dissipated, the heart-shaped canyon had genuinely appeared. Thus, this “mistake” was naturally covered up, and people could never find that “mistake” again.
Because there was no longer a “mistake” on the map!
Who most wished for explorers not to find this mistake? The masterminds behind the scenes fueling the flames.
…The mist. Why was it such a coincidence that the mist shrouded that area precisely at that time?
Siles lowered his eyes, thinking of the black silhouettes hidden in the mist. He thought, Old God followers… the mist… the Three Elements of Deities…
What exactly is the mist?
Stardust is the exuviae of the Divine Title, so what about the mist? Divinity or Divine Name?
Those Old God followers, can they control the mist to some extent? Or rather, summon it?
Wait, mist?
Siles suddenly thought of what happened in the kitchen after the palace banquet. At that time, the crazed believers turned themselves into a feast, thereby attracting Timiafa’s power—this was Siles’s speculation, and he believed it was the truth.
And at that time, Timiafa’s power manifested as a very wondrous red mist.
Mist. Power. But the color is different, Siles pondered.
He had actually encountered different colors quite a few times, under the dual perspectives of the ritual time and Akamara’s Eyeglass Frame.
The faint blue of the God of Stars and Light, Lusmi; the red of the God of Gluttony and Greed, Timiafa; perhaps the overly rich blue on Chendo could be said to symbolize Ligadia? That could almost be described as blue-purple.
And just now, on Doctor Chester, he saw a light blackish-grey mist. Not greyish-white, but closer to steel grey. That was highly likely the color of Hoodoka’s power.
In other words, colors symbolize the power of the gods, namely Divinity, which is why different kinds of colors appear. However, mist is probably just one of the forms of manifestation.
For example, the blue radiance on Revelators clearly symbolizes Antinam, but it doesn’t manifest in the form of mist.
Although these powers have indeed appeared and still exist, their whereabouts seem unfixed, at least not an “inherent” existence like Stardust.
For instance, summoned divine power, the power mastered by certain Old God followers, the deep-sea dreams Siles encountered… Regardless, these powers are indeed very scattered, as if spilling into different corners of the world.
…Out-of-control Time Traces. Siles thought.
Out-of-control Time Traces cause the loss of human spiritual vitality, which is the depletion of spirituality, and that corresponds exactly to the Divinity of the Old Gods. The strange mist Siles saw on Doctor Chester’s coat could also prove this point.
But the problem is, why was that kind of mist connected to the Stardust in the tent fabric?
This point baffled Siles completely.
Perhaps the Old God’s Divinity and Divine Title are still connected? Or do the Old God followers have a way to utilize both?
Siles once again deeply felt that he didn’t understand the supernatural powers of this world well enough, especially regarding the Old Gods. That was, after all, a past that had become historical dust. He could only guess based on imagination and known information.
Perhaps when Chendo returns, he can ask this Old God’s Scion.
The Divine Titles became Stardust, the shells of these Old Gods transforming into underground mineral deposits; Divinity spilled all over the world, the power of these Old Gods returning to the earth like whale falls.
That leaves only the Will of the gods—the Divine Name.
…The layers of mist shrouding this world.
Siles had once considered the chronological relationship between the appearance of the mist and the fall of the Old Gods. And now, Siles was increasingly leaning towards the idea that the fall of the Old Gods caused the appearance of the mist.
After all, there were no Old Gods left in the Age of Mist they were currently in, yet the mist still remained in this world. If the mist appeared to kill the Old Gods, why did it need to continue existing after the Old Gods fell?
Moreover, the appearance and characteristics of the mist made Siles even more certain of his speculation.
Those mists were all, without exception, grey-black, and people walking into them would feel lost and mad. That was clearly related to the gods’ will, which caused mental corruption.
…Is this the ending after the Old Gods fell?
Siles thought again, I really don’t know what on earth happened to this world during the Age of Shadows and the Age of Silence.
He sighed inwardly, reining in his thoughts back to the current situation.
Now, they knew the mastermind’s ultimate goal was the House of Hales. But they still didn’t know what actions these people would take, or what objective they ultimately wanted to achieve.
Waking the Old Gods… indeed. But the results of the Timiafa followers’ actions were very obvious; they failed. Then, what method would these Old God followers who utilized the Timiafa believers choose?
After thinking for a moment, Siles asked, “Mary, could you introduce us to the people controlling the House of Hales behind the scenes?”
“The House of Hales…” Mary pondered for a moment, then replied, “I mentioned to you before that the initial prototype of the House of Hales came from a relay station built by a merchant. Its structures were tents, which have continued to this day.”
Siles nodded and said, “We already know that.”
“Later, during the Age of Mist, people repurposed the buildings from that time, turning it into an explorer gathering place in Glastone, which slowly developed into a massive relay station,” Mary said.
Hearing this, Chester couldn’t help asking, “So, the House of Hales doesn’t have a clear person in power?”
“Person in power…” Mary hesitated. “If I had to say, perhaps it’s the merchants. Not the merchants who got rich in recent years, but those merchant families who have been in business for generations.
“Many relay stations in the Ashless Lands were built by them. They jointly formed a merchant alliance, you could describe it that way, but it’s underground.
“They control taverns, casinos, restaurants, horses, banks, and other businesses. Basically, they can be said to be the underground controllers of the Ashless Lands. But from another perspective, compared to explorers, they aren’t that… ‘powerful’.”
“Powerful in terms of strength,” Siles said deeply.
Mary nodded and added, “So, people usually think merchants are just a bunch of cunning, profit-driven guys. They sometimes look down on merchants.
“I used to be an explorer too. Later, feeling that kind of life was too unstable, I accepted Mr. Lanmere’s employment. Because of this, my reputation among explorers can be said to be mixed.
“They always think that a choice like mine is very despicable—yielding to those greedy merchants, they think. Although they have heard of and fear my past reputation, that fear is always mixed with a hint of contempt and disdain.”
Siles understood. Given this era’s view of merchants, this attitude was very normal. Or rather, people hadn’t realized that economic activities could have such a huge impact.
And this era was a stagnant one. Because of the mist’s existence, this world had, in a sense, lost its future. Although the mist was indeed dissipating, that also seemed to have taken away some things in people’s hearts.
…Old Gods. This was a world that possessed gods.
Alva quickly said, “But, Mary, your life now is much better than theirs.”
Mary smiled and said heartily, “Indeed it is! So, I don’t care how those guys judge me. If you asked me to continue risking my life at my current age, I wouldn’t be willing!”
They all laughed, showing an attitude of agreement and approval.
Siles didn’t join in, but after the topic passed, he continued to ask, “In the Ashless Lands, are merchants suspected of being related to Hoodoka?”
“Hoodoka?” Mary was visibly stunned.
Alva said, “No way. Isn’t Menavaca around?”
As expected, Siles thought. Because Menavaca existed, people naturally assumed that merchants must believe in Menavaca—that was directly related to their profession!
But didn’t Hoodoka’s attribute of deceit also fit perfectly with the merchants’ desires? Especially those merchants who liked to take crooked paths.
Doctor Chester hurriedly said, “Wait, Professor, you mean the merchants might also be related to Hoodoka, and are involved in the current incident?”
“Perhaps.” Siles didn’t give a definitive answer.
As for the possibility that Menavaca swallowed Hoodoka… there was even less need to mention such a thing. That was just a guess.
Mary then said thoughtfully, “Then, the House of Hales…”
“I’m not sure if the House of Hales would aid the wicked,” Siles said. “Just from Miles’s actions, I can’t tell if he is helping the other side.”
“Miles is just the manager of the House of Hales,” Mary said. “Or rather, the operator. It’s unlikely he’s truly involved in the conspiracy behind the scenes and those matters discussed under the table.”
Siles was a little surprised to learn this, but thinking about what Miles had been doing… it seemed understandable.
He then asked, “Then, who would be?”
Mary thought for a moment and gave a name that greatly surprised Siles: “Andy.”
Siles blanked.
Tavern owner Andy?
Mary said, “The Clinking Glasses… this tavern has been in the House of Hales for a very, very long time, at least decades. The current tavern owner, Andy, inherited his father’s work and became the boss of the tavern.
“You’ve also met Andy. He’s very short in stature, and that’s because he’s a half-blood.”
“Half-blood?” Siles was a bit confused. “You mean… those tribes?”
“Yes, you are really sharp,” Mary said. “Andy’s mother, or rather, his maternal family, are aboriginals who have lived near the House of Hales since a very, very long time ago.
“After the explorers gathered here, people had some conflicts with those aboriginals over land or other interests. In short, after the peace talks, it was Andy’s mother’s faction that finally agreed to peaceful coexistence.
“Many of these low houses belong to those aboriginals. They are short, so the height of these houses is this low. This land originally belonged to them, so no one dares to make trouble here.
“As time passed, these aboriginals slowly became close to others, and even intermarried.
“However, Andy’s mother’s lineage was always very sensitive about who they intermarried with, because they nominally controlled the land in the House of Hales area. This is also why there are no adventure groups present in this area.
“In short, Andy’s mother was the tribal chief of this generation, and Andy’s father… if I remember correctly, he was originally a high-ranking member of a large adventure group nearby. Because he was injured, he opened this tavern in the House of Hales.
“During this process, he met his wife, and eventually they married and had a child. The union of the two sides… eventually led to none of the explorers in the entire House of Hales daring to provoke Andy. Furthermore, Andy also became a sufficiently weighty shot-caller within the House of Hales.”
Siles suddenly understood.
Tavern owner Andy… this was also someone Siles had suspected.
But the strange thing was, if Andy knew the inside story, knew about, or even supported the actions of those masterminds, then why didn’t he deliberately mislead them when Alfonso, Emmanuel, and even Siles showed up?
He even provided Alfonso and Emmanuel with the information about that survivor.
Unless…
Siles’s heart sank. He thought, unless that survivor himself was going to lead them astray.
If the explorer apprentice Jules encountered really was that survivor, then his tone when mentioning the “palace in the sky” didn’t sound like fear or regret.
As for Andy’s claims, such as the survivor once saying he was “sorry for Isherwood,” that was just Andy’s one-sided story. They could even be colluding to deliberately mislead Alfonso and Emmanuel.
Whether that person was really a survivor from Isherwood’s team was debatable.
…If that’s really the case…
Siles faced this possibility almost calmly, which was that Alfonso and Emmanuel were both already dead.
He thought of another reason for Alfonso and Emmanuel to be vague in that letter, which was that they doubted the letter could safely reach Siles, so they didn’t want to mention the clues they found in the letter.
Siles couldn’t help but frown slightly.
“Do you think Andy is aiding the wicked?” Mary asked sharply. “It’s not impossible… In fact, that tavern is a very important information circulation channel in the House of Hales.
“Andy must be very clear that over the past years, rumors related to ‘the Non-existent City’ and ‘treasure maps’ would frequently appear out of nowhere. If he didn’t secretly provide help, such rumors wouldn’t spread so fast.
“…But, from another perspective, he might just feel it’s none of his business. After all, in the House of Hales, no one dares to mess with him. The Clinking Glasses has always existed, in the past and present.”
Siles nodded, admitting this was equally possible. Whether it was Alfonso and Emmanuel, or those Old God followers behind the scenes, Andy favored neither side and always maintained neutrality… this could be said to be a better situation.
Then he suddenly realized a piece of information Mary mentioned: “You said The Clinking Glasses is an important information circulation channel in the House of Hales?”
Mary blanked for a moment and said, “Yes.” She paused, then added, “Because this tavern is ancient enough and its backing is strong enough, people believe the information it provides.”
Siles nodded. He closed his eyes, pinched the bridge of his nose, and said in a low voice, “I feel we are very close to solving this incident. But…”
But they still hadn’t been able to find the breakthrough point to crack the case.
…Actually, there was a simpler and cruder way, which was to set fire to the tents of the House of Hales. However, if they couldn’t find the mastermind, then such a method was just drinking poison to quench thirst.
Chester looked at the time and said timely, “It’s getting late. Perhaps we can rest for a while and continue thinking tomorrow. Professor, don’t bear too much of a burden. It’s because of your kindness that you’re willing to investigate this matter.
“But in any case, you must pay attention to your body and ensure your safety and health.”
Siles was slightly taken aback, then softly thanked Chester.
By the time it was nearly ten o’clock, they each returned to their rooms.
After Chendo left, Siles was alone in his room. The empty room instead made him feel somewhat uncomfortable. He stood there for a moment, then thought, habit truly is a force not to be underestimated.
But he didn’t have much time to be sentimental. He quickly washed up and then fell into a deep sleep.
In his dreams, that puzzle seemed to still plague him.
He had actually tried his best to keep himself from thinking about that tangled mess of a truth. He just wanted to resolve this matter as soon as possible. More investigation and logical thinking could wait until after they found the culprit.
But… “find”. This process obviously required them to investigate the truth related to this matter.
…A tangled mess. He inadvertently thought.
The next morning, Siles, who woke up early, realized after washing up that the others were still sound asleep. So he went back to the bedroom, thought about it, put on the [Quiet Heart], and prayed.
This brought his Will to 97. A very terrifying number.
However, Chendo wasn’t around after all, and Siles’s trust in Mary wasn’t that deep yet, so he had to take various measures to protect himself.
He couldn’t help but think, even though the followers of the God of Asceticism and Silence, Brancani, were a bit annoying, this god Himself was quite respectable, as this ritual was very easy to use after all.
Speaking of which, in that gossipy little book Gods and Believers in the Shadows, which was full of an atmosphere of fabricated nonsense, it was once mentioned that Timiafa and Brancani had a meal together.
…Had a meal?
This “meal” couldn’t be the God of Wine and Pleasure, Elco… could it?
The book also mentioned Elco got alcohol poisoning… so Timiafa got Elco drunk, and then “ate” Elco together with Brancani? But why would the two gods eat together?
Thinking about it, Siles couldn’t help but take a deep breath. He felt he must be letting his imagination run wild. No one could say the contents of that book were definitely true, right?
He shook his head, forgot these thoughts, and turned to think about the chaotic situation before them.
Their top priorities were two: First, they needed to find the place where the masterminds were hiding; second, if they couldn’t find it, then they needed to wait and see, waiting for the masterminds to expose themselves.
And that would very likely make them face a situation similar to the one in the kitchen during the banquet on the eve of Divine Birth Day. Even if they knew the House of Hales was the final stage, they didn’t know what exactly those Old God followers were planning to do.
That was very dangerous and hung by a thread. Of course, Siles didn’t think they could really resurrect the Old Gods. It was just that the uncontrollable nature of divine power also made it hard for him to believe the situation would easily improve, leaving aside that “critical failure” that happened in the banquet kitchen.
But he couldn’t possibly rely so heavily on the judgment of the dice. That was definitely not a wise choice.
So… it would be best if they could take the initiative to attack and find that group of culprits.
Siles thought so.
Where would they hide?
Siles pondered and listed a few options.
- The House of Hales
- The mist outside the Stardust vein
- Corinna Canyon
These three options were the suspicious locations they currently knew of.
The House of Hales. The wondrous glowing fabric proved this was highly likely the final “altar”. Siles believed the masterminds definitely had arrangements here, but would they themselves be here?
Siles thought for a moment, finally shook his head, and put this option last. He didn’t think the masterminds would head to the stage before the curtain truly lifted, even if they did indeed have preparations here.
The mist outside the Stardust vein. This was because Siles had already seen the black silhouettes in the mist. Of course, those black silhouettes didn’t seem to know Siles had already discovered them.
The mist was a natural hiding spot, because even if people knew there might be some “thing” inside, people couldn’t possibly walk in to take a look themselves.
Siles could, however. But, from another perspective, they were attacked there at the time, and they didn’t die.
From the other side’s perspective, they would certainly think that Siles and his two companions already knew there were enemies over there. Even if they didn’t know the enemies were hiding in the mist, they would definitely know there were enemies in that area.
Therefore, they would highly likely choose to temporarily relocate, because that area had already been exposed.
Then there was only the last suspicious location left… Corinna Canyon.
The reason Siles considered Corinna Canyon suspicious was that it was a wonder manufactured out of nowhere. And it was highly likely that the mastermind specially created it to hide their purpose.
Since it was artificially created, it would be very normal to leave some mechanisms or secret passages to use as a settlement or safe house.
…Of course, Siles actually suspected another place. That was the tribal ruin that Alfonso and Emmanuel had found back then.
Thinking about it now, that tribal ruin seemed very strange.
Ten years ago, Isherwood set off to find “the Non-existent City”. They most likely wandered into a temple ruin or other similar place by mistake, and eventually turned into statues.
Based on the analogy of their actions, when Alfonso and Emmanuel subsequently followed Isherwood’s trail, searching according to the same treasure map, they should have arrived at the same location.
…But they found a strange tribal ruin?
Prophet, parchment, fountain pen. Alfonso had vaguely mentioned some information related to that tribal ruin to him, but it all sounded unrelated to Hoodoka.
According to the consistent style of this group of Old God followers hiding behind the scenes, they seemed to have been intentionally or unintentionally guiding explorers to those temple ruins, or other dangerous places. But Alfonso and Emmanuel’s team became an exception.
Why did they find that tribal ruin? Ten years ago, why did the masterminds make such an oversight?
Siles pinched the bridge of his nose with a headache, thinking, there really are more and more questions.
Moreover, there was another question that had been ignored for a long time, not so high in importance but still concerning—where exactly were Professor Cabel and Teaching Assistant Mervyn?
He thought for a moment, heard the sounds of others getting up outside, and left the bedroom.
Ten minutes later, the four of them left the low house together and headed to the tent.
After a night of fluttering snow, the air was now filled with a cold and damp atmosphere. Some snow had accumulated on the ground, making them stamp their feet from the cold along the way. Although it wasn’t snowing right now, the gloomy weather still cast a shadow over their hearts.
When they arrived at the tent and lifted the door curtain, the warm and cozy atmosphere finally made the chill in their hearts disappear completely.
Early in the morning, explorers were already playing cards there. They saw Chester and Alva, and greeted them with great interest. Alva asked in surprise, “You guys didn’t play cards all night here, did you?”
“Some are, some aren’t,” an explorer said dismissively. “It’s so cold, no one wants to go outside, so we might as well just play cards in this warm and cozy place.”
Siles thought to himself, how exaggerated. Nowadays, explorers aren’t even willing to go out on adventures just to play cards?
They went to the restaurant on the second floor to have breakfast.
Chester asked, “Professor, what do you plan to do today?”
Siles pondered for a moment, then said, “Let’s go to the tavern first. I have some questions for Andy.”
Because of what happened last night, they were all very cautious now and didn’t plan to split up. Even the liveliest Alva obediently followed behind them at this time.
However, he was still very animatedly discussing card-playing strategies with Chester.
The Clinking Glasses on the second floor was already open. It was still quiet inside, with one or two explorers dead drunk, sleeping right on the spot. Andy didn’t kick them out either, just boredly flipping through something behind the counter.
Seeing Siles, he said in surprise, “Ah! Mr. Noel.” He glanced at Alva and Chester, then said, “You and your companions have indeed brought a different vibe to the House of Hales.”
Andy already knew about the cards, as expected.
This didn’t surprise Siles. He walked to the bar counter and sat down. The others sat around a table not far away, naturally handing over the right to speak to Siles.
Andy looked at them, then asked, “Cherry wine, sir?”
“No, I’m not used to drinking,” Siles said. “I came to ask you for some information.” He paused, then said, “I can pay the corresponding amount of coins.”
“Oh, of course you can!” The short tavern owner burst into laughter. “You already understand my rules here, this is really great!”
Siles remained silent.
Andy didn’t mind either, he just asked, “What do you want to ask?”
“A mad and eccentric old man, and a gloomy and pale young man, they should both have been visiting the Ashless Lands for the first time,” Siles said. “Have you seen these two people? Sometime this summer.”
“Summer… that was a very distant time,” Andy fell into deep thought. “Any more information?”
Siles thought to himself, indeed, one could buy the whereabouts of explorers at Andy’s place.
The Clinking Glasses is the information circulation center of the House of Hales. That of course doesn’t just refer to information related to the mist, that wouldn’t be enough to be called an intelligence center.
The most crucial part is information related to other explorers’ movements.
Of course, Siles could buy other people’s, so other people could also buy Siles’s. From this perspective, the reason he was attacked last night might be because someone bought news related to Siles from Andy.
…An intelligence broker can indeed be considered a double-edged sword.
Siles added, “They might have been looking for… locations related to the fall of the Old Gods.”
Andy’s expression remained unchanged, muttering that his memory was bad and he had to think carefully. He looked down and flipped through something. Siles noticed it was an extremely thick book, like an account book, or a ledger.
After a while, he suddenly clapped his hands and said with a smile, “I remember now! That old and young pair!” He changed the subject and said, “I don’t need you to pay money—I just need, information.”
Siles nodded slowly, suddenly smiling: “And you will exchange the information I provide to someone else, won’t you?”
Andy smiled and said, “Of course, sir.”
Siles thought to himself, to some extent, Andy also played a role similar to a “Keeper of Secrets”. It was just limited to this form of “telling information”. In fact, Andy never managed to keep a secret.
A subtle sense of regret suddenly arose in Siles’s heart.
He actually really appreciated Andy’s practice of exchanging information, speaking from the perspective of a novelist; but from another angle, as a Keeper of Secrets, he didn’t like this frivolous act of leaking information.
Because, no one would know what kind of consequences the information they leaked would ultimately cause.
Siles took a deep look at Andy, then said, “I will provide information that satisfies you, but of course, it depends on whether you can provide information that satisfies me.”
“You can rest assured,” Andy said in a low voice. “I never talk big.”
Siles waited in silence.
Andy then flipped through the account book, and continued to say, “That old man and young man, they each came here twice, the first time it was just the old man alone, the second time they came together.
“Exactly when… late July and early August. That old man asked me if there was a Stardust vein nearby. I said there was, but I didn’t know exactly where. Afterwards, he probably went to find relevant information.
“The second time, the old man and that young man came together. However, this time they weren’t here to ask for information, just to find a place to chat. The old man said he still hadn’t found the specific place, and the young man mentioned a name…
“Let me look. Ah! Madame Debriss. Yes. It was this lady. I was thinking at the time, which lady is this. They talked about this lady, their words were vague, but they seemed to have reached a consensus.
“I remember… they were studying a manuscript-like thing together at the time. Subsequently, they started arguing again, probably saying things like, ‘impossible’, ‘integrated’, ‘of the same origin’, perhaps talking about some secret.
“After a while, they left together. It seemed they planned to go find some evidence.”
Speaking up to here, Andy couldn’t help but pause, then said, “This is my complete impression of them. Mr. Noel, I wonder if you are satisfied?”
Siles said thoughtfully, “Indeed… satisfied.” He paused, then asked, “So you also don’t know where exactly they went?”
“I don’t know,” Andy said with a smile. “But, an old man and a young man, visiting the Ashless Lands for the first time, maybe they were directly scammed, or fell into a desperate situation, who knows.”
“That is indeed a possibility,” Siles said deeply.
These two had been missing for almost half a year. Siles didn’t think they could escape unscathed either. The situation of Professor Cabel and Teaching Assistant Mervyn was different from that of Alfonso and Emmanuel after all; the latter two were powerful Revelators.
However, Siles also hoped they could survive. After all, they were also insiders.
From Andy’s words, Siles deduced that these two might have investigated something regarding Hoodoka and Menavaca.
“Integrated,” “of the same origin.” This was already the second time Siles had heard this kind of phrasing.
The first time was in the kitchen during the banquet on the eve of Divine Birth Day. Elgar had uttered such a sentence with an almost frantic attitude: “They are ultimately integrated… as it once was, and as it will always be!”
And that referred to Timiafa and Brancani.
The second time was now. Professor Cabel and Teaching Assistant Mervyn were investigating matters related to the fall of the Old Gods, and from Professor Cabel’s excerpts, book collection, etc., it could be seen that what he was investigating was exactly the fall of Hoodoka.
Their conversation in this tavern mentioned Madame Debriss. That was the agent of the God of Commerce and Oaths, Menavaca. In other words, the matter they were discussing inevitably involved Hoodoka and Menavaca.
Siles had also read that manuscript obtained from the follower of Hoodoka, which mentioned “a group of profit-driven swindlers”, which could almost certainly point to the believers of Menavaca.
And in that manuscript, regarding the fall of Hoodoka, this believer also showed an extraordinary nervousness and guilt, as if he had caused the fall of the god.
…One possibility is that Menavaca and His followers jointly deceived Hoodoka’s followers, or they made a transaction, in short, they cooperated. The result of the cooperation was the fall of Hoodoka.
Siles believed Menavaca swallowed Hoodoka; while those Old God followers, such as Elgar and Clarence, and then Professor Cabel and Teaching Assistant Mervyn, seemed to believe that “the Old Gods share the same origin”.
Inherently integrated, separated for some reason, and perhaps combined into one again for some reason.
Which of these two guesses is more likely?
For believers, the latter is more like a beautiful vision expecting the gods to be stronger, but, it might not be completely impossible. After all, no one knows what the essence of the gods in this world actually is.
Stronger supernaturals? Avatars of world rules? The condensation and sublimation of concepts? Unknowable dimensional creatures?
Siles could think of many possibilities, but they were still just possibilities.
Compared to these guesses, he was actually more concerned about what Andy said, that manuscript held by Professor Cabel and Teaching Assistant Mervyn.
This meant, he thought, his and Dominic’s investigation of these two people in Lamifa City was not comprehensive enough. They actually still held information and clues that Siles didn’t understand.
What could it be? That manuscript… now, is it still in their hands?
Just as Siles was thinking, Andy reminded him, “Sir, I have provided my information, shouldn’t you also provide your information?”
Siles came back to his senses and said, “Of course.” He paused and said, “The information I’m going to provide is…”
A noisy sound came, interrupting Siles’s words. This familiar feeling made Siles subconsciously turn his head to look. Sure enough, he saw the expedition team seemingly hired by the noblewoman again.
