Chapter 2071: Chapter 2071: The Reappearance of the Dice Story Collection
The customs issue can be resolved within a week, leaving only the Harbor Authority controlled by the Edington Family and the dock office controlled by the Hawthorn Family... This doesn’t seem too difficult to solve either. Of course, there’s still the matter of that Great Witch of Destiny to handle.
"Speaking of which, I still don’t know what the name of that Belindel is. Knowing the name would reveal their true identity."
[In the afternoon meeting, are you still not letting her see you?]
"Of course, I’ll just become a cat. As long as she doesn’t observe me closely, she can’t tell the difference between a tomcat and a female cat.
As long as she thinks I’m female, I can completely pretend to be a follower of the Witch until another Grand Witch comes to explain the situation for me. It’s not just to avoid trouble, there’s also..."
Leaving the bookstore, Shard looked up at the thick black clouds enveloping Moon Bay City:
"I know myself that I’ve been a bit too greedy. Since I’m entangled with the fate of so many witches, I should also rein myself in. I know how much I owe them myself."
[Yes, you have always known.]
Having wasted some time in detailed discussions at the bookstore, Shard didn’t go home for lunch but resolved the lunch issue simply in a nearby tavern. Afterward, he strolled around the central area of the city, centered around the Moon Bay City Council and Belindel Big Bell. On one hand, he was observing the local terrain, and on the other hand, he was confirming whether that witch from the Belindel Family had arrived early.
During his midday walk through Parliament Street on the east side of the Clock Tower Square, Shard brushed past two seemingly unremarkable individuals. Among them, the man wore black sunglasses even in the overcast weather, with a violin case in his right hand. The woman carried a similar style case on her back while holding a map to walk.
They didn’t realize that the young man they brushed past had already recognized them as Circle Sorcerers. However, as it was unrelated to the foreign detective, Shard ignored them.
Thus, the man and woman continued along Parliament Street into Council Square beneath the Clock Tower, briefly conversing and admiring the grandeur of the central statue and the towering Clock Tower, the tallest on the West Coast, before turning into a nearby alley.
A corner of the Ring of Fate surfaced, activating the effects of the Arcane Technique, and with the aid of the Relic [Light of Darkness], the two, along with everything on them, blended into the dim daylight. The alley lost any trace of their presence as they, in their form of light, flew straight to the top of the Clock Tower of Belindel Big Bell.
Even though this was the city’s core and the Council Square was bustling with people on a Sunday afternoon, no one noticed the peculiar beams of light.
For the convenience of enjoying the view, an open-air viewing platform was specifically set up behind the clock face of Belindel Big Bell, with its rooftop mechanically controlled to be concealable. The roof was currently not extended, allowing the beams of light to land directly on the terrace.
Their bodies reverted from light form to normal, yet they remained invisible. With steady footing, they surveyed the surroundings and, after ensuring only a table under a parasol and edge planters occupied the viewing terrace, they opened their violin cases. Using the Star Disk to calibrate and locate the position, they began setting up the ritual on the viewing platform.
Evidently rehearsed, the two swiftly drew the ritual, only their work didn’t proceed smoothly; even the base formation on the ground remained incomplete as footsteps echoed from the stairway.
Looking up, a middle-aged priest in a white robe, donned with the Dawn Emblem representing the True God - [Lantern Bearer], entered the terrace at the top of the Clock Tower, accompanied by a man and a woman as Inner Ring Sorcerers behind him:
"Good afternoon, sir and madam. I’m curious, what exactly are you thinking?"
The Nine-Ring Sorcerer curiously inquired, his brown eyes penetrating through their invisibility:
"In the core of Moon Bay Parish, during the day, you used a Relic and flew from the ground to the tower above thousands of people’s heads, what on earth were you thinking? The control of the Church of the Five Gods over the parish shouldn’t have left you thinking we wouldn’t notice even this, right?"
The man and woman setting up the ritual put down what they were holding, but didn’t summon their own Ring of Fate. The man looked toward the afternoon tea round table under the parasol on the terrace:
"Ma’am, you should come out too."
"Oh, you’ve found me?"
A gentle woman’s voice responded, with a ripple in the air, revealing the woman sitting by the table along with her two maids. However, the faces of all three writhed with a water-like blurriness, their strange appearance easily invoking thoughts of more terrifying things.
But the Church’s Circle Sorcerers were not surprised, the young sorceress standing behind the leading Nine-Ring Sorcerer recognized who this was:
"You are ’Lady Amethyst’?"
The church of the Moon Bay region naturally knew the most famous Diviner in the local black market. Witch Bella Belindel lived in Moon Bay City and indeed had crossed paths with the church more than once. Having cooperated with the church a few times, the relationship between the two was not bad.
"Hello, Miss Marina."
The beautiful lady with a vermilion birthmark on her brow stood up, with her maids, and looked with the Dawn Church personnel at the couple standing together, her disguised voice carrying a lazy tone:
"The Keeper of Secrets Level Relic [Light of Darkness] allows one to merge into the light and move within it, even passing through water surfaces, glass, and transparent barriers. If I remember correctly, this relic fell into the hands of the [Light Worshipper Training Association] long ago. Three years ago, I did have a bit of a conflict with you, but I’m not sure, is this action of yours intended to provoke the church, or to lure me out?"
She was originally here waiting for the meeting time with the "Followers of Vanessa" and had planned to have the maid bring the mysterious lady up from the club at the base of the tower at the appointed time, revealing her true identity to intimidate the "country girl" from the opera troupe. She had already confirmed Shard’s identity with the Witch of the Earth, but was still puzzled why Vanessa Benanis had such a strange expression when introducing the "Seven-Ring Sorceress."
"We are merely executing the orders of His Excellency the Light Chaser and will not ask for reasons."
A woman in a black dress, appearing to be in her thirties, cautiously spoke, her hands clenched as if she was holding something. She was speaking to everyone present:
"His Excellency the Light Chaser hopes that we come to this tower and invite the church’s Circle Sorcerers to play a game with Lady Amethyst. The game is limited to before sunset today, and we hope Mr. O’Connor of the Dawn Church and Lady Amethyst can forgive us for not sending an invitation in advance."
"Not only did you know that Madam Diviner would be here, but you also knew in advance that I would be patrolling in the vicinity today?"
Without saying a word, Nine Rings Sorcerer York O’Connor stepped forward, his cane covered with a layer of luminous light. He decided to arrest the other party first, but the woman had already opened the fist she was holding, and everyone present saw the black metal ten-sided dice resting in her palm.
"Stop her!"
Although it was not yet recognized what it was, Mr. O’Connor had already acted. However, the witch, who recognized what it was, stood there without moving:
"How come it’s this thing? It’s too late."
Clatter~
The dice, although spinning only in the woman’s palm, made a sound as if bouncing and spinning on a hard surface. The light spear from the Nine Rings Sorcerer’s palm dissipated into the whisper elements of the suddenly spreading Angel-Level Relic.
An invisible barrier completely isolated the Clock Tower Terrace from the ordinary world. The dim sky became even darker and more oppressive in that instant. But the next second, a beam of white celestial light, so dazzling that it could be described as radiant, shone from a higher place onto a large square stone table that had somehow appeared in the middle of the terrace.
The stable light illuminated the shape of the stone table, inexplicably reminding the witch of the council scenario, and the chairs appearing in the northeast and north directions further confirmed her speculation about the relic.
As the beam that lit the round table grew brighter, the light in other areas of the terrace gradually disappeared until it was completely shrouded in darkness. During this process, the silence in the light-blocked terrace area was not because people consciously kept silent, but because they temporarily lost the ability to make sounds.
The woman in the black dress holding the dice walked into that beam of white celestial light and sat on the east side of the table, while a man stood behind her.
She made an inviting gesture to the six still standing in place:
"The game begins, Mr. O’Connor, Lady Amethyst, please have a seat."
With a smile on her face, the relic itself was already placed on the table surface:
"Do you need me to introduce the rules? Angel-Level Relic..."
"... [Dice Story Collection]."
The witch with a blurred face announced the name of the relic, but no one could see her expression at the moment. As the faces of the Dawn Church members drastically changed, the witch was the first to move, taking the southern seat, with two maids standing behind her.
"You should know what this is."
She spoke to the church’s Circle Sorcerers but actually looked at the young girl among them, the Six Rings Miss Marina:
"Draleon-Tobesk City has already become a typical case for each parish to learn from. Last year, that Chosen of Balance and the [Truth Society], [Misfortune Cult] completed a Keeper of Secrets game, you cannot not know."
"Yes, Lady Amethyst. Once the relic is activated, no one can leave until the story is told to its conclusion."
Mr. York O’Connor said, then took the last northern seat. He had dealt with this mysterious "Lady Amethyst" before and knew she was a very good partner.
"[Dice Story Collection], based on the scene currently present, generates the most realistic game, telling a magical adventure story. After the [Truth Society] and the [Misfortune Cult] were defeated by the Chosen of Balance last year, this relic disappeared, and I didn’t expect it to end up in your hands."
He said to the woman seated on the east side, who calmly replied:
"Such rules and fate-related relics will choose an appropriate place to appear of their own accord. We merely acquired it by accident. The failure of the Truth Society was because the current president, that insane Miss Pavo, wanted to include the Chosen One in her plan, but now there is no Chosen One here."
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