Whispering Verse

"You look a little sad."

At ten o'clock in the morning, at Miss Carina's manor in the south of the city, Shade was sitting on the sofa with his back to the window holding a tea cup. The red-haired witch tilted her head and said suddenly.

"Nothing, I just remembered some things about my friends."

Shade shook his head.

"So, what do you want to do when you come to me with this box?"

The duchess raised her eyebrows. On the coffee table between the two of them, there was a [God's Gift Box]. Because she had seen Shade use this box during the Dark Realm Advent incident, she was not surprised by its reappearance.

"The nature of the box is that children can take out a gift from it every week. I have been trying for more than two months, but only last week, while two of my female friends looked on, did I take out a relic, I remember it was [Master Key].”

Shade said with a smile, then bent down and pulled out the orange cat that was hiding inside. Little Mia looked very dissatisfied and meowed at Shade.

"Are you a child?"

Miss Carina asked in surprise:

"Can a man like you who slept with a girl be considered a child?"

This question made Tifa, who led the maids to bring tea and snacks, smile.

"Anyway, that god seems to think I figured it out."

Shade said, and then insisted that Tifa stand next to him, and then stretched out his hand to the box that had slid open the lid. .

"Shad, you are so strangely superstitious."

Although Miss Carina said this, she still maintained sufficient curiosity about the next "gift".

So, under people's gaze, Shade put his hand into the box, and then encountered a medium-sized metal object:

"Oh, an ordinary item, it seems to be a small box."

Taking out the box slightly disappointed, both Shade and Mia blinked. Neither the "never seen the world" nor the cat could recognize it immediately. The one in their hands looked finely made. What is the box with the small key in the keyhole?

It looks like a makeup case, but there's something wrong with the weight. Although it feels like metal, the box surface and part of the box body are made of enamel, which looks very delicate. It should be a handmade product.

"What's this?"

Shade put it on the coffee table.

"I really miss it. When I was twelve or thirteen years old, I loved collecting this kind of stuff."

The red-haired witch nodded to Tifa who was standing next to Shade, so the maid hesitated for a moment and held up the skirt with both hands, revealing part of the black buttoned leather shoes and white stockings under the skirt. She squatted down carefully, and while both Shade and Miss Carina's eyes were attracted to something, she turned the key of the box on the table three times.

After letting go, he gently opened the lid of the box, and the sound of gear rotation sounded regularly. Then, as crisp music appeared, a white metal swan and a ballet girl popped out of the box, spinning and dancing in the sound of music.

The music is very pleasant, even outsiders know that it is a famous folk song in northern Delrayon.

"The music box looks great."

Miss Carina said, Tifa stood up, but Shade still looked at her:

"Then give it to Tifa. It's useless for me to hold it."

The black-haired girl did not refuse, but instead held up the hem of her skirt and saluted with a smile:

"Thank you for your generosity then."

Miss Carina raised her eyebrows but said nothing.

The task attached to this gift is still not difficult. Shade needs to take a bath at least twice this week. Probably the [Innocent Creator] believes that this is a good habit that children must develop from an early age.

Of course, Shade did not go to Fort Midhill today, but visited Miss Carina, and it was not just to bring a box to pick up gifts.

At the same time, he also brought over the sword he had brought from Fort Midhill last night, wrapped in a sheet. After removing the sheets layer by layer, a long sword with bright yellow runes appeared in the study room of the manor.

"Miss Carina, I would like to ask you to help identify it. What is this?"

"Oh, this sword looks really nice."

Tifa picked up the sword, then walked around the coffee table and handed it to her master. Miss Carina gently flicked the sword blade, then stood up and skillfully drew a sword flower with her long sword. Members of the royal family have experienced training in cold weapons and horseback shooting. The noble ladies of the upper class are not weak and useless. As a duchess with a fiefdom, Carina Cavendish even has a dedicated martial arts field and riding and shooting field in her own castle:

"Relic-level swords are really rare. Shade, where did you get this? Also, you actually brought this kind of thing wrapped in a bed sheet?"

"I don't have a scabbard. As for the origin, please look at this."

Shade lifted the suitcase at his feet onto the coffee table, clicked the lock, opened the box, and quickly rotated the box 180 degrees, so that Miss Carina could see the bottle lying inside. The black stone in:

"The severely damaged Balrog's heart is still warm because he died not long ago."

"The Balrog."

The witch opened her mouth slightly and stared at the black stone in the bottle that emitted an imperceptible temperature. She hesitated for a while before looking at Shade:

"Shade, if I understand correctly, what you want to express is that you killed a Balrog?"

"No no no."

Shade shook his head hurriedly:

"My friends did it and I just got the spoils."

Because he wanted to keep Dr. Schneider's secret, Shade didn't make it too clear. He just explained the location of the cave in the mountain, the past image in the sword, and the suspected fifth person he saw on the other side of the stone platform. The traces left by the great witch Ji:

"I suspect that there are ruins left by the witch on the other side of the broken bridge. And since that location is so secretive, maybe the corresponding cave on the mountainside in [The Narrow Room of Life and Death] is the mountainside passage sealed by the witch emperors. As for these two items, I hope you can help me identify the sword and find a buyer willing to buy the Balrog's heart."

"I'm still curious about who killed a Balrog. Even if it has been sealed for hundreds of years like you said, it is not something that a human Ring Warlock can easily fight against."

Miss Carina muttered, but seeing that Shade didn't want to say anything, she didn't ask further. After brushing the broken hair around her ears, Shade's eyes paused for a moment on the amethyst hair ornament on her head.

"Today is Monday, and noon is the meeting time of the Parliament, because to determine the affairs of Fort Midhill, the great witches of the Parliament will participate. Let me help you ask the buyer of the Balrog Heart. As for this sword, You can go find it yourself to Granny Cassandra, she is the witch among us who is best at identifying relics."

So Shade and Mia stayed at the manor for lunch together. The witches' meeting was very long, so Shade had nothing to do after lunch. Tifa took Shade and learned to ride a horse in the manor courtyard. As for Mia, she did not run around, but stayed in the study and took a nap on the back of the sofa where she could bask in the sun.

It was not until three o'clock that Shade, who had barely mastered the skills of mounting a horse and shaking the reins, finally waited for Miss Carina to return.

She brought good news. Someone wanted to buy the badly damaged Balrog heart, but it was not the witch of the Council, but Granny Cassandra who bought it for Sister Devlin of the [Spiritual Order].

In order to prevent the other great witches from doubting the origin of the heart, she had given the Balrog heart to Granny Cassandra, and Shade could go to Fort Midhill to collect the debt. At the same time, she also passed on the matter of the cave in the mountainside discovered by Shade to the Council. The witches attached great importance to it. Even if it was not the seal leading to real death, it was valuable to them because it was the fifth era after all. The traces left by the witches.

"Also, Xiwei will arrive at Fort Midhill tomorrow."

"So fast?"

"It's so slow, who knows what she's doing."

Miss Carina snorted, then glanced at Shade:

"However, what are you doing in Fort Midhill recently? I thought you would be involved in the matter of the chosen one, but how could you meet the Balrog? Also, this Wednesday, little Lesia The matter of retrieving important confidential documents lost in the kingdom is not related to you, right?"

"If you are referring to those mechanical data, they are indeed related to me."

"You're really good at coaxing girls."

The witch teased, seeing that Shade wanted to refute, she signaled that he did not need to explain:

"Lecia is not an easy person to get along with. She is very ambitious and has more desires and means than her brothers and sisters. I am curious about how far she can go with your help."

With that said, Tifa brought a red wine glass and motioned for Shade to have a drink with her:

"Things at Fort Midhill are coming to an end, and the ceremony led by the Natural Church is about to begin. Since there are rumors that the chosen one of death is the key to solving the gap between life and death, then I think he will definitely appear. ”

Clinking glasses with Shade in the air, the witch raised her white neck and drank the glass of wine in one gulp:

"Even if Xiwei arrives in Middleburg, you have to be careful. I just heard Granny Cassandra say that people from the Truth Society appeared in that city, and it seems that they are also aware of the third chosen one. And with the Truth Society, various ring warlock organizations will appear."

Compared to the time of the Dark Chosen One, this time organizations outside of the Orthodox Church and Thaumatology Academy were able to detect the news much slower.

"The Blood Spirit School won't appear again, right?"

Shade asked hesitantly.

"I don't think so. Hermons the Bloodweeper was seriously injured in Tobesk by the 'Sunshine Sword' who had decided to stay in this diocese. Even if they were rumored to have found the [Creation Delivery Room], it would be impossible. Cured yourself so quickly. Also, the vampire clan that originally supported them, because the twelve-ring vampire was caught in Millwood Forest, it is said that they also had differences with the Blood Spirit School."

The witch smiled and said:

"At least this time, you won't be able to encounter the Blood Spirit School in Fort Midhill."

"Vampire."

Shade thought of the local vampires in Fort Midhill, as well as Bernhardt's uncle and nephew who appeared there for unknown reasons:

"The local vampires in Middleburg also seem to be making big moves."

"That's something Xi Wei and Granny Cassandra have to worry about, and it has nothing to do with me."

The Duchess put the wine glass in her hand back on the coffee table. Only then did Shade realize that he had just taken a sip, so he raised his head and drank the glass of wine. The alcohol content of this red wine was far higher than the cider he had drunk in Middleburg, and he choked and coughed.

Miss Carina laughed and motioned for Tifa to pat Shade's back:

"Shad, do you have anything else to do in the afternoon? Stay for dinner. We can continue to talk about the time key you got from Granny Cassandra. I have already bought the things you want to buy. Most of it is done.”

Shade has to go to the doctor in the evening to deal with the matter of exchanging the [Corpse Mirror] for the [Traveler's Travel Door], so he doesn't plan to go to Fort Midhill today.

So, he stayed in the manor and spent this ordinary autumn afternoon with Miss Carina, who was holding a tea cup, and Tifa, who was always standing behind the duchess.

Withered yellow leaves almost cover the courtyard of the manor. Looking from the copper-colored checkered window of the study, servants are cleaning carefully with brooms, or holding sundries while talking to each other while working. Outside the manor are the autumn pastures that have changed colors, and further away there are woods and rice fields, and then there is the steam capital Tobesk city that stands in the northwest of the Old World.

Shade prefers this peaceful time to taking risks.

It’s the seventh day of the Dead Leaf Month (October), and late autumn is approaching. From the time he came to this world in midsummer to now, the outsider has gained many things that he is unwilling to give up.

PS: Recommend a book to a friend. It is a new book by the author of Witch of All People 1994.