Chapter 1574: Chapter 1574: Hide and Seek
"This is for you."
The candlelight dinner was halfway through when, at the witch’s words, Tifa brought a small box to Shard’s side. It was a wooden box painted red, and when opened, it revealed a soft internal lining with two depressions for placing items. In one of them lay a White Stone Crystal that Shard was very familiar with.
"When Luviya Annette ca to
about the matter of being The Chosen One, she asked
to help you acquire a White Stone Crystal."
The witch said with a smile, elegantly sipping her red wine, the tempting blush on her face making it unclear whether it was due to alcohol or makeup.
As for the other depression in the box, it contained a piece of gray, irregularly shaped stone. Though irregular in shape, each side was smooth, and Shard realized as he took it out that it was a fire starter.
Even though matches existed in this era, fire starters remained a common tool in ordinary households, though they had to be soaked in kerosene for preservation due to oxidation.
"I sensed a Whisper Elent."
Shard said.
"But it’s not a Relic; it’s a Relic derivative. The Sage-Level Relic housed by the Witch Council—the Traveling Witch’s Leather Backpack—can periodically produce travel items. These items are disposable, allowing for short-term good fortune upon use, though unfortunately, they can’t be used frequently."
The witch held her wine glass, smiling at Shard:
"It’s a nice Relic. As long it’s kept in the Council, its Negative Traits are almost completely suppressed. Accept it, Shard, and please, I hope you won’t ntion anything about rewards again."
Laughter ca from the darkness behind Shard; it was unclear which maid couldn’t hold back her amusent.
He nodded, putting the White Stone Crystal and the fire starter back into the lining. After closing the lid, Tifa removed it from the table.
Little Mia ate her dinner with her head down. Shard no longer picked up the fork and knife, but instead, rested his right elbow on his left hand on the table, looking towards Miss Galina at the other end:
"May I make a small suggestion for tonight’s candlelight dinner?"
"Of course."
The witch raised an eyebrow, pondering any failings in her hospitality.
"Next ti, could we sit together instead of at opposite ends of the long table? Right now, I can only ’touch’ you with my gaze."
He gazed across the long table at the lady, and the Duchess’s face broke into a radiant smile:
"Knight, you really are eager, but sure, next ti we can sit across each other at the side. But you must promise that you won’t abduct my shoes randomly while we eat."
After dinner, Shard went to the study to discuss his recent academic issues with the witch, ntioning the Ascension Incantation Spirit Runes "Guidance," "Final," and "Direction" he planned to obtain at Six Rings.
When the clock struck nine, after wrapping up another round of topics, Galina put down her book and suggested to Shard:
"Such a night is really dull. Would you like to play hide and seek?"
"What?"
Shard raised an eyebrow. The witch smiled at Tifa, prompting the black-haired maid to "snatch" the sleeping cat from Shard’s arms.
"You have ten minutes; if you don’t find , you lose. Count backwards from a hundred before you look for ."
She stood up, leaving the study, even closing the door behind her. Shard looked at Tifa and Mia. The forr smiled with pursed lips, while the latter looked rather innocently at Shard.
"Can I get so hints?"
Shard inquired, to which the black-haired maid nodded:
"Of course, but like last ti, it requires a reward."
She smiled tenderly, and after a passionate kiss with Shard, as he was about to count, Tifa pushed him:
"Are you really going to count to a hundred? There’s no need to be so rigid; go on."
She led Shard to stand up, then let him leave the study:
"The things you and Her Highness Lecia and Miss Luisa did here made Miss quite upset, so tonight, do perform better."
As the Outlander left the study, he soon saw the witch’s discarded coat on the red carpet.
Continuing forward, he spotted the left high-heeled shoe and the Athyst hair accessory the witch had worn that night, following which he was led up the stairs by the other high-heeled shoe and a discarded ring.
At the top of the stairs on the third floor, the waist belt and earrings directed Shard to turn left from the stairwell, where in the corridor he found personal ladies’ garnts.
"At least this saves the ti of undressing."
Shard thought, gathering the clothes and pushing open the ajar door of the master bedroom, from which red light emanated through the gap. On the bed covered by sheer drapery, Galina Cavendish was waiting for the arrival of the knight.
(Little Mia running...)
Though he stayed at the witch’s manor, Shard returned ho by nine in the morning on Monday. Today was the seventh day of the Month of Sowing, and the Tree Father’s ban on using the Ti Key for a month would be lifted tonight. After all, the last use of the Ti Key had been in the early hours of Thursday, the eighth day of the Month of Rising Wind.
A month without using the key had left Shard sowhat nostalgic.
Since it was Monday, after Shard returned ho, he didn’t forget to retrieve this week’s gift from the "God’s Gift Box". Perhaps it was because he had co into contact with the fire starter yesterday, but on this morning, what Shard took out of the box was also a fire starter,
but it wasn’t an ordinary item. The fire starter’s body was embedded in a cylindrical tal casing that made it easy to hold. By pressing down, the tal cylinder could retract, allowing the fire starter to subrge into the kerosene inside the cylinder when not in use. To use it, one simply had to press a button on the side to push the fire starter out.
The surface of the tal cylinder had intricate engravings to increase friction, making it look more like an artwork than a household item. Other than the need for occasional kerosene replacent, this ordinary item had no drawbacks. Although it wasn’t a relic, Shard was still very pleased with this "gift".
As for this week’s task, it was to use the fire starter in place of matches when making a al. This posed no difficulty for Shard; if he hadn’t already had breakfast at the Galina Manor, he would have wanted to try the fire starter right then. The Outlander had played with many matches but rarely with a fire starter.
"Do you not find this a bit childish?"
"Is playing with fire childish?"
Shard asked himself in thought.
Luviya ca to Saint Delan Square at ten o’clock in the morning. She seed to know that Shard would be ho at that ti and directly used a key to open the door, then motioned for Shard to sit down and talk:
"I’ve found out, the Church of the Five Gods, based on the fragnts of Poem Chapter they possess, the recent decade’s activities of the Mirror Association, and the abnormal spatial phenona in the Material World recently, have determined the seven cities where the sixth chosen one - the Chosen of Space, might appear."
The purple-eyed girl opened a notebook and handed it to Shard:
"Northern Pearl - Tobesk, Ancient city by the lake - Green Lake City, City of Mirrors - Mikaela Ironworks City, West Coast Islands - Navia Archipelago, Northern Country’s Art Capital - Atak City, Carsonrick Desert and City of Exploration - Nanahan Town, Duchy of Newcastle’s White Swan Castle."
"I’m rather curious why each city has its own title."
Shard whispered, but Luviya didn’t entertain this aningless topic:
"Due to insufficient clues, the Church currently cannot determine where the chosen one will actually appear."
As she spoke, she took out the last two Demon Gold Coins from her pocket:
"I can’t directly divine the chosen one, but now that the locations are limited to these seven, I can vaguely pinpoint where you might encounter the chosen one. This is an enhancent from advancing to the Six Rings."
"Are two coins enough?"
Shard asked.
"One is enough, I don’t need an exact answer, just a range."
Saying this, Luviya closed her eyes, then flicked the coin into the air. As the spinning coin reached its highest point, signs of corrosion appeared clearly on its surface, intensifying during the descent until the coin crumbled into a pile of ashes in mid-air.
Luviya opened her eyes and leaned towards Shard, who hurriedly supported her.
"It’s indeed a bit strenuous."
The purple-eyed girl said, resting in Shard’s arms for a good half-day before sitting upright again:
"There’s a result, a city in the center of the Old Continent, at the borderline of conflict and war."
This was a clear indication:
"Green Lake City and Mikaela Ironworks City?"
"Yes, the backward ancient city, and the industrial city booming due to the glass industry, also the cities where the two nations are about to negotiate."
Shard chuckled:
"Exactly, I still wanted to go and et with Earl Lewis of Carsonrick to express my goodwill. Besides, there are things on Mr. Furen’s body that I want to know. I’ll prepare by gathering information about the two cities in advance, and depart on Tuesday tomorrow."
Luviya nodded, sighing softly:
"It’s about to begin again."
"Since that sumr night last year when you invited , it already began. At least so far, we’re doing quite well."
Shard laughed and then gently asked:
"Speaking of which, tonight... um... can I invite you to stay over?"
The previously slightly listless girl was suddenly taken aback, as Shard rarely invited girls to stay over:
"Is Dorothy coming tonight too? You want..."
She looked at Shard suspiciously.
"Of course not, it’s just you tonight, Luviya, what do you take
for?"
Shard quickly shook his head:
"I just, tonight I want to embrace you."
In fact, it was because he needed to use that black Ti Key tonight. Shard suspected that after using the key, the long-haired Luviya might appear and talk to him about past matters.
This wasn’t deceiving Luviya, as after all, the long-haired Luviya and the current Luviya in Shard’s embrace were indeed the sa person.
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