"What are you missing?" Uriel asked. "Most of the mysterious materials can be bought in the Black City. And in addition - I can inform you - they also sell firewood."
The psychic bit her lower lip: "Please, Uriel, please forget about this." She seemed to feel embarrassed.
"This is for your safety."
"Damn it, there's no fireplace in the mansion! I didn't notice either... Oh, I put all my energy into the secret ritual. This is not a common situation at all. My research is... my research!" She slapped her forehead. , "You didn't use the magic pattern, did you? Tell me quickly that you didn't."
"I'm sorry, Miss Sinsena. But at that time, people's lives were at stake, and your paintings were not within the scope of my concern." It is inefficient to wait until the "Spiritual Vision" ends. Uriel always interrupts the magic quickly after solving the problem. , so as not to waste magic power. If he saw the current situation, maybe the magic pattern could still be saved. Reality cannot be repeated. "You mean the secret ritual?"
"Did I say it?" She blinked in surprise, "No. Mystery? What is that?"
If it were any other time, Uriel could pretend not to hear. But the experience of the Gulf War taught him that this kind of thing would have far-reaching consequences, and it was best not to make decisions lightly. "Mystery. A type of mysterious ritual, a profound combined ritual, a mysterious method involving advanced knowledge such as magic patterns, alchemy and rune geometry. Not long ago, it was one of the sources of provoking the Gulf War..."
"It's so complicated. It sounds like it has nothing to do with ordinary people like me."
"...It's the personal research you just mentioned. Let's be honest, Miss Sinsena, do you think I'm deaf?" Uriel pointed out rudely, "You want to find Ms. Patience. In order to supplement the materials of the secret ritual. ,Yes or no?"
Della said nothing. They looked at each other, and the atmosphere was tense. Logically speaking, Uriel should not interfere in other people's research at will, but this girl's behavior is not reassuring at all. He suspected that she would study the secrets and then cause some serious trouble without anyone - including herself - knowing. Gods have eyes. The last person who delved into this thing has sunk himself and the entire tribe into the bottom of the sea, and her level is undoubtedly far inferior to the other person.
Della took a deep breath. "Listen, Uriel, you just saved my life."
"Obviously."
"Would you mind doing it again?" she said in a consultative tone. "Keeping my secret. A secret. Just this once. It's like saving my life."
She really doesn't understand? I'm trying to save her a second time, the apprentice thought. But the psychic seems adamant. "It's worth seeing." He said, "Of course, there are no safe secrets. The Star Gap in the Sky Tower is very stable."
"My research is safe."
"Tell me the content."
Things have come to this, but the psychic still has doubts. "This is conditional. Are you from the Glorious Parliament?"
The angle is tricky. What's the meaning? "No. I am a believer in Gaia. Lucia's holy water potion is better at exorcising evil spirits, but its therapeutic effect is not enough." I'm afraid you still can't get up.
"I remembered." She coughed. "The Church of Gaia, their news is everywhere recently. Even the Silent School is very busy and has no time to care... Not bad. It seems that the only opponent is the Glorious Council."
Those involved in the civil strife in Gaia Church don't want to hear this: "What happened to the Glorious Council?"
"follow me."
The psychic reluctantly slips back into the Ghost Mansion to share his findings with his apprentice. At this time, the curse in the air had dissipated, leaving only the cold wind whistling in the corridor, which really had a "ghostly" connotation.
"Previously, the Holy Knights searched for demons in the Black City, and there were rumors that the guide was missing." Della regretfully looked at the loom, "The priest used magic in the room to drive away the brown elves. Only these are left An unfinished letter.”
Uriel read the whole thing. “It looks like the local post office is getting its status back.”
"There is no post office in Black City. They would rather use pansies to send messages." Della told him. "The lord claims that Black City is half a mysterious city."
"It's a beautiful vision after all."
The psychic was amused. "I am now convinced that you are definitely a believer in Gaia. Only you can make your criticisms sound. Are you a missionary, Uriel?"
"I am a knight of Gaia. I only uphold principles and am never good at preaching." Uriel replied. They went up to the second floor.
The corridor is narrow, the window lattice is old, and the layout is in the style of the Confederacy period. A silk curtain hung by the window and was torn down by the wind. The floor was smooth and rough, but there was no sign of moth or moisture, only the apprentice's footprints remained. The thieves haven't been here, they seem to have become polite. "After the brown elf left, was the magic outside the door still there?"
"It was the mysterious creature that stayed too long and turned the mansion into a mysterious place."
The apprentice raised his eyebrows: "Is this happening? How long have they been staying?"
Mysterious creatures and mysterious places are not completely different things. The former "Valley of Sleep" is a representative example. An ancient tribe of ancestors is buried in the valley of the Four-leaf Forest. The steel giants they created guard here and block every pedestrian who enters by mistake. When the oath ends, the mysterious place also disappears. Apparently the situation in the Haunted Mansion is similar to that of the Valley of Sleep.
"Did you see that loom? In the early days of the Black City's establishment, they used that thing to write letters to people."
"The early days of the establishment of the Black City?" There is no historical atmosphere here, it doesn't look like an antique in the building.
"Maybe you don't believe it, but in the ancient times, the Black City was just the outer city of another city. Until the lord died and the inner city of the Highlands was destroyed by the evil dragon..."
Uriel was very surprised. Maybe she's the one I'm looking for. "You know the past of this city, and Mortus...Seriously, Sinsena, you say you have no knowledge of the past of this city? You are so humble." Gods above, I never You should know people by their impressions. "What happened in the Black City during the Ancestors' time?"
"It's not that I know." It seemed difficult for her to admit this. "It's the residents here. I couldn't find the ghost, but I woke up the owner of the mansion. Now this place has become a real ghost mansion."
The owner of the mansion must be a soul. It can be awakened. Could it be that it is buried here? Uriel felt that the room suddenly became eerie. "You psychics are really capable."
Della sounded satisfied. Sure enough, I didn't see the wrong person. "It's not 'you'." She corrected carefully, "Even if there is a second psychic in the world, they will never be able to achieve what I have. They can only look for the souls of dead people, but I can recreate some of these ghosts. Some prospects for life.”
"Because of the secret ceremony?"
"...You're such a letdown, Uriel."
In the past, it was the domain of witches and had no connection with psychics. Even if they are not proficient in the knowledge of mysterious professions, apprentices can deduce it. Does she treat me as an ignorant brat? "Can you please tell me where your secret ceremony came from?" It couldn't be the Glorious Council.
"I bought it in Marandeno." Speaking of this incident made her feel proud again. "At that time, there were only fragments of it, preserved in an antique book. Many people had looked through it, but only professionals recognized it - it was the secret ritual of psychics."
"You must be that rare talent."
"Naturally." She shrugged. "After all, the people who turned over the book were great scholars from Burles, delving into mysteries and countless side knowledge. They were powerful and serious, but they thought the treasure in front of them was an abstract illustration. There is only one The person left me her contact information. She is pretty discerning."
Uriel suspected that she didn't really want to keep it secret. Maybe she enjoyed showing it off.
But he got the point: "Scholar? Do you remember the name of that book? What is it about?"
""Gospels of the Gods: Psalms of Abuna" has no signature." Della confided as expected, "How could I forget it?"
"Gospels? What do you mean?" Could it be the Bible...?
"It's just a collection of stories, and most of them have nothing to do with the gods." The answer was unexpected. "Based on the judgment, someone collected a lot of folklore and filled in the blank pages. Because the first few pages are indeed serious gospels, but the rest is messed up. Obviously, the person who originally compiled the book did not bother to proofread the content."
Uriel frowned and looked at her. If the psychic was currently possessed by a ghost, he would not suspect it.
"Maybe so." Della's voice weakened. "Anyway, I don't know the situation at the time. In short, I got this thing and used it to wake up the owner of the mansion. This means that I no longer have to carry out dangerous channeling. , just by relying on the secret ritual, I can know the obsession of the dead! What do you mean? This greatly expands the upper limit of business that can be accepted every day... Do you know? I have created a new path for this profession."
She began to ramble on, "The successors who receive my inheritance must study my works, delve into my doctrines, and memorize my test notes and magic patterns..." The more she talked, the more excited she became, and she couldn't stop. . "...In the end, I will leave my name in history, Uriel! The world will change for me...Do you know?"
"Before that, you have to be careful not to suffocate to death in a room full of curses."
Della Sinsena stared at him expressionlessly. Her excitement wore off. "I still thank you for saving my life, you damn preacher."
"You're welcome. Let's talk about the soul you found. Who is he? Darash?"
"So, you read the letter."
"It's hard not to notice it," the apprentice admitted. "It seemed like someone was still writing just before I came in." The pedal shook.
"not human."
"Oh, the brown elf... no. Wrong? It's him, Darash?" the apprentice realized. "But the letter is for him."
"To be precise, they are his relatives. Darash has a sister who is married to the owner of the mansion. They sent him to study, hoping that he could make a lot of money with his knowledge."
"and after?"
"Why do you ask? This is already a story from who knows when."
"Just interested." But in fact, he was very curious. "Dalash didn't receive the letter?"
"I don't know." Della replied unhappily, "Ghosts can also forget things. Even the person involved can't remember these trivial details of life. I only know what happened later."
Uriel made a gesture of listening.
They had passed through the corridor, and Della Sinsena hurried into the room. "Dalash did make money. He did business in the outer city and had hundreds of servants and thousands of slaves. He became a big figure influencing the situation in the outer city."
"A smart businessman."
"The person who sells things." Della commented, "If he wants to go further, he must obtain the power to do more business. At this time, mystical knowledge comes in handy."
"Then he moved to the inner city?"
"Take the whole family with you." The story unfortunately ends here. She had rushed back to the magic pattern, "Look, it's still running! It's amazing. Isn't it?"
The mysteries of the medium are spread out on the floor of the room. Judging from the appearance, it almost looks like a rectangular ladder. The outline of the secret ritual is in the shape of a circle, made up of countless narrow characters that are pieced together and closed. Curves and triangle patterns are intertwined inside the ring, forming a complex state of circles within circles and hooked corners. No matter arc or ellipse, they look perfect. The triangles are distributed on one side, which is the only disharmonious and symmetrical element in the array.
Uriel had seen only a handful of mysteries. Not to mention the Star Gap, the painful secret ritual that Roma broke into had no form and was completely mysterious. The secret ritual built by Della Sinsena was very different. She should have the skills in astrology and painting to defeat the devil directly. The pattern was engraved and traced on the ground with special paint.
Such works of art are hard to come by. No wonder Della treasures the works in her room. But her words made Uriel realize that perhaps Della had never seen the secret ritual before.
"All mysteries must function spontaneously," he pointed out. "This is the fundamental difference that distinguishes mysteries from ordinary rituals."
"Is this really the case?" The array rotated, "But I can control it."
"Of course. It has the ability to 'operate' itself, regardless of control or not...but most people don't know the control method. Where did you learn this?"
"You can't find it even if I tell you. This is my professional knowledge." Della squinted at the apprentice, "I was a painter in Marandino before I changed my job. The noble gentlemen spent a lot of money on my works. But what about the favor of mortals? Can it be compared with the mysterious power?" Her hands were scratching on the secret ritual, "My talent must be used in my mysterious profession, which will help me achieve higher achievements."
"You are the most motivated person I have ever met, Sinsena." Uriel said sincerely.
"Oh, you southerners are all lazy, is that right? Cold weather makes people sleepy. I understand."
"No, it's warmth." Uriel didn't want to give her any more praise, "Let's start. Hurry up."
The magic pattern is working.
For a long time, they just stared at the spinning magic text in a daze. The combination of these characters, patterns and lines was too obscure for the apprentice, and he could only decipher a few words. He thought the psychic knew better, but she couldn't hold on anymore and crawled on the floor panting.
"My magic power is exhausted." This is not a lie, she is now as mysterious as a mortal.
"Maybe it's a problem with the secret ritual. Is it possible that it, uh, isn't a mysterious item of the ring level?"
"Mysteries are not objects!"
"you understand me."
Della was frustrated. "It was successful last time. I'm not lying to you, Uriel, I saw the ghosts of the ancestors last time... I have never seen it with my own eyes before. The spirit body will be attached to me... It wants me to convey my wishes, but I broke the promise. Now it’s okay, he’s gone.”
"The loom was still moving not long ago. It must not have gone far."
The psychic didn't answer. She is full of worries, probably worried about her own way of making money. "No, I have to consult a professional." She struggled to take out the pansy.
Uriel couldn't stop her in time. He soon regretted this. Our psychic used her carefully collected communications to contact an occultist.
"She is the scholar I met when I obtained the secret ritual." Della told the apprentice, "Maybe she can answer your questions together."
"So, this person has a lot of knowledge about history?"
"Oh, I suddenly remembered." Della blinked, "I once mentioned her to Patience. Maybe she gave you my position in order for you to contact the other party through me. Yes. That's it. You You're so lucky, Uriel. Just smile."
Yeah? Uriel couldn't laugh it off. "It's not enough. If the gods really grant me luck, I hope this is the last thing you think of!"
Della shut her mouth completely. Together they waited for the cat face to respond, until the petals opened and spit out a mist of powder. Immediately afterwards, Uriel met a wizard from the school.
Pollen outline forms bust. A woman with a book in her hand, a nightcap on her head, and a quill in her mouth appeared in the air. She sat in a wide and thick tasseled soft chair, crossed her legs, and spread a huge hard-cover book on her knees. She looked like she was popping out of the pages.
The man had dark gray eyes set under a pair of broad, unkempt eyebrows. Overall, the forehead is full, the chin is slightly grooved, and the cheeks are very plump. This is undoubtedly a beautiful face, but there is no conclusive evidence that can be linked to the Silent School. Unfortunately, Uriel recognized this face.
"Are you willing to use magic plants, Sinsena?" the other party said. Soon, she noticed the apprentice and raised an eyebrow. "Look who this is. The Tower Messenger. Have you been to Brumnot?"
"No, Lord Roxanne," Della replied, "I'm still in Bures. What kind of messenger?"
"A nightingale. Don't worry. You said you were in Bures? Where exactly?"
The psychic was unsuspecting: "Black City. I use the secret ritual to ghost..."
"Dela!" Uriel shouted. She was startled and stopped. But it's too late.
The wizard smiled. "We'll talk when we have time, my dear." In an instant, the woman opposite disappeared.
Everything happened so fast, Della had not yet recovered, but Uriel could not care about her. In fact, he didn't even regret not using "spiritual vision" to check the identity of the other party. His only thought was to leave immediately. The apprentice stood there for a second, then turned and went downstairs.
"What happened?" The psychic frowned, "I don't know... Uriel? Where are you going?"
She looks clueless, Uriel thought. But she remembered my request correctly. The woman across from Mao'er was indeed a professional. She was an expert in history, mysticism, theology, or other areas of knowledge. Even in a remote place like Black City, she has a high chance of understanding its history.
Because she is the "theologian" Roxanne Toslin, the law wizard of the Silent School.
There was no point in blaming Della at this point. Action is the key. I can't stay here any longer... Uriel didn't look back: "Ghost. I found it."
"What?"
"Your Mystery only needs to be activated once, Sinsena. It has been awakened, but you cannot see it... The ghost has escaped the confines of the Mystery, and it has hidden itself. Follow me."
