OBS Chapter 3984 Containers and "Hatred"
Chapter 3984 Containers and "Hatred"
Chapter 3984 Containers and "Hatred"
Finding out about the [Holy Sons Alliance] was not easy. After returning home in the evening, Shad first went to the academy to find Daniste, but Daniste just frowned and said that she seemed to have heard of it and needed to check the information. Then Shad went to ask Winnie, who came to the house to prepare dinner, but this time the maid knew nothing about it and had never heard of the organization.
"In fact, I have very little contact with humans other than Her Majesty Chloe."
Luvia, who had gone out to buy groceries, returned home and, after hearing Shad talk about the organization, shook her head as well.
"Never heard of it, but I'll contact Iluna. Why don't you ask Old John?"
But this time, even after hearing Shad's description, old John couldn't give an answer. He only knew who could:
“I think I’ve heard of them, but I don’t know much about them. I just remember that they are very bold. Detective, go to Coldwater Harbor and find Edmund. He’s the one in the Secret Order who knows the most about these strange organizations.”
The old folklorist who kept the lighthouse had helped Xia De a great deal in the past; he knew many ancient legends and folklore secrets. Xia De, eager to find the answer, even delayed his dinner at home. And when he arrived at the lighthouse before the last rays of sunlight disappeared below the western coastline of Coldwater Harbor, the old man, who had just returned from fishing, nodded in agreement:
"The Holy Son Alliance, ah, you've encountered them? It seems you're about to face something big again."
He invited Shad into the lighthouse, and only after they were both seated did he begin to speak of what he knew:
"This organization is quite mysterious. After all, anyone with a normal sense would know that what they do will definitely cause trouble. Not to mention the Church of the Righteous Gods, even the cults of evil gods are hostile to them. However, these people do have some skills. They have been wiped out by the Church many times, but they always reappear every few hundred years, and they have actually developed some things."
The last time I heard rumors about them, I was about your age now. No, I've never met these people, only heard about them, and even considered them legends at one point. Note that anything I say below is merely hearsay and stories passed down from previous generations; I do not guarantee its accuracy.
Mr. Edmund said, and Shad nodded:
“I understand, but I’ll just listen to it as a story.”
“That’s right. The information you just provided is accurate. The person who gave you the information and recognized them at a glance is probably from a very ancient organization. Simply put, the [Holy Son Alliance] wants to find the residual power of the gods from the bloodlines of those who have been possessed by the gods, and to gather this power together.”
The old man's expression was very serious:
“I didn’t believe they could actually do it before, but the ‘divine form’ you described proves that they really succeeded, or at least partially succeeded. As for what you said the ‘Madonna’ is holding, I think it should be the ‘vessel’.”
Shad winked:
"container?"
"This is not an official name, but just my personal understanding. Even if it is just the power that remains hidden in the descendants of a god who has possessed the body for countless generations, it is not something that an ordinary ring mage can withstand. Therefore, this group of people probably created a 'container' to contain that power. And so, if you want to use the so-called 'divine form', you need to get close to the container that contains the power."
Mr. Edmund added:
"This is just my personal speculation, and information I obtained from a conversation I had thirty years ago with a senior member of the Hermitage who has since passed away. That senior member had direct contact with the Holy Sons Alliance and even fought against them."
He told me at the time that the vessel of the [Holy Son Alliance] was probably only in its nascent stage, insufficient to truly contain power. Furthermore, he highly doubted whether the power discovered by the [Holy Son Alliance] was truly a power possessed by bloodlines due to the appearance of saints; perhaps the power they found wasn't what they thought it was at all.
Xia De nodded:
"I also doubt what that power really is."
Mr. Edmund had no paper documents or materials to provide to Shad; everything was based solely on his memory.
“Arcadia City is right next to the Church of Creation’s church. The fact that these people dared to go to a place like that means their goal is most likely to perfect the ‘container.’ I just can’t think of anything in Arcadia City that could help them. You’ll have to explore that yourself.”
Xia De also shared his feelings:
"When I looked directly at that plaster baby, I felt an endless sense of distortion, eeriness, and horror. It was as if the thing was hostile to the entire world. Rather than calling it a 'container,' I would prefer to call it 'abomination.'"
"Mr. Edmund, you're quite right. It certainly doesn't possess power that could be simply unearthed from the descendants of saints. Most of the evil spirits and demons I've encountered aren't even as eerie as this thing."
The old man then reminded him:
“I know you’re strong, but don’t be so reckless in facing this kind of thing next time. The best way to deal with this kind of thing is with divine magic or divine artifacts. Devout faith is the most effective way to fight against this kind of twisted thing.”
Xia De nodded to indicate that he understood, becoming increasingly suspicious that this group of people had gone to Arcadia City for the [Jade Record].
As for the unknowable-level relic, the Jade Record, Mr. Edmund couldn't offer much help. He had only heard of its name and didn't even know its effects.
When Shad lost the glass slipper and returned home, the girls and the cat were all waiting for him to have dinner together.
Luvia, who planned to continue stargazing, and Megan, who had just arrived, were at home tonight. However, since the council was holding its regular meeting tonight, she only listened to Shad talk about the information she had gathered at the dinner table before heading to the council.
The witches had already held a meeting on Thursday, so Sunday's meeting didn't last very long. When Megan returned, Luvia was already back on the third floor, while Shad was in the study, reading and playing with Mia.
Meghan brought good news:
"Vige also inquired about the [Holy Son Alliance] in the council. I had only vaguely heard of this organization, but I didn't expect that the Speaker would be able to directly tell me where the information was."
Research revealed that the parliament had clashed with this organization approximately 500 years ago, and even earlier, there were descriptions of them within the parliament.
Luvia, who was very concerned about this matter, heard the sound and came down the stairs:
"Was the information that Xia De obtained from Coldwater Port accurate?"
"It's mostly true. The records in the council on this matter are even less detailed than those provided by Shad. The information in the council is more about the origin and structure of this organization. The 'Infant Mother' that Shad and Vigo encountered is no small figure; she is the highest-ranking person in the [Holy Son Alliance]."
Note that this only indicates the highest position; it doesn't necessarily mean they are the actual managers of the organization.
Meghan recalled the discussion she had just had with everyone:
"This organization was nearly destroyed about three hundred years ago, partly due to the church's purge at the time, but more so because its members went mad and killed each other. Since then, there has been almost no news of the [Holy Son Alliance]. If it hadn't reappeared now, I would have thought they had disappeared."
"Is there any record of 'containers' in Parliament?"
Luvia asked, and Megan nodded:
"Yes, but very briefly. The 'vessels' that our predecessors saw five hundred years ago were probably not as complete as the one that Shad saw. They said that thing was evil, filthy, and anti-life, anti-wisdom, and anti-order. Once this thing appears, it will directly interfere with the flow of spirit in a certain area, and ordinary people may even fall into a coma. And objects that get too close to it or touch it will experience an imbalance of the four elements."
Shad winked:
"That last sentence, I remember, could also be used to describe Wei Ge. Doesn't Wei Ge have such a special constitution?"
“Yes, that was my thought at the time, so I guessed that the [Holy Son Alliance] might be here because of the [Jade Record]. But there is currently no evidence to prove that the [Jade Record] is in Arcadia City. Viggo said she would confirm this guess with the local alchemist.”
Meghan hesitated for a moment, then added:
"Actually, when Audrey and I were inspecting the ancestor's laboratory on Green Lake Island some time ago, we discovered that the ancestor had also been in contact with them. However, it was just a simple communication, tucked inside an experimental notebook. In the notebook, the ancestor wrote down his views, believing that the [Holy Son Alliance] was creating something capable of destroying the world, and he did not want to cooperate with that group of madmen."
Because our ancestors had contacted many strange organizations, Audrey and I didn't pay much attention to the letter when we saw it.
Luvia laughed:
"Laplace Howard really does get involved in everything."
"In short, His Excellency the Speaker advised Vigo to be careful lately and not to have any further contact with that group of people. His Excellency the Speaker even asked us who was free recently and could go to Arcadia City to stay with Vigo for a while, as a way to protect her safety."
Hearing Megan say that, Shad looked up at her immediately, and Megan laughed:
"Everyone was very enthusiastic. Flora, Sylvie, and I all said we had time, but Viggo stopped us from going, saying she could go by herself. I think she was worried that we would discover her 'secret,' and also suspected that one of the three of us already knew you."
Luvia smiled too:
“It’s really not the right time to let you go there. The situation in Arcadia City is still unclear. Let Shad conduct some more preliminary investigations first.”
Shad then recalled his meeting with Margaret that morning and mentioned that Margaret might appear in Arcadia next month.
Luvia and Megan didn't say anything about this. The great witches already knew that Margaret and Shad had crossed the final line in their relationship. The great witches thought that the princess's awareness and courage were admirable, but they also thought that she was just a witch apprentice and therefore not worth being wary of.
PS: Interestingly, in D&D, Abomination is often translated as "divine evil".