OBS Chapter 3929 Abnormal Transfer
Chapter 3929 Abnormal Transfer
Chapter 3929 Abnormal Transfer
Although Shade had already heard Viggo talk about the local situation during his chat with the witch this afternoon, he still wanted to see the information about the local black market.
The merchant wearing a black silk hat accepted the banknotes and invited Shad to a private meeting room on the side.
The room was not large, furnished only with a wooden table and chairs, and above the table was a kerosene lamp hanging.
"We are relatively peaceful here. Although there are troops stationed outside the city, after stopping those refugees from other places, the city has not changed much since the war began. The biggest thing recently is that Mr. Gerald Delon, the 13th-circle warlock 'Construct Master' who was originally stationed in the Diocese of Velendale, has returned to the Church of Creation from the Diocese of Velendale."
Therefore, there are currently three 13th-ring warlocks in the area: besides the 'Construct Master,' there are also Mr. Miguel Conti, the 'Crimson Sage,' and Sister Sofia Lopez, both belonging to the Church of Creation.
The black market dealers are able to obtain this intelligence because information about the Thirteen Rings is specifically designed to intimidate enemies. Currently, the [Church of Creation] has five Thirteen Ring members: in addition to these three, there is Mr. Sari Pirot, the "Iron Right Hand" stationed in Tobesk City, and Mr. Chris Evans, the "Master of Illusions," who has participated in numerous major events.
The fact that both the capitals of the North and South were originally guarded by the thirteen rings of the Creation Church reflects the influence of the Creation Church on this world in the age of the steam revolution.
The fact that all three 13th Ring members are currently gathered in the Vatican is clearly not a normal situation.
"What's going on here? If I remember correctly, the Five Gods Church usually only leaves one thirteen-ring guardian to guard the area."
When Xia De asked, the black market merchant lowered his voice and said:
"I can't give a definitive answer, but there are three theories circulating. The first is that a 12th-ring warlock in the Church of Creation is about to break through to the 13th ring, so he needs someone to guide him; the second is that the Church has found an ancient, unknowable relic and is trying to contain it; the third is that the Church has created a very extraordinary creation, and that thing may cause trouble."
Quite coincidentally, Shad believed that all three possibilities existed. Since Professor Alves Holm, the "Medicine Craftsman" of the Serxus Medical College, had successfully broken through to the thirteenth ring after the Battle of Destiny, others certainly had this possibility as well.
Speaking of ancient, unknowable relics, especially those related to "creation," the [Jade Record] mentioned by the witch clearly fits the bill perfectly.
As for truly remarkable creations, the name "Difference Engine" immediately popped into Shad's mind. Although the Truth Society was researching this, the Church of Creation might have also made groundbreaking progress in this area.
Shad became increasingly suspicious that something big was about to happen in the city, and even if it had nothing to do with the chosen one, it probably wouldn't be simple.
Aside from the illogical personnel allocation, the other intelligence shared by the black market merchants didn't seem particularly important. Lost relics, suspected cult activity, and calamities appearing in the corners of the city—these were all things that happened in major cities of this era.
Besides the matter of the Ring Warlock, the black market merchant also shared some less-than-refined news with Shad:
"Statistics show that in the past three years, the birth rate of newborns in Arcadia has been much higher than that of other cities in Carsonrick, and also much higher than Arcadia's previous record."
Ordinary ring sorcerers rarely paid attention to such news, at least not before 1853. But things are different now; with no changes in industry and technology, the increase in the number of local babies seems completely abnormal.
Are all the children normal?
"Of course, otherwise it would have attracted attention long ago. The local [Snakeheart Hospital] discovered the increase in the birth rate a long time ago, but the investigation into this matter has not yet yielded any results. Perhaps in a few years, noble families across the Old World who lack offspring will all flock here—this will greatly help drive up local housing prices."
The black market merchant said, and a smile appeared on Shad's face behind the mask.
Although the local area looks somewhat unusual, the city appears relatively calm, at least in this early spring season.
Are there any particularly active illegal organizations in the area?
Shad asked again, having already received the answer from the witch, but wanting to confirm it once more.
The black market merchant shook his head:
"The Church of Creation is right here. How could any illegal organization possibly take root here? Look at Tobesk and Velendale. Do they have any long-standing illegal organizations? Nobody will beat the drum in front of the Sleeping Dragon. Even the madmen understand that. The only thing we need to be careful about right now is the followers of the Poison Mist and the Goddess of Poison, the Mother of Poison. There are rumors that they have appeared locally, but no one on the black market has obtained any concrete evidence yet."
This aligns with the information provided by Vigo, but the witch believes that those cultists are not collaborating with the Jade Alchemy Association because the cultists do not possess such a high level of technical skill.
"Besides the suspected cult members, have any other dangerous individuals appeared here recently?"
Finally, Xia De asked a question, and the black market merchant thought for a moment, then cautiously shook his head:
"Sir, this place has always been a very peaceful place."
Xia De felt he had heard this sentence more than once.
"Although the Old World has been in turmoil since the summer of 1853, I think at least this city, located next to the Church of Creation, will not be so unlucky."
Xia De pursed his lips and frowned; his ominous premonition had reached its peak at this moment.
He originally wanted to explore other areas of the City of Scholars, but he had lingered too long in the Candlecastle Library. So, after leaving the library and seeing that the sun had already set, Shad randomly chose an alley in the Upper City, and after making sure no one was watching, he dropped the crystal slipper and returned home.
He was eager to tell others about the events of the day, but when he got home, apart from seeing Mia standing at the dining table staring intently at Winnie in the kitchen preparing dinner, there was no one else in the house.
"Master, you are back."
The maid, dressed in a glossy apron and holding a spoon, turned with a smile to look at Shad as he entered the dining room:
"Luvia left a letter at noon saying she would be working overtime at the association tonight and wouldn't be coming. Neither Dorothy nor Miss Galina showed up, but it's already evening, so they probably won't be coming today either."
However, Miss Galina sent a letter from Miss Sylvia via her maid in the afternoon; the letter was on the southeast corner of the dining table.
She now only addresses the Great Witches by their surnames; she calls everyone else by their first names. As for Galina, she is a member of the royal family, and since Shad met her, her formal title has been "Miss Galina."
"Aren't you coming today?"
As he was thinking to himself, Shad told Winnie to stay and eat with him after she finished cooking. Then he went to change his clothes, and the cat naturally followed Shad happily at his feet.
As for Sylvia's letter, it was actually written by Margaret. She had received Shad's request to investigate the "City of Scholars" and the "Grey Gloves" outposts in the surrounding area, but since she did not have direct authority over the Southern Kingdom's intelligence agencies, the investigation results would not be available to Shad for a few days.
"So, how about exploring an unfamiliar city?"
As Winnie placed dinner on the table, she smiled and asked Shad, "Actually, since the Battle of Fate, I've been the girl who appears in this house the most often, but Shad and the cat haven't realized that most of the time."
"You might not believe it, but I bumped into the local witch right away—the Great Witch of Chaos—and she was extremely hostile towards me."
He originally wanted to use "positive," but the words came out as "friendly."
"Is it that sick witch? The council asked me for help to treat her, but unfortunately I'm not good at healing."
Winnie used a spoon to transfer the fish soup from the large bowl to Shad's small bowl. Mia strolled over to the large bowl, sniffed it, and then immediately turned and left. Of course, Winnie had also prepared its favorite food.
"I feel very strange today. Don't be fooled by my good relationship with so many witches; at the beginning, everyone was skeptical of me. The Great Witch of Chaos has really surprised me."
As Shad spoke, the maid smiled understandingly:
"That's because you're powerful enough. You were strong in the past, but it wasn't outwardly apparent. Now, your normal level is at ten rings, and even out of respect for power, the strange witches won't easily show suspicion towards you. Besides, I think it's normal for the witches to be friendly towards you, after all, even Her Majesty Chloe..."
Since none of the other girls were there tonight, Shad told Winnie about his day. The Ice Maid sat opposite Shad, listening to his story along with the cat who was eating with its ears perked up.
Shad ultimately didn't dare mention that Viggo Astley had confessed her feelings to him after their meeting, but he did tell her everything else.
Although Winnie didn't need to eat like a human, she still ate some with Shad. Only after Shad finished speaking did she nod gently.
"So it's the Jade Record. If the problem is caused by this kind of relic, then it is indeed troublesome."
"You know about this relic?"
"Yes, although I haven't seen it with my own eyes, I've heard of it. This gemstone tablet does indeed contain 13 ultimate secrets of alchemy, which come from the ancient god who created it, the Twilight Creator."
The Great Witch of Creation, a contemporary of Her Majesty Chloe, once came into contact with it. Her Majesty told me that if that unknowable relic could unleash its full power, it might even be able to emulate the ancient gods of creation, granting mortals the ability to create life out of thin air—in ways other than reproduction.