OBS Chapter 3924 [The Jade Record]
Chapter 3924 [The Jade Record]
Chapter 3924 [The Jade Record]
"Grey Rock Pass is indeed a relatively important pass in the central part of the Old World, but I don't know much about spices."
Shad nodded. He was unfamiliar with the area, so even though the other party explained the situation, Shad still didn't know the exact location.
Miss Astley did not continue the conversation; she reached out and rolled down the car window.
“We’ve already left the outer city, so we don’t need to worry about the air quality now that we’ve opened the window. Mr. Watson, please enjoy the cityscape of Arcadia, the ‘City of Scholars.’ I won’t speak to you again until we reach our destination. You can use this time to think carefully about how to deal with me.”
She said this very considerately, and then took out a handkerchief to cover her mouth and coughed.
Seeing Shad looking at her with concern, the witch smiled and explained:
"Pretending that I am still very weak is very advantageous to my current situation. Business partners will know that I am still not in good health, my opponents will think that I am still the same as before, and my colleagues in parliament will not ask me how I have temporarily recovered my health."
She coughed a few more times as she spoke, and then she immediately returned to that vulnerable and heartbreaking state she had at the beginning.
"This person's acting skills are comparable to those of professional opera singer Vanessa."
As he pondered this, Xia De turned to look out the window.
Just then, a newspaper with the image of "The Lion" Ryan giving a speech, blown by the wind, flew past the window. The newspaper soared into the azure sky above the streets of Arcadia, while the carriage continued its journey along the straight ramp, the rows of houses unfolding in the warm sunlight on either side.
Thus began Xia De's adventure in the "City of Scholars".
"Fragrance Mansion" is located on a cliff in the Upper City. Although the Upper City is the smallest of the three districts in Arcadia, there are still such large mansions that waste so much space.
After Shad stepped out of the carriage, the witch, who had coughed again while covering her mouth with a handkerchief, weakly explained that the mansion had a history of at least eight hundred years:
“In modern times, the city no longer allows the construction of such large houses.”
Her acting skills are really good.
The two prisoners were taken to the mansion's underground prison by the witch's followers. She then arranged for someone to take Shad to the lounge.
"Please wait for twenty minutes. I have some things to take care of. We can have lunch together later."
The "Fragrant Residence" indeed had a unique fragrance, not strong, but rather like a natural floral scent. The interior of the mansion was indeed decorated in a very old-fashioned style, with gleaming floors reflecting the towering golden ceilings, animal heads and antique oil paintings hanging on the walls, and metal armor or display cases containing exhibits placed at intervals along the walls.
The house was enormous, but its layout was quite clear. Upon entering, there was a huge foyer, and to the left was the lounge. After Shad sat down, a maid quickly brought him tea.
They said it would take twenty minutes, but in reality, only fifteen minutes later, another maid came.
"Sir, please come in. Lunch is ready."
She led Shad back to the foyer, and after passing through the door directly opposite the main entrance, they arrived at the dining room with a huge round table.
Two doors in each corner of the restaurant led deeper into the mansion; this was the first time Shad had ever seen a house with this kind of design. However, considering that the house was built at the end of the Delinor Kingdom, Shad guessed that this was a tradition at that time.
The witch had changed into a different dress and was now waiting for Shad at the restaurant. However, since it was just the two of them dining, there was no need for the large round table that could seat more than twenty people. A square table had already been set up by the window on the east wall of the restaurant, and Miss Viggo Astley invited Shad to sit there.
For some reason, this table reminded Shad of the table where Margaret and he had eaten on the "River Island".
"Ahem, ahem. Sorry."
After they sat down, the witch coughed a few more times, covering her mouth with her handkerchief. Shad frowned; these coughs didn't seem fake.
"Has she become weak again?"
The maids were preparing to serve the food, but the pale-faced, frail witch, now wearing her glasses again, refused to admit it:
"This isn't weakness, it's just my normal state. I don't consider it a flaw, cough cough, it's just part of my beauty. Don't worry, it's just a little uncomfortable compared to being completely healthy. I think the effects of those 'potions' you fed me won't completely wear off until at least lunchtime."
Shad noticed that the maids also dared not get too close to their mistress, whose constitution was destined to cause trouble for others.
"It only provides relief for less than an hour?"
Shad was thinking to himself, but with the maids beside him, he remained silent. The witch sensed his thoughts, a smile playing on her pale face:
"I can completely trust the girls here. Don't think your treatment was ineffective. The treatment just now gave me almost an hour of perfect health. During that time, as long as I didn't continuously cast high-intensity spells, I could even fight normally. This is the most relaxed I've felt since I can remember."
Shad tried hard not to show any pity, but he already felt a little sorry for the other person. Considering that the other person was also a member of the [Witch Council], and that their illness was indeed very serious, Shad said:
"I'll treat you again, just like before."
The witch shook her head weakly:
"No need for now, it's just a meal, I'm fine as I am. I'm not being polite, I really don't need it for the time being."
After saying that, she instructed the maid beside her:
"Has Eve not returned yet? Tell her to come here to see me as soon as she gets back."
"Yes Master."
The maid spoke again respectfully, and the witch then explained to Shad:
"I have no apprentices. The requirements for apprentices in the Chaos Seats are quite high, and my physical condition does not allow me to devote myself to teaching apprentices for the time being."
Eve is an outstanding young woman I met a few years ago at a local university. Unfortunately, she doesn't possess the talent for chaos, but I still consider her my student. She has progressed far in scientific and technological exploration, possesses vast knowledge, and is very adept at contemplation. For now, she is merely my follower; I plan to recommend her to another witch who has no apprentices after some time.”
Shad's first thought was Sylvia, but he quickly realized that Sylvia not only required knowledge but also a high level of spatial talent. Since the Great Witch of Chaos hadn't mentioned space, only "knowledge," then the answer must be something else:
"Shall we become the apprentice of the Great Witch of Knowledge and Wisdom?"
Megan and Audrey were practically insane before they met Shad because of their soul problems, so like Sylvia, they didn't have any apprentices.
"Yes, you seem to know us very well."
Viggo Astley said with a smile, her pale face not diminishing her charm at all, but making her seem even more pitiful.
"Then let me test you again. Do you know what my plan is for the apprentices?"
She asked again, and Xia De didn't pretend to be stupid:
"I heard from a witch I know that the council has found a girl with powerful chaotic talents. Are you considering her?"
The witch nodded, indicating that Shad shouldn't stand on ceremony and could chat while eating:
"Yes, I originally wanted to wait until I was feeling better before calling the other party over, but I didn't expect that after the year-end holiday I would write down everything I have learned. Even if I unfortunately pass away later, at least the inheritance of Chaos will not have to start all over again. This can be considered my final contribution to the council."
The appetizers and the first main course had already been served, and Shad picked up his knife and fork:
"Since we've come to this topic, I'm sorry, but I'd like to pry into your privacy—what caused your illness? Even the witch I know, who is familiar with such a secret about the Great Witch, didn't tell me very clearly, only mentioning that it was related to what happened to your mother during her pregnancy."
The Great Witch of Chaos also picked up a knife and fork:
“This is no secret within the council, and most of my trusted followers know about it. My mother was also a ring mage, and she came from the local ring mage organization, the Emerald Alchemy Society. Something happened during her pregnancy; she came into contact with an extremely dangerous relic.”
This aligns with Xia De's previous speculation, and the Jade Alchemy Association is not an unfamiliar organization to him, since the witch mentioned it when they were in the outer city.
Moreover, during the "Chosen Ones of Knowledge and Wisdom" event in the autumn and winter of 1853, this organization appeared in Tobesk, attempting to obtain the "Sage's Radiance Stone" (Chapter 949) through a test. Unfortunately, they were thwarted by the Truth Society and hastily withdrew after a major battle.
The Jade Alchemy Association is definitely not a small organization; otherwise, it wouldn't have gotten involved in such a major event in the very first year of the Chosen Ones' story. Shad simply hadn't expected to hear the organization's name again now.
However, his current focus is not on those alchemists:
"What level of relics did your mother come into contact with?"
"Unknown level relics".
The witch spoke, and Shad finally showed a surprised expression. Then the witch looked at the maids, who consciously left for the time being. If it was possible not to know the information about the unknowable relic, then it was definitely not to know.
Once she was certain that all the maids had disappeared, the witch, exposing her pale face to the sunlight streaming through the window, continued:
"Unknown-level relic - [Jade Record]. Legend has it that this is an emerald plate containing 13 ultimate secrets about alchemy. There are also rumors that this relic contains the ultimate power of 'creation,' and that once you master the true power of this relic, even a mortal will be qualified to dabble in the ability to create life."