OBS Chapter 3513 The Doctor of Ritual and Freedom
Chapter 3513 The Doctor of Ritual and Freedom
Chapter 3513 The Doctor of Ritual and Freedom
Upon hearing Shad's question, the perceptive Claire immediately turned to look at her grandfather, only to find him facing away from her, still talking to Elder Uller.
The witch with beautiful platinum blonde hair then slowly replied:
“My grandfather’s injury looks like it’s almost healed. He can be the chief priest himself next All Souls’ Day, so I don’t think I need to come here again.”
Xia De then tried to persuade him, but of course, he didn't do it directly; instead, he took a roundabout approach:
"Then I wish Elder Harald continued good health. But the five elders are all getting on in years, and the combined age of the two of us is less than half the age of any one of them. No one can predict the future. I have met the other priests in the tribe, and none of them can compare to you."
If you ask me, you could come back every All Souls' Day and act as a substitute for the high priest; that way, nothing bad will happen on All Souls' Day.”
"Did your maternal grandfather send you to persuade me?"
She asked this very directly, and Shad glanced at Elder Harald:
"Yes."
Before Claire could ask any further questions, Shad leaned close to her ear and said:
"The elder offered me a bribe, that's why I agreed to help with the lobbying," he said.
When Shad revealed the details of the "deal," Claire blushed immediately and shyly pushed Shad away.
“I can handle things with my father and mother myself. Who needs him to tell me? If I return to town every year for All Souls’ Day, can you come here to celebrate with me every year?”
"Of course, it's not a big deal to come from my house."
Claire then relented:
“I’ll think about it. If I’m free during All Souls’ Day for the next few years, I’ll come and help out. But you’ll have to stay with me, and unless it’s absolutely necessary, I don’t want to continue being the high priest. I’m just here to help.”
Elder Harald was quite satisfied with this result.
The elders kept a close eye on the time, and at 11:30, they instructed the young priests to summon all the "warriors" scattered throughout the banquet hall to gather in the courtyard. This was also to help the young men regain their spirits or sober up, as there had been instances in previous years where drinking had led to mistakes.
The snowflakes falling from the night sky became larger and denser. This year's "warriors" came from thirteen different villages, totaling 21 people. Among them, the town of Kyle-Todd had the most "warriors," with seven people.
They will climb the snow-capped mountain by different routes, lighting fire pits in the mountain chapels along the way to prove they have reached each milestone. Although All Souls' Day ends tomorrow, Saturday, this year is special, so the elders have calculated that if they reach the main peak of Mount Fatumunst before dawn on Sunday, they will be considered successful.
For others, climbing Mount Fatumunster in 30 hours would be absolutely impossible, but everyone here has received the blessing of the mountain. The people of Fatumunster have an extraordinary affinity for this mountain, so theoretically, at least three out of the 21 people should be able to reach the finish line before dawn.
In the final moments, the high priests of this All Souls' Day, namely Claire, Elder Virda, and Elder Ursa, together performed a final blessing for the "warriors" according to ancient custom.
This wasn't a spell in the strict sense; it was more like a blessing performed in conjunction with a ritual. Shad wasn't very familiar with this kind of traditional ritual blessing, and could only vaguely discern that it had effects such as "increasing cold resistance," "resisting hunger," and "blessing good fortune."
Snowmelt was splashed on them, and then everyone grabbed a handful of snow from the basket Elder Ursa was carrying and ate it. This snow was mixed with a magical potion, the ingredients of which varied depending on the specific circumstances each year.
As for this year, the elders naturally added every potion they could.
After everything was ready, the group returned to the banquet hall. Then, the three priests took down the three torches hanging on the wall and lit them in the fireplace after chanting in the local language of the Fatu people.
Led by the high priests carrying torches, followed by the priests and warriors, with the rest of the people in the banquet hall bringing up the rear, they left the snow mountain hall and headed towards the gate from the town to the snow mountain.
By now, almost half the town had gathered at the entrance, where a bonfire had already been set up at the gate leading up the mountain. Because snowflakes had been falling for an hour, the firewood in the bonfire was already covered with a layer of frost.
But the priests didn't care at all. Claire, Elder Virda, and Elder Ursa formed a triangle around the still unlit bonfire. Holding torches, they prayed to the snow mountain again under the watchful eyes of the people. Then, the three torches were thrown towards the center, and the raging fire shot into the night sky.
Shad could clearly sense that the elemental content of the flame had increased, and its extraordinary properties were becoming more pronounced. While basic characteristics such as being difficult to extinguish and providing warmth to the holder were essential, they were crucial for someone preparing to climb the mountain.
"So, does fire serve humans, or does fire serve humans?"
As Shad pondered, the 21 heroes took their respective embers from the roaring campfire. Because of the harsh weather, they no longer used torches, but instead used old-fashioned lanterns to hold the flames.
At midnight, as the distant chimes of the City of Time faintly echoed, the warriors, carrying the blessings of their families, villages, and all the people of Fatu, set off on their mountain journey with their packs on their backs.
"Year after year, every time I see them heading towards the snow-capped mountains, I feel like I've gotten another year older."
Elder Harald remarked that the people gathered before the gate dispersed only after the figures of the mountain climbers had disappeared from sight. The bonfire that had been lit was hastily extinguished; of course, Elder Vildar took a portion of the embers before going out, and then the old man headed straight into the mountains.
He would place this fire at the spot where they would collect fire before All Souls' Day, and return to the same spot the following year to collect fire again. Even Claire didn't know the origin of the "fire"; it was a secret known only to the elders.
Of course, Claire didn't care about this secret.
It was already late, and although the snake-tooth-shaped stone placed in the spring had finished soaking, Shad decided to deal with it the next day. He didn't return to the Snow Mountain Hall, but instead bid farewell to Claire and the elders at the town gate. When the glass slipper returned home, all of Tobesk was already enveloped in the quiet of the night.
It was past midnight, so strictly speaking, it was Saturday. Only Shad and the cat were home tonight. Mia, who had already taken a nap, stood on the sofa to welcome Shad.
"Jalina has returned to her manor, and Luvia is researching the [Stadium of Fate], so she probably won't be coming over for the next few days."
Shad thought to himself, quickly washed up, and returned to his bedroom. Before closing his eyes, he thought that today was the last day of the New Moon. Then, in 24 hours, he would finally be able to see Adele again.
Xia De slept soundly through the night without any dreams. He even felt as if he had just closed his eyes and when he opened them again it was already 6:30 in the morning.
As he walked towards the bathroom in his slippers, he felt a little uncomfortable being home alone in the morning, and he missed the mornings when the dining table was full of girls.
Are you just too lazy to make your own breakfast?
"She" asked with a smile while Shad was brushing his teeth, and Shad immediately denied it:
"Of course not. But it would be even better if we didn't have to cook for ourselves."
Today is Saturday, which means Dr. Schneider can finally come and go from Tobeske freely, no longer restricted by the church. After Shad and Mia had breakfast, the doctor rang the doorbell downstairs to visit. He was ready to go and looked exceptionally energetic.
"So, will the afternoon group meeting proceed as scheduled?"
As Xia De led the doctor upstairs, he asked, and the doctor nodded:
"Of course it will proceed as planned. I just went to Fatium Island this morning to check on the situation, and I will be back around noon."
Having gained the power of a Witcher and thus enhanced his demonic abilities, Shad can now summon the doctor no longer only at midnight. Although the conditions of a "remote crossroads" and a "mirror" are still required, remote crossroads are certainly not lacking on remote islands.
The doctor had made thorough preparations to find the mastermind, Tifreon, who had been hiding for almost half a month; the briefcase he carried was evidence. And half an hour later, when he finally emerged from the mirror at the crossroads of the snowy mountain path, his first exclamation was:
Why is the environment here so chaotic?
Looking at the desolate scenery around them, Xia De explained:
"This is the effect of All Souls' Day; it should be fine by tomorrow. So, although I'm ready to cause trouble for the [House of Pseudo-Humans], I'm thinking of waiting until after All Souls' Day to take action."
Snowflakes, like goose feathers, drifted down from the mountains. The snow, which had started last night, hadn't stopped. The doctor looked up at the sky:
"Aside from the final battles in the stories of those chosen ones, I have never seen such a chaotic environment. Yes, it is best not to collect relics in this situation, otherwise it is easy to run into big trouble."
Fortunately, evil spirits and demons don't possess the pure elements of relics, so I set off.
He looked towards the mountain path leading up the mountain; the probability of the demon hiding in the snow-capped mountains was much higher than at the foot of the mountain.
"Regardless of the outcome, Detective, we'll meet in Tobeske this afternoon. I won't need your help when I get back; remember to come to my place for a meeting at 1:30 this afternoon."
Xia De waved his hand at him:
"Doctor, I don't need you to remind me. But if you haven't returned by 1:30 this afternoon, I will organize a rescue team to come to the snow mountain to rescue you."
The doctor laughed:
"That is indeed a possibility, and I will be careful."
He waved to Xia De, then carried his suitcase and headed into the mountains alone.