Xio glanced at the "Judgement" card in her hand and said, startled:
"This is exactly what I expected."
Shrouded in gray fog, "The Fool" nodded slightly and said calmly:
"Meet here every Monday at 3 PM Backlund time, and be prepared.
"During the gathering, you can exchange intelligence, materials, formulas, and knowledge, and you can also entrust tasks to other members for a certain price."
Xio thought for a moment and then said with dawning understanding:
"Yes, Mr. Fool."
She thought it would end there, but once again she heard a voice from the head of the bronze long table:
"What were you doing before you were corroded by that power?"
So indeed I was corroded… Xio calmed herself and gave a full account of her and Fors's exploration of the ancient castle, focusing on the bronze door called the "Door of Darkness" and the castle guards that had been corroded and turned into vengeful spirits.
Then she noticed Mr. Fool nodded slightly and spoke in a calm voice:
"Do not enter that castle again until Sequence 4.
"Go back."
Xio immediately stood up and, following the descriptions in various religious ceremonies, bowed respectfully:
"Your wish is my will."
No sooner had she spoken than a deep red color surged before her eyes. When everything dissipated, she was back in the real world, leaning against a thick tree.
She subconsciously looked at the back of her hand. The black spots were quickly fading. She raised her head and saw Fors staring at her with a worried expression.
Their eyes met. Fors first showed joy, then an awkward smile. She opened her mouth but didn't know what to say.
Xio exhaled slowly and pointed ahead:
"Let's head back to the town first."
"Okay!" Fors replied without hesitation.
Meanwhile, above the Gray Fog, "The Fool" Klein was lightly tapping the edge of the mottled table, pondering the experiences of Miss "Magician" and Miss "Judgement" today.
The thing or power sealed behind the "Door of Darkness", even if it hadn't escaped, could still corrode the guards and explorers outside. The terror of it made one tremble just thinking about it!
Moreover, this contamination was rooted in the spirit body. To solve it, Klein had only two methods: one was to have the corroded person perform a complete mystical ritual, allowing him to mobilize the power of the mysterious space above the Gray Fog and use the "Sun Brooch" to complete the purification; the other was to directly pull the spirit body here and use the Gray Fog to "disinfect". Given the lack of time in that situation, he chose the latter.
"What could it be?
"The most corrosive power belongs to the 'Demon' pathway… Is it connected to the Abyss? That is not impossible. According to little 'Sun's' description, in the middle of the Second Epoch, demons often left the Abyss and roamed the earth. It wasn't until the ancient Sun God emerged and made the Ancient Gods fall one after another that they retreated into the Abyss and sealed it. If that's the case, it's perfectly normal for there to be an ancient underground passage leading to the Abyss in the Northern Continent… It makes sense to build a castle and station guards…
"But the problem is, after thousands of years, how can there still be sounds of pounding? Are the demons trying to return to the surface?" Klein made a preliminary guess.
He had no intention of exploring the abandoned castle to verify his ideas for now, because it seemed unlikely to change much in the short term. In his mind, since the intelligence about the castle came from inside the vampire clan, he could have "The Moon" Emlyn first gather more information to clarify the castle's history.
Pulling himself together, Klein took off his yellow crystal pendant and performed a divination on whether the matter of the abandoned castle was urgent. He got a negative answer.
He immediately returned to the real world and waited for the envoy of General Mesayenses, the local ruler, to bring the earnest money.
…………
At 2 PM Feynapotter time, Haggis, with his hair combed back and dressed as a Northern Continent gentleman, accompanied by a squad of guards, carrying a black briefcase, knocked on the door of Dwayne Dantès.
"Come in, please." A gentle and refined voice came from inside, first in the Backlund accent of Loenese, then switching to the local Dutan language.
Haggis turned the handle and pushed the door open. He saw Dwayne Dantès, with graying temples and deep blue eyes, pressing down on the hem of his black waistcoat as he rose from his armchair.
"Good afternoon, my friend." This Loen gentleman, with an excellent appearance and demeanor, stepped forward and extended his right hand.
This time, he switched back to Loenese.
Haggis replied in an aristocratic-accented Loenese:
"It is an honor to be your friend."
After a brief handshake with Dwayne Dantès, he looked around and chuckled:
"Is this your servant?"
He was referring to the mixed-race young man standing behind the arms merchant opposite, implying "can he be trusted?" After all, when Dwayne Dantès visited the general's mansion yesterday, he hadn't brought any attendants.
"Yes, his greatest asset is the ability to keep secrets." Dwayne Dantès smiled and pointed to the leather sofa across from the armchair.
Haggis, followed by two guards, casually closed the door and sat down, smiling:
"I once heard an Intis proverb, rumored to be told by Emperor Roselle.
"He said that only the dead can keep secrets."
Dwayne Dantès chuckled:
"Emperor Roselle also said another thing:
"The dead can speak."
"Really? I've never heard that before." Haggis enjoyed the conversation with the Northern Continent gentleman. After chatting for a good while, he picked up the briefcase beside him and opened it.
At that moment, a golden shimmer seemed to spill from inside the briefcase, making the entire room seem a little brighter under the sunlight from the window.
Haggis then looked at Dwayne Dantès:
"Five thousand Loen gold pounds, plus gold coins and bars worth another five thousand pounds.
"This is the earnest money.
"The remaining thirty thousand pounds in banknotes and gold, I will keep with me and give to you after the arms deal is completed."
Dwayne Dantès glanced at the stacks of banknotes, gold coins, and gold bars inside the briefcase, then withdrew his gaze and said with a smile:
"When do we set out?"
Haggis closed the briefcase, handed it to Dwayne Dantès's servant, and answered simply:
"Tomorrow morning."