Whispering Verse

After returning home from Coldwater Port, Shade, wearing a scarf, left the house with his cat and gifts for his friends.

The city is already preparing for the end of the year celebrations. Next to the fountain statue in Saint Teresa Square, workers are stepping on ladders, trying to hang ribbons on the girl holding the water bottle.

Households hung garlands of mistletoe on their doors, and middle-class families even spent extra pounds to decorate their yards and fences. Everyone he met on the road was beaming with joy. Even the coachman would say "Happy New Year's Day" to Shade, and Shade also gave him an excessive tip.

A festive atmosphere enveloped the entire city. Where Shade couldn't see, human civilization was celebrating the upcoming festival. The story of the fourth chosen one is temporarily over. Before a new story begins, outsiders can enjoy this important festival once a year.

The first stop was Professor Manning's home in the university district close to Saint Teresa Square. Although Xia De did not make an appointment to visit in advance, the old professor had no travel plans before the end of the year.

He was very happy to welcome Shade's visit. Shade hid little Mia in the inner pocket of his coat, and then handed over a small sculpture of a black cat as a holiday gift:

"You have given me a lot of help this year."

Professor Manning happily accepted the gift and gave Shade a very delicate metal pen holder in return. This is a handicraft, made of pure metal. There is a gear mechanism inside. Pressing the button in the decorative flower pattern at the bottom of the pen holder can make a small hidden compartment for hiding notes appear at the bottom of the pen holder.

"I received a letter from Professor Drake a few days ago. He seems to have finally figured it out. There are not many old friends left. I'm really happy for him."

Professor Manning said with a smile, and of course Shade did not forget to prepare Professor Drake's gift. Of course, the gift was sent in the name of "John Watson" and entrusted to Mr. Bernhardt's old butler. Professor Drake would probably like the little angel statue sent by Shade.

He did not stay long at Professor Manning's place. The next stop was Dr. Schneider's. Shade did not attend the study meeting on Saturday, and the doctor already knew that he had taken the ebony pistol on his adventure. The doctor was certainly happy to see Xia De appear intact at this time.

"Although you said that the demon of increasing desire is a year-end gift to you, I think it would be better to give him something."

In the reception room on the second floor, Shade took out the red silk scarf he had prepared. Of course, it is not made of pure silk, but is made of Delrayon Northern Sheep Cashmere mixed with silk.

This towel is quite expensive, but would also make a great gift for a doctor. It was Dr. Schneider who led the frightened strangers to the path of ring warlocks. Shade always remembered this.

"Why are you so polite?"

The doctor smiled and pushed it away a few times, and then happily accepted the gift. He also prepared a year-end gift for Shade, which was a book called "Emotional Textile". The content of the book is of course not about textile crafts. This is a book written by ring wizards, which records the story of a giant eight-eyed spider that lived in the Third Age. Although it is a translated copy of a copy of a copy, it is possible to obtain spiritual runes or thaumaturgy from reading it.

"In addition, I have prepared the dream ceremony you want."

The doctor gave Shad a black suitcase, which was very heavy:

"I have written down the ritual method and put it inside. The materials are not valuable, and I have prepared them for you. But we have to say yes. If Anat asks, I will not admit it. I know in advance that you want to enter her. dream."

The doctor warned, Shade nodded with a smile and put little Mia on the box on the coffee table:

"The dream ritual must be prepared in advance and activated when you fall asleep. I wonder if the ritual materials are volatile?"

"No, no, you can arrange it in advance and use it within a week. I am very professional in the knowledge of dreams."

The doctor said quite proudly. Shade took note of this and asked again:

"Louvia has told me that our group's exam time is Friday this week, which is the third day of the first month of 1854. Doctor, will you be able to come on Thursday, the second night of 1854? A trip to my home? I want you to help with a ritual that enhances the effect of thaumaturgy. The ritual requires the participation of ancient powers, but it is not complicated. It can be completed in half an hour at most...but the location of the ritual is demanding. , to be in the bell tower.”

Xia De didn't want to do this thing before the New Year's Day, so he waited until after the Red Butterfly Day to hold the ceremony.

"Of course it's no problem. There won't be many patients coming to my place around the New Year's Day. You helped me hold the promotion ceremony, and I'll help you hold the ceremony of sublimating thaumaturgy. What's there to shirk?"

So Shade got up and left, and the doctor sent him downstairs. Although the doctor has no family, he is not alone at the end of the year. Most of the doctors in this psychological clinic will bring their families to celebrate the holiday together in the clinic to celebrate the safe end of another year. The clinic will be very busy then.

Shade's second stop was Dawn Church. The church was also busy and joyful as it was about to usher in the end of the year. Children in the choir were wearing cotton-padded clothes and under the care of old nuns, building snowmen in the square. Believers who volunteered to help wiped the windows of the church, while believers who came to pray for the last time this year were pouring money into the donation box. Stuffed one note after another.

The entire church and even the entire square have been decorated with festive decorations. When Shade got off the carriage, he was even given an invitation to a grand open-air banquet to be held in the square tomorrow night. Unfortunately, he will definitely not be there tomorrow night. time.

A shed has been set up on the west side of the church to distribute New Year's Day relief meals, while a stage for public performances is being set up on the east side of the church. Shade held little Mia in his arms and watched all this. When he entered the church, which was busier than usual, and found Priest August, the old priest was standing under a ladder on the side wall of the main auditorium of the church, looking towards the young people who had gathered in a circle. The priests were assigned the task of visiting the elderly in the city.

This is of course not the end-of-year visit to the elderly that outsiders remember, but the church’s distribution of end-of-year gifts to elderly core believers, which is a tradition of the Five Gods Church.

The old priest finished arranging things before talking to Shade. While receiving a pen from Shade as a year-end gift, he also gave him three books as gifts in return.

"Why do you all give me books?"

Shade asked with a smile, but still happily accepted the gift. Different from the books given by the doctor that recorded occult knowledge, the three books given by the priest were one of the religious classics "The Life of St. Sidious" of the Church of the Dawn, and the other two books were "Friends Around You: Cat Breeding" Guide (Part 1)" and "Friends Around You: A Guide to Cat Raising (Part 2)".

Although they sound ordinary, the latter two are quite expensive books because the written and internal schematics and illustrations are in color. This is not printing, but hand-written and hand-painted books. In the era of steam industry, handicrafts remain more expensive than in the previous era.

"Meow?"

Looking at the colorful cat on the cover of the book that Shade was holding, Little Mia suddenly slapped the pages with her paws and let out an extremely dissatisfied cry, which made both Shade and Priest August laugh.

"Priest, one more thing."

Although there were many people in the main auditorium, most of them were praying on the long chairs in front or walking by in a hurry. No one paid attention to this side, so Shade lowered his voice slightly:

"I will use the relic at the foot of the statue on Thursday night... I will come here to pick it up on Thursday afternoon."

The priest looked around casually and nodded lightly:

"No problem, I won't repeat what I said about safety, but remember to return it after use. If it gets out of control again, I don't think Anat is confident that she can contain it again."

Priest Augustus will spend his last days in this church. The old priest has spent countless last days in this church and has witnessed the ups and downs of this church in the past half century. Even Bishop Owen, who was transferred from a foreign diocese to the local area when he was in his forties, could not compare with him.

Therefore, Priest August will not be alone at the end of the year. On the contrary, he is probably the busiest one among the four in the group. Seeing that someone was coming to see the priest again, Shade said goodbye to the old man and went to say Happy New Year's Day to the equally busy Bishop Owen before leaving for the Prophet's Association.

The Silver Cross Avenue where the Prophet's Association is located is the center of Tobesk City, the capital of the Kingdom of Delarian, and as the end of the year approaches in 1853, the changes here are more obvious than in other parts of the city.

When the carriage brought Shade and Mia here in the snow, Shade raised his head and looked toward the distance of the street, looking at the colorful ribbons connecting the street lights on the left and right sides, extending into the distance in the snow like door arches. , until it extends to the end of the road that cannot be seen.

Before Shade knew it, the gas street lamp had been replaced with a brand new style. The glass lampshade of the brand new lamp looked particularly brand new, and the workers were performing final inspections on the ladder. The colorful emblems of the royal Cavendish family have also been hung on the fences and walls outside Yoder Palace, and the flag of the Kingdom of Delarian is flying on the top of every building in Yoder Palace.

There were noisy sounds everywhere. There were a lot of pedestrians on Silver Cross Avenue today, and there was a long queue at the entrance of Yodel Palace. His Majesty the King was going to receive a lot of people today, but only a few were able to get in.

Everyone was beaming, and even the boy selling newspapers received more tips than usual. The joyful atmosphere is spreading throughout the city with the arrival of the festival, and no one wants to remain unhappy at the end of the year.