Whispering Verse

"Are you interested in this?"

Sean Asmon laughed.

"Of course, the reason why I came to the local area is actually related to this. I am planning a story about demons, contracts and love, and the local rumors are very interesting. I also know some things. How about we exchange information?"

Shade suggested that he didn't know whether Mr. Asmon had learned something he didn't know, but he deliberately wanted to remind the gentleman that this place was dangerous and it was best not to investigate at will.

"Okay, let's exchange information."

The demonologist lowered his head slightly and looked up, staring at Shade over the gas lamp:

"First of all, I investigated the Randall Valley itself. Thousands of years ago, there used to be a prosperous ancient kingdom called the 'Kingdom of Stonewell'. This kingdom was destroyed because of the contract between the king and the devil."

Although this information is secret, many folklorists can actually find it. Mr. Asmon's ability to speak out shows that he has indeed started investigating. Compared to Cold Water Port, Fort Midhill and Huntington, the scholar is closer to his goal this time.

Shade nodded:

"According to rumors, there is an evil existence in the local area with the 'Petrified Rose' as its symbol. But no matter how terrifying that existence is, it is still afraid of the Orthodox Church. Therefore, the rumors about the demon only appear in the countryside and the Randall Valley. In the mountains and forests, city people rarely hear stories about demons, and think they are superstitions spoken by country women."

Mr. Sean Asmon nodded slightly, wrote a few lines in his old notebook, and then continued;

"There are various bizarre legends and stories about the demise of the ancient Kingdom of Stonewell. I heard a very interesting version from the locals: In order to maintain the prosperity and stability of the kingdom, the king made a deal with the devil and obtained a heart of stone, but at a price It is that he has lost all emotions and the ability to love and be loved."

Mr. Asmon raised the corners of his mouth and smiled:

"The king who didn't understand love sealed off the entire country and plunged the kingdom into a cold winter from which it would never wake up. He wanted to avoid having his soul taken away by the devil's 'debt collection'. But the devil posted a notice to issue a commission and found A witcher passing by the local area entrusted him with debt collection. In the end, the witcher helped the devil complete the contract and obtained the king's soul. However, he also banished and sealed the devil through the entrustment contract with the devil. Until Nearly four hundred years ago in modern times, the evil spirit returned due to the Randall Valley earthquake in 1498."

"Quite an interesting story, although the moral is not as good as the long story we have been talking about, but this story is more like a chivalric novel."

Shade commented that he didn't know whether the demonologist's version of the story was true or false. However, he still gave the information he knew:

"In the barbaric era before the Universal Calendar, there was a 'saint' in the Church of the Sun, that is, the 'Sister St. Peri'. The story of this nun is still circulated in the Randall Valley today. St. Peri The cemetery there once became a local force to check and balance the devil. I heard that at the beginning of this year, the local church made a great archaeological discovery, which confirmed that the St. Pelli cemetery does exist. It is in Tahiti near the Innes Forest. .”

"oh?"

Mr. Asmon showed an interested expression, and Shade told him the approximate location of the church. He is not afraid that Mr. Asmon will really be able to find it in the mountains and forests. That cemetery contains a lot of information about the Fifth Age, and the rituals arranged by the church on the periphery can prevent anyone from finding it.

In return for Shade, Mr. Asmon also gave Shade the specific location where the rumored demon was sealed.

Compared to the vague location given by Shade, the location given by Mr. Asmon was much more detailed.

The two of them each expressed their opinions on the local demon rumors, and Shade also advised Mr. Sean Asmon during the conversation that it is best not to leave the city casually recently:

"The situation in the Randall Valley has been turbulent recently. It's not just the plague. Have you heard about the Masons' Association? There are cultists in the city recently, and the local devil legends are really frightening. Maybe we can wait until the situation in the city stabilizes. From now on, it will be safe to visit those legends and stories.”

Mr. Asmon raised the corners of his mouth and looked at Shade:

"Remember what I said when we first met? I have always avoided direct contact with and retention of any items related to demons. Although the demon rumors in Randall Valley are interesting, they are superficial, and for me That's enough. What you said makes sense. I plan to stay here until spring, and when the weather gets a little warmer, I will consider whether to continue the local investigation or go to a new city."

"This is a good plan, so I look forward to our next meeting. Oh, I'm really looking forward to the continuation of that demon story."

Shade said, and began to recycle his own items on the table, including the sword hilt and the Rhodes deck. It was getting late and he planned to go back.

"Yes, I look forward to meeting you unexpectedly next time, my friend."

The demonologist said, seeing Shade packing his things, he looked at the withered black rose again:

"Can you give this to me?"

"Of course, it's just a withered flower."

Shade nodded. Although it was brought by the devil, the flower was just to warn Shade. It knew every contact between Shade and Oxenfurt. Shade had also checked that the flower had no abnormal abilities.

After packing up his things, Shade stretched out his hand and shook Mr. Sean Asmon's broad but somewhat yellow hand, and then walked through the joking crowd to the counter to check out.

When he took back the change and stood next to the busy counter, he turned to look at Mr. Asmon, who was sitting alone in the corner, wearing an old yellow robe and with only stubble on his hair. The latter raised his glass to Shade shook.

Shade smiled and nodded, then walked towards the door of the tavern on the side. I opened the door and entered the night in the countryside. The cold wind outside the door suddenly made my head sober. The closed door also blocked the noisy voice behind me.

Putting his hands in his pockets, he looked up at the clear night sky in the countryside and the stars in the sky. The sound of a shrewish woman yelling at her son could be heard in the distance, and the sound of a dog barking could also be heard far away in the middle of the night.

"I always feel that Mr. Sean Asmon is more suspicious than the stone mirror demon who turned into Stone Oxenfurt."

Shade smiled and joked, walking along the village path towards the city with bright lights and towering buildings in the distance.

【Why do you say that? 】

she asked softly.

"It's just a joke. After all, no matter what Mr. Asmon does, the devil's matter will finally be over on Friday."

As he walked, he looked up at the moon in the night sky. Tonight's three moons are all in the waning moon phase. According to the knowledge Shade gained from [Witch Reverberation Luvia], such a night is suitable for sleeping, rejuvenating people's physical and mental vitality, reducing nightmares, and strengthening Spiritual spells. The "Love Spell" recorded in the "Pink Book", the "Moon Dream" that Shade has not learned yet, and the secret method of maintaining the soul recorded in the "Secret Technique of Immortality" are all suitable to be cast tonight.

“Unconsciously, I understand more and more.”

He kicked away the pebbles at his feet, and the pebbles bounced through the gaps in the crooked wooden fence and into the yards of the people on the roadside. Then the barking sounded immediately. The chained black hound clawed at the low fence and roared at Shade outside the fence. Then because he smelled the scent of the female dragon, he barked one last time with his tail between his legs, and then barked from his throat. He made a "wuwu" sound and shrank his head back to his nest.

"The story here ends."

Shade moved his eyes away from the timid dog and looked at the city of Randall Valley in the night, covered by clouds and mist.

(Little Mia is running.)

After a comfortable sleep at home, Shade yawned on Wednesday morning when he went downstairs to get goat milk. As soon as he opened the door, he saw the local post office's carriage parked in front of his house. The freckle-faced red-haired young postman, under the command of the old postman, was trying to move a heavy-looking box from the carriage to the door of Shade's house.

"This is."

Shade, who was wearing pajamas and slippers, asked hesitantly, while Mia huddled behind Shade's feet, curious but a little afraid of strangers.

"Mr. Shade Suellen Hamilton?"

The old postman took the manifest and confirmed it. After Shade nodded, he handed the manifest to him for signature and acceptance:

"Miss Mia Sang Gold, sent you a letter and a package from the town in the east of the kingdom. Please check it and if there is no problem, please sign here."

"Oh, I remembered."

Shade suddenly realized:

"She said in her letter last month that she was cleaning up her old house and wanted to send me some interesting things as souvenirs to thank me for taking care of Mia. She didn't expect that she actually came. Oh, yes, her signature here is ?"

Shade signed his name with a pen. Seeing the young postman struggling to hold the square wooden box down, he took the initiative to take the box. As for the letter, he had already put it in his pocket:

"Thank you both. It's really hard work early in the morning. I hope you have a nice day."

He politely thanked the postmen, then turned back to the house and closed the door with his foot.

"What a polite gentleman."

The old postman sighed outside the door, while the young man looked hesitantly at the door and then at his hands:

"Did he actually carry that box so easily? It seems like I should really take some exercise."

PS: Can you guess what I’m getting?