Chapter 2343: Flawless Moonstone

Although it is said that four keys are needed to open the door in the “Gravel Golden Sea,” the number is not much at all, as similar Divine Items or Symbols are easy to find.

“Earth” has the little clay cat figurine given by Vanessa, and “Sun” can be represented by little Mia, who carries the bloodline of the “Son of the Sun.” This was exactly what Shard did at the “Gadis Library.” Although there isn’t a concrete plan for “Moon” and “Brightness,” the time is ripe for the appearance of “Brightness’s” The Chosen One. There are plenty of items related to that Ancient God here.

“Those three Dragon Scales would work, but the issue is we’re unsure if you can bring the Dragon Scales back; they’re too important to risk.”

In the garden behind the manor, Luviya sits at a table under the grape arbor, watching Emilia and Angelina and the two Miss Maids grooming the Little Unicorn in the distance while speaking to Shard:

“But that’s not much of a problem; we’re already preparing items related to the Ancient God power for The Chosen One.”

She looked at Shard:

“I’ve asked Old John to purchase a broken ‘Holy Emblem of the Dragon of Radiant Light.’ He says it will arrive by the weekend, and you can fetch it yourself then. Don’t worry about The Chosen One’s matters; as long as you’re looking, similar items can be found soon.”

This sort of thing is generally Luviya’s concern. Shard nodded and then asked her:

“Do you have any good ideas for the Moon?”

“Hmm… Mia represents the Sun, so you can represent the Moon.”

She joked.

“But I certainly don’t have any ‘Moon’s Child’ bloodline. Those three Moonstone Slates would certainly work, but I don’t want to send them to the past. The Water of Moonlight is a precious ingredient, yet associating it with this Silvermoon Sage might be too much of a stretch.”

Shard also looked at Emilia and Angelina and said very troubledly:

“Speaking of which, if I were to dig some soil from the Night Shrine in Randall Valley or chip off a small piece from the remaining arch pillars, that wouldn’t count as a Symbol, right?”

“Of course not. Be careful the Moon may stop blessing you, Shard.”

Luviya said with a laugh. “She” also chuckled softly in Shard’s ear.

“I feel like if you want to look, you can still find it. Your fate is intertwined with the Moon, and the Moon’s affection for you—any Diviner who isn’t blind could surely see it… even a blind Diviner might see it.”

The violet-eyed girl gently nudged Shard:

“Take a stroll in town; the threads of fate will weave your future. But if you really can’t find anything when the time comes, you absolutely shouldn’t go digging dirt at the Night Shrine… Perhaps you could pray, and maybe some stones from the Moon might fall and hit you.”

Shard nodded slowly and then curiously lowered his voice to ask:

“There’s one more thing I’m curious about. Isn’t Miss Belindel out right now? Have you ever met her before? Why do I feel like she’s a bit… afraid of you?”

Luviya glanced at him:

“I’ll tell you about this later; I’m also looking into this matter. Maybe her dreams have given her some fragments about the future, but what will I do in the future?”

Perhaps it’s because of something done in the past.

“Furthermore.”

The Female Diviner reached to adjust Shard’s collar and continued:

“I’m also curious about another thing—did Miss Benanis encounter something good just now? I saw her hopping like a little girl, just like Angelina, when she left.”

“Probably… has something to do with me.”

“No need to explain, I understand.”

She smiled and shook her head, then looked at the cat lying on Shard’s lap:

“The future that will eventually arrive is not far away, Shard. The story of Moon Bay has entered its final chapter. And this time, the honored one perhaps will once again surprise us.”

It’s now just two in the afternoon; taking a purposeless stroll around town isn’t particularly interesting. Although Shard ended up going out, he was accompanied by Luviya:

“Let Mia stay; you accompany me for a walk in town. You’ve just arrived at Moon Bay and haven’t been anywhere yet; we might not have time to wander the city later. We can start by visiting the Belindel Big Bell, then take a stroll by the sea. If you’re interested, we can also check out the shops and black market in Lower District while observing the soon-to-be-completed Moon Bay Bridge across the Taton River.”

So the violet-eyed girl, who had been saying “you can go by yourself” but was actually delighted, ultimately went out with Shard. And Tifa, who held little Mia while sending them off at the door, nearly welcomed them back at the same spot by late afternoon.

The ordinary Wednesday afternoon didn’t bring any special events. The two who went out indeed only took a circuit around the city. However, when the dark-haired Miss Maid handed the restless cat back to Shard, the cat immediately noticed Shard clutching something in his hand.

It maintained its curious nature, sniffing around while standing on Shard’s shoulder. When it found that Shard was holding a glowing silver “pebble,” it lost interest and turned to the bread bag Luviya was holding:

“Meow~”

There must be something good in there; it could already smell it.

Today, Luviya came to Moon Bay, so during dinner, Miss Aphrola, Miss Belindel, Vanessa, and Miss Sylvia all came to the manor for dinner. Not only the four Grand Witches but also Ciris, Tifa, Miss Matilda, Miss Swift, and even the busy Margaret were present at the dinner table.

Although neither Miss Matilda nor Tifa was willing to sit down, with the Elf Girl, Little Princess, and Miss Eles who rushed back from the seaside before dinner, there were quite a few people seated at the table.

“Angie Illustrious, nice to meet you. Shard often mentions you, your eyes are even more beautiful than we imagined.”

The Blue Dragon Girl proactively shook hands with Luviya, and her purple eyes subtly glanced at Luviya’s chest:

“Hello, Luviya Annette.”

Luviya softly replied, then glanced at Shard, followed by another look at Tifa, feeling that Shard was indeed still a naive big boy.

“Luck was really good this afternoon.”

Dinner began, and Shard sitting by the Countess’s left hand happily pointed to the glowing stone on a towel on the table next to him:

“Luviya and I casually browsed the local black market, hoping to find some special coin-like relic, and we ended up buying this.”

Miss Aphrola, who sat right next to Shard, immediately recognized this:

“Is this a ‘Flawless Moonstone’?”

She raised her eyebrows:

“Wait, I remember this is a derivative of the Unclassified Level Relic [Moon in Water]. Such a thing on the local black market?”

She was greatly surprised and inquired of the Countess, seated at the head of the table. The Blonde Maid between Shard and Miss Aphrola served a fruit salad appetizer to Shard.

“Bella, is the Unclassified Level Relic [Moon in Water] also local?”

“No, of course not; otherwise all clear liquids within the city limits would show a reflection of the moon at night. The sorcerer selling this item said that it was an heirloom. He urgently needed a [Master Key], which I happened to have, so I exchanged it with him.”

Shard appeared exceedingly cheerful:

“Vanessa provided a vital clue this afternoon; now I have symbols of the Earth, Moon, and Sun, only missing the symbol representing Brightness. Luviya was right, the moon has a special connection with me. Today was truly lucky, just casually walking around and finding such a thing.”

The “Flawless Moonstone,” as a derivative of the Unclassified Level Relic, is obtained by fishing it out of the reflection of the “Moon in Water.” Its function is to serve as a ritual item symbolizing the moon and as potion material. More uniquely, casting this stone into rivers or lakes at night where the “Moon in Water” is absent will cause the moon’s reflection to appear in those waters, immediately dispelling clouds or other obstructing objects and making the moon appear in the night sky.

Though its value is slightly less than a “Master Key,” it’s not far off.

While talking, Shard patted his pocket and Mia’s bottom, making the fox-cat look at him quizzically. Meanwhile, Miss Benanis’s side, Miss Sylvia, also asked suspiciously:

“Vanessa?”

She, or rather they, sharply noted that Shard directly addressed the Witch of the Earth by name. The latter smiled demurely without explanation, but even Angelina and Emilia could sense her pride.

Although Luviya was at Moon Bay, Shard did not stay over at Moon Bay that day. After dinner, he took Mia back home, preparing to rest well and address the issue concerning Mrs. Jude’s threat letters with Mr. Benhart the next day.

Seeing off Shard, who tossed out crystal shoes, Luviya turned to face the other witches who also bade farewell:

“Shall we have a talk?”

The others showed indifferent expressions, with only the Countess seeming somewhat nervous. So the ladies together went to the study. Emilia stood on the spot, not knowing if she was included in the invitation, but soon she was pulled along by the somewhat excited Angelina:

“Let’s go join the fun; without my sister here, I act as her… representative.”

“Emilia, let’s chat alone later.”

Luviya suddenly turned and addressed the pointed-ear Elf Girl, who pointed at herself in surprise, then nodded in confusion.

Luviya intended to discuss the matter of the Chosen with her. Despite her lower ranking, she had to ensure everything was perfect with the purple-eyed girl. But the simple elf mistakenly thought Luviya had seen through her little thoughts, leading her to feel uneasy until their conversation on the second-floor terrace that evening.