Chapter 2354: "Night Banquet

Chapter 2354: Chapter 2354: "Night Banquet

The two diviners nodded together:

"Yes, there’s no doubt about that. The consciousness in the notebook is considered to be the owner of the notebook, ’Richard’, but further investigation on him hasn’t been very smooth.

Currently, it is known that [Richard’s Notes] originated in the mid-Fourth Era, its concealed indiscriminate killing ability makes it notorious. No one is completely just, Shard, no one.

Generally, it would be very difficult to deal with this relic, although one could investigate the identity of the victim to find out the current holder of the notebook, but once Richard occupies that body, he will unhesitatingly discard his existing identity."

"How strong is the ’Richard’ holding the notebook? Does he get stronger with more murders?"

"No, no."

Miss Belindel shook her head and looked at him worriedly:

"Richard, who is concealed within the notebook and controls its holder, is a diviner, and locating him itself is a very challenging task. What you’re doing now by constantly stopping him from killing is one way to draw him out. But there’s actually a faster method, which is to replace him in murdering his chosen sinner, he will appear to stop you."

"Why?"

The witch recounted the secret knowledge that can only be found within the [Witch Council]:

"It is not because you disrupted the fate he set for the sinner, this requires you to have a great sin yourself and use the most cruel means against the sinner. Richard will think you are unqualified to judge the sinner, and your sin is even greater, thus he will actively reveal himself to stop and terminate you, this is... a very cruel ritual."

Luviya continued:

"The death curse of his notebook is currently ineffective against you, so once you do this, the likelihood of him appearing is greater. But do not let him touch your body, not even through clothes, every time he touches you there will be an extremely difficult instant death check."

"I heard from Luviya that your instant death resistance is very high, but no one is completely immune to instant death abilities. We don’t know what exact means you have to deal with him, but remember, do not let him get close to you."

The Countess also expressed concern, Shard nodded again and frowned while looking at the teacup of black tea on the tea table in front of him:

"Obsessive justice can lead to irreparable tragedy. But actually from the initial mention of the Seventh Chosen, I already had doubts, what exactly is justice? Balance, death, darkness, space, earth, knowledge, these are objective existences, but justice is our subjective judgment."

Purple eyes gently looked at him:

"Do you remember, Shard, the characteristics of the Seventh Chosen are light and justice. If you cannot judge justice, then go and feel those stories and those actions, whether they let you feel brightness and warmth. Acts of justice will be like a ray of light, guiding people to a better direction forward, just like what you have been doing all along."

"Luviya, you don’t need to praise me like that."

Though that’s what he said, Shard’s face still showed a smile:

"There are other people present tonight, so I won’t take [Night Watchman], I’ll use [Angel’s Right Arm], I’m worried that ’Richard’ might not be judged as evil by the [Night Watchman]. Don’t wait for me for dinner, I don’t know when I’ll be back."

"I’ll have the maid prepare a midnight snack for you... Are you sure you don’t want to eat a bit before you go? You haven’t eaten since noon."

"No need, once this matter is settled, I can get another Dragon Scale, and that’s the most important."

With that, he handed the cat on his knee to Luviya:

"Please take care of it, I’ll come back to pick it up tonight."

He then kissed Luviya’s side face and also the Countess’s side face, before hurriedly heading to the basement.

The two diviners sat on the sofa, the Blonde Countess asked Luviya worriedly:

"Was he always like this before? Although I’ve heard you talk about his past, but what exactly is he in a hurry about?"

"Shard always has his own ideas, just like I said earlier, it’s his glimmer guiding us along the way."

Miss Belindel then teasingly looked at her colleague:

"You really have a deep relationship with him."

Luviya smiled and shook her head:

"Bella, if you want to deepen your relationship with Shard, the key isn’t to have more shared experiences or to go through life and death together. He is actually someone very understandable, you just have to understand the loneliness and fear in his heart, then you won’t have to worry about him running away from you... in this regard, Mia does quite well."

"Meow~"

Then the cat meowed.

The Countess nodded and pondered for a moment:

"Let’s go, let’s not be idle either. There’s still half an hour until dinner, let’s see what Shard needs before Hevy and Miss Eles return. After dinner, let’s continue studying those three dragon scales. If the total number of dragon scales is seven, then we should be able to find a better way to locate the other four based on the three we have."

Luviya nodded, and after the initial discomfort, Bella Belindel found that Luviya was actually a very easy-going person. She roughly understood why the witches who knew Shard before she did all held Luviya in high regard.

As for herself, though she occasionally felt a flutter in her heart when she saw those beautiful purple eyes, it did not prevent her from thinking that Luviya Annette was a very charismatic person.

The Treasure Bead within her shoulder was slightly warm, as if it wanted to tell her something. Just as in the past, the Witch of Fate was again impressed by the Lady of Time Destruction, but this time it wasn’t because of ability or charisma, but just because of the Outlander.

"What should we prepare for Shard’s supper?"

As the brown-haired and blonde-haired diviners left the room together, the latter was still worrying.

"Let Tifa prepare it, she knows Shard’s taste very well."

"Oh, you do trust Galina’s black-haired maid. Luviya, I’m not speaking ill of others behind their backs, and Miss Servit certainly doesn’t have any ill intentions, but you should be cautious of her."

"Why should I worry? Shouldn’t Galina be the one concerned?"

"That’s true."

Thus, the corridor was filled with a cheerful atmosphere, while far away in Northern Tobesk, the Duchess finished a day’s work and was riding in a carriage back to No. 6, Saint Delan Square. She suddenly sneezed and was puzzled, thinking that a High Rank Witch like her shouldn’t catch a cold.

Night, ten o’clock.

Though the March glimmer could not completely penetrate the dark mist shrouding Moon Bay City’s urban area, the serene moonlight still spread across the northern outskirts.

The Red Heart Orphanage, located on the hill, had its lights out at this moment, but in the granary in the rice field not far from the orphanage, faint light still shone under the moonlight.

The night wind was slightly cold, rustling the treetops and fallen leaves. Moon Bay was not particularly bright tonight, making the granary appear somewhat eerie.

Within the wind, one could hear singing coming from the granary, a woman’s voice, an ancient nursery rhyme warning children not to go out at night. In this slightly cold night, the sound drifting with the wind made the long night seem even more bizarre and strange.

Inside the granary, a golden-haired little girl lay on a stone table covered with bedding. Mrs. Jude, dressed in a splendid golden evening gown, with pearl ornaments in her hair and wearing blood-red high heels, sat at the edge of the table.

The dress’s bodice was stark white, and her carefully made-up face wore a gentle and joyful smile. This very high-class noble lady formed a stark contrast with the disordered hay and rustic farm tools piled up in the granary.

This was the special ritual sense of this Vampire Kind, twice a month, during the dark moments of the moon, she would come here alone to dress in her best clothes and enjoy a moment of leisure.

Sipping from her goblet of red wine, it was she who sang the ancient and eerie nursery rhyme. Her soft, smooth voice echoed within the granary, while the firelight from the old kerosene lamp on the table made the noble lady’s shadow on the wall tremble like a phantom monster.

Though some unpleasant things happened during the day, she didn’t want to be disturbed by such unseemly matters at this moment. This was her night alone, away from the city’s hustle and bustle, enjoying her meal in the most beautiful form. She couldn’t imagine a better thing than this.

The night wind seemed to grow stronger, making the leaves of the big tree in the granary yard rustle.

Mrs. Jude looked up through the small window above the granary to the three moons tonight, then smiled and lowered her head to look at the little girl lying asleep on the table, finally turning her gaze behind her.

The wooden door of the granary was originally ajar, but now a man with a longsword stood silently in the doorway. He faced the light from the kerosene lamp, his back to the moonlight outside. The serious expression on his handsome face made Mrs. Jude pause for a moment, then she stood up from beside the stone table, her skirt’s hem and sleeve’s ornamental tassels gently swaying:

"What, did Benhart send you to make me behave?"

Shard didn’t speak, but carried his longsword as he walked from the granary doorway inward. Black boots, black pants, and a white shirt with rolled-up sleeves—these were not the kind of clothes that should appear in a granary at night.

"You don’t really think I can’t beat you, do you?"

Mrs. Jude asked, her back to the table, as the wind from outside made her shadow on the wall tremble more violently:

"That day in the alley behind Cassandra Auction House in the city, I didn’t fight with you because I didn’t want to cause too much commotion. Plus, I didn’t have a Relic on me then. Do you really think I’m afraid of you?"

The expression on her face gradually became unpleasant, because Shard continued walking inward in silence. Even though he hadn’t made a move yet, his presence already made the noble lady in the evening gown a bit uneasy.

Thus, her face, full of makeup, quickly became sallow and shriveled, sharp teeth protruding from her mouth. She took a small step back in her high heels, and then her entire figure began to slowly fade, until she completely vanished from the kerosene lamp’s light.