The inn room was brightly lit, and Xia De could clearly see that the center of the emblem was a rectangle, above which was a pointed hat, and on the pointed hat, a face was outlined with three lines:
“What is this?”
Miss Annette explained quickly:
“New clues from the doctor. Didn't the doctor spend last week collecting information? Since someone knows the location of the ruins, naturally someone has entered there. This is a pattern found in the ruins. I couldn't find out what it was specifically, but I didn't expect Iluna to recognize it.”
Miss Bei Ya Si smiled reservedly and explained to Xia De:
“I just thought of it while waiting for you. This is the holy emblem of the Old God, The Innocent Creator, who has already fallen. In the basic Knowledge training for Ring術士 of the Orthodox Church, identifying the holy emblems of Old Gods is an important examination subject. This deity is not well-known, so even though I scored ninety-one out of a hundred, I only just thought of it.”
The young girl's last sentence seemed to be praising herself.
“Old God... The Innocent Creator?”
Xia De looked at the holy emblem, and a scene of that deity suddenly jumping out and saying “surprise” appeared in his mind:
“It's not surprising. So, that underground ruin is...”
“Left by his followers.”
Miss Annette said with certainty, motioning for Xia De to pull up a chair and sit down first:
“This Old God fell in the early fifth epoch, but his followers only completely disappeared in the sixth epoch. They firmly believed that the God would return. Just as Iluna said, there are very few records about this God. He was not powerful, and his followers were not keen on proselytizing. Judging from the time point, Iluna and I both believe that the underground ruins of Tobesk are very likely to be left by the last group of followers of the Old God, The Innocent Creator.”
Xia De nodded, and Miss Bei Ya Si added from the side:
“In other words, inside the ruins, besides that sage-level relic, it is very likely that most of the property and all the secrets mastered by a vanished Old God cult are hidden.”
Xia De turned his head to look in the direction of Knock Printing Factory in the night outside the window:
“What else could there be?”
“That's hard to say. It's time to go now.”
After Xia De checked the pocket watches for the two ladies one last time, the three of them briefly reviewed the action plan and precautions, then burned all the notes and materials in the room before leaving the inn.
The street where Knock Printing Factory was located was called Malton Market Street, and after a day of rain, the street was full of mud. It was already night, and with the mist rising back onto the streets, tonight didn't seem like a good time to go out.
Miss Annette, wearing a long dress and glasses, looking tired, appeared on the street. She hurried to the printing factory, but since it was after business hours, the iron gate of the factory yard was already closed.
After a few gentle knocks, a small window opened on the iron gate, and a man stood behind the door impatiently:
“Who is it? We're closed.”
“I'm Alina Fick. I ordered a batch of business cards from you a few days ago.”
The tired woman with short brown hair said, with impatience in her tone as well:
“Can I get that batch of business cards now? I know you're closed, but I need them urgently.”
The man looking out from behind the door showed an unhappy expression but still nodded:
“Yes, madam, please wait a moment.”
Saying that, he turned and walked towards the tallest building in the yard, which was the office building of Knock Printing Factory.
He didn't close the small window on the iron gate when he left, which gave Miss Annette a chance to look inside.
Confirming that the situation in the yard was the same as during the daytime reconnaissance, Miss Annette took something out of her handbag and held it in her palm.
And the man who went to get the printed materials quickly returned with a cardboard box. The small window on the iron gate couldn't let the cardboard box pass through, so he also carried a string of keys.
After opening the door, Miss Annette did not immediately take the cardboard box. She looked down at the muddy ground, so the man also lowered his head, holding the box. The gas streetlights on this street were not very bright, and there was little light in the printing factory yard:
“Is there something on the ground?”
The man asked in confusion.
“Nothing.”
As Miss Annette spoke, she suddenly stretched out her hand and slapped the item she was holding in her palm onto the man's forehead:
“Miracle - Mind Puppet!”
On the paper she held, ancient runes were outlined in bright red ink. The runes were slapped onto the man's forehead by Miss Annette, and the moment the Miracle took effect, a red, eerie light flickered, as if directly etched onto the man's head.
The man's eyes widened, wanting to shout, but at this moment, those lights appeared in his pupils, and then what was reflected in his eyes was no longer the woman in front of him, but the rune on his forehead.
His expression became dull:
“Madam, this is your goods.”
“Thank you, put it on this clean ground. Someone will come to pick me up later.”
Miss Annette said, and the man did as he was told. After they politely greeted each other, he re-locked the iron gate from the inside and walked normally towards the building where only the second floor was lit.
Soon, Xia De, wearing a black overcoat, also appeared here. He shook hands with Miss Annette, pretending to exchange a few pleasantries, then bent down to pick up the cardboard box, and then walked with her down the street into the distance.
“Very smooth.”
After they were far enough away, they turned into a narrow alley without streetlights.
Miss Annette immediately closed her eyes, and Miss Bei Ya Si, who was waiting for them there, supported her.
The female Diviner held a wooden puppet tied with white string. The puppet was crudely made, not even as big as a palm, and the red rune on its head was flickering:
“The target is a Ring術士. I can only control him for twenty minutes, after which he will Sleep... ”
Her eyeballs rotated continuously under her closed eyelids, and her voice was very low:
“The Silver-Eyed One doesn't even trust most people within his own organization, so not many people know this address. After the Mercury Blood organization broke into pieces and hid in the City, the manpower here was also reduced.
There should be 7 people on night watch here tonight, four of whom are Ring術士... I saw two night watchmen on the first floor... He's struggling, trying to break free from control, no problem, no abnormality detected, but his head might have problems later, but that's none of my business...
The situation on the second floor, no problem, there are only two rooms with lights on, one of which is a Ring術士. I'm saying hello to them, then the third floor... I can't go to the third floor, he's scared, the person living on the third floor must have done something to him.”
Miss Annette closed her eyes tightly and furrowed her brows. After a long while, she opened her eyes, and when she exhaled a long breath, her forehead was already covered in sweat:
“No problem, I told him to return to the first floor and tell the other two that he needs to rest for a while.”
“Are you sure he won't wake up?”
Miss Bei Ya Si asked, still supporting Miss Annette, but the latter seemed to have recovered. She showed them the puppet in her hand whose head was almost torn off:
“He definitely won't wake up within three days. If he wakes up after three days, he will be a fool and won't remember my face.”
“Have you determined the locations of the Four Ring 術士?”
Xia De also asked, and the three of them walked together deeper into the alley.
“The Four Ring is now ‘asleep’, the one on the second floor should be a Three Ring or Four Ring, currently reading a knight novel. I didn't go up to the third floor, judging from his emotional reaction, he should be a very strong Ring術士. I haven't seen the other one, but according to the doctor's information, he should be guarding the excavated relic door in the basement. The level of that person is completely unknown.”
“That's already very good. It's impossible to know everything at once.”
Xia De nodded, the first step of the operation was smooth.
He took out the relic 【Bordeaux Candle】 from his pocket:
“Let's enter the printing factory.”
“Are you sure you want to use this candle now? My spell, combined with alchemical items, can also achieve invisibility.”
Miss Bei Ya Si asked in a low voice. Tonight, the young girl was wearing a fitted white shirt with bell sleeves, a row of dark gold buttons on the chest, a cinched waist, and lace patterns decorating the collar and hem. She wore relatively fashionable black women's trousers for this era, as trousers were more convenient for movement than skirts.
Her long hair was tied up with a hair tie and coiled at the back of her head, revealing both ears, making her look exceptionally capable.
Xia De nodded:
“Use it now. This relic is a consumable, but it shouldn't be cherished too much because of that. Tonight's goal is to make you The Chosen, whatever the cost is worth it.”
The three continued to walk deeper into the alley. Led by Miss Annette, they kept choosing 岔路口 and finally arrived at the alley outside the east side of the printing factory wall.
After Xia De and Miss Bei Ya Si stepped back a bit, Miss Annette carefully tossed a coin. After confirming heads or tails under the faint Moonlight, she nodded to the two behind her:
“The Diviner shows that it's safe to act now.”
Xia De chanted a spell and dropped the frog leg in his hand, then held the candle and narrowed his eyes slightly, and the flame immediately lit the candle wick. He disappeared from the sight of Miss Bei Ya Si and Miss Annette, and the two ladies quietly waited under the wall.
Five seconds later, Xia De extinguished the candle's light with his hand and appeared at the base of the wall:
“No problem, I just jumped up and looked into the yard. No one is walking inside, but be careful of those hounds.”
“Use this.”
Miss Bei Ya Si took out a small cloth bag and had the others sprinkle the powder inside on themselves. The powder inside was also an alchemical product that could temporarily block scents and was standard material for Orthodox Church Ring術士.
Xia De held the re-lit candle, and Miss Annette and Miss Bei Ya Si firmly held his arms, one on each side:
“Get ready!”
He bent slightly, took a deep breath, and leaped up. The weight of the two ladies dragged him down, but they still rose into the air and then lightly flipped over the wall, landing steadily in the yard.
As soon as their feet touched the ground, something invisible, like wind, suddenly leaped up from the ground. And Miss Annette immediately gently shook the silver bracelet on her wrist:
“Stop!”
She reprimanded, and so the security measures set up in the yard were deactivated by the effect of the borrowed relic.
The use of the relic extinguished the candle in Xia De's hand, but he immediately re-lit the candle, without attracting any attention during this time.
“Quick~”
Miss Annette urged, pulling Xia De's clothes with Miss Bei Ya Si, and Xia De led them through the yard and into the mansion.
Above, the silver, red, and yellow moons were gradually being obscured by drifting dark clouds. Tonight, for Xia De, was a sleepless night.