Looking at Vasily, who had freed his hands and was writing a letter to Maria on Annan's desk, Annan emphasized again: "Remember to show it to me once you finish writing."
"I understand, Your Highness."
Old Vasili didn't raise his head, but answered him obediently.
Annan nodded, indicating that he heard it.
He leaned back slightly, leaning on the seat and thinking.
Annan just learned that Maria Lindong issued an order to Vasily:
"Get ready to go home, Vasily. In ten days, a cargo ship covered with blue canvas will arrive at Frozenwater Port. You can leave by boat."
After that, Vasily immediately asked Annan if he could disclose the news that he was here to Maria
Annan's answer was yes, but he had to know what Vasily was writing.
Vasily Manning readily agreed to the request.
While waiting for him to write a reply, Annan thought silently.
… Vasily Manning.
Annan did know the surname.
He also did meet his brother Merlin Manning.
But that's because Annan once saw him in Nightmare: The White Tower.
Merlin had participated in the first half of Michelangelo's ceremony. To be invited by Michelangelo, even if he is not the best wizard of the disabled school, he is basically the same.
Before his retirement, Merlin was a core member of the Hand of Winter and was even trusted by Maria.
Annan still remembered him... It was a thin, tall, taciturn old man.
Merlin's curse object is a silver tongue ring, and the location of the curse pattern is in the mouth. When the wizards clashed, his first reaction was to stand in front of Maria.
... But Annan also knew it in his heart.
Among the people who survived the White Tower ceremony... there must be no Merlin.
In other words, old Merlin should have died five years ago.
Let's do the math again... Basically, the time when Vasili was sent by Maria to enter the Kingdom of Noah was basically after the White Tower ceremony. His first duty was to observe the resurrection of Michelangelo...
… Yes.
Vasily's initial mission was just to "observe".
Although he accepted the employment of the Church of the Rotten Man, he was the one who released a large number of summoned creatures to destroy the ritual in the end. This level of intervention has obviously exceeded the level of "observation".
It can even be said that his behavior was somewhat contrary to Mary's order.
Maria only sent him alone, and gave him no help. Then her purpose must not be to "destroy the ceremony", but just to observe.
The purpose of dispatching Vasily is because he possesses sufficient mysterious knowledge. Can understand rituals.
At first, Annan didn't quite understand the contradiction.
But after learning that Merlin is Vasily's biological brother... Annan already understood everything.
… I see.
Did he blame Michelangelo for his brother's death
Although Vasily received Maria's mission and knew that this was the ascension ceremony of the gods, he still wanted to try it himself. Can it destroy this ceremony
That's why Vasily planned to die with "Don Juan Geraint" at the very beginning. If the direct descendants of the Geraint family die here, it will inevitably cause turmoil within the Kingdom of Noah.
This is his last ripple.
After seeing Annan and Cafney, he obviously realized something immediately. Only then did the idea of "Vassily using the big bang" be abandoned.
No wonder…
From the very beginning, Annan felt that something was wrong.
You must know that the extraordinary power of the ritual master comes entirely from mysterious knowledge.
What determines the strength of a ritual master is their logical analysis ability, adaptability, memory, experience, rationality, courage... and most importantly, money.
Here lies the crux of the problem.
The price of mysterious knowledge is not cheap.
Some ritual knowledge can directly give birth to ritual masters, so it is a forbidden book in most countries; and those knowledge about gods are themselves taboos that cannot be transmitted. Those knowledge have weight and cannot be memorized by mortal brains.
Even if you hear or see it, you can only use it once at most.
Those secret tomes that record mysterious knowledge are even less likely to be easily obtained by people without money.
Previously, Annan thought that this might be the reason for the rotten's direct sect... because there were too many summons. It's not like a vast amount of knowledge that a single person can grasp.
But it is.
This can only mean one thing.
Vasily's idiot apprentices, just don't realize...their teacher is definitely not some wild, down-and-out ritual master. It's an official from a certain country.
The "secret book" that has recorded taboo knowledge about the gods will not disappear in the future; it just needs to be replenished after being consumed. And the knowledge about the ceremony was collected by them in the forbidden library.
Whether it is King Noah or Duke Winter, as long as they are not stupid, they will definitely try to create a ritual master.
Why was Vasily able to learn so many kinds of forbidden knowledge
Why can he be trusted by Maria, lurking alone to other countries to perform missions related to the gods, lurking for five years
The answer is simple.
He and his brother are basically the same profession!
His older brother Merlin is a high-ranking member of the Hand of Winter, mainly responsible for eradicating dissident secret agents in the country; and Vasili himself can be ordered by Maria to carry out cross-border missions with a mission cycle that lasts for several years... It can only mean , Vasily is also an elite in espionage affairs.
After all, when transcendents enter and exit through underground passages, they must check the customs clearance documents and strictly verify their identities. This makes it impossible for them to carry out spy missions... But the words of ordinary people are too weak to fight against superhumans. Clerics with stable extraordinary power cannot be directly mobilized by the royal families of various countries.
The only one who can pass through the gray mist... is the ritual master.
So Annan finally understood another thing:
Why do you have to arrest the ritual master when you see it
Because every ritual master, no matter how strong or weak... may be a spy of another country.
"It's finished."
Vasily said softly.
Then he put the pen on the table, reached out and pushed the letter to Annan.
I saw it said:
"To the Storm and the Wolf:
"New information: I have met His Highness Annan, who has been missing for a long time. He is now in Noah, under the pseudonym Don Juan Geraint. He has completed the conjecture of the year, obtained the reverse inscription, and regained his feelings. But His Highness has become an extraordinary person, unable to return to the cold winter through the gray fog by boat.
"Also: His Highness Annan is now on good terms with His Highness 'Shadow Demon' Kafni, and has advanced Silver Knight status, so his identity may have been leaked;
"Ask, will I return to Winter in ten days' time as originally planned?"
Watching Annan's reply carefully, Vasili took the initiative to speak and asked Annan in a low voice: "Your Highness, the penultimate paragraph... Do you want to delete it?"
"… Need not."
Annan resolutely refused: "Just send it like this."
He believes that Maria needs to obtain more accurate information so that her actions will not be deviated. The information must be conveyed accurately enough.
And there's nothing to delete either...
Soon, Annan watched Vasily hold a simple sacrificial ceremony and "burn" the information to Maria.
After a while, Vasily looked up.
"I have received a reply, Your Highness."
Vasily said respectfully: "The return plan is cancelled.
"The 'Daughter of the Storm' ordered me to leave Noah to assist you. She will find a way to bring you back and ask me to pass a message to you. Don't try to cross the underground border on your own initiative, and wait quietly in Noah, Don't run around and don't come into contact with strangers again."
...but I can't stop running around.
Annan sighed deeply.
I'm going to the capital in three months... This is a task assigned by Sir Silver himself.
Annan reluctantly repeated the task and asked Vasily to pass it on to Maria.
...I always feel that Maria treats him like a child
Tell him to stay where he is and not to run around, not to talk to strangers... like talking to a lost child on a cell phone.
No, Annan's physical age seems to be that of a child...