After dinner, the rain still did not stop.
Joe Butran realized that he might have to spend the night here.
The dinner came to an end as an awkward atmosphere spread.
Joe Butran and others all knew that the owner's psychology had been distorted, so there was no need to dwell on the topics of desire and troubles with him.
"Thank you for your hospitality."
Joe Butran made a polite remark on behalf of everyone, and the owner of the house just waved his hand gently.
Seeing the owner of the house cleaning up the leftovers alone, Columbia volunteered to help clean up the dishes on the table.
At the same time, Columbia also found the certificate of honorary academician on the wall, so he pretended to ask questions during casual chat, trying to get some information that would be beneficial to everyone from the owner of the house.
As Columbia placed a bowl of soup in the sink, he asked,
"Mr. Owner, are you familiar with Miskatonic University?"
The homeowner's blue pupils contracted, he stopped washing, silently turned off the faucet, and turned to look at Columbia.
He threw the rag in his hand onto the table, and that action seemed to contain a hint of complicated emotions.
He pulled out a cigarette he had rolled himself from his pocket and put it under his nose to smell it.
The wrinkled cigarette paper has turned yellow, and it is obvious that this cigarette has been there for some time.
After hesitating for a while, the homeowner silently lit the cigarette and took a puff.
"It's very familiar. As long as I close my eyes, I seem to be back to that place that makes people fall in love easily."
He held the cigarette between his fingers, then took a kitchen knife from the knife rack behind him and played with it in his hand.
The sharp tip of the knife fiddled with his fingertips, but he didn't care at all about the possibility of getting cut.
When he stopped, a small piece of ash fell from the cigarette at his fingertips.
“For those who love knowledge, Miskatonic University is unparalleled.
The elites from all the world's top universities eventually flow to this place.
That is the real Academy City.
The vast collection of books contains unquantifiable knowledge and people's advanced ideas.
but..."
Before he finished speaking, the owner turned the kitchen knife over and stuck it into the table.
The sudden loud noise and movement scared Columbia so much that he couldn't help but shudder and took a small step back.
He mustered up his courage, looked the owner straight in the eye and asked,
"but?"
The homeowner put the cigarette holder to his lips and took a deep breath of the pungent smoke.
The spark spread in the tobacco, and it seemed that what was burning shorter and shorter was not only the cigarette, but also the remaining sanity of the owner.
“But knowledge will swallow up humans. Even the smartest humans will not evolve into a superior species if they have too much knowledge.
Miskatonic University is where dreams begin, but also where nightmares end.
Every day, people who lose their minds jump from the teaching building and become a pool of worthless flesh and blood.
Every day, fools who attempt to borrow ancient books from the forbidden library and summon evil gods are swallowed up by the ritual.
In the vast ocean of knowledge, the lone boat that human beings ride on can easily capsize.
If you are not careful, you will face a disaster."
It was the first time that Columbia heard such an argument. He was shocked and confused. Professor Robert stood up, walked behind Columbia and patted him gently on the shoulder.
“I didn’t know any of these people.
It is because we have the same goal that we are able to come together.
Mr. Homeowner, I believe you were once a wise man.
You must be able to understand the meaning of what you are saying now, but you should also understand that now that we have come this far, there is no turning back.
Everyone here has already prepared to be lost.
In the pursuit of truth and reality, sacrifice is inevitable.
This was true of Nicolaus Copernicus and so was Galileo Galilei.
What this world lacks most is martyrs on the road to truth."
After hearing this, the owner raised his head, his eyes filled with bloodshot red veins.
He looked at Professor Robert, his mouth open, but no words came out.
After a while, he whispered hoarsely,
"I once came to Arkham with ambition and enthusiasm just like you.
I completed my philosophy studies at Miskatonic University and even published my own paper and created a new school.
Along the way, I saw countless possibilities, but when I learned more, I realized that there was more that I didn’t know.
Endless, with no end.
After completing one topic, there are more.
When you find the answer to one of the questions, more and more mysteries often appear before your eyes.
These mysteries made me have endless doubts. What on earth am I doing
I quit my teaching career and settled here.
If you decide to go forward, I will not stop you.
The only advice I can give you is that you need to have firm faith in order to survive in that dark forest.
The rain will stop tomorrow. You can continue heading east and walk along the Miskatonic River in half a day to reach your destination.
I'm a little tired, everyone should go to bed early."
After saying that, the owner of the house put his hands on the table and stood up.
At that moment, his back looked not only lonely, but also helpless and sad.
Everyone understood that he was sober and rational at the moment, but this situation might not last long.
Perhaps after they left, the hospitable host would end his life with the kitchen knife that was still stuck on the table; or perhaps he would survive, and then his mind would be taken over by terrible madness, and his bloodthirsty desire would devour his mind.
What is wrong is not the travel book, nor the owner of the house, nor the vast ocean of knowledge, but the fragility of human beings themselves.
Joet Brown and his group were caught off guard that night, perhaps because they were moved by the words of the owner of the house, or perhaps they were just too tired.
Before going to bed, they all tacitly did not communicate with each other, but instead calmed themselves down.
The crowing of cocks in the early morning woke them up, and after opening their eyes, their expressions became more determined.
There were knocking sounds coming from the kitchen; the owner was preparing breakfast for everyone before they set out.
With a simple combination of hot goat milk and some cereals, the owner's mental state seems to be much more stable now.
The long period of loneliness and solitude was somewhat comforted by last night's dinner.
"Have a bite to eat, and then you should continue on your way.
If we set out right after we finish eating, you should be able to arrive before noon.
When you reach the Hanged Man's Hill and see the tombstones in the dense forest, it means you are almost there.
Walk from Riverside Street to the intersection of West Street and turn right. The building on the corner of Church Street is Miskatonic University.
I wish you all good luck and hope for the future.”
The owner of the house said softly.
Everyone quickly finished their warm breakfast and continued on their journey to Miskatonic University.
The owner stood in front of the door, watching the crowd gradually go away, and a smile appeared on his face.
——
"Your Majesty, William II, this will of yours will use up more than 30% of the silver in the treasury. Are you sure you want to do this?"
The Chancellor of the Exchequer looked at the warrant in his hand, which stated that the book would overturn the social system, and he worked overnight to prepare a carefully calculated and well-thought-out budget.
The number that came out was still so huge that even he couldn't accept it.
This is an act of squandering the wealth that all the kings since the founding of the country have fought hard to obtain, and this money may not be recovered once it is spent.
"Tsk, now the emperor's orders are no longer effective?"
Victoria, who was sitting behind the curtain, smacked her lips, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer was so frightened that he immediately broke out in a cold sweat.
The old finance minister immediately knelt on the ground, bent his spine, which was about to break, and answered respectfully,
"I cannot make such a decision. Your Majesty, please think twice."
"Don't think about it, just do it when you are asked to do it."
William II turned sideways, trying to hide the distorted right side of his body behind him, revealing the normal left side of his body and speaking.
His strange posture would make people who didn't know the situation laugh, but it was also a helpless act.
The physical disability caused by Erb's palsy has accompanied him for most of his life. Now that he sits on the throne, he must make some achievements to prove himself.
The will issued now is the first and most crucial step: conscription.
William II Victor did not want to be a mediocre emperor and leave a bad reputation in history. He was eager to prove that he could achieve something.
Perhaps history books would record his disability, but he hoped that future generations would be able to see everything he created, established, and surpassed during his time as emperor.
When he was young, other royal family members looked down on him because his ugliness was a natural deformity that was disgusting and unnatural.
He got used to the strange looks from others, but his inner psychology also began to develop abnormally.
When he sat on the throne, he longed to be looked at with respect by others, and even longed to accomplish great things to surpass the glory of his ancestors and wash away the shame of being the son of Frederick.
The inside story of Frederick's death in the palace is just a story that people have not told. Everyone knows that Frederick did not really die of throat cancer as announced to the outside world, but under Bismarck's reputation, Frederick did die of throat cancer.
And what Victoria had said to him before sounded the alarm for William II Victor.
To him, Bismarck was no longer the kind old man who always appeared with a smile and candies on his face, but a cold-blooded killer wearing a smiling mask.
Bismarck's image in Victor's heart plummeted. Victor even worried every night that Bismarck would lead his elite Third Army to kill him with the newly developed firearms of the Ministry of Science and Technology.
"I need strength, a strength that can protect myself."
When Victor woke up in the middle of the night, these words came to his mind, and conscription became a will in the hands of the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
When the Chancellor of Finance received the letter of will from the secret guard in the early morning, he was more than terrified. He even had the idea of leaving Germany with his family.
As a veteran who had also served the three emperors, the Chancellor of Finance knew Bismarck's power very well.
Old William and Bismarck were like brothers, and William placed the most important thing for a country - military power - in Bismarck's hands.
Victor's actions at this moment were like a slap in Bismarck's face.
Without having to ask Bismarck personally, the Chancellor of Finance knew that this letter of will definitely did not have his approval.
But his own life was at stake, so he had to calculate the budget for conscription even if he had to.
While preparing the budget overnight, the Chancellor also sent a copy of the budget to Bismarck's residence.
Not offending both sides is the way for the Chancellor of the Exchequer to survive in the cracks of officialdom.
Seeing that the Chancellor of Finance was about to be embarrassed at the morning meeting, Bismarck stood up.
Bismarck was still wearing the same military uniform, still standing tall and straight, still the iron-blooded chancellor in people's hearts, but the hair on his head had turned as white as snow.
The wrinkles on his face and the cracked skin testified to Bismarck's old age.
The only thing that remained unchanged was Bismarck's eyes, those oppressive eyes.
He looked at William II and the Chancellor of Finance who was kneeling on the ground, and said slowly,
"Your Majesty, why are you recruiting soldiers
Do you think that Bismarck's Third Army is incapable of protecting the country's territory
After the two major battles between Prussia and France and Prussia and Austria, our country was given a rare period of respite.
Could it be that Your Majesty is planning to declare war on another country in the near future
Your Majesty has just taken office, please think twice."
Bismarck's words diverted the attention of William II Victor to the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Although these words were said tactfully, Victor understood the suggestions and warnings contained therein as threats.
After hearing this, Victor couldn't help but clench his fists which were lying flat on the throne.
He widened his eyes and looked at the many courtiers standing in front of him and bowing their heads. He made up his mind and said loudly,
“From today, the Prussian Empire will expand its military.
The neighboring countries have resentment towards our country. The Third Army alone cannot deter the numerous small and medium-sized people. We need a stronger deterrent to defend our country.
Paul von Hindenburg was now appointed as the Prussian Imperial Military Marshal and was responsible for military expansion.
The new army was named the Royal William Marine Guard.
Whether it is the army or the navy that the Great Ying Empire excels in, we need corresponding military strength to counter possible wars in the future."
Victoria behind the curtain was stunned when she heard this, and then a smile appeared on her lips.
However, Victor's words caused a huge uproar in the court.
Bismarck clenched his fists, his eyes wide open, staring at Victor who breathed a sigh of relief after saying this.
"Your Majesty, no!"