Seeing that Xia De didn't answer, Old John didn't continue asking:
"But you also know that a few hundred pounds may sound like a lot, but it's actually just the entry level to forging an alchemical weapon. If you really do have a very powerful relic arrow, I still suggest, as I did last time, that you use your savings to buy yourself a truly powerful alchemical item."
Because relic weapons are often expensive and hard to find, most ring sorcerers who are proficient in the use of weapons use alchemical weapons. Old John's suggestion at this time was not to make money from Shade's gold pounds, but to give him real advice:
"Golden pounds are earned to be spent. Listen to me, young man. It is very cost-effective to make a crossbow that can be used for more than ten years with tens of thousands of pounds. Of course, it is even more cost-effective to let me help make it."
He smiled and said, Shade knew that what Father John said was right, but the problem was that he couldn't spend all his money at once:
"Expensive weapons certainly can't be made in a week like this one."
Shade put the small crossbow back into the box:
"But I might need that arrow soon, so I'll use this instead. As for the new crossbow... I'll think about it."
In fact, he wanted to gather enough money and materials to ask Father Augustus for help.
After the priest merged more of the wreckage of the angel of death, he also learned more knowledge. In the list of alchemical items he provided to Shade, there was one item called "Holy Angel Crossbow (Degraded Version)". Because Shade could buy cheap materials at Coldwater Port, and priest Augustus could give Shade a discount on the labor fee, the cost of the crossbow was reduced to more than 30,000 pounds.
Although the price at Father John's place is expensive, he can customize the functions of the crossbow; although the priest's place is cheaper, he can only make the crossbow have sacred attributes.
That's why Xia De had to think about it again. He felt short of money again.
After returning home, Shad hugged his cat, put on a cloak on a snowy day, and walked to the Prophet Association to wait for Luvia to get off work. The heavy snow made Mia particularly excited.
After dinner that day, the prophet who came to Saint Teresa Square No. 6 to exorcise demons carefully checked the physical condition of Shade after he merged with some of the Weeping Angels, and spent a wonderful night with Shade. Of course, Shade did not forget to meet the two witches the next day, which was Tuesday morning.
On Tuesday morning, the heavy snow that had lasted for almost two days finally stopped. Looking out the window, the whole city was silvery white. While having breakfast with Luvia, Shade mentioned to Miss Prophet that he was considering whether to cooperate with the witch in investment. Luvia did not give him any advice, but encouraged Shade to make his own decision.
The city was blocked by heavy snow, and even the coachman's asking price was much higher than usual. Shade first sent Sir Prissy's itinerary and invitation letter to the doctor's clinic, and then took a carriage to the outside of the city. Because the road was quite difficult to walk on, he did not arrive at Miss Carina's manor until 9:30 in the morning.
At this time, the manor also turned silver-white, but this made this luxurious manor look even more beautiful.
The two witches were already in the warm study, sipping black tea and waiting for Xia De.
When Tifa led Shad into the room, Miss Carina was looking through the "Secret of Immortality" which was originally borrowed by Princess Margaret from the Sexes Higher Medical College. Because this book recorded fragments of poems and was a relic of the Witch Emperors, it was "taken for herself" by Miss Sylvia and is now public property of the parliament.
As for Miss Sylvia, she was reading a sweater knitting magazine at the moment.
After Xia De sat down, he first complained about the bad weather, and then talked about business with the two ladies:
"I've already got the pyroxene from the mischievous boy, and with the one from Jack the Thief, I now have two."
"See, I knew you would get involved in the Chosen One's affairs for some unknown reason."
The Duchess put down the book and smiled, looking at Miss Sylvia, then said:
"The matter of pyroxene is not important now. The Speaker used time to go back and restored another fragment of a poem from an ancient stone carving. There are two new pieces of information."
She pointed her finger at Shade:
"The island in the middle of the lake where the chosen ones of knowledge and wisdom hold ceremonies is not in Tobesk, but in a certain area in the middle of the Old World."
Miss Sylvia at the side waved her finger, and bright blue light formed a topographic map of the Old World above the coffee table in front of the three people.
Not long ago, Luvia said that the ceremony would not be held in Tobesk, but further south, so Shade immediately pointed to the map:
“Wouldn’t it be the Pantanal area?”
"Why would you think that? But it makes sense."
Miss Carina thought:
"Also, I think you should already know that when the Chosen Ceremony is held, everyone within the coverage area of the ceremony will receive an enlightenment of wisdom."
"Yes, I know about that."
"But this enlightenment seems to be more powerful than we originally understood. It makes sense to believe that the real purpose of Miss Pavo from the Truth Society this time is enlightenment. The Truth Society seems to be planning to conduct some kind of large-scale experiment, but it is missing key information."
The witch frowned slightly:
"There is also the Apna Library. They did so many things behind the back of the church for enlightenment. They are looking for a hidden ancient library with many books. The books there are worth their betrayal of the church."
Shad thought of last Monday, when he and Luvia were at the Three Cats Inn and saw the ring sorcerers from the Truth Society, the Apna Library, and the Pantanal Voodoo Society appear at the same time:
“It is highly likely that the final location will be in the Pantanal.”
He whispered, and Miss Carina nodded, looking quite convinced of Shade's judgment. Miss Sylvia didn't understand why she was so convinced, after all, Shade didn't give a specific reason.
"Emma, if the Council wants to travel thousands of miles and have three or more Great Witches appear in the center of the Pantanal region, do you have a solution?"
Miss Carina asked, and Miss Sylvia thought for a moment:
"At least we need to determine the exact location and give me a location. The Pantanal is quite large. If we don't know the exact location, instead of using space power, why don't we just fly there? At least we'll have a wider view."
Miss Carina thought for a moment and asked Xiang Xiade:
"Shad, what are you going to do then?"
"I'm still trying to make some decisions. The chosen one this time... the Pantanal Voodoo Society is plotting something. I hope it has nothing to do with the evil in the Pantanal."
Miss Carina smiled and shook her head:
"Since it is possible that Pantanal is involved, the possibility that it is not related to the evil creature in the subspace is very small. The rituals performed by the Chosen One have never been smooth sailing. If no unexpected power appears, then how will the Chosen One go through the test?"
"Shad, speaking of which, do you have any clues about the Bard's Trial?"
Miss Sylvia also asked that she was at the opera house that night to rescue Princess Margaret, so she also heard the bard's poems.
"The yellow moon. I don't know what it means exactly."
Xia De shook his head. Although he was good at finding things, he had no idea where to start if there was no clue.
"When the weather clears up, I plan to hold a ceremony at night and use my core spirit runes to resonate and see if there is any power of the same origin."
This "resonance ritual" can be considered a basic ritual, but since it often resonates with dangerous things, there is no need for ring sorcerers not to use it:
"I hope we can find a way."
"It's a pity that the chosen one this time is still a man. Otherwise, once we find five pyroxenes, we might be able to win over a lady like Sister Defulin."
The witch sighed.
After the incident with Sister Defulin, the Parliament also knew that there was a candidate mechanism for the Chosen Ones. However, the Parliament had no way to find the Chosen Ones who were ranked lower, nor did they have enough confidence to kill the Chosen Ones who were blessed by fate, so all they could do was wait.
The road was not easy to walk in the heavy snow. Miss Carina knew that Shade's only plan in the afternoon was to go to Midhill Castle, so she kept Shade to have lunch. So Shade had lunch with the two witches for the first time in a long time. Miss Sylvia did not talk to Miss Carina about investment, but she and Miss Carina were concerned about Shade's year-end exam week in a few weeks.
Xia De was very confident about this matter. Although skipping a grade meant that he had to read more than 30 more books, compared to the busy exam week in the summer, this time, under the doctor's thoughtful urging, he started "reviewing" more than a month in advance.
During the short week of living with Dorothy, he also received help from the writer and Her Royal Highness the Princess for courses that required not only recitation but also comprehension, such as the reconstruction of basic rituals and pharmacological analysis of intermediate potions.
He did not take any elective courses this winter, so he only needed to pass the required courses. The question now was not whether he could pass them, but how many points he could get.
After lunch, the two witches entered the parliament to contact the speaker, and the Duchess did not forget to send a carriage to send Shade back to the city. After returning home, Shade first made sure that Mia ate the cat food he left for her at noon, and then went from the basement to Midhill Castle, and from the abandoned tower in the mountains to the Blind House in the city.
At two o'clock in the afternoon, he and Sister Defulyn, the chosen one of death and the keeper of the First Flame, passed through the oil painting in the basement of the Snake Heart Hospital in Midhill Castle and came to the sacrificial site on the top of the Rommel Mountains.
The snow in the mountains is even harder to melt, and the ancient sacrificial sites are also covered in silver in deep winter.