After reading that story, Xia De finally understood a little:
"Your current mother is your stepmother?"
He returned the book to the little girl, who nodded with her lips pursed, but did not explain further. Xia De could naturally guess the general story, but as an outsider, he could not say much:
"Thank you for answering my question. Now, do you want to see me perform magic?"
As Xia De spoke, he stood up. When the little girl looked up at him curiously, he reached into his pocket and quickly took out a red apple.
"Look, I conjured up an apple!"
"I know! The apple was in your pocket!"
The girl said with a smile.
"You guessed it, so it belongs to you."
Xia De then handed the apple to the girl on the bed, who took it and thanked him softly. When Xia De was about to leave, she asked again:
"Sir, do you think that the prince in the story who can change the girl's life really exists?"
This is not an easy question to answer. Xia De thought for a while before asking:
"So, do you believe that fairies who turn girls into princesses are real?"
The girl shook her head without hesitation:
"Of course not. If fairy tales were true, she would have been punished long ago."
The girl did not explain who "she" was referring to, and Shade did not ask. He smiled and praised:
"You are very clever. So if fairies don't exist, why do princes exist?"
Before the girl could speak, Shade continued:
"I know you don't want to ask about the prince, but you want to know if someone will take you away from this home in the future."
The girl looked at Shade with wide eyes, and Shade continued:
"Of course, just like your mother met your father. Maybe I shouldn't say this, but if you really meet this person, the standard you use to judge whether he is good or bad should not be based on the prince's 'rich and handsome', but on the fairy godmother's."
"What kind of person is a fairy godmother? Can she perform magic? But isn't that a bit too much to ask?"
The girl asked in some confusion, and Xia De laughed:
"No, no, no, it's not that demanding. When she sees a weak person, she's willing to lend a hand and be honest. She promised to help the poor girl, and she really fulfilled the girl's wish."
Said and waved his hand, this time Xia De really wanted to leave:
"Of course, in addition to these, there is the most important point."
"What is the most important thing?"
The girl looked up at him, and Xia De said seriously:
"The prince's favorite is the Cinderella who is dressed in gorgeous clothes, riding in a pumpkin carriage and wearing crystal shoes; while the fairy's favorite is Cinderella who is not outstanding in appearance but is hardworking and simple."
The girl blinked and suddenly laughed. She also waved goodbye to Xia De and watched Xia De leave from the stairs.
Before Shad found Miss Danister that morning, he unexpectedly heard the gossip that Margaret was coming to visit the patient. And finding Miss Danister was easier than he thought. He wandered around the street where the Sun Church was located, but he did not dare to enter the Sun Church directly. Instead, he looked at the busy interior of the church more than 100 meters away from the magnificent Sun Church, and then turned into a small alley.
This alley is right next to the church, so although it is as narrow as most alleys in the city, it is not dirty at all. Shade's original intention was to check out the street behind the church, but as soon as he walked into the alley, he saw Miss Danister and two high-ranking professors walking towards him, whispering something.
At that moment, Xia De wanted to retreat, but when he thought of the big-tailed dragon girl who was still waiting for him to return to the Eternal Night City in the previous era, he walked forward firmly.
At this time, Xia De was in a disguised state with witch's eye shadow. In this state, people who were close to Xia De and familiar with her still saw Xia De's face, while people who were slightly unfamiliar with her saw a different appearance.
When the two sides met in the alley, Shad looked up at Miss Danister, and the thirteen-ring sorceress just glanced at him and nodded slightly, as if greeting a stranger, and then passed by Shad with the two professors.
Xia De continued to walk forward, and after reaching the exit at the other end of the alley, he did not leave. Instead, he turned back into the alley and stopped under a notice posted by the church.
The notice was a notice about the distribution of relief food in winter, and it was dated November, 1853. The general idea of the notice was that the weather was getting colder and the first snow was coming, so the weekend relief food distribution time of the Church of the Sun was extended from 6:00 to 7:00 to 7:30. At the same time, the poor who received relief food in winter could pick up some expired newspapers if they needed them.
These old newspapers are not taken home to be burned for heating, but are stuffed into clothes for warmth. Beggars on the street use this method to maintain body temperature in winter.
"What are you looking at?"
The voice came from behind him. Xia De looked up at the wheat ears on the notice, the huge sun pattern at the top, and the cat-shaped pattern in the corner, and sighed softly:
"Looking back to the past. Before I became a ring wizard, I was so poor that I had to go to the church to get relief food to survive."
"Once" refers to about eight hours, because on his way home that night, he came across Old John's pawn shop and discovered that he still had some property.
"Oh, you still have this experience? Is it the time after awakening?"
The woman's voice asked with a smile. Shade turned around and saw the Thirteen Rings Sorceress standing behind him:
"Good morning, Miss Danister."
"Good morning, Shad."
The beautiful red-haired lady shook her head slightly:
"I find myself not at all curious about your sudden appearance in Randall Valley."
Xia De had some experience in observing ladies' moods, so he knew that the smile on her face was real.
"I've actually been here for a while. This time I want to ask you something, so I came to see you."
"I hope you didn't take such a risk to meet me in the Randall Valley to ask about the role of narcissus root in making 'cough water'."
She continued to smile as she spoke, and like Shade just now, she also looked up at the yellowed notice:
"We have to admit that the stability of the material world in the Sixth Era is thanks to the Orthodox Church. Although the Witch Emperors in the Fifth Era also played a similar role, they not only took responsibility, but were also happy to have greater power. Relatively speaking, the Orthodox Church in the Sixth Era is much better."
Xia De nodded:
"That's why the Five Gods can become the most orthodox belief today. Maybe the high-end combat power of the Five Gods Church cannot defeat the Witch Emperors of the Fifth Era, but their dedication is comparable... ... Do you have something to do in the morning? Why don't I make an appointment and visit you again."
"So Shad, do you have anything to do this morning?"
Miss Danister asked instead, not wanting to inquire how Shade ended up here.
"fine."
"Well, come with me to the church. Your disguise is very good now, I will cast another illusion on you. Stay with me and no one will ask about your identity. Since you are here, I will take you to see the situation here. It is also the duty of a teacher to take his students to see the world."
The two high-ranking professors were waiting for them outside the alley. Just as Miss Danister said, the professors did not even think of asking who Shade was. It was as if he had followed them here from the beginning.
The group's destination was the Church of the Sun which Shade had not entered just now. In order to show respect for the Thirteenth Ring Warlock, the current local Thirteenth Ring Warlock of the Church of the Sun, Mr. Pierre Granger, the "Earth Shaker", went to the door to greet them.
Mr. Granger was obviously acquainted with Miss Danister. When they were introduced, Shade realized that the gray-haired old gentleman who came with Miss Danister was Professor Lemar of the Seminary, and the thin lady who looked to be in her forties was Professor Mason of the School of Ancient Literature.
When introducing Shade, Miss Danister simply said that he was her assistant, so the people from the Church of the Sun who came to greet him did not ask any further questions.
Mr. Pierre Granger accompanied a group of people into the church, passed the main hall, and entered the corridor on the right. Then he went up the stairs until he came to the tower on the right side of the church which was not open to ordinary believers.
In the room on the top floor of the side tower that can be seen from most locations in the city, the group saw the clay chalice suspended above a stone altar. This chalice was very familiar to Shade, it was the "Sweet Holy Grail" used by the witch to make the "Universal Earth Elixir".
At this time, the holy grail was filled with clear liquid, and as the altar below, which was rich in miracle elements, emitted a thick, earthy luster, the liquid in the holy grail dripped down from the mouth of the cup drop by drop.
On the surface of the altar, there is a circular groove. Every drop of falling liquid will enter the groove, then flow along the groove to the edge of the altar, and then be collected from the small opening.
"That's it."
Mr. Pierre Granger introduced him. This gentleman looked about the same age as Earl Granger, but he was taller and more muscular:
"This is currently the most effective method of curing the petrification plague. In fact, if all the liquid in this holy grail is used, it is enough to cure any petrified patient who is not in a dead state. Even if they have directly touched the filth of the earth, they can be cured. But in order to save more people, we can only use the divine ritual of the church to catalyze the effect of the elixir, dilute it and then distribute it."