"This is for you."
Halfway through the candlelight dinner, Tifa came to Shade's side holding a small box as the witch spoke. It was a wooden box painted red. After opening it, there were two depressions in the soft lining for placing items. In one of them, there was a white stone crystal that Shade was very familiar with.
"When Luvia Anat came to me to talk about the Chosen One, she asked me to help you acquire the White Stone Crystal."
The witch said with a smile, taking a sip of red wine elegantly. The seductive blush on her face was unclear whether it was the effect of alcohol or the makeup.
As for another depression in the box, there was a gray irregular stone. Although the shape was irregular, each surface was very smooth. When Shade took it out, he realized that it was a flint.
Although matches already exist in today's era, flint is still a commonly used fire-making tool in civilian homes. However, because it is easily oxidized, it needs to be soaked in kerosene to preserve it.
"I detect the whispering element."
Shad said.
"But this is not a relic, but a relic derivative. It is a sage-level relic housed by the Witch Council - the cowhide backpack of the traveling witch. Every once in a while, you can take out a travel item from it. These items are disposable and can bring luck for a short period of time after use. It's a pity that they can't be used frequently."
The witch held the red wine glass and said to Shade with a smile:
"This is a very good relic. As long as it is contained in the Council, its negative properties can be almost completely suppressed. Take this, Shade, and I hope you will not mention anything like paying me again."
Laughter was heard from the darkness behind Xia De. I wonder which maid couldn't hold back her laughter.
He nodded and put the white stone crystal and the flint back into the lining. After closing the lid, Tifa took it away from the dining table.
Mia lowered her head to eat dinner. Shade did not touch the knife and fork. Instead, he held his left hand with his right hand and placed it on the table. He looked at Miss Carina at the other end of the table:
"May I make a small suggestion for tonight's candlelight dinner?"
"certainly."
The witch raised her eyebrows, wondering where she had failed in her hospitality.
"Next time, can we sit together instead of at the two ends of the long table? Now I can only 'touch' you with my eyes."
He looked at the lady on the other side of the long table. The Duchess smiled brightly:
"Knight, you are really impatient, but no problem, next time we can sit across from each other on the long side. But you have to promise not to take my shoes away at will when we eat."
After dinner, Xia De went to the study and talked with the witch about the problems he had encountered recently in his studies. He also mentioned the sublimated language spirit runes "guidance", "ultimate" and "direction" that he planned to obtain when he reached the sixth ring.
At nine o'clock in the evening, after finishing a new round of conversation, Carina put down the book in her hand and suggested to Xia De:
"This is such a boring night. Do you want to play hide-and-seek?"
"What?"
Shad raised his eyebrows, the witch looked at Tifa with a smile, and the black-haired maid "took" the sleeping cat from Shad's arms.
"I'll give you ten minutes. If you can't find me, you lose. Count down a hundred numbers and then come find me."
He stood up and left the study, not forgetting to close the door. Shad looked at Tifa and Mia, the former smiled with her lips pursed, and the latter looked at Shad innocently.
"Can you give me some hints?"
Xia De asked, and the black-haired maid nodded:
"Of course, but just like last time, I need to be paid."
She smiled gently, and after a passionate kiss with Shad, Shad wanted to count down, but was pushed by Tifa:
"Do you really want to count to a hundred? There's no need to be so rule-abiding. Go ahead."
She pulled Xia De to stand up, and then asked Xia De to leave the study:
"What you did here with Her Highness Leicia and Miss Louisa made the young lady very angry. You must behave well tonight."
The stranger who left the study soon saw the witch's abandoned coat on the red carpet.
Continuing to walk forward, he saw the left high-heeled shoe and the amethyst hair accessory that the witch was wearing tonight on the carpet, and was then led up the stairs by another high-heeled shoe and the lost ring.
The belt and earrings found at the landing on the third floor made Shad turn left from the landing, and then he saw private women's clothing in the corridor.
"It seems that at least I save the time of taking off my clothes."
After picking up the clothes, Shade thought to himself, and then pushed open the half-closed door of the master bedroom, through which a red light was visible. On the bed covered by gauze, Carina Cavendish was waiting for the knight to arrive.
(Little Mia is running...)
Although he stayed at the witch's manor, Shade still returned home before nine o'clock on Monday morning. Today is the seventh day of the Sowing Month, and the tree father's ban on the use of the time key for a month will be lifted tonight. After all, the last time the time key was used was on the early morning of Thursday, the eighth day of the Windy Month.
After not using the key for a month, Xia De really missed it.
Because it was Monday, Shad did not forget to get this week's gift from God's gift box after returning home. I don't know if it was because he touched the flint yesterday, but what Shad took out from the box that morning was also flint.
But it was no ordinary item. The flint itself was embedded in a cylindrical metal that was easy to hold. The metal column could be retracted by pressing, so that the flint could be immersed in the kerosene inside the cylinder when not in use. When you wanted to use it, you just had to press the side button and push it gently to push the flint out.
The surface of the metal cylinder has fine carvings to increase friction, making it look like a work of art rather than a daily necessity. Apart from the need to regularly replace the kerosene, this ordinary item has no drawbacks. Although it is not a relic, Xia De is still very satisfied with this "gift".
As for this week's task, it was to use this flint instead of matches when cooking. This was not difficult for Shade. If he had not already had breakfast at the Carina Manor, he would have wanted to try out the effectiveness of this flint. The stranger had played with many matches, but rarely with flint.
Don't you think it's a bit childish
“Is playing with fire childish?”
Xia De asked in his heart.
Luvia arrived at Saint Teresa's Square at 10 o'clock in the morning. She seemed to have known that Shade would be at home at this time. She opened the door with her key and motioned for Shade to sit down and talk:
"We have found out. Based on the fragments of poems in their possession, the movements of the Mirror Association in the past ten years, and the abnormal spatial phenomena in the material world in recent times, the Five Gods Church has confirmed the seven cities where the Sixth Chosen One - the Chosen One of Space - may appear."
The purple-eyed girl opened the notebook and handed it to Shade:
"Tobesk, the pearl of the north; Green Lake, the ancient city by the lake; Mikaela Blast Furnace, the city of glass; Navia Islands, the islands on the west coast; Artek, the art capital of the north; Nainahan, the desert and adventure city of Carsenrick; White Swan Castle, the principality of fairy tales and poetry."
"I'm actually curious about why each city has its own title."
Shade whispered, but Luvia ignored this meaningless topic:
"Due to insufficient clues, the church is currently unable to determine where the chosen one will appear."
As she spoke, she took out the only two remaining demon gold coins from her pocket:
"I can't directly perform divination on the Chosen One, but now the location is limited to these seven. I can simulate the location of the lake and tell you where you can meet the Chosen One. This can also be regarded as an enhancement after my promotion to the Sixth Ring."
“Will two coins be enough?”
Shad asked.
"One is enough. I don't need an exact answer, I just need a range."
As she spoke, Luvia closed her eyes and launched the gold coin into the sky. After the coin reached the highest point, traces of rust appeared clearly on the surface of the coin, and continued to intensify during the fall, until the coin scattered into a pile of dust in the air.
Luvia opened her eyes, then fell towards Shade, who quickly supported her.
“It’s still a bit reluctant.”
The purple-eyed girl said, resting in Shade's arms for a long time before sitting up straight:
"There is a result. The city in the middle of the Old World is on the border of strife and war."
This is a clear indication:
"Green Lake City and Michaela Blast Furnace City?"
"Yes, this is a backward old city and an industrial city that is thriving because of the glass industry. It is also the city where the negotiations between the two countries will soon begin."
Shade smiled:
"It just so happens that I want to continue to look for Count Lewis of Carsonrick to express my goodwill. And there are things I want to know about the two Mr. Foren. I will prepare first and learn about the situation of the two cities in advance, and then set off tomorrow, Tuesday."
Luvia nodded and sighed softly:
“It’s about to start again.”
"It all started when you invited me last summer night. At least so far, we've been doing pretty well."
Xia De said with a smile, and then asked softly:
"Speaking of which, tonight... um... can I invite you to stay overnight?"
The girl, who was originally a little depressed, was shocked. Xia De rarely took the initiative to invite girls to stay overnight:
"Dorothy is coming tonight? What do you want to..."
She looked at Xia De suspiciously.
"Of course not. It's just you tonight, Luvia. Who do you take me for?"
Xia De shook his head hurriedly:
"I just wanted to hug you tonight."
In fact, it was because the black time key was going to be used tonight. Shad guessed that after using the key, the long-haired Luvia might appear and talk to him about the past events.
This is not considered deceiving Luvia. After all, the Luvia with long hair and the Luvia that Shad is hugging at this moment are the same person.