"The middle-aged man knew that he should not have any connection with anyone, but this place was remote, so he had to choose to send the girl back to her hometown. He was determined not to have any connection with the girl and deliberately kept a distance along the way. The noble girl saw the man's indifference. Fortunately, although she no longer had a servant, she still had a cat and a dog to keep her company.
They walked a long way together, the middle-aged man silently accompanied the girl, and defeated one enemy after another. The relationship between the two people, under the reflection of the bonfire every night, under the coldness of falling leaves and drifting snow, and in the sounds of dogs and cats, finally underwent a wonderful change. But no one said what they thought, and they returned to the hometown of the noble girl. "
"I'm already waiting for another tragedy. Who died this time? How did they die? What role did the devil play?"
Shade asked, laying out three cards on the table:
"Flower 7, Moon 7, Sun 3, 17 points, no risk this time. I'm suspending my trading."
"You should have taken the risk."
Mr. Sean Asmon showed his Moon 4, Sun 12 and Flower 2, which is 18 o'clock.
Xia De shook his head and started the last round of the game:
"Let's continue with the story. I hope I guessed the ending wrong."
"The middle-aged man who was guarding the demon alone and the noble girl both hid their feelings. They did not express their feelings until they parted at the end. The middle-aged man accepted the lord's reward and left quietly. After a long time, in another season of falling leaves, he should have continued his journey, but he returned to the city. As for the reason for coming back..."
The man on the other side of the candle did not speak.
“I knew tragedy was coming.”
Shade said, taking a look at the card after drawing it, and then moving on to the third card.
The demonologist shook his finger:
"He did not find the young girl, and the people in the city could not tell her whereabouts. So he found the cat and the dog that had accompanied them all the way, violated the rules he had set for himself, and used the power of the devil to give the cat and the dog wisdom, spirituality and strength. The cat and the dog then told the middle-aged man the final outcome of their former master: in the second month after returning home, she was burned at the stake by the lord and dedicated to an unknown existence."
The rain falling from the second-floor terrace of the flower shop really formed a curtain, and the sound of the rain stopped all other noises in this night.
Xia De said "tsk~" and looked at his hand:
"This is really... Please continue."
He put the third card down and then turned over the first card: Sun 1, Flower 12, Star 7, a total of 20 points.
The storyteller demonologist also put down all his cards, Moon 5, Star 10, Sun 11 Tragic Opera: The Wedding at Lehman Manor.
The two players' six cards were displayed on the table, and Mr. Sean Asmon took out a coin and prepared to toss it. But before that, he put an end to the story:
"The middle-aged man learned the truth, and with the help of the cat and the dog, he killed the lord's family, and through a deal, he asked the unknown great being to return the girl's soul, and sent her to the place where she should go after death. The middle-aged man continued his journey, and he would witness many, many stories with the original demon in his long life. But this time he had companions, the wise cat and dog, who were willing to accompany him through his life on behalf of the master who could not express his feelings."
The demonologist said softly:
"I guess heads."
He tossed the 1 ore coin up, letting it fall on the back of his hand and covering it with his other hand. During this process, his eyes were fixed on Shade on the other side of the candle:
"Of course, behind them, the city that lost its protection fell into raging fire and protracted plague. But this has nothing to do with our story. After all, in the era long, long ago when the story took place, there were really many such things."
Xia De didn't care much about the city:
"This story is very interesting. Your previous stories are all closely related to that terrifying demon. Even if it doesn't appear, it will affect the direction of the story in other ways. But I noticed that this time the demon's power was just borrowed. Even without it, the middle-aged man's story would still be true... So, this story came out under the guidance of that demon?"
Mr. Sean Asmon took away his hand covering the coin and looked down:
"I guessed wrong. It seems I lost to you again."
He shook his head and did not answer the question. He handed the copy of The Sun 11 Tragedy Opera - The Wedding at Lehman Manor to Shad, who took out his wallet and gave him the agreed 40 pounds.
"Or maybe this story is just trying to illustrate that the wickedness of human hearts and the evil of demons are not that different?"
"Mr. Watson, I am just a storyteller. It is not my responsibility to decide how to interpret the story."
The scholar in robes put the banknotes in his notebook:
"As for whether people are good or evil, that is a question for sociologists and psychologists. This is just a story I know. I'm telling it to you so that you can have fun from it, and it's worth our idle chat in the rain tonight."
Xia De nodded:
"You're right. It's enough for the story to be interesting. As for what we can learn from it, that's not important."
He also turned to look at the continuous rain, which was likely to continue for a long time:
"Mr. Asmon, you said you wanted to see the Devil's Island? I think you don't have the chance. The relationship between the two countries is delicate now. My acquaintances in the army said that Delarion tried to station troops on the island in the middle of Green Lake to seize a favorable position on the waterway. Although Green Lake has not been blocked yet, ordinary people like us may not be able to go deep into that water easily."
Sean Asmon shook his head again:
"It doesn't matter. There are still many stories in this ancient city waiting for me to learn, and there are many people waiting to consult me about those strange stories of ancient demons. It's actually okay not to go to that island. You know, although I have studied their legends and stories, I have always hated to be involved in anything related to them."
Of course Shad still remembered it. After all, he first met this scholar in Coldwater Harbor. It was for this reason that the other party was willing to sell Bishop, the Demon Soul Stealer of Moon 9, to him.
The rain was getting heavier, and neither of them had any intention of leaving, so they chatted for a few more words across the candle:
"Is there anything else interesting in Green Lake City? To be honest, I've been here for a while, but all I've heard are urban legends like 'endless alleys', 'crossroads with disordered space', and 'doors connecting to the distance'."
Shade said, and the demonologist stretched out his pale finger under the candlelight and pointed to the Duin River across the street:
"There have been rumors in the past two days that treasure has appeared in the river. Whether it is Green Lake City upstream or Glass City downstream, people have encountered similar things. But those who chased the treasure to the source of the river have never returned."
"I heard other guests mention this at the hotel where I live... It is said that an ancient tomb further upstream collapsed during a heavy rain, causing the burial objects to flow out. But even if it is true, what are the chances of actually finding the treasure?"
He looked towards the dark river in the night rain. The lights had not yet appeared, so the boat coming to pick him up should still be on the way.
“It’s still possible.”
The demonologist said, and Shade looked at him in surprise:
"Did you pick it up? Gems? Gold and silver jewelry? Or gold and silver cups?"
"It was a mirror inlaid with gemstones. I sold it to the pawn shop. Together with the Rhodes card I just sold you, it's enough money for the next trip."
He speaks in a very distinctive way, his slow and measured manner is quite charming:
"But, Mr. Watson, I would not advise you to try your luck. Now that more and more people know about this, conflicts have begun to arise among those who have gathered on the shore to try to salvage the 'treasure'. The people of Delarion and the people of Carsenric, the locals and the outsiders, the city dwellers and the country folk, the nearby citizens and the poor in the slums, the believers and the pagans, the men and the women... The treasure that appeared in this rainy spring is simply a trap set by the devil to induce chaos."
He shook his finger.
"Although the negotiations are temporarily over, the assassination of the princess and the duchess is definitely not the end of the conflict. Even on this rainy night, I can still smell the smell of gunpowder."
As he spoke, he relaxed the five fingers of his right hand and raised it in front of him in a claw shape, and really sniffed gently:
“But the smell is really fascinating.”
Xia De knew that the adjectives used by the scholar on the other side might sometimes be inappropriate, but as long as the other party was mentally normal, it was fine.
The two chatted for a few words, and the rain seemed to be a little lighter. So Mr. Sean Asmon stood up and picked up the umbrella standing beside him. Shade also stood up to see him off:
"I always meet you in different cities. I am really looking forward to where I will meet you next time and what new surprises the devil story will bring me."
The sallow-faced man grinned and waved his hand:
"Then let us look forward to our next unexpected meeting. Goodbye, Mr. Watson."
With a bang, the black umbrella opened, and he walked into the rain, holding his notebook. He didn't walk in a straight line, but swayed from side to side like a drunk. At the same time, Xia De heard his whistle again.
Even in the sound of the rain, the sound was quite penetrating. It seemed to be a country folk song from somewhere, not like Delarion or Carsonrick. However, although the tune was normal, the whistle that was getting farther and farther away seemed a little weird and eerie in the rain.