Hearing the footsteps coming from the basement, the three people in the living room upstairs immediately stood up.
Soon, Shade appeared from the stairs with a serious face. It was already six o'clock in the evening. Outside the living room window, St. Teresa's Square was shrouded in the autumn sunset, but Shade had no time to appreciate the beauty of the sunset.
Hugging the cat that ran over happily, Shade motioned for everyone to sit down and talk:
"I did get to Fort Midhill."
Shad was very direct in his words, and he hadn't been back all afternoon. In fact, the doctor, Dorothy, and Luvia almost knew that this would be the result.
The four people sat on the sofa and listened to Shade's story about his trip today. The nuns of the Blind House had said not to mention them to others, so Shade concealed the identity of the ring wizard who helped him, but no one cared about such details.
"Level 0 relic?"
Everyone present knew this concept, and therefore was even more afraid of this power.
"Doctor, this is just a guess by the local ringmaster, but it's hard to say if it's actually true."
"Even if it's not unknowable, the narrow space between life and death is definitely not a simple place."
Luvia frowned:
“What should we do next?”
Regardless of whether it is an unknowable-level relic, it is not something they can solve.
"I will go to see a high-level sorcerer living in Tobesk. She may have some ideas."
Both Luvia and Dorothy knew he was referring to Lady Carina, and since this was about saving Father Augustus, Dorothy said nothing.
"Then I will go back and try to find out the progress of the college's investigation. If they don't know about this, I will think of some ways to pass on the information reasonably. Xia De, you are really quick."
The doctor sighed.
"My friend still has some influence in Midhill Castle. I'll contact him again. The next operation in Midhill Castle may require the support of secular forces."
Dorothy said, and Shad nodded. If he could have the cooperation of the police or even the army in a strange city, his next actions would be much easier.
He was just curious about how Lecia still had power in Midhill Castle.
"Level 0 relic... I'll try to see if the Prophet's Association has any relevant records."
Luvia closed her eyes:
"I hope the priest can hold on until our help arrives, or the academy can come up with a solution."
Xia De tried to comfort her:
"My sorcerer friends at Midhill Castle are very generous. They opened up some secret information about missing people to me. Based on past experience, a low-level sorcerer like Priest Augustus can probably stay at the border for a week. If he still can't get out after a week..."
He pursed his lips and didn't continue.
Although the four of them were gathered together, no one was in the mood to suggest going out for dinner together. So, they agreed to meet up again at Xia De's place tomorrow afternoon, and then each of them left separately.
After dinner, Xia De, who was very worried, took Mia to wait for the carriage parked downstairs of his house.
It wasn't Miss Carina who came, but the carriage was coming to take Shad to the Duchess's estate in the suburbs.
Xia De was worried, and when the carriage started, he realized that he had forgotten to leave Mia at home. But he didn't want to waste any more time, so he hugged the cat and continued thinking.
Mia, however, was very dissatisfied with this unexpected trip. Rather than traveling with Shad, she preferred to wait for Shad to come back home.
"Look who's here? Isn't this the King of Rhodes from 1853?"
As soon as I walked into the study of the manor, I heard the witch say teasingly.
She was sitting on the sofa, holding a closed small book with a red hard cover. If Shade was not mistaken, the title of the book seemed to be "The Art of Power".
"Shad, you're really busy. You just finished the Big City Players and haven't even collected all the prizes yet. Why are you interested in Midhill Castle?"
The witch waved her hand, and the maids in the room went to prepare tea. Tifa stood behind Miss Carina and nodded to Shade with a smile.
"I've encountered some very troublesome things."
Shade said in distress, then sat down with Mia in his arms. Because he wanted to rescue Father Augustus, he explained the current problem in as much detail as possible.
Miss Carina had no expression on her face while listening to Shade's story. After he finished speaking, she hesitated for a moment before asking:
"The edge of life and death, the last area before death...Shad, are you sure you really want to get involved in this? I don't need to tell you, you know how dangerous this is."
"Pastor Augustus is my friend. I can't just ignore him."
Xia De answered with certainty, and the witch shook her head:
"I knew you would say that, so let's talk about the so-called 'boundary between life and death'. I think your current knowledge is not enough to describe it. How to describe it... This is not a real place, and there is no definite space to regulate the living and the dead. But because the living always believe that there should be a boundary between death and life, this kind of place exists, do you understand?"
Xia De, holding the cat, thought for a moment:
"I think so."
"It's not just Midhill Castle. In fact, similar phenomena can occur all over the world, but Midhill Castle is the most serious one. But fortunately, a long time ago, even more distant than the Fifth Era, the extraordinary people in the material world sealed those strange edges of death, or the edges of life, all over the world. Even after the passage of time and the change of eras, and even the one under the Xikar Mountain has become a relic, the seal still exists."
"If the seal exists, why would there be an exit suddenly opened in Midhill Castle?"
"I don't know the reason, but I know that with the advent of the Sixth Epoch, similar seals have become increasingly unstable. The material world has not changed much, so perhaps death itself has changed."
The witch replied, and Shad frowned in thought, unable to understand what "Death has changed" meant.
"In addition to basic knowledge, I can also provide you with some more practical help, but you have to pay for it yourself."
"I still have..."
"No, that's not what I meant. Do you think I need those coins in your pocket?"
She laughed as the maids brought teacups for the two of them and even prepared food for the cat in Shade's arms. The "arrogant" cat did not leave Shade immediately, but waited until the maids left before jumping onto the tea table.
Xia De ignored it:
"So what you mean is..."
"There lives a great witch in Midhill Castle. Yes, a great witch. She is Ms. Zina Cassandra, who is ranked twelfth among the thirteen seats in the council. She is 184 years old and looks to be in her fifties. Although she only has ten rings, she is good at demonology and knowledge of alien creatures. She is also the oldest among the existing great witches."
This means that Lady Cassandra was the first among the existing great witches to join the Witch Council.
"We usually call her 'Granny Cassandra'. During the Darkness incident some time ago, most of the information the Council had about the Human Pus Demon was provided by her. But unlike Xivi, Xivi and I have been good friends for a long time, so even if you are exposed to her, I can protect you. But I can't say what Granny Cassandra's attitude towards you is."
"Cassandra?"
Xia De thought about it:
"I wonder where I've heard that name... Oh, I've seen it on a lamppost!"
"Cassandra Auction House specializes in antique and artwork auctions. You should know Ford Auction House in the center of Tobesk, right? That is one of the local branches of Cassandra Auction House. It can be regarded as one of the largest auction houses in the world. Moreover, unlike Xiwei who inherited her family's business, Grandma Cassandra has earned everything through her own efforts. She has a good teacher..."
The witch's golden eyes stared at Shade:
"Shad, for various reasons, I can't go to Midhill Castle to help you. So if you want to get effective help from the locals, Granny Cassandra is the best choice, but it is also a risky choice. No matter what, I will find a way to test Granny Cassandra's attitude towards your existence. If you want to meet her, I can write you a letter of introduction and tell her in the parliament in advance. It's best not to reveal that you can enter and leave the parliament."
"What does that lady Cassandra think of men?"
Shade asked curiously, scratching Mia's chin.
"Witches have basically the same attitude towards men, but their underlying reasons are different. Xiwei really likes pretty girls and thinks the witch curse is a reasonable price to pay for power. I am..."
She glanced at Tifa:
"Granny Cassandra was already very old when I joined the Council. I couldn't possibly ask her such a question, but apparently we are the Handkerchief Lovers' Society."
She said with a smile, and Shade nodded to show that he understood:
"Besides asking this great witch for help, is there any organization in Midhill Castle that can provide me with support?"
"In addition to the witch, you can also seek help from the spiritual sect."
Xia De promised to keep the secret, so he didn't reveal anything about the "Blind House" just now.
"The Spiritual Order has a base in Midhill Castle?"
He pretended to know nothing and wanted Miss Carina to tell him about the "House of the Blind".
"It's not just a base, the headquarters of the spiritual order is in Midhill Castle."
Miss Carina shook her finger and said, Shade raised his eyebrows. Although he was a little surprised, he could understand why Ms. Michelle of the Blind House did not mention this. After all, he was just a strange ring wizard whose identity and origin were unknown. Even if he gained some trust because of Priest Augustus, it was obviously impossible for the other party to fully trust him immediately.