Ark, after I died, the operators started to love me.

It would be too late to complete the formalities once you reached the Terra Joint Investigation Association on the edge of Sami.

Mike planned to purchase a batch of exploration equipment and supplies in advance, just in case.

Given the recent events, Sami will inevitably have many investigation teams.

17. Good things will happen at the Star Pole.

"...The constellation position of Casimir is different from that of Columbia and Ursus."

Holding a pen, Blue Liboli wrote diligently in his notebook. After a period of stargazing, he drew a brand new star chart based on his knowledge of astrology.

However, as the outcome unfolded, the girl, Li Boli, stopped what she was doing in disappointment.

As expected, it completely contradicted any of the possibilities previously derived. Or rather, it was precisely because it didn't conform that it wasn't surprising; she already knew the outcome.

If the results are the same, then there's a big problem.

Okay, that's all for today's work. There are other things to do next.

"Little bird, have you gotten the result you wanted?"

A slightly amused voice came from outside. Blue Liboli looked up and saw a face he didn't really want to see.

Feathered Serpent, or Horhaeya.

“Miss Horhaya, I have a name, or you can call me by my code name.”

“Miss Xingji, don’t take it to heart. I’m concerned about you. Even though you’re on vacation, you’re spending most of your time watching the celestial phenomena. The positions of those constellations have already been determined by others, and the conclusion is that there is no pattern. Don’t you understand what that means?”

Of course, Miss Li Boli understood, but understanding didn't mean she didn't need to work hard.

She had learned the family's art of stargazing, and although she was not very good at it and was scolded by her parents, she still wanted to gain more recognition through her own abilities.

The problem is that since contracting Oripathy, her stargazing ability has plummeted, and the stars in the night sky have become blurry and indistinct, even less so than her sister's.

Xingji emphasized, "Miss Horhaya, this is my freedom."

"Alright, alright, your freedom is granted. Standing before you is one of Columbia's top historians. If you have any questions, perhaps I can answer them."

Horhaia was not exaggerating; she truly was one of the few historians who dedicated the limited time of her life to learning as much as possible, which is truly admirable.

At first, Astro Blade held a certain awe for Feathered Serpent, considering him a respectable and important figure. However, after they met on Rhodes Island, Feathered Serpent's mystique gradually faded, and Astro Blade secretly concluded that Horhyth was just an ordinary person, someone with a mysterious background and limited strength compared to the average person.

She was also a sorcerer.

On Rhodes Island, casters are naturally overshadowed by Eyjafjalla.

As we all know, each operator has a job category, and Horhyah is a tragic example of a job-related tragedy.

Thinking of this, Xingji couldn't help but chuckle, but considering her image, she gently covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing any longer.

Holhaia's senses were incredibly sharp; she noticed it the moment Xingji laughed for the first time.

"what are you laughing at?"

"I'm thinking about something very happy."

The feathered serpent said sternly, "Miss Liberi, don't go too far. Don't forget you're also a Liberi."

Speaking of the Liberi race, Xingji recalled something else.

“I heard that some busybodies in Lateran have organized an organization called the Liberi Protection Association. They have not only gone crazy in Lateran, but have even spread to faraway Colombia, and even Casimir has not been spared.”

Holhaia asked warily, "What are you trying to say?"

"I mean they'll probably use the opportunity of the Knights Tournament held in the Great Knight Territory to continue promoting the organization and elect this year's leader."

"You don't want to become a bird, do you? I don't think that's a good thing."

"Of course not. What I mean is, Miss Horhyah, given your circumstances, they are very likely to have their eyes on you."

"How can this be?"

Feathered Serpent dismissed Aster's conclusion, but the next second she seemed to realize something.

This land is not lacking in madmen, nor in people who enjoy themselves. In addition, Lateran itself has a group of very cheerful guys, so it is possible that the information about the bird will spread far and wide.

"Are you trying to tell me to keep a low profile for a while?"

Xingji let out a long sigh of relief: "As expected of Miss Horhaya, she found a solution to the problem so quickly."

Faced with Xingji's praise, Horhaya was taken aback: "I always feel like you're targeting me."

"No, no, of course not."

"I heard your sister stayed in Trimont. You two are so far apart, can you still sense each other?"

Xingji has a younger sister named Xingyuan, who is a very lively and cheerful girl. When they were very young, about 10 years ago, they forgot to bring their house keys, so they climbed over the wall to enter the house, but unfortunately, they were discovered by their father.

In Xingji's eyes, it was inevitable that Xingyuan would be discovered. When she was working on the wall, she accidentally broke a potted plant on the fence, which was their mother's favorite.

After what happened, Xingyuan's outcome was naturally not good, but it was two people who suffered that night.

The two sisters can sense each other's emotional changes, inner thoughts, or even pain.

This characteristic has become a major concern for Xingji, as it is how she developed her infected symptoms, which cannot be explained by current medical technology.

The good news is that this connection will gradually fade as the distance between them increases, and eventually disappear completely, as long as they no longer get close to each other.

Xingji knew that this was only a temporary solution; she couldn't possibly be separated from her sister for so many years, and gradually she got used to this connection.

Upon hearing Horhaya mention it, Xingji looked at the crystal ball in front of him and said thoughtfully, "When I was observing the stars, I was told that something good would happen today, but I don't understand what it means."

Upon hearing Xingji's description, Horhaya asked curiously, "What kind of good things can happen in Kazimierz? Can you guess the dead man's lottery? I did buy two tickets, but I don't think it will happen to me."

"I don't know. The astrology is in complete chaos, and even divination cannot provide an accurate result."

Just as Blue Liberi was lost in thought, someone knocked on the door, and a gray-haired man peeked in.

"Excuse me, is anyone here?"

"Of course."

Holhaya turned her head to look outside.

Although they are on vacation, occasionally experiencing a day or two of daily work during their vacation can be considered a way to adjust their state.

At that moment, Mike, who was standing at the door looking inside, saw Feathered Serpent appear in front of him and felt completely overwhelmed, even stopping his breathing for a moment.

What's wrong with him today? Why is his luck so bad? It's one thing to run into Platinum Lord and Flametail Knight on the road, but to come all the way to Columbia's office, he actually runs into this feathered serpent.

Now an even bigger problem is facing Mike.

18. Horhaya's vigilance

He couldn't just run away in front of Horhaya; he still had to get things done, so he could only pray he wouldn't be discovered.

Holhaa noticed that Mike's expression was off, and recalling Xingji's unusual state in the room, she asked with concern, "Sir, what's wrong? You look terrible. Would you like to sit here and rest for a bit? I can make you a cup of coffee, which might make you feel better."

Mike was shocked. Back in Rhodes Island, this fat snake had never been so polite to him. Why was she like this today... No, that's not how it was. Although Horhys's tone was polite, there was a sense of rejection and alienation between her words.

"Oh, it's nothing. I ran into some competitive knights participating in the Knights Tournament on my way here. Their movements were so frightening that they startled me. I'll be fine in a bit."

"Is that so? Okay, feel free to let me know if you need anything."

Mike quickly got down to business and continued, "I heard that the United Investigation Association of Columbia is exploring the Sami region. I'm planning to go there to explore and uncover its unknown secrets."

Before the man could finish speaking, Holhaya had already guessed his purpose: "Sir, are you here to apply for temporary membership in the Investigation Association?"

Yes, that's basically it.

Holhaya shook her head: "I may not be able to help you, but there is someone who can."

As soon as she finished speaking, Xingji came out from the inner room.

Blue Liboli and Mike share the same impression: melancholic, not good at expressing themselves, and their interpersonal relationships are predictably poor.

The good news is that when they were on Rhodes Island, Mike had a lot of contact with Astro and knew that this girl had a code name called Little Alarm Clock, and that she would come to wake him up at the same time every day.

“Sir, the staff member who is temporarily handling documents is on leave, so I'm here to take his place. This is my work permit.”

Xingji, who was inside the room, naturally heard the conversation outside. She temporarily put aside her doubts about the starry sky and began to help Mike solve the problem.

"So this person..."

"Mike, my name is Mike."

"Mr. Mike, why did you choose to enter the North when winter is coming? According to the usual investigation process, the easiest time should be in the summer, when the temperature in the North can be maintained above zero degrees Celsius."

“There are advantages to doing it that way, but it doesn’t meet my requirements. I’m very interested in the North in winter, where there is silence and life is almost gone, yet the fruits of human wisdom still exist.”

Mike had initially intended to describe it as a mansion, but as he thought about it, he started to feel something was off.

Why say so much? Besides, a mansion in the freezing cold just doesn't seem right, does it?

Just then, Xingji finished her work and handed a form to Mike.

"Please read the terms carefully and sign in the designated place. We still have time to discuss this further. I must say, going to the North now is not the right decision."

Mike took the form and asked in surprise, "Is there some inside information?"

He asked casually, not expecting an answer.

If there were inside information, why would it be passed on to such a small place?

Even if the Great Knight Territory faces the sudden increase in population of the four-city alliance, no one will know until it begins to spread on a large scale. But by then, can it still be considered inside information?

Mike completely ignored Astro's professional competence. He noticed that Horhyth was staring at him intently, only turning her gaze away when the man looked up.

Such an obvious move naturally did not escape Mike's eyes. He did not intend to be watched like an animal and immediately began to target the feathered serpent.

"Miss, you've been looking at me for so long, do you think there's something on my face?"

"No."

"Then why are you staring at me like that?"

"It's nothing." Holhaya shook her head and didn't continue the conversation.

A strange thought crossed the Quetzalcoatl's mind: the short-haired man before him seemed to have ulterior motives.

He resembled someone, but Horhaya dared not say who that person was, even though he was already dead.

"Miss Horhaya, please do not disturb our guests." Xingji noticed this and immediately stopped them.