When evil gods hold a meeting in my head

Richard pushed open the door to the lounge.

The corridor was still so quiet... He folded the sketch paper that Naan Sanho had given him, put it in his inner pocket, and walked towards the stairwell.

As we descended to the first floor, the sounds of people gradually filled the air. There weren't as many visitors as in the morning, but there were still many new faces who had come specifically to hear the afternoon's guided tour!

Richard looked around and found Rosalie after walking a few steps.

He reached out and patted the other person on the shoulder: "I'm here!"

Rosalie turned to look at him, a hint of delight on her face. Richard smiled back, and as he tried to make a joke, he noticed a small trinket she was holding in her hand… a brass monocle, the lens about the size of a thumb, with a fine anti-slip groove around the edge, and a thin chain attached to it.

Rosalie noticed Richard's curiosity and held the magnifying glass up to his eyes: "You got it at the service area, it's free!"

Richard took it and looked at it: "Free?"

"Yes, the gallery provided them, saying it would help visitors see the details." Rosalie then pulled another one out of her pocket, exactly the same. "I took two, this one is especially for you."

"How did you know I would come back?" Richard asked.

"Didn't you say you'd be back after picking up the parrot?" Rosalie blinked. "Even though I didn't see you with the parrot..."

She paused, then lowered her voice: "Edmund won't give it to you? Do you want my help...?"

"No, Edmund said we have to wait a little longer because the parrot still has a fever." Richard put the magnifying glass into his pocket.

Rosalie clicked her tongue as if she understood, and didn't ask any further questions. She turned around and pointed to the center of the hall: "The guided tour of the paintings is about to start. Look over there, there are more and more people."

Richard followed her gaze.

Dozens of people had gathered in front of the painting "The Wingless Bird," even more than in the morning.

In fact, guided tours are usually conducted by Naansanho's artists or assistants, but sometimes Naansanho himself will participate...

Some people in the crowd were talking in hushed tones, some were holding cameras, and a few were holding sketchbooks, as if waiting for an opportunity to ask for autographs.

"Let's go get a good spot," Rosalie tugged at his sleeve. "Don't run off this time."

Richard was pulled forward by her.

As he walked past the painting of the harbor at night, he listlessly pulled out a piece of sketch paper from his pocket and unfolded it.

There was a mouse drawn on the paper, with simple lines that outlined its shape in just a few strokes, and nothing in the blank space next to it.

Richard stared at the paper for a few seconds, thinking, "It's not like I don't know what a mouse looks like. Why did she give me a sketch of a mouse... It's so vivid it's almost disgusting."

Then, with his eyes wearing a monocle, he saw something that shouldn't have been there.

Some arrows!

Eleven arrows extend from all directions on the paper, each connected by a thin, white dotted line. These lines are so fine, as if drawn with very light ink, that they meander across the paper, reaching its edge, and then… continuing on!

Richard raised his head.

The dotted lines climbed out of the paper, suspended in mid-air, passed through the crowd, through the display cases, and extended in different directions in the hall.

Some pointed to the corner, some to behind the pillar, and some to the shadows near the ceiling.

Moreover, it seems that only Richard can see these dotted lines.

Because... he realized that Rosalie was standing right next to him, and a dotted line passed right in front of her, but she didn't react at all!

He held the magnifying glass up to his eyes and looked through the lens. The dotted lines were still there, but not as clear as before, and sometimes they were not there at all.

"This thing..." he murmured.

[Naansanho imbued the paper with a touch of spirituality. In the extraordinary world, usually only a select few with considerable talent can see or hear spiritual guidance.]

It seems Richard has a pretty good understanding.

It sounds like a compliment, but somehow it doesn't feel like a compliment...

Speaking of spirituality, Richard suddenly recalled the scene when he first created the ring. He received spiritual guidance as soon as he put it on, and immediately understood how to use it. This showed that he did possess a certain talent.

But these dotted lines are too blurry...

He was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly thought of something. He snapped his fingers with his recently recovered but quickly depleted magic, causing the mist to seep into his skin: "You are a focused person, someone who can often see through the extraordinary!"

In just a moment, his eyes became clear, and his focus increased significantly!

The dotted line will no longer be as erratic as before!

"Very good..." Richard laid the sketch paper flat, making sure the arrow was pointing in the right direction. "Sister Rosalie, let's go look at the painting over there. It's too crowded here!"

"sure."

Rosalie followed Richard toward the nearest dotted line.

The dotted line cuts through the crowd, around a booth, and finally stops in the shadow of a pillar.

Richard crouched down and looked into the depths of the shadows.

A mouse was curled up there! Its fur was grayish-black, its tail was thin and long, it was huddled into a small ball, its eyes were closed, and its chest was rising and falling slightly.

It's sleeping... Richard took a charcoal pencil out of his pocket and drew a stroke on the sketch paper.

"First result found!"

After he drew that stroke, the dotted line unique to this mouse actually solidified! It looked like it wouldn't dissipate anytime soon...

In this way, once she has found all the rats and returned the sketch paper to Naansanho, she can easily send someone to dispose of them!

This is so convenient...

Richard stood up and walked back to Rosalie's side as if nothing had happened.

"What are you looking for?" Rosalie asked.

"No, I just found a picture frame over there that looked interesting, so I went over and touched it," Richard said casually.

Rosalie gave him a suspicious look: "Don't touch it. Didn't you see the 'Do Not Touch' sign?"

"yes……"

Richard coughed and pointed to the other side: "Let's get out of here quickly, or we'll get yelled at!"

The second dotted line points to the corner on the other side of the hall.

There were several spare easels piled up there, covered with white cloth.

Richard pulled Rosalie over and let her admire the painting alone, while he lifted a corner of the white cloth, revealing a mouse hiding by the easel leg at the very back.

"The second stroke."

Then, the third dotted line points behind the pedestal of a huge sculpture... the fourth dotted line points behind the frame of a landscape painting...

Article 5...

Richard weaved through the crowd, following the dotted lines one by one, drawing a line on the paper each time he found one.

Rosalie initially followed him, but later couldn't keep up, so she simply stood in front of "The Wingless Bird" to reserve a spot, waving at him from afar: "Hurry up, the guided tour is about to start!"

Richard waved his hand at her: "Okay, coming right away!"

……

Second floor lounge.

Naan Sanhod stood by the window, holding a cup of cold tea. The door was pushed open, and Edmund walked in, his white coat stained with dark red stains.

"It's all taken care of," he said.

Naan Sanho nodded.

Edmund walked to the table and saw the blank sketch paper and charcoal pencil still in their place. He paused. "The student agreed?"

"Agreed." Naansanho said without turning around. "I'm looking for rats."

Edmund frowned. "Can he find it?"

"I added eleven dotted lines to the paper he was given. People without spiritual talent can't see those dotted lines. So whether he can find it or not depends on himself."

Naansanho looked at Edmund and continued slowly, "But judging from his appearance, he can probably see. He's been searching for almost twenty minutes now. There are so many people downstairs, yet he managed to search down each street without losing them, being discovered, or causing a commotion. It seems this student is more capable than you think."

"Tch...that doesn't change the fact that he likes to fall behind on rent."

……

Lobby.

When Richard found the sixth mouse behind a pillar, the crowd suddenly stirred.

"It's starting! It's starting!"

"Ms. Naansanho is out!"

Richard looked up.

Naansanho emerged from the side corridor, having changed back into her dark blue dress. Her blonde hair was now styled in a neat updo, the silver paintbrush in her hair shimmering in the candlelight. She walked to the painting "The Wingless Bird" and nodded slightly to the crowd.

I never expected this great painter to be so diligent; he came out again in the afternoon.

"If it were me, I'd probably be asleep in the lounge by now!" Richard muttered.

He stuffed the paper into his pocket and squeezed next to Rosalie.

Rosalie snorted, displeased with Richard's wandering off. Then, she held the monocle to her eyes, staring at the painting through the lens: "You know what, the brushstrokes are really clearer with this."

Richard also raised his magnifying glass.

Looking through the lens, the details of the painting are magnified, and the thickness of each layer of paint can be clearly seen.

But at the same time, he could also see that white dotted line... the direction of the seventh mouse.

It pointed behind the crowd, towards a portrait painting.

Richard put down the magnifying glass.

And then Naan Sanho began her explanation. Her voice was calm and composed, from the night view of the harbor to the complex emotions of the people, and then to... The crowd was very quiet, with only the occasional click of a camera shutter and the rustling of turning pages in the guidebook.

Richard listened, occasionally moving a few steps with the crowd, but his gaze remained fixed on the dotted line.

When moving to the third painting, the dotted line points behind the display case: "The eighth one!"

The marks on the drawing paper increased.

The bells tolled repeatedly, dusk approached, and the guided tour of Naansanjo was drawing to a close…

Richard finally found the last mouse. The crowd was packed in front of the painting where the mouse was hidden, and he stood at the back. While everyone was focused on the painting and the guide, he quietly slipped to the back and successfully found the mouse!

Richard took a charcoal pencil out of his pocket and drew the last stroke on the paper, pointing it in the direction of the mouse.

The dotted line becomes a solid line!

Eleven... all found!

He folded the paper, stuffed it into his pocket, and let out a long breath.

Rosalie turned to look at him: "Why are you sighing?"

"It's nothing," Richard said. "I'm just tired of standing."

Naansanho's voice came from ahead: "...Alright, that concludes today's guided tour. Thank you all for coming."

applause.

The crowd began to disperse.

Some people flocked to Naansanjo for autographs, some headed towards the souvenir shop, and some chatted in small groups about the paintings they had just seen...