Mystery: I, the Hermit, am too eager to improve

Chapter 174 Azik: Mainly experiencing funeral work

"Mr. Azik, are you sure you want to take over our store?"

"Yes."

Azik smiled and said, "Rent it for six months, and I'll send people to help collect the body and dig up the grave. I'll return it to you after six months."

"Yes, I remember, but to be honest, Mr. Azik, what are you after?"

The boss looked completely bewildered.

He didn't understand.

Why would someone pay to contract out a "funeral" industry company, especially when their company is actually not doing well?

basically……

They only earn enough to make ends meet each year, and the job isn't very respectable, so many people are unwilling to do it.

In downtown Tingen, this line of work wouldn't even be available to them—

The church has a complete service package, so they don't need to get involved at all. Only in remote rural areas like this would they need companies to cooperate.

Therefore, the possibility of growing bigger and stronger is basically nonexistent.

The boss's expression suddenly turned serious: "Sir, if I may ask, you wouldn't be planning to use my company for some nefarious purpose, would you?"

He had heard a little about the business of stealing corpses.

If that's the case...

His hand had already quietly reached for the pistol, ready to fire at any moment.

"Don't worry, you should have heard about me. I used to be a university teacher with a good reputation, so there's no need for me to do that kind of thing."

Azik smiled faintly, "To be honest, I want to rent from your company mainly because I want to experience this kind of life and then write a report."

"You can write a report about this?"

"Yes, funeral culture is also part of history; in one ancient empire, death was even worshipped."

Azik said, "I've been researching this kind of thing lately, so I wanted to try it out in funerals."

"Are you planning to use it as a stepping stone to meet some people who know about funerals?"

The boss understood.

Azik nodded: "You can think that way, but I feel that the process of experiencing and exploring is the most important, and it will become an indelible part of my knowledge."

"Excuse my bluntness, but I cannot understand you scholars. However, I respect your opinion and will lend it to you for six months."

The boss reclined in his chair and said casually, "If you need workers, all the workers in the company will stay."

"And you?"

Azik looked at the man in front of him.

The boss smiled.

"I've never left Tingen in my life, you know. Many times we have to wait in the company. Even if it doesn't come today, who knows, it might come tomorrow."

"The bodies don't wait for anyone. It's already a pity that they've passed away. If they can't be properly taken care of in a timely and dignified manner, we in this industry will all feel guilty."

He looked out the window and then sighed softly.

"In recent years, people are dying at younger and younger ages. Industry has brought progress, but it has also brought a lot of injuries and illnesses."

Azik remained silent for a few seconds.

He recalled everything he had seen along the way, then nodded slightly, unsure of what to say.

After a second, he said, "This may be the necessary price to pay."

"Yes, yes, but many times, I still feel regret or have other thoughts."

The shop owner was middle-aged, but his tone was full of the marks of time, perhaps from witnessing too much death.

Azik's inner thoughts.

He listened quietly as the other person recounted their experiences in the funeral industry, and then smiled.

"Do you know which of your quotes I like best? Funeral culture is also a part of history."

"Yes."

Azik nodded.

The owner smiled and said, "I don't know anything about such profound things, but the existence of cemeteries and tombstones is itself a piece of history, and they carry the memories of their families."

"Don't worry, I will do my best to help them during the rental period."

Azik said seriously.

The boss nodded slightly: "On this point, I trust you, otherwise I wouldn't have agreed to rent it to you. After all, I still need to make a living in six months."

"I plan to travel to Backlund or Seashire in the next six months, taking my wife and kids on a trip."

He chuckled as he said this, "But I might be back soon. I might not feel used to having so much free time."

"You're always welcome back."

……

Harvest Church.

Roy sat inside the hall, waiting for Liana as usual.

He's almost finished digesting the information from his scroll professor this month, and he should be promoted in a week or two at most.

and so.

The Three-Eyed Raven is about to be put on the agenda.

He was waiting when someone walked in through the door.

An old lady.

She was carrying a package, and her complexion looked unwell, with a faint dark aura swirling around her.

Roy frowned slightly.

This is the scent of death—

Recently, someone who obtained extraordinary abilities through the corpse-collecting process, or something related to her, has come into contact with her.

Uratevsky is in the backyard.

He got up and went over: "Madam, what's the matter?"

Are you a missionary at the church?

The old woman raised her head shakily.

Roy nodded slightly: "Yes, do you need any help?"

"Yes, I need some help, but I am not one of your believers."

The old lady was quite honest.

She held the package and sat down in the seat next to her.

Roy's lips twitched, then he smiled and asked, "Are you a member of the Church of the Night?"

"No, not exactly."

The old lady hesitated for a moment, then said, "We used to be believers in the Eternal Sun Church."

what?

Roy looked surprised.

An eternal blazing sun?

In the Kingdom of Intis, it is perfectly normal for commoners to be believers in the Eternal Sun.

That is the land of the eternal sun.

but.

In Loen, the Eternal Sun is probably even more niche than the Church of the Earth.

The Earth Church has at least one church.

The eternal blazing sun here isn't even guaranteed to have a church.

"My husband is an Intis, and I was influenced by him to become a believer in the eternal sun."

The old lady explained.

Roy understood.

The other person was probably a sailor or similar profession in their early years.

As believers of the Eternal Sun, seeking help from the Church of the Night is utter nonsense, and it's even more impossible for them to do so with the Church of Storms or the Church of Steam.

The Church of Earth was truly her best choice.

He nodded slightly, not pressing for details, and said, "It's alright, the Mother Goddess won't refuse someone in need. Did something special happen to you?"

"Yes, my husband died last month, and I buried him in the cemetery in the south borough..."

The old lady kept talking.

Roy listened quietly. Utravsky had returned halfway through, but seeing Roy and the old lady engrossed in their conversation...

He didn't interrupt, but sat down in front and prayed.

"So, he suddenly came back to life last week?"

Roy's expression was serious.

The old woman nodded, a hint of sorrow flashing in her eyes: "But I know he didn't truly come back to life; someone desecrated his body!"

"This is……"

"His ashes."

The old woman said, "I shot him again and threw him into the furnace. I didn't want him to fall into the hands of the church, otherwise there might not even be any ashes left."

Shoot him dead?

How fierce!

Roy clicked his tongue in amazement; this woman might have been in the same profession as a priest when she was young.

Or perhaps a bodyguard on a ship.

That's incredibly fierce!

As she spoke, the old lady untied the package.

The package contained a jar.

Roy looked up and saw a spiritual power swirling around it.

Someone did indeed resurrect him!

and.

Even if the body is burned to ashes by fire, spiritual contamination still remains on it.

It's perfectly suitable as a spellcasting material, but...

The moral bottom line wouldn't allow Roy to do that.

"Madam, could I take a look at it?"

"it is good."

The old lady handed it over.

Roy took it, lifted the lid of the jar, and through his voyeuristic eyes, he could see more clearly the spiritual pollution remaining inside.

This pollution appears to be the effect of ritual residue.

He closed his eyes and tried to use this object to perform dream divination in order to trace the root of the incident.

Then.

A scene appeared before my eyes.

This is a cemetery with a bonfire burning.

Inside the cemetery, five people were circling around a grave, performing a strange and terrifying dance.

Another group of spirit dance enthusiasts?

No.

Not like.

Roy thought of the "lead dancer," Mansour.

Could they be extraordinary beings from over there?

He awoke from his dream, opened his eyes, and said, "Madam, you must have been involved in extraordinary events, so I won't hide it from you anymore."

"Your husband was not the primary object of the ritual; it was likely that some spiritual pollution was accidentally caused during the ritual."

Roy closed the lid and handed it back.

The old woman said, "They still need to be cleansed! These bastards who desecrate corpses should be purified!"

Well, he really is a believer in the eternal blazing sun.

Roy smiled.

"Don't worry, we will report this to the Church of the Night. If they are too busy, or if they entrust it to us, we will take charge."

"Is that so?"

After hearing this, the old lady nodded gently, "Thank you, sir. I hope you can catch the evil believer who desecrated the corpse as soon as possible."

"Yes, if it's convenient, could you leave your name? That would make it easier for us to report and track you later."

Roy then took out paper and a pen.

The old lady nodded.

"Of course, although I am a believer in the Church of the Eternal Sun, there is nothing to hide about my identity."

Then, she took the paper and pen and quickly wrote down her name and address.

Afra Seiler.

The place I stayed was in a small town in the southern district, and the cemetery was also the name of the local town, so it must be a place in the town.

"Mrs. Evra, have you been to that cemetery?"

"Of course, I personally selected the burial plot. The old man was a sailor when he was young, and he once worked on ships with an old captain who liked to call himself a sailor."

Mrs. Efra smiled with a touch of nostalgia and sweetness. "Every time he came back from the sea, he would bring me things from Intis. The atmosphere there wasn't very good, but the things there were really beautiful..."

"So, I carefully selected that cemetery; it's located on a hill where you can see the sea perfectly."

She suddenly became alert as she spoke.

"Excuse me, you probably meant to ask who owns the cemetery next door, right? As people get older, they like to reminisce about the past, and I forgot for a moment."

"Yes, it should be the third one from the right, behind your husband's grave."

Roy said.

Aifra tilted her head, pondered for a few seconds, and said, "I don't remember, but I'm sure that cemetery is very old, and the tombstones are very ancient."

"Are there any obvious markings? Like a badge or a name?"

"Because it's very old, I only remember that its tombstone is very old, it must be quite old."

Efra recalled, then thought for a moment, picked up a pen and quickly drew.

A few seconds later, an image of a tombstone appeared.

She said, "These are all the features I can think of. Perhaps you could come with me to see them; the tombstones there would be much clearer."

"It may not still be there."

Roy shook his head.

If he were a member of the Church of Spirits, he certainly wouldn't have left a tombstone.

He carefully examined Mrs. Evra's design.

This tombstone...

It doesn't look like the Eggers family, but it has similarities to Mr. Azik's family crest in Tingen.

Are these also his descendants?

Roy thought for a moment and said, "Thank you, Mrs. Afra, I will look into it."

"Thank you, and may the evildoers be purified as soon as possible."

Afra bowed deeply, then faced the front of the church, "Thank you as well, merciful Mother Earth."

Roy was holding the pendant.

At this moment, the pendant is rotating counterclockwise.

Then, the pendant rotated clockwise.

He suddenly put it away.

"If you're not in a hurry to go back, I suggest you stay here for a few days to avoid any unforeseen events when you return to town."

My grandson is still waiting for me at home.

Afra shook her head.

"Then I'll take you back. They might have already realized the problem, and it's also a good opportunity to visit the cemetery."

Roy's gaze was deep.

He was also very curious...

What exactly does the Spiritual Cult want to do by collecting the descendants of "Aegis"?

She used to be the lead dancer.

Now it's another bunch of guys who resurrect corpses.

A cult of artificial death?

Or perhaps they want to use the body to find Mr. Azik?

Roy wondered to himself.

Afra hesitated for a moment, then nodded gently: "Thank you, sir."

"Let me explain to the priest first."

Roy got up with a smile.

He went to the priest, explained what had just happened, and then went to the back to prepare—

The main purpose was to enter the mysterious hall and confirm whether the trip was safe or dangerous.

The final result is...

It might be a bit bumpy, but there's nothing dangerous.

of course.

He didn't forget to send a letter to Bernadette, informing her that he might be going out and asking her to take care of herself.

If you need help...

We must get there as soon as possible!

Roy packed his things, left the Harvest Church, and followed Ms. Efra onto the public carriage heading to town.

The town is called Almas.

The town's name means "sea."

This town is not far from Puerto Pritzker, and you can indeed see the Tasok River estuary from some of the hills.

There was still some distance to go.

He sat in his seat with his eyes closed, meditating to maintain his mental alertness and avoid any unexpected situations.

After sitting for an hour, Roy saw a beautiful small town.

This small town is located near the mouth of the Tasok River, where you can see ships passing by. There is a relatively small harbor in the town.

of course.

This area is more of a transit and supply station for fishing boats; most of the boats still go to Pulitzer Port to unload their cargo.

After getting off the bus, Afra took him to a mountain in the suburbs.

"Sir, this is where the cemetery is located."

No need to remind him, Roy has already seen it—

Almas Cemetery.

Beside it was a crest that was somewhat similar to that of Mr. Azik's family, but it was hidden, covered in dust, and spiritually concealed.

Most people can't see it at all.

(End of this chapter)