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

Chapter 97 Your Majesty, Your Daughter is a Riddler!

coincidence?

Roy pursed his lips.

He can't stand hearing that now; it makes him feel uneasy all over.

Although that part of his memory was sealed, the deep-seated, instinctive fear still gave him a chilling feeling all over his body.

"I've encountered quite a few coincidences in Tingen. Could you help me see if there's any extraordinary factor guiding this particular coincidence?"

"..."

Bernadette glanced at the pea vine chair with her beautiful eyes.

Her gaze seemed to extend beyond the present.

Fate and time converge in her eyes, eventually forming an intersecting point.

After about ten seconds, her spirituality subsided and she returned to normal.

Bernadette was silent for a moment, then said, "It seems so."

"like?"

It seems even the master of prophecy's discerning eye couldn't see it.

Roy sighed inwardly.

Bernadette looked at the little boy, observed him carefully for a while, and said, "I didn't notice it just now, but there are traces of his fate being affected."

"This might be similar to what happened to me in Tingen; he was sent there by someone."

Bernadette thought for a few seconds and said, "If there's no way to deal with it, the best thing to do is to stay away. After we've dealt with Lanius, I have a task for you. At that time, you can take the opportunity to leave for a while."

"What request?"

Roy asked immediately.

"Go to sea, find Admiral Cattleya, and tell her that her destiny has changed."

"What do you mean?"

Roy was utterly astonished.

Has fate changed?

Does this mean that Cattleya will no longer join the Tarot Club?

In addition...

"You see the destiny of a Star Admiral in me?"

Roy was very curious, but Bernadette just smiled faintly.

I guess so.

"Fate is not fixed. I can only occasionally see a corner of fate and cannot explain why."

"Just pass on the message to her, don't worry about anything else."

Your Majesty, now your daughter has also become a riddle solver.

Roy silently complained to himself.

Bernadette sat quietly on the chair formed by pea vines and said, "The reward is a Sequence 6 recipe, and the price is that you will need to pay a thousand pounds."

Only a thousand pounds?

A normal Sequence 6 potion recipe costs nearly two thousand pounds.

Sometimes it depends on the situation.

Roy's heart skipped a beat, but he remained silent, saying, "Ma'am, did you guess I have this much money?"

"I've heard some things."

Bernadette had a slight smile on her lips.

Roy took out the freshly made list of one thousand gold coins—

The money he earned from risking his life to complete the commission was all handed over at once.

Fortunately, there were still five hundred pounds for selling potion recipes.

Bernadette flicked her finger.

Inspired by spirituality, words soon appeared on the paper.

Roy took it, his previous emotions vanishing.

It says above—

Sequence 6, Professor Rolling.

Main ingredients: 20g of bark from the Sage's Tree, and the brain of a deep-sea octopus.

Additional materials: 80 ml pure water, 5 drops of purple datura juice, 10 g of deep-sea octopus ink, and 5 g of sage tree juice.

Professor Roll's potion recipe.

Praise be to the mysterious queen!

A smile appeared on Roy's face.

"Aren't these materials present in the tissue?"

"All auxiliary materials can be included. Considering the previous information, I can sell you the brain of the deep-sea octopus at market price, and you can collect the bark of the Sage Tree yourself."

After Bernadette answered, she continued to explain, "This is the best treatment one can receive."

Roy accepted the note.

"Is there anything I can do to help with Lanius's matter?"

"Not for now."

Bernadette's eyes were fixed ahead, as if gazing at the empty night sky.

Spiritual power surrounds you.

After a few seconds, she said, "I'll have Hyde take that boy away. Be careful lately. If there are any similar coincidences, you can just say my name."

As she spoke, she revealed her honorific name—

"The holy spirit that pursues knowledge, the beacon of the mysterious world..."

"it is good."

Roy nodded emphatically, without asking why.

His instincts told him that he shouldn't ask too many questions about this.

Bernadette smiled and said, "Goodbye."

The next moment, the dark forest and pea vines in front of them all disappeared, and the little boy lay unconscious to the side, the influence of the Hidden Sage on him had been removed.

but.

What happened to him still sent chills down Roy's spine.

He dared not enter the mysterious hall near the other party in the short term.

After tying the other person up, the little boy sat quietly in the living room.

He didn't struggle; he just stared at Roy with a terrifyingly quiet gaze.

"What's your name?"

"Kano Padre".

The little boy said calmly.

Roy frowned.

Cano seemed to have lost his emotions; he showed no emotional fluctuations towards anything and acted very rationally.

When the influence of the Hidden Sage was still in effect, he even had what appeared to be a "precognitive" ability.

He couldn't help but ask out of curiosity.

What have you experienced before?

"My parents died, and I was very sad. Then I prayed to a great being, and He answered me."

He answered indifferently.

"Aren't you afraid I'll kill you now that I've tied you up?"

"You won't kill me."

The little boy answered quietly.

The spirituality in Roy's eyes faded, weakening the enhancement of his Eye of Secrets.

He felt very heavy-hearted.

This little boy...

Bernadette did remove the influence of the Hidden Sage from the other party, but some effects had already been caused and were irreversible.

That is--

His emotions are like those of the Hidden Sage; he possesses a terrifying calmness that nothing can shake.

Cano's human emotions were destroyed.

If everything possesses divinity, then he now only possesses the "divine" aspect.

Is this the salvation He performed?

Roy fell silent for a moment.

He clenched his fist, then slowly relaxed it, stopping thinking about Kano and instead carefully considering this "coincidence."

this matter……

This can be seen as a warning from above to oneself.

He could no longer get close to the "population" thing, otherwise the next one coming might not be a little boy, but a pillar of the Morse Order.

He warned himself not to get any closer to the truth.

but.

Even without the "coincidence," the harm the Hidden Sage inflicted on the little boy was real, not to mention that this wasn't the only instance of madness he had instigated.

In my lifetime, I must resolve the issue of the Hidden Sage and end the terrible madness He has brought to this path.

The next morning.

Roy woke up early and was working out in the gym he had designated for himself.

A moment later.

"Ding-dong!"

The doorbell rang downstairs.

Roy glanced down.

Hyde has arrived.

He went down to open the door, and Hyde took off his hat.

"We've only just met, and the Queen has already given me orders to come and take away a little boy."

"Come with me."

Roy walked upstairs, saying as he went, "His name is Cano Padra. Be careful, he doesn't have normal human emotions."

"Does it lack normal human emotions?"

Hyde frowned.

Roy nodded slightly: "Yes, I feel that his emotions were erased by the Hidden Sage."

"etc!"

Hyde stopped abruptly, utterly astonished. "What did you say? The influence of the Concealed Sage?"

Roy turned around, puzzled.

"Yes, didn't the mysterious queen tell you?"

"No, he just told me to pick him up and take him with me for a while."

Hyde opened his mouth, but ultimately remained silent.

Related to the Hidden Sage...

In a place like Backlund, taking care of a child influenced by the Hidden Sage was quite a challenge for him.

Roy coughed lightly and explained apologetically.

"Actually, it's alright. The part of him related to the Hidden Sage has been removed by the Queen."

"I hope so."

Hyde remained expressionless.

He went upstairs and saw the boy who was tied up.

Upon seeing the wounds on the other person's body and those ruthless, lifeless eyes, his heart softened instantly, and he let out a long sigh.

"The Hidden Sage is truly an absolute evil god!"

"yes."

Roy gave a brief reply.

but.

Kano looked up and met their gaze with his calm eyes.

"He is great; He makes me feel no sadness or pain..."

In that instant, Hyde gripped his cane tightly.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Come with me. I'll take care of you for the time being. Once our ship arrives, we'll take you to another place."

"This is the will of the Mysterious Queen."

Hyde said to the boy.

Cano nodded.

He is very well-behaved, never knows fear, and can make the most rational judgments with ease.

Roy watched the two leave.

In his heart, there was yet another reason why he had to advance to the level of "hermit".

perhaps.

This is one of the "missions" I have undertaken since traveling through time.

of course.

It's also possible that they have no mission at all.

In such a world, just surviving requires immense strength.

After they left, a full half hour passed before Roy entered the mysterious temple.

Memories flood back.

"Adam's warning?"

"Who has taken over the role of 008, replacing Ince?"

He sat in the chair and thought for a long time.

In any case, temporarily staying away from sensitive areas like "population" is definitely beneficial for oneself.

Roy felt powerless once again.

Fortunately-

He obtained a Sequence 6 potion recipe.

Both main materials are difficult to obtain in Backlund, but there might be a way to get them quickly through the Tarot Guild and Elder Lovia.

But for now, my focus is still on digesting the "wizard".

He then retrieved the extraordinary properties.

Barbarian extraordinary traits.

Including the Barbarian and Lawyer extraordinary traits that he had previously spawned, he already had quite a few extraordinary traits in reserve.

Unfortunately, he couldn't access the artisans' knowledge in the Steam Church; otherwise, Roy would already be trying to create extraordinary items through the Mysterious Temple.

Then, Roy looked at the ring.

This ring was taken from Arnor and appears to have the power to twist; at least when Arnor used it, it seemed to be an attempt to reverse the effects of his spell.

but.

Arnor was unaware that Roy's spells were indiscriminate attacks, not distinguishing between friend and foe. His fearlessness was entirely due to the mysterious temple and the "resistance" he had accumulated over a long period.

After examining it, he roughly understood the ring's abilities.

It is indeed related to the Corrupted Baron, but it is not a combination of extraordinary traits, but rather a sequence contamination resulting from the mysterious death of a Corrupted Baron.

and so.

No extraordinary characteristics can be derived from it, and it only possesses the ability to "distort," with significant negative effects.

After using the Twisted Ring, the user's mind will gradually be corrupted and twisted until they become extremely greedy and dark, and completely lose their rationality.

Removing the ring for a day can eliminate its negative effects.

"A very useful ring."

"No wonder the leader of the Witte Party dared to let Arnor guard the cellar alone."

Roy's face lit up with joy.

With this, this trip will be worthwhile.

After that, he extracted the barbarian's extraordinary characteristics.

Roy has an idea.

Previously, he had developed the "Berserk Technique".

Using Berserker Grass as a medium for spellcasting, he can achieve extraordinary abilities similar to those of a barbarian.

Berserker Grass is too expensive.

As the main material for Sequence 8, a single Berserker Grass costs at least three hundred pounds, or even more.

Using a Sequence 8 main material for spellcasting is a wasteful act. Even if the main material belongs to the extraordinary sequence and is difficult to destroy, the Berserker Grass itself can be destroyed.

In case of unusual situations such as the transfer of some extraordinary traits from Berserker Grass...

This can easily lead to unpredictable consequences.

So, he had an idea—

Extraordinary properties are more stable and harder to damage than extraordinary materials, which is why extraordinary items are often made from extraordinary properties.

Is it possible to use extraordinary properties as materials for casting witchcraft?

If it were feasible, I wouldn't need to search all over town for materials, let alone spend so much gold.

After several deductions and divinations, Roy came to the conclusion—

You can give it a try!

……

Returning to reality from the magic, Roy drew upon his barbarian traits and began attempting to cast spells.

Concentrate your spirituality.

Outline magical symbols.

Step 3 —

Roy, wielding the extraordinary characteristics of a barbarian, chanted an incantation in ancient Hermes to enhance the magical symbol: "Berserk!"

Target: Myself.

In that instant, he felt a surge of chaotic emotions welling up in his mind.

Then.

A punch was thrown, and the wind howled.

Both his strength and speed are much better than before.

Berserk Technique is effective!

Roy smiled slightly, and the next moment, he felt subtle signs of digestion.

"Studying witchcraft can also speed up digestion."

"wizard……"

As he was pondering this, space suddenly distorted, and a figure appeared before him.

Roy was startled.

"How did you manage to arrive without a word?"

"letter."

Nina spat out a letter.

"Whose?"

"The clown's."

Nina said.

Oh, Klein.

Roy opened the envelope, and it was indeed Klein's handwriting inside. He had written about recent events in the letter.

"Dunne has awakened, but has fallen into madness and needs to process and alleviate it step by step."

Not unexpected.

He continued reading.

"I have arrived in Backlund and am currently renting a place on Minks Street."

"Mr. Azik will need another two or three days."

Klein, what are you reminding me of?

Roy smiled silently, then put away the letter. Only when he saw Nina's bright eyes staring at him did he remember his earlier promise.

He had no choice but to brainstorm and prepare to tell the other person a story.

……

For the next two days, Roy did not go out.

He decided to behave himself for a while.

Then, he did not encounter any more special "coincidences".

As long as he avoids any unusual events, Roy's life will return to normal.

This also confirmed one thing for him.

008 has definitely fallen into someone else's hands, and that person is very likely a member of the Witch Cult.

If this warning was issued by "Adam," then it would have been done more discreetly, without such a coincidence or alertness.

of course.

It's also possible that Adam wasn't interested in him, so he gave him a warning to keep him away from the matter.

This relieved him.

If it really was Adam's gaze, I wouldn't even wait for Laneus; I'd have Bernadette help me run away with the bucket tomorrow.

"Let's provide more information from now on; Klein can handle this kind of thing."

The other party has the protection of a goddess.

Dancing in a minefield won't kill you.

But I am different.

Roy consulted the oracle about the time and Fors's current situation, preparing to rescue her at any moment.

Today is the night of the full moon.

……

Night falls, and the moon rises quietly.

In an apartment in the Joewood district, Fors lay on her bed, quietly waiting for the time to come.

Minutes later, she heard the terrible babbling again.

Tonight——

It wasn't just babbling; there were also terrifying screams.

Her fingernails dug into her flesh, her hair began to grow haphazardly and wildly, and tiny granulation tissue appeared on her face.

Fors couldn't hold back any longer.

She prayed painfully—

"Eyes that see into the future."

"The ruler of the mysterious palace..."

Read the second sentence.

She was overwhelmed by a deluge of information.

Immediately, she appeared inside the mysterious hall.

Fors opened his eyes wearily, then said bitterly, "Thank you for your protection, great hermit."

"This is my promise."

Roy smiled faintly.

Fors lowered her head. She had originally wanted to try to resist on her own, but she found that with her own abilities, it was still very difficult to fight against the full moon's murmurs.

She sat down, recalling a part of her memories.

Then—

A page of a diary appears.

At the same time, there was another sheet of paper with some intelligence information written on it.

She presented it respectfully.

"Mr. Hermit, the first one is a diary, and the second one is information about the Morse Order that I gathered at the gathering."

Roy took the two sheets of paper.

Then, he frowned slightly.

This page of the diary contains some everyday trivia. The initial entries seem to be Russell's, detailing his various experiences.

During this time, he also wrote that he was sick.

"I felt much better on July 17th."

"On August 13th, I'll set off again to continue my journey!"

It looks like there's nothing wrong.

but.

For some reason, he felt something was off. After looking at it carefully two or three times, Roy put it aside for the time being.

"Perhaps Bernadette knows something. Based on her recollections, we can compare and verify to learn more information, but unfortunately I can't ask her directly."

"This will make me seem more suspicious."

Then, Roy couldn't help but recall what had happened that day.

Bernadette stated—

Cattleya's fate took a turn.

As a master of prophecy, she may have sensed something, including reminding herself to pay attention to the frequency of "coincidences".

Although Bernadette had previously sent Hyde to Tingen to find her, which indicated a certain problem, it was best not to be too direct before a complete showdown.

Then he looked at the second page.

On this piece of paper, Fors wrote down the suspicious person he saw, which was confirmed through some means to be a member of the "Morse Penitentiary".

"Some ways" involve going to Hyde for a deal, right?

but.

The fact that she was able to gather this information already demonstrates her tremendous effort.

Roy was very pleased.

Fors also marked the other party's previous activity trajectory on it.

Dock area?

What are the Morse hermits doing over there?

He put down the paper.

"Mr. Hermit, I originally wanted to investigate further, but things have been a bit chaotic in the East District lately, so I'm hesitant to go..."

Fors said somewhat nervously.

Roy chuckled and said, "No rush."

"Thank you for your generosity and kindness."