Chapter 573: Key Details

The grand hall of the Viceroy of the Sea's residence opened into various rooms and had very few windows; even with the red moon shining brightly now, only limited light seeped in, leaving the space dim and hazy, silent and obscure.

In such an environment, the assistant high priest, clutching the "Ring of the Sea Queen," had deliberately lightened his steps, yet still inevitably produced faint echoes.

Watching him walk step by step toward the staircase leading to the basement, Lumian suddenly had an idea:

Once they entered the basement, this assistant high priest could easily swap the real "Ring of the Sea Queen" for a fake without anyone noticing.

This was because the other assistant high priests were all in the grand hall, the Viceroy of the Sea was undergoing bodily transformation, the Sea Maidens were attending him, and the Sea's Kin were scattered elsewhere outside the basement.

Lumian frowned, glanced at the other assistant high priest across from him, and lowered his voice to speak in Intis:

"During the annual Vigil ceremony, is it always a single assistant high priest who carries the 'Ring of the Sea Queen' down to the basement alone, then retrieves it an hour later?"

He stressed the word "alone."

Juan Aurora nodded lightly:

"Yes.

"Within this building, no extra protection is needed…"

Here, Juan Aurora fell silent.

He too realized this was a perfect opportunity to swap the "Ring of the Sea Queen."

Just because enemies outside couldn't break in didn't mean all the assistant high priests inside were clean!

Lumian immediately said to Juan Aurora:

"Should I follow him, or will you?"

Juan Aurora took this very seriously, stood up, and said:

"I'll go."

He activated his ability, forcing himself to walk without stumbling, and quickly caught up with the assistant high priest, saying in a low tone:

"Let's go together—I'd like to pay respects to my ancestors while I'm down there."

The other assistant high priest had no objection.

Watching the two light their lanterns and descend the stairs into the basement, Lumian naturally envisioned what would happen next:

"Place the 'Ring of the Sea Queen' on that broken stone altar… pay respects to ancestors… return to the surface… retrieve it an hour later…

"During that hour, the 'Ring of the Sea Queen' will be left alone in the basement, completely unprotected… If someone had hidden inside the basement beforehand, he could swap the real ring for a fake without effort…

"Of course, sneaking in and hiding here is difficult—I couldn't do it; I'd be cornered by the Sea's Kin within two minutes at most…

"The 'Ring of the Sea Queen' should be placed on that broken stone altar—if there's any change, the change…"

At this thought, Lumian suddenly remembered the change that occurred after the "Lies" ear clip had been placed on the broken stone altar in the basement:

This item of the "Apprentice" path had activated symbols representing the "Apprentice" and the "Thief," granting a power to steal others' strength that lasted half a month!

Could "Lies" do it—could the "Ring of the Sea Queen" do it too?

Although it wasn't an item of the "Diviner," "Apprentice," or "Thief" paths, it had been forged according to one of Amon's rituals; perhaps it could subtly trigger the basement's peculiar properties, gradually infusing itself with the trait of theft.

Yes! Since the essence of the Sea Rite was to drain power from the underwater seal and claim it for oneself, the key item—the "Ring of the Sea Queen"—should not only be able to open the seal to some degree, but also possess the ability to steal and absorb accumulated power, distributing it among the ritual's participants: the High Priest receives the most, the Assistant High Priests and the Sea Maidens—who functionally serve as assistants—receive less, the Assistant High Priests and sailors receive even less, and anyone else within the ritual's range who possesses the same power gains a little!

In other words, Juan Aurora and the others' understanding of the ring-forging ritual was incomplete; the "Honoring the Ancestors" step was also part of the ritual—and the most crucial part. Without "Honoring the Ancestors," the Sea Rite would only open the seal, unable to steal and hold the accumulated power, causing it to erupt and disperse… Lumian had just thought how terrifying it was to be a mystic ignoramus when he suddenly froze in alarm.

He realized he had overlooked a vital detail:

According to the "Magician" lady's interpretation of the "Ring of the Sea Queen" and his own speculation on the true nature of the entire Sea Prayer ritual, if the fake ring swapped in was the one custom-made by "April Fools' Day" for Tolair—the one hidden inside the lamb's belly, delivered to the ceremonial ship, and swapped out by the "Bard"—then the subsequent ritual should not have triggered the Sea's fury, which swallowed the Viceroy of the Sea, all assistant high priests, and some sailors!

That fake ring had never undergone the earlier stages of the ring-forging ritual; its patterns, symbols, and structure lacked the corresponding mystic properties. Even if the Viceroy of the Sea recited those words, he could not channel energy into it to open the seal!

As a completely fake ring, it should have caused no phenomenon at all—only, due to its failure to extract the accumulated power, lead to increased shipwrecks and worsening weather in the region afterward.

To match last year's reality, the fake ring the Viceroy of the Sea finally threw out must have completed the earlier stages of the ring-forging ritual but skipped the "Honoring the Ancestors" step in the basement. Only then could it open the seal to some degree, yet fail to absorb and hold the accumulated power, causing it to erupt violently and make the Sea "rage!"

Lumian's eyes narrowed slightly; as the "Conspirator," he now understood the key:

There were two "Rings of the Sea Queen" on the ceremonial ship—but both were fake.

The ring carried aboard by the assistant high priest was also fake—or rather, there had never been a real "Ring of the Sea Queen" during last year's Sea Prayer ritual!

The "Ring of the Sea Queen" that had completed the entire forging ritual recognized by the Fishermen's Guild had never been placed on the stone altar in the basement to complete the "Honoring the Ancestors" step; thus, it too was fake—a ring lacking the most crucial function!

The assistant high priest who brought the "Ring of the Sea Queen" into the basement last year and retrieved it afterward was likely also involved!

The fringe members of "April Fools' Day" were not trusted; their actions were merely decorative, meant to distract. The fake ring hidden in the lamb's belly and the "Bard's" performance were probably preparations for future investigations, designed to conceal the truly important clues… As Lumian's thoughts flashed, Juan Aurora and the assistant high priest returned to the grand hall.

"Placed it on the altar," the Fishermen's Guild president, disguised as Jorge, whispered to Lumian.

Lumian pulled his thoughts back and asked casually:

"Who was responsible for taking the 'Ring of the Sea Queen' to the basement last year?"

"I don't know. No one was specifically assigned; anyone could do it. And all four assistant high priests in the grand hall last year died in the Sea's fury after the ritual failed," Juan Aurora understood what Lumian suspected.

Dead? Probably not… Lumian had no time to find an object for spirit communication, so he asked instead:

"Among them, who was very familiar with the ring-forging ritual and knew the detailed nature of the 'Ring of the Sea Queen'?"

"No one. They were all first-time assistant high priests," Juan Aurora shook his head. "Besides, I told you—those who know these secrets are still alive."

That assistant high priest wasn't "Salted Egg Man"… Then who was it? Lumian's mind sparked with an answer:

It was the "Mad Woman!"

She had used the same method as the "Bard" to alter her appearance, transformed into an assistant high priest with the help of "Salted Egg Man," prevented the "Ring of the Sea Queen" from completing its final step, then brought it aboard the ceremonial ship.

Lumian had previously wondered how the "Mad Woman" could pinpoint that specific sea area and rescue the "Bard" so promptly and accurately—now he knew the answer:

The "Mad Woman" was right there, on the ceremonial ship, beside the "Bard"—no need to locate, no need to time!

He had thought the "Mad Woman" was assisting the "Bard"; now he saw it was the opposite—the "Bard" was assisting the "Mad Woman," ready to provide backup if things changed, and to bear the burden of false clues.

Fuck, the "Faceless One's" ability is annoying, "April Fools' Day" is annoying! Lumian's emotions surged uncontrollably—he cursed inwardly, barely suppressing it through the "Penitent's" trait.

More importantly, he now understood all the problems of last year's Sea Prayer ritual, yet still couldn't figure out who "Salted Egg Man" was, or what "April Fools' Day" would do this year.

…………

Night flowed silently.

On a wind-powered ship long outdated, Chaimen stepped out of his cabin, wearing a low-crowned round-brimmed felt hat, and asked Noelfe, standing at the ship's edge:

"Can we set sail now and enter that special sea area?"

Noelfe nodded:

"Yes. After midnight, the stars will align in their specific positions."

Lumian had instructed her and Bartner to rent a ship capable of sailing for several days along the same coastline at another port.

Chaimen chuckled:

"Then let's go!"

Seeing Noelfe and Bartner's expressions of surprise and confusion, he briefly explained:

"If we follow the Viceroy of the Sea's ceremonial ship, the Fishermen's Guild will spot us. Delaying by one or two hours defeats the purpose entirely—so we go ahead, hide there, and wait patiently for the right moment!"

Though she didn't understand what opportunity he meant, Noelfe didn't ask, answering with quiet anticipation:

"Alright."

Chaimen then turned to Bartner:

"Will you come with us to sea? It's dangerous."

Bartner's expression shifted repeatedly; after over ten seconds, he said:

"Go!"

Chaimen immediately clicked his tongue but said nothing.

At that moment, Noelfe glanced at another part of the deck and frowned:

"What about the sailors here? Without them, we can't sail—and they can't handle serious danger."

Chaimen smiled:

"Don't worry—we have sailors who can handle danger."

No sooner had he spoken than he half-turned, raised his right hand, and formed a circle with his thumb and index finger, extending the other three fingers.

Soon after, Noelfe and Bartner saw the captain, first mate, second mate, and all the sailors emerge from different locations, staggering forward.

They all had their eyes tightly shut, walking in a daze like sleepwalkers, forming a line and descending the gangway toward the dock.

This sight froze Noelfe and Bartner's gazes, as if they were caught in a nightmare of horror.

(End of Chapter)