Chapter 762: The Next Day

South Continent, Rakle area.

The Dalsh Lake Darsh during the day is clear and quiet, reflecting the blue sky at high altitude and the snow-capped mountains in the distance, beautiful like a dream.

Lu Mian didn't have the mood to appreciate this beautiful scenery. He was taking Ludwig, who had changed into a small woolen formal jacket, and Lugano, who was wearing a thin cotton coat, walking slowly around a pit at the edge of the forest on the side.

There were highly decomposed corpses in that pit. They presented a semi-melted state, as if they had merged with the surrounding soil, decomposing themselves in a unique way, letting nutrients return to the earth.

Seeing this scene, Lu Mian roughly understood why Osseto, this "Witch King," didn't destroy the corpses after holding the ritual, leaving behind evidence and traces:

Burying the corpses and letting them return to the earth should be part of the ritual!

Last night, after reading the materials provided by "Knight of Swords," Lu Mian had a relatively clear idea of how to find Osseto, this important believer of the "Primitive Moon."

Clearly, conventional methods like "Magic Mirror Divination" couldn't have any effect, otherwise, "Knight of Swords'" companion, that Temperance Faction member with very strong spiritual intuition, would have found Osseto long ago.

Lu Mian's current ideas had three directions:

First, starting from the fact that Osseto is a member of the "Rose School," has long mixed with the Indulgence Faction, and has accepted the concept of indulgence, let Franca and Jenna, these two "Witches," dress up carefully and stroll around Rakle City to see if they can encounter Osseto, letting this "Witch King" who never restrains his desires take the initiative. Of course, this would definitely be under the protection provided by the Temperance Faction.

Moreover, Anthony would also follow Franca and Jenna with "Psychological Invisibility" or disguised as an ordinary person, observing the reactions of people around them after seeing the two "Witches," to see if they would show obvious malice, so as to distinguish Osseto before he truly made a move, eliminating the danger before it happened.

As for whether Osseto has already accepted the "Great Mother's" gift and turned into a woman, this detail doesn't affect the two "Witches" seducing him—Lu Mian inferred from Lady Pualis and Franca's situation that Osseto would still like women, at most liking men as well.

Second, use the special condition that he has Omebella's bloodline and the "Great Mother's" gift-receivers can sense it within a certain distance to wander around the Rakle area, trying to fish out Osseto. Similarly, Lugano, who has some abnormalities on him and perhaps involves the "Great Mother," is also a good bait.

Third, re-survey the site left by Osseto to see if there is anything edible.

Lu Mian pinched his nose, carefully checked the traces inside and outside the pit and those dozens of corpses for a while, turned his head, and asked Ludwig:

"Is it very dirty?"

"Very dirty." Ludwig nodded vigorously.

"Dirty from the 'Great Mother'?" Lu Mian asked further.

Ludwig said "Hmm," his expression full of struggle.

Then, he heard his godfather ask him as expected:

"Can it be eaten?"

Hearing this question, Lugano beside him couldn't help but retch, and "Knight of Swords" Maric, who had been watching quietly and suppressing his own emotions, moved his eyebrows slightly.

Ludwig answered with a reluctant face:

"Yes."

"Can you sense the child born from the corpse after eating it?" Lu Mian asked further.

According to his experience, these corpses should have been forced to become pregnant in that ritual, with bird-claw monsters growing rapidly in their bellies, and then, these bird-claw monster infants tore open the mother's belly, absorbed the corresponding residue, and crawled out themselves.

And from a mystical perspective, whether active or passive, willing or forced, bird-claw monster infants and corpses have the closest blood connection and can easily use one side to find the other, or even complete a curse across space.

But "Knight of Swords'" materials said that the divination they conducted with the help of blood connection had no harvest, and those bird-claw monster infants that crawled out of the bellies of these corpses seemed to have disappeared from this world.

This might be because a high-level person performed a powerful anti-divination, or the state of the bird-claw monster infants had changed. Lu Mian could only hope that Ludwig could eat out some different information.

Ludwig hung his face and said:

"I can obtain a bit of the corpse's bloodline through a certain cooking method. Although this cannot help me detect the location and state of that child from a long distance, if both sides are within a range of 30 meters, I should be able to sense its existence."

"Okay." Lu Mian felt the effect was better than expected.

Then, he watched Ludwig squat down and separate a piece of semi-melted and semi-decomposed flesh from one of the corpses with silver children's cutlery.

The disgusting state of the flowing yellow pus and the flesh itself made Lugano turn his body, looking at Dalsh Lake Darsh and Rakle City on the other side of the lake not far away.

Ludwig then let Lu Mian take out an iron pot, stand, wheat flour, liqueur, several spices, and a piece of solidified lard from the "Traveler's Bag."

Lu Mian served as the "chef's" assistant, mainly responsible for starting the fire, while Ludwig first melted the lard, then put in some liqueur and several spices, frying out a rich and tempting smell.

Immediately after, he wrapped the rotten flesh in wheat flour and threw it into the iron pot, frying it in the dark-colored, fragrant lard.

The smell of fragrance and stench mixed together, gradually permeating out.

Finally, Ludwig finished cooking, forked the golden-fried flour meatball, and stuffed it into his mouth.

While chewing, he seemed to have tears in his eyes, looking aggrieved as if he had been bullied.

"You didn't complain that eating 'Loki' raw wasn't delicious either." Lu Mian joked.

Ludwig mumbled:

"Rotten ones aren't delicious, and there's no spirituality."

After swallowing the fried meatball that looked quite good, Ludwig said slowly while "savoring":

"The birthday of the dead is the second day of every year."

"Is there anything special about this?" Lu Mian asked.

Ludwig stuffed candy into his mouth quickly and answered casually:

"In myths and legends, the first day, the beginning created this world, the second day, the 'Great Mother' was born."

"How come I haven't heard of such myths and legends..." Lugano, who was standing with his back to Ludwig, muttered to himself in confusion.

Lu Mian looked at the other corpses thoughtfully:

"Their birthdays wouldn't also be the second day of every year, right?

"I remember that the New Year of many tribes in the South Continent is different from the North Continent. The first day of every year is not completely January 1st. So, which day is the second day of every year, and which calendar is used?"

Ludwig held the candy and said:

"Any kind is fine, as long as it's the second day of the New Year of the calendar they believe in."

Pure symbolic meaning... Lu Mian turned his body and looked at "Knight of Swords":

"Have you confirmed the identities and birthdays of these corpses?"

Rakle is a relatively wealthy area in the Star Plateau, with a large population. It is similar to the area where the "White City" Laps, which Lu Mian had been to before, is located. It is one of the several support points for the ancient Highland Kingdom to rule the entire Star Plateau.

It is famous for its rich mineral deposits, but the mining points are magically far away from Dalsh Lake Darsh, allowing this holy lake in the hearts of the highlanders to remain pure.

In the past, the Star Plateau was mainly contested by the Intis Republic and the Feysac Empire. After that war a few years ago, the power of the Feysac Empire declined somewhat, and the hands of the Ruen Kingdom slowly reached in. Even the "Evernight Goddess" Church of Ruen seemed to have started preaching in this area. Lu Mian heard about this when he was in Laps.

And the place with the most Ruen people in the entire Star Plateau is the "City on Mineral Deposits," Rakle.

"Knight of Swords" Maric nodded slowly:

"Ninety percent of the corpses have been confirmed. According to the North Continent calendar, most of their birthdays are January 2nd. The other part, according to the local calendar, is also the second day of the New Year.

"Those whose identities cannot be confirmed yet should be outsiders who arrived here either voluntarily or involuntarily. Give us a little more time, and we will definitely be able to figure out their identities."

The sample is large enough, basically consistent with Ludwig's statement. That ritual requires a strong "Great Mother" symbol... Lu Mian didn't stop the Temperance Faction from wasting energy confirming the identities of the remaining dead. What if there was something else strange?

Lu Mian looked at Rakle City on the other side of the lake and said:

"Let's go back to the city now and walk around everywhere."

Let's see if Omebella's bloodline, the abnormality of the "Earth" pathway, or the blood connection with the bird-claw monster infants can play a greater role!

Walking for a while along the sparkling blue Dalsh Lake Darsh toward the city with many grayish-white stone houses, Lu Mian suddenly thought of a question.

He asked "Knight of Swords," who was walking quietly beside him:

"In the 'Rose School,' is Osseto responsible for the Rakle area?"

"Not before, not sure now." "Knight of Swords" answered concisely.

Lu Mian nodded and said to himself:

"If she is not responsible for the Rakle area and just launched a sacrifice while passing through here, she should have left after the ritual ended. Why stay here?

"Does she have a deeper purpose in the Rakle area?

"Or, does the 'Rose School' want to make a move here?"

"Knight of Swords" was silent for a few seconds and said:

"We suspect there is a deeper purpose."

He paused and added:

"Before the Highland Kingdom was established, many areas in the Star Plateau believed in 'Death,' and Rakle was one of the places most influenced by the belief in 'Death.' Even today, shadows of death worship still remain in the customs of the local people."

During the conversation, the three adults and one child arrived outside Rakle City.

Compared to the exquisiteness of the "White City" Laps, various buildings here are quite rough, but strong enough. Although there are people coming and going wearing dark red robes and bright robes, most of them wear canvas worker clothing that is more wear-resistant.

Lu Mian hadn't even approached the road into the city when he felt the noise and bustle.

PS: Recommend a book, book title is "Above Destiny," 120,000 words, can be killed, a relaxed, happy, simple, and refreshing superpower battle. For specific links and introductions, see the author's words.

(End of chapter)