Chapter 3140

After breakfast, the ladies went to meet Queen Diana, while Xia De checked his "gift list" at home again to see if there were any omissions. It would be too embarrassing if he only discovered he had forgotten someone's gift when he was about to give it.

According to the itinerary announced by the witches in advance, Megan and Audrey, Xiwei and Miss Yilaisa would all arrive in the city today, while Beila would only come over tomorrow after finishing her Year-End Festival speech at the City Council.

However, Xia De didn't know when exactly they would arrive today. Since there were maid ladies at home who could entertain guests, he continued his friend-visiting itinerary.

Yesterday, he had already visited most of his friends out of town. Today, he needed to visit friends in Tobesk, as well as important out-of-town relationships and family members like Grandma Cassandra and Vanessa.

Xia De, who had come to this world for a year and a half, could be considered to have a wide range of friends locally. However, because his social status had improved—mainly relying on Miss Jia Lin Na—he didn't need to visit many friends in person; those friends would probably come to visit him according to etiquette.

So after going out, he first took a carriage to the University District to visit Professor Tiris Manning, who always gave him all kinds of help.

It was not just the core urban area where St. Theresa Square was located; in fact, the entire "City of Steam" had already entered the atmosphere before the holiday.

The morning mist had not completely dissipated, and snowflakes were falling slowly in the hazy mist, covering the city with a layer of quiet silver-white. The carriage moved slowly along the stone road, the rustling sound of the wheels rolling over the accumulated snow mixed with the clip-clop sound of horse hooves, as if adding a more peaceful musical tune to this peaceful winter morning.

Xia De looked out from the carriage window and saw the eaves and carved balconies of the buildings along the street covered in white snow. Most of the shops had holly branches and festive decorations hanging in front of their doors.

He even saw a steam-powered mechanical device of a "monkey climbing a tree holding a candy cane" running in a loop in the window of a candy store on the street corner, attracting a large group of children standing on the street to watch.

And behind that group of excited children, passersby wrapped in heavy coats and wearing non-slip boots walked hurriedly in the morning snow. Although this winter was not friendly to most people, at least now that the holiday was approaching, most people just wanted to peacefully celebrate the safe end of another year.

And when the carriage turned the street corner, the newsboy next to the mailbox pulled up the collar of his somewhat thin dark coat to block the wind. He waved the newspaper in his hand, and his voice echoed in the cold air—

"Year-End Festival Special Edition! 'Terraril River News' reviews the major events of 1854! Year-end newspaper volume increased without price increase!"

Unlike Xia De, who lived in an apartment building, Professor Manning lived in a house with a courtyard. Like his neighbors, he had his servants decorate the fence along the street as the holiday approached, and even hung ribbons on the mailbox at the door.

The professor also guessed that Xia De would come this morning, and entertained him happily.

Professor Manning had many students and old acquaintances, and he couldn't be idle during the Year-End Festival, but he still took half an hour to chat with Xia De. Xia De didn't give the professor old books or antiques, but chose a very fashionable black cashmere gentleman's hat as a gift for him.

And the gift Professor Manning gave Xia De was packaged in a flat gift box. Xia De only opened it after returning home at noon and found it was a manuscript of poems written about three hundred years ago, which contained a series of knight poems created by the author himself—actually, Year-End Festival gifts should only be opened the day after tomorrow.

And after saying goodbye to Professor Manning, who was in good physical and mental condition, Xia De took the carriage again and crossed the city to Old John's pawnshop.

Because Old John lived above the pawnshop, even though tomorrow was the Year-End Festival, his shop was still open, and there were even quite a few guests.

This was probably the time Xia De had seen the most guests in the pawnshop. Five or six guests were waiting in line to pawn various worthless items in their hands. After Xia De pushed the door and saw this situation, he turned and left. He walked around a clothing store nearby and came back. At that time, the guests had just left, and Old John was bookkeeping behind the counter:

"The number of guests who came to pawn things to have money for the holiday this winter has doubled compared to previous years."

He said with his head down, sighing before putting down his pen and looking up. Seeing Xia De holding a yellow scarf, he couldn't help but say:

"Detective, don't tell me this scarf you bought from the shop next door is a Year-End Festival gift for me."

"Of course not. I saw that the color of this scarf matches my cat, so I bought it."

He took out the Year-End Festival gift for Old John from his pocket. After the old man took it, he casually stuffed it under the counter, and then turned to hand the prepared gift to Xia De:

"It just so happens that you are here. There is something I just happen to want to tell you."

"You don't have the Poet-level relic 【Legacy of the Starving】 here too, do you?"

Xia De asked suspiciously. The old man behind the counter shook his head:

"I have indeed heard that this kind of relic has appeared a lot this winter, but there is no news in the Tobesk area for the time being. It's another matter. In the second half of this year, it is said that the Prophet Association is looking for an Unknowable-level fate-type relic. Have you heard about this?"

"I've heard of it, 【Pedestal of Fate】. But didn't they fail to find it? Instead, in the autumn, they found a black mausoleum-like building in the south of the Old Continent. Another Unknowable-level relic inside almost broke through containment, forcing the Church to divert a lot of combat power to deal with this matter before the Battle of the Woodland."

The news of 【Pedestal of Fate】 was brought out by Xia De from the "Black Fog Camp," and later reported to the Association by Luweiya. The Association then went to look for the believers of the Old God 【Golden Master】, and only then found the clues to that relic in this era.

"It's good that you know about this. Last night, I received news that the Prophet Association seems to have found 【Pedestal of Fate】."

The old man said in a low voice. Xia De frowned slightly; Luweiya hadn't provided such news. But he didn't doubt the Yinxiu Society's intelligence. Although they were few in number, their intelligence was always very accurate:

"'Seems' to have found it? So it's actually not in hand?"

"Yes, it's just that the approximate location of that relic has been determined. Of course, what I want to tell you is not about the relic. In fact, we also have some scattered fragments of poems. The content of one of them points to a unique divination tool, and we have always suspected that it is 【Pedestal of Fate】."

He stated the conclusion directly:

"The meaning of that poem fragment is probably that where 【Pedestal of Fate】 is, is where fate is. The place where that relic appears is very likely the place where the Chosen of Fate appears."

The Outlander tried his best not to come into contact with new stories before the Year-End Festival, but new stories still actively sought him out:

"【Pedestal of Fate】 only indicates the location of the Chosen one, or is that relic related to the final Chosen one ritual?"

He asked again, and Old John shook his head:

"I don't know about that. Most of the fragments of fate are in the hands of the Prophet Association. We only know this much. But poem fragments will not be repeated, so the things I tell you, those diviners should not know yet."

Although he knew that once he asked, it was highly likely that he had found new things to do for himself, Xia De still spoke:

"Then the suspected location of 【Pedestal of Fate】 is..."

"We don't have spies inside the Prophet Association, so the intelligence only shows that it is in the southeast of the Old Continent. The black building you mentioned that contained another Unknowable-level relic should not be far from the true location of 【Pedestal of Fate】."

Although the Prophet Association looked in the wrong place in the autumn, their results should not be far off. It seems that the story of the ninth Chosen one is probably about to begin soon. Fate, fickle and unpredictable, what will happen this time?"

The intelligence provided by the 【Light-Guiding Yinxiu Society】 helped Xia De know where the next story would take place. But "southeast of the Old Continent" was actually a very broad area. If he wanted to know more precise information, he needed more intelligence.

The things Luweiya had to be busy with before the festival would all be finished this morning. She would then be stationed at No. 6 St. Theresa Square until the start of the exam week. So Xia De hesitated whether to discuss this matter with Luweiya after the festival or inform Luweiya in a while. He just took the gift and prepared to go home for lunch.

After getting off the carriage and taking out the key to open the door, because he was still thinking about whether the intelligence just now should be said immediately, when he picked up Little Mia who came to welcome him, Xia De didn't notice that there were a few more pairs of shoes in the shoe cabinet in the foyer.

However, when walking on the stairs, he heard the lively sound of talking coming from upstairs.

After reaching the second floor, he saw Miss Swift standing at the door of the living room talking to Tifa at a glance. Grace and Helen were looking at the scenery of St. Theresa Square at the window, and Grandma Cassandra was sitting on the sofa in front of the fireplace, talking to Luweiya.

The living room didn't become very crowded because of this; after all, Xia De's house was still quite large. Everyone heard Xia De's footsteps, so they turned around and greeted Xia De together.

"Grandma Cassandra? Welcome, welcome, but didn't you say you wouldn't come at the end of the year?"

The elderly witch smiled and said:

"I didn't plan to come originally, but I thought later that although I don't have to think for myself, I also have to think for the young people."

"So I finished the things in Middlehillburg in advance, and let Grace and Helen open the portal to send us here."

The sisters in black and white dresses holding hands smiled sweetly at Xia De. The witch apprentice with flaxen hair blushed; only she knew that her teacher finally decided to go to Tobesk, actually for her.

(End of chapter)