Chapter 3367: The Clown · Mortis

Finally, Xia De spoke of his visit to the cemetery with Sister Sister Daifulin, and the purple-eyed Miss asked with a smile:

"You obtained 【Jealousy】 in the cemetery? In front of two nuns? Oh, you are truly... but what method did you use to make Sister Sister Daifulin so obedient? Suppose I also had the talent to inherit the First Fire; I do not think I could have a relationship with nuns that good."

"Luvia, Sister Sister Daifulin was never that kind of person... let us not bring up this topic. I find you always like to tease me about matters with nuns."

He picked up his knife and fork:

"The adventure in the Wasteland is over; we must look forward. For instance, this afternoon I am going to meet Mr. Mortis. On the night the Infinite Serpent appeared, a snake shed skin also appeared by his side. He belongs to the 【Clown Troupe】; do you think he could be a candidate?"

Luvia shrugged indifferently:

"You could test whether he knows things like the Main Role, or exchange messages about 'Key Stories' and the like, and you would know. You saved that potion merchant, so you are already friends with him. Moreover, the organization he belongs to is neutral itself; exchanging information, he and the 【Clown Troupe】 certainly would not refuse."

"If he knows a great deal, then even if he is not one, someone in their organization certainly is."

She turned her head again to look at the hanging painting in the living room:

"Do not forget to ask about that mermaid. I know you have always been worried about this thing."

"Yes, traces of the Desire Apostles have appeared in Vesta Forest, Tobesque, and the Fatumunster Snow Mountain. I do not want to see the End Times arrive only for human civilization to destroy itself because of that thing. I know just how terrible it is."

After lunch, Xia De stayed at home with Luvia for a while. Only after Luvia's afternoon nap ended and she returned to the Prophet Association did Xia De go to the Snow Mountain again.

Of course, the cat was left at home. The morning adventure had been enough; it did not want to go out again in the afternoon.

In the morning, Amelia and Sylvia went together to handle the problem of the castle portal. When Xia De arrived at the Witch Gao Ta on the ridge at noon, he did not see their traces; presumably, the problem with that portal was not so easily solved.

Therefore, Xia De still chose to enter the city via Victoria Street. Because the meeting place with Mr. Mortis was in Time Wheel City, Xia De did not go to Kyle-Todd Town.

Of course, they were not going to meet in the city center. Seeing that the time was about right, Xia De followed the address given by the 'Intermediary' potion merchant Mr. Sargent and took a carriage to the docks.

There were many police in the city today; the carriage was even stopped and questioned by police twice on the road. Xia De had not read the newspaper and knew no news, but the coachmen always knew the city's affairs well:

"Today, the representatives of Carsonric and Delarion are holding their first closed-door talks. Grand Duke Ragsen has ordered all police in the city to be on high alert, but I see the police here will not be of much use. Last year, the clothes hanging to dry at my door were stolen, and they still have not recovered them."

The full-scale war conducted by the Sette Duchy and the Milson Duchy under the support of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms has entered its second month. With spring drawing ever closer, Carsonric and Delarion are also making final mobilization preparations.

Even the coachmen in such a remote city knew that peaceful days were few and far between.

The place where Mr. Mortis arranged to meet Xia De was located on a lighthouse at the southern end of the Time Wheel City docks. The lighthouse was made of gray stone, at the edge of the most remote pier in the docks. After climbing the lighthouse, one could see the warships of the two great kingdoms moored on the sea surface, as well as various ships coming and going to the Time Wheel City docks.

The door downstairs of the lighthouse was not locked. When Xia De climbed the spiral staircase to the top floor, Mr. Mortis had already arrived.

He was still wearing a clown mask, just as when the two first met. Having probably guessed Xia De's purpose, he extended his hand to shake Xia De's hand and introduced himself in more detail:

"【Clown Troupe】, Clown Mortis."

Xia De also wanted to introduce himself in a similar format, but he had no power base:

"An out-of-town Ring Mage hired by a Fatum person, John Watson."

The two did not engage in excessive pleasantries. Xia De once again took out the 'Clown Card' he had obtained in Tobesque:

"On the night of Grand Duke Ragsen's banquet last week, when you ambushed Countess Valdeck at the docks and encountered that snake, the one who produced this card was me."

Mr. Mortis nodded:

"Yes, when Sargent said you wanted to meet me, I guessed. There was no chance to thank you for your help last week. If you had not intervened, our team and the Church's team would likely have suffered heavy losses then. You deserve our friendship."

Because he knew the man before him was far stronger than himself, he used honorifics:

"Then what do you seek me for?"

"Of course, the snake shed skin."

Speaking, Xia De took out the snake shed skin to reveal his identity. Of course, this was the blank snake shed skin left in Luvia's hands for research; Xia De had specially brought it to impersonate his identity:

"There is no need for me to be too explicit about some things, but I think you, who also possess a snake shed skin, should be very clear in your heart. Let us exchange intelligence. As a gesture of sincerity, I can tell you that the competitors are also the 【Misfortune Cult】 and the 【Myriad Numbers Return to One Society】."

The other party wore a mask, so Xia De had no way to observe the other's expression:

"You may know some of their circumstances, or even have already fought them, but you certainly do not know some things. They each hold an Angel-level Relic that controls fate. Answer one question of mine, and I can tell you."

The intelligence on the three Angel-level Relics came from the conversation between Long-haired Luvia and Claire that Xia De heard from the 'Lower Spring'; Xia De was confident this intelligence was very valuable.

The man wearing the clown mask nodded lightly. Before coming, he had already communicated with the rest of the troupe about possible situations, and the current conversation was still within expectations:

"I know the 【Misfortune Cult】 holds a spinning wheel. Although we have clashed with the 【Myriad Numbers Return to One Society】, we only know they can control probability and fate to a certain extent; we do not know more detailed circumstances... Very well, what question do you wish to ask?"

"What is the Angel-level Fate-type Relic that you hold in your hands?"

Xia De directly assumed they possessed such a Relic. A smile appeared behind Mr. Mortis's mask:

"Your question is indeed very direct."

"After all, our meeting today is for these matters; there is no need to beat around the bush. That is the method of politicians in the city nowadays."

Xia De did not urge him but stood at a high place looking at the distant horizon. Mr. Mortis looked at his back and answered:

"A magic mirror. I apologize; I cannot directly reveal what Relic it is."

But this was enough for Xia De. The last of the three Relics, the 【Myriad Paths Kaleidoscope】 which could 'see many possibilities of the future, then choose the one desired, causing the flow of fate to move toward the chosen future,' was in the hands of the 【Clown Troupe】.

Xia De thus also gave his intelligence:

"The 【Myriad Numbers Return to One Society】 holds the 【Puppeteer's Script】. This was borrowed from the 【Blood Spirit School】, though the Blood Spirit School should not have sent anyone here for the time being. This Relic is quite famous; you can look up the specific information yourselves."

Mr. Mortis silently memorized this information:

"It is that script, is it? We indeed did not expect it to be that... Since we have talked this far, actually, before meeting you this time, the troupe also anticipated some questions you might ask. Let us talk about the snake shed skin issue. Regarding... that position, the troupe's view is that if we can strive for it, that is better; if we cannot strive for it, it does not matter."

He spoke out his and the troupe's view:

"The clowns of the troupe have understood their responsibility and mission since joining. Although a clown cannot completely fail to be the main role, I know what function I am more suited to play in this drama that has already been performed to make the drama more brilliant."

He also took out his own snake shed skin, but similarly did not show its contents to Xia De, after all, the 'Personal Main Line' involved much privacy:

"Before the topic begins, I want to confirm: you know the source of Countess Valdeck's power, right? What is your view on it? Answer this question, and I can talk about the origin of my snake shed skin."

"I know what that power is—the mermaid, the desire bred in the heart, the enemy of all intelligent life, but no one can completely destroy it."

Xia De spoke softly. Mr. Mortis seemed startled, but he understood Xia De's statement:

"It is good that you know. Since you also view 'that thing' and its followers as enemies, then there is actually friendship between us. I am currently a candidate for the Main Role; I can tell you this directly."

"About six months ago, in the summer of 1854, I bought a batch of old parchment from an antique merchant in the city to use as consumables for copying ancient texts. The snake shed skin I hold in my hands now was tucked among that parchment at the time."

"I did not realize its extraordinariness at first. Later, when blood accidentally dripped onto it and it revealed text, I reported it to the troupe. The troupe only replied to me in late autumn last year. At that time, the high-ranking members of the troupe came directly to the island to find me and informed me what this was, as well as about this grand performance that has already opened."

This story was full of drama, but such an "opening" aligned with Xia De's understanding of the Chosen One ritual.

Xia De asked again:

"When you first obtained this snake shedding—the moment the letters first appeared on it—were you already a protagonist candidate?"

Mr. Motis nodded; this suggested his original ranking had been higher than Young Lady Larson's, though it was unclear what the current order was.

(End of Chapter)