Chapter 3635: The Deal with the Association

Claire felt her words had been stolen:

"Megan, Bella just told me it will snow again tonight, so we probably won't see the stars."

"I see... then just find someone to fetch it. Xia De, you and Vanessa go to the Prophets' Association and return quickly. I'll go check what Bella is doing. It shouldn't always be cloudy recently, right?"

The subsequent trip to the Prophets' Association went very smoothly. Xia De first tested the waters, confirming the Association truly did not know that the former President, Chaneim Rod, had visited the ruins at the peak of the Snow Mountain. Afterwards, he took out the 【Ring of Fate: War】.

President Lenormant had not left the local area recently, and the old man Zaratul also attended this meeting. Before "Mr. Crystal" could identify what this was, the old man stood up in sudden surprise:

"Fate! Is this an artifact crafted from the Ring of Fate?"

"Yes, it is the Fate of War from the body of the Falling Star Beast."

Snowflakes were drifting outside the window again. Vanessa and Xia De sat on the same sofa. The witch, bored, flipped through "Love and Fate: How to Increase Your Charm," which she had casually picked from the bookshelf. She did not participate in this conversation.

"The Association also knows that ancient transcendents mastered the method of forging the Ring of Fate into weapons or artifacts, but this method has long been lost."

President Lenormant said cautiously:

"Summoner, I never expected you to actually find this lost technique."

"Specifically, this is a legacy left by ancient witches within the Witch Council. Unfortunately, this technique only left behind the principles. I attempted to forge this ring, but Mr. Zaratul, your eyes should be able to discover the problem with this ring, correct?"

The old man nodded:

"Even though it has become an artifact, the ring can still directly represent Fate... I understand your meaning, Your Excellency Summoner. Fate has not been dissolved into power."

"Yes, so I will handle the containment of this ring very cautiously."

Xia De then started another topic:

"After the Seven Acts end, the candidates must possess a Ring of Fate resonating with themselves before they can proceed to the final Act. Although the Mad Omniscient One said that the ruins at the summit contain a way for candidates to condense Fate themselves, it would still be good if other Rings of Fate exist.

I have other sources of information; the more Rings of Fate the candidates hold, the better."

He turned to President Lenormant:

"Can the 【Civilization】 and 【Punish Evil】 within the Association be brought out for the candidates to try contacting?"

The fortune-teller wearing a crystal monocle was greatly surprised:

"How did you know about those two... Is it information left by Laplace Howard again?"

Actually, Xia De had asked it directly from the other party's mouth:

"That former traitor of the Prophets' Association really knows many things. Now, besides this Ring of War here, the Fatu people have also contributed one of Ice and Snow. The Ice and Snow has already resonated with the Miss I support, and this Ring of War can also be tried by everyone."

As for "Hope," since it was a gift from an Unknowable-level Relic given to Yi Lu Na, Xia De did not intend to mention it.

He signaled for the old man Zaratul to put the ring on his hand. The latter looked at President Lenormant, and only after receiving confirmation did he complete the wearing. The result was exactly as Xia De expected; he was equally unsuited for the "Fate of War."

"The Association's two rings... I apologize, Civilization cannot be brought out. That ring absolutely cannot be moved casually; it is currently participating in another major plan of the Association. This is the Association's highest secret. As for 'Punish Evil'... that is possible. Today is Thursday; the Association will deliver it to the island on the weekend. We will contact you then."

Xia De nodded:

"Only Fate can counter Fate. Only by possessing a Ring of Fate resonating with oneself can one counter that avatar of the Doomsday Fate. I currently hold two, and the Association holds two.

In the final battle against Mr. Snake, it would naturally be better if there were more Ring Wielders holding Rings of Fate. Therefore, I hope that regarding information on the 'Ring of Fate' from now on, we can share it. This concerns the number of Ring Wielders who will ultimately serve as the main force."

As a gesture of sincerity, Xia De shared information about the "Ring of Resurrection" possessed by the Demons, but he still did not mention "Hope" nor the "Luck" located in the very center of the Oracle Square.

And the Prophets' Association indeed knew some things:

"The Cult of Misfortune holds the 'Fate of Misfortune.' This is something we have known for three hundred years. They must have brought this Ring of Fate as well. Currently, only the Chosen of the Cult of Misfortune is the most mysterious; I suspect the other party can resonate with that 'Misfortune'."

"Misfortune, huh... It seems to match neither Mr. Zaratul, the Miss I support, nor that Clown."

Moreover, it did not match Xia De himself or Yi Lu Na either; everyone's luck was quite good.

Xia De hesitated for a moment:

"There is one more thing. Laplace Howard also considered the matter of the Chosen of Fate, but he discovered he had no connection to the story of Fate and ultimately did nothing. However, he left behind a very crucial fragment of a poem. I even believe this is the most important fragment content to date."

Xia De did not request a transaction from the Prophets' Association; he simply stated the content directly:

"There are three Fates. I think the meaning is that possessing three Rings of Fate will form some kind of qualitative change."

President Lenormant nodded slightly, then sighed:

"Now we haven't even found a single matching ring; how are we supposed to find three?"

And outside the complete rings, the Association actually held some curved arcs. Just as the witches had guessed, many of the points in the current number one, the old man Zaratul, were obtained after the curved arcs shattered, and the Association indeed had not consumed all the curved arcs in their possession.

President Lenormant gave Xia De a list, which contained the curved arcs currently owned by the Association, as well as the names of relics the Association suspected might possess curved arcs or even complete rings.

"Your Excellency Summoner, if the Association wishes to commission you to forge some of the curved arcs into artifacts like that ring, would you be willing to accept the commission?"

Although Vanessa was still looking at the book in her hand, she spoke up on Xia De's behalf:

"What is the reward?"

To maintain the transcendent image of the "Summoner," she did not want Xia De to speak about the reward.

And the Prophets' Association was indeed generous:

"For every curved arc consumed to forge an item of equipment, we will pay Your Excellency Summoner an additional curved arc, and pay the Witch Council an item used by an ancient Witch Emperor that you might be interested in."

This was also profitable for the Association, after all, once the curved arcs became equipment, they could be safely passed down for generations.

"Then what kind of equipment do you want? This requires a suitable vessel. If you do not have a suitable vessel in hand either, you can cooperate with the Fatu people to excavate that star vein at the bottom of the sea."

Vanessa spoke again. President Lenormant heard this as an agreement to cooperate:

"I need to discuss this with several Vice Presidents of the Association and the Elder Keepers of Secrets. I will give you a reply when we bring 'Punish Evil' on the weekend."

And before leaving, Xia De mentioned another matter:

"The arrangement of the Great Symphony of Fate ritual has recently reached the most critical stage. I would like the Association to dispatch a team of fortune-tellers to reside temporarily in the town to help the Fatu people complete the arrangements around the town and in some remote villages."

He additionally made a request:

"The Fatu people dislike you; I cannot change this notion. So please try to send fortune-tellers with a Delarian background to help. They can temporarily stay at the Harpoon Inn in the town. Recently, with such bad weather, the inns in the small town are almost empty."

This was a very reasonable request, and President Lenormant agreed directly. So, barring any unexpected events, Lu Lu Weiya would soon be arranged to reside permanently in Kyle-Todd Town. In this way, she could appear on the Radiant Messenger more frequently.

Xia De believed that with Lu Lu Weiya's capabilities, she would certainly be able to secure this qualification for herself.

"Do you guess the Prophets' Association is hiding other things?"

As the carriage driven by Vanessa's followers started moving, Vanessa, looking at the list, asked.

Xia De shrugged indifferently:

"Aren't we hiding many things right now too? Everyone has their own motives; after all, there is only one chosen identity, which is understandable. However, at least regarding the number of Rings of Fate, the Association should not have lied to us. Although Laplace Howard defected from the Association and spawned six generations, he could not have paid no attention to the Association's movements during this period."

Xia De thought for a moment and said to the Miss driving the carriage:

"It is still early; let us go to the Frost-Kissed Corridor outside the city."

The Miss driving the carriage turned at the next intersection, and Vanessa handed the list to Xia De:

"Hilary recently plans to perform a ritual on the island, which requires my help and that of the Fathom Elder."

"What does she want to do?"

"To read the memory of the earth of this island, or rather, to read the memory of the snow mountain. She wants to learn the past events here through this, and also hopes to know what the 'Snow Mountain Guardian' truly is through this method."

"After the Randall Valley incident ended last year, didn't you ask Hilary to help read the memory of the earth of the hill where the Night Spirit Temple is located? Plus with the 'Power of the Earth' she holds herself, she has now mastered this power quite skillfully."

Vanessa replied. Xia De hadn't met Hilary much on the ship recently, and he didn't expect the blonde Miss to be doing such things:

"The Fathom Monst Snow Mountain has very strong spirituality. Can Hilary now read the earth memory of such special areas?"

"That is why my help and that of the Fathom Elders are needed. Moreover, everyone is progressing, especially Hilary's talent is actually very good."

She smiled and lowered her voice slightly:

"In my opinion, Hilary's talent is even better than most of this generation's Witch Apprentices. If she hadn't always disagreed, I would have made her my apprentice long before Margaret."

"After you helped her find her father and resolved her inner conflict, her speed of progress even surprised me."

"So, does Hilary's ritual require my help?"

"Not currently; you should focus on your own matters first. However, we will call you then. Perhaps you haven't found the woman spreading the plague recklessly yet, but Hilary might have found the Snow Mountain Guardian first. Speaking of which, could the so-called Snow Mountain Guardian also be a female figure?"

She made a joke:

"If the other party is also female, Xia De, perhaps your invincible charm will need to be used then. After all, you are someone who can even charm the natural spirits born in the ice and snow."