Chapter 591

Hearing the footsteps coming from the basement, the three people in the living room upstairs immediately stood up.

Before long, they saw Xia De appear at the top of the stairs with a grave expression. It was already six o'clock in the evening, and outside the living room window, St. Theresa Square was shrouded in the autumn evening glow, but Xia De had no time to appreciate the beauty of the sunset.

Hugging the cat that had happily run over, Xia De signaled for everyone to sit down and talk:

"I did indeed arrive in Midhill."

Xia De spoke very directly, and since he hadn't returned all afternoon, the Doctor, Dorothy, and Luvia actually already knew this would be the result.

The four of them sat on the sofa, listening to Xia De recount his itinerary for the day. The nuns of the Blind House had once said not to mention them to others, so Xia De omitted the identity of the Ringed Shushi who had provided him with help, but no one cared about such details.

"Level 0 Relic?"

Everyone present knew this concept, and therefore feared this kind of power even more.

"Doctor, this is just the speculation of the local Ringed Shushi, but it's hard to say what it actually is."

"Even if it isn't an Unknowable-class, the boundary between life and death is definitely not a simple place."

Luvia frowned tightly:

"What should we do next?"

Regardless of whether it was an Unknowable-class relic, it was not something they could solve.

"I'm going to go find a high-ranking Ringed Shushi living in Tobesk in a while; she might have some ideas."

Luvia and Dorothy both knew he was referring to Miss Galina, and because this was to save Priest Augustus, Dorothy didn't say anything.

"Then I will go back first and try to probe the investigation progress of the Academy. If they don't know about these circumstances yet, I'll think of some ways to see how to reasonably pass on the information. Xia De, you move really fast."

The Doctor sighed.

"My friend still has some influence in Midhill; I'll contact her again. The subsequent actions in Midhill might require the support of secular forces."

Dorothy said, and Xia De nodded; if he could have the cooperation of the police or even the military in a strange city, his subsequent actions would be much more convenient.

He was just curious how Lei Qianya still had influence in Midhill.

"Level 0 Relic... I'll try to see if the Diviner Society has any relevant records."

Luvia closed her eyes:

"I hope the priest can hold on until our help arrives, or that the Academy can provide a solution."

Xia De tried to comfort her:

"The Ringed Shushi friends in Midhill are very generous; they opened up some secret information about missing persons to me. According to past experience, low-ranking Ringed Shushi like Priest Augustus can usually linger at the boundary for a week. If they still can't walk out after a week..."

He pursed his lips and didn't continue.

Although the four of them had gathered together, no one was in the mood to suggest going out for dinner. So, after agreeing to meet again at Xia De's place tomorrow afternoon, everyone left individually.

And the very sorrowful Xia De, after having dinner with Little Mia, finally waited for the carriage parked downstairs.

It wasn't Miss Galina who had come, but the carriage was there to take Xia De to the Duchess's manor in the suburbs.

Xia De, preoccupied with his thoughts, only noticed that he had forgotten to leave Mia at home once the carriage started. But he didn't want to waste any more time, so he held the cat and continued to think.

Mia, however, was very dissatisfied with this unexpected trip; compared to acting with Xia De, it preferred waiting at home for Xia De to return.

"Look who's here? Isn't this the King of Luo De Pai of 1853?"

Just as he walked into the manor's study, he heard the witch teasing him.

She was sitting on the sofa, holding a small, closed red hardcover book in her hand. If Xia De wasn't mistaken, the title of the book seemed to be "The Art of Power."

"Xia De, you really are busy. You just finished the Great City Player and haven't even finished collecting your prizes, so why have you developed an interest in Midhill?"

The witch beckoned, and the maids in the room went to prepare tea and snacks. Difa stood behind Miss Galina, smiling and nodding at Xia De.

"I've encountered a very troublesome matter."

Xia De said distressfully, then sat down while holding Mia. Because he needed to rescue Priest Augustus, he explained the problem he was currently facing in as much detail as possible.

Miss Galina had no expression on her face throughout the process of listening to Xia De. After he finished speaking, she hesitated for a moment before asking:

"The edge of life and death, the final area before death... Xia De, are you sure you really want to get involved in this kind of thing? I think I don't need to tell you how dangerous this is."

"Priest Augustus is my friend; I can't just ignore it."

Xia De gave his answer very firmly, and the witch shook her head:

"I knew you would say that. Then let's talk about the so-called 'boundary of life and death' first. I think the knowledge you currently have access to hasn't reached this level yet. How should I describe it... This is not a location that truly exists; there is no definite space to regulate the living and the dead. But because living people always believe that there should be a boundary between death and life, this kind of place appears. Do you understand?"

Xia De, holding the cat, thought for a moment:

"I think I understand."

"It's not just Midhill; in fact, similar phenomena can appear all over the world, but Midhill is the most severe one. Fortunately, in the distant past, even further back than the Fifth Era, the supernatural beings of the material world sealed those eerie edges of death, or edges of life, all over the world. Even after the passage of time, the changing of eras, and even the one under the Sikar Mountains turning into a relic, this seal still exists."

"Since the seal exists, why did an exit to that kind of place suddenly open in the Midhill area?"

"I don't know the reason. I only know that with the arrival of the Sixth Era, similar seals are becoming increasingly unstable. The material world hasn't changed, so, perhaps death itself has changed."

The witch replied, and Xia De frowned in thought, unable to understand what "death itself has changed" meant.

"Besides basic knowledge, I can also provide you with some more practical help, but you have to pay the price yourself."

"I still have..."

"No, that's not what I mean. Do you think I'm short of the few coins in your pocket?"

She mocked, and the maids brought tea cups for the two, even preparing food for the cat in Xia De's arms. That "haughty" cat didn't leave Xia De immediately, but waited until the maids had left before jumping onto the coffee table.

Xia De didn't pay it any mind:

"Then what do you mean..."

"A Great Witch lives in Midhill—yes, a Great Witch. Among the thirteen seats of the Council, Lady Zina Cassandra ranks twelfth. She is 184 years old this year and looks to be about fifty. Although she is only a Tenth-Ring, she is skilled in demonology and knowledge of alien creatures. She is also the oldest among the currently living Great Witches."

This meant that Lady Cassandra was the one who had joined the 【Witch Council】 earliest among the currently living Great Witches.

"We usually call her 'Grandma Cassandra.' During the Dionysus incident some time ago, most of the Council's information regarding the Pus Demon was also provided by her. But unlike Xiwei—Xiwei and I have been good friends for a long time, so even if you were exposed in front of her, I could protect you. But I can't say for sure what attitude Grandma Cassandra has toward your kind of existence."

"Cassandra?"

Xia De thought for a moment:

"I seem to have heard this surname somewhere... Oh, I've seen it on a lamppost!"

"Cassandra Auction House, which mainly deals in antique and art auctions. You should know the Ford Auction House in the center of Tobesk, right? That is one of the local branches of the Cassandra Auction House. This can be considered one of the largest auction houses in the world. And, unlike Xiwei who inherited her family's business, Grandma Cassandra achieved all this through her own efforts; she had a good teacher."

The witch's golden eyes gazed at Xia De:

"Xia De, for various reasons, I cannot go to Midhill to help you. So if you want to obtain effective help locally, Grandma Cassandra is the best choice, but also a risky one. Regardless, I will find a way to probe Grandma Cassandra's attitude toward your kind of existence. If you want to see her, I can write you a letter of introduction and tell her about it in the Council in advance. It would be best not to expose the fact that you can enter and exit the Council."

"What does Lady Cassandra think of men?"

Xia De asked curiously, scratching Little Mia's chin.

"Witches' attitudes toward men are basically the same, but the underlying reasons differ. Xiwei truly likes pretty girls and believes the witch's curse is a reasonable price for power. I am..."

She glanced at Difa:

"When I joined the Council, Grandma Cassandra was already very old. I couldn't ask her such questions, but clearly, we are members of the Handkerchief Appreciation Society."

She said with a smile, and Xia De nodded to show he understood:

"Besides seeking help from this Great Witch, are there any other organizations in Midhill that can provide me with support?"

"Besides witches, you can also seek help from the 【Spirit Cult】."

Xia De had promised to keep secrets, so he hadn't revealed the matter of the "Blind House" just now.

"The 【Spirit Cult】 has a stronghold in Midhill?"

He pretended to know nothing, wanting Miss Galina to bring up the matter of the "Blind House."

"Not just a stronghold; the headquarters of the 【Spirit Cult】 is in Midhill."

Miss Galina said, shaking her finger, and Xia De raised his eyebrows. Although he was somewhat surprised, he could understand why Ms. Michelle of the Blind House hadn't mentioned this. After all, he was just a strange Ringed Shushi of unknown identity and background. Even though he had gained some trust because of Priest Augustus, it was clearly impossible for the other party to trust him completely right away.