Chapter 16: Evil Eye Moon

"Evil Eye Moon?" Jiang You tilted his head. The large, deep eye sockets of his skull shone with vibrant soul fire. "It sounds familiar... What is that?"

"It's a mysterious sect," Andre explained. "Most people working in magic-related professions worship the 'Red Devil Moon.' This ancient custom has lasted for thousands or even tens of thousands of years, giving rise to countless imaginations and interpretations, and various sects and myths.

"The state religion of our Huntington Principality is Lunaris, a tolerant and upright religion. We encourage the peaceful development of magic, the integration of black magic into everyday life, and its harmlessness...

“It’s like your time magic.

"Normally, time magic is too powerful and dangerous. Once misused, it can have a profound impact on people, history, kingdoms, and even the world, potentially even causing the collapse of space and time. Among all forms of black magic, it is considered the most dangerous.

"But, just like you, by using a little bit of the grace of time safely and within a controllable range, you can quickly brew these delicious... fermented rice."

Takumi nodded vigorously. "That's right! That's right! Just like gunpowder can be used to make fireworks or explosives, and a knife can be used to cut vegetables or hurt people, magic is just a tool. Whether it is used for good or evil depends entirely on the user's own will~"

This is the peace concept passed down from her ancestors. She never expected that people in this medieval magical world could have such advanced ideas and insights!

Andre was also surprised. Although the Moon Worship Cult was the state religion, its philosophy was indeed novel in this world. Not to mention other countries, even their own people might not be able to fully understand and accept it.

The brain circuits from the two worlds connected perfectly at this moment, their concepts overlapped and they understood each other. Both sides felt sincerely relieved, and their eyes looking at each other became softer.

Andre felt that the skeleton in front of him was somewhat handsome... cough, it looked pleasing to the eye.

He continued, "I don't know how much you know about our Duchy of Huntington... Anyway, shortly after our King, Mabley Huntington, took over the mess left by King Rudolf Delman and transformed himself from Grand Duke of Huntington to King of Huntington, the mysterious sect of 'Evil Eye Moon' began to gradually come into people's view.

"This sect opposes the popularization and daily use of black magic. They insist that magic is a gift from God, and only people of specific noble bloodlines can inherit this gift."

"Oh wow~" Jiang You thought: This is a bit like the Snake Courtyard... As expected, in the magical world, there are always people who uphold the theory of bloodline supremacy.

"Although the theory of bloodline is an outdated concept, after King Huntington ascended to the throne, the old royal family of Derman gradually lost its former glory and prestige. The lords, marquises, and earls left behind by the old royal family could no longer profit from their relationship with the new king, and could only cling to their old wealth and live off it, generation after generation.

"Even though King Huntington mercifully allowed their descendants to inherit the titles and lands without being demoted, these side branches of the royal family were accustomed to extravagant lifestyles and were not good at managing their businesses, and their debts continued to pile up with each generation. The high-end magic passed down from generation to generation in the family was the last resort for their property.

"The Moon Worship Cult and the democratization of magic have meant they can no longer monopolize specialized magic products, leading to the development of more affordable alternative magic... Sometimes people don't care what kind of magic they use or how many years of tradition it has; they only care about the cost and effectiveness.

"As long as the cost is low enough and the effect is acceptable, civilians won't be too picky."

"Indeed." Jiangyou understands this mentality very well. It's like the things that cost 9.9 yuan on Pinduoduo may not be really useful, but it only costs 9.9 yuan, so what's the point of buying a bicycle!

Commoners have their own way of living, and royals have their own way of living. Someone earning a million dollars a month might not necessarily be happy, but someone with very little money can still wander the world alone. To put it bluntly, the aristocrats of the old royal family wanted everyone to spend a fortune on their exquisite ostrich eggs, while the common people preferred the free-range eggs they found in their own chicken coops...

A mountain is not famous for its height, but for the immortals living there. An egg is not famous for its size, but for its edible quality. Although our homemade chicken eggs are small, they taste much better than ostrich eggs!

"With the support of the common people, the Moon Worship Cult quickly became the state religion, and King Huntington gained a firm foothold. The nobles of the old Delman royal family lost support and property, and their estrangement from the Huntington royal family gradually widened. Then, the 'Evil Eye Moon,' who advocated the theory of bloodline, emerged and immediately gained the full support of these old nobles and royal relatives."

Jiang You understood: "On the surface, it looks like a sectarian conflict, but in reality, it's a conflict of interests between the new and old royal nobles!"

Andrei greatly admired the skeleton's intelligence. "Exactly! 'Evil Eye Moon' has rapidly expanded with the unspoken support of these old nobles and clan members, attracting many magic masters who believe that 'magic should be aloof and have strict entry barriers.' We suspect Mi Funa is one of them."

"Evil Eye Moon... is that what they call themselves? They don't sound like good people." Jiang You asked doubtfully.

Andre smiled and said, “No, this is what we call this organization.

"The name comes from the fact that when they commit crimes, they always leave behind a signature mark called the 'Eye of the Waning Moon' at the scene."

He dipped his fingertips in some water and drew a waning moon on the table. He then drew a vertical pupil of a reptile in the middle of the waning moon with a few strokes. It looked a bit like a cursive and abstract "G".

Andrei began to explain in a rambling manner, but Takumi's eyes were drawn to his fingertips—they were a pair of beautiful hands:

The skin is fair, the joints are clear, and the lines are slender; the nails are round and smooth, with a healthy light pink color, and most importantly, the gaps between the nails are very clean, without a trace of dirt.

Looking up, there is a thick layer of calluses on the fingertips and palm of the right hand where the sword is held, and there is an old scar on the base of the left hand, which should be the legendary scar that is easily left when the sword is sheathed.

He wore a slightly worn leather armor wrist guard on his wrist. The style matched the leather armor he was wearing, but it did not seem to match his true identity. It looked more like a disguise for a secret visit.

Under the leather armor, one can vaguely see the muscles with graceful lines and explosive power, which shows that the picture album did not exaggerate the facts.

Although this knight is a member of the royal family, he does not look like the pampered type. He pays great attention to his personal hygiene and image, and also pays great attention to his exercise. However, when he goes on a secret visit, he dresses decently.

"...Based on the above, we can conclude that these cases were all committed by Evil Eye Moon..."

Takumi: ...Wait a minute! What did you just say? Why did you suddenly say all of this?! (☉д⊙)