Chapter 78 Entrance Examination ② Entrance Examination Part Two, ...
In the grand and magnificent ceremony, clear blessed water was poured onto everyone's heads. Some of their hair remained red after being wet with the water, while others began to gradually fade. The red seemed to remain unchanged, but it was no longer the bright and dazzling red; some even turned into other colors.
Among all the unfamiliar faces, only Barbara's red hair remained vibrant under the gentle caress of the blessed water. In that instant, Barbara clearly sensed the gazes of all the red-haired people, and her expression softened considerably. Even in her conversations with them after the ceremony, she noticed their lack of wariness towards her.
It seems the Blessing Water's ability to fade color isn't limited to hair dye. Of course, Barbara had already anticipated this; when she bestowed the blessing, she silently prayed that the Duke of Arledley's descendants would receive it and be safe, and her sincere blessing was indeed received.
After the ceremony, someone handed her a towel to dry the blessed water from her hair. Most of the red hair that hadn't changed color was just pretending to wipe it off, while only those with changed color or other hair colors wiped it off. Without her asking, a local quietly approached her.
"Don't wipe it, the sincere will be blessed." After saying that, the person slipped away.
She didn't wipe it away, but instead focused her gaze on the sky, where a black bird flew by. The bird circled over the area, as if it had noticed Barbara's gaze, and then gently approached. No one paid attention to the bird's passing, except for Barbara, who heard Enid's voice from it.
"Laila has already tested it; the blessed water is genuine, it's the pass."
After she finished speaking, Lyra rose again, becoming a black dot.
Meanwhile, Enid, having finished her call with Barbara, was fortunate to be able to communicate via Laila; otherwise, communication would have been extremely inconvenient, as there was no internet in this area, and they could only rely on short-range transmission. Tim and Enid had already located the exact area where the descendants lived, and Naya had already headed towards Barbara; they were waiting to rendezvous in their hiding place.
After the ceremony, Barbara had a friendly chat with the others and received unusually smooth answers, until the black cat came from the corner and stepped on Barbara's foot.
"To be so friendly to a black cat, Miss Gordon... you must be a very kind person."
Barbara wasn't quite sure why they said that, but she could tell from the genuine affection in their eyes when they saw Naya that the black cat held a special place in their hearts; in general Western folklore, black cats weren't revered beings. So Barbara reached out and picked Naya up. Seeing Barbara lift the black cat, the other woman's expression became even more admiring and kind.
"Isn't he adorable?"
“Yes,” Barbara said, her expression brightening. “Actually, I shouldn’t have told you, but since Miss Gordon is curious, you should ask Grandma Mora about the history. She’s the most beautiful red-haired old lady in the area on the right, and she knows a lot of stories.”
"Thank you, and I wish you success in your confession today."
After saying goodbye, Barbara, guided by Naya, arrived at the location of Enid and the others. This location happened to overlap with the area on the right that the person had mentioned. As soon as she approached, Barbara noticed Enid waving at her.
“That’s great,” Enid looked it over. “As expected, this blessed water has an extraordinary effect. It’s only for a specific group of people. The person who receives the blessing will receive genuine good luck. And unlike traditional lucky magic, it won’t affect their own good luck, but rather bestows special favor upon them.”
Enid examined it carefully for a long time. She couldn't make such blessed water, not because she didn't have the recipe or lacked the ability, but because she could only bestow the same blessing upon believers. The good fortune without side effects was only for believers of the Mother Goddess, so she had never mentioned it. However, they weren't curious about it either.
“It looks like I made the right choice. Now we should go find Madam Mora.”
Barbara didn't press for more information about the blessed water. Instead, she began to describe what they called Grandma Mora. Upon hearing Barbara's choice, Enid's eyes suddenly lit up.
"Perhaps, she is the descendant we are looking for!"
"Among the redheads who did not participate, the only elderly person was this old lady in the flower shop here."
After Tim pulled up the floor plan, he determined their next destination. As they approached, the others, who had been on high alert, seemed to notice Barbara's red hair and suddenly relaxed. Not to mention Tim was holding a black cat. However, when they entered the flower shop, there were still other people there.
The flower shop had both seasonal and out-of-season flowers. The most eye-catching thing was the hanging basket on the wall, which contained fresh flowers and withered apples. Old Mrs. Mora was wearing an old knitted shawl and a cotton long dress with apple leaf patterns on the dress. There were only three or four people around, but they looked tall and strong. In terms of physique, they were similar to Bruce's, but slightly less so.
But that didn't matter. Barbara approached with a friendly smile, greeted Mrs. Mora politely, and chatted with her for a bit based on the words of the kind little boy who had given her the answer. Only then did Barbara reveal her purpose.
"Actually, I have something I'd like to ask, if you know of Lamoia Castle, Mrs. Mora?"
"Hmm...I know, child. What are you going there for?"
Lady Mora's cloudy eyes were full of tenderness as she smiled at Barbara, Tim, and Enid. Enid spoke up somewhat shyly.
“I’m sorry, actually I asked my siblings to come with me. I have a letter to deliver to Mr. John who lives nearby.” Enid’s intuition told her to tell the truth directly and never lie. Barbara and Tim didn’t stop Enid, but watched as she gave her test.
Mrs. Mora seemed surprised for a moment, then her blue eyes became excessively moist.
“Good children, good children…you are all good children. Actually…maybe I shouldn’t say this, but I’m sorry, if possible I hope you can deliver the letter. Lamoia Castle is between divine grace and death, where everything is right and wrong. Just go where you want to go. You are a good child, you will surely reach hope.”
After speaking, Mrs. Mora seemed visibly tired, so they politely took their leave. Before leaving, Enid took out a red apple and placed it on Mrs. Mora's table. When she saw the apple, Mrs. Mora's tears finally fell. She gently stroked the apple, and the eyes of the tall, strong men also seemed to moisten.
The Duke of Aladele's favorite fruit must have been apples, since the city was once most famous for its apples. Unfortunately, all the apple trees here have now been cut down.
As I was leaving the flower shop, a little boy suddenly ran over. He had bright red hair and was holding something. He had obvious freckles on his face, but an overly lively smile on his lips, and he spoke very loudly.
"Hey out-of-towner! Want a map? It's the latest one! It's cheap, just the price of a piece of fruit!"
"Is it okay to use one apple?"
Enid took out an apple and gently squatted down. The little boy stared at the apple for a moment, then excitedly pulled a crumpled map from his bag, handed it to Enid, and ran off with the apple. Enid stood up, unfolded the map, and handed it to Barbara and Tim.
After taking the map and looking at it, and understanding the story of Lamoia Castle and Mrs. Mora's words, their journey seemed to form a long route on the map. But this was a good thing, because once the destination was found, there was no need to fear the long journey.
Next, they should return to the hotel, rest for a while, and then set off in the afternoon.
On the way, Enid felt a little embarrassed.
“Was I a little reckless just now?” She looked at Tim and Barbara, whose face was as gentle as ever. “No, I think you did a great job. Now we have all the clues, don’t we?”
“Yes, I agree.” Tim echoed in agreement.
Enid's face lit up with obvious joy upon receiving the approval. She took Barbara's arm and nuzzled against her affectionately, like a little animal, making Barbara unable to resist gently stroking her hair. They walked quickly, and just as they were about to reach the inn, a young man with red hair rushed over, covered in sweat.
"Great! I've finally found you, Miss Gordon!" It was the young man from the square earlier. Barbara looked at him, panting, and said, "I've successfully confessed my feelings, and she agreed to be with me! It's all thanks to you, Miss Gordon! This... is fruit from my garden; please have a taste!"
After saying that, he shoved the basket into Barbara's hands and ran off. Barbara hadn't actually intended to refuse, but she reluctantly took the basket. Looking at the fresh, sweet-smelling fruit inside, she smiled gently.
"I bet you're working as Cupid on the side, aren't you?"
“Maybe?” Ignoring Tim’s teasing, Barbara looked at Enid. “What kind of fruit is this? How long can it be kept?”
Enid approached the fruit and looked at it with some surprise.
"It's a Labia fruit. Eating it makes you feel happy, actually because it's very sweet. However, it's also very useful for stabilizing the mind and accelerating wound healing. It's the most common ingredient in mid-level healing potions. That girl must be very important to him!"
Actually, Barbara hadn't expected that Enid had mentioned the approximate effects of each potion, and even the Batcave still had detailed reports on the raw materials, comparing them to the prices of medicinal herbs on Earth, etc., which were very detailed. So she probably understood the preciousness of this fruit, but actually, the most precious thing is not the price, is it?
“Looks like we’ve got our first souvenir to take back,” Barbara said with a smile.
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Author's note: Yay! It's still very much like a fairy tale, but to be honest, if it weren't for Enid, Tim, and Barbara, they would never have made it this far. LOL.
Because Barbara really does have red hair!!! That's really important, and then there's sincerity!
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