Chapter 124 The Situation Has Changed: The High Priestess, the Cardinal, the White Tower...
The eggshell was fully revealed under the light, and the uneven texture that Lai had felt in the withered forest was not an illusion.
The giant egg's shell was a dark green with a metallic sheen, its surface uneven like a totem or a strange painting. The golden eagle's shell repelled any force that tried to probe its interior.
Lei could no longer sense any energy fluctuations inside the egg.
Tata looked at the giant egg with great curiosity. He was just a young beast and didn't have much experience.
"Awoooooo!"
An egg this big can feed several meals.
After examining the giant egg in his hand for a while, Lei hid it away.
Since we can't determine what it is, we can only wait and see.
"Tata, your paws and fur are dirty again. You're not allowed to sleep in bed tonight. You'll need a proper bath tomorrow."
"Aww!"
Tata began to utter low, animalistic sounds.
He knew this human had no good intentions, humph!
The summer sun always rises early, and today is another beautiful day.
The town's knights and mages were unable to solve the forest's problem. Although Barnett had forbidden any further discussion about the forest, the gossip in the village continued to escalate.
No one from above can solve the problem for the time being, and the villagers can't solve it either. When the superstitious old people get together, they always talk about the withered forest and the demons, which makes them feel uneasy and they can't even enjoy their meals.
"Perhaps we can ask the priestess to come and take a look first."
Someone in the village mentioned this, and soon this idea spread to all the villagers in the small mountain village.
To appease the frightened villagers and to prevent them from doing anything irrational, Barnett didn't give them a perfunctory answer. That afternoon, he sent Kari in a mule cart to town to fetch the priest Vesta.
Vesta doesn't look very old, but he has a large following.
She was a "saint" chosen by the will of the supreme god. Well, nowadays people don't follow the rituals of sacrifice anymore, and there are no saints anymore. These so-called chosen people by the will of the gods all became priests, responsible for divination and the sacrifices of the harvest festival.
Vesta is highly respected, and people from all around like to invite her to any event. She was also the "messenger of the gods" in last year's village sacrificial ceremony.
"Barnett, it's been a long time."
"Long time no see, Saintess Vesta."
Vesta giggled through her face mask.
"Don't make fun of me. I'm not some saintess, just an ordinary priestess."
"We invited you here today because of something that happened in the village..."
Vesta interrupted Barnett.
“I already know. This matter has spread throughout the town. The mayor, the Mage Association, and the church have already taken action. I estimate that you will be welcoming distinguished guests in a few days.”
"You want me to appease people?"
"if you can."
"I never spread lies; I only tell you what I see."
Vesta spoke frankly, and his tone was not polite.
Barnett wasn't annoyed at all by his junior's words.
"Your ability to stay for one night is the greatest comfort to the villagers."
Vesta chuckled softly, without uttering a word.
"Get my things ready, I'm going to do a divination."
The curtains in Barnett's living room were drawn tightly, all the children were chased outside, and a crowd of villagers gathered outside to watch the spectacle.
Everything on the long table was removed, and only a single candle was lit for illumination.
Vesta sat in the author's seat, with a transparent crystal ball and several trinkets in front of her, supported by a purple velvet cloth. Barnett and several village elders sat on either side of her.
Give me the things.
Barnett took a small vine branch from the withered forest from the small wooden box and handed it to the priestess who was casting a spell.
Vesta took the vine and sniffed it deeply under his nose. Then, he crushed the seemingly hard vine with one hand and threw the fragments into the crucible.
She then added a lot of strange ingredients one by one, and finally these things were boiled into a pot of clear, magical potion, which was as magical as it could be.
Barnett.
Barnett got up, cut his finger, and dripped a drop of blood into the crucible. Immediately, a small, purple-gold mushroom cloud rose from it.
"alright."
Vesta sprinkled the potion onto the crystal ball, and something even more miraculous happened. The ball absorbed all of the potion.
She cupped her hands in a claw-like shape and enveloped the entire crystal ball. Within seconds, a pale purple mist appeared inside the transparent crystal ball, and Vista's pupils instantly lost their light, becoming hazy.
"It has fulfilled its mission."
A hoarse voice came from Vesta's throat, making it hard to believe that it was coming from a girl in her early twenties.
"The messenger is about to arrive."
"Boundless darkness is approaching; this is both a disaster and an opportunity."
As soon as he finished speaking, Vesta let out a deep breath, and everything returned to normal.
"I think you've gotten the answer you wanted."
Barnett rested his hand on his forehead, his brow furrowed. Vesta's last words weighed heavily on his mind, a sense of crisis creeping into his heart.
He had never thought in that direction, but Vesta's prophecy was there, undeniably present.
"I understand. Thank you for your help. A sumptuous dinner will be prepared for you later. I hope you will be satisfied."
"Oh, thank you, Barnett, you're too kind."
Vesta never refused the villagers' kindness; she loved the large chunks of roasted meat they served. This was largely due to her own terrible cooking skills.
Although many villagers had gathered outside, Vesta's prophecy would not be heard by them, and none of those inside would reveal what they had heard that day.
Soon, the items on the table were cleared away, the curtains were opened halfway, and only the transparent crystal ball remained on the table.
Vesta sat upright in the main seat, smiling as he watched the villagers throng in.
"Priest, quickly check if your wife is having a boy or a girl this time."
The middle-aged woman pulled a young woman with a pregnant belly to the very back.
With a clang, a small cloth bag containing an unknown amount of money was placed on the table.
Vesta's eyes curved beneath his face mask.
"Yes, madam."
In a sense, Vesta was quite willing to accept commissions from the various tribal elders. Besides donations from believers, the consultation fees from these villagers were also one of her main sources of income.
You should know that the materials used for divination are not cheap.
The days passed peacefully for a few days, and then the village welcomed its first wave of guests.
They were a cardinal from the upper church and his young assistant. The first thing they did upon arriving in the small village was to visit the clan elder, Barnett, who arranged suitable lodging for them in the threshing ground.
After a brief rest, the cardinal and his assistants entered the withered forest, and they did not emerge from it until evening.
The villagers kept a close eye on the strangers' every move, and naturally knew their whereabouts very well.
Ray was also watching them closely, wondering if these two church members could discover anything.
The two explored the barren forest for three days in a row, and finally left the small mountain village with a belly full of doubts.
They didn't give any definite answers, only saying that the mutated demonic plant inside had lost all its vitality, and that the withered forest was safe for the time being, so everyone didn't need to panic too much.
For the villagers, that answer was enough.
But Ray knew far more than the villagers, which led him to have a very negative impression of the two people sent by the church.
Since that night, the egg that Lai brought back has remained silent, with only the small healing spells it completely absorbs each day proving that it is still alive.
Life had to go on, and after half a month, the villagers had become accustomed to the withered forest outside the village. This matter gradually became one of the great unsolved mysteries of Rosen Town.
Ray resumed his daily life selling vegetables, and every few days he would take Lamb and the others to clear the rocks from the hill. Sometimes it was the three Hagrid brothers, and sometimes it was the goblin Iru and his companions.
He spent twenty silver coins, and the town's renowned craftsman drew up blueprints for a house that met his requirements.
This made Lei very satisfied.
So, in addition to his main task of clearing the rocks, Ray began to gather materials for building houses at the foot of the mountain.
He also commissioned an iron fireplace from Timur to serve as the main heating device for the cabin.
The egg remained unchanged, and after studying it for a long time without finding anything, Ray finally put it aside.
The town's mage association was, in reality, largely just a facade.
People only think of it when a child needs to be tested for talent or when a commission is assigned.
Take the recent incident in the withered forest as an example. So much time has passed since then, and the Dharma Association has already dispatched capable Dharma Masters to resolve the issue.
Rather than being an important department for resolving conflicts, it was more of a stronghold that the White Tower had to build to counter other forces—specifically the Church.
Even the association's gatekeeper was an old man of very low rank.
According to the old man, there are only one or two hundred registered mages in the town, and most of the promising ones have already joined the ranks of the minor nobles in Eton City.
The remaining people were either too low in magic level, too young, or too poor or for other reasons, and became mercenaries and hunters.
There are hardly any decent mages left in Rosen Town, so the White Tower naturally won't pay much attention to this remote town.
On the contrary, because of the mayor's power, the town's knight academy has been developing very well, which is also where Ray plans to send Neil.
The Mage Association is still barely surviving on the annual expenses paid by the White Pagoda, as it can hardly play a significant role. The old gatekeeper's daily routine consists of sleeping behind the table.
Occasionally, he would use the extra money he earned to invite a few friends over for a big meal and drinks in the association's small cubicle.
On this day, the Dharma Masters Association welcomed an important guest. At that time, the old gatekeeper who looked after the association was sleeping soundly in his large chair after drinking some wine.
The association's gate suddenly slammed shut, waking the gatekeeper from his sweet dreams.
He blinked a few times, his eyes glazed over, before he could make out the few people standing against the light.
They wore the same monk robes as those on the other side of the White Pagoda, exuding an air of arrogance that kept strangers at bay.
The newcomer frowned as he looked at the chaotic association hall.
"Where does the money allocated to this place by the White Pagoda go every year? I have never seen such a dirty and messy association."
He made no secret of his disdain for the Lawson Town Mage Association.
The old man, a low-level mage hired by the Mage Association as a gatekeeper, could hardly not recognize the iconic mage robes of the White Tower. He was startled awake.
He immediately tidied his appearance and greeted the guests who had come from afar with utmost respect.
"Respected Mage, I am Rick, the gatekeeper of the Mage Association. I am unaware of your arrival. How may I be of service to you?"
Where are your managers?
"Mr. Somion has gone to the countryside to handle some urgent matters and will probably be back tomorrow."
Rick wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
In fact, Somion went to the Great Forest of Eton to pick magical plants. The pillars on the third floor of the association are cracked, and if they are not repaired soon, the entire third floor will collapse.
However, the repair funds applied for from the White Tower a year ago have not been received. With no other option, Somion, as the person in charge, had to personally take charge of the repairs and earn some money for the safety of the members of the Mage Association, even if it meant sacrificing the association's reputation.
It's clearly a lucrative position, but only one person has managed to become the head of the Mage Association to such an extent.
"May I ask what brings you here specifically to discuss with us?"
"We'll explain this to Somin personally when he returns."
"Yes, Your Excellency."
Rick nervously swallowed, afraid that he might accidentally offend the adults.
"Would you gentlemen like to arrange accommodation?"
Do you have any accommodations here?
The visitor countered with a question.
Rick fell into a brief silence.
Each mage association has reserved special guest rooms, but due to the problem with the pillars on the third floor, people are no longer allowed to enter the third floor and above of the association.
Rick considered the simple decor and cramped space of the guest room. Even if it was still usable, he doubted that these adults from the White Tower would condescend to stay there temporarily.
These prodigies from the magic academy are never short of money.
"The town's guesthouse is a great place to visit."
Rick offered his sincere advice.
"Dear gentlemen, in fact, the association is no longer usable up to the third floor."
"Alright, you lead the way."
"Yes, sir."
Rick locked the gates of the Wizard's Guild and led them to one of the best buildings in town, finally settling their accommodations.
Before leaving, the rude mage gave Rick a gold coin as a tip for leading the way.
This made the old man, who was trembling with fear and extremely uncomfortable because of the arrogant treatment, suddenly overjoyed.
My God, I don't even earn this much in a year from the Mage Association.
Rick laughed so hard his eyes disappeared, all his previous resentment vanished.
"Sir, please feel free to ask for anything. Rick will be happy to assist you."
"Okay, you can go back first. Have Somion come here to see us when he gets back."
"yes!"
After a brief rest, the three mages from the White Tower met again in the manor's main hall.
"Where did Edmund go? I remember we came together."
A monk asked.
He said he was going to see an old friend and would meet us again in a few days.
"He knows people in such a remote place? Edmund has a wide network of connections."
"That's what the monk who asked the question said jokingly."
"Yes, he said it was a very, very important friend, someone he hadn't seen for over ten years."
"Also, don't underestimate this seemingly dilapidated town. It's strategically located, right next to the Eton Great Forest, and is an important pass. The lord of Eton City, who owns it, is a figure you can't afford to offend."
Let me ask you a question: Do you know where the magical beasts in the Colosseum come from?
"Raised on the black market."
"black market?"
The monk chuckled softly.
"The 'kittens' raised by the black market can hardly satisfy the perverse hobbies of the nobles. Most of the bloodthirsty monsters that fight in the arena come from here."
Our task is not here; please don't interfere too much in matters here.
"Yes, Archmage."
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