Chapter 36 Attack
"…Mr. Miller."
Nova turned around and leaned slightly towards the other person.
The newcomer didn't carry a scepter, nor was he dressed in the elaborate, ornate attire he'd first seen, instead wearing a simpler, everyday cassock. Even so, the Cardinal's every move still attracted attention, and Nova noticed quite a few people stealing glances his way—aren't there a lot of people wearing cloaks and hoods on the ship?
Pavaton Miller looked to be no more than thirty years old, with a gentle and kind smile always on his handsome face. Only if you looked closely could you vaguely see the deep indifference in his green eyes.
Oh, I bumped into someone else's character. A thought popped into Nova's mind, and he couldn't help but get distracted for a moment. He was suddenly brought back to his senses when someone gently shook his hand.
The Cardinal smiled indulgently: "It seems that I have disturbed Mr. Brody's leisure time enjoying the sunshine and sea breeze?"
"Dealing with two energetic teenagers is hardly 'leisure time,'" the black-haired young man said in a calm, polite yet completely awe-inspiring tone. "Weren't you witnessing the entire process from the second floor of the cabin?"
Seeing someone raise an eyebrow, he calmly added, "Your cuffs have the distinct scent of golden lilies. There's a large bunch of them by the window on the second floor of the cabin. Standing there, you can get a full view of where we are now."
"Ah, please forgive my unintentional offense," the cardinal, who had been ruthlessly exposed, smiled calmly and changed the subject as if nothing had happened. "It's just that I noticed that you seemed very interested in the protective array applied to the hull?"
"This is the first time I've seen a large-scale magic circle in action. Perhaps it's the 'Glorious Blessing'?" another person admitted. "I've read in a travelogue before that this type of magic circle requires at least five sorcerers of the same discipline just to initially awaken it. Before the advent of jet spirits, the entire operation relied entirely on sorcerers to provide energy, which was prohibitively expensive even for ordinary caravans. This is truly an eye-opener. May I ask if these magic circles are powered by jet spirits?"
Jet is the only natural mineral in the world that can replace the warlock's magic circle. Its origin is currently unknown - this is also one of the reasons why jet is extremely expensive.
"...Indeed, such profound knowledge." The Cardinal glanced at him indifferently, but found that the young man's face did not show the funny expression of pretending to be humble after being praised by his superiors.
The other person even looked at him with a hint of anticipation, like a cat smelling fish - what was he expecting? Simple flattery, or was he trying to find out the source of the large amount of jet essence?
Miller continued his calm probing, "Praise the God of Light, praise His Majesty, praise the coal—I heard that on the very day of the Dawn Celebration, a massive coal mine was discovered in Black County. It's estimated that the coal buried there is enough to supply the entire nation for thirty years. Even Her Majesty the Queen will be here in person to oversee the mining."
The man stared at him intently until an awkward silence fell between them. Then, as if confirming something, he spoke reluctantly, "...Yes, praise the God of Light, praise the King and Queen, and praise the Jet Spirit."
His tone was dry, his attitude became visibly perfunctory, and his lack of interest was written all over his face.
...Moody and difficult to understand. Miller continued to probe, silently attaching these two adjectives to the newly chosen one.
The reason why the Glorious Church sent a distinguished cardinal to this remote and desolate place had little to do with Butterfield Samman's self-righteous flattery.
——The ocean grows, and the rekindled embers will reappear in the realm of the abyss.
After twenty long years, the second prophecy finally appeared on the title page of the Book of Genesis. Zephir, the most powerful of the still active gods, left his followers a far clearer and more understandable oracle than that of Odres, the god of the sea: to search the Abyss for the Chosen One, a young man with unique qualities, who had endured setbacks and hardships in life and had recently escaped death.
Beyond Asagi Peak lies the Abyss, but no one can survive near it. The boundary of the Abyss is naturally Graybridge Harbor, across the sea from Asagi Peak. As for the term "ocean growth," no one dares to confirm it. Perhaps it refers to a storm at sea?
Miller had initially considered being more cautious, but the other gods' followers had also received the oracle and had gathered here. If those pagans were to seize the chosen one, things would be disastrous. The High Priest of the Sea Temple, Seken, had been acting uncontrollably for the past two days. Several priests of the Radiant Church had been attacked while out and about. Not only were they severely beaten, but they had their heads inexplicably shaved off. Upon waking, they vaguely remembered the attacker as a giant, tattooed man.
Poseidon's followers are just like their god: a bunch of manic lunatics.
Not wanting to antagonize the Poseidon Temple's lair, the Cardinal decided to keep quiet for the time being. He appeased his congregants, mentally cursing those violent psychopaths. Meanwhile, a sense of crisis surged over the Poseidon Temple's high priest's unusual behavior. After careful consideration, he felt that only the man before him seemed to align with the divine oracle. Therefore, it would be prudent to prioritize securing him while retaining some personnel in Graybridge Harbor to search for a backup candidate.
He better be, Miller's eyes were cold and deep.
As long as someone is allowed to meet our God, God will make his own final judgment - if the other person is the chosen one, all will be happy; but if not, he will be punished, but unfortunately the life of this unfortunate young man will also end here.
Nova was unaware that the man before him had secretly arranged a life-or-death gamble for him; he simply felt sullen and weary. The cardinal's words were so precise, it was no wonder the protagonist had given him such a cautious and profound judgment.
Moreover, this old fox refused to even reveal any professional knowledge about magic arrays. He only talked about some information that could be obtained with a little thought, and then tried to trick him into talking. It was simply a case of getting something for nothing.
If Pavaton Miller knew about his slander, he would probably cry out for injustice. What he revealed were all cutting-edge information that only the top powerful people could possess. People who are not at this level cannot even ask for it. Not everyone has such a terrifying ability to obtain information.
Just when Nova was finally beginning to feel unable to bear the increasingly boring topics and the increasing number of gazes gathered around him, the ship suddenly shook heavily, as if it had hit something, and then began to vibrate violently.
He almost fell down, and Bishop Miller beside him subconsciously reached out to help him, but the black-haired young man quickly grabbed the railing beside him and lay on it, trying his best to steady his body.
"what happened?"
Everyone was a little panicked. Logically speaking, with the protection of the "Glorious Blessing", the ship's voyage should have been extremely smooth.
Bishop Miller suddenly grabbed the wrist of the man who was suspected to be God's chosen one, pulled him away from the dangerous side of the ship, and dragged him behind him.
...The weight seemed a little beyond his imagination. A trace of doubt flashed through his mind, but it did not leave any trace for the time being. He just sighed in his heart. He didn't expect that this guy looked thin, but he was actually very solid.
Nova was a little caught off guard. He frowned and rubbed his wrist that was touched by a stranger, while looking at the cardinal's back.
"——Light Shock!"
The man flipped his fingers, and a scepter appeared in his hand—the legendary spatial scroll! The professor's eyes lit up—and with a cold, low chant, he slammed the scepter down on the deck. A sudden burst of white light emanated, and the sea near the hull was no longer calm. Huge waves surged, and the cold, dark waters splashed onto the deck, making even the massive and magnificent vessel seem even smaller.
"It's a sea monster, a giant Kraken, about level eight."
Bishop Miller raised his voice to silence the panicked crowd.
"Warriors, step forward. Beware of the Kraken's tentacles. Water mages, form array along the side of the ship. Wind mages, proceed to the upper decks. Light mages, maintain the operation of 'Glorious Blessing'. After forcing the sea beast to the surface, I will penetrate its vital points." He made arrangements methodically, and the crowd gradually calmed down. "Don't panic. The light is with you and me!"
"As for you, Mr. Brody."
The Cardinal stood in the somewhat chaotic crowd and frowned slightly at everyone. "Please go to the cabin and stay with the other scholars from Baita University."
…fragile ordinary people.
Before Nova could react, a small ball of light suddenly enveloped him: "Don't worry, the Glowing Church will ensure your safety."
The professor, who had originally wanted to take advantage of the chaos to stay and observe the Kraken closely, relying on the protection of a saint behind him, said in a blank expression, "...Oh."
Before leaving, he hesitated for a moment before coldly reminding, "During spring and summer, Krakens usually only move at night."
The other party looked at him in surprise, and then softened his tone: "I will pay attention to this. Thank you for your reminder."
The cabin was in chaos, with people rushing back and forth. Nova caught a glimpse of a colleague sticking his head out, but was persuaded to go back by the crew.
The professor remained silent until he returned to his room. He slowly poured two cups of tea, placed them on the table, and drew a circle on the table with a little tea.
"No problem, Miller can't hear us." The voice of the God-favored One sounded in his ears, but for some reason, he didn't sound very happy.
"At this time of year, Krakens rarely move in the early morning. They are cold-blooded and sensitive to heat and light. The warm surface water during the day makes them uncomfortable." The professor pondered, tapping his knuckles lightly on the table. "Someone is manipulating sea monsters to attack the ships of the Glorious Church. Did you notice a lot more hooded people on board? I saw several with bald heads, and I'm unsure whether they have tattoos or not. I don't know why Miller didn't react abnormally."
"Someone has sneaked aboard, and the cardinal may be trying to use me to lure him or her out." He concluded calmly.
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