Chapter 37: The Sanctuary of Silence

The next morning, Xius and his companions went to the residence of the chief clerk.

The conditions on the island were rather simple. Although a lot of effort was put into repairing Hughes's manor, the residences of Alexei and others were much worse.

Fortunately, there was no shortage of land on the island. The royal family paid for it, and soon simple wooden houses were built.

Hughes had just arrived on Castel Island to take up his post, and the walls here had only just been completed, and at first glance it had the feel of a residential community from later times.

Connor had come to consult in advance, and the two sides hit it off immediately, so the next things went smoothly.

Hughes and his party brought some gifts and visited the residence of the chief clerk Alexei. After exchanging a few words with Alexei, they "happened" to meet a lady who was walking outside the house.

These were Alexei's relatives, so he naturally stepped forward to introduce them. Hughes took the opportunity to invite the two to visit his estate together, and Alexei and his sister gladly accepted.

Unfortunately, the chief clerk happened to have caught a cold and was feeling unwell, so Xius quickly sent someone to take him to the side to rest.

Butler Connor led Alexi away.

And so, through a series of reasonable coincidences, Hughes and Alexi's "sister" are now sitting on two chairs in the living room.

Hughes glanced at the door and a servant nodded at him, then closed the door.

Only then did Hughes breathe a sigh of relief and look up and down at the girl sitting opposite him.

She has pure white hair and her eyebrows are also white, like frost and snow condensed on the branches.

Zeus had heard that this was the unique appearance of the people of the White Crow Principality - unlike the hair that turns white with age, the long hair of the girl in front of him was not a silver-white color that had lost its color, but a rich and pure white like snowflakes.

She was much shorter than Hughes and had a petite figure, but she was wrapped in a thick coat, a scarf that almost covered her entire face, and a hat to cover it, trying not to be seen by others.

Now she was taking off her covering clothes, folding them and putting them aside. She stood up and bowed gently while holding the hem of her skirt.

"Hello, my name is Hughes."

Hughes stretched out his hand. This was a new habit he had developed, inspired by Brother Keschi. Every time he met a new person, he would shake hands and check whether the other person was a flesh and blood person.

The girl extended her hand expressionlessly and shook his: "Nora."

Although she was wearing thick clothes, Nora's hands were icy cold. The power of the symbiotic contract emerged in his heart. Zeus felt it and found that it was indeed a human being.

Maybe it's because he was born with cold hands and feet, or maybe it's the characteristic of the [Entombed]? Speaking of the Undertaker, Hughes narrowed his eyes. He was not quite sure about the specific correspondence of this title. Connor gave him a set of specific information, and he flipped through it, but he felt that it was a bit vague.

"I heard that you are from the White Crow Principality. I am somewhat interested in the customs and practices there. Can you tell me about it?"

Nora glanced at him, nodded, jumped off the chair, and took out a strange metal ball.

There are many cracks in the sphere, and a thin chain is tied to the top of it. It looks a bit like a meteor hammer, but much more delicate.

Zeus originally thought it was some kind of mechanical creation, but after searching his memory, he unexpectedly discovered that it was a portable incense burner.

It was strange, why would there be a need for a portable incense burner? Nora did not explain further, but just picked up the incense burner and motioned for him to look at it.

Hughes glanced at Nora strangely. Does the silence in this silent temple mean not speaking? The girl was silent and frugal with words from beginning to end.

But how can you preach without speaking? Hughes found it a little funny.

Putting aside his chaotic thoughts, Hughes calmed himself down and looked at the incense burner in Nora's hand.

The incense burner is exquisite and small, and it is carved with a white crow spreading its wings as if about to fly. But if you look closely, the crow has neither flesh nor feathers, and is made entirely of bones.

Like a corpse buried in the snow.

Zeus looked at the white crow and felt an inexplicable sense of sadness in his heart, as if he was watching a life gradually leaving the world.

Nora moved her hand, and a puff of smoke rose from the incense burner.

A light scent of incense, a dry woodland scent, like early winter snow.

Hughes was in a trance for a moment.

I don't know when more pictures appeared in front of my eyes.

It seemed as if we had arrived in the far north, and the lush woodlands and flowers of the empire were no longer there.

Snowflakes were falling and he could hear the cold wind whistling in his ears. He turned around and saw a group of people with their backs to him, gathered in a circle not far away, and he didn't know what they were staring at.

They were dressed in thick fur clothing, and their matted white hair stuck out from under their hats.

Someone from the White Crow Principality?

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The wind and snow were howling, but people stood there silently, not saying a word, just staring quietly ahead.

Hughes looked over curiously.

There was a newly built tombstone. The rough stone was covered with a thin layer of frost and snow. Behind the tombstone was a small pit with a simple coffin placed in it.

Right in front of him, there stood a man in a robe and a fur hat. On his waist was a thick book with copper corners inlaid on the spine and corners, and it was hung on his waist by a chain.

Hughes recognized the holy light on him; it was the priest of the Church of Silence.

He held a shovel in his hand. The frozen soil on the ice field was as hard as the rocks on the mountain, but he used the shovel to shovel the soil as easily as if he was cutting a cake.

Frozen soil mixed with frost and snow covered the thin wooden coffin, gradually forming a mound of earth. The priest gently trimmed the mound with a shovel, then put it down and prayed silently.

People mourned in front of the tombstones, kept silent in the snow, drank wine by the fire in the house, and took away prey in the forest. They lived on this land and were finally buried here.

Tombstones stand next to each other, where the living rest and the dead sleep.

The wind and snow suddenly grew stronger, covering everything in front of him. Hughes shook his head and suddenly saw a church.

There are no spires, no huge doors, no beautiful stained glass, only cold, solid and thick stone walls.

The last picture is the big clock on top of the church with a line of words engraved on it.

"The wind and snow buried the past, but the temple will never forget it."

Zeus closed his eyes, feeling the pictures in his mind. The history of the Temple of Silence flooded into his mind like a torrent, but it did not make him feel painful, as if they had already existed in his heart, as if "I was watching a movie." Zeus sighed in his heart. The heavy and solemn feeling that came over him made his hair stand on end and his scalp numb, as if he had been electrocuted.

"It's really shocking." Xius was silent for a while before speaking.

(End of this chapter)