"You look sad."
At ten o'clock in the morning, at Miss Galina's manor in the south of the city, Xia De was sitting on the sofa with a tea cup and his back to the window. The red-haired witch tilted her head and said suddenly.
"It's nothing, just remembered something about some friends."
Shad shook his head.
"So, what are you doing here with this box?"
The Duchess raised her eyebrows. On the coffee table between the two of them, there was a [God's Gift Box] impressively. Because she had seen Shad use this box during the Dark Realm's Descent event, she wasn't surprised by its reappearance.
"The characteristics of the box, children can take out a gift from it every week. I have been trying for more than two months, but only in the last week, under the watchful eye of two of my female friends, did I take out a relic, I remember [Master Key]..."
Xia De said with a smile, then bent down and pulled out the orange cat that was shrunk inside. Mia looked very dissatisfied, and meowed at Xia De.
"Are you a child?"
Miss Galina asked in surprise:
"A man like you who has slept with a girl can be considered a child?"
This question made Tifa, who led the maids to bring tea and snacks, a smile.
"Anyway, that **** seems to think I'm right."
said Shad, then insisted on having Tifa stand beside him before reaching out to the box whose lid had slid open.
"Shad, you are such a strange superstition."
Although Miss Galina said so, she still maintained ample curiosity about the next "gift".
So, under people's gaze, Xia De stretched his hand into the box, and then came across a medium-sized metal object:
"Oh, ordinary items, it seems to be a small box."
Disappointed, they took out the box. Both Xia De and Mia blinked their eyes. People and cats who "have never seen the world" could not be recognized immediately. The one in their hands looks finely crafted. What is the box with the little key in the lock.
It looks like a vanity case, but the weight is a little off. Although it feels like metal, the box surface and part of the box body are made of enamel, which looks very delicate. This should be a handmade product.
"What's this?"
Xia De put it on the coffee table.
"I really miss it. When I was twelve or thirteen years old, I liked collecting such things very much."
The red-haired witch nodded to Tifa standing beside Shad, so the maid hesitated for a moment, holding the skirt with both hands, revealing the black button-up shoes and part of the white stockings under the skirt. She squatted down carefully, and at the same time that Xia De and Miss Galina's eyes were attracted by something, she turned the key of the box on the table three times.
After letting go, gently open the box cover, and the sound of gears rotating can be heard regularly. Then, with the crisp music, a white metal swan and a ballet girl pop out of the box together, spinning and dancing in the music.
The music is very pleasant, even outsiders know that it is a famous folk song in the north of Delarion.
"Music box, it looks very nice."
Miss Galina said, Tifa stood up, but Shade still looked at her:
"Then give it to Tifa, it's useless for me to hold it."
The black-haired girl did not refuse, but instead held up her skirt and saluted with a smile:
"Then thank you for your generosity."
Miss Galina raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.
The task attached to this gift is still not difficult. This week, Xia De needs to take a bath at least twice. Probably the [creator of innocence] believes that this is a good habit that children must develop from an early age.
Of course, Xia De didn't go to Midhill Castle today, but visited Miss Galina, and it wasn't just to pick up gifts with a box.
At the same time, he also brought the sword he brought from Castle Midhill last night wrapped in a bed sheet. After removing the sheets layer by layer, the long sword with bright yellow runes appeared in the study of the manor.
"Miss Galina, I would like to ask you to help identify it. What is it?"
"Oh, this sword looks really nice."
Tifa picked up the sword, then walked around the coffee table and handed it to her master. Miss Galina flicked the blade of the sword lightly, then stood up and skillfully used the long sword to strike a sword flower. Members of the royal family have all experienced training in cold weapons and riding and shooting, and the noble ladies of the upper class are not weak and useless. And Galina Cavendish, as a duchess with a fief, even has a dedicated martial arts arena and riding and shooting venue in her own castle:
"A relic-level long sword is really rare, Xia De, where did you get it? Also, you actually brought this kind of thing wrapped in a bed sheet?"
"I don't have a scabbard. As for the origin, please read this."
Xia De will be at the foot again
The suitcase was lifted onto the coffee table, and the lock was snapped open. After opening the box, he quickly turned the box 180 degrees, so that Miss Galina could see the black stone lying in the bottle:
"The severely damaged Balrog's heart is still warm because he died not long ago."
"The Balrog..."
"Xia De, if I understand correctly, what you want to express is that you killed a Balrog?"
Gu Yuan: "No, no, no."
Xia De hurriedly shook his head:
"My friend did it and I just got the loot."
Because he wanted to keep Dr. Schneider's secret, Shade didn't say too clearly, but only explained the location of the mountainside cave, the image of the past in the long sword, and the suspected fifth person he saw on the other side of the stone platform. The traces left by the Witch Ji:
"I suspect that there are relics left by the witch on the other end of the broken bridge. And since that location is so secretive, maybe the corresponding mountainside cave in [Life and Death] is the mountainside passage sealed by the witch emperors. As for these two items, I hope you can help me identify the long sword and find a buyer who is willing to buy the Balrog Heart."
"I'm still curious about who killed a Balrog. Even if it was sealed for hundreds of years like you said, it's not something that human ring magicians can easily fight against."
Miss Galina muttered, but seeing that Xia De was unwilling to speak, she didn't pursue it. After flicking the broken hair by her ear, Xia De's eyes lingered on the amethyst hair ornament on her head for a moment.
"Today is Monday, and noon is the meeting time of the council, because all the great witches in the council will be involved in determining the affairs of Fort Midhill. Let me help you ask the buyer of the Balrog Heart. As for this sword, Go find Granny Cassandra for identification by yourself, she is the best witch among us who is good at identification of relics."
So Shade and Mia stayed in the manor for lunch together. The meeting of the witches was very long, so after lunch Shade had nothing to do. Tifa took Shade to learn how to ride a horse in the manor courtyard. As for Mia, she didn't run around, but stayed in the study, taking a nap on the back of the sofa where she could bask in the sun.
It wasn't until three o'clock that Xia De, who barely mastered the skills of mounting the horse and shaking the rein, finally waited for Miss Galina's return.
She brought good news that someone wanted to buy the badly damaged Balrog heart, but it was not the witch of the council, but Granny Cassandra bought it for Sister Divelin of the [Spiritual Order].
In order not to let the other great witches suspect the origin of the heart, she has given the Balrog heart to Granny Cassandra, and Shad can go to Midhill Castle to collect the bill. At the same time, she also passed on the matter of the mountainside cave discovered by Xia De to the parliament. The witches attached great importance to this. Even if it is not a seal leading to real death, it is still valuable to them, because it is the Fifth Epoch after all. The traces left by the witches.
"Also, Xi Wei will arrive at Fort Midhill tomorrow."
"So fast?"
"It's already very slow, who knows what she's doing."
Miss Galina snorted, then glanced at Xia De:
"However, what on earth have you been doing in Midhill Castle recently? I thought you would get involved with the Chosen One, but how did you meet the Balrog? Also, on this Wednesday, little Rezia The fact that the kingdom lost important confidential documents was recovered, isn’t it also related to you?”
"If you mean those mechanical materials, they are indeed related to me."
"Your method of coaxing girls is really powerful."
The witch joked, seeing that Xia De wanted to refute, she signaled him not to explain:
"Rezia is not an easy person to get along with. She is very ambitious, and has more desires and means than her brothers and sisters. I am curious, with your help, how far she can go."
Saying so, let Tifa bring the red wine glass, motioning for Xia De to have a drink with her:
"The matter in Fort Midhill is coming to an end, and the ceremony led by the Church of Nature is about to begin. Since there are rumors that the chosen one of death is the key to solving the gap between life and death, then I think he will definitely appear gone."
Clinking glasses with Xia De in the air, the witch raised her fair neck and drank the glass of wine:
"Even if Xi Wei arrives in Mibao, you have to be careful. I just heard from Granny Cassandra that people from the Truth Society appeared in that city. It seems that they are also aware of the third chosen one. And with the Truth Society, all kinds of ring magician organizations will appear."
Compared with the time of the Dark Chosen One, organizations other than the Orthodox Church and Thaumaturgy Academy were much slower to hear the news this time.
"Will the Blood Spirit School appear again?"
Xia De asked hesitantly.
"I don't think so. Hermons the Bloodcryer was killed in Tobesk by the
The 'Sunshine Great Sword' who had decided to be resident in this parish was seriously injured. Even if they found the [Creation Delivery Room] according to the rumors, it was impossible for them to heal themselves so quickly. Also, the blood-sucking clan that originally supported them, because the blood-sucking species of the twelve rings were caught in Millwood Forest, it is said that they also had differences with the blood spirit school. "
The witch laughed:
"At least this time, it's impossible for you to encounter the Blood Spirit School in Fort Midhill."
"Vampire..."
Shad thought of the local blood-sucking species in Fort Midhill, as well as the uncle and nephew Bernhardt who appeared there for unknown reasons:
"The local blood-sucking species in Mibao~www.mtlnovel.com~ seems to be making big moves."
"That's something Xi Wei and Granny Cassandra have to worry about, and it has nothing to do with me."
The Duchess put the wine glass in her hand back on the coffee table, Xia De realized that he just took a sip, so he raised his head and drank the glass of wine. The alcohol content of this red wine far surpassed the cider he drank in Mibao, and he coughed from choking.
Miss Galina laughed and motioned for Tifa to pat Shad on the back:
"Xia De, do you have anything else to do in the afternoon? Stay for dinner, we can continue to talk about the time key you got from Grandma Cassandra, what you want to buy, I have already bought it Most of them are ready."
Xia De is going to the doctor's tonight to deal with the matter of exchanging the [Death Mirror] for the [Traveler's Travel Door], so he doesn't plan to go to Fort Midhill today.
So, he stayed in the manor and spent this ordinary autumn afternoon with Miss Galina who was holding a teacup, and Tifa who had been standing behind the Duchess.
Yellow fallen leaves are almost covering the courtyard of the manor. Looking from the window of the study's red copper grid, the servants are cleaning carefully with brooms, or talking to each other while working with sundries. Outside the manor is the autumn meadow that has changed color, and there are woods and rice fields in the distance, and then there is the city of Tobesk, the capital of steam, standing in the northwest of the old continent.
Shad prefers this peaceful time to adventure.
The time is the seventh day of the month of dead leaves (October), and late autumn is approaching. From midsummer to this world until now, the outsider has obtained many things that he is unwilling to give up.