Because there was a precedent of a [Pure Creator] storing divinity in special items to pass them on, Shade knew that acquiring divinity did not necessarily require facing a god head-on.
After learning some information about the Sea Return ritual, he strongly suspected that the "power of the evil god" in the deep sea referred to divinity. Although the probability was low, compared to facing an evil god to seize power, exploring the secrets of an evil god's kin in the face of a city-submerging tsunami was nothing at all.
Seeking out Miss Galina to probe the secrets of the Sea Return was for this specific piece of information. And beyond the witches, Shade believed the Order of Light-Guiding Hermits also possessed records.
"You..."
Mr. Edmund looked at Shade in surprise, not expecting him to ask such a question
"I thought you came to me to protect your friends... What exactly are you trying to do?"
"Protect this city."
Shade answered without a second thought. Both people in the lighthouse, of course, knew this was a lie.
"Oh, I really shouldn't have let you in. Young man, mortals should not be greedy..."
The old man felt a hint of regret.
"So, you are unwilling to answer?" Shade asked.
"Of course... I am willing."
Wearing his pajamas, Mr. Edmund's tone shifted, and his expression became serious. He narrowed his eyes slightly at Shade, the movement making the wrinkles on his face even more prominent
"Whether you are a lunatic or not is none of my business. What fate you face because of your own greed is not something I need to care about. I won't take your gold sovereigns, but I want you to promise me another thing."
"You also want to see what it actually is?"
"Of course not; I'm not a lunatic like you."
Mr. Edmund shook his head, speaking with extreme caution
"I have been conducting research on the three faiths that have spread across this land since ancient times—the Guardian of the Fishmen, the God of Thunder and Storms, and the Deity of the Drowned in the Deep Sea. Over the years, I've had many interesting ideas and even attempted to track the traces of those cults. But these ideas were difficult to realize. Now that you've come, I have a chance."
Even though they were the only two people in the lighthouse, Mr. Edmund still lowered his voice, making it sound exceptionally raspy
"If—and I say if—you are lucky enough to obtain the power left behind in the material world by the so-called [Lord of the Crimson Spiral], I want you to..."
Suddenly, a clap of thunder exploded outside. Waves crashed violently against the coastal cliffs; Shade could even feel the chair trembling.
"...draw this symbol on that item."
The old man picked up a book from the corner of the desk and flipped to a page marked by a copper metal bookmark. What Shade saw was a symbol representing lightning in the occult. However, unlike common symbols, the lines of this one were not straight, and the edges of the circular outer frame were filled with a vast number of dense runes.
Shade attempted to decipher it and immediately felt the world spin; the hairs on his body stood on end due to his bold action.
"What is this?"
"The indigenous faith of Coldwater Harbor, the holy symbol of the evil god—[The Raging Storm]," the old man explained in a low voice.
"You want me to draw the holy symbol of one evil god onto the power left in the material world by another deity?" Shade asked in astonishment.
"Oh, sir, which one of us is the lunatic? No, I may be bold, but I am not stupid. Moreover, even a fool wouldn't commit such an act of open blasphemy against a god. If you want to study the enmity between gods and the conflict of faiths, why don't you do it yourself?"
"Because I'm afraid," the old lighthouse keeper said naturally.
"I'm afraid too," Shade followed quickly.
Mr. Edmund frowned and thought for a moment
"True, if I make you do this, the possibility of your return becomes even smaller... Then I'll change my request. The information I give you will be considered my investment in you. If you gain anything, item-based rewards belong to you, but knowledge-based rewards must be shared with me. My own book, *An Examination of the Three Secret Cults of Coldwater Harbor*, needs more content."
Only then did Shade realize once again that this old man living alone in the old lighthouse outside the city called himself a folklorist.
He nodded: "That is certainly no problem."
"Good, but you must leave something with me as collateral. If you die, your things belong to me. If you don't die, these things will ensure you don't simply leave Coldwater Harbor."
Shade thought about it. All the relics he carried were directly tied to his identity, and the only unrelated one, the [Ever-Youth Leaf], was a lifesaver. He couldn't leave the Ever-Youth Leaf behind while doing something so dangerous.
Thus, he reached into his pocket and pulled out stacks of money, eventually producing one thousand pounds in banknotes. He wasn't afraid of Mr. Edmund absconding with the money; when he had come here with Lacia last time, Shade had seen the collection of ancient books and relics the man possessed. There was no need for the other party to abandon a long-time residence for a mere 1,000 pounds.
"Are you that wealthy? Your clothes don't look like they could hold that much money," the old man asked suspiciously.
Shade had turned this money into toys and kept them in the inner pocket of his coat; he had simply restored them just now.
"This is my entire fortune. I'll leave this money with you and come back for it. Now please tell me, what exactly does the Sea Return ritual associated with the nursery rhyme awaken from the deep sea?"
Shade lied with a serious face. His current savings were 2,300 pounds.
Mr. Edmund put the banknotes away and nodded
"In the development of history, myths and legends often deviate from their original meanings. For example, the legend that eating mermaid flesh grants immortality is a classic case. We must dialectically and critically extract from legends..."
"Could you just get to the point? I don't have much time. I need to enter the city in a while; my friends need me," Shade interrupted, coughing slightly and being somewhat impolite.
Mr. Edmund gave an awkward little laugh
"Right, the point. What was I saying... oh, yes. When the red ocean descends, within the legendary ancient fishmen's undersea city—the dwelling where the evil god [Lord of the Crimson Spiral] descended—the giant mermaid corpse once used by that Great One will be awakened and come to the shore. It will bring with it tsunamis and storms, sinking Coldwater Harbor to the bottom of the sea forever."
"The giant fishman corpse of the undersea city" was exactly the thing that appeared in the dreams of those cursed by the Sage-level relic [Song of the Mermaid].
"The power left by the god refers to that corpse?" Shade guessed, but the old man shook his head in denial.
"No, the power left by the god is a pearl within the ancient fishmen's undersea city. Legend says it was formed from a bubble spat out by the evil god [Lord of the Crimson Spiral] when he descended into the material world. The Sea Return ritual is a sacrifice to that pearl, using the power within it to activate that giant undersea corpse."
(End of Chapter)