Similar to when he headed to the Dark Realm two months ago, when Shade departed from home on Wednesday morning, he carried nearly all of his possessions.
However, this time he did not bring the [God's Gift Box]. After all, he had no need to imprison demons this time, and the box would be useless against Joey Barton. But while packing, he realized he hadn't tried to take a gift this week. He reached into the gift box on a whim and pulled out a book.
It wasn't a book for reading, but rather a book of cut-outs for puzzle training. It was a contemporary printed work; children from noble families were fond of such books, and thus the pricing was not very accessible. As the price for the gift, Shade needed to complete at least two of the puzzles before the end of the week.
"Once the matter at Midhill Castle is resolved, I'll have plenty of time this week to deal with these puzzles."
Aside from leaving behind the [God's Gift Box], Shade did not go to borrow leaves from Dorothy because he still had two [Ever-Youth Leaves] in his possession.
He did want Luvia to temporarily look after little Mia again to prevent issues if he couldn't return home tonight. However, the cat struggled with unusual desperation this time, refusing to leave Shade's side, so Shade had no choice but to turn the cat into a toy and carry it with him.
If he weren't worried about Dorothy seeing through the fact that he was going adventuring again, it would actually have been better to leave Mia at Quill Street.
Of course, most crucially, Shade brought the [Soul Fishing Rod]. Even though this rod was telescopic, carrying it was still quite cumbersome. Yet this time, Shade had to bring it. Furthermore, the rod now had two hooks. One was the original hook of the relic, and the other was a curved hook retrieved from the gift box last week, made of the exact same material as the box itself.
Shade had a rough idea of why this gift had appeared.
There was a small interlude before his departure. A carriage stopped downstairs, and the visitor was not a rare client, but a hurried Tifa
"Shade, thank goodness you haven't left yet."
At this moment, the coffee table in the living room was covered with relics and spellcasting materials, while the overcoat spread across the sofa was piled high with small toys.
The black-haired maid followed Shade into the living room and handed him a red velvet jewelry box held in both hands
"Miss said to lend this to you."
Shade opened the jewelry box. Inside lay the Sage-level relic, [The Ancient Witch's Golden Necklace].
"This is..."
"Miss said she knows what will happen at Midhill Castle today, so she guessed you have things to do. Lending this to you is a thank-you for the rose the stables sent to Miss."
Tifa smiled
"See, you really are leaving. I was worried on the way here that I wouldn't make it in time to give this to you."
Shade was somewhat at a loss for words
"Please thank Miss Galina for me."
He spoke solemnly as he put away the golden necklace. With this relic, he felt even more confident about his upcoming actions.
"Miss said she won't stop you from adventuring; after all, the growth of a Ring-caster cannot be without risk."
Tifa stepped closer to Shade and reached out to hug him, a brief, gentle embrace before pulling away
"Miss asked me to hug you on her behalf and wish you a successful journey."
Shade nodded
"Tifa, every time you accompany me to play Rhode cards with others, my luck is better than usual. I think perhaps you are my lucky charm."
The black-haired girl's face flushed slightly
"Miss said that if there is an opportunity, kill Joey Barton. Others don't know exactly what you will do, but Miss said you are certainly doing the following things for the sake of the Chosen. Miss and I both know you possess incredible power, but please take care of yourself."
She leaned forward slightly and kissed Shade on the cheek.
"Was this also something Miss Galina asked you to give me?"
"Of course not."
Tifa shook her head slightly, the stray hairs on her forehead swaying
"This was my kiss to wish you a successful journey. As for the thank-you for that flower... next time you visit the manor, would you be willing to go to that secluded corridor with me again?"
Despite her obvious shyness, Tifa looked up at Shade with her black eyes. Her skin was fair, her eyes seemed to hold a light, and the way the corners of her mouth curved was heart-stirring.
Shade quickly recalled that secluded corridor after the candle had been kicked, feeling himself blush slightly
"Still five minutes?"
A smile played in her curving eyes
"This time, it can be ten minutes. So, you must return safely."
After bidding farewell to the maid, Shade entered Mount Sicar through the ruined tower and then headed down the mountain amidst the thick fog. The witches were likely departing for the In-Between around ten in the morning, so Shade arrived at the House of the Blind to meet Sister Daphne before they left; he had sent a letter to make an appointment yesterday.
He had already told her about the Chosen, so there was no need for further explanation. Shade came this time to ask the sister for help, requesting the [Spirit Cult] to open another passage so he could enter the In-Between alone.
"Why not travel with the witches?"
The sister stood by the window, hands folded in front of her, asking softly with her head lowered. Behind her was the pervasive fog of Midhill Castle. Today, the city hall had issued a curfew, clearly to coordinate with the church's actions.
"There are some things I don't want the witches to know."
For a fleeting moment, Shade thought the sister before him had smiled, but upon closer inspection, she remained expressionless.
Lifting her head slightly, her textured silver-grey hair was woven into an exceptionally complex style trailing behind her. Her silver blindfold was directed toward Shade, and the exquisite, elegant silver ornaments were as breathtaking as ever
"Mr. Hamilton, you are participating in an epic."
"No, I am merely going to witness an epic. You are the protagonists; I am just an audience member for this scene."
This time, the sister truly smiled. The smile beneath the blindfold was faint and gentle
"In your current fully-armed state, you don't look like an audience member at all."
Shade glanced at himself. Two guns were tucked at his waist, the [Soul Fishing Rod] was on his back, [The Night Watchman] was in his left hand, his right fingers were almost entirely covered in rings, the witch's golden necklace hung around his neck, and his bulging overcoat was stuffed with various toys and relics.
"No need to explain, Mr. Hamilton. Perhaps others would think you are merely an audience member outside of fate, but I, who tend the Primal Fire, can understand that you are the true hero of this world."
This was the first time someone had called Shade that
"I'm no hero."
The sister did not contradict him
"I am the Fire Keeper who guards the Primal Fire. I seek kindling and new sources of fire for the Primal Fire, and in return, the Primal Fire grants me the power of the world. The Spirit of the World is reminding me that many incredible things will happen tonight."
"Then do you know who the deceased Chosen actually is?"
Shade asked. The sister shook her head slightly
"Perhaps the answer is completely different from what you think."
The degree of overlap between the In-Between and the real world was now far greater than when Shade first arrived at Midhill Castle in early autumn. Therefore, opening a passage to the In-Between did not require the complexity seen during the rescue of Priest Augustus.
Sister Daphne needed to accompany the witches to the mountainside of the In-Between, but she arranged for three other high-ring sisters of the cult to assist Shade. Furthermore, she partitioned a portion of her own flame and sealed it within an old portable kerosene lamp obtained through a trade with the [Sin Mansion].
This lamp was a relic capable of storing any form of flame. It now contained a portion of the Primal Fire, the slender flame dancing quietly within, making the already ancient bronze kerosene lamp look even more steeped in time and history.
The cult could send Shade into the In-Between, but leaving required the guidance of the Primal Fire. With Sister Daphne unable to look after him, giving him a portion of the flame was currently the best option.
After bidding farewell to Sister Daphne on the fog-shrouded street, the carriage she rode in quickly vanished into the mist. Shade discovered to his surprise that the Primal Fire kerosene lamp in his hand could actually slightly disperse the surrounding fog.
"Though carrying a kerosene lamp seems to make fighting even more inconvenient."
Sister Daphne would notify the others in the Spirit Cult to prepare a one-time In-Between passage, and all Shade had to do was wait patiently for news at the House of the Blind.
The city wasn't under a total lockdown, but rather travel restrictions, so even in the House of the Blind, not many visually impaired citizens came to visit. Sister Michelle, who managed the House of the Blind, arranged a private lounge on the top floor for Shade. Shade then turned little Mia back into a real cat and spent the morning reading the *Pink Book* while holding her.
The city was very quiet, and the autumn sunlight could not penetrate the white fog infused with elements of whispers. On the other side of the thick mist, the Church of the True Gods, the Academy of Oddities, the Witch's Council, and even Ring-caster organizations whose names Shade didn't know were certainly in motion.
When Shade occasionally looked up from his book toward the window, he wondered if the actors on that unknowable stage of fate knew how people would evaluate today thousands of years from now.
The city was quiet in the morning; aside from a squad of soldiers passing through Ruff Lane, nothing happened.
After lunch, with the cat napping by his side, Shade put away the parchment and took out the *Book of Wild Thunder* to continue reading. This was the book on [Thunder] spirit runes that Saint Byron had prepared for Shade, covering second-year curriculum content.
At 1:30 PM, a knock at the door temporarily interrupted Shade's studies. It wasn't that the Spirit Cult had prepared the "door," but rather that Sister Michelle needed Shade's help with something.
The situation was as follows: this morning, a Mr. Belut, who lived in the southern district of Midhill Castle, had visited the House of the Blind for treatment and psychological counseling. Because the fog grew thicker at noon and the carriage sent to pick him up had not arrived, Mr. Belut, a teacher at a school for the blind, stayed at the House of the Blind for a midday rest.
However, after napping for an hour, the servants of the House of the Blind were unable to wake him. After an examination by Ring-casters, it was discovered that he had "dreamed into the In-Between."
"Do you need me to go deep into the In-Between to find him?"
Shade pointed to himself in surprise.
"Retrieving an ordinary person who has dreamed into the In-Between does not require actually entering the In-Between. The cult has formal methods, but it requires at least a 6th-ring Ring-caster to perform the ritual while risking mental pollution from the In-Between."
Sister Michelle looked somewhat troubled. The [House of the Blind] was a local outpost of the cult, and she was the highest-ranking member there; most others were low-ring.
"I understand. I'll do it then; it's just a small favor."
As he spoke, he put down his book and stood up, the movement startling the cat on the sofa. It opened one eye to look at Shade, and seeing that he wanted to leave, it immediately yawned and climbed up to follow him.
When this cat yawned, its mouth opened exceptionally wide.
Rescuing an ordinary person who had dreamed into the In-Between was done through a method similar to "spiritual communication," allowing a living person in reality to see the scenes within the "dream," and then communicating with them in the dream to wake them up.
This didn't even require Shade to lie down. He sat in a backed chair by the bed, and after drinking a potion bearing the emblem of the Spirit Cult, he placed his hand on the forehead of the sleeping Mr. Belut.
A low-ring sister of the [House of the Blind], her eyes wrapped in linen strips, lit incense in the room, while Sister Michelle unfolded a piece of parchment and placed it before Shade's eyes.
He leaned back slightly in the chair, staring at the strange image on the parchment—something that looked like a goat but also like a unicorn. His mind gradually grew hazy, and he fell into a semi-comatose state.
He could perceive that he was still sitting in the chair, but simultaneously, he saw the blurred imagery of the In-Between.
His vision followed Mr. Belut, who was running up the stone steps of Mount Sicar. Ahead of him, in the blurred fog, the transparent figure of a woman was moving forward. The surrounding scenery was very familiar; a pitch-black forest stood on both sides of the stone steps, and the steps themselves were dilapidated, as if no one had stepped on them for a century.
"Are they heading to the summit of Mount Sicar?"
But there were traces of human activity around. On both sides of the summit steps, traces of rituals set up by the church had appeared; divine runes were even carved into every single step. There were no evil spirits in the surrounding thick fog, as a large group of Ring-casters from the Five Gods Church were currently conducting final checks on the ritual.
However, these living people deep in the In-Between paid absolutely no attention to the souls of Mr. Belut and the woman ahead. After all, the former was merely dreaming—less real than Shade's state yesterday—and the latter was merely a phantom born of longing.
Souls lingering in the In-Between cannot pass through the three passages to enter death. However, phantoms born of longing can lead the living to plunge into death. Once one follows longing and falls within the dream world, Mr. Belut would truly be dead. Midhill Castle had such urban legends long ago, but recently, such occurrences had become more frequent.