Shade did not inquire about how much power Grace and Helen currently possessed; instead, he happily told them that the Red Butterfly pendant had truly helped his two friends.
He explained the current state of Lecia and Dorothy in greater detail, describing the scene when the two girls met that night, and subsequently mentioned that their souls were showing a trend toward partial fusion.
But even the Red Butterfly twins were powerless in this regard
"Sir, if the Great One we believe in had not yet departed, your friends should have been able to become God-favored. This is a true duality; even my sister and I, after all these years, have been unable to achieve such a harmonious fusion of souls."
Helen spoke with a hint of regret.
The twin girls had experienced the complete passage of time from the Fifth Epoch to the Sixth. Even though their power was gone, their knowledge and experiences remained precious assets. Unfortunately, the transition of epochs had also caused them to lose part of their memories, and the price of the [Sleeping Princess] had further sealed away the few remaining memories regarding the epochal shift.
However, aside from the memories related to hidden history, their knowledge had not completely vanished. Regarding relics, antiques, or even the customs and culture of the Fifth Epoch, Shade could consult them; this was perhaps the greatest help they could currently provide him.
"Sir, are you leaving soon?"
As she spoke, listening to the sound of the rain, Grace suddenly asked.
Shade thought for a moment and nodded
"Yes, I plan to see Sister Devlin this afternoon; I've already asked Grandma to send a letter. In the evening, I'll visit Miss Aurora. Now that the matter of the Chosen is concluded, she will likely leave Midhill Castle soon."
Grace hesitated, glancing at her sister first before speaking in a low voice
"Could you perhaps stay here and accompany us for a while longer?"
"Of course, Grandma Cassandra also mentioned having lunch together. Besides, it's raining now, and I have nowhere else to go. Speaking of which, did you know? It rained all day in Tobesk yesterday as well. It truly is late autumn; I can almost feel the chill of early winter," Shade said with a smile.
Grace bit her lip. Helen, knowing what her sister was thinking, spoke up
"Sister wants to ask if you could stay here and talk with us all day... perhaps even until very late."
Shade paused, then shook his head apologetically
"Girls, I still have many matters to handle. Furthermore, although Tobesk is a thousand miles from here, for me, it is only about an hour's journey by mountain road. In the future, we will have plenty of time to chat. Once you have recovered, I can even invite you to my home. But for now, what you need to do is rest well."
"Sir, what we mean is..."
Helen looked at her sister, somewhat bewildered. Grace, dressed in white pajamas, continued
"You have done so much for us. From the previous epoch until now, we have been unable to repay you."
"I didn't do it for repayment from the start," Shade emphasized again, standing up. "I need to go speak with Grandma Cassandra about the Coven. The witches must be overjoyed. I'll see you at lunch, girls. Don't worry, I'll leave after the meal."
"Sir, wait!"
Helen struggled to reach out toward the other bed, eventually clasping Grace's hand. Dense swarms of red butterflies flew out from nowhere, blocking Shade's vision like a curtain.
When the butterflies vanished, only the left of the two four-poster beds was occupied. There sat a blue-eyed, black-haired young woman in her twenties, her white pajamas decorated with black butterfly embroidery. Because Helen and Grace looked almost identical, this was their adult form
"Now... do you still want to leave?"
The girl asked Shade, her face slightly flushed. Shade thought for a moment, walked to the bedside, and—amidst her shy and slightly fearful expression—helped her tuck in the quilt
"If you like the *Detective Hamilton Story Collection*, the compiled novel of the serialization will be released this Wednesday, the 30th of the Month of Fallen Leaves. I will bring you a new copy signed by the author on Wednesday."
He tucked the corners of the blanket for the girl on the bed
"I'll see you at lunch then."
Although the girl on the bed looked somewhat disappointed, she still said
"Then, sir, see you soon... Next time, could you tell me the story of you and the other pair of twins? The story of the three of you must be very interesting, right?"
"Of course."
Shade nodded. As she smiled, he turned and walked out of the room.
【Do you truly not understand what they meant, or are you pretending not to?】
"Her" voice appeared amidst the sound of raindrops drumming against the glass.
"How could I not understand?" Shade answered in his mind, following the maid at the door to see Grandma Cassandra again. "But they are different from Lecia and Dorothy. In my eyes, they have always been the little girls at the garden party. I don't share much common experience or emotional foundation with them; their feelings for me are likely mostly reverence and gratitude. Lecia and Dorothy, however, have gone through many, many stories with me and understand exactly what they want... Moreover, given their current physical forms, do you think I'm a scumbag?"
"She" chuckled
【So, although the records of the Sinners' Manor consider you to have the great sin of promiscuity, you are at least a principled sort of promiscuous?】
"If you could remove the modifier and just leave 'principled,' I would probably be happier."
【Then, what if you have more stories together in the future?】
"That is a matter for the future," Shade replied with a smile in his heart, following the maid down the corridor.
After everything they had been through, this was a good ending for Grace and Helen. A century from now, if Shade had not died but successfully completed the twelve paths of Divine Ascension, he would be willing to help them truly break the shackles of fate. Of course, as he said, that was a matter for the future.
There were still many things to do in Midhill Castle today. After meeting Grandma Cassandra again, Shade discussed Helen and Grace's physical condition with her before moving on to Sister Devlin.
The cooperation between the [Coven] and this deceased Chosen was handled by the Coven's Speaker, a Rank 13 witch, who negotiated with Sister Devlin. The specific negotiations concluded over the weekend. Although Grandma Cassandra didn't know the exact details, she knew that the [Spirit Cult] and the [Coven] would become closer in the future.
The Rank 13 Great Witch had offered some unknown conditions to successfully persuade Sister Devlin to side with the [Coven] within the *Whispering Verses*. In other words, even if a conflict arose between the Coven and the Church of the Orthodox Gods regarding the Chosen in the future, Sister Devlin would assist the Coven.
Lunch was delivered from "Gaudi's Restaurant," a high-end establishment across from the Cassandra Auction House. In the dining room on the third floor, Shade, Grandma Cassandra, Grace, and Helen sat around the table, while the witch's apprentice, Miss Swift, acted as the servant. She wasn't unhappy; rather, she felt this was a sign that Grandma Cassandra trusted her more.
The atmosphere at the table was harmonious. When the final dessert was served, the old witch had her apprentice bring over a brass box. The six sides of the box featured patterns representing six types of torture: burning at the stake, stabbing, tongue-pulling, drowning, live burial, and castration.
When the box was opened, a stunning silver crucifix pendant lay upon a red velvet lining. Both the cross and the chain were silver. The cross featured a pattern of a coiled serpent, with a ruby that seemed to glow adorning the serpent's head.
The bottom end of the long arm of the cross was a sharp, conical point, stained with dark marks resembling blood. After blinking, Shade confirmed they were indeed bloodstains
"A relic?"
"Yes."
The old witch nodded and had Miss Swift place the box in front of Shade
"A Secret-Keeper grade relic, the [Profane Cross]. Legend says it once pierced the chest of a Saint. Its relic property: by holding it and stabbing it into the chest of any supernatural humanoid creature, it can absorb and imprison the opponent's soul, allowing the user to draw that soul into their own body to form a special profane spirit rune with the opponent's soul as the core..."
The old witch closed her eyes and drew the holy symbol of the Ancient God [Chaos Witch] on her chest
"Once this is done, there is no turning back. It signifies the fall of the soul and may even attract evil spirits and demons. In truth, this so-called positive property is actually a negative one. Furthermore, hanging it around one's neck for a long time will inevitably cause one's own profane elements to spiral out of control. Whether for a Rank 13 or a Rank 1, this effect cannot be bypassed by any means."
"This is for me?" Shade asked in surprise.
"Yes. You once mentioned you were looking for a relic that could absorb entities—physical or non-physical, such as energy or spirits—and transfer them to the user. Originally, I thought about handing it directly to the Church of the Orthodox Gods because it is too dangerous. But I thought it would be just right for you."
Shade carefully removed the crucifix from the box. The previously faint whispers immediately grew intense; it seemed the box itself was a containment measure. This piece of art, the crucifix pendant, appeared to be pure silver. On the reverse side of the face where the serpent's head was located, there was a line of engraving
【Divine Word: The Wise Fear Nothing.】
"Sir, please take it, consider it a thank you for helping us," Grace said, and Helen added
"Yes, sir. Since you didn't accept our... special reward just now, please take this. Consider it a small token of gratitude."
Grandma Cassandra wore a benevolent smile
"He refused? Oh, my teachers, what a pity. But that is what a knight is, isn't it?"
Holding the bottle of red wine, Miss Rita Swift first looked suspicious, then looked at Shade in shock, wanting to ask but not daring to.