Chapter 2179: Teasing and Dreaming

Chapter 2179: Chapter 2179: Teasing and Dreaming

"Heart of Justice? Is it a specific item or does it refer to the character of justice?"

"Justice itself."

Luviya said, then looked seriously at Shard in the darkness of the bedroom. Shard felt that he really saw those beautiful purple eyes glowing.

"The information the coin bought wasn’t just that. Listen: Drawing the Sword of Light is the Chosen One Ceremony for becoming the ’Chosen One of Light.’ Yes, this time the ceremony is to draw the sword. But it’s impossible to divine how to get the sword for now, and apart from having justice itself, it’s unknown how else to draw the sword."

Shard gently embraced her while sitting by the bed:

"A Chosen One related to [Dragon and Justice], the ceremony is related to the sword, this is really fitting... Don’t worry, this doesn’t sound more difficult than dealing with the mad Guardian of the Earth, or a diviner transcending the Thirteen Rings."

"But we all know that the Chosen Ones’ stories only get more dangerous each time. Remember Iluna’s story last summer? The most dangerous part was only a crippled Silver-Eyed One."

Luviya also hugged Shard’s neck:

"It’s not that I don’t trust your ability, but I’m really worried about you."

This sentence carried a tone of worry, as well as a hint of coquettishness. Shard lightly patted her back and asked with a smile:

"Speaking of, do you think Iluna and I are just people?"

"Of course, while Iluna’s thoughts can be a bit extreme at times, she is undoubtedly a good girl. As for you, Shard, I have never met anyone as just and gentle as you."

She released her embrace of Shard, her nose touching his, her purple eyes looking at him.

Shard stopped talking, looking into those captivating, beautiful eyes. When Luviya’s eyelashes fluttered and those eyes slowly closed, Shard held her in his arms and gently kissed her.

(Mia running...)

Time moved to Wednesday, and the morning at No. 6, Saint Delan Square, welcomed the Duchess and her maids, so Luviya didn’t need to arrange breakfast.

Emilia was still in the bedroom, not yet out of bed, and Mia lay obediently on Shard’s lap waiting for breakfast. Shard sat on the sofa with Miss Galina and Luviya, and as the Red-Haired Witch spoke, Luviya choked while raising her teacup:

"Shard, last night we had a meeting, and Bella, Emma, and Vanessa mentioned you."

Lecia had already informed her about Shard’s transformation into a dragon, so she wasn’t bringing this up:

"Later, Vanessa chatted with me, and Bella said... she held you in her arms and fed you milk..."

"Cough, cough, cough, cough, cough!"

Luviya really choked, and Shard hurriedly patted her back. The Prophet, despite still coughing, looked at Shard with a peculiar gaze:

"You have a hobby like this? I thought you recently only liked the legs of the girls."

The Duchess laughed happily, and Shard explained:

"That was in cat form, and it was feeding me Pink Essence with a bottle to restore my spirit. I remember I told you about this."

He glanced at the Red-Haired Witch, who had obviously done it on purpose:

"Why are you looking at me like that? I didn’t lie. Bella really is lucky. You never agree to turn into a cat in front of us, and Lecia said you won’t be turning into a dragon again anytime soon. So whether it’s feeding the cat or riding the dragon, now Bella has become the first."

"If you want, in the future... You came here early in the morning, not just to tease me, right?"

Shard sighed and asked, aware that his transformation into a dragon and then a cat would be teased by the girls around him for quite a while.

"Of course, I wouldn’t be that bored, but that young elf is staying with you now?"

She raised an eyebrow, and after Luviya briefly explained the situation, said no more, as she didn’t believe Shard would actually do anything to an underage elf:

"Yesterday, the Witches held a meeting. His Excellency, the Speaker, listened to Bella’s report on Moon Bay and agreed with the conclusion that the Chosen of Light is about to appear. However, this time the Council won’t send as many people to Moon Bay as they did during the Green Lake incident. Moon Bay is an Archdiocese, and the Church’s oversight is relatively strict, and Bella’s influence over Moon Bay far exceeds that of Sister Audrey over Green Lake or Vanessa over Randall Valley. If too many people go this time, it might cause unnecessary suspicion from the Church."

"Are you not going this time?"

Shard asked, and the Duchess regretfully nodded:

"Yes, if every time The Chosen One appears, I, the Duchess, disappear from the public eye for various reasons, it would be too suspicious. Granny Cassandra won’t participate this time either, as she’s too old, and this doesn’t involve any safety issues with the Council Witches. Megan and Audrey are still dealing with their own affairs; whether they can make it depends on themselves. Currently, only Vanessa and Emma are confirmed to go to Moon Bay, but I guess they won’t depart immediately."

"What about Miss Aphrola?"

Luviya asked.

"According to the information left by Laplace Howard, she’s accompanying Sister Audrey to the New World in search of the flame, and they’re still over there, unsure when they’ll return. Rest assured, the information is reliable. It’s just that in the ruins concealing the Primal Fire, they’ve discovered more clues related to the Fragment of Poem Chapter and the Witch Empress, which is why they’ve been delayed for so long."

"So, this time the Witch Council isn’t as urgent about the seventh Chosen as before?"

Shard asked with a frown.

"It’s not about not being urgent, it’s about how much the Council did the previous times. Look among the seven known Chosen: Iluna is with the Church, Ivan Daknis is dead, Sister Audrey, though collaborating with the Church, the Church knows that the Spiritual Practice Order and the Witch Council have always been in contact. Lakin Prisia went mad, the Guardians of the Earth mostly ignore everyone, and the Chosen of Space is nominally ours now."

The red-haired Duchess enumerated:

"Look, officially, the Witch Council actually influences more of the Chosen than the Church of the Five Gods combined."

"And it’s indeed like that."

Luviya said with a smile, with the witch nodding complacently, then looking at Shard gently:

"Yes, that’s why His Excellency the Speaker decided that we would be more understated this time. Besides, although His Excellency has always been unhappy with Bella’s excessive trust in divination, she trusts Bella’s ability. If the Chosen One of Light is also on our side, it’s better. If not, at least let Bella determine the opponent’s detailed identity."

With that said, both Shard and Luviya understood. Shard then shared the current progress of the investigation. The Chosen needs to possess multiple "Dragon" powers, which she is already aware of, while the matter of the "Sword of Light" remains classified.

Unfortunately, although Galina Cavendish had heard tales of that sword, she had only heard of them. However, the Witch Council has numerous books, and she’s sure not to have read them all:

"I’ll let Audrey and Megan investigate, as they hold the seats of Wisdom and Knowledge, having read the most."

As she came here early in the morning, naturally, the witch would have breakfast at home. When Emilia was awakened by Tifa’s knocking and walked out of the room in a daze, upon seeing the Duchess she somewhat feared sitting at the table, she thought she hadn’t woken up.

At breakfast, Miss Galina refrained from discussing sensitive topics with Shard and Luviya to avoid exposing her identity as a witch and Circle Sorcerer. However, she asked about Shard’s plans for the day and learned that Emilia, who was lodging here, only had plans to visit her two friends at the Three Cats Inn, with no other errands. She took the initiative to suggest:

"Shard, you mentioned earlier that Emilia has befriended Little Angelina? It just so happens that I remember Angelina has no plans today. Let her take your friend and client out of town to see the summer sights of Tobesk. Though the landscapes of farms, horse tracks, and lakes might be familiar to the locals, they’re quite impressive to outsiders."

"Certainly, Emilia, would you like to go?"

Shard sought the opinion of the Elf, to which she naturally had no objections, fearing that staying here would lead Shard to assign more translation work.

After breakfast, the once bustling home was left with only little Mia guarding it, but the cat was quite content with this arrangement.

Shard departed from the basement and headed once again to Moon Bay, meeting Mr. Benhart, who was yawning and appeared sleep-deprived, in Spider Alley, before they set off together in a carriage to the steam bathhouse in the north of the city.

"Did you have insomnia last night?"

In the slightly bumpy carriage, Shard curiously asked, thinking that the Vampire Kind was the type of race that could sleep at will.

Mr. Benhart yawned again:

"Ah~ Sorry, for us, the concept of insomnia doesn’t exist, as quick sleep is instinctual. But... I had a nightmare."

He hunched over in the carriage:

"Perhaps it was thinking too much before sleep; last night I dreamed that I was constantly walking forward on a dark watery surface. I knew the end was ahead, but no matter what, I couldn’t reach the end. So I walked and walked, even my soul became utterly numb. The feeling is indescribable in words, it truly was..."

Mr. Benhart shivered suddenly, then shook his head, refusing to dwell on the matter. Initially, Shard thought he was affected by the scene of bidding farewell to the black cat the previous evening, but then he recalled that in the Bygone Era: Sixth Era, Armand Bernhardt, in a city with arched bridges fused by glimmers, after death, ended up as he described—unable to rest due to the collapse of the concept of death, preventing the soul meant to move toward the endpoint from finding peace.

"Is this Mr. Benhart’s Prophetic Dream? Or from prolonged contact with me, did he sense the memory of the Calamity Card: Undying Wraith? Or perhaps, it was simply a dream."