novelraw Chapter 1915: Return Charm
Chapter 1915: Return Charm
Seeing that Shard had settled Angelina in, Granny Cassandra spoke up again:
"Delphine, what arrangements have you made?"
The Blind Nun beside the Old Witch replied softly:
"The Chosen of Balance has been placed in the Peace Chapel. I will leave the church and head to that cruise ship. In the end, only those who can land on the island will actually be able to make a difference."
"All right, that means we have even more people available now. Originally only Vanessa and Granny Cassandra were on the cruise ship, so I was a bit worried. Now it’s enough."
Miss Aphrola was quite pleased with this:
"Although we don’t have any Thirteen Rings here, our combat strength is barely adequate. We can’t send all our Followers into the battlefield, but we already have plenty of girls who are loyal enough. If that Diviner really plans to clash head‑on with every force in the Green Lake Region, then he’s already lost even without going ashore. The only uncertainty now is how exactly he intends to invite his descendants onto the island."
The plan and backup options had more or less been discussed to completion, and everyone had to make their own preparations for tomorrow’s battle, so the afternoon meeting did not last long. Although Sister Delphine had decided not to act together with the Church, she still returned to the church that afternoon with Iluna.
Shard, on the other hand, pulled Luviya into his room. He wasn’t planning to do anything intimate in broad daylight, but wanted to ask about another key piece of information:
"The Angel Relic ’Poetry Cards’ that can summon ancient heroes—how exactly do you activate its Trait?"
Before it was stolen, that Relic had always been contained by the Prophet’s Society, and there was little information elsewhere.
Luviya was a bit surprised:
"You’re planning to snatch that card and then Call Witches from the past to come help us? Not a bad idea."
"Mm... just pretend that’s what I’m thinking. How exactly is that card used?"
Shard asked. The violet‑eyed girl thought back:
"I’ve read the detailed containment report... I remember now.
First—and most importantly—you must learn as much as possible about the deeds and life of the ancient hero you wish to Call; this will greatly affect the strength of the summoned hero. Second, you need items related to that poetic hero; they don’t necessarily have to be something they used, they can also be Symbolic objects such as a Longsword or a horse. Lastly, the Spell Words—yes, this Relic requires Spell Words to activate."
"What Spell Words?"
"I don’t know, but they’re on the card. It’s in Ancient Script, which definitely won’t be a problem for you."
But Shard wasn’t thinking of using the card himself; he was worried that the Diviner who had guessed at the existence of the "Bygone Era: Sixth Era" might use the cards to summon something else:
"So it only needs those three conditions?"
"Yes."
Luviya nodded in confirmation:
"Choose the summoning target, know their life and deeds, hold the related item, recite the Spell Words—the Relic activates. This is a Relic related to Time, and its danger likewise comes from Time itself. The Society’s containment files do not clearly state where the specific danger lies; they only warn Diviners not to casually use the Power of Time. Time, like Fate, is incomparably fair to everyone."
"That’s what I’m worried about as well. The Diviner is using his descendants with Space-Time Talent to explore the past. If what he summons in the end is what I’m thinking of, that would be terrifying."
Shard let out a long sigh. Luviya was just about to say something more when there was a knock at the door, and then Miss Sylvia walked in:
"Oh, Shard, you’re here."
Seeing Luviya there as well, she teased:
"Is it convenient for me to talk to you now? Or should I give you two some time alone?"
She wasn’t here to chat with Shard; instead, she showed him a triangular talisman made of silver metal. Witches were skilled at crafting all kinds of talismans, because the Witches of the Fifth Era loved studying how to make their personal accessories both beautiful and useful.
"Some time ago, you and I discussed the ’going home’ effect of your Maze Lock ’Cinderella’. That gave me inspiration, and after digging through some old documents I finally managed to make this."
The Space Grand Witch "modestly" introduced the talisman’s effect to the two of them:
"Bend the metal to activate its Trait, and you can return directly to the first floor of this inn. I call it the ’Return Charm’."
"What?"
Shard was stunned:
"This really is..."
"Don’t be so shocked, it’s not as impressive as you think. I only have a shallow understanding of your Maze Lock, so the making of this thing involved the Council’s power and can only be used by women. Also, it only works over short distances—forget hopping across half the Old Continent like you do, this talisman might already fail if the distance is as far as half a city. And the reason I chose to return to this inn is because there’s a supporting ritual here for pinpointing the location."
She shook her head regretfully:
"And I can only make something like this in the Green Lake Region. The instability of Space makes crossing Space more dangerous, but it also lowers the difficulty of doing so. Once I leave the Green Lake Region, I won’t be able to make this anymore... unless I continue to advance."
"How many talismans did you make?"
Luviya asked curiously. In certain specific situations, the effect of this talisman was indeed very useful.
"Fewer than ten. The rarity of the raw materials is secondary; the main problem is that the crafting process is very complicated, and I can’t put all my time into this."
She took out another identical talisman and handed one each to Shard and Luviya:
"You two keep these; I hope they’ll come in handy. I really don’t feel confident about this battle. I’m the lowest-Level Grand Witch in the Council. Looks like once this is over, I’ll have to think about advancing as soon as possible, otherwise I’ll only be doing logistics like this in the future, or serving as a walking Portal opener."
She really did underestimate herself a bit. No matter what enemy or disaster they faced, the Power of a Space Grand Witch was always indispensable.
That afternoon, the Council Witches also received two more Relics that might help Shard, allowing him to land on the island together with Megan.
Not long after Miss Sylvia left, Miss Aphrola brought the two Relics to Shard: a silver cloak, and, in a box held by Miss Haley Aflora, a Longsword that dripped blood downward.
"Let me give you a brief introduction. These are the Relics the Council selected as the most suitable. That cloak is a Sage-Level Relic, the [Invisibility Cloak of Escape from Death]."
"Oh? It’s actually that Relic? I thought it was in the hands of the Church of Nature."
Luviya, standing to the side, was very surprised. She picked up the cloak and draped it over herself; the fabric, smooth like silk, covered her whole body and made her body turn completely transparent, leaving only her head floating in the air. The scene was rather horrifying.
Shard reached out to touch her body, but his hand couldn’t feel anything at all:
"You call this Invisibility? This is straight-up disappearing."
That was his comment. Luviya lifted the cloak off and handed it to Shard for inspection, while Miss Aphrola continued her introduction:
"Yes. After putting on the cloak, not only can others no longer see you, you also cease to exist as a tangible entity that can be touched. But the true value of this Relic lies in the ’Escape from Death’ in its name. If you cover your whole body with the Relic when you are about to die, you absolutely will not die. It’s as if this Invisibility Cloak can also hide you from Death’s pursuit. Your Arcane Technique [False Immortality] is similar in effect to this Relic, but once you put on the cloak, the state of undying will not be broken by more severe injuries."
"That really is impressive... So what are the drawbacks and the price?"
One side of the cloak was silver; the inner side was some kind of linen-colored cloth, which also prevented the cloak itself from becoming invisible. At the end of the cloak, dense stitches formed some Elderflowers, but the flowers and vines connected together could be read by Shard’s Linguistic Comprehension as meaning—
[Escape is not the End Point; Death shall surely come.]
"Although you can turn invisible, beings with strong inspiration can still vaguely perceive it. In terms of concealment, it’s actually not as good as that Keeper of Secrets Level [Hide-and-Seek Wardrobe]. And once its main Trait—escaping Death—is triggered, it means you can never come out from under the cloak again. Otherwise, no matter what method you use, the moment you lift the cloak, you die instantly."
Miss Aphrola said, and Luviya added beside her:
"The Society places great importance on this Relic and believes the cloak is related to that ancient Deity of Death, perhaps even a Divine Creation of an Ancient God. Besides what Miss Aphrola said, the Society also records that a person wearing the cloak may completely disappear and never be found again. Once you hide yourself away, no one knows what the invisible one will encounter."
"Then, if I ball the cloak up, will that make the Invisibility Cloak itself turn invisible?"
Shard asked curiously as he grabbed Mia, who was trying to wriggle under the cloak.
"You absolutely must not do that. It would cause the Relic to run wild."
Miss Aphrola warned, then took the blood-dripping Longsword out of the box her niece was holding. The blood drops would automatically vanish in midair as they fell, and would not stain the inn’s floor:
"This Relic, like the [Hide-and-Seek Wardrobe], is also Keeper of Secrets Level (Level 3). It’s not that the Society lacks Angel Relics (Level 1) and more Sage-Level (Level 2) Relics; it’s that Relics with extremely small side effects yet extremely high danger levels are far too rare. Your [Night Watchman] is practically perfect in this regard."
"A Keeper of Secrets Level Weapon Longsword is already very rare."
Shard commented, but Luviya shook her head:
"I know this one too, Shard, and it’s not a Weapon. It’s similar to your ’Love God’s Sting’—it looks like a Weapon, but in fact it’s a ritual item."
With Miss Aphrola’s permission, she explained to Shard:
"Keeper of Secrets Level Relic [Concord Sword]. Any two different objects that are pierced by this Sword will be regarded as one whole."