Mystery: Good Witch

Chapter 1215: Yharnam Horror Story (Two in One)

Until the six people at the long table finished their meal and left the restaurant and stepped into the town square at night, the middle-aged gentleman and young lady who came to share the table last did not talk to Fors and Xio, as if they really just treated them as strangers they met by chance.

But how could Fors not know them?
The middle-aged gentleman with a sturdy build and graying hair but still full of energy is obviously Dwayne Dantès, one of the "vests" of Gehrman Sparrow, the "world" of the Tarot Club, and the young and beautiful lady next to him who makes people unable to take their eyes off is undoubtedly Miss "Queen"!
How did they come to Yharnam? Was it because Mr. Fool's church was here, or was there some secret hidden underground in this city that interested both angels?
Thinking of this, Fors had an urge to take Xio away immediately.

What the two most powerful members of the Tarot Club care about is likely to be very dangerous to her, a Beyonder who has just been promoted to a Saint. Not to mention that Xio is only a Sequence 5 "Punishment Knight". Once she encounters a divine enemy, she will have no ability to resist.

But think about it from another perspective. Since "The World" and "The Queen" are here, could it be that this matter has been resolved, or is it already under control and no longer dangerous?

If there really was danger, they would definitely warn the Magician and Judgement, who are also members of the Tarot Club, instead of pretending not to know them, as if they just wanted to spend their vacation in peace... If that's the case, wouldn't it be a bit of an overreaction for Xio and I to run away immediately? It would be difficult to ask her out next time... The magician named Merlin and his assistant Vivian should both be Beyonders, but they don't seem to be very wary of this city...

Thinking of this, Fors looked at his friend beside him and asked in a low voice:
"Do you recognize those two?"

Her impression of "Dawn" mostly came from Hugh, who had served as his bodyguard for a few days, and when "The World" appeared in front of her, it was almost always the image of Hermann, so she wanted to confirm it.

Xio, who was standing beside her, seemed to be in a low mood since he got off the steam train and entered Yharnam. He became even more taciturn after hearing the question from the magician Merlin's mirror. After hearing Fors' question, he was stunned for a moment before nodding:
"It's definitely Mr. 'World'. The other one is Miss Christine Theresa, who is most likely one of the identities of Miss 'Queen'."

With the answer from the "sheriff", Fors confirmed her guess. She looked at the streets and squares illuminated by the crimson moonlight. Her curiosity finally overcame her caution. She prepared to find a bar to sit in as planned and decide whether to stay overnight or return to Backlund immediately to end this trip.

And she had to find a way to explain... to comfort her friends around her and get over the embarrassing question that had just been asked!

……

Yharnam City was the same as almost every city Fors had been to. Nighttime entertainment and communication were concentrated in bars. Every hotel had its own bar, and the largest one was right next to the municipal square, which was the favorite leisure place for all citizens.

As soon as he entered here, Xio felt like he was back home. He walked to the bar with ease and ordered a light cocktail for himself and Fors.

This reminded Fors of the time when the two were Low-Sequence Beyonders and had walked the streets to help each other find the criminals on the wanted list. When she was asking for information at the East District Bar, she narrowed her eyes with some nostalgia, took the wine that was turbid on the surface but exuded the aroma of fresh fruit and lemon acid, and took a sip.

Just like all the other food in this city, it’s fresh and has a unique flavor… She commented, resisting the urge to take out her notebook and write something down, looking at the other customers at the bar.

There were ordinary workers, cooks, old people, and young people. There was nothing wrong with it... After looking around at the people around her, Fors felt relieved. She was about to have a good talk with Xio about the "romantic dream" when a young, thin man with strange white hair came up with a glass of wine and sat next to Fors.

“Hello, two strangers,” he raised his glass and shook it towards them, “Have you just arrived in Yharnam today?”

Fors, who was often approached in strange cities because of her good looks and seemingly thin but not strong body, also raised her glass and clinked it with the young man, and asked in confusion:

"How do you know we're not from here? Have you seen and remembered everyone in this city?"

The young man chuckled, put down his wine glass, turned the chair under him to face Fors, and said:

"Of course, this is a basic quality for a writer. If you can't even remember the people around you, how can you create fictional characters based on this?"

I don’t quite remember… Fors reflected for a second, then laughed in surprise:
"writer?"

The world is so small, she can meet someone in the same profession just by having a drink?

"Alesu, determined to become the greatest writer in the Five Seas." The young man introduced himself, touching his chest with his hand. "Of course, my career has just started. I am conceiving a novel and plan to send it to the Sea Breeze, then the Tussock Newspaper and the Backlund Daily..."

"Fors," the magician lady, who is also a writer, also gave her real name. If she wasn't named, no one would be able to connect her with the best-selling author. "I heard that before serializing a novel, you should write some short stories first to practice and accumulate a group of readers... Have you published any short stories?"

Alesu shook his head awkwardly and said:
"I wrote some short stories and even sent a thriller to the Dicey Mirror about a young security company member tracking down a serial killer, but it was rejected by the editor... They thought the story had too many coincidences and was too deliberate, the villain hardly ever showed up, and the ending where almost all the protagonists died didn't quite suit the preferences of today's readers... Their views were too utilitarian!"

"That's true." Fors agreed casually.

"So, I plan to write a novel directly, with the popular adventurers and pirates as the protagonists, the six treasure legends as the main line, and the pirate kings and generals as the villains. I will defeat various enemies and obtain treasures. In the end, the hero will marry the beauty and become a legend on the five seas..."

As Alesu spoke, he took a sip of the beer in his hand and became a little excited.

It sounds a bit familiar. No, it's the "Great Adventurer" and "Great Pirate" series... Fors was stunned and asked subconsciously:
"Do you know the great writer Fors Wall?"

When she mentioned the "great writer", she felt her face getting hot.

But the young writer in front of him didn't notice this, instead he opened his eyes wide in surprise:

"I didn't expect you've also read Ms. Fors's best-selling novel... She has the same name as you, what a coincidence... Sigh, the word 'coincidence' is the last thing I want to hear right now.

“Yes, I am planning to imitate that best-selling novel series as my first novel. Of course, the story is absolutely original, but I use the same protagonist, the adventurer German Sparrow, and the pirate queen Angelica Thatch who is his enemy and friend in the end.

"Anyway, they are all, well, public figures. Anyone can write about them. There is no copyright dispute."

No, there is indeed a copyright issue in this matter. I have obtained the author’s authorization. If you dare to make up a story, you will most likely be found and have a huge revolver hit on your head, or be hung from the ceiling by invisible threads... Fors commented secretly and mourned for a second for the young writer in front of him whose future was uncertain.

Of course, if personal safety is not a concern, what Alesu said is indeed correct. As long as his story is original, celebrities like Hermann and Angelica and legends like the "Ghost Empire" are not original to Fors, so it is fine for him to use them.

Just saying this in front of the author of the "Great Pirate Series" himself made Fors almost unable to hold back her laughter, and Xio beside her also looked at Alesu with a strange look.

After boasting about himself for a while, the writer, who had not yet published any works, calmed down a little and continued:

"The problem I'm facing now is the names and settings of the supporting characters... I've never left Yharnam, and I've always seen the people around me. I can only make some changes to their identities as supporting characters. For example, I designed the mute painter Anderson to be a talkative pirate... But it's still not enough, so I've been looking for outsiders, wanting to communicate with them so that my story settings are not so limited."

"People cannot imagine things they have never seen." Fors nodded and commented, "I can help you, but in exchange, you have to tell me the strange rumors about this city, especially the terrifying legends at night. Is this fair?"

"No problem!" Alesu readily agreed and asked the bartender who had been listening to their conversation to bring two more glasses of wine.

As a best-selling author with many years of writing experience and a travel writer with her own column in the newspaper, the stories, legends, customs and practices of various places in Fors's mind were by no means comparable to those of Alesu, a city she had never even been to. She quickly helped the other party design some supporting characters and storylines that seemed old-fashioned to her but refreshing to Alesu.

Looking at the new writer who was writing furiously with his notebook, Fors inexplicably felt a sense of accomplishment in training an apprentice.

Alas, I hope to see his masterpiece in the newspaper instead of an obituary... Well, Mr. World and Ms. Queen won't be so cruel. At most, they will ask him to give up part of the royalties and forbid him to write about certain special plots, such as chaotic emotional relationships... Fors saw Alesu close his notebook, collected his thoughts and said:

"It's your turn now."

"Okay, okay," Alesu nodded vigorously. "I'm curious. Most outsiders are interested in Yharnam's food and special customs, such as the Fool's Church across the square, or the weekend music parade... You are the first one who wants to know about the horror legends at night."

Music parade? What is that... Fors muttered, shaking his head.

“My hobby is quite special.”

Alesu smiled with an understanding expression and said:
"There are only two horror stories in Yharnam, and they are both misunderstandings and rumors spread by outsiders..."

Seeing that Fors did not show any disappointment, he continued:
"The first one is that some tourists who got lost at night would find themselves lying on unfamiliar streets or in an empty building the next day. They believed that the city was haunted, and that ghosts had taken control of their bodies and taken them to dangerous places...

"But in fact, they all went to sparsely populated areas unconsciously after getting drunk. After losing consciousness, they were found by patrolmen and helped to the side of the road to avoid being crushed by carriages at night. Or they walked into unlocked houses for rent and slept in them until dawn... Of course, appropriate mysterious legends are helpful to the tourism industry, so the residents will not take the initiative to refute the rumors." So that's how it is. It's similar to the cities on the archipelago I've visited. The rumors spread by tourists and the little tricks of local residents have combined to form horror legends... Fors was a little disappointed, but she didn't show it on her face. Instead, she asked:
"Where's the other one?"

"Another..." Alesu took a sip of the ice beer that was brought to him and exhaled, "Another legend is even more illusory. Some outsiders will find that the citizens of Yharnam around them are in a state of dull expression and slow movements at night. It usually doesn't last too long, just a few seconds or minutes, but it is also terrifying enough..."

"Imagine that the driver who drives you suddenly holds the reins tightly with both hands and stops moving. The horse also stops in the middle of the road and does not move. The surrounding environment becomes quiet. The pedestrians on the roadside keep walking. The waiter in the window holds a rag and lies on the window sill, looking up at the sky. The only sounds on the whole street are your heavy breathing and the companions around you..."

His voice was low and trembling with an emotion that made Fors and Xio hold their breath. They imagined the state that the other person described, like slowly sinking into a lake on a winter night, their whole bodies becoming cold and stiff.

Suddenly, Alesu's expression became dull, and the hand holding the glass tilted to the side. The beer in the glass swayed and spilled a little, and the smell of low-quality alcohol entered Fors's nostrils.

This is... the horror legend he mentioned?
Fors' heart tightened, and she subconsciously touched Xio's hand, and her eyes quickly moved to look around...

The other guests behaved normally.

"Haha...ha, did I scare you guys?"

Alesu in front of him suddenly burst into shrill laughter. He straightened the wine glass in his hand with an exaggerated smile on his lips, obviously very proud of his own prank.

At that moment, I did have the urge to flee with Xio... But the main reason was not because of Alesu's realistic acting, but because I had encountered "The World" and "The Queen" before, which gave me an unexpected expectation of the problems hidden in this small city... Fors explained her reaction just now in her heart, and responded with a smile on her face:

"So, this second legend is also a rumor?"

With the example of "evil spirit possession" just now, she was even more looking forward to the other party's explanation of this legend.

A collective prank by all the local residents? A genetic disease caused by diet or water? The influence of a certain sealed object that causes people around to fall into a periodic state of stagnation?
She had instantly thought of several possibilities.

But Alesu's answer stunned her.

"No, it's not a rumor." The young man smiled and replied, "In fact, all the locals in this city, and even some outsiders, will occasionally experience the state I mentioned... Those who don't fall into a stagnant state will be regarded as outliers."

As he spoke, he no longer concealed the smile on his face, and his eyes extended to look at the bartender and other guests behind Fors.

The latter subconsciously looked up and found that the drinkers who had been making loud noises just now had stopped what they were doing and were all looking over here.

They all had the same smile on their faces as Alesu.

Leave here... Fors made a decision immediately. She grabbed Xio's wrist with her right hand and was about to use "teleportation" to escape from this strange city.

But at this moment she noticed that her good friend had not made any movement since then, as if she had become a puppet who only listened to the conversation between her and Alesu.

Even the wrist she was holding was extremely stiff.

stiff……

Fors lowered his gaze and looked at Hugh Dilcha who was sitting next to him.

At this time, the "foreigner" also smiled the same smile as Alesu and the drinkers around him.

----

"If you tease her like this, be careful or she might destroy the entire Secret Doll Town..."

Angel, who had long brown-red hair and wore a knee-length tight skirt, a women's shirt, and a small jacket, buried her entire body in the soft single sofa, admiring Fors's panicked expression in the huge decorative mirror on the wall, and kindly reminded Klein beside her.

Of course, it was not Klein himself who was hiding in the underground area of ​​the church, but the "wandering magician" Merlin Hermes who was one of the secret puppets.

The latter was leaning against the sofa, adjusting his ancient ceremonial hat. Hearing this, he smiled and said:

"Don't worry. Even if she really summons the meteorite recorded in your display, you can take over the disaster and minimize the losses. Other demigod abilities, even the lightning of Poseidon's scepter, can only destroy the bar at most. Besides herself, even Miss Judgment is my secret doll. No innocent people will be harmed, and the losses can be controlled within a reasonable range.

"And with her best friend's whereabouts unknown, it's unlikely that Miss Magician will flee the city alone. She will first look for a safe place and try to interrogate the secret puppet Judgment, or perform divination and seek the help of The Fool to find the real Xio, and then leave or destroy this place."

As he spoke, the scene in the mirror changed. The "Mystic" Fors used the recorded "Mind Deprivation" to shock everyone around him, pulled "Xiu"'s arm and teleported away directly to a vacant lot on the outskirts of Yharnam City.

Of course, the puppets have no minds and are not affected by this "audience" ability, but Klein still manipulated them into reacting in a similar way.

Looking at Fors who used the "Abyss Shackles" to trap the secret doll "Xiu" and began to pray to Mr. Fool without hesitation, Merlin Hermes nodded, very satisfied with her performance.

This saint who possessed the ability to "keep secrets" never realized that he was in a secret doll town from beginning to end, which meant that a corresponding area had been formed in the spiritual world for Yharnam City, and even abilities such as divination and prophecy were difficult to distinguish true from false.

That’s right, the “magicians” Fors Wall and Hugh Dilcha had caught Klein’s attention since they set foot on Patis Island, and became their guinea pigs for testing the secret puppet town of Yharnam.

Judging from the results, his promotion ceremony to "Servant of Mysteries" has almost been completed.

It won't be long before I can truly surpass her... Merlin cast his eyes on Angel who was concentrating on looking at the mirror. The inner thoughts of the master of the secret doll were revealed in his eyes without any concealment.

"I'm going to answer Miss Magician's prayers to prevent her from taking any extreme actions."

He spoke softly. At the same time, Klein in the basement of the church moved his mind, and his spirit was about to rise into the gray mist and enter the Kingdom of the Fool.

At this moment, Angel asked doubtfully:

"Come to think of it, when did you separate the two of them?"

"From the moment the steam train arrived in Yharnam, the two were 'grafted' to different locations, each accompanied by a secret doll. They arrived at the same place at different times and had almost the same experiences."

What a bad taste... Angel muttered, reaching out to Merlin's waist and applying slight force with two fingers.

----

"Most wishes are fine, but hiss... even the gods can't fulfill all the wishes of everyone."

Merlin, a wandering magician wearing a robe and a top hat, said with a smile while sitting in a crowded restaurant, but suddenly he inhaled with a grin, leaving Xio in front of him confused.

She glanced at her friend who was not very interested in street magic, hesitated for a moment, and said:
"Then let's go for the second one. Magic mirror divination. Do you need me to provide a mirror?"

PS: Today is another two-in-one session. I have been very tired and busy these past few days... I guess I will have to wait until the weekend to get back to normal.

(End of this chapter)