Mystery: Good Witch

Chapter 1423 Resurrection Square
Kukva City is located in West Byron on the southern continent, not far from Liberation Port, the largest port in the north. It was originally a colony of Intis, indirectly controlled by local armed forces to reduce the cost of colonization. After the expulsion of the armies and colonial governments of various countries, it was reclaimed by the "Pale Queen" Shia Palenque Eggers, a descendant of the former Byron royal family who claimed to be a descendant of the Grim Reaper.

Of course, it is now part of the united regime formed by the liberation movement of the Southern Continent. Strolling along the streets made up of low-rise buildings, Christina's eyes are drawn to the same street scenes and pedestrians as those in Liberation Port.

"So, that strange 'kidnapping' ended just like that?" Tina muttered to herself as she walked toward the city center.

The genie, having regained his energy after leaving the basement, hummed in response:
"On the one hand, your wish actually worked, allowing you and your sister to escape danger without further harm. On the other hand, as the 'Knight of Calamity' said, wrong rituals and wrong sacrifices will not attract the attention of the Outer Gods, and you will not actually encounter danger."

"The Knight of Calamity..." Tina noticed the special information in the genie's answer, and then thought of the knowledge that had been forcibly implanted into her brain today, which she hadn't had a chance to truly digest and use. She exclaimed in surprise:

"Is Lady Ariana a Sequence 1 Archangel?"

She originally thought the other party was just a "saint," that is, the kind of Sequence 4 or Sequence 3.

Archangels are powerful beings second only to gods. According to the genie, there are only one or two archangels in each path. They are not only extremely rare, but they also hold high positions. They are either the pope of a church, the leader of a certain power, or the elder of a certain family. It is unlikely that they will appear in the outside world.

And today alone, Tina has already encountered two archangels!

“She, no, He also said that he was not a ‘night watchman’…”

Shocked, Tina muttered to herself.

"Of course not. All Night Watchers address Her as Your Highness. Within the Church of Eternal Darkness, apart from the Pope, who is also a Sequence 1 'Hand of God,' Ariana's status is the most esteemed. However, she is indeed not within the Church's 'Night Watchers' range of extraordinary beings. This is due to your sister's incorrect way of asking the question."

"Just like if you ask whether a great being is extraordinary, the answer is naturally 'no'."

The genie explained in a lighthearted tone.

This is equivalent to a prince of the Kingdom of Rune, or the prime minister of the Republic of Intis, condescending to come to the basement of the cult's ritual to rescue us... Tina quickly converted Ariana's religious identity into a secular role that she could better understand, and couldn't help but feel a little smug, naturally ignoring the genie's subsequent mockery.

But she quickly snapped out of her reverie and asked in confusion:
"But why would such an archangel, an extraordinary being closest to God, personally intervene to save us? Is it simply because of the wish I made?"

Given the situation at the time, a few armed police officers would probably have been enough to wipe out the cult followers who had fled in terror after the ritual failed. Was it really necessary for the Church of Eternal Darkness to send Ms. Ariana...? Tina muttered to herself, trying to recall the black-haired, barefoot woman who exuded a peaceful and serene aura, but suddenly realized she couldn't remember what she looked like.

“If it were just a regular kidnapping case, the Night Watchers might only send out ordinary members. It would be good enough if there was a Sequence 7 ‘Nightmare’ leading the team. Pulling the key figures into the dream would stop them from causing further damage,” the Genie patiently explained. “But this sacrificial ritual involves ‘Outer Gods’ in the starry sky, which is the highest level of alert for any church. Until there is a being of equal rank protecting this planet, only angels can safely handle the corresponding danger without being contaminated themselves.”

Outer Gods…contamination…one after another, new information drilled into Tina's head through her ears, making her dizzy and unable to help but ask:

"Are the 'Unstable Mist' and 'Decaying King' that they sacrificed to considered the Outer Gods you mentioned?"

"Most of them are like this, but some have already fallen. Reciting their names can cause mystical phenomena of immediate responses, attracting the attention of certain great beings on Earth. Others have lost their minds, leaving only foolish bodies to react instinctively... Under the protection of the great beings belonging to Earth, they generally do not respond to the prayers of believers... But even so, these names themselves and the knowledge they contain are still very dangerous, so Ariana, who possesses the authority of 'secrets,' will personally intervene to nip any possible leaks in the bud."

Dorothy, who had been quietly listening to the genie's explanation, nodded repeatedly beside Tina.

"No wonder I felt my memory of the events just now, especially the name chanted by the person who presided over the sacrifice, was very vague. I couldn't even remember the part of the ancient Hermes that I couldn't understand. Is this also a kind of 'hidden' power?"

The genie chuckled softly and answered:

"That's right, that's why I didn't translate that part for you."

But the genie just translated the names of all the Outer Gods for me, and I haven't forgotten that information... Tina opened her mouth, about to retort, but after glancing at Dorothy, she swallowed her words back down.

She didn't want Dorothy to suspect that she was being treated specially, which could cause a rift in their relationship.

During their conversation, the two had already ventured deep into the not-so-large city of Kukva, walking among pedestrians of various skin colors and clothing, and approaching the city center square.

That's the location of the fourth "seal" indicated by the genie. Once you get here, Tina's mission for today is half complete.

I don't know if we can get back to Tingen by evening, it's already afternoon... Fortunately, one coincidence after another has sped up our journey, like the kidnapping just now, which allowed us to skip the process of buying tickets and waiting for the steam train, and we were brought here directly... Tina looked at the sun slanting westward in the sky, estimating the time she and Dorothy had left, and suddenly realized something, asking herself in her mind:

"Aren't we encountering a bit too many 'coincidences' today?"

Upon arriving in Backlund, Tina's "Wishing Lamp" was stolen, and she was taken away by the police, which led to Benson's appearance. This resulted in her visiting Melissa's laboratory after lunch and being transported to Bayam by the "Door of Anywhere." Her chance encounter with "Flame" Denise then led Tina and Dorothy to board the "Queen Anne's Revenge," a ghost ship that quickly transported them to the Southern Continent, their next destination...

Not to mention kidnapping incidents.

These coincidences, one after another, felt to Tina like a pre-arranged drama, in which she, as the protagonist, was immersed and performing according to the script.

How could such a terrifying thing exist... In that instant, Tina had the illusion that there was an invisible person standing beside her, someone she couldn't see but who could observe her every move. Above her, a pair of eyes of the same color seemed to be flashing in the azure sky, watching her from a higher dimension. The glass window beside her, the spirit world that overlapped with the real world but did not interfere with each other, and even the astral world that the genie had described but she could never enter, all had some existence watching her.

She seemed to be dressed in her finest attire, standing on the stage, the focus of countless eyes. Every move she made was scrutinized and used as material for her performance.

Of course, Tina knew it was all an illusion. The glass windows of the surrounding buildings reflected the figures of countless pedestrians, but not the ones watching her. The sky was still blue, without any eyes looking down at the ground...

“Coincidence? That’s an interesting way to put it…” The genie suddenly chuckled, his tone teasing. “There are many ways to do these things. For example, high-ranking ‘audience’ likes to hide in the corner and watch the events they guide happen. The pathways of certain Outer Gods can also make a fantasy script play out in reality. Witches like to hide in the mirror and spy on reality. Diviners who control puppets can also use their own resources to create a drama.”

"But don't worry, even a true god of Sequence 0 cannot play these tricks in front of me."

He said it with absolute certainty.

Is this the confidence of a level 0 sealed artifact...? Tina felt her paranoia subside somewhat. She reached into her bag and rubbed the "Wishing Lamp" before continuing to walk with Dorothy toward the city center square.

This time, she didn't encounter robbers who stole her handbag, nor was she dragged onto a carriage and thrown into the basement as a sacrifice. She arrived smoothly at the place known as "Resurrection Square".

Here you'll find enormous fountains, street vendors, pedestrians, and streets that wind like spokes leading to various districts of Kukva. Of course, there's also a massive church, a rare sight on the Northern Continent, with a white base and a golden dome.

The church of the "Sun God".

"Fortunately, this time we don't need to place the 'wishing lamp' on the church altar..."

Tina whispered to Dorothy beside her.

Following the genie's instructions, she only needed to place the magic lamp in her bag next to the huge fountain in the center of Resurrection Square. As she looked around, she noticed many people throwing coins into the fountain's pond, praying for good fortune. She decided to throw a golden lamp herself, which wouldn't attract much attention in the bustling square.

But why are all seven locations where the genie is sealed so strange? The park in the northern part of Tingen, the church in the eastern part of Backlund, the luxury suite of a hotel near Bayam Wharf, and now a fountain square in the southern continent… Tina pondered as she walked towards the fountain, trying to find commonalities between the four locations. Just then, a priest with blond hair, wearing a simple linen robe and a golden cross around his neck, emerged from the enormous Church of the Sun. His gaze casually swept across the square in front of the church, suddenly locking onto Tina.

In that instant, Tina noticed that the priest's face simultaneously displayed different expressions, including surprise, fear, and relief, before finally settling on a forced smile as he slowly walked toward her, clutching the cross to his chest.

"Good afternoon, ladies. It's such a coincidence that we've come here. Is there anything I can help you with?"

He tapped his chest four times to form a cross, and greeted her in a warm and reserved tone.

Coincidentally... Tina's bad memories were stirred up again, and an unnamed fire rose in her heart. She couldn't help but want to curse loudly, or take out the "wishing lamp" and smash the priest's head in front of her.

Fortunately, she still possessed basic self-control and quickly suppressed her anger, though her tone became somewhat unnatural:
"I do not need it, thank you."

After these words came out, Tina realized that her behavior was abnormal.

This guy makes you want to punch him the moment he opens his mouth. He's like a brat you met on the train from Tingen to Backlund who's grown up... Wait, could he be a "hunter" too...? Tina suddenly realized something and looked at the blond priest with a scrutinizing gaze.

Dorothy, standing beside her, seemed oblivious to this, instead widening her eyes and asking in a curious tone:
"Are you... are you Mr. Anderson, the author of 'Illustrated Fifth Age'? I've seen your picture in the newspaper!"

Reminded by her words, Tina also recalled the authors of the picture books she had bought with a lot of her allowance, and the experience of being locked up by her mother for taking her cousin Zanni's picture book.

So he was a priest at the church, and publishing picture books was just a side job... She carefully examined the blond priest in front of her, but saw a hint of impatience on his face.

“Alas, quite a few people have already mistaken me for someone else. That Anderson Hood just happens to have the same name as me and looks exactly the same,” Father Anderson sighed and explained. “Some parents even bring me books to ask for my autograph, but after I sign them, they say they are different from the ones in the picture books. I’m just trying to appease them.”

“I’m telling you, that mute Anderson lives on a small island deep in the raging sea, in a city called Yharnam. You can go there to find him.”

Pointing in a certain direction to the north, Anderson, dressed as a priest, lowered his voice and continued muttering:

“If it weren’t for the need to guard this church, I would have called Danitz and gone to that island and that city to burn down the house of this guy who has the same name as me and even looks exactly like me, so that he would never be able to paint a single picture again in his life.”

Danitz? Tina immediately noticed this "former name" of the extraordinary being she had recently parted ways with, and raised her eyebrows.

Anderson noticed her subtle movement, and he exclaimed in surprise, tentatively asking:

"You know, no, have you ever met Danitz?"

Tina nodded obediently.

“We met this ‘Flame’ in Bayam not long ago.” She didn’t say that she had met him today, lest the other party wonder how she had managed to travel from Bayam to the Southern Continent in such a short time. “But he is now, well, he is ‘she’.”

Anderson was taken aback by this euphemistic statement, but he quickly realized what it meant, and the forced smile on his face became even more vivid.

"Haha, you mean Danitz turned into a woman?"

Before Tina could answer, he burst into laughter, laughing so hard he clutched his stomach, drawing stares from passersby.

"Haha, hahaha, he finally gave up on the promotion ceremony he couldn't possibly achieve, and switched to another approach? No, no, I have to go see him and laugh at this guy to his face..."

"Wasn't he trying to woo his captain? Now that he's a woman, how can he do it? Wait, could the potion ingredients he used for his advancement have been bought for him by the other crew members on the 'Golden Dream'? Haha!"
"With that guy's talent, he probably has no chance of switching back to the 'Hunter' path in this lifetime. Will he be content to be a woman and marry another man? I've heard that many witches were originally men, could it be that they all... haha..."

Tina and Dorothy stared in disbelief at Father Anderson, who was laughing loudly in public without any regard for his image.

Suddenly, Anderson, who was laughing so hard he could barely stand, stepped on the edge of a loose paving stone, fell backward with his feet dangling in the air, and his head slammed heavily against the stone barrier of the fountain.

thump—

The dull thud startled Tina, who almost thought the priest in front of her had laughed herself to death.

Fortunately, Anderson seemed to be a hunter of a high rank, with physical abilities beyond those of ordinary people. He slowly stood up, clutching his head, glanced at the dented stone fence, and then looked up at the sky. As if he understood something, his expression became serious, and his eyes became much clearer.

“I shouldn’t laugh at bad luck, no, brave Danitz, he must have had his own reasons and helplessness in changing his path,” the priest said with a firm gaze and a serious tone, not as if he were stating his inner thoughts, but as if he were swearing to the gods. “As for those witches, I wish them happiness.”

Having said that, he made the sign of the cross again, his expression softening, and looked at Tina once more, speaking in a kind tone:
"Do you really not need any help?"

"The biggest help you can do is to leave and not die in front of us..." Tina thought to herself, looking at Anderson who had suddenly become serious.

Immediately, she realized this was a good opportunity to ask a question, so she pointed to the fountain beside her and inquired:

"Is there anything special about this Easter Plaza and fountain? I mean, does it have some unknown history?"

Based on her previous experience, Tina believed that the different "sealing" locations should all have some kind of special connection between them, and that Anderson, as the priest of the church built there, might know something.

Sure enough, the blond, blue-eyed priest looked knowing, bowed slightly, and lowered his voice to say:

"Of course there is. This square has existed since the founding of Kukva City until it was destroyed and rebuilt in a battle eighteen years ago."

"At that time, more than one deity witnessed a revenge and a marriage proposal."

Proposal?

Tina was at a loss for words; this was completely different from the secret she had imagined.

Seeing that she remained unmoved, Anderson curled his lip and chuckled softly.

“You’ll be surprised if I told you who the two people who proposed.” His voice grew even lower, as if he didn’t want someone to hear him. “The man was the already famous and mad adventurer Gehrman Sparrow, and the woman was Angelica Sachs, who rose to fame right from the start and became the new Pirate Queen!”

"And they are you..."

Before he could finish speaking, the brick beneath Anderson's feet sprang up again, knocking him over—a "Blood Knight" strong enough to stand firm in a storm—and slamming his head heavily against the fountain's barrier.

(End of this chapter)