Mystery: Good Witch

Chapter 1424 Soaring to the Sky

Bishop Anderson had fallen twice on flat ground, and even Tina noticed something was wrong. She cautiously took two steps back to avoid being caught in the crossfire, while silently asking the "genie" in her heart:
"Did you do it?"

“Of course not,” the genie’s majestic but deliberately low voice replied immediately. “He was just unlucky, the kind who would choke to death even when drinking water. You should quickly put me inside the fountain and break this seal.”

Can a person really be this unlucky...? Tina looked at Anderson, who was clutching his head and groaning, unable to get up for a long time. She felt that his exaggerated actions had a certain element of acting, but she also agreed with the genie's opinion. Without hesitation, she took out the "wishing lamp" from her bag, went to the fountain, and carefully placed the golden lamp into the water where many metal coins had sunk.

The magic lamp bubbled a few times in the water, and a few golden lights appeared on its surface. But just when Tina thought the figure inside the sealed object would emerge from the spout again, the golden light quickly receded, and the body of the lamp became completely ordinary, like a common gilded decoration.

“Alright, this is the fourth one,” the Genie’s voice rang out again, carrying the ease and satisfaction of having completed an important task. “Next, we will head to the Eastern Continent and enter a ruin known as the ‘Giant’s Court’.”

The Eastern Continent... Tina had long been numb to the various demands made by the genie contained within this sealed artifact, but the new location still gave her an urge to give up.

Unlike the North and South continents, which had established safe sea routes more than a hundred years ago and had become closely connected through colonization and trade, the East continent existed only in adventure novels and fictional stories for a considerable period of time, and most people believed that it did not exist.

It wasn't until more than a decade ago, when the sea fog that had shrouded the eastern part of the Sunia Sea dissipated and the followers of "The Fool" and "The Sun God" found a new sea route, that this long-hidden continent truly came into view. But even after more than a decade of continuous immigration, that continent remained, in the eyes of most, an incredibly mysterious and dangerous wilderness.

Are we going to have to rely on a ghost ship to take us for a ride again, or perhaps we'll be "teleported" thousands of miles away through an electrified door?
Tina muttered to herself as she scooped the "wishing lamp" out of the pool, shook it dry, and stuffed it back into her bag.

"So, your purpose in coming here was simply to fill a pot with water from the pond and take it home?"

Suddenly, Anderson's voice, which sounded mocking and made you want to punch him, came from behind her. Tina's expression froze, and after a moment she composed herself and turned to look at him.

Anderson was no longer the pathetic figure he had been when he fell twice. After standing up straight and dusting himself off, he even looked somewhat dignified and handsome. Unfortunately, all Tina could think of were the priest's exaggerated head-banging against the fountain barrier twice, and she couldn't muster any extra goodwill towards him.

She didn't want to reveal the existence of the "wishing lamp," so she nodded without answering.

But Anderson didn't stop there; instead, he continued:
"This fountain might really bring good luck. It witnessed a difficult revenge, a romantic proposal, and gave me the opportunity to truly become a demigod. Of course, I eventually found that whether I returned to the Ironblood Cross and mingled with those hunters, or went to report to the Church of Knowledge, it seems that I ultimately believed in that great Lord. Perhaps this is also a kind of... luck."

As he spoke, he drew a cross on his chest, raised his gaze to the church of the "Sun God" not far away, and suddenly paused.

Tina looked over and noticed a tall, slender man with soft features standing in the square in front of the church. His long silver hair was draped over his back, and his eyes, the same color, were quietly gazing in this direction. If it weren't for the sharp angles of his body beneath the thin linen robe, Tina would have even suspected that he was a woman.

Just as Tina noticed him, a gentleman and a lady walked by arm in arm in front of the silver-haired man. The former's smooth forehead and deep, lake-like gray eyes, revealed under his half-high silk hat, and the latter's pale, almost bloodless skin, caught Tina's attention. When she came to her senses and looked for the silver-haired man, she could no longer find him.

"You noticed?"

Anderson looked away and asked in a low voice.

"That silver-haired person?" Tina frowned, not hiding her discovery. "I only saw him for a moment, and then he disappeared."

"Then you are very lucky. Normally, if He doesn't want you to notice Him, you will happen to miss Him due to various coincidences."

Another coincidence… Tina’s expression changed slightly, and she pressed for an answer:
"Will this have any impact?"

"He is the 'Angel of Fate' under the throne of that great Lord. Meeting Him may bring good fortune or misfortune. Of course, I believe you will be the former."

Anderson answered casually.

"Luck? Could it help us reach other destinations? Like the Eastern Continent?"

Dorothy, who was standing nearby, also looked in that direction but did not find the silver-haired figure. She frowned and asked.

Seemingly because of his two recent falls, Anderson was unusually well-behaved, answering every question. He nodded slightly and said:

"It depends on your destination, but if you're 'lucky,' you might run into someone going the same way who can give you a ride as soon as you set off."

"For example, in my early years, I joined an expedition to explore mysterious sea ruins because I believed rumors. However, after seeing the murals of Prince Urolius, I suffered a series of misfortunes. Some of the crew members drowned themselves, and some slipped and fell to their deaths on the road. In the end, I was the only one left."

“You think I’m going to say that seeing the ‘Angel of Fate’ will lead to misfortune? No, that encounter led me to meet the fledgling Gehrman Sparrow and his friends. I hitched a ride away from the ruins and, by chance, got the opportunity to advance to a higher sequence. Eventually, I became the archbishop who guards this square and this fountain in the church.”

As if he knew that Tina and Dorothy were very knowledgeable about mysticism, Anderson rambled on and on without explaining the terms that were difficult for ordinary people to understand.

Finally, he concluded:
"In short, I think luck and misfortune are two sides of the same coin, and they can turn into each other at any time, depending on how you deal with them."

So, Anderson's repeated falls were also due to some kind of misfortune? But according to him, it was the other side of luck... and he didn't explain how I should take advantage of this luck... Tina thought to herself, feeling that the archbishop was talking so much that it was unbearable, and she wondered if she should find an opportunity to interrupt him.

Just then, Tina caught a glimpse of another figure appearing in the direction of the church out of the corner of her eye. The hair, as deep red as blood and as wild as flames, immediately caught her attention.

Could it be Mr. Medici? She ignored Anderson's incessant chatter, her gaze fixed on him, and the expectant look on her face immediately fell.

The red-haired man's build and age were similar to the Mr. Medici she remembered, especially his signature red hair, but his face shape and expression were quite different, clearly indicating that he was a different person.

Of course, they also have a lot in common in terms of facial features and expressions, especially the natural masculine charm that Tina inexplicably felt a bit of affection for him.

Dorothy, standing nearby, also let out a soft "Huh?" and looked at the red-haired man. After a moment, she sighed.

She must have thought of Mr. Medici too... While Tina was thinking, the man had already come to the side of the three of them. His height of almost two meters made Anderson, who was much taller than the average person, look up at him.

The latter bowed respectfully, his tone no longer carrying any sarcasm:
"Your Highness Soren."

In the world of mysticism, among the major churches, "Your Highness" is usually a title for angels... Tina recalled the teachings of the genie and realized that the red-haired man in front of her was also an extraordinary being of at least Sequence 2.

Including the "Angel of Fate" who suddenly appeared and disappeared just now, Tina has seen at least four angels today!
She simply didn't believe there was no "coincidence" involved.

Could she really have been set up by some "audience," "fortune teller," or "witch"...? She looked at Dorothy and found that Dorothy was also looking at her, with the same puzzled and nervous expression.

The red-haired man, whom Anderson referred to as Prince Soren, gave a light snort and looked around before saying:
"I didn't expect Medici to actually hide, and even left behind false clues to lure me here... Did you see that guy today?"

"No, absolutely not! If I had seen it, I would have told you!" Anderson immediately shook his head to show his innocence, then cautiously asked, "May I ask what's wrong?"

"The goddess sent down a divine decree, instructing me to give a precious item to Medici, but this guy seems to have sensed something and suddenly hid... Could he have run off to the Eastern Continent?" The red-haired Sauron clicked his tongue, ignoring Anderson who was of no use to him, and turned to look at Tina and Dorothy, his expression softening considerably.

Seeing this, Tina, who had been harboring doubts, mustered her courage and asked:

“Mr. Soren, um, Your Highness Soren, do you know Mr. Medici? He also has red hair, just like you.”

Hearing her question, Soren's gentle expression became even more vivid. He bent down, straightened his back, and squatted down so that his gaze was level with or even lower than that of the two girls. He nodded and answered with a smile:

"Of course we know each other. We were roommates for a long time. Sometimes we bickered with each other, and sometimes we discussed difficult problems together. Of course, we also had conflicts. We were like enemies and friends."

As they spoke, Tina felt an even more irresistible masculine charm from Soren's angular facial features and handsome face, which were closer to him. His answer, in turn, inevitably led the young woman into some strange reverie.

Roommates... enemies and friends... the three of them... Her gaze gradually lost focus as she thought of the plot of the novel that was being circulated privately in the class.

Not noticing the girl's rich inner monologue, Soren paused for a moment before continuing:
"I overheard your conversation with Anderson just now. You're planning to head to the Eastern Continent quickly?"
“It just so happens that I’m also going there to find Medici. I can give you a ride.”

Someone actually showed up along the way. Was this the lucky power of the "Angel of Destiny"? Tina collected her thoughts, her mouth agape as she looked at Anderson beside her. The latter secretly gave her a thumbs up and then pointed it at himself, clearly meaning, "See, I told you so."

The effect felt no less than making a wish to the "genie," so it seemed the "wishing lamp" was roughly equivalent to the power of an angel... Tina glanced at Dorothy, and seeing that her sister had no objection, nodded:
"Then I'll have to trouble you, Mr. Soren."

“Not at all,” Soren smiled and shook his head, lowering his body further and extending his palms upward toward the two sisters. “Then I will formally ask you once more: are you willing to temporarily join my team and gain my power?”

Join the team? There shouldn't be any problems, right? Seeing Soren's formal question, Tina hesitated and subconsciously asked the genie in her mind, but received no answer.

Of course, during today's journey, Tina had already gotten used to the sealed artifact and the genie inside occasionally going silent or refusing to answer or offer help. She had figured out a certain pattern and knew that if she were truly in danger, the other party would issue a warning even if she didn't ask.

The genie is silent now, which most likely means that this action is harmless... She pondered, then slowly raised her slender arm and placed her hand in Sauron's large palm.

Dorothy was the same beside her.

The moment their bodies made contact, Tina felt a scorching heat, like flames, travel through her palms and forearms, all the way into her body. Her mind was also filled with complex but easily understandable knowledge.

Flame Transformation… Transforming the body into purple flames, traversing space at speeds dozens of times faster than sound, instantly reaching the destination… Team members can share extraordinary abilities and spirituality… They are connected at will, able to communicate directly in their consciousness…

Before Tina could process this information, Dorothy's voice rang in her mind:
"Tina, can you hear me?"

"I can hear you!"

She answered excitedly, glancing at her sister beside her, and noticed a deep purple glint in the other's brown eyes, as if they had been dyed the color of her own.

Not only her eyes, but Dorothy's entire body was enveloped in a layer of purple flames, making her look like a burning torch. However, her face did not show the pain of being burned, but rather the excitement of seeing something new.

Tina knew that her body and her expression were exactly the same as Tina's.

In the short span of this day, the two witnessed, accepted, and understood extraordinary power, but only now do they truly possess this power, even if it is only temporary.

The two sisters remembered a saying their father had taught them, a proverb from the Western Continent.

The end of the paper is so shallow that I know that this matter must be carried out.

"Are you ready?"

Soren's seemingly magnetic yet gentle voice resonated in their hearts.

Without needing a reply, Tina conveyed her state of mind.

"Then let's set off. Our destination: the Eastern Continent."

Soren grasped their hands, straightened up from his half-squatting position, and with the help of this force, transformed into a purple flaming spear, soaring directly into the sky.

Behind him, two smaller streams of flame followed closely.

"Iron Knight" Anderson was suddenly all alone, but he didn't care. He just looked up at the sky and followed the three people who had almost instantly become just a single point of light until that light also disappeared.

"I told you I'd be lucky."

He muttered something to himself, rubbed the back of his head where he had just bumped into the stone twice, and strolled toward the church.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

At the edge of the square, watching the angel who was the "hunter" take the two girls and soar into the sky, Dunn Smith finally felt relieved.

He withdrew the power from the "Heart of the Goddess" that allowed him, at Sequence 3, to access the "hidden" authority to some extent. The invisible curtain covering the Resurrection Square was removed, and passersby once again noticed the fountain. Some stopped to watch the splashing water with smiles on their faces, while others slowly approached, tossed coins into the pool, and made wishes.

If he hadn't concealed the actions of the two girls who looked remarkably like Klein and Angel, as well as the archangel from the "Church of the End Times," the sudden burst of flames in the square would have already attracted countless eyes, which is probably not what the two goddesses wanted to see.

"Come on, we can leave now."

He spoke gently to Daly Simone, who was holding his arm.

The latter, however, did not move. Instead, he looked thoughtfully in the direction of the fountain, and after a moment, tightened his arms and said:

"I originally planned to wait until this 60-year cycle ended and I was promoted to Sequence 3 before considering having a child. But when I saw those two children, I was reminded of this day 18 years ago, the scene of you appearing in the square, and Klein's embarrassed appearance when he proposed to Angel."

"I think now is the time."

Dunn paused for a moment, then smiled knowingly.

(End of this chapter)