Food Poems

Chapter 409: The Mystery of the Headless Horseman's Origin, Rage Ritual, Hunting the Hydra (6K)

"In short, the holy cloth is very important to my family."

The silver-haired swordsman wore an eye mask, placed her hands on her knees, sat upright, and said softly:
"I hope you can redeem it for me...I'd be grateful."

The living room fell into silence, and the sound of the clock was clearly audible. The shocking facts brought by Collina made Yeats hold his breath involuntarily and think seriously.

——Suppose Duke Hudson really summoned Kylia with the help of Joan of Arc's holy shroud.

So are Kylia and Joan of Arc the same person?

This is like the "Ship of Theseus" question.

Theseus was an ancient Greek hero who once led a group of heroes on an expedition to the city-state of Troy. The oared boat he sat on was later kept by the Athenians as a souvenir.

An ancient Greek philosopher later raised a question:
If the wood in Theseus' ship was gradually replaced until all the wood was not the original wood, would the ship still be the same ship?

The holy shroud of Joan of Arc may contain the will left by the saint. Later, Duke Hudson used this holy relic to perform necromancy summoning, which allowed the summoned headless knight to possess some of the abilities of the saint, such as spells that can absorb light elements.

Yeats speculated that the headless knight Kylia might very well possess the will of Joan of Arc.

However, this does not mean that she is equivalent to Joan of Arc.

It seems that the younger generation has inherited the legacy of their predecessors and embarked on a different path...

In the quiet reception room, the silver-haired swordswoman Golina noticed the change in Ye Zhi's breathing frequency and asked in confusion:
"What are you hesitating about? Is the ransom not enough?"

"No, it's just..." Ye Zhi hesitated, not knowing whether he should tell Gloria about his guess.

After all, this was only the second time the two had met, and they had not yet established trust in each other. It would be easy to cause conflict if she rashly told Golina the mystery of Kylia's life experience.

The other party is the descendant of Joan of Arc's comrade! Ye Zhi thought to himself, if he saw that an undead knight actually possessed Joan of Arc's will, he would probably fly into a rage and vent his anger on me!
"How much do you want? I can go back to the manor and get it for you now."

Corinna said seriously: "Don't worry, I am very rich, all earned from duels."

This silver-haired swordswoman wearing a black eye mask seems to be very ignorant of the ways of the world and doesn't care about money. Perhaps money is really just a number to her. As long as she can fulfill the wishes of her ancestors, it is worth it no matter how much she pays!
"Good opportunity, Yeats! Take the opportunity to blackmail her and earn ten times the ransom!" Mammon meowed excitedly.

Looking at Corinna's sincere tone, Ye Zhi sighed softly and decided not to hide it from her. He said:

"As far as I know, the holy cloth has been used by Duke Hudson in necromancy as a sacrifice to summon the dead."

"Undead?" There was a slight fluctuation in Golina's tone. "Really?"

Ye Zhi said: "It's just speculation...but it's very likely."

If a necromancer wants to summon the dead to serve him, he needs magic circles, sacrifices and rituals. The higher the status of the sacrifice, the more powerful the summoned dead will be.

Based on Collina's words, Yeats had already deduced the cause and effect in his mind.

——Joan of Arc's Holy Shroud is definitely a relic-level sacrifice, but the power of light contained in the relic conflicts with the necromancy, resulting in the summoned undead knights being of only low level, which greatly disappointed Duke Hudson and he neglected to take care of the undead knights.

Later, the Undead Knight escaped, leaving clues behind.

Earl Thomas launched an attack on Wick Harbor under the pretext that Duke Hudson was "studying necromancy," and in one fell swoop became a major overlord in the northern province.

He accidentally contracted the Undead Knight Kylia, and later defeated Thomas, gradually gaining the qualifications to fight for the country and visit Roland...

Gloria frowned and whispered:
"So, that relic...is very likely not going to be returned, right?"

"I'm sorry." Ye Zhi took out the bag of gems that Gloria had thrown to him, untied the rope tied to the bag, and the opening of the bag revealed the dazzling brilliance of the gems. "Take this bag back first."

bass.

Gloria stood up. Although she was wearing a black eye mask, Ye Zhi seemed to be able to feel that she was looking at him seriously. He said:

"Although you didn't help me at all, I still thank you..."

"What straightforward words," Yeats complained.

Corinna said calmly: "I will use my own methods to find the whereabouts of Joan of Arc's relics... and we will say goodbye now."

After saying this, she turned around and walked away with big strides, her actions full of determination.

Ye Zhi was slightly stunned, and asked in surprise: "Aren't you going to take this bag of gems back?"

"You keep it, and I'll use it as my reward for hiring you to help me find the relics," said Golina.

A guy who talks to himself...Ye Zhi said helplessly: "I didn't say I would agree to you!"

Golina said, "I will not take back what I give out. This is my rule."

Yeats was speechless and choked.

Diamond chuckled and said, "This is the first time I see you look so frustrated, Ye Zhi!"

The bard's rhetoric only works on humans who are willing to listen, but the other party's thoughts were not in sync with Yeats's throughout the whole process.

Ye Zhi had no choice but to follow her lead and continued:

"You asked me to help you find Jeanne's relics. You can give me some clues, right? If I'm not mistaken, you already have some relevant information?"

Gloria said nothing and sat down again, still sitting upright. She quietly picked up the black tea on the table and took a sip.

“…It’s cold.”

Ye Zhi waved his hand, signaling the dial-up robot to make a new pot of hot tea for the guest. The automatic puppet came over with a "beep beep" sound, then slowly walked away and stood quietly in the corner.

In the drifting tea fragrance and white mist, Collina sipped her tea, exhaled comfortably, then put down the teacup, placed her hands on her knees, and said with a serious expression:
"I do have a clue."

"What?" Yeats pricked up his ears.

"I once defeated the descendant of an executioner in a duel. According to him, the saint was beheaded, but her head still has amazing magical powers."

"At that time, King Roland would dream of the Saint's miserable condition in his dreams. He was terrified every night, so he ordered the Saint's head to be thrown into the bottomless pit, hoping to use the seal in the bottomless pit to eliminate the Saint's influence."

Gloria concluded: "That is to say, I suspect the saint's head may be hidden in the bottomless pit."

Another bottomless pit!

Ye Zhi was suddenly shocked.

Abaddon, the nightmare demon that Nephthys Kamala asked me to kill, is hiding in the bottomless pit!
Ye Zhi remained calm, leaning against the sofa, stroking the rings on his knuckles, and said slowly:

"So, you want me to go to the bottomless pit to investigate?"

Golina shook her head: "It's very dangerous there, and it's under the supervision of the Roland royal family."

"Anyone who wants to approach the bottomless pit needs to seek permission from His Majesty King Roland... I tried several times, but I didn't get the permission."

"I want to win the duel tournament because the champion can get close to His Majesty and be qualified to make requests to His Majesty." Golina paused and said:
"And from what I've observed, His Majesty King Roland seems to admire you very much... If you can get permission from him to approach the bottomless pit, it will be a great help to me."

Yeats fell into deep thought.

By killing Abaddon in the [Bottomless Pit], you can obtain the [Slate of Light] promised by Nephthys and gain the Oath of Light spell, one of the three great inheritances of the God of Light.

The lost head of the Headless Knight Kyla is most likely in the bottomless pit!

Also.

The nightmare that haunts King Louis of Roland.

The [Arrogant Gift] 'Dawn Star' gem stolen by 'Ms. Black Rose', the leader of the Thieves Guild.

The passage between Hell and the material plane guarded by the nightmare demon Abaddon...

The clues are gradually coming together!
A deep light flashed in the depths of Ye Zhi's eyes.

The bottomless pit, this is where all the arrows gather!

"I promise you that I will try to get King Roland's permission to investigate the bottomless pit." Ye Zhi nodded slightly, "Then I will cooperate with you and go to the bottomless pit to investigate together."

Golina was stunned for a moment and asked, "Why do you still want to help me investigate?"

Ye Zhi coughed dryly and thought to himself that this was to help Kailya find her head.

But on the surface, a plausible excuse is needed.

"After all, I took your money." Ye Zhi said righteously, "Do as much as you are paid for. This is the creed of me, the Duke of Honeysuckle!"

"But, you are the Six Rings Master. I'm asking you to help me explore the bottomless pit. The money I give you may not be enough..."

Golina's cheeks flushed slightly. She stood up, fumbled around for a while, took out her storage ring and storage bag, put them on the coffee table, and said with her head down:

"This is all the savings I have. Just consider it as your advance payment. If it's not enough, wait here and I'll go home to get more!"

Ye Zhi was stunned, looking at the storage items on the coffee table, then at Gloria, with an incredible expression.

It's a miracle that this girl hasn't been cheated of all her money even though she's grown up like this!
Mammon exclaimed, "I have to quickly issue an announcement to my followers! The Roland people are stupid and have a lot of money, come quickly!"

"Is that enough?" asked Collina again.

Ye Zhi leaned over quickly, took a pile of storage items on the coffee table into his arms, and nodded repeatedly:
"That's enough! I'm so embarrassed to ask you to go back and get it again!"

Zuanya said: "I think you are very nice!"

Gloria breathed a sigh of relief, a hint of a smile appeared on her cold face, and she nodded:
"Well, please feel free to contact me if anything happens. I'll go back and prepare for the next round!"

The two exchanged addresses and communication methods.

Ye Zhi watched Golina leave and immediately summoned the Headless Horseman.

A cold atmosphere spread in the reception room.

The headless knight stood quietly, and there seemed to be confusion and loss in the silent atmosphere.

"You should have heard what she said just now, Kelya." Ye Zhi said seriously, "I will go to the bottomless pit to investigate and find Jeanne's head... to see if it is the one you lost!"

Kailya's voice sounded bitter and depressed.

"I... don't understand... I have no memory of what happened before..."

"If I am really made up of the will of that saint, and once I have her head installed... will I still be myself?"

Becoming someone you don't understand is an unknown and terrifying thing even for the dead.

Ye Zhi was silent for a moment, then said, "Look at me, Kailya." The headless knight slowly raised his helmet and saw a firm belief in the eyes of the silver-haired boy.

"Who you are is not determined by your past, but by who you want to be."

"Your past may overlap with the Saint's, but that doesn't mean you have to become her."

"I hope... you can be yourself, Kelya."

Ye Zhi smiled slightly and said, "If, when you find the head of the Saint, that head is not what you want, then it is better not to wear it!"

The Dullahan was stunned for a long time, then nodded slightly.

Gululu——

The helmet fell to the ground. Ye Zhi helped her pick it up, put it around her neck, and nodded:

"Anyway, keep honing your spear skills, Kailya...your strength will be a great help to me!"

clang-

The sound of armor shaking could be heard.

The cold green flame burned in the room, yet it seemed to carry a sense of intimacy and gentleness.

The Dullahan knight knelt on one knee.

"My Lord, I will obey your will!"

*
Paris, Ghia, Moulin Rouge.

In the metropolis where people revel every night and indulge in decadence and extravagance at night, the Moulin Rouge is the land of pleasure and den of money where countless dignitaries have fallen into debauchery.

Amid the ever-changing lights, the lingering water pipes and precious perfumes, Hastings snorted coldly when he stepped into this place.

On the third floor of the Moulin Rouge, in a corridor covered with precious carpets and artworks and oil paintings, two elegantly dressed high-end dancers, upon catching a glimpse of a murderous man in black armor walking towards them, retreated to both sides of the corridor, not daring to even breathe.

Hastings walked right past the dancers and said in a low, hoarse voice:
"Which box is the red-robed man who just came in?"

The dancer swallowed nervously and stretched out her finger tremblingly: "Corridor...corner...first room..."

boom!
Hastings kicked open the mahogany door.

In the smoke of cigars, several beautiful Isu fox girls leaned against the bare chest of a long-haired man. His bishop's red robe was torn to pieces, and there were still lip marks on his face. They glanced at Hastings and waved their hands, saying, "All of you leave."

The dancers retreated silently.

The Pope's son, Cardinal Cesare Borgia, said calmly:
"Is there anything that cannot be communicated through the teleportation technique?"

"Yezhi Brondi defeated the Chosen One of Anubis, which shook the Kingdom of Horus. A large number of believers were in an uproar and their faith was shaken, but you are here indulging in wine and sex."

Hastings said coldly: "I wonder what your father would think when he sees you like this."

Cesare put down his legs from the coffee table, his eyes were cold and almost frozen, he hunched his back, and whispered:
"Do you really have to bring up my father?"

"As the son of the Pope, it is your mission to save the world and spread faith." Hastings said indifferently.

Cesare sneered and waved his hand lazily, saying, "I already know about Yeats's affairs. We can't do anything to him under King Roland's nose. We have to start with other methods."

“There’s no need to look for another way.”

Hastings' voice has a sonorous, metallic quality.

"In the arena, defeating him fairly is the most powerful method!"

Cesare looked at Hastings meaningfully:

"Do you really think you can beat him 100%?"

He stood up, paced around Hastings, and sneered:

"I will use the power of Plague Knight and go to the Grand Duchy of Lucia with Famula to destroy the Moon Goddess Ritual."

"But what was the result? Yezhi Brondi showed up unexpectedly, and not only did he not take advantage of the chaos to kill him, but he became the Moonlight God's Chosen One instead!"

"I don't understand why even the Goddess of Mist would help Yeats!" Cesare's cold face twisted slightly, and he gritted his teeth and said, "He has so many blessings from the gods! Famula and I can't do it, do you think you can do it?"

The questioning was sharp and piercing, the ice in the ice bucket emitted a biting chill, and the shiny iron bucket reflected the black-armored knight who stood as tall as a mountain.

"Fighting is the only thing I'm good at."

Hastings said in a deep voice: "If I say I can't beat him, I'm denying myself."

Cesare was stunned, a powerful and terrifying will pressing on his shoulders like a mountain.

That majestic belief made Cesare vaguely see the figure of the red pope for a moment. He smiled bitterly and said:

"So, you can also open the domain...Hastings, you are indeed a true warrior!"

"Well, I can't beat you, and I can't convince you." Cesare sat dejectedly on the sofa, with a sarcastic and self-deprecating arc on his lips, and said, "As for me, I am already terminally ill, and the plague is corroding my internal organs; as for Famula, she saw that Yeats could actually use the fire of judgment, and now she is doubting her life in the confinement room."

"Fortunately, there is still you, Hastings."

Cesare said coldly: "But if you lose the duel, then... I can only ask my father... for help... I don't want him to see me in this miserable state, so... you have to win."

"You don't have to tell me." Hastings said in a deep voice.

"It's a pity that you and him are not in the same group. I'm afraid you won't meet before the final. Your next opponent is likely to be Atas."

"Who is that."

"You haven't heard of his name?" Cesare was surprised. "He led the [Royal City Gladiator Slave Uprising]! It's been rumored in the Imperial Capital that he was the leader of that group of slaves!"

"The leader of the rebels?" Hastings said, "Sounds like a good opponent."

"After the slave army was suppressed, he fled to Roland alone, hoping to get the protection of King Roland. Only King Roland's charisma could convince this man."

Cesare chuckled and said, "In short, King Roland used a soft tactic to make him participate in the duel tournament and deliberately put him in the same group with you... How the conflict is resolved depends on the result of your duel."

Playing with the glass in his hand, the amber liquid shimmering, Cesare continued:
"I will contact the Thieves Guild and have them steal Athas's weapons. This way, you will have a 100% chance of victory."

"No need!" Hastings said with a little annoyance.

Cesare sighed and said, "I know you have your own pride, but Atas... his weapon is extraordinary. It is a pair of fist gloves, but it contains the power of the [Raging Devil]. It is a demon ritual weapon called the [Fist of Rage]."

"It was with the help of this Fist of Rage that Atas successfully led a large-scale uprising... The rage of the gladiators was like an endless fire, burning in the imperial capital for seven days and seven nights..."

Cesare took a breath and said, "Anyway, I don't want any accidents to happen. I'm cooperating with the Thieves Guild for the sake of the commission!"

"Didn't you understand?"

Hastings folded his arms and spoke each word slowly.

"I don't need it."

"Whether it's the rebels or the devil's ritual vessel, nothing matters. My coming means victory!" said Hastings.

The majestic aura made Cesare look sideways, and he sighed softly:

"Well, then, I'll do as you say... By the way, about releasing Abaddon..."

Hastings had left the box directly.

Cesare rubbed his brows and muttered to himself:

"In the arena, a fair and square fight? How stupid and boring..."

*
Kingdom of Roland, Palace of Fontainebleau.

In the elegant study, behind the exquisite desk sat a blond figure in a royal robe. Louis pressed his hand on his brow, raised his eyes from the book, looked at the silver-haired figure standing in front of him, and said:
"How is the injury?"

"King Roland, I have recovered." Ye Zhi said.

Louis smiled slightly and nodded:
"Seeing that you are okay, I feel relieved."

Ye Zhi coughed lightly, remembered Gloria's request, and slowly said:

"To be honest, I came to see His Majesty King Roland because I have a favor to ask."

King Roland did not comment, but said meaningfully: "Is it Yeats Brondi's request or the Duke of Honeysuckle's request?"

The Lionheart King is an unruly old lion, while the Sun King is a cunning little fox. Ye Zhi coughed lightly and said:
"Actually, it was Nephthys who contacted me privately and asked me to investigate the matter of the [Bottomless Pit]..."

King Roland's expression remained unchanged as he flipped through the book in his hand and said calmly, "Go on."

Yeats thought about it and decided to tell the Sun King everything, including Nephthys' request for him to kill Abaddon and her promise to give him the Tablets of Light.

The Slate of Light can only be used by those who possess the divinity of light, and there is no need to worry about the Sun King keeping a grudge against him.

"So, I ask you to give me the right to investigate the bottomless pit and promise that I can bring extra helpers." Ye Zhi said, "If we can get rid of the nightmare demon, I believe it will be the best of both worlds for the Roland Kingdom."

After all, this is King Roland's territory. If one wants to act in this land, the privileges of action he promised are very important.

Louis stared at Yeats for a long moment, then smiled.

"Then let's have a competition first."

"what?"

"I have been troubled recently by reports from my subjects that they saw the Nine-Headed Serpent Hydra breaking through its seal and wreaking havoc on Roland."

Louis frowned slightly and said, "The heads of the nine-headed snake Hydra have been cut off and regenerated. It is extremely hateful, and it has a power close to the holy realm. It is quite difficult to deal with. I need to do it myself... Fortunately, you are here."

Ye Zhi was slightly stunned, only to see Louis looking at her expectantly.

"Let's compete to see who can chop off more Hydra heads!"

Louis smiled and said, “If you beat me, I’ll promise you!”

Yeats had mixed feelings.

So the quest lines are all connected, right?

The goddess of hunting commissioned me to kill the nine-headed Hydra. Isn't this the solution?
(End of this chapter)