Mystery: The Last Shepherd

Chapter 23: You have a house now?
Luze found several messy manuscripts on the table in Old Neil's bedroom, among which a note bore the name of the Hidden Sage:

"The embodiment of spirit and number,"
The origin of all knowledge

A reclusive sage in the wilderness.

To prevent anything bad from happening, he simply read it aloud in his mind using the Rune script. A spiritual connection from the Mystic Religion suggested that the name was genuine.

The messy manuscript records some strange rituals, including a secret ritual to pray to a hidden sage for knowledge, and a ritual that is highlighted:
"Life is forged."

"The required materials include: 100 ml of water from the Fairy Spring (golden spring water on Sonia Island), 50 g of star crystal, half a pound of gold, 5 g of phlogiston, 30 g of hematite, and a large amount of fresh human blood."

living blood
Lu Ze's heart tightened. As he continued reading, he discovered that Old Neil had written a note after this entry: "You could consider extracting my own, accumulating it little by little, and preserving it with ritual magic."

Thankfully, they weren't so crazy as to sacrifice others.

Lu Ze thought to himself, collecting the manuscript and preparing to take it down to show everyone.

Just as he picked up the note that read "Hidden Sage," he hesitated for a moment, then placed it in front of him and read it carefully.

—After this period of study, Luze has discovered that one of the abilities of the Mystic is the ability to quickly memorize various rituals. As long as he reads them carefully once, the relevant procedures and prayers will be deeply imprinted in his mind, and he can easily recall them when needed. Therefore, after reading them, Luze can be said to have memorized the name of the Hidden Sage and some of the rituals related to Him.

Why record the name of this evil god? Lu Ze himself couldn't explain it. He just felt that it might come in handy in the future.

It's best not to need it in the first place.

He carefully took the manuscript, walked down the stairs step by step, and returned to the living room.

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.

The next afternoon.

"Ah--"

Lu Ze yawned widely, his eyes a little moist.

Although he had taken a short nap in the morning, he still felt a bit tired and looked quite listless in the circle of colleagues he was surrounded by.

The lounge was packed with people, except for Leonard, who was guarding the Chanis Gate, and Luo Yao, who was watching the armory. They all knew about Old Neil's situation. Since the captain and Ms. Daly were with the senior deacon, and Luo Yao was also busy, they had come to him to ask what was going on.

Lu Ze could only yawn as he recounted the events, omitting parts that were inconvenient for others to know. After everyone heard the whole story, they all sighed.

Rosanne's eyes dimmed, and after a long while, she spoke softly:
"The captain told me that Old Neil had a beloved woman when he was young. Just as they were about to get engaged, she unfortunately fell seriously ill and eventually passed away. He was devastated by this and almost collapsed."

In this light, the ritual of life-making was prepared for this. Everything Old Neil did was to resurrect his beloved.

Lu Ze had an epiphany.

He unconsciously rubbed his fingers together; the wound he had cut with a knife yesterday had healed, and his skin was intact, as if he had never been injured at all.

"It's really pitiful."

"Cohen White exclaimed. He was a bit short, but very energetic. After hearing Old Neil's story, he seemed to empathize with it. Luzer recalled that Cohen White also had a fiancée he was about to marry, which explained why he felt the same way about Old Neil."

The death of a loved one is always a source of sadness.

"I've decided to leave work early today and spend more time with my family," said Sigia Tean, a part-time writer, in an infectious tone.

"That's well said," Luze nodded in agreement. After hearing about Old Neil's ordeal, he genuinely wanted to go back to see Cecilia as soon as possible, chat with her, and have a meal together. He noticed that Klein beside him was also deep in thought, clearly thinking of his family as well.

Will Old Neil be in trouble?

Just then, Frye suddenly spoke up, asking the question that no one wanted to discuss.

After a moment of silence, everyone turned their gaze to Lu Ze. "How would I know?"

Lu Ze grinned. "To be honest, I'm not sure either, but if Old Neil doesn't hurt anyone else, at least his life should be spared, right?"

As if to prove his point, the lounge door was opened from the outside, and Dunn Smith strode in.

"team leader!"

"Hello, Captain."

"Captain, how is Old Neil?"

Everyone stood up to greet Dunn, while asking him with concern.

Dunn looked tired. He glanced around at everyone and forced a smile. "Old Neil has passed His Excellency Krest's examination and will not have to go to the court. However, as punishment, he will be taken to the church in Backlund to work, and from now on he will only be able to spend his days confessing to the goddess and will not be allowed to leave."

Everyone sighed again, partly because old Neil had finally escaped with his life, and partly because he still inevitably faced punishment.

"Wouldn't that mean old Neil is essentially imprisoned?"

"I'm not willing to accept this," Rosanne said.

"It's already a great blessing that we were able to avoid losing control and save our lives."

Dunn said calmly, then turned his gaze to Lu Ze, "Lu Ze, come with me for a moment."

"Okay Captain."

Although he didn't know what Dunn wanted him to do, Lu Ze still jogged to his feet, left the lounge, and followed Dunn into his office.

“Old Neil is very grateful for everything you did to save him. To express his gratitude, he gave you the house he left in Tingen.”

Upon entering the office, before he could even sit down, Dunn gave him some explosive news.

"what?"

Lu Ze asked blankly.

Dunn continued, "The house in the suburbs is relatively cheaper, but since it's a large detached house with a garden, the total value exceeds 900 pounds. He has entrusted it entirely to me; once the transfer agreement is signed in a few days, the house will be yours."

"Wait a minute, Captain, is this appropriate?!"

Lu Ze couldn't help but interrupt, "A house worth 900 pounds, Old Neil just gave it away like that?!"

His weekly wage is £6, which is already very high, but if he wants to buy this house, he would have to work for 150 weeks without eating, drinking, or sleeping, which would take about two or three years to save enough money. Moreover, he has a sister to support, and with daily expenses, buying a house was originally a distant dream.

Who would have thought that after one night, a house would fall from the sky and be his?

"It's inappropriate if you don't accept it."

Dunn said calmly, “Old Neil will have to spend his days in the church in Backlund from now on. Houses and money are no longer of any use to him. You saved his life, prevented him from going out of control, and saved him from the tragic fate of not being able to return to the embrace of the goddess even after death—this is a priceless redemption. If you don’t agree, he will not have peace in his future days.”

Under Dunn's unquestionable tone and Old Neil's sincere gratitude, Luzer finally accepted this unexpected gift. Even then, he was still dazed and filled with a sense of unreality.

"There's one more thing: His Excellency Krestais has already left."

Then Dunn brought up another topic, "Actually, he originally came to see you."

　The title of the Hidden Sage is referenced from another fan fiction, "Pilgrimage to the Wilderness".

　　
　
(End of this chapter)