I loaded the Mysticism panel.

Chapter 152 Corpse Wax

"There are a few more." He pointed south and west: "You can continue."

The four new recruits returned to their respective posts.

Another swamp corpse appeared on Richard's south side, which he dealt with using his fourth silver needle.

Edmund fought another newly emerged swamp corpse for about five minutes before finally finishing it off with his second sanctified silver dagger.

Maggie and Theodore worked together to take down the two on the north side.

Theodore adjusted his stance, and when he fired the flintlock pistol, the lead-silver bullet actually went into the eye socket of a swamp corpse, which fell down on the spot.

"Great!" the boy from the horse farm shouted excitedly.

"You might get lucky and kill someone out of ten shots," Maggie said, rubbing her hunting knife on the grass. "The odds aren't low."

"...Couldn't you have chosen a nicer one?"

"Highlanders don't know how to say nice things."

The four newcomers each finished their practice sessions.

Sarah was also ready to work with Captain Field on their spoils.

As she passed by, she glanced at the freckled girl.

Did your family teach you how to select adipocere?

"I have taught you." Maggie wiped the hunting knife clean and put it back in its sheath.

"Then you teach them how to choose. They can deal with the spoils of the evil creatures they kill themselves."

"Hmm." Maggie walked over to the swamp corpse she had just dealt with.

She crouched down and pulled a small silver needle from the back of the hunting knife's sheath.

"The adipocere of swamp corpses is hidden under the sternum," the girl explained while demonstrating.

"A small piece of meat congealed out of the marinated meat; it was yellowish-white like lard but harder."

"What's its purpose?" Richard asked.

"The wax seal used for making the seal," Maggie explained. "Ordinary beeswax ages after a year, but the wax from swamp corpses can last for more than twenty years."

"What's the market price?"

"Judging by its condition," Maggie said, inserting a silver needle into the swamp corpse below its breastbone.

"A top-quality piece sells for one shilling; you can usually get two or three pieces from a swamp corpse."

Her silver needle spun inside the swamp corpse, its tip hooking onto something, and she slowly pulled it out.

A piece was pulled out and found to be a yellowish-white solid, irregularly shaped, about the size of a thumb.

Maggie placed it on a piece of dry grass next to her, and then picked out several more.

Edmund then spoke up.

"Maggie, do you want to choose from my selections?"

Maggie glanced at him.

"You're not picky?"

Edmund stammered as he spoke.

"According to our order's rules, the remains of the deceased cannot be used again."

"Even if it's an evil thing?" Theodore asked from the side.

"Hmm." The young priest nodded: "In the church's logic, evil spirits are the distortion of the soul of the dead, but the root of the soul still lies within the dead."

"Taking adipocere..." he said slowly, "is another act of desecration."

Maggie frowned, offering no judgment on right or wrong.

"Then I'll choose. Everything I pick is mine. No objections?"

"Okay." Edmund breathed a sigh of relief.

Theodore stood to one side, his face pale again.

He watched as Maggie plunged the silver needle into the chest of the second swamp corpse, the sternum breaking open with a soft "crack".

"..." The boy from the horse farm swallowed hard.

"Disgusting?" Maggie looked up at him.

"A little."

"One shilling?"

"I'll choose," Theodore immediately changed his mind.

"Didn't you just say it was disgusting?" Maggie found it somewhat amusing.

"One shilling each." The boy from the horse farm gritted his teeth.

"Four dollars is four shillings. My mom cut my allowance in half this month, so I only have three shillings and sixpence on me now."

"I've seen horses get sick, die, and have difficult births since I was a child." He rolled up his sleeves: "What haven't I seen?"

"Then come and try it." Maggie handed him the silver needles. "I'll teach you."

Richard then squatted down next to the swamp corpse he had killed, studying the trajectory of the silver needles.

[Perception] allowed him to sense where the "soft" mass was located below the corpse's sternum.

On his first try, he picked out a piece right away.

Maggie glanced at him.

"Have you chosen this before?"

"No." Richard didn't even look up. "I learned it after watching you try it twice."

"Oh?" Maggie raised an eyebrow.

They killed seven swamp corpses and only managed to find twenty-two pieces of adipocere.

There aren't many in good condition that can be exchanged for a shilling, so in the end, the total value is less than two pounds.

Maggie wrapped the adipocere in a clean oilcloth.

She picked up the oilcloth bundle and weighed it in her hand.

"It's divided among you, me, and Theodore."

"...It's mainly because you picked it." Richard didn't want to take advantage of anyone.

"I picked out a lot, but my family doesn't need that pound."

"My brother goes on a field job once a month, and he always brings back twenty or thirty pounds."

"You two are different." She glanced at Richard. "Judging from your shoes and coat, your family isn't well-off."

She glanced at the boy at the horse farm again: "Your allowance has been cut in half."

"That's settled then, three people, one-third each."

"We'll distribute them to you when we get back to the hostel. Whether you sell them or keep them for yourselves is up to you."

At noon, the six of them had a quick meal by the swamp.

The proprietress had prepared bread, bacon, boiled eggs, and a pot of hot ginger tea for them in advance, all packed in oil paper bags.

During the meal, Captain Field spoke first.

"That's enough for your trial run. Sarah and I will come out on our own tomorrow. The four of you don't need to follow us anymore."

"Why?" The boy from the horse farm quickly looked up; he had just earned a few shillings.

"Training newbies is too inefficient." Sarah spoke bluntly: "The area we could normally clear in a day is being dragged down by the four of you, so it's going to be cut in half at least."

Captain Field also agreed:

"The amount of work Sarah and I did this morning was more than twenty times the amount of work the four of you did, not even counting the coal-dampening walkers we killed that you couldn't possibly handle."

"I brought you out yesterday and today to show you newbies what the world behind the scenes is really like."

"Sarah and I will go out on patrol by ourselves for the next few days."

"Then what shall we do?" Edmund asked.

Captain Field glanced at the sky.

"From tomorrow until the start of the ceremony, the four of you will stay with Mrs. McNeil."

Sarah added:

"In our line of work, the actual combat time in field missions is the smallest percentage."

"Most of the time you will be spending on the small things that nobody wants to do: preparation, coordination, data collection, registration, reassurance, visits, and verification."

"Mrs. McNeil's work over the past few days has been a complete 'fieldwork standard procedure training'."

"The four of you will learn more from her than you would from us."

Captain Field concluded, "And frankly, you're not even on the hunter's side."

"These past two days, I've sent you out to fight evil creatures hand-to-hand, just to toughen you up."

Now that our goal has been achieved, you precious darlings should naturally go back to your places.

"Got it?"

"...Understood." The four newcomers nodded in unison.

Before getting into the carriage, Captain Field patted Richard on the shoulder: "Have you ever thought about switching to the hunters?"

"Is the captain joking?" Richard was somewhat puzzled.

"Half-joking." The man chuckled, his face bearing grotesque, distorted scars.

"Your reaction, judgment, and on-the-spot adjustments—these three things I've observed are far superior to those of the average newcomer."

The captain said seriously, "I bet if you follow the path of burning blood, you'll be a formidable opponent in three to five years."

Sarah then chimed in from the side.

"I agree."

The huntress looked at him and said, "You learn things very quickly; someone like you would excel in any field."

"..." Richard didn't know how to respond for a moment.

"However..." Captain Field said with some regret.

"Since you've already chosen the academic path, we can't possibly compete with Mr. Hutton for your services."

"If there are any future collaborations, Sarah and I would be happy to bring you along."

"Thank you, Captain and Ms. Sarah."

"No need for thanks." Captain Field turned around. "It's time to go back."

It was already four o'clock in the afternoon when we got back to Whitcomb.

The proprietress prepared hot water and thick blankets.

"A person who has walked in the swamp all day should soak their feet first."

"People who stay in the swamp for a long time will carry dampness with them. Washing with salt water when you get home will remove the dampness."

"Folk wisdom," Mr. Hutton said, sitting by the fireplace. "This bowl of salt water actually has a slight purifying effect."

There's a reason behind the old rules.

A large amount of ginger slices and coarse salt were added to the hot water in the large copper basin.

After his feet were submerged, Richard felt the moisture being forced out little by little.

"...That feels good." Theodore sighed and sank into the chair.

After soaking his feet, the boy from the horse farm called out to the outside world before heading back to his room.

"Whenever you pass through Yorkshire, you can come to my house for dinner."

"My mom's lamb is more fragrant than the lamb here."

"Add rosemary, dark beer, and carrots, and simmer for three hours."

"Just thinking about it makes my mouth water." Richard nodded. "I'll definitely come when I have time."

It's a deal.

"Um."

The boy from the horse farm smiled shyly, then turned and went upstairs.

Maggie then came out of the room. After distributing the adipocere to Richard, she was still holding a small sachet in her hand.

"Here you go." She stuffed the sachet into Richard's hand.

"What is this?"

"A little gadget from the Highlands, it contains a blend of spices made from several herbs, and it repels insects when carried on your person."

"..." Richard squeezed the sachet.

"Don't misunderstand, my mom made this," the girl quickly explained.

"She made several packs and asked me to give them to people my age on this trip. I gave them to Theodore and the others."

"……Thanks."

"You're welcome, it's nothing valuable."