I loaded the Mysticism panel.

On the afternoon of June 16, Richard's family had all arrived in the capital.

The saying goes, "Play hard during big exams, play lightly during small exams..." The more tense the situation, the more Richard felt he should keep a calm mindset.

They ate early, and Gerald sat in the head seat, with Margaret to his right.

Evelyn sat next to her mother, while Richard and her aunt sat on the other side.

Isabella rushed back from school today, still clutching the papers she hadn't finished grading, when her sister snatched them away and slammed them onto the sideboard.

"You're not allowed to look at this while eating."

"I'll only read two pages."

"Every time you say you'll read two pages, the soup gets completely cold by the time you finish."

Gerald coughed, and the two sisters shut up at the same time.

Evelyn lowered her head to suppress a laugh, and Margaret kicked her under the table.

This meal was quite lively.

Rogers talked about the reinforcement of the railway bridges to the north.

While he was talking about this, his hands were busy; he used two forks to demonstrate the direction of force on the tablecloth.

He was halfway through gesturing when he noticed Gerrard watching him, so he quickly put down his fork.

"...I'm sorry to have made you laugh."

"No, when I was young I saw a bridge in the north, built in the 1870s, and the person who built it also drew it on the ground with two tree branches."

"Is that bridge still there?"

"It's still there."

Evelyn opened the tin box and gave each of them a piece.

Gerrard took it and took a bite.

"This is not honey."

Evelyn's eyes widened in surprise.

"Grandpa, how could you tell from the taste!"

"The sweetness of honey comes later, while the sweetness of beets comes first." The old man finished the remaining half.

"How much did you mix in?"

"...six to four."

"Did you add mint?"

"Two more slices were added!"

Gerrard nodded.

"Add three slices next time."

Evelyn immediately pulled her notebook from her pocket and leaned over the table to start writing.

Margaret slapped the back of his hand.

"Have a meal!"

"Mom! This is important information!"

"Important information will be written later."

After dinner, Richard went back to school with his aunt.

The family saw him off to the porch, and Rogers patted his son on the shoulder.

"I'm going back today. I have the early shift at the factory tomorrow."

"Dad, won't you stay a couple more days?"

Rogers waved his hand.

"Your mom will stay here for at least half a month this time. I can eat in the factory canteen by myself."

Margaret glanced at him from the side but said nothing.

"I'll take Evelyn to complete her enrollment procedures in a few days," Richard said.

"We'll send Mom back to Briston then."

"Then I'll have to trouble you." Rogers said, then laughed first.

"...I was actually talking to my own son about trouble."

Evelyn stood on the steps without saying a word.

Richard walked over and patted her head.

"Don't touch it!" She jumped back half a step. "My hair is going to be messed up!"

"Where did you get this hairstyle?"

"I'm going to visit the school tomorrow!"

Richard smiled.

Before getting into the carriage, Gerald suddenly spoke.

"Richard, come here for a second."

The old man walked towards the stone pillar on the left side of the porch.

Isabella stood up almost simultaneously and followed.

Richard was sandwiched between the two men, one on his left and one on his right.

"Tomorrow night," Gerald said bluntly.

Richard nodded.

"I'll go with you."

"Dad!" Isabella exclaimed immediately, "Where are you going? How old are you?!"

"What does my age have to do with this?"

"I played really well that night in March," Gerrard said, straightening his back.

"I took care of that guy with the broom at the pit entrance in three cuts."

"What happened to Sandao? He's been back for half a month!"

"I didn't take a two-week break."

"I rested for eleven days, the housekeeper told me."

Gerrard turned his head and glanced at the foyer.

The housekeeper immediately turned his face to the row of holly bushes in the yard and began to study the veins of the leaves intently.

"Anyway, I'll go. He's a scholar; he needs someone by his side to take the fall."

"What kind of knife can you block?" Isabella bluntly exposed: "You have to support your knees when you bend over to loosen the soil for the holly bushes."

"That's because the soil is too hard."

"Last month the soil was too hard, and the month before that the shovel wasn't handy."

Richard stood in the middle, unable to get a word in edgewise.

Isabella turned around: "Richard, I'll go."

"Auntie..."

"You haven't even fired a single enchanted bullet," Gerald said from the side.

Richard finally found an opportunity to speak.

"Grandpa, Auntie."

The two of them looked over together.

"There is a limit to the number of people we can invite to this event."

Isabella's expression froze for a moment.

"What limit?"

"The rules stipulate that only one foreign player can be selected, and you have to invite them yourself and bring your own player to the game."

"Then I'll go," the two said in unison.

After saying that, the two glared at each other.

Richard quickly added, "I've already found someone."

It was quiet again under the stone pillar.

"Who?" Gerald asked.

"Professor Mortimer arranged it for me," Richard said.

"I can't say which one it is, the professor instructed me not to."

That part is true; Mortimer did indeed give that instruction.

Whether the instructions he gave are the same as what he is saying now is another matter.

"In addition, Mrs. Mary also helped me with introductions."

Isabella raised her eyebrows.

"That one on Flower Moon Street?"

"right."

"She promised to cover for you?"

No, it was the professor who covered for him.

Richard accidentally said the wrong thing and could only try to mend the two: "She said she would know if something happened."

...Strictly speaking, that statement is also true.

Whether or not to take action after finding out is another matter.

Isabella's shoulders slowly relaxed.

Gerald put his hands behind his back, looked up at the stone pillar, which was now completely devoid of any trace.

"Then I won't go."

"dad?"

"Since he's put it this way, if I push my way in, I'll only be making things worse for him," Gerald said, turning around.

Richard, explain things clearly to your aunt.

"Could the person you hired protect you from the most ruthless attack from the other side?"

Richard recalled the man with hair like a clump of dry straw, hands in his pockets, saying, "I want to have some fun."

"able."

He said it without any hesitation.

Gerrard looked at him for a long time, and finally nodded.

"Then go ahead."

The old man took two steps toward the foyer and then stopped.

"By the way, use the thing I gave you when you need to. Don't risk your life by trying to save money."

He went into the foyer.

Isabella stood still, wiping her skirt with both hands.

"Get in the car, we're going back to school."

The carriage traveled along Chelsea Road toward the college district, the shadows of plane trees brushing past the windows.

Isabella sat opposite her without saying a word the whole way.

Halfway there, she suddenly spoke.

"Richard, do you want to come to my dorm and sleep on the floor?"

Richard raised his head.

"...What?"

Isabella didn't look at him and continued talking to herself.

"I'll bring out that cot; it'll be big enough for you to sleep on."

"I'll stay by your side, and I'll wake you up immediately if anything happens."

She lowered her head: "Anyway, I'm used to staying up late."

Richard looked at his aunt, whose usually cold face was now devoid of any coldness, only showing confusion and helplessness, not knowing what to do.

"Auntie, the person who performed the dream ritual was taken away, so it doesn't matter where they sleep."

"Even if you stay here and guard it, you can't reach that side."

"I know," Isabella said, turning her face to the car window.

"But I feel a little better when I'm sitting next to them."

The wheels rolled over a track switch, and the carriage swayed.

"Then I'll go back to my own dorm," Richard said.

Why?

"Because the professor can keep an eye on my dorm room."

Isabella turned and glared at him.

"Are you using the professor to blackmail me now? Do you think your aunt is useless?"

"I'm not blocking you," Richard explained slowly. "He said he'd cover for me, and if we moved to another place, he might not be able to keep an eye on me anymore."

Isabella opened her mouth; she couldn't find fault with what she said.

"...Then open the curtains a crack."

"What are you doing?"

"He can see it more clearly when he takes the picture."

Richard couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Okay, I'll make a small opening."

Upon arrival, Isabella got out of the car, took a few steps, and then turned back.

"Call me tomorrow night when you're done."

"It might be very late."

"It doesn't matter how late, I'll be waiting."

………………

The light was still on in that office on the third floor of the Petrie Building.

Mortimer sat in the old armchair without saying a word, and handed him a pen.

The pen was made from reeds, and the handle had developed a patina from being held so many times.

"What is this?"

Mortimer carefully took out a cloth and wiped the pen again.

"This was left to me by the old chairman; I'm only lending it to you this once."

Richard's hand stopped.

"That one from the Royal Anthropological Society?"

"Yes, there's a part of the old chairman's secret in this."

Richard's breathing slowed down.

"...The secret of an expert?"

"A part," the old professor corrected him.

"The secret is something that the master possesses for a lifetime, and no one can take it away from him."

This is a pen that the former chairman used for decades before he became an expert, so there will be some residue left.

"How to use it specifically?"

Mortimer picked up his teacup.

"It's okay if you can't figure it out yourself."

"At worst, it can serve as an anchor point; if something happens to you, I can use it to pull you back."

The office was quiet for a while.

"Forced separation." Richard understood.

"right."

"And the price?"

"All the power you gained at that table is null and void."