Miss Witch's Forbidden Book Secret

Vera nodded cutely.

She couldn't agree more. But she wasn't actually that afraid.

There is no need to worry that she resents the evil heretical practices of the Golden City, or that she has been corrupted by the rituals of the evil gods.

The latter, there's still a huge monster inside her. And after consuming the Philosopher's Stone, she advanced to Sequence Five, making it a bit difficult for her to directly overturn a millennia-old entity.

But escaping is never difficult.

As for the former... well, Vera will indeed sabotage secretly, but she will make sure to leave no trace and ensure that she can get away.

Selmu added, "If you insist on going, you can request Commander Sig to send a Grand Knight of Sequence Four to accompany you."

Sif stood up, lifted her skirt, and bowed, saying, "I have my brother who can come with me. Our family are natives of Golden City. My father, Eric Langhilde, is the head of the Golden City United Artillery and Military Industry Group. My brother, Bell, is a councilor of Golden City."

Xia Mi was still trying to stand on tiptoe to untie the shrik that was squawking incessantly.

Hearing this, Xia Mi shuddered and whispered, "Can I not go? I don't really want to go home yet, Sif."

The shrike, which was being hoisted, cried out, "Can you please put me down first! Can you please put me down first! Can you please put me down first!"

Sif seemed not to hear.

“No, brother. If you don’t come home, I’ll show Father all of Sister Xia Mili’s photos in women’s clothing.”

Sif blinked and looked at Xia Mi, whose clothes were almost faded, and said, "Father is a strict, feudal patriarch. Brother, you don't want him to know that the child you value most is dressed like this, do you?"

Chapter 463 Heading Towards the City of Gold

Upon seeing that Vera was determined to go to the Golden City, Selmu nodded in understanding.

After all, the Holy Festival lasts for far too long.

The two-month-long festival would wear down anyone's patience, not to mention that Vera's trip was rather rushed.

Furthermore, since Saint Engard resealed Valon, the "Lord of Reversal and Victory," there has been no major trouble for hundreds of years.

After careful consideration, Selmu helped Vera report the situation. He quickly returned to the guild hall and found Vera, saying, "Grand Master Sig has learned of your request."

"Tomorrow morning at nine o'clock, Grand Knight Carter, who has always been in charge of the security of the Golden City ceremonies, will routinely go to the Golden City to observe for a month to ensure that the heretical ceremonies in the Golden City will not be interfered with by outsiders."

"You, Shami, and Miss Sif can accompany Grand Knight Carter. He is a tolerant and kind Sequence Four Silver Knight and an elder; you can contact him if you need anything."

"As for the four secret texts that Saint Sulph needed: the 'Book of the White Rose,' the 'Book of Balance,' the 'Book of Creation,' and the 'Book of the End,' the Book of the End was destroyed before it was delivered to the Grand Library. The other three are guarded by Grand Master Sig in the Temple."

"To ensure the safety of the secret manual, after you leave the Golden City and before you leave the Seven Seas, we will conceal its traces of destiny and send it to the ship. Please rest assured."

After Vera expressed her gratitude repeatedly, she waited for Selmu to leave, then used a levitation spell in the living room to fly up and untie the ropes on the shrike's wings and legs.

The shrike was terrified and flapped its wings to try and pounce on Vera's face, but Vera punched it away.

Then she looked at Xia Mi, puzzled, and asked, "Little Knight Xia Mi, and Miss Sif. Haven't I seen you two over at the Great Harbor?"

Xia Mi clenched her hands in front of her, nervously saying, "Yes. It was at the Knights' headquarters. I saw you when I was handing over documents to Grand Knight Commander Lovisa."

"That......"

Vera hadn't even voiced her question when Sif, standing nearby, patted her brother's head, and after a few shy whimpers, calmly and generously said, "One reason is His Majesty the Shrike's invitation. His Majesty the Shrike heard from Shami that we have a super, super big wine cellar at home, so He wants Shami to take him there to steal a drink."

“Of course. There’s something even more important. Our elder brother, Bell Langhilde, was struck by a derailed locomotive during the first test of the island train and is now in a vegetative state, unconscious. Father desperately needs my brother back; the Langhilde family needs an heir. Even if it’s the brother who once disappointed him.”

Sif paused, then emphasized, "However, I think my brother still has many merits."

"really?"

Xia Mi was a little embarrassed.

Sif nodded a few times and said, "Of course. For example, brother, you can eat normally, sleep by yourself, although you are afraid of the dark at night. You can also go to the toilet by yourself and know how to flush. Even Niao Niao knows to take a few steps forward. You are very civilized."

Xia Mi's color faded even more noticeably, and her whole body seemed to turn grayish-white.

Seeing this, Vera scratched her head, unsure of what to say. Then, the shrike cawed, "Shami, cheer up! Don't let these humans look down on you! I've taught you so much; when we get back to the Seven Seas, show me what you've got!"

"Teacher Big Crow!"

Vera couldn't understand what the two were getting sentimental about, so she watched as Sif pulled Xia Mi aside and bowed slightly, saying, "As you can see, that's roughly the situation. It's getting late, so my brother and I will go to rest first. We will go to the Golden City with you on time tomorrow. If you need any help, you can call me."

Vera thanked them a few more times, and although she still had a lot of questions, she didn't ask any more.

After Sif and Shami left the reception room, the shrike flew to Vera's shoulder with a whoosh, cackling twice as it reminded her, "You'd better watch out for Shami and Sif. They probably still have a lot of ulterior motives they haven't told you. Keep an eye on things in Golden City too; I'll keep watch for you."

Vera muttered, "I know."

"Gah. A clever person."

"Hmm, clever crow."

The shrike glanced at Vera a few times, quite satisfied. It was immediately clear she was one of its kind—or rather, one of its kind of crows.

As Vera left the reception room and entered the hallway, the druid sister who had been waiting outside the door greeted her and whispered, "Miss Vera, how is the situation?"

"There was a slight mishap... We'll have a meeting later, but overall it went smoothly."

Vera touched her stomach and decided to postpone the meeting for the time being; she needed to go to the restaurant first.

Since she was a distinguished guest from Ansu, Saint Engard certainly couldn't charge her for her meal at the guild hall's restaurant.

Vera hummed a little tune, already itching to go and freeload dinner.

............

............

Meanwhile, 380 nautical miles east of St. Engadine Island, the harbor lights gleam along the winding coastline.

Looking around, the city was filled with vendors hawking their wares and ladies and gentlemen strolling with their children, either on foot or in open-top luxury carriages. Steam lamps hung on the billboards of the high-rise buildings, and there were sirens and politicians making street presentations for the festival. It was completely devoid of the dark, evil, damp, and cold atmosphere of cult rituals that were stereotypically associated with it.

It was a festival in itself, with lanterns and decorations everywhere.

Not only the main roads of the port, but even the asphalt roads between the low-rise buildings in the slums were lit up with steam lamps, making them bright day and night.

In the very center of this port city, on a wide square facing the coast where the sea breeze blows, stands a giant gilded sailboat statue that is 114 meters high and weighs 283 million tons.

This sailing ship symbolizes the sincere and kind pioneering pastors who came here thousands of years ago to establish churches, spread education, and bring prosperity. The gold plating is a specialty of this city, and the gold used in this statue alone reached an astonishing 1.86 tons.

Therefore, before the invention of alchemy, this place was truly a "city of gold".

The governing body of the Golden City is a council of six, which operates under a unique form of oligarchy, with the six most powerful merchants taking turns in power and making decisions, while the actual implementation is delegated to various government agencies.

With its gold reserves, the Council of Six's influence once extended to other countries on the continent.

However, since the early Solomon Empire, with the advent of alchemy, the status of the Golden City has been gradually diminished. Today, it is merely the wealth and economic center of the Seven Seas.

Inside the mansion a kilometer north of the Gilded Plaza, Eric Langhilde, the current head of the Langhilde family and the person in charge of the Golden City United Artillery Military Group, saw off the Speaker and smoked a cigarette with a heavy heart.

The elderly butler beside him reminded him, "Master, Speaker Allen said he's requesting Valon to bestow its blessing in order to find a saint..."

Old Eric said helplessly, "With the opening of the inland waterways of the Celestial Empire, the competitiveness of the Seven Seas will definitely decline significantly. I understand Allen's concerns, but he's delusional, hoping that the blessing of that false god will reverse this situation. How is that possible!"

"Putting everything else aside, does he think that Saint Enggard has transferred the main force to Iris and is incapable of handling the Golden City's affairs? Alright, when are those two bastards, Sif and Shami, coming back?"

"It'll be tomorrow."

"After they come back, let them calm down for a while. I think Allen and those other families have all been somewhat affected by that evil god, and that god, imprisoned by us for thousands of years, is also somewhat out of control. Let Allen find whatever saint he wants, and let Saint Engard fight if he wants to. We shouldn't get involved."

Chapter 464 Tia: If anything happens, don't involve your teacher.

Vera ate her fill at the restaurant, held a short meeting that evening, and, through Shrike's connections, secretly slipped into the Laurel Forest from her bedroom.

In the laurel grove, the steward Branna saw Vera arrive and appeared, asking, "Miss Vera, what brings you here? Are you going to the temple? If you need help, I can show you the way."

Vera quickly shook her head and said, "No, no. I need to speak with Tia. Could you please inform her? I went to the Land of the Seven Seas and made an unexpected discovery."

Seeing the seriousness in Vera's words, Brenna floated up and left the Laurel Grove, heading towards the material world.

At this very moment, Tia is in her study at 16 Crown Street. On the ceremonial table lie several draft notebooks, densely covered with geometric figures that Brenna cannot understand.

The floor was marked with lines drawn with a silver ceremonial knife and dusted with silver powder. In the very center of the six-pointed star ritual array stood an operating table that had been brought from who-knows-where.

On the cold operating table, a semi-solid silver spatial lock firmly bound a two-headed girl with long pink hair. She resembled a two-headed cannibal, but her mouth was stuffed with Tia's cotton over-the-knee socks, preventing her from speaking. Her two delicate faces were filled with terror as she writhed wildly on the operating table. She was clearly an unfortunate spirit that Tia had fished out of the deep sea.

Moreover, despite being a spiritual being, it possessed a pinkish membrane composed of flesh and blood. Under the pale incandescent light, it appeared particularly blasphemous and chaotic, especially with the help of Tia's potion and ritual knife.

Branna was startled when she stepped out of the mirror, thinking that Tia had finally remembered that she was an evil god and would offer her some human sacrifices.

—Just like that tentacle monster.

Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that they were tampering with spirits that have no physical form and cannot dissipate, which immediately turned off the idea.

Branna stepped out from the light reflected in the mirror and said respectfully, "My lord..."

"Wait a minute."

Tia did not respond immediately. Instead, she extracted the memories of the two-headed ogre on the operating table and dissolved them with a low-concentration star antimony solution. She then reinforced the space lock to completely isolate the space of the operating table from the deep sea.

The conversion ceremony was then arranged.

Tia cut her wrist again, letting a few drops of blood drip down. The pink membrane covering the two-headed girl quickly grew granulation tissue, and at a speed that surprised Brenna, a physical body that was completely compatible with the spirit body quickly grew.

Brenna exclaimed in shock, "My Lord! Has your plan succeeded?"

"It's far from that. This is just a physical body. It can't even compare to a self-regulating puppet. It has absolutely nothing to do with the miracle of the Creator's 'spiritual and natural birth of flesh and blood'."

Tia shook her head and said, "Moreover, the connection between the spirit and the deep sea is too profound. As soon as the spirit steps off the operating table, it will be captured by the deep sea in a second, and then its memories and soul will be quickly distorted and alienated. In the end, it will just be a spirit wearing a human skin."

Brenna wholeheartedly agreed.

Because they had previously molded the spirits of the ravens into human form and then stuffed them into dolls to mass-produce Great Guardians. However, all of these dolls had a serious drinking problem, and would even go drinking in the middle of a fight.

Unlike humans.

Humans are, of course, deeply bound to the deep sea, but not as distorted as the spirits, because humans are protected by the seven holy gods—the Holy Grail of the second holy number gave humans a filter of faith, the hammer of the third holy number gave humans a filter of science, and the king of the fourth holy number simply established an order within human understanding to provide protection.

Spirits do not have these things; they are born to confront the complex and mysterious nature of the deep sea.

"Right now, I've simply reinforced the spatial lock and used the Holy Grail ritual to forcibly isolate the operating table from the deep sea."

“But Eleanor really did find something good… but let’s not talk about that, Branna.” Tia sang a few notes of the melody Anne had been using lately, continued reinforcing the spatial lock, and asked with great interest, “Is there any news from Vera?”

Brenna paused for a moment, then lowered her head and said, "Miss Vera invites you to have a talk in the deep sea."

"I knew it."

............

............

Vera spent most of the night in the Upside-Down Temple, talking with Tia by candlelight. The main topic was the Holy Festival—she was particularly interested in Valontia, who had orchestrated the reversal and victory.

Heretics who have lingered in the lands of the seven seas for so long!

Tia created an avatar in the banquet hall and faced Vera, saying, "So you mean the Holy Festival is dangerous?"

Vera said with a serious expression, "That's right. An evil god who has lived for thousands of years! If I get corrupted in the past and come back with two tentacles, you'll be in big trouble."

Tia said speechlessly, "That level of pollution can't even compare to the water pressure of the deep sea on you. Besides, didn't you have a Sequence 4 Grand Knight traveling with you?"

"Saint-Garde is Saint-Garde. I am me! What if something goes wrong and they can't help in time?"

"I'll just descend to sainthood directly. Aren't you the physical vessel yourself?"

Tia could indeed directly bestow sainthood upon Vera—because Elvira Salvia, this artificial human infant, was used as a vessel to bestow sainthood upon the twin serpents from the moment she first cried.

It's just that the followers of the Hagi Serpent are too weak; they can't even reach the shallow waters, which is why Vera is still alive and kicking and hasn't become a saint yet.

Tia is different. Theoretically, once the main body is set up, her deep-sea body can directly jump to Vera's body using this physical body as a relay server.

It could even be said that:

Elvira Salvia – the natural vessel of the Upside-Down Daughter.

"Why do you make it sound so lewd..."

Vera had no choice but to throw a tantrum on the ground, so she stubbornly said, "Don't worry about it, it's dangerous anyway."

"Then what do you mean?"

"cough......"

"????"

"Could you give me a little more?"

Tia stared at the little redhead with the look of someone looking at trash.