Whispering Verse

Dorothy straightened her hair and said to Shade across the table:

"The popularity and popularity of "Grey's Glass Slippers" in the Fifth Era is, in a sense, more widespread and famous than your first four fairy tales. Therefore, theoretically, it should have a stronger power."

After all, the fifth era is the era of witches, and the stories of princess dreams and glass slippers are quite attractive. Of course, it is also for this reason that one-third of the versions of the story circulating today are not the prince and princess, but the "friendship" between princesses.

"Besides, you know the luxury of the witch emperors of the Fifth Era better than I do. There are indeed witches who made glass slippers in the Fifth Era, and there is indeed such a pair of shoes that transformed into relics after the era changed."

"oh?"

Shade suddenly became interested:

"What level? What are the specific characteristics?"

"Poet-level (level 5) relic, the princess's glass slippers. The properties are not very strong. You can dress up like a princess by wearing those shoes."

Dorothy tried her best to describe:

"You can think of it as a transformation with more gorgeous special effects than the mystery lock you opened just now, and the dress and hair accessories after the transformation are even more grand than when Lecia is dressed up. In this kind of dress , the clothes will not be damaged or contaminated due to any circumstances, and the illusions cast by oneself will be enhanced. Oh, and also, wearing those shoes, you can move forward quite smoothly on any relatively flat terrain including water, even in dense forests. Even above the canopy of trees.”

This relic sounds useless, but if you think about it carefully, it is still somewhat useful:

“What about the negative traits?”

"It can only be used by women. Men who use it will turn into pumpkins. Oh, don't laugh, they will really turn into dancing pumpkins."

Although Xia De was not allowed to laugh, Miss Writer herself laughed:

"As for the containment method, just make sure that the glass slippers are not contaminated with dirt. I want to get those shoes. This will not only help you, but also help me with my words of sublimation."

"Whose hands is this relic now?"

Shade asked curiously.

"It is not in the hands of the church or college. I am still investigating and hope to get it as soon as possible."

On this night, Shade did not forget to give Dorothy the information he obtained from the dead folklorist near the Night Temple in Randall Valley, and asked her to help deliver it to Professor Manning for publication.

Miss Writer agreed and asked Shade to go about his own business. She and Lesia would take care of the matter of his honorary degree. Shade only had to attend the final degree awarding ceremony. And that night after the governess's lesson, the blushing blond girl still boldly tried an interesting game with Shade.

Time came on Sunday. After breakfast with Dorothy at home, Shade came to Randall Valley early in the morning. He also made an appointment to have lunch with Iluna at noon today to say goodbye to her, so he wanted to get it done as soon as possible in the morning.

The Randall Valley on Sunday was shrouded in thick fog. I don't know if it was Shade's illusion. When he came to Cherry Leaf Street, he clearly felt that the atmosphere in the city was a bit depressing. Pedestrians on the street hurriedly walked against the wall, and the taxis passing by on the street lacked the joy of the past.

Nothing major happened in the Randall Valley on Saturday. Shade asked around and found that except for the recent petrified plague and earthquake, the current situation in the Randall Valley was good. Therefore, Shade can only attribute his feeling to his inspiration to capture that the entire city and the land are "sick", and the disease of the earth affects the people living in it, which makes the city become lifeless. .

And when Shade found the carriage at the corner of the street and was about to get on it, he saw a person wearing a warm robe coming from the other side of the street. He suddenly recalled the dream of Luvia that he entered on the night of the New Year's Eve.

At the end of the shattered dream of [The Past and the Sixth Age], in the abandoned city of Tobesk, the surviving people seemed to be dressed like this, walking in cowering silence in the corners of the abandoned city. And when the memory of the doomsday dream overlapped with reality, Shade shivered violently, which made the coachman briefly think that he was also suffering from the so-called plague that was recently prevalent in the city.

Today's mission is to find the old captain that Stone Oxenfurt mentioned and get back his old letters and old photos from the captain. Shade was very curious as to why he didn't go get it himself. After all, Oxenfurt provided a very detailed address of the old captain, and all these questions could only be clarified after finding the captain.

It is still the winter when the rivers are frozen, and most of the ships running inland water transportation are resting. The crew members either find other jobs or are idle at home. Captain Allen Woody was old and had a small fortune, so he stayed in the Randall Valley during the winter and no longer had to work. Although he has his own house in the city, he lives in another residence outside the city most of the time.

Shade first took a carriage and failed to find him in the city, then asked the coachman to take him to the eastern edge of Randall Valley City. After getting off the bus and crossing the earthen city wall built in the city-state era before the unification of Kasenrik, the city scenery gradually transformed into a rural village that relied on the city.

After passing the village, you will find the surface of the Yifa River that skirts the edge of the city. Standing on the other side of the river, you can clearly see the tall windmill turning outside the city under a relatively clear sky.

This mill belongs to Captain Allen Woody's small farm. This old captain has saved enough money for himself to support his retirement in the future.

Shade walked directly across the river on the ice. He also met villagers digging holes and fishing on the ice, as well as a group of children playing in the snow. Out of good intentions, Shade reminded the children not to play on the fragile ice. Unexpectedly, the children used country slang, sang songs and jumped around Shade, so Shade didn't say anything.

The small farm in the countryside does not have the luxurious buildings and majestic manors like the wealthy businessmen and nobles. It looks somewhat similar to the dilapidated White River Valley vineyards.

Although the weather was very good today, the old captain did not go out. After Shade stood on the dirt road and shouted a few times outside the half-opened fence door, the old captain and his old servant walked out from the two-story earthen house opposite the courtyard:

"who is it?"

Although he is 48 years old, Captain Allen Woody still looks strong and middle-aged due to his years of experience at sea. His skin was a little darkened by the sun and wind, but his eyes were bright. After coming to the yard and seeing Sha De at the door, he asked curiously:

"Young man, who are you looking for?"

"Are you Captain Alan Woody?"

Shade asked, and the sturdy old man nodded in agreement:

"Yes, may I ask you?"

"John Watson. Entrusted by someone, I want to get his things back from you."

"Is it the sailor's relic? Whose family member sent you here?"

The captain seemed to be mistaken.

"No, no, it's not a relic. It's a living person who asked me to pick it up. Stone Oxenfurt, I used to be a sailor on your ship."

When Shade said this name, the old captain's expression suddenly changed. It's not that he became frightened, but he said with a look of disgust:

"Oxenfurt? Young man, I have no ill will towards you, but I don't have a good impression of that guy. Please go back, I don't have anything of his here."

He stood in the middle of the courtyard. On the left were the stables and the barn where grain was stored, and on the right was the two-story building where servants and helpers lived. There seemed to be nothing unusual about the old captain, but Shade's inspiration reminded him that something was wrong with the other party, so:

"Thumaturgy - Seeing Demons."

Shade looked at him suspiciously and saw some black water plants and kelp wrapped around his body, swaying in the windless environment. In addition, from the sight demon's perspective, there was a dark anchor pattern imprinted on the left side of the old captain's forehead.

So Shade continued:

"I can't go back. If I go back, I will be in big trouble. I don't want to threaten you, but I want to say that I know Stone Oxenfurt and I know his secret. You, It seems to be the same as him. No, it's still a little different."

The old captain also bore traces of being corrupted by the devil. But the level is far inferior to that of Stone Oxenfurt, and if you look carefully, it doesn't seem to be the power of Stone Mirror Demon Goethe. Goethe's strength characteristics have nothing to do with seafood.

The captain frowned slightly:

"You know Stone Oxenfurt?"

He turned to look at his old servant, who nodded and returned to the house, quickly fetching his coat. The captain put on his coat and walked towards Shade at the door:

"Don't get too cocky, young man. If you really want to talk to me about Stone Oxenfurt, how about taking a walk outside with me? It's a beautiful day today."

"sure."

Shade nodded, shook hands with the captain who had already arrived at the door, and then made sure again that he did not feel wrong. Captain Woody Allen really has the power of other demons.

Although the snow on the country road near the farm has been cleared, it is still quite muddy when walking. Shade knew very well that the old captain probably just wanted to take a walk because he did not want to discuss sensitive topics in his farm, so he followed the captain to the ridges near the farm and looked at the endless farmland covered by snow. , as well as the cedar forest and mountains in the distance.

"You are not the first one sent. Stone Oxenfurt sends people every year to try to take away his old photos and letters. He even hired thieves for this, but they failed."

The conversation started from the past. They did not stand on the ridge all the time, but continued to move forward along the ridge.

The weather outside the city is really good today, and the view near the farm is also very broad. Breathing in the fresh air and looking at the vast world, in the last days of winter, it is actually quite good to take a walk like this.