The black sun hangs high

Chapter 111 "Collective Voting"

Hugh removed the running rat from his shoulder and gently pinched the back of its neck twice, forcing it to suppress its hostility.

He wanted to find a chair to sit down, but there was nothing but lamps here, and the only chair was under Weilin.

The female mage noticed Hugh's little action, so she pursed her lips and gently wiggled her finger.

A temporary chair made of translucent magic appeared behind Hugh and gently touched his calf at Verin's will.

Hugh looked down and then sat down very smoothly.

Like petting a cat, he placed the frantically running rat, its fur bristling, on his lap, and then said, "Time is limited, so please forgive me if my words are disrespectful to you all..."

Hughes shifted his gaze from the swarm of rats in Verin's direction to Countess Alexandra in front of him and said, "You all already know, don't you? The magic I possess shares some similarities with the power you all wield now."

As he spoke, he gently pressed the head of the running rat Sniggy with his finger. Sniggy, who had secretly received Hugh's command, immediately entered a frenzied and warlike state. Its eyes began to emit a ghostly green light, and its teeth and claws began to shimmer with a ghostly green light. Its three long, whip-like tails began to sway incessantly.

Alexandra gazed silently at the strange three-tailed rat summoned by Hugh, and nodded: "Yes, Jacob had already informed us beforehand that a young man in the family had appeared who also possessed this ancient power and could truly pose a threat to us... Everyone even unanimously believes that you are a spellcaster trained by the Black Sun Society specifically to deal with us."

However, Hughes smiled and said, "I do have close ties with the Black Sun Society."

The moment those words were spoken, the atmosphere in the room shifted. The rats, who served as the embodiment of the family's will, began to stir, while Alexandra remained calm.

At this point, Hugh continued, "It was through the Black Sun Society's operations that I was sent to the dangerous area between Water and Deland, and almost lost my life as a result... Miss Verine is a member of the Legal Committee, and she can testify for me."

"Huh? Yeah."

When Virin was suddenly mentioned by Hugh, she was slightly surprised, but her expression did not change significantly. Instead, she nodded calmly, vouching for Hugh in her capacity as a member of the Law Committee and a magic teacher.

“I originally had almost no magical talent, but under these circumstances, I unknowingly completed the magical inscription and thus became a true spellcaster... but what I inscribed was an evil magic that even the scholars of the Law Committee did not understand.”

Hughes revealed this part of the "truth" directly: "As far as I know, the organization in Vaan today that understands evil magic and the civilizations and gods that created them best is the Black Sun Society. Therefore, I came here not only to solve the hidden dangers for my family, but also to further understand the Society and figure out their plans and ideas."

"Therefore, before doing these things, I must further understand the details of 'Mother Earth' and the secret rituals of the society."

Hugh's fingers gently pressed down on Sniggy's neck, trying to calm its bristling fur, and he said slowly, "I know it's very difficult to build absolute trust in the current situation, but if you don't want all the efforts and sacrifices you've made in the past to go to waste, then it's best not to hold back in these areas."

After hearing Hugh's words, the rats in the room immediately started chattering, as if they were arguing and quarreling.

Alexandra, acting as the representative and spokesperson, chose to remain silent at this moment. She closed her eyes, seemingly listening to the opinions and thoughts of other family members.

The argument continued for a while, and just as Hugh was beginning to hesitate about whether he should pull out the Hound's Fang to increase the deterrent effect, the rats in the room suddenly made a move.

One group of rats suddenly became extremely aggressive, with the group near Verin, which housed the soul of "Bernhardt," being the most ferocious. To Verin and Hugh's astonishment, these rats, which had split from the former rulers of the Ernst family, suddenly attacked each other. They split into two factions and clashed right in front of Hugh and Hugh, engaging in fierce biting and tearing.

The scene was truly terrifying, especially after learning that these rats possessed the will of humans within them. Hugh felt a ruthlessness and determination in this frenzied battle.

The rats on the right were clearly outnumbered and outmatched, and were quickly overwhelmed by their own kind. Led by Bernhardt, the rats ruthlessly tore their kin to shreds, turning them into magical mist. The souls and wills residing within them naturally vanished as well.

The room returned to silence. The rats, having completed their "internal purge," retreated back to their respective corners. Alexandra, who had been keeping her eyes closed and maintaining neutrality, opened them again. She smiled somewhat reluctantly and said, "Sorry to keep you waiting... Getting a group of people with different ideas, but equally firm and stubborn, to reach a consensus is indeed not an easy task."

"them……"

"ended."

Alexandra said, "Humans are always like this. When they are alive, they fear the death of their bodies, and after their bodies die, they fear the demise of their will. Even though they have become formless ghosts, they still have some unrealistic fantasies about 'immortality'."

She raised her hand and waved it gently twice, causing the magical mist in the air to quickly dissipate. She concealed the slight dejection and sadness on her face and said, "Now, all the remaining members will support your and the current leader's decisions and actions, but at the same time, we also have a request."

“Shug Ernst, we hope that you, as a descendant of the Ernst family, can completely terminate or even destroy the secret rituals set up by the Society beneath the manor, so as to help the family completely sever its ties with the Black Sun Society and free the family from their control.”

Hughes pondered for two seconds, then nodded: "I accept, but I need you to tell me everything you know, without reservation... After all, in this situation, any concealment or misrepresentation will lead to the most complete failure."

The Countess nodded: "Of course we know what you're talking about, but the Ernst family's leaders have never been good at magic. Our understanding of the Mystic Ritual comes entirely from its influence on us, and this influence... we can't express it in concrete terms."

"What do you mean?"

“Whenever the ritual takes effect, we fall into a daze and confusion, as if we have been dragged into a huge dream. However, everything that happens in the dream is too bizarre and fragmented. If you really want to understand everything we have experienced, then it is impossible to do so with words alone.”

Alexandra gazed at Hugh: "If you are willing to trust us, then we will try to share our memories with you..."

"This is dangerous!" Before Hugh could speak, Vera stood up from her chair. Her expression was more serious than ever before, and her tone was full of advice and warning.

"For any living being with independent will, contact at the level of mind and will is extremely dangerous... Memory is the most vulnerable part of everyone. Touching it casually without the aid of rituals and potions will result in the same outcome as interrogation by the spirit!"

Hugh turned his head and saw that Verine was staring at him, so he smiled and asked, "Similar to... the situation when we met for the second time?"

"the second time?"

The sudden question startled Vera for a moment, but she quickly realized that Hugh was referring to the "special interrogation" she had conducted on him using magic at Ernst's old mansion.

Hugh's sarcastic tone made Verine roll her eyes, but she still nodded very sincerely: "In that situation, any slightly violent magical shock could cause mental damage."

"I know."

Hugh nodded to Veraine and raised his hand in a reassuring gesture: "I know what I'm doing."

Alexandra did not interrupt their conversation. After they had finished talking, she smiled and said, "Whether you believe it or not, we will never harm the offspring of our family. This has always been our bottom line and principle... However, the Mystery of the 'Mother Earth' has always been extremely hostile to us. It is like a living creature. Once our will and power begin to weaken, the Mystery will unleash a swarm of rats to attack this floor."

Vera narrowed her eyes, then replied, "As long as you can guarantee his safety, I will do my part, after all, he is my student."

After saying that, she turned to Hugh and said, “Mr. Hugh, if you’ve made up your mind, then hand over the spellbook to me, and I will find a way to make it work properly… Also, after this matter is over, don’t forget to tell me everything about the Society’s secret rituals. That’s my only request.”

"I will."

Hugh gave a brief answer, and Verine immediately came over, took the magic book with dozens of pages of "Instant Fire" printed on it from Hugh, and then walked out of room 508 without looking back.

"Hmm... what a lovely girl, she reminds me of myself when I was young."

Alexandra watched Vera leave the room and couldn't help but sigh.

You are still beautiful.

"Oh, you know perfectly well what we really are like, but even if it's a compliment you don't mean, it's still pretty good."

The countess smiled and replied, then her expression turned solemn again: "Time is of the essence. If you have made up your mind, then we can begin."

Hughes nodded, snapped his fingers, and caused the running rat on his knee to dissipate into magical mist.

He asked, "What is the procedure?"

"The process is simple, but... it might hurt a little."

As the Countess spoke, the rats in the room gathered around Hugh, bowing their eyeless heads low.

As if inviting Hughes to dance, Alexandra gracefully raised her hand: "Child, give me your hand."

Hugh nodded. He slightly mobilized the magic in his spiritual world, and after the metal disc began to slowly rotate, he reached out and gently placed his hand on Alexandra's palm.

"Don't be nervous, relax... This may be a bit torturous for the living, but we will try to be gentle."

At this moment, Alexandra was as considerate and gentle as a true elder. Her magically formed hands were incredibly cold, and the instant he touched them, Hugh could feel the dark power flowing continuously within her illusory body.

A small shadow appeared on the countess's arm, then the shadow began to move on her arm and gradually revealed its shape, which was also a blind mouse.

It slowly crawled forward along the Countess's arm and finally landed on Hugh's palm. Its fleshy whiskers, which served as its hind legs, swayed constantly, bringing Hugh a strange, tingling sensation.

"It's about to begin."

Alexandra gave a soft prompt, and the swarm of rats, which housed the wills of the Ernst family members, began to chirp in perfect unison. Gradually, the magic emanating from them merged into a single entity, and the darkness in Alexandra's eyes deepened.

A stinging sensation came from his palms and wrists. Hughes saw that the blind rat from Alexandra was piercing its flesh with those tendrils, which was how it was able to attach itself to the servants.

A mild, icy sensation slowly flowed over me, much like the feeling I had when I was subjected to Virin's "magical interrogation" a long time ago. That icy feeling gradually seeped into my mind.

Hugh checked the metal disc's condition one last time and, seeing that it was rotating slowly and orderly, he reassured himself and turned his attention to the cold power that had entered his mental world.

Just as he usually "returned" to the dream sanctuary, Hugh's consciousness gradually sank into it, entering the bizarre dream world constructed by the memories and perceptions of the deceased members of the Ernst family.

(End of this chapter)