The black sun hangs high

Chapter 120 Doing the Best

Snich's "proposal" is actually very easy to understand.

It probably felt that its new mouse hole was quite large, and it would be very boring to live there alone. Moreover, after absorbing enough blessings from the Earth Mother Goddess, it had already assumed that it was of a higher status than ordinary mice. As a "noble among mice," it felt that it should now have some followers.

Just like humans.

Hugh was certain that he did not have these quirks and habits, and he did not know why his summoned creature would have such outdated ideas.

However, Hughes did not object to Sniggy's suggestion.

Although the proposal sounded like he was opening a portable retirement home, Hugh didn't mind absorbing the will behind these rat hordes, who were once human noble elites.

Of course, this is on the premise that they agree.

Hugh's suggestion clearly had a significant impact on these "old folks" who were already determined to die, so a heated debate immediately broke out within the rat swarm. This time, even Alexandra herself joined in, and it was clear that she also had her own views and opinions on the proposal.

While the family members began their heated discussion, Virin and Hugh went to the other side of the corridor.

In the dim light, Vera's face was somewhat gloomy, and it seemed that she also had her own opinions on the current situation.

“Mr. Hugh, this is far too hasty.”

Veraine's voice was soft, but the warning in it was very clear: "I'm not targeting the advice you gave to Ms. Alexandra and the others, but your attitude toward sorcery, magic, and occult rituals."

"...You must know a lot about evil magic and lost gods, but that's not enough to give you the confidence to make this decision."

Vera took a deep breath: "My understanding of evil magic is limited, but I am very familiar with arcane arts. To accept and inherit the power of arcane arts, you need to have the corresponding knowledge and theoretical foundation. To rashly approach arcane arts without these things is no different from taking a risk!"

In times like these, having someone by your side who can sincerely offer advice is definitely something to be happy about.

Looking at the serious and earnest Villin, Hugh replied slowly, "Miss Villin must be very curious about what I saw in Ms. Alexandra and the others' dreams, right?"

Veraine didn't answer, but Hughes noticed that her eyes brightened slightly.

So Hugh said, “In that dream, I saw a war that did not belong to this era. At that time, humans were not yet the masters of Vaan, and what hung in the sky was a black sun.”

Upon hearing these words, Vera's expression subtly changed. She blinked and couldn't help but lower her voice: "You mean the Society's prophecy?"

"The Black Sun Society's prophecy speaks of Vaan's future, but what I see is the past, and a very distant past at that."

Hugh carefully recalled what he had seen and heard in the dream, and then said, "I saw that sun with my own eyes... Miss Virin, I am certain that is the origin of the society's name. In that dream, beings who worship the Earth Mother Goddess were fighting against beings who worship other gods. They were fighting for territory, and the shift of the battle lines directly determined the division between the sea and the land."

This was the topic that Vera had always dreamed of. Even just a few words had captivated her. Seeing that Hugh had stopped narrating, Vera quickly urged, "And then? What else?"

"Rats, lots of rats."

Hugh glanced at the blind rodents who remained obediently in the corridor and said, "However, those are tribes, clans, and even civilizations composed of rodent-like creatures. They are all believers in the Earth Mother Goddess, and thus have joined the endless war..."

"Your summoned creature is one of them?"

"It's still far from that, but judging from the situation in that dream, if things continue to develop like this, it will eventually become the 'original' form."

When these topics came up, Hugh couldn't resist the urge to smoke, but his pockets were empty, so he had to regretfully withdraw his hand.

“Miss Verin, the reason I’m telling you this now doesn’t mean I want my summoned creature to grow into that kind of terrifying being… What I really want to say is something else.”

"What should we do if the black sun I saw in my dream really does reappear as the prophecy foretold?"

"Or rather, what should Vaan do now?"

Hughes raised his hand and pointed to the remains of the rat-man spellcaster who had been killed by the "Palace Hounds": "Once that black sun rises, we will have to face more monsters like these mutated rats, the mud-like monsters we encountered in Seren, or the beings I 'summoned'... What do you think humanity should do then?"

Vera's lips trembled slightly. As a qualified magic scholar, she immediately understood what Hugh wanted to say, and the answers to these questions immediately appeared in her mind.

Whether it's magical knowledge or the ever-evolving new weaponry, there's a gap between them and the believers and beings directly controlled by the lost gods. Perhaps time can gradually narrow this gap, but once that happens, time will become humanity's most scarce resource.

Especially magic.

Lost ancient magic is Vilin's subject, so she knows very well that the so-called "evil magic" is actually a concept put forward by the Legal Committee and spellcasters to escape the unknown forces and unknown existences. Instead of exploring their origins and analyzing their principles, they crudely categorize them into a large category and directly label them as dangerous...

"So, the magic you possess, and the things you summon... they all belong to that era?"

"Yes."

Hughes nodded: "After I arrived at the manor, I met the head of the family, my grandfather. Although he was being restrained by the Society, he still tried to send me a message."

"The arrival of the black sun is imminent; it could be tomorrow, it could be next month, or it could be the next second."

Hugh calmly stated this terrible fact: "Although I do not agree with the Black Sun Society's ideologies, facts are facts, and we must be prepared in advance, whether we look at this from a personal, family, national, or some larger perspective."

"And the ritual of touching the Earth Mother Goddess is what I consider a part of the 'preparation,' and an indispensable part at that!" "Therefore, regardless of whether the Ernst family's resistance against the Black Sun Society succeeds, and no matter when that black sun reappears, we must take the initiative to contact it and understand it... Delaying will only put us in a more disadvantageous position."

This time, Vera didn't speak, but fell silent.

Hugh glanced at the other person briefly and saw that the solemnity on the other person's face was still there, but the expression had softened a little. So he breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I once heard a proverb from the Eastern world across the ocean, which is 'Do your best and leave the rest to fate.'"

"I hate this phrase, but I also like it."

Vera silently repeated the "proverb" that Hugh had said twice, then she asked, "Why?"

"In the Eastern context, the so-called 'heaven' symbolizes all trends and status quo that are difficult for humans to interfere with or change through their own will... It can be a deity, or it can be something else."

"The reason I hate this statement is that while it encourages people to do their best to face difficulties, it also ruthlessly points out that after all the effort, it is still possible to fail at the last hurdle due to some intractable reason."

Hughes closed his eyes, and his thoughts sank into darkness, the orderly turning of the metal disc washing away the last trace of doubt.

He opened his eyes and extended an invitation to the magic teacher beside him.

“Before we leave the rest to fate, there is still much we can do, Miss Veraine, I need your help.”

The discussion among the Ernst family members had long since ended, and they had already reached their own conclusions.

The rats remained prostrate on the ground, quietly awaiting the next command.

Therefore, the entire corridor was incredibly quiet, as if the ancient walls and floor were waiting for that response.

“I need not only the manuscript of ‘The Poems of the Night,’ but also permission to enter the Ernst family collection.”

Without a second thought, Hugh waved his hand and said, "Okay, I agree!"

Vera's eyes widened immediately: "What makes you think you can agree to this?"

"Ha, it's alright, child!"

Jacob Ernst's voice suddenly came through: "As long as the current head of the family is still willing to acknowledge me as his grandfather, he will definitely agree, I guarantee it!"

……

In the hall of the Leland Noble Council, a young secretary belonging to Erevan Ernst silently approached the door of the room arranged for Ernst family guards and servants to rest. He raised his hand and gently knocked on the door four times, three times lightly and the last time with unusually heavy knock.

The door opened, and a silent maid who was supposed to be Zek Ernst's personal "protector" opened the door and cast an inquiring glance at the young secretary.

The secretary calmly and politely took out a broken wooden cane and gently presented it to the maid: "Mr. Yerevan said that the Marshal's cane was accidentally damaged, which is detrimental to the dignity of the Ernst family and needs to be replaced as soon as possible."

The maid's usually dull and expressionless face showed a slight change at this moment. She gave the secretary an inquiring look, and the secretary continued, "In addition, Mr. Yerevan said that everyone needs to go to the lounge before the meeting begins. He has some important orders and messages to convey."

Upon hearing this, the maid nodded, but the next second she suddenly reached out and, with her powerful body enhanced by the magic potion, grabbed the young secretary by the collar and forcibly dragged him into the room.

Before the poor young man could react, a hand enveloped in icy magic forcefully grabbed his face, and in the next instant, a sharp, blade-like spiritual force pierced his mind.

The magic, which worked on the same principle as the Legal Committee's spiritual interrogation, quickly took effect, mercilessly clearing everything from the young secretary's mind. The maid narrowed her eyes slightly, quietly "savoring" and "reading" the images in the other party's memory.

The maid then saw a somewhat dazed Erwin Ernst open the door to the lounge. He handed the broken wooden cane to the young secretary and reiterated his requests and orders. Just as the lounge door was about to close, the young secretary briefly glimpsed the scene inside through the crack—behind Erwin, an elderly body was slumped in a wheelchair…

After confirming the information was correct, the maid decisively twisted her hand, and a terrifying force was immediately applied to the young secretary's head. After a crisp sound, the young body, devoid of life, was ruthlessly abandoned to the side.

At such times, a loyal follower or secretary is not worth their attention.

Another maid gave a gesture, and all the guards who had come to the venue and had previously sworn allegiance to Erevan Ernst immediately took up their weapons and followed the two maids out.

At this moment, the meeting was about to begin, so there were hardly any people to be seen in the brand-new mansion that was connected to the meeting room and had been converted into a lounge.

In an indescribably oppressive atmosphere, two silent maids who had undergone the Black Sun Society's reformation had become the new leaders of the guards.

They took out the weapons provided to them by the society, a series of equipment designed and prepared with reference to the sword-wielding hermits in the Legal Committee, ranging from spellbooks to magic silver weapons, and spare new crystal guns, it was all there.

The Ernst family's lounge was right in front of them, and thanks to their enhanced sense of smell, enhanced by potions, both maids detected a faint scent of blood in the air.

At that moment, the door to the lounge quietly opened.

Erevan Ernst immediately appeared before everyone.

His skin was pale, his face was contorted, and his eyes were devoid of any life. His gaze, which had long since stopped, still held a deep sense of despair and confusion. The clothes on his chest were completely soaked with blood.

This is a corpse, a puppet under the control of magic.

(End of this chapter)