Whispering Poems

Chapter 3888 Lacey's Words of Ascension
"Sounds good."

Dorothy nodded in agreement:
“We have the Red Butterfly card, which was obtained after Laplace Howard’s research was imbued with the power of the Red Butterfly by Grace and Helen, and it fully meets the requirements.”

"Yes, and in addition, your souls can be considered doubled, your research on the Enlightenment Elements is very in-depth, and your spatial talent is also quite high. Once you learn this magic, you can easily seal any soulless dead object by simply throwing the cards."

Shad opened his mouth again and ate the food Dorothy offered him:

"You two eat your own food too, don't... alright, don't look at me like that, it's my honor. There's another magical technique that's very suitable for you - [Card Symbol Technique]. This technique is quite powerful; that President Rhodes is indeed a genius even more powerful than Laplace Howard."

Write enhancement or curse commands on blank cards using ancient runes, such as increasing your own strength, defense, or speed, or causing the enemy to lose stamina or weaken. Then, transform these into a casting medium and use the cards to strengthen or weaken your own side and the enemy.

The materials the association gave me indicate that President Rhodes has already researched eight ancient rune combinations for 'talisman magic.' You can continue your research if you're interested. This is the culmination of President Rhodes' research in his later years; it's the culmination of his life's work, and this extraordinary technique can be considered a pioneering new style of spellcasting.

Shad couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement, and Lacey asked curiously:
"Why hasn't this extraordinary technique been widely adopted? Is it also due to the issue of the casting materials?"

"No, this time it's because the learning conditions are extremely demanding. This is a magical art that combines elements of enlightenment, prophecy, and ancient runic literature, and the prerequisite for learning it is a very high level of knowledge."

The association gave me a reading list, which I'll borrow from the academy library for you later. You can study at your own pace. Fortunately, there are two of you, and you also have the learning bonus from the [Hall of the Keepers of Secrets], so mastering this extraordinary art shouldn't be difficult. However, further improvement will depend on your own will.

Lacey and Dorothy did not refuse; the magical arts that Shad had chosen were indeed very suitable for them. As for learning, the girls were never afraid of it; otherwise, they wouldn't have been qualified to take this step.

"However, sealing a certain object and casting spells with cards sounds more and more like the 'Calamity Beast' series of [Calamity Cards]? The 'Legacy of the Strong' series of [Calamity Cards] seals the marks and echoes of the deceased strong. It seems that Luvia in the past really did receive the true teachings of the Prophet Association."

"And what about you, Shad? What did you get out of those materials?"

Dorothy, unaware of what Shad was thinking, continued to ask. Before Lacey arrived, Shad had spent two full hours studying the materials, essentially reading through all the information the association had provided:

"I could also try to learn the magical technique [Contract of Sealed Objects], since carrying cards is definitely more convenient than carrying toys, but whether I'll succeed is another matter."

Additionally, the materials contain some interesting spells related to the Rhodes Cards, which I'll try to learn during my vacation. After all, since I've written my name on the cards, my control over them is quite strong. Although I have no intention of focusing on card-based abilities, trying out some interesting powers would be a good idea.

"So what is the origin of the so-called 'Wanxiang Wuchang Amulet'? Is there any information about this in the materials?"

Lacey asked again, but instead of feeding Shad, she picked up her wine glass and clinked it against Dorothy's across Shad.

Xia De replied:

"Yes, but very few. In fact, the origin of the Akagi (the tarot deck) has been studied by generations of the Prophet's Association since President Rhodes. However, the Akagi itself has special properties, making it difficult for people to notice its special characteristics, even professional diviners are no exception."

Dorothy sipped her drink and kissed Shad, followed by Lacey. Mia witnessed this and concluded that Shad was inferior to her, since cats only needed Shad to bring them food.

“You can eat your own food, there’s really no need for this. In fact, apart from Luvia and those chosen ones who have noticed the special properties of the cards, no mortals have yet noticed the special properties of the [All Things Impermanent] cards. There’s nothing I need in these materials. I think I’ll probably have to start with the Ancients to further understand the secrets of the cards.”

As Xia De spoke, he recalled the "what if" plaque under the tower, which mentioned that the impermanence of all things was even older than the "ancestors".

Do you know what our ancestors were?

Shad then asked the girls, but they didn't know what the word meant either. Shad then thought that next time he encountered a "mermaid," he would try asking it. As for whether the mermaid would reappear before him, that was a question he didn't need to think about.

The three discussed playing cards for a few more minutes, and Xia Decai asked:
"Speaking of which, Lacey, you're also preparing to advance to the tenth ring, right? Our advanced ring advancement words have already been decided, and Dorothy even chose 'Snow White' a long time ago. So what's your choice?"

Dorothy's three elevated phrases correspond to "Match Girl," "Cinderella," and "Snow White," while Lacey's first two elevated phrases correspond to "Sleeping Beauty" and "The Little Mermaid."

If we follow the pattern summarized by Shad: Dorothy "ordinary girl → intermediate state (about to marry the prince) → real princess" and Lacey "real princess → intermediate state (abandoning princess status) → ordinary girl", then the fairy tale Lacey chooses probably has nothing to do with princesses.

Lacey also confirmed Shad's guess:

"We decided on it a while ago. I discussed it with Dorothy, and the tutors at Zalas Academy also said it was fine. The final choice was the classic fairy tale 'The Grey Wolf and the Girl,' with the epithet: 'Evil plays the role of good, and the blade gives new life.'"

The core rune is [Playing the Role], and then four runes are required: [Evil], [Good], [Blade/Weapon], and [Rebirth]. Coincidentally, Dorothy's high-level Ascendant word also requires [Rebirth], so we plan to make [Rebirth] the last Ascendant rune we need, which also confirms our dual-character destiny.

Dorothy's high-level sublimation statement, "[Snow White plays the victim, reborn amidst a dramatic shift in fate], offers an opportunity for a turning point, while my sublimation statement is a typical example of a highly aggressive one."

"The Gray Wolf and the Girl? What kind of story is that?"

Shad continued to ask curiously, and Dorothy explained:

"It's the story of the girl in the red hat who went to visit her grandmother in the forest, and both she and her grandmother were eaten by the big bad wolf, but in the end they were rescued by a hunter. Shad, you don't even know this?"

The outsider suddenly realized:
"Of course I know. There's a part where the Big Bad Wolf disguises himself as Little Red Riding Hood to trick Grandma, and then disguises himself as Grandma to try to trick the hunter. It's just that the story I know isn't called that. I thought it was called 'Little Red Riding Hood'."

"That's normal. Due to language differences and version variations, these classic fairy tales passed down from ancient times have many names. I even know some versions of the story called 'The Wolf of Wei.' However, the new fairy tale we're going to choose for you next is not this one. I haven't fully studied the story of 'The Gray Wolf and the Girl' yet."

Lacey wiped Shad's mouth with a napkin:
"It's a holiday now, so Dorothy and I will discuss the new fairy tale again. We'll tell you when we have an idea."

"There's no rush. But speaking of which, I might not be in Tobesk this Saturday. Daniste hasn't confirmed a specific departure time yet. I'll ask her again when I go to the academy tomorrow."

“It’s alright, Shad, we’re not the kind of girls who nitpick.”

Dorothy asked again:
"How long will you be gone?"

"It can't be over in a day, but it won't take more than a week. Daniste knows the basic situation of Mount Karas. The mountain isn't very big, and there are very few traces left after the tower collapsed."

"That's good. We couldn't stand not seeing you for a whole week, Shad. You're just like a succubus from a story~ Come on, open your mouth, I'll blow on the soup in the spoon to cool it down~"

Everyone discussed serious matters during dinner, so now that dinner was over, it was time to talk about less serious things. Dorothy and Lacey's appearance together wasn't to discuss academics with Shad; otherwise, one of them would have been enough.

This was the first time they had spent time alone with Shad outside of the 21-day cycle—they weren't alone at the celebration party that night, so the girls were all a little impatient.

However, there aren't many creative ideas for tonight. The performance they put on at the celebration party last night, "My Wife's Sister," was exciting enough, so tonight we'll just have the most normal way and the most normal games.

As the city clock tower in the distance struck eleven o'clock at night, the writer and the princess, lying on either side of Xia De, no longer wanted to move.

"Shad, please stop looking for a way to 'cure' us, okay? Let's just stay where we are now. This situation is perfect as it is."

"Don't you want to see each other every day?"

"Even among ordinary sisters, how many opportunities do they have to see each other every day? Why not maintain the status quo and preserve the occasional surprise?"

Their red and blonde hair was somewhat disheveled, and their voices sounded tired.

"Having gone through the battle of fate, we also understand that our own uniqueness is two-sided. The repulsion and attraction of souls are two sides of the same coin. If we can truly resolve the problems within us, Dorothy and I will be separated by fate."

We don't want to become two people, but we also don't want to become one. So, Shad, let's stay the way we are. I hope you don't think we're being greedy.

"Of course I don't think so. Alright, let's keep things as they are for now. But I will continue to help you collect Red Butterfly cards, since without the restriction of cards, your souls will continue to merge."

The girls gave a soft "hmm" and soon fell into a deep sleep on either side of Xia De.

Of the five in the group, the priest, the doctor, Shad, and Luvia's problems were far from resolved, while Dorothy's problem seemed to have found its final solution. Shad, however, remained somewhat worried, yet he couldn't seem to find the inspiration to foresee anything.

"So do you know?"

He asked himself this question, and the gentle moonlight outside the window answered him:
【flesh.】

PS: Dorothy – [Writer] [Playing the Role] [Another Princess] [Space]

Low: Beyond the dreamlike world of matches, the writer expresses compassion for those who freeze to death (Match Girl).
In the castle at night, only time can stop the blessed princess (Cinderella).

Gao: Snow White plays a victim who is reborn amidst dramatic changes in her fate (Snow White).
Lacey – [Writer] [Playing the Role] [Princess] [Space]

Low: The Sleeping Princess, finding peace in reality and dreams (The Sleeping Princess)

Chinese: Broken bubbles/dreams, also writing the despair of the soul (The Little Mermaid)

Gao: Evil plays the role of good, and the sharp blade gives new life (Little Red Riding Hood)