My esoteric uncle Jules

Chapter 133 Sealing Curse
Before Jules Doga could even observe, a strange voice rang out:

"Jules, I heard you've gone missing. What are you doing standing here in a daze?"

Hearing the words behind him, Jules turned around in surprise.

Before them stood a refined male clergyman—his black robe, embroidered with silver threads, shimmered in the moonlight.

The man was holding a scripture in his hand, and there were still some unhealed wounds on the back of his hand.

The scripture was plated with silver and had a crescent moon intricately carved on it.

They seem to be followers of the Crescent Moon Cult? And they appear to be of a fairly high level.

Since the other party can call out my name directly, it's most likely some kind of illusion...

Don't act rashly.

Jules' eyes flickered slightly, but he said calmly:
"I think the sky is beautiful tonight."

The man smiled and said:
"The sky is the Queen's clear mirror, reflecting the image of our hearts. You think the sky is beautiful precisely because your heart is noble."

Jules was somewhat taken aback, but before he could say anything, the man patted him on the shoulder and said:
"So let's get moving. Tonight, we must remove the curse that hangs over this land."

Although the words were short, the amount of information they conveyed made Jules' eyelids twitch.

Remove the curse?

How long ago is the time recorded in the mirror?
The priest had previously said that the ancestors of this monastery had encountered an unknown misfortune and died without warning one day, turning into wandering spirits. Could this be related to that?
Intuitively, he felt that there must be an inseparable connection between the two.

The man was about to leave when he saw Jules still standing there and asked in confusion:

"You seem to have something on your mind?"

"Oh, no," Jules said, feigning ignorance, surprised by the other's concern. "I was just trying to remember what I was supposed to do, and then I suddenly forgot..."

“Is that so?” The man smiled gently. “Then come with me. Let’s see where we need more manpower and I’ll assign you there.”

Jules nodded and followed the man silently.

Along the way, he secretly observed the scenery around him.

Along the way, there was no sign of dilapidation; instead, the area was teeming with life.

The stained glass windows of the monastery are still intact, and the hazy moonlight shines through them, creating a dreamlike effect.

The stone path beneath my feet was spotless, reflecting a cool, clear light.

Each step made a crisp sound that echoed through the quiet corridor.

A faint incense scent filled the air, a unique aroma that blended bay leaves and rosemary, giving one a sense of inexplicable peace.

Although the monastery was not yet dilapidated at this time, its tranquility surpassed that of later generations.

The man walked ahead, calmly leading the way.

Footsteps approached in the distance, followed by greetings:

"Your Excellency."

Jules saw the man nod naturally and knew that he couldn't possibly be being called.

"How's the polishing of that mirror coming along?"

The visitor shook his head, his face full of worry:
“No, Father, we simply cannot find enough mithril. The mirror can never perfectly reflect the ghoul’s corpse.”

The priest pondered for a long time before saying:
"Does the great crescent moon cast down its merciful light?"

“…No,” the visitor said, looking very disappointed. “Although the gods answered the prayers, they didn’t offer much help.”

Upon hearing this, Father Arcmoon pursed his lips, his expression turning somewhat gloomy.

"It's alright. Even if the gods don't intervene, we can handle it ourselves."

He patted the person on the shoulder and then comforted them:
"Don't be discouraged, keep looking, maybe you can find the missing mithril in a corner of the storeroom."

The person nodded, then turned and left with heavy steps.

The sound of footsteps faded into the distance on the stone path until it disappeared into the silent night.

Jules saw all of this.

"Interesting... This seems to be the first time I've encountered believers in this kind of mysticism?"

He couldn't help but show interest in his eyes.

Previously, the various so-called "believers" he had seen were more like working people in a certain sense than believers.

Although those people serve a particular god, they do not believe in Him, but only draw strength from Him.

The crescent moon believer before them seemed different from the previous ones; they were believers in the truest sense.

Even so, their attitude toward the "Arc Moon," the deity they serve, remains quite ambiguous.

Father Crescent seemed to compose himself for a moment, then sighed, turned to Jules, and said:

"There's nothing we can do; this is all the foundation of our Holy Protection Monastery."

Jules nodded slightly, feigning confusion, and said:

"I have a feeling that mithril... sounds familiar?"

His words also carried a probing meaning.

As expected, Father Crescent Moon appeared quite surprised upon hearing Jules's question:

"For us devotees of the Mirror Queen, mithril is the most sacred metal. Have you forgotten?"

Jules scratched his head and said:

"Oh, now that you mention it, I remember. I misheard it as something else."

Father Arc Moon seemed unsuspecting, but simply sighed and said:

"Let's go, we must make sure the ceremony is well arranged since it's a full moon today."

Upon hearing this, Jules subconsciously looked up at the sky.

The night sky was pitch black, with countless stars twinkling.

But the clear, full moon was nowhere to be seen.

……

Following Father Crescent, Jules slowly walked into a courtyard.

The clear moonlight allowed him to realize for the first time what it meant for "the courtyard below to be as clear and still as a pool of water".

There were a few believers squatting inside, fiddling with something. Hearing the arrival of the two, they quickly stood up, bowed, and said:

"Your Excellency."

Father Arc Moon nodded and said gently:

"How is the setup for this ceremonial event going?"

A believer stepped forward and reported:
"The mirror polishing is almost complete, and now it just needs to be installed."

“Very good,” Father Crescent’s expression relaxed a bit. “Jules, you will be responsible for placing the mirrors they have polished into their corresponding positions.”

Jules nodded and walked silently toward the mirrors that were to be installed.

The moonlight, like water, spilled onto the unfinished mirror, emitting a cool glow that intertwined with the surrounding hazy moonlight, making the entire courtyard seem as if it were in a dreamlike realm.

He bent down, picked up a mirror, and examined it carefully.

It felt cool to the touch, and its surface was incredibly smooth, smoother than any mirror he had ever seen.

The walls surrounding the courtyard were covered with strange symbols that shimmered faintly in the moonlight.

The other believers were busy in an orderly manner, their shadows stretched long in the moonlight, their movements revealing an unquestionable piety.

What struck Jules most was that these believers all had the same symbols engraved on their bodies as those on the courtyard walls.

Most of them have scabbed over, but some are still bleeding.

Despite the horrific wounds etched upon each person, the scene did not evoke terror or eeriness in Jules; instead, it conveyed a sense of sacredness. Father Crescent gazed at the symbols for a moment, then smiled wryly.
“I’ll go take another look elsewhere. Remember, the ceremony must be completed. The future of Blankocag is in our hands.”

The crowd nodded slightly, stretched out their hands, and drew a crescent moon on their chests with serene expressions.

Jules also followed suit and made similar movements.

The action didn't seem to have any mystical meaning, but it inexplicably made him feel at ease.

Father Crescent Moon smiled and made the same gesture as them, muttering a soft prayer:

"For the queen in the mirror, for the true reflection..."

Jules could no longer hear what came after that, but he could see a kind of compassionate look on Father Crescent's calm face.

……

Logan and Cliff huddled in the woods outside the monastery, their expressions conveying a sense of calm acceptance of death and a willingness to sacrifice themselves.

However, even as the full moon's radiance was about to fade, they did not see anything strange—except for the unusually bright moonlight in the monastery.

Nevertheless, they still dared not approach.

Just kidding, they've been able to stay in the adventurer industry for so long not because of curiosity, that stuff can kill you.

Seeing that nothing appeared, Cliff idly picked up a dry branch from the side, looking like he was on vacation.

Although Logan was also slacking off, he couldn't help but glance at the monastery from time to time and fall into deep thought.

Logan was lost in thought, and as dawn broke in the distance, he was startled when Cliff patted him on the back.

"Cliff, what's wrong with you! You scared me to death..."

Logan looked visibly shaken, which puzzled Cliff.

"Why are you reacting so strongly? There's nothing here."

"You know nothing!"

Logan glared at Cliff and said slowly:
"Didn't you feel that something seemed to have happened last night?"

Cliff simply shook his head:

"No."

Logan's face twitched, as if he wanted to raise his hand to hit someone, but in the end he restrained himself from the impulse.

"I really don't know why Mr. Uriel wanted to see you..."

He took a deep breath, his eyes looking somewhat serious.
"Yesterday, around three o'clock in the night, the full moon shone with an unusual brilliance."

Cliff raised an eyebrow and said:
"Are you sure this isn't a hallucination?"

Logan's forehead veins throbbed, but he was too lazy to argue with Cliff.

"You're blaming me for not having eyes?"

After berating Cliff, he frowned and said:

"Moreover, at that time, the terrible feeling inside became more intense... even the lantern that Mr. Uriel gave us seemed to have dimmed a bit."

Although Cliff doubted the veracity of Logan's account, seeing how earnest Logan's words were, he didn't question it further, simply saying:

"That's perfect, we've made some progress, I'll report this news to you."

Logan nodded:
"Perfect timing, it's almost dawn, let's go back."

……

"So you mean that nothing happened yesterday except for the unusually strong light in the middle of the night?"

After listening to the two reports, Uriel's brows furrowed.

“Yes, absolutely,” Logan said.

Uriel slammed his hand on the table, his gaze sharp:

"Where are Ram and that mysterious man?"

Cliff picked up the conversation:
"It's gone too."

"Also gone? This..."

Uriel paced back and forth in the room, looking somewhat anxious.

"Did you inspect it yourself?"

The two nodded and said:
“After daybreak, we went in and did a quick check, but we didn’t see any changes. It was as if the two of them had never existed.”

Upon hearing this, Uriel slumped onto the sofa, his fingers almost crushing the armrests.

"No, I need to see the person alive or dead."

His tone suddenly turned much colder, and he said:
"Organize a search and rescue team to find them."

"Huh? This..." Logan and Cliff were completely taken aback by this turn of events, their expressions stunned.

"Those who disappeared in that monastery have never reappeared, I'm afraid..."

Uriel stared at the two of them and said, word by word:
"Didn't you understand?"

Faced with Uriel's rage, the two fell silent, quickly saying:
"Don't worry, we will do our best!"

"This is it."

Uriel's expression softened somewhat, and he said calmly:
"While the death of that good-for-nothing Ramna is a loss, it's still within acceptable limits—but we need to see that mysterious man, alive or dead!"

Logan and Cliff exchanged a glance, both seeing confusion in each other's eyes.

Logan said cautiously:

"May I ask why?"

Uriel glanced at Logan and sneered:
"Because he is the person the master wants to see, understand?"

"……Understood."

"If you understand, then get out! Go and find me more men!"

But the two did not move; instead, they gritted their teeth and said:
"But what if no one is willing to come?"

Uriel glanced at the two of them coldly and said:
"Aren't there quite a few beggars on this street? Or those out-of-towners?"

Before the words were finished, the two already understood each other.

"understood."

After seeing the two off, Uriel nervously summoned the candle flame once more.

The familiar face of his master appeared before him once again.

"Uriel, what is it now?"

Hearing this question, which was clearly tinged with impatience, Uriel quickly replied:

"Master, something's happened! The mysterious person who claims to know the woman you're about to marry has vanished from the monastery without warning!"

He saw that his master frowned, and after a long while, he said:

"That shouldn't be the case. That person was at least a first-tier transcendent being, and the level of power of the wandering souls there wasn't strong. It was just that the ritual they were shrouded in was of a higher level, but it wasn't a killing or sacrificial ritual. How could this be?"

Uriel lowered his head, not daring to look his master in the eye.

"Master, what... should we do now?"

Uriel's voice trembled as he asked cautiously, his gaze never leaving the ground.

Through the reflective ground, he could see that the master remained silent for a moment, and the candle flame reflected in his eyes flickered erratically.

"Strengthen surveillance around the monastery and expand the search area," he heard his master's voice coming from the candlelight, carrying an unquestionable authority. "We must find him, alive or dead. We must find him."

(End of this chapter)