My esoteric uncle Jules

Chapter 153 Ink and the Silent Bone Flute

Let's rewind to a short time ago.

Jules' exploration in the Silent House did not go smoothly.

Or rather, it even made him somewhat depressed.

He did get in, but he could still only explore a small portion of the area.

Moreover, many rooms were destroyed by fire, leaving virtually nothing of value.

However, Jules still rummaged around for a long time, trying to find all the useful things and organizing them.

His idea was simple—since only he could enter this place, he might as well tidy it up properly, perhaps it would come in handy in the future.

He had a premonition that he would have to visit this place again in the future.

"This corridor ends here... so this is the only room left."

Jules stared at the room at the end of the corridor, placed his hand on the doorknob, and casually turned it twice.

He didn't have high hopes of opening it—so far, his exploration has been like opening a blind box; many rooms remain unopened.

Therefore, he was already used to the fact that he couldn't open the door.

Jules tried to twist it a couple of times but couldn't get it open. Just as he was about to pull his hand back, he suddenly felt a cold breath emanating from his hand.

"Ok?"

He raised an eyebrow and realized that the sound was leaking from the crack in the door beside him.

With the idea of ​​giving it another try, he twisted it again with force.

With this force, a crisp sound of something breaking seemed to come from behind the door.

“It’s ice.” Jules’ eyes flickered slightly as he pushed the door open.

Before him lay a room covered in frost.

If that were all, it wouldn't be anything special—but what's most unusual is that in the center of the room, someone has carved a set of transparent vessels out of ice, as if collecting something into the container.

“Such a rich winter’s code…” Jules approached cautiously.

He saw that the ice bowl was half-filled with a blue-silver liquid, which was out of place with the surrounding pale blue or even transparent ice sculptures.

【Blue Silver Ink】

[Quality: Tier 4 Rare Item]

[Effect: Can be used for drawing and writing; no special effects.]

[Introduction: Sometimes, people can see gyrfalcons blooming on the cliff edge. But those in the know understand that power never resides within them.]

Upon seeing the effect, Jules was momentarily stunned.

What does "no special effects" mean?
Even first-tier items have an effect, but this thing is at least fourth-tier, so why doesn't it have any effect?
But he instinctively knew that this thing was definitely not simple!
"It's very likely the pigment the priest needs..." Jules thought to himself.

At the same time, I found a container and carefully put some of it away. After finding that it didn't react in any special way, I put the rest away as well.

After carefully storing all the paint, he was finally able to calm down and examine the exquisite ice sculpture.

The ice sculpture was covered with countless transparent runes, making him feel dizzy just by looking at it.

But he keenly noticed that the instrument also seemed to have been damaged—there were obvious signs of breakage and melting in some key parts.

In other words, the small half-bowl of blue silver ink in this bowl was likely left over from before.

He couldn't help but ponder it in his mind:
"That's interesting... If we can fix this, could we find a way to mass-produce Blue Silver Ink?"

After a while, Jules, having confirmed that there were no more omissions, had no choice but to leave the place.

This was the last room he could open.

As for the old man codenamed "Sea Monster," there was no trace of his body, which he figured was probably quite far away from where he was.

Currently, there are only two rooms, so he might still have a chance to open them.

Jules stopped halfway down the corridor and scanned the two doors back and forth.

One door was unremarkable, except that it was shrouded in a thick aura of death, while the other was rather special, with a groove on it.

After trying for a long time, he finally discovered a fact—it seemed that the identification badge of the Anti-Suppression Bureau could be perfectly embedded in this groove.

Whether it was his or the old man's "mole's," they were perfectly matched in shape, without the slightest difference.

Unfortunately, the key that this door is waiting for doesn't seem to belong to either of them.

Jules suspected that it might require a truly important figure from the Anti-Suppression Bureau to open the door with their identification badge.

He quickly made up his mind:

"Once we get back to London, we'll try to get in touch with the centipede..."

Perhaps we can get information about worms from the centipede.

He hadn't forgotten about the remnants of the worm's decay; without them, how could he advance to the third tier?

The other door is also quite interesting.

If Jules hadn't noticed a similar feeling to the tomb keeper's fragments as he passed by, he wouldn't have even discovered the special nature of this door.

He stared at the door, pondered for a moment, and then took out the scroll of the gravedigger's pages that he hadn't studied carefully during this time.

【The Gravekeeper's Secret, Part Three】

[Quality: Third-level rare item]

[Effect: When combined with the other six secrets of the Gravekeeper, it produces a new effect; by holding this fragment and remaining silent, one can resonate with the rest.]

[Introduction: It is said that certain knowledge can only be expressed through a specific kind of silence. This page records the art of bringing the dead back to life.]

Presumably, Old John used the method described here to resurrect his daughter...

Since it is the third one, let's tentatively name it "The Third Fragment".

As I slowly unfolded the third fragment in my hand, a dense, almost decaying aura of death rushed towards me.

It was as if there was a corpse that had been dead for hundreds of years breathing right in front of him.

Jules squinted and began to skim through the contents.

This document does indeed record a resurrection ritual that can bring the deceased back from the void.

But it seems to have been altered—or rather, it is incomplete.

Old John himself may not have had much exposure to the occult, so it might not be obvious, but after being exposed to a bunch of secret teachings in the Silent House, his sensitivity to occult knowledge has surpassed that of most people.

He could tell at a glance that the ritual was definitely not what it was originally supposed to be.

"Does this mean that we have to put all seven fragments together?" Jules couldn't help but think.

He took out the first tattered page, the blank one, and placed the two together, comparing them carefully.

The Secret of the Gravekeeper, Part One

[Quality: First-class rare item]

[Effect: Can be used as a key to some rooms in the Silent Dwelling; combines with the other six secrets of the Gravedigger to create new effects; holding this fragment and remaining silent allows you to resonate with the rest.]

[Introduction: It is said that certain kinds of knowledge can only be expressed through a specific kind of silence.]

Jules noticed that it seemed only the first fragment could serve as a key.

But how should it be used?
At that moment, the two tattered pages trembled slightly, but then fell silent.

The third fragment remained largely unchanged, while the first fragment underwent some interesting alterations.

It rose into the air, swaying as it flew towards the door that exuded an aura of death, and gently alighted on it.

Then, the door melted into a pool of water like a pile of snow, and the tattered page flew back into Jules' hand. "Interesting... It seems the first tattered page possesses some kind of 'carrying' function, a container for the key?"

He nodded thoughtfully and walked inside.

Inside was a place resembling an exhibition hall, with several interconnected rooms around it, but he couldn't open any of them.

After several unsuccessful attempts, Jules turned his attention to the items in the exhibition hall.

There was nothing else in the exhibition hall except for a bone flute, which was solemnly placed on the display stand.

Silent Bone Flute

[Quality: Tier 4 Rare Item]

[Effect: Can command the dead, or attract unknown creatures from the wilderness.]

[Description: The formation of ice and snow is silent, but its shattering is always earth-shattering.]

It looks like it could be used as a weapon.

The effect of attracting unknown roaming creatures is a bit abstract...

Jules felt that since the effect didn't specify whether the summoned creature was friendly, he should probably think twice before using the second effect.

It's best not to use it unless absolutely necessary, lest you summon an enemy instead of a helper.

"Well, at least we've gained something new this time." Jules played with the bone flute in his hand, feeling quite satisfied.

He was actually worried because he didn't have any good or handy tools at hand, and lately he had been relying entirely on his own abilities to get things done.

It's not that he couldn't beat them—but he still misses the feeling of crushing his opponent with mystical tools.

As he left the Silence House, he couldn't help but look back.

The houses seem taller and more imposing than before, yet they still carry that unbearable loneliness and silence.

……

After obtaining the Blue Silver Ink, the priest went to find a way to contact the tax collector, while Jules rested until the next day, then got up and went to find Uriel.

The Soul-Driving Lamp was still in his hands, and since the two sides hadn't completely broken off relations yet, it had to be returned eventually.

Coincidentally, he also took the opportunity to inquire about how well the other party had resolved their plan to return home.

Upon arriving at his destination, he successfully reconnected with Uriel and returned the Soul-Repelling Lamp.

"Although it was less helpful than I had imagined, it still saved me a lot of trouble."

Uriel took the Soul-Driving Lamp, examined it, and nodded in satisfaction:
"Thankfully, it's not damaged."

Then, he looked at Jules and said leisurely:

"I will be leaving Blanker soon."

Yule raised his eyebrows and said:

"Have you found a new method?"

Uriel shrugged:

“There is indeed a new method, but don’t even think about it—this method can only take me with you. You should find another way.”

There was a hint of regret in his eyes. After hesitating for a moment, he whispered a reminder:
"Your master has specifically requested to see you, so you'd better think of another way to get back to London as soon as possible."

Jules frowned slightly:

"But without your introduction, how will I contact the person behind you?"

“Well, that’s easy,” Uriel chuckled. “When you return to London, all you need to do is ask around and find out which royal estate is preparing for a grand wedding.”

"...Thank you."

Uriel left, but Jules' emotions remained unsettled for a long time.

Ram arrived as well, sitting in front of Jules. He watched Jules' somewhat gloomy face, his every move carrying a sense of caution.

Suddenly, Jules slammed his fist on the table, startling Ram.

"Please don't get agitated!"

Ram quickly straightened the wobbling bottle, then said with concern:
"Are you angry because that guy went back without you? Don't worry, the lockdown in London shouldn't last too long, otherwise his owner wouldn't have left him here."

Jules raised his eyelids slightly, sighed, and said:
You don't need to know.

He certainly wasn't angry because Uriel wouldn't take him back—in fact, he had never expected the other to actually take him back in the first place.

Uriel has always only existed as a backup option.

What frustrated him was the explanation regarding the "wedding".

The thought of Lolita's role in the wedding irritated him.

Shouldn't Matilda now be taking on the responsibilities of Lolita's guardian? Why did she agree to this marriage?

Even if it weren't Matilda as guardian, but Iron Man or Sherlock Holmes or someone else, he would never believe that they, given their character, would do something like sending Lolita away.

The more he thought about it, the more agitated he became.

Just as Jules was about to pour himself a drink to drown his sorrows, a cautious voice suddenly sounded at the tavern door:
Is Mr. Jules here?

Jules looked in the direction of the sound:

"what happened?"

The person who appeared at the door was a servant whose attire seemed somewhat familiar.

He only needed a moment's thought to recall where the other person's attire belonged to—it was the Baron's manor.

"Well, our master found out you were here, so he specifically asked me to come and inquire when you can continue to expel the toxins from the young master..."

The servants were clearly afraid of offending Jules, and spoke very cautiously.

“Oh, right, Baron…” Jules murmured, his eyes gradually brightening.

Didn't the Baron say before that he might have a way to help him get back to London?
Since there's nothing we can do with Uriel, and we can't necessarily rely on the priests either, perhaps we can only ask the Baron.

Coincidentally, I had already promised to help the Baron treat his child, so I decided to make the trip.

“Lead the way.” His words were brief and powerful.

“Mr. Jules, what is this…” Ram asked hesitantly.

He did not know the local baron, so his gaze toward the servant was full of suspicion.

"Don't worry, I'll be right back."

Jules glanced at Ram and said with a faint smile:
“If the opportunity arises, I can bring you back to London as well.”

Upon hearing this, a hint of excitement flashed in Ram's originally calm eyes.

……

Upon returning to the Baron's manor, Jules lost his initial enthusiasm and went straight to the Baron to inquire about the children's well-being.

"His breathing is stable, but... he can't wake up." The Baron said with some helplessness, while casting a hopeful glance at Jules.

"Several days have passed, so it should be time to expel the toxins again, right?"

Jules smiled:

"of course can."

He paused and changed the subject:
"However, after my treatment is over, I may need to ask you some questions—probably about returning to London."

(End of this chapter)