Ice Vapor Goddess

Chapter 110 Cynthia's Secret Box

After drinking, he barely managed to explain the current problems, despite his drunkenness. It must be said that the people from the North could really hold their liquor; he and this group drank for a long time and he was still able to maintain his rational thinking.

"There are two main issues. One is the blasphemous ritual they performed. I want to know if it was black magic or a simple ritual, and whether there have been similar rituals in history. I need a scholar who is knowledgeable about this."

"The other group is the Kalenburg refugees. Seventy percent of the prisoners we arrested were from that group. I want to know what their situation is."

“Then there’s the question of whether there are any other suspicious points or other information. Even a little bit of speculation is fine,” Arthur said, casually pulling a notebook and charcoal pencil out of his pocket.

After some discussion, everyone finally looked at Ms. Selena.

She sat behind the counter and raised her grey-blue eyes.

Those eyes seemed to possess a magical power; the instant their gaze met, Arthur became somewhat more alert. He looked intently at the woman, knowing that although he didn't recognize her, she appeared to be the lady of the house.

She was still knitting rapidly, saying as she knitted, "I'm just a widow... I don't know anything about rituals or anything like that. You can go to the end of the Black Street and ask Cynthia."

"As for the Kalenburg refugees, they are not familiar with us. They heard that the Gospel Society wanted to expand there but was rejected. They have their own organization called the Refugee Freemasonry, where they help each other and are very closely connected. It is difficult for outsiders to get in."

“If you want to investigate them, I’ll give you a few names—the most prestigious of them, Professor Russell; the eldest, Dick; Gerald, the captain of the guards who brought them to Speyside; and Shana, the daughter of the Earl of Kallenberg.”

Arthur didn't recognize any of the people except for Professor Russell, but he memorized their names.

"There are too many doubts. Many things happen in this city every day. Only one-tenth of them are circulated in Dead Dog Tavern, the Gospel Church knows only one-tenth, the bishop knows about one-thirtieth, and the governor knows only one percent."

“Ask the people here,” she said, then lowered her head again to continue knitting her sweater.

Arthur then chatted with people one by one, filling half a notebook with notes.

Most of these were things like whose dog had gone missing, whose floor was dripping, or who had heard unusual noises. It would be very troublesome to investigate them one by one, and he didn't have enough manpower. But there were also some reliable people. For example, someone mentioned that the unknown church had preached to him and provided some information.

Then he bid farewell to the people and left the tavern.

The darkness of the dark street enveloped him once more, but he was no longer afraid. The gazes cast upon him by the ragged people in the dilapidated shops around him were no longer filled with greed and evil, but with respect and love for the cross on his body.

This is the result of the persistent efforts of the church and the Evangelical Fellowship led by Siron, and as a knight of the church, he is also proud of it.

Darkness became his companion, and rats were his comrades. He walked here as if he were walking in heaven.

He stopped being nervous and evasive, and instead greeted the stall owner with a big smile. The stall owner grinned back, revealing a mouthful of blackened teeth corroded by chemicals, and made the sign of the cross with a devout smile.

He had a strong desire to take all the new members of the church to walk among the people.

Only here can they truly understand their morality and ideals.

As he pondered, he finally reached the end.

A black metal wall blocked our way; beyond that, it was underground.

The left side was empty, while the right side had a sign written in purple ink that read "Cynthia's Secret Box".

Next to the shop was a caravan with a red curtain, giving it an exotic feel.

The shop door wasn't closed. Arthur knocked on the door and then went inside.

In front of them was a small table with candles, incense, a crystal ball, cards, some dried herbs and minerals. Behind the table sat a woman wearing a purple veil.

Her skin was slightly dark, unlike the Albion people, but one could imagine it would shimmer with a golden light in the sunlight. Her figure was exquisitely beautiful; even just sitting there, one could feel an aura of sensuality and mystery, tempting him to explore. "Hello, I'm Arthur," he forced himself to shake off his impolite fantasies. "Inspector Jacob and Ms. Selena recommended me to come and ask you some questions."

"Please have a seat, guest," she said gently, her voice soft and mature, drifting in the narrow space like incense, like a dream.

"I want to ask..." He had just opened his mouth when suddenly a slender finger pressed against his lips.

“Shh—” she said, “The only people who come here are those who seek divination. If you want answers, then get a divination.”

Arthur looked embarrassed: "Then let's do a divination."

"What do you want to ask? Life? Fate? Love? Career? Difficulties?" she said gently, lighting an incense burner nearby, its delicate and alluring scent filling the air with the rising smoke.

"...Ask me a question about a predicament, ask me about the case I'm currently handling."

“Yes, but divination can only predict things related to yourself. I can divine your identity and fate in this case, but I can’t tell you who the murderer is,” she said with a smile.

“…Okay, fine then.” Arthur nodded helplessly.

He didn't really like the atmosphere; as a member of the church, he always felt that these things had too much of a pagan feel to them.

Cynthia handed him a stack of tarot cards: "Please shuffle the cards, and then silently ask your question."

He looked at the exquisite cardboard back, closed his eyes, and casually shuffled and then gathered it together.

“Divide it into three piles with your left hand, then draw one card from each pile and place them from left to right,” Cynthia continued.

Arthur did as instructed, and the three cards were placed in order.

But instead of making him reveal the cards, she smiled and said, "These are three cards, symbolizing the past, present, and future, representing the three stages you'll be in this case."

"But before I open it, I hope you can answer one question for me."

Arthur looked at her: "Please speak."

Why do you want to know the answer to this question?

Arthur scratched his head. He thought the problem was very simple because he just wanted to solve the case and use every means to find clues.

He thought for a long time, but still couldn't come up with anything. With his limited knowledge, all he could do after thinking for so long was stubbornly answer, "I just want to know."

Cynthia smiled and nodded gently: "A very good answer. Now, let's unveil the mystery of fate."

She first flipped over a card representing the past, which was the reversed Hermit.

“You once stayed away from the world’s suffering, only watching from outside the lamplight—but fate does not allow for bystanders,” she said softly.

Then comes the card representing "now," which is prominently displayed as "Justice."

“You’ve taken up the sword, and your heart is burning.” She smiled.

Finally, amidst Arthur's increasingly rapid breathing, the card representing the future was revealed.

—The Grim Reaper, clad in armor, rides a white horse, with fallen kings and priests behind him.

(End of this chapter)