Chapter 126
Suddenly—
"Thanks a lot."
How long did it take for him to mutter this to himself?
"You are the Pope, don't keep everyone waiting, hurry back."
Under the Sun at the very edge of the deep blue sky, the light sweeping across Rome was dazzling, but it paled in comparison to the beauty of the person before him.
Was this a dream or not?
The old man, regaining his senses, stared at the now empty church.
Perhaps it was just a figment of his imagination, or perhaps it was true. He smiled and nodded in homage to the church.
Regardless, he witnessed the glory that shaped 'this moment,' a glory that allows him to hold his head high.
"Favia, where did you run off to? Why did you use illusion magic?"
"Go see someone."
Who is it?
"A..." The Silver-Haired Boy paused slightly, then continued, "A very, very bad good person."
After he finished speaking, in the Twilight of Rome, the silver floral carving on his chest shone with a purple light, like a malevolent ray of light adorning the Twilight.
At the same time, the silver-patterned carving slowly rose, pointing towards the Mediterranean Sea.
211: The Monte Cristo Island and Two-Thirds of the Silver Key (4k)
As the debate between the Pope and the reformers continued, and as dawn broke and the sky turned a pale gold, a small boat quietly departed from the port of Rome, heading towards the distant Mediterranean Sea.
"I didn't know you could drive a boat, Favia!"
Bawan Shi's eyes sparkled with longing and curiosity for the azure water. Her hands occasionally stroked the side of the boat, feeling the subtle vibrations as the hull touched the seawater.
"You know I can not only sail, but also build ships."
Although Favia is no stranger to the Mediterranean Sea, this is the first time she has driven it herself.
On this vast and boundless sea, the small boat is like a lonely leaf, swaying and moving forward in the waves.
"Yeah, that's true, after all, I've kept you busy quite a bit."
Favia smiled at the Fairy girl's smug words and said nothing more, simply sliding her finger lightly on the rudder to adjust the boat's direction.
Since yesterday's debate, Favia, who noticed that her Pendant had suddenly flashed a purple light pointing towards the Mediterranean Sea, immediately made a decision. So, after saying goodbye to Da Vinci, she and Bavan Shi rented a small boat and sailed on the Mediterranean Sea.
After all, this is very likely the reason why he was called upon by this era, so it's natural to look for any news about him.
On the sea, the water shimmered, a deep blue that seemed to swallow everything. The boat swayed gently with the waves, making a creaking sound as the wood rubbed against the hull, echoing the rhythm of the waves lapping against the side of the boat. The waves crashed against the rocks, carrying sand and stones into the depths of the Mediterranean Sea.
"Favia, look how high those birds are flying over there!"
The Fairy girl suddenly pointed to the sky and shouted excitedly.
The Silver-Haired Boy turned his head slightly and looked up at the sky in the direction Bavanshi was pointing.
From Rome to Tuscany, and then to Corsica, the sound of Church bells, which have stood for a thousand years, still echoes here.
And above their vast, unchanging, azure sky, an unnamed white bird soars high.
"That is a messenger from the sky."
"Favia said jokingly."
Intrigued by his words, Bavan Shi asked curiously:
"Why? Why isn't he a messenger of the sea? Not a messenger of the earth? Not a messenger of the Deity? Not a messenger of death?"
Because I was just saying it casually...
Although that's what she thought, seeing Bavanshi's curious look, Favia instantly came up with a reasonable explanation; making up a little story on the spot was quite easy for her.
The Silver-Haired Boy adjusted his posture, pressing his body closer to the helm, and then said:
"In the past, in the clear blue sky, a white bird soared and circled back and forth. Although the times had changed, and it was now the age of humans, with their continuous growth, killing, conflict, and harm to the Planet, none of this seemed to matter to that bird."
Even far away in the Mediterranean Sea, on various islands, churches of all sizes stand, and the sound of Church bells still resonates as the Melody across this sea. Sooner or later, they will sink into the past with the times, but they also represent the dawn of a new Order.
"No matter when or where, the sky is no one's private property. In the ancient and natural sky, a white bird flaps its wings with all its might... But then, a metallic sound came from its belly, causing it to lose its balance and fall slowly to the ground. Even so, until the very end, the bird continued to flap its wings, barely keeping its eyes open, looking at the sky, and flying towards the vast, unchanging blue expanse."
At this point, Favia turned around and looked into Bavan Shi's eyes, which were filled with a profound Wisdom that seemed to understand but not quite.
"Oh..." The Fairy girl pondered for a moment, then said without hesitation, "I don't understand."
"I don't understand... sigh..."
Favia sighed heavily, giving the impression of a Teacher lamenting a student who simply couldn't be taught no matter how hard they tried.
Even though you're sighing like that, Favia, I still won't--
Just as Bavan Shi, his cheeks puffed out, said this, the next instant Favia curled his lips into a satisfied, mischievous smile.
"After all, I made it up on the spot, and even I couldn't understand it."
"Waaah, Favia, why did you lie to me? I'm angry!"
"I'm really sorry."
Do you really feel sorry for me?
I guess so.
The bow of the ship cut through the sea, leaving trails of white foam. White birds circled in the air, emitting clear calls. As time passed, the silhouette of a Small Island could be faintly seen on the distant horizon—that was Favia's destination, guided by the Pendant.
As the small boat approached, the island's outline gradually became clearer, with dense trees covering the entire island, resembling a green ocean.
Occasionally, you can see some wild animals moving through the forest, adding a touch of life to the island.
When Favia brought Bavan Shi to the Small Island and asked the locals what the island was called, he fell into deep thought.
Because this small island, which is only ten square kilometers in size—equivalent to the Small Island of a thousand football fields—is called Montecristo Island.
According to locals, the name comes from Saint Mamiliano.
Saint Mamiliano, one of the Saint of the Church, was a stonemason in the 3rd century AD. The name of San Marino, the oldest living sovereign state and the oldest constitutional republic, comes from him.
Of course, that was its name in the Sixteenth Century. After Alexandre Dumas published his world-famous novel, The Count of Count of Monte Cristo, in the 19th century, its name became Monte Cristo Island.
In Greek Mythology, Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty, scattered her pearl necklace in the Tyrrhenian Sea, forming the Tuscany islands between the Italy coast and Corsica. Among them is Elba Island, known as the "Pearl of the Mediterranean Sea," and southeast of Elba, the mythical Monte Cristo Island emerges.
In the Nasuverse, Christ Mountain is the Christ Mountain in its literal sense, containing the secret treasures of Christ and the Holy Relic that the Eighth Sacrament Society seeks, which should not exist.
In the radio drama "The Earl's Heroic Spirit Spreads," three people frame Priest Faria in an attempt to retrieve the treasure from him.
These three individuals are, respectively, an Executor of the Eighth Sacrament Society, Roa, and a Cardinal.
Edmond Dantès, who later willingly went to prison, received three treasures from Faria. The first was knowledge, the second was wealth, and the third was this secret treasure. Among the treasures was an item called the 'Fourteenth Stone,' which was one of the mysterious and secret ultimate techniques. It could reshape a person into a fire king and burn everything, and it was also a fantasy organ that a person should not possess.
Ultimately, it was through these means that he became the Count of Monte Cristo.
However, it's important to note that at the end of the radio drama, after the Earl defeats Roa, the 'Fourteenth Stone' disappears.
Edmond Dantès said this:
If this body hadn't been reborn as an extraordinary being like Roa, it probably wouldn't be able to unleash the black flames anymore.
However, in the Ordeal Call II, Cagliostro's assessment of the Earl's flames is as terrifying as ever... perhaps he's retconning the text again.
As for the little-known story that appeared later in the Ordeal Call II—
In 1838, in the Gevaudan region of France, there was an event in which a monster was vanquished, a story hidden in the dark side of Human History, which can be called the second monster incident.
The one who defeated the king and the monsters that appeared on the earth was none other than the evil spirit who was waging Revenge drama in the City of Flowers, Paris!
King of the Cavern, Count of Monte Cristo!
Why would the Prototype of Siegfried's formidable rival Dietrich, Theodoric I Alter, an Od with Machine God and the ability to command spirits, appear in an era like 1838?
Don't ask, because it's a story no one else knows.
Furthermore, Haydée does not actually exist in the Moon World; she is a part of Edmond Dantès's heart, his longing, his memories, and his yearnings. She is the Count of Count of Monte Cristo's hidden grudges and gratitude, the light he sees before hatred, great grace, and love, the existence that Edmond Dantès has forever lost, the fragments of his thoughts... In short, she can be understood as the Earl's other personality, the good that he abandoned.
In short, after briefly reviewing the situation in her mind, Favia, though unsure why the Pendant had led her here, decided that since she was already here, she might as well go and take a look.
With this in mind, he quickly led Bavan Shi to the hidden cave in the mountain.
On the way up the mountain, Favia also saw a slightly dilapidated and not very big Monastery. He heard from the islanders that the Monastery was built many years ago with funds from the Church to take care of the island's residents, but due to various reasons, it is now mostly abandoned and it seems that only a small child is left inside.
At this moment, the island is surrounded by Aleppo pines, palms, date palms, Fig Tree, citrus trees, and Chinese toon trees, among which magnolias, oleanders, rock Rose, and catnip grow together.
Every now and then, lizards and vipers crawl through the crevices of the cliffs, and sea snakes swim in the water. For thousands of years, only the sound of the wind blowing and the waves crashing on the shore can be heard.
Legend has it that Saint Mamiliano came to the island, defeated the evil dragon that occupied the top of the cliff, and brought peace and tranquility to the island. Later, the hermits who arrived on the deserted island dedicated a cave on the mountain to Archbishop Marmilliano and named it "Holy Bishop's Cave" in memory of this great bishop.
As described in "The Count of Monte Cristo," the islanders believed it was merely a legend, since they had searched the entire island, including the Monastery, but found no cave. In reality, Edmond Dantès later used gunpowder to blast away the large rock blocking his way, allowing him to enter.
At that time, on Christ Mountain in the 19th century, or perhaps because people still lived on the island in the Sixteenth Century, Favia and Pawan soon arrived at the cave, following the Earl's route as recorded in the novel.
"... Favia, what's that? Is it what you're looking for?"
The Fairy girl gazed at the silver object, resembling the middle part of a key, inserted into the soil above the first entrance of the cave and emitting a faint purple light.
In fact, Bavan Shi was not flustered about being placed in such a strange place by Favia.
Because she could naturally assume that even if she had been in such a place from the beginning, it wouldn't have changed the way she knew Favia, or her relationship with him.
Moreover, although the place was somewhat dark at first, a faint blue light could be seen inside. This light, like air, seeped in through the cracks in the rocks. It was invisible from outside the cave, but inside, one could see the azure sky, the ivy, tendrils, and wild grass growing in the cracks.
The Fairy girl even had a thought: it wouldn't be bad to stay here with Favia forever, since no one would bother us.
"It should be."
According to Favia's memory, the Monte Cristo Treasure was in the "deepest part of the second cave" rather than the first, but he didn't care. Even if Faria hadn't placed it there yet, it was something Faria left for Edmond Dantès, so there was no need to go to such lengths.
In short, the Silver-Haired Boy removed the silver patterned carving from his chest and looked at the silver object stuck in the soil in the first Cave. Just as he was about to go and take it down, in the next instant, before Favia could even make a move, the thing stuck in the soil flew directly at the silver patterned carving in his hand and stuck to it without any sign of breaking.
Only at this moment, when Favia saw the approximate form of this unknown entity that had been by her side since birth, did she understand what the thing in her hand was—it was...
The Silver Key.
As is widely known, the Silver Key can unlock the Great Gate of time and space, allowing access to distant times and places in the Universe. The last known holder was Randolph Carter, who used the Silver Key to pass through the Ultimate Gate.
In the Nasuverse, according to the records in several grimoires such as the "Book of the Ivory" and the "Book of Necromantic Rules," Magecraft learned that the "Silver Key" was made by magicians from ancient times, hidden in the extreme cold of the Ice Age. Because its appearance closely resembled artifacts unearthed from Rome ruins, it was eventually called a key.
The one who should rightfully hold the Silver Key now is Brishisan, the Lord of the Department of Inheritance and the Head of the Clock Tower himself.
After all, the Department of Inheritance studies "matter beyond Earth," and the super relics that are "unknown laws" that have been scattered across the Earth since ancient times and have never been mentioned in any mythology. In the Magecraft world, where Angel and Demon are considered common sense, they are regarded as taboo "Angel" and "Demon."
Why did the Silver Key break and end up in my hands?
Before Favia could dwell on his doubts, Bavan Shi's slightly frightened words brought him back to reality.
"What, what is this? Why has everything turned purple...?"
Now, the light filtering through the cracks in the rock was no longer a dim, pale blue, but rather—
A thick Purple Fog, seemingly as dense as air, enveloped the entire Monte Cristo Island, like a malevolent light adorning the Planet itself.
Abigail
212: My older brother is a bad kid (4k)
The Small Island, shrouded in a thick Purple Fog, was deathly silent, as if all sound had been swallowed up by the mist.
When Favia and Bavan Shi emerged from the cave in the mountain, they saw only the people on the Small Island, shrouded in thick fog, unconsciously kneeling, their eyes bloodshot, and their faces turned towards the Monastery as if they were in a frenzy of prayer.
At the same time, countless normally growing plants on the quiet Small Island withered, but in an instant, as if reborn, they quickly took root and sprouted again in a purple hue, spreading in all directions as if conforming to the color of the purple itself.
Everything on the Monte Cristo Island was shrouded in a thick fog, as if Ritual had been initiated.
What do we do now?
Completely at a loss, Bavan Shi could only turn to Favia for help; she had no idea why things had suddenly turned out this way.