In the early morning of the next day, when Camelot's first ray of sunlight passed over White Rose City Walls, coating this majestic city with a layer of warm gold, Li Wen's figure once again appeared in front of the slightly old wooden door of the "Quill" bookstore. There are already pedestrians in twos and threes on the street, and occasionally they can meet apprentices rushing to the Arcane Academy for class. They are walking in a hurry, with a bit of sleepiness on their faces.
Li Wen Pushed the door open, and the brass wind chime hanging on the door made a crisp and sweet sound, breaking the peaceful atmosphere in the bookstore.
White Elf The store manager Iluri is leaning on the high stool behind the counter, holding a thick hard-cover book in his hand, and his long silver hair falls on his shoulders like a waterfall. When she heard the ringtone, she lazily raised her eyelids. When her silver eyes saw Li Wen, she didn't show any surprise. Instead, she seemed to have been waiting for a long time, and there was even a faint smile on her lips.
"You're back so soon?" Her voice was as lazy as if she had just woken up, but it was clear and sweet. "It seems that you have encountered some trouble."
Li Wen ignored her teasing and walked straight to the counter. She pulled her hood back, revealing her calm face without a trace of ripples. Her eyes reflected the dim light in the bookstore, making them look particularly deep.
"Raphael is dead."
She got straight to the point and her voice was as calm as if she was stating a fact that had nothing to do with her.
The lazy smile on Iluri's face finally solidified for a moment when he heard these words. Her silver eyes widened slightly. It was not a complete shock, but a look that was mixed with surprise and strong interest. She slowly closed the book in her hand and placed it on the counter. She also sat up a little straighter, and her casual posture quietly subsided.
"Oh?" She raised her eyebrows and looked at Li Wen with interest, "Died in his own collection? That would be really interesting. Don't tell me it was you who did it."
"Of course not me." Li Wen frowned slightly, "He was already dead before I arrived. Moreover, the death was very special."
She paused, and then described the exact circumstances of Raphael's death. From the Ritual Dagger inserted into the heart, to the completely dissected abdominal cavity, to the internal organs arranged in a spiral shape in a specific order, she did not miss any detail.
"... The traces at the scene indicate that the murderer carried out an ancient Divination Ritual." Li Wen concluded, "Moreover, he took away the Stone Tablet."
As Li Wen narrated, the interest on Iluri's face was gradually replaced by solemnity. When she heard the word "Zang Bu", her silver pupils even shrank almost imperceptibly.
The entire bookstore fell into silence for a moment.
"Divination Ritual..." Iluri repeated the word in a low voice, with a hint of inexplicable meaning in his voice, "Using the internal organs of living people to spy on the trajectory of fate... This is not an ordinary method. Raphael, this greedy fool, seems to have dabbled in some areas that he should not touch at all. Does he think those nobles will protect him at all costs?"
Li Wen looked at her quietly, his eyes under the hood as sharp as knives.
"The information you gave me did not mention the existence of third-party forces." She did not hide it and asked directly, "You didn't even tell me the true value of that Stone Tablet. What do you think I am? The bait to test the trap?"
Facing Li Wen's question, Iluri slowly raised his head. She didn't deny or defend, she just looked back at her calmly.
"I admit that I underestimated the complexity of this matter." She admitted frankly, "Raphael's death was also beyond my expectation. My original plan was just to let you retrieve something that did not belong to him, and to teach that guy who didn't know the heights of the world a lesson. As for who he was involved in behind the scenes and who he made a deal with, that's not what I care about."
"But now, the situation is obviously different." Iluri's tone became serious. "It may go against your knowledge, but the fact is that even in Camelot, the people who know about Divination Ritual are only a minority among the minority. Considering the motivation... The strength and background of the people who killed Raphael may be far beyond your imagination. You did not encounter them at the scene, maybe you were lucky."
"Luck? Maybe." Li Wen glanced at her coldly, "But I don't really believe in luck. I only know that transactions with unequal information are themselves a kind of deception."
"Because there are some things that are meaningless even if I tell you." Iluri shook his head. "Knowledge itself is a curse. The more you know, the closer you are to death. I asked you to retrieve that Stone Tablet because I have a way to deal with it. And you only need to complete your task and take your reward. This is a fair transaction."
Li Wen was noncommittal about this. She took out the Feather Bookmark and pushed it to Iluri, "Then, now is the time to terminate the transaction."
"Okay, okay..." Iluri did not take Feather Bookmark, but sighed in distress, "Let me state in advance, I don't know what the consequences of the next topic will be. But since you insist on knowing, then I have nothing to hide..."
Her voice became extremely deep, and every word seemed to float out of ancient history books.
"As a foreigner, do you know how Kingdom of Arthur was established?"
Li Wen was slightly startled, and suddenly realized what the other party was going to say next, "Seven Sages?"
"Yes, Kingdom of Arthur was founded by seven magicians assisting the king. With their supreme wisdom and power, they laid the foundation for this kingdom that will last for thousands of years. Before that, the seven magicians made an oath together."
Iluri's voice became deep and distant, with a sense of history:
"The content of the oath has long been lost, and no one knows its specific details. But according to the secrets passed down from generation to generation by Raven School, that oath is related to Noradun's 'truth'. It is not only a barrier to protect the kingdom, but also a shackle that binds some ancient existence. In order to ensure the eternity of the oath, the seven magicians divided the oath into seven rune stones and handed them over to their respective families for generations. Those seven rune stones are not only the evidence of the oath, but also the seven pillars that maintain the foundation of the kingdom... Of course, most of the time, they are useless."
Li Wen has heard similar statements from Selwyn, and in addition, she also knows that the Truth Society is also working on collecting seven rune stones and is almost successful. So, it was the Truth Society who killed Raphael? But this is not in line with their methods.
"So, that Stone Tablet is one of the seven rune stones?" she asked.