"Excuse me, are you planning to go to Giant King’s Court? Can you take me and my sister with you?"
Seeing that Franca and Jenna did not answer, the girl with blond hair and purple eyes in front of her, who looked like she was underage but had gradually grown, repeated, making people feel affectionate.
The girl next to her with long black hair simply tied up and looking a little quiet also looked at Franca with expectant eyes.
It's so easy to refuse... It's strange. Why would two girls who don't look like ordinary people suddenly appear in such a small place far away from the big city and want to go together? It doesn't look right no matter what, right?
Although he was on vacation, in a small town where the number of Beyonders could probably be counted on one hand, "Calamity Messenger" Franca, who was a member of the Extraordinary Organization, still had a basic sense of caution and did not immediately agree because of the "advantage" in the other party's appearance.
She had heard too many cases in the church and among Curly-Haired Baboon Research Society of Beyonder with high strength capsizing in the gutter.
Looking at the two girls with a scrutinizing gaze, Franca quickly discovered some doubts.
Although "Afternoon Town" is not large in area, it is located in the most prominent area of the East Continent and closest to the Sonia Sea. It is close to the first port when the continent was developed. It is basically the same place as other places. It is a place where immigrants and materials shipped in and out of the district must pass, and the two girls are not dressed like the simple and dusty locals, but rather like children from middle-class families like Loen and Intis.
If they were really locals, they should have been to "Giant King’s Court" near the town. It has long since become a famous attraction, and people are visiting and "checking in" all the time. The two of them can go there along the road without having to find anyone to go with them.
And if, as Franca suspected, the girls are outsiders, then the question becomes, where are their parents?
Either it's a lost child or some kind of fraud scheme. In short, neither Jenna nor I will be fooled... Franca concluded in his heart. Just when he was about to shake his head and refuse, Jenna beside him said with a smile:
"Okay, we just want to go there and have a look. I can take you with me along the way."
"..."
Franca's words of rejection were swallowed back. She looked at Jenna's side face with a soft smile, and recalled the night when she got drunk and acted badly at the "Breeze Ballroom" and almost ruined her first time, but was saved by Jenna who saw injustice on the road.
Under my protection, she is still the innocent Celia she was ten years ago... But this is a good thing... Franca muttered, and also squeezed out a kind smile, and followed Jenna's words and asked:
"Are you here to travel to Afternoon Town? Where are your parents or other elders?"
Franca's question made the blond girl whose eyes were very similar to Ms. Chariot Tarot Club look a little Blink. The latter answered hesitantly:
"They, they went out and didn't take us with them, but I want to go see Giant King’s Court. I heard that the dusk there is particularly beautiful after dark..."
It was also because of this rumor that I wanted to take Jenna there to have a look, but taking you with me was like bringing two light bulbs... Franca's brown eyebrows, which almost reached the temples on both sides, frowned slightly. I instinctively suspected that the two girls in front of me were preparing to run away from home. If I took them with me, they would be discovered by their parents and become suspects of kidnapping girls.
Of course, she admitted that it was partly her own selfishness to not want to bring along the original Indo of an outsider. After all, she was already the "Affliction" Demoness of Sequence 5. If faced with a trap that was too obvious, her own Spirituality would inevitably send out a reminder, but nothing happened now.
Besides, she should have agreed... Looking at Jenna who had already started talking to the two girls, Franca sighed secretly.
The road from Afternoon Town to Giant King’s Court has long been widened and paved with stone slabs. From time to time, freight carriages drive in the middle of the road under the illumination of the moonlight, with sparse walkers on both sides. Most of their destinations are the same as Franca and Jenna. Among Evernight, Blink still shines with the eternal dusk light of "Giant King’s Court".
It is said that not long ago, this continent was shrouded in perpetual darkness. Neither Sun nor Moon could illuminate the ground. As long as ordinary people entered the darkness and there was no lighting around them, they would be snatched away by unknown monsters almost instantly, leaving their life and death unknown.
Fortunately, the "Sun God" who disappeared from historical records at the end of Third Epoch has returned. He has brought light and hope to the East Continent, giving the local residents who have been struggling in the darkness for more than two thousand years a new life, and making this continent a place that all pioneers and immigrants yearn for.
In fact, they are just some Criminal, poor people and speculators who risked their lives who could not survive in the local area. There were also records of this kind of thing in North America during the Great Old One era... Franca is right about this There is an instinctive questioning of these beautified histories, but after all, "The End Church" is one of the main forces organizing people to immigrate to the East Continent. She only dares to slander a few words in her heart, and even dare not say it casually.
As a Beyonder with a high Sequence, she knows very well that although myths and legends have been beautified, God is real. The "Giant King’s Court" that is always shrouded in the light of dusk is most likely to be some kind of miracle. It was even the residence of a certain God back then, such as the legendary Giant King.
The Chairman of "Curly-Haired Baboon Research Society" and the Feysac people codenamed "Gandalf" have the blood of giants. He revealed many myths, legends and mystical knowledge, including many legends of giants. This is one of the reasons why Franca included Giant King’s Court as a target during this trip.
Of course, the most important thing is to let Jenna see the world... She looked at Jenna, who was walking a little ahead, with two girls on the left and right beside him, who was already familiar with each other, and the corners of his mouth slowly raised.
When Afternoon Town set off just now, Jenna secretly glanced at Franca. The habits developed over many years of getting along immediately made the latter realize that Jenna was not what he had shown before. Such a lack of vigilance. This "Witch" has also experienced the cold-bloodedness of the "assassin" stage and the ruthlessness of the "Instigator" stage. Even if he does not have much practical experience, it is impossible for him to remain the ignorant person he was ten years ago.
At this time, Jenna deliberately accelerated the pace and took the two girls farther away from Franca, giving this Demoness the opportunity to perform "Magic Mirror Divination".
As expected of our tacit cooperation... Franca snickered and took out Magic Mirror from the women's shirt that was kept close to her body and still had some body heat.
For Demoness, Magic Mirror Divination is a basic knowledge. It can not only conduct reconnaissance before battle and understand the enemy's situation, but also has many uses in daily life. As long as you make sure that the person you pray for and provide strength to yourself is kind, it can be said that there is almost no cost.
Generally speaking, Demoness of "The End Church" will choose Goddess, the person they believe in, as the object of prayer, followed by who has been proven to be kind. Great Existence, the ruler of Spirit World, of course, some Honorific Name who have already made it clear that Angel also have the ability to respond to prayers, but the effect of divination may not be very good.
Among them, the one who can provide the most accurate results is an existence named "Arrodes", but there is a certain price to be paid for divination, which can easily lead to "social death".
Because if you ask Arrodes a question, Arrodes will ask you a question, and a third party must be present.
The most important thing is that the questions raised by the other party are usually the kind of scary questions that are difficult to ask and answer. Even if you don't answer, just silence will make others think wildly, which is very likely to lead to the "social death" of the fortune teller.
For example, when Franca first became "Witch" and helped "Muggle" Aurore solve extraordinary events, he was asked by Arrodes if he had any unwanted thoughts about Aurore's younger brother Lumian.
That was the most difficult day since Franca traveled through time.
Of course, in so many years of practice, she has also found many ways to deal with Arrodes, such as finding a fixed "divination partner". The questions asked by Arrodes will usually be related to the bystander. As long as the two get along for a long time and have a tacit understanding, the problem of social death will not have much effect.
And her "match" is Jenna.
Using "simple divination method" instead of candles and altars, Franca ritually stroked the mirror three times and recited Honorific Name in Hermes:
"The eyes that watch all living things, the stigmata from the land of Primordial, the omniscient who serves Goddess of Calamity, the great Arrodes."
The third paragraph of this Honorific Name is said to have many variations. One Fool believer in Curly-Haired Baboon Research Society claimed that he used "Serve Fool's Omniscient", and Sun God seems to have a similar title, which makes a few time travelers who don't respect God jokingly call him a "house slave with three surnames".
Of course, after being severely punished by Arrodes, they never mentioned this joke again.
At the same time, Jenna also left the two girls with whom she was chatting happily. She inadvertently slowed down and returned to Franca, acting as a bystander to Magic Mirror Divination.
Gathering his thoughts, looking at the mirror with the water shining, sometimes misty and sometimes dark, Franca asked his question in a low voice:
"The origins of the two girls who call themselves Christina and Dorothy?"
In fact, such a question is not accurate. There are countless girls with the same name in the world, and the divination target may use a pseudonym. However, the advantage of occult science is that it has the characteristics of fuzzy identification and nearby response. Even if it is a pseudonym, as long as it is used and known by others, it has a certain degree of traceability.
Sure enough, a blurry picture soon appeared on the mirror. It was a picture of two young girls with fashionable clothes and beautiful faces sneaking out after a couple left the room. The couple's figures were as blurry as a mosaic, but one had black hair and the other had blond hair. Based on their characteristics, they could be judged to be the parents of the two girls.
Are you really here to travel? Then they went sightseeing at "Giant King’s Court" without telling their parents? The rebellious period has really arrived...Franca Just as these two thoughts flashed through his mind, he saw a few lines of bloody text appearing on the mirror where the divination screen quickly disappeared:
"Are you planning to jump to 'Iron-Blooded Knight' when you are promoted to Sequence 4 so that you can truly own Celia Bello?"
I'm not, I didn't... Franca blushed instantly, feeling that today's Arrodes was particularly offensive.
If the bystanders are a member of Curly-Haired Baboon Research Society, or even those who have the best relationship with her, Franca will not feel too much shame. After all, she has mentioned in the party more than once that her goal is to become Iron-Blooded Knight and become a man again, but now, Jenna is beside her...
She secretly glanced at Jenna, whose brown hair was fluttering in the breeze and whose eyes were shining in the night, and found that the other person's expression didn't change much, but looked at Magic Mirror steadily.
Could it be that she had known it for a long time... Franca was secretly happy and relaxed a little, but also worried that Arrodes would think that she refused to answer the question and would impose a terrible punishment, so she had to say:
"There is this idea.
"It's just an idea for now."
It was then that she realized that Arrodes's question still left her with the last bit of dignity and did not point out the fact that she was actually a male before "Witch".
Praise you, great Arrodes!
Franca lit a wax in his heart, immediately put Magic Mirror away, pretending that nothing happened just now and said to Jenna:
"It looks like there's nothing wrong. Let's send them home when we get back from Giant King’s Court, so that they don't meet any bad people."
Jenna nodded and gave her a "I think you look like a bad guy" look. Then he quickened his pace and caught up with Dorothy and Christina who were walking in front again to avoid them becoming suspicious.
When Franca slowly caught up, the three of them were already chatting happily, as if they had known each other for a long time, making her feel like she was an outsider.
It's strange, forget about Jenna. She is so enthusiastic towards everyone, especially after becoming a leading actor in a theater and having a generous income that allows her parents to put down their tiring work. However, the two girls seem to be too friendly to strangers, especially the blond Christina, and their closeness to Jenna is simply abnormal...
Following them and secretly observing the three of them, Franca's inner doubts not only did not dissipate because of the divination results, but instead became more intense.
At this moment, as if they had crossed some invisible boundary, the four of them suddenly escaped from the darkness of the night and entered a gorgeous but gloomy dusk.
These lights do not come from the sky, but pour out from every inch of space around them, solidify in the air, and surround everyone who walks into this area.
Deep in the dusk, there is a complex of buildings composed of countless palaces, towers and majestic city walls. They are obviously not designed for humans, but for legendary giants. The battlements and city gates are like enlarged versions of Trier City that Franca has seen, and Blink shines with a golden light, just like the legendary kingdom of God, standing still in the long time, everlasting.
Even though he had a lot of thoughts, Franca couldn't help but stop at this time and raised his head to admire the beautiful scenery that could only be seen in dreams. Although she had seen the photos of Giant King’s Court taken by some members within the research association, only by actually standing in the frozen dusk could she understand the instinctive awe of human beings towards giant buildings.
Even though he already knew that this was the earth and not another world, Franca still sighed in his heart:
This is the fantasy world of my dreams!
Next to her, Jenna, Christina, Dorothy, and several tourists who came here from Afternoon Town also raised their heads and stopped, admiring the stunning scenery that was impossible to see in other countries and other continents, and sighed deep in their throats.
After a while, Tina, who was carrying a heavy-looking satchel across his body, moved his gaze to the front of Giant King’s Court. Each step was more than one meter, which was not a stone step that normal people could easily climb. Double Door was dozens of meters high, and he asked doubtfully:
"How do we get up there?"
Franca, who had already done his homework to act as Jenna's tour guide, chuckled lightly and pointed to the sidewalk next to the stairs that was obviously paved later.
"Giant King’s Court is a famous attraction of Afternoon Town. As early as ten years ago, a passage was built to allow ordinary people to climb the stairs and enter the inside of the city wall. We can go that way. "Speaking of this, she herself sighed. "Even the legendary residence of Giant King has now become a place that ordinary people can visit at will."
At this moment, she thought of Forbidden City, Great Wall, and Terracotta Army, and the negative emotions in her heart similar to the despair she had just learned that the "Earth" was under her feet emerged again.
Fortunately, the laughter of Tina and Dorothy and the urging of Jenna, who was also smiling after being infected by them, quickly brought Franca back to her senses, and she put her mind at ease. Qing, with the mentality of appreciating historical attractions in the game, followed the three people onto Giant's Staircase, passed through the city wall with burn marks and giant arrows that were several meters long, and entered the interior of Giant King’s Court.
Looking back from the stairs leading to the heights, Franca and others could see Afternoon Town not far away, as well as Star's dots of lights on the winding road leading here. This was in sharp contrast to the dusk surrounding them, as if they were in another world different from the outside world.
But the constant flow of tourists around them and the street vendors selling giant statues and armored knight dolls brought their newly sublimated souls back to reality.
You can tell Aurore about these experiences, and ask her to write a joke about "I sell figures at Giant King’s Court" and post it in the "The Little Trier" newspaper. Remember to give me some of the royalties... Franca complained in his heart, leading his three companions to quickly walk through these money-rich places, continue to go up the stairs, pass through the passages densely packed with palaces and towers on both sides, and reach the highest position.
Here is a platform built on the edge of the cliff facing the sea, with hollow stone railings that are taller than a person. Outside the railings are the same mist shrouded in dusk, and further away, the endless black sea soaked in night.
"If you come here during the day, you should be able to see the endless blue ocean, but you can't appreciate the contrast between dusk and Evernight. It can be said that everyone has their own regrets."
Franca commented in words copied from the travel notes in the newspaper. He turned around and looked around, and found that there were no other tourists on this high platform. He couldn't help but be a little surprised.
Logically speaking, this kind of scenic spot that is convenient for tourists to "check in" should be the most densely populated place, but the huge platform surrounded by stairs, railings facing the sea, and gorgeous palaces on both sides actually only had the four of them, and nothing else.
Have we entered the Dream Invasion realm, or is it a special space that isolates ordinary people? But apart from me and Jenna, the two girls also followed us in without any hindrance. They are also ordinary people... Did they accidentally enter this place because they followed us?
Franca, who was experienced in fighting extraordinary powers, thought of several possibilities. Travel, who was thinking leisurely, immediately switched to combat mode.
She quietly grabbed Jenna's wrist next to her and squeezed it a little harder. The latter reacted after a moment of surprise and put away his smile.
The two of them looked at the two girls wandering around at the same time, but were surprised to find that they were already standing in front of the tallest and most magnificent building next to the platform.
This building has a minaret on one side and Round Tower on the other. The gray-blue main entrance in the middle is tens of meters high, as if it was built for the legendary Giant King.
At this time, Double Door had revealed a gap, and the blond Christina was peering inside. Her black-haired sister stood beside her with an equally curious look on her face.
In Franca's Dark Vision, a shadowy giant hand stretched out from the crack in the door, where the dusk light could not shine, and grabbed the two girls at the door!