Splitting Up Doesn't Seem Very Auspicious

When Iver left Magnetic Hammer, it was almost dawn.

He wasn't even aware of the passage of time. What finally reminded him was Magnetic Hammer's words, "Are you hungry? Why don't we go out to eat and drink something strong?"

Magnetic Hammer I drank until morning yesterday and only woke up in the afternoon. Now that I am in high spirits, I can just have breakfast and go fishing with William.

Iver had no choice but to say "I'd better go back and take a rest" and declined on the spot. Then I went to the second floor and found Sherlock.

In the room allocation last night, Jack went to the master bedroom to sleep on Magnetic Hammer's bed, and gave up the room to Sherlock and Iver. Lily went to Hai Na's room and slept with her.

After all, it can only be divided like this. Even though Lily can live with Iver, Hai Na and Sherlock cannot sleep together.

After returning to the room, Iver was surprised to find that Sherlock was still awake.

Or maybe he had already slept... But when Iver came in, Sherlock in pajamas was seriously lying at the table writing and drawing.

Seeing this scene, Iver almost laughed out loud.

Because this is really like a child setting up a table to do homework...

Hearing the sound of the door opening, Sherlock glanced back coldly. After finding out it was Iver, I ignored him and went back to writing and drawing.

"What are you writing?"

Iver closed the door and came over to take a look. "Aren't you asleep?"

He couldn't understand it. It looked like some kind of mind map - just a few words, and then separated into several lines, pointing to different words, and then some conjectures were densely written in smaller fonts on the middle line and next to the words.

Hearing Iver's words, Sherlock slapped the pen on the table.

He flipped forward a few pages of his little book, held the book in the middle with his fingers and handed it to Iver.

"It's just a day without sleep... just watch it from the beginning."

Sherlock said briefly, "I just asked Hai Na and my aunt about something. I also interviewed Mr. Jack. The clues that can be sorted out so far are almost the manager's.

"In short, we're in trouble."

"How troublesome?"

Iver asked, "Are you talking about the time flow here, or do they have no names? Or is it Wild Hunt Legion here?"

"Both, but neither."

Sherlock replied, "I confirmed a very important point - it made me clear my head. First of all, there are no young people in their thirties in this village."

Hearing this, Iver took his eyes back from the book and turned to Sherlock.

Iver confirmed. "Are you saying there isn't... or that it's not there?"

Noticing Iver's serious gaze, Sherlock smiled with satisfaction, "When I told Hai Na, she was still a little confused. I couldn't react immediately.

"Yes, that's what I mean—at least thirty years ago, there were no newborns here.

"To be precise, among the young people in this village, the oldest is twenty-six years old. There is no young man older than twenty-six years old... Those above him are all 'aboriginals' whose ages and names are unknown.

"I first suspected this because I found that Old Inspector, William, actually didn't know Meg. When I mentioned Meg to him, he had to pretend to think that he knew who Meg was...

"At his age, it's impossible. So I went to ask Hai Na's mother and learned that he came here about sixty years ago.

"——But he looks to be in his sixties now. Moreover, when Hai Na's mother said this, it was as if she had seen it with her own eyes. She looks to be in her early thirties now... But when I asked her age, she just smiled and said nothing."

Sherlock said seriously, "So I thought of a possibility...

"Are all the people here really still alive?"

"Don't think so yet."

Iver thought for a while and replied, "First of all, make sure one thing. People here will die. And they can leave at any time."

The former is like the grandfather of Iver.

The latter is Hai Na's biological father and her biological father's teacher - the original Old Blacksmith in the village. Hai Na's father left Eagle Cape Village and never came back; and Old Blacksmith did go to the royal capital to study when he was young.

"So at least this is not a ghost village - I have also confirmed that they are all living people. Jack can't grow up too? The same goes for Hai Na."

Iver affirmed. "I can't tell the difference between the living and the undead. Compared to this, I think what's more terrible is that the people here have no names."

With that said, Iver shared his investigation results with Sherlock.

If it was in a game, it would be normal if it didn't have a name.

But if this matter is put into reality... or put into mysticism, the meaning will be different.

Because the act of "naming" itself belongs to the power of Path of Twilight, it is a preparation for remembering.

Even a person who has died without a soul still has the power of Path of Twilight... This part of the power refers to the person's name.

Because there are still people who will remember him and his name is still engraved on the world. Then even if its body disappears and its soul disappears, the necromancers can still call it.

What they are calling is the "name" of this undead soul. It is the afterimage of the dead left in the world.

Only when a person has a name, or at least a title that can accurately refer to him, can he be accurately recorded. Otherwise, he will not be able to exist in history, books, or the entire world, and his existence will be swallowed up by others.

Even if a person is deprived of everything, he still has his own name.

Parthian Ancient Kingdom has the most advanced punishment - it is a punishment more cruel than death penalty, insulting the corpse and even imprisoning the soul, called "White Punishment". That is to say, through ritual and violent means, the traces of this person's existence are completely wiped out.

His name will be erased, and all the things he has done will lose his name and be replaced by another person's name... or be completely destroyed. All his descendants will be killed, even his students.

The memories of all those who once remembered him and all his friends will be rewritten. Paint this person into a blank that cannot be recalled - no face, no name, no memory.

This kind of punishment has only been used three times in the 3,800 years that Parthian Ancient Kingdom has been passed down intermittently. Because of the existence of White Punishment, there is no record of what they did to trigger this kind of punishment, and it is not even known what era the person being executed lived in.

...And Eagle Cape Village, it's like the whole village has been executed "White Punishment".

"I want to see that swamp tomorrow. All outsiders enter the village from the swamp, and the villagers pass through Small Forest Path when entering the village."

Sherlock took the book back from Iver and frowned. "But they all said it was Forbidden Area there - but if it was really Forbidden Area there, how did they discover those foreigners?"

"So are you going?"

"Of course, let's go secretly. But since it's Forbidden Area, I think it might be more dangerous... so you go with me. Bring Lily and Hai Na... I don't want to find anything, but at least take a look."

Sherlock drew on his notebook and gave a clear plan. "In addition, we have to visit those who knew your grandfather - my suggestion is to split up into two groups after we come back.

"You and Lily first go ask the elders in this village. They may know something. This is also the secret you are here to pursue. I am not suitable to listen.

"Then there's Hai Na's father. Her father left unnaturally... without any quarrel or taking any money. His daughter was only a few years old at that time, so there was no reason to leave the village without notifying anyone and never come back.

"So I suspect that either he died silently somewhere, or he knew something. If you want to know this, you probably have to ask that Old Blacksmith. I can just take Hai Na to ask about this.

"Finally, it's to see where the people in this village are buried. I don't believe that no locals died in this village - of course, if this is the case, then the value of this information will be even greater. And as long as someone dies, there must be a funeral, a tomb, and a worship ceremony. You have to ask your local pastor.

"Then I'll go look around and ask Hai Na to take me around two suspicious places nearby. Find the Old Inspector person - although I'm not a supervisor, Hai Na is. She knows the details."

Sherlock said, and drew two clear task lines in the book. "Swamp - Elder - Priest; Swamp - Blacksmith - Supervisor. Let's divide it like this first, and then come back after the investigation is completed.

"Because the time here is chaotic, I don't know when it will get dark... But just in case, as soon as dusk is approaching, no matter where we are now or what progress we have made in our investigation, we should stop immediately and go home. If you really can't go back, just stay overnight at the current inquirer's house. Safety first. We are not to go to the swamp alone unless we are all together."

"Clear."

Iver nodded seriously.

Although he looks like a child, Sherlock is the oldest and most socially experienced among them.

Iver always follows the advice of experts.

The only problem is...

In this atmosphere that feels a bit like a horror movie, it doesn't seem very auspicious to split the troops into two groups.

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