After hearing High Priest Nim's reply, Klein, carrying the lantern, walked twenty or thirty steps to the right along the grayish-white mist.
Then, he half-closed his eyes, as if sensing something, which made the Moon City Beyonder following behind him dare not make a sound, for fear of disturbing the divine messenger.
After four or five seconds, Klein stretched out his right hand and slowly reached out and grabbed at the air in front of him.
A stone altar then descended from nothingness into reality, upon which were placed three oil candles and seven or eight kinds of Spirituality materials.
Nim, a Sequence 4 Demigod, was stunned for a moment, seemingly unable to believe his eyes.
He had previously seen Gehrman Sparrow use his cane to heal his companion, assuming that the other man possessed spatial abilities or had received the favor of the " The Fool." But now, his judgment was completely overturned, because the altar, the candles, and the Spirituality materials all looked very familiar to him.
These are all things he used to use!
How could he possibly retrieve the things I've used? Is this a power derived from history, from time itself? Nim recalled the remaining texts of Moon City and, combined with his understanding of Demigod, began to form a preliminary guess.
At this moment, Klein turned around and looked at the high priest, saying:
"You can begin."
Nim quietly took a breath, and under the watchful eyes of Adal, Sin, Ruth, and the Ruth, walked step by step to the altar, creating Wall of Spirituality.
After glancing at the symbols, markings, and patterns engraved on the altar and confirming that there were no problems, he proceeded with the ritual with exceptional skill, following the procedures that were etched into his memory.
Finally, he lowered his head and recited in a low voice:
" The Eternal Unchanging Fog;"
A barrier that freezes time and space;
"An all-encompassing existence..."
Before the prayer was finished, Klein had already focused his attention on the grayish-white mist, hoping to hear a sound coming from its depths.
To this end, he dispersed the numerous Monster Marionette he secretly controlled, which roamed the surrounding darkness, placing one at regular intervals to ensure that no suspicious trace was overlooked.
But he didn't notice anything unusual until the ceremony was complete.
After waiting a while, Klein turned his gaze to High Priest Nim of Moon City and said calmly:
"One more time."
Backlund, Queens Borough, in the Hall family's study.
After receiving permission, Audrey pushed open the door and went inside. Her father, Earl Hall, and her Hibbert, were discussing some matters.
"Oh, my dear, you don't look too well?" Earl Hall glanced toward the door.
Audrey didn't Acting; she genuinely forced a smile and said:
"The food supply for the poor fund is severely depleted, and I'd like to raise more. I visited many nobles today, but they all told me that there's no surplus food, not even if I bought it with gold pounds."
While these words were being spoken, the nobles were either in a small drawing room or in a place specially designated for afternoon tea, with high-quality black tea and a variety of exquisite desserts laid out in front of them, and from time to time they would ask Audrey to comment on the pastry chef's culinary skills.
Their servants had rosy cheeks and moved very lightly, making almost no sound, so as not to disturb their distinguished guests.
"The current situation..." Earl Hall sighed upon hearing this.
Audrey thought for a moment and said seriously:
"Dad, I remember we still have a lot of food at home. Can I buy some?"
" Audrey, you've already done too much. You don't need to do this anymore," Hibbert Hall said, frowning slightly. Audrey simply looked at her father and didn't respond to her brother's words.
Earl Hall's expression, which had relaxed considerably due to his daughter's arrival, slowly turned serious again.
" Audrey, the premise of charity is not to affect your own and your family's lives. This is a principle I hope you will keep in mind."
Audrey, dressed in a long gold and white dress, frowned slightly before relaxing, and said sincerely:
"Dad, we have enough food stored up at home to feed everyone in this house for a whole year, or even longer. And there's also plenty of food in East Chester County."
Because Winter County had not yet completely fallen, the Feysac army that invaded through Awwa County did not attack East Chester County. Meanwhile, the Feysac, Intis, and Feynapotter fleets at sea were suppressed by several ironclad fleets of Loen and could only barely maneuver to protect the maritime supply lines.
Earl Hall gazed at his daughter's emerald-green eyes for several seconds, then suddenly sighed and chuckled:
" Audrey, you've really grown up. You have your own ideas and a lot of persistence."
"However, none of us know how long this war will last, or what the final outcome will be. We must reserve plenty of food to cope with all of this."
"I can accept having two fewer delicious dishes at each meal to help those in need, but I don't want my dining table to become like those middle-class tables described in the newspapers. That would completely destroy our dignity as aristocrats, something we've upheld for generations."
"Do you understand what I mean? I was just using an analogy. The essence of the matter is that I value the survival and future of my family, and our identity and status. I only show my love and kindness when it doesn't affect them."
" Audrey, what I'm about to say may be harsh, but you're all grown up now, it's time to listen. Everyone is selfish, just to varying degrees. In my heart, the entire Hall Family is more important than me and your mother, more than you, more than Hibbert and Alfred. Beyond that, first comes faith and good friends, then acquaintances, and finally, those in need of relief scattered throughout Backlund."
"If it doesn't affect what happened before, I wouldn't mind helping them, but unfortunately, I have to consider other things now."
At this point, Earl Hall shook his head self-deprecatingly:
"I'm sorry to let you know that your father is such a selfish person."
As Audrey listened intently to her father, her expression first changed slightly, then quickly settled and disappeared, and she showed no further emotion until the end.
At this moment, she remained silent for a while, then asked again:
"... But we've already received far more than we needed. Can't we even give back a portion of it?"
Hibbert Hall interjected, somewhat annoyed:
Why should we share what we've worked so hard to achieve with others?
"These are products from our fields, pastures, and woodlands. We bought them with gold pounds. The money and assets are inherited from our family. They were earned by my father with his keen insight and strong courage. They have been accumulated generation after generation."
"When we do charity work to help others, it's an extra way of showing compassion, not something we're obligated to do, understand?"
Earl Hall nodded:
" Hibbert said is largely correct; that's also what I think."
Audrey pursed her lips and slowly nodded, saying:
"I see..."
Earl Hall withdrew his gaze and said to Hibbert:
"The stockpiled food must be well guarded. If the outcome of the war is truly irreversible, try contacting those guys from Intis and show them our sincerity."
"The battlefield has dragged on for so long, they've lost many men, much farmland is abandoned, and city prices have skyrocketed. There's definitely a strong demand for food, pastures, and woodlands. Add to that my shares in Intis Suchite Bank, and my stakes in Bavaria Bank and Backlund Bank, and I should be able to buy them off. Heh, at times like this, only after meeting these demands can we talk about kinship."
Intis and Loen frequently intermarried, and many nobles were related, especially the followers of Steam.
"Dad, are you considering surrendering?" Hibbert asked, somewhat surprised.
Earl Hall nodded slightly and sighed once more:
"Given the current situation, how could I not consider it?"
"Then you will be the new Earl Hall."
Hibber was deeply moved, yet also quite puzzled:
"Dad, what about you?"
Earl Hall replied with a wry smile:
"Your mother and I are both devout believers and hold a certain position in the church. If we are unwilling to step down from the forefront when Loen falls and the church is destroyed, the outcome will not be good."
At this point, he offered his eldest son a word of comfort:
"As long as the Hall Family still exists, the title remains, and the core assets are not significantly lost, we won't have a miserable old age. After you convert to Steam, remember to prepare a secret prayer room for us at home."
As the two talked, Audrey, dressed in a long gold and white dress, stood quietly watching and listening from the doorway, her emerald green eyes like jewels.
After repeated attempts, as the altar projection disappeared, High Priest Nim of Moon City carefully spoke to Gehrman Sparrow was carrying a strange lantern:
"If it doesn't work today, we can try again tomorrow. It shouldn't take more than two months."
At this moment, however, Klein was preoccupied with a different question:
Could it be that Historical Void in its recording was used as a cover-up, leading to the ritual's failure?
He deeply reflected on his actions and decided to heed the advice of the High Priest of Moon City and try again tomorrow. This time, he would make sure the other party brought genuine materials.
Just as he was about to nod, a faint voice suddenly sounded in his ear.
The sound emanated from the depths of the gray-white mist, layer upon layer, faint and indistinct.
It worked? This ritual really works, it's just that the delay is too high... Klein was overjoyed and immediately raised his right hand, pressing it down slightly, signaling the Beyonder of Moon City to be quiet.
He immediately held his breath, collected his thoughts, and began to listen attentively.
The sounds echoing within the gray-white mist seemed to originate from multiple different objects, intertwining and sometimes interfering with each other, sometimes canceling each other out, and sometimes overlapping to create resonance.
Gradually, the sound became clearer in Klein's ears, especially at the moments of resonance.
It seemed to be a language he was familiar with, and it seemed to be countless people chanting a name together.
The name is:
" Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings ".