Oravi is located northeast of the Rorsted Archipelago, not far as the crow flies, but the safe shipping lanes are winding and add hundreds of nautical miles to the distance.
It was originally a primitive island inhabited by many extraordinary creatures and uninhabited by humans. After the end of the hunting era, the Kingdom of Loen used it as a place of Exile for some criminals, which gradually led to the development of villages and towns on Oravi Island.
As islands further east were discovered and colonized one by one, this region, thanks to its convenient shipping routes and abundant natural resources, attracted many new immigrants and developed relatively prosperous port cities.
The lighthouse's beam was so bright and warm in the dim light, guiding the passenger ship into the harbor and to its dock.
"Finally arrived. Thank you, Red Moon and Fate, for your favor." The fat Apothecary Darkwill jumped down the last step of the gangway and landed on the solid concrete ground.
Seriously speaking, besides Fate, you should mainly thank the " The Fool " and the " Sea God " for their favor... Klein carried his leather suitcase with one hand and tapped the walking stick in his palm.
Darkwill carefully tucked the ring box containing the " Die of Probability " into his pocket, and without a moment's delay, inquired about the bell-ringer Carnot's address. He then hired a carriage and headed straight for the Saint Draco Church, entering its magnificent bell tower, boldly painted in red, blue, and yellow.
Inside the clock tower, Carnot had his own small room.
Knock, knock, knock, Darkwill knocked on the door three times in a row, eager to hand over the items in his hand.
With a creak, the brown wooden door opened, and a tall but slightly hunched man stepped out of the room.
He looked to be around forty years old. Individually, his features were fine, but when put together, they created a sense of disharmony.
Klein glanced at him and noticed that his eyes were uneven, his nostrils were different sizes, and the muscles on his left side were slightly relaxed, causing the corner of his mouth to droop a little, while the right side was the opposite.
Carnot's legs were noticeably different lengths, and one arm was thick while the other was thin; his whole body was extremely asymmetrical and ugly.
"Who are you?" Carnot, dressed in a black robe, glanced at the two.
"Are you the bell-ringer, Carnot?" the portly Apothecary Darkwill asked cautiously.
Carnot smiled, one corner of his mouth higher than the other:
There probably isn't another person as ugly as me.
"Indeed." Darkwill nodded very honestly, then chuckled. "I can tell you have a good attitude. Actually, for men, looks aren't important; what matters is their performance in that area."
"Tsk, you've never seen truly appearance-obsessed ladies..." Klein, who had lived through the era of internet celebrities, scoffed from the sidelines.
Carnot's expression darkened for a moment before he said:
I don't want to discuss this.
"You have problems in that area too? No problem, I have all sorts of medicines, there's definitely one that can cure your problem..." Before Darkwill could finish speaking, Klein, who was afraid he would be beaten to death on the spot, stepped forward and blocked half of his body.
Klein said in a low voice:
He is King Roy's student.
"I already guessed it; King Roy described his characteristics." Carnot stepped aside to let the two inside.
His room was very small, containing only a bed and a cabinet that could be used as a dining table; the washroom was on the ground floor of the clock tower.
Darkwill took out the ring box, handed it to Carnot, and said with a smile:
"This is an item my teacher asked me to give to you."
Carnot opened the die and saw that it had a 4 up. He visibly relaxed and said to Darkwill:
"You're not as unreliable as your teacher says. It's obvious you haven't tried using it, which will awaken it and let it know it's no longer sealed."
"..." The portly Apothecary blushed and said honestly, "It's just quiet now. It'll start spinning again in another hour or two. You'd better find a way to reseal it."
Carnot's face twitched slightly:
"Again?"
"This, this, I accidentally dropped it on the ground, and then it, it slowly came back to life..." Darkwill instinctively wanted to glance at Harry the owl, but found that the other had not followed them in and was standing guard outside the clock tower.
Carnot's eyes widened noticeably, and his hunched body almost straightened up.
How did you get here?
In his view, King Roy, this student, should have been played to death by dice long ago.
Darkwill quickly pointed at Gehrman Sparrow and said:
"Thanks to this gentleman, a powerful adventurer, he provided the most effective protection and a method to temporarily seal the dice."
"What method?" the bell ringer, Carnot, blurted out.
Klein smiled and said:
"Trade secret."
Carnot's expression shifted several times, then he placed his hand on his chest and bowed.
On behalf of our organization, I thank you for your help.
Darkwill then said:
"His fee is £1,000 plus one condition: that we find him a magical item with powerful offensive capabilities but not too severe negative effects, which he will purchase at a reasonable price."
"Well, I only have a little over 300 pounds, so that's all I've prepaid. The rest is up to you..."
Carnot listened in silence, then his lips twitched slightly as he said:
"I only have a little over 100 pounds..."
Suddenly, no one spoke in the bell-ringer's room. The wind outside blew in through the cracks, brushing against the faces of the three men.
Finally, Carnot spoke again:
"Perhaps Congressman Ricciardo has it; I'll take you to see him."
It seems they trust us quite a bit. After all, a Life Councilor can't compare to the " Die of Probability." If we really had a problem, we wouldn't have brought the dice with us, lest something unexpected happen and our Uniqueness be snatched back... Klein watched as the bell ringer, Carnot, picked up a lantern from the corner of the room.
At this moment, he quietly activated his Spirit Vision and briefly examined the other party.
Upon seeing this, Klein almost raised an eyebrow, because Carnot's aura was quite peculiar.
His emotional color is fine, it's normal, but the Ether Body representing his physical body seems unnatural. The green of his heart, the purple of his head, and the yellow of his digestive system look like they've been pieced together and don't quite match.
Similarly, the spirit of Carnot gives people a similar feeling.
An internal Frankenstein's monster? Klein made a rough judgment based on his own observations and knowledge.
After fixing the lantern, Carnot glanced back at the adventurer, Gehrman Sparrow, and said expressionlessly:
I am very sensitive to Spirit Vision.
"I think you've also noticed some problems. I wasn't born naturally; I'm a product of the Church of the Earth Mother's human transmutation, a relatively unsuccessful one. So, I simply don't have that kind of ability."
His last words were to Darkwill.
Carnot didn't speak again. Carrying the lantern, wearing a black robe, his tall body hunched over, he descended the dark and silent clock tower step by step by the dim light.
A product of human transmutation created by the Church of the Earth Mother? But the Saint Draco Church belongs to the Church of Storms... Because of its relative failure and lack of importance, the traitor Carnot left the Church of the Earth Mother and became a member of the School of Life? That's understandable; both the Church of the Earth Mother and the School of Life possess the " Apothecary " pathway, so there must be some overlap... But why did the School of Life send this seemingly extraordinary guy to the Church of Storms as the bell ringer? Is it a normal cover-up, or is there some connection between the two? Klein calmly followed behind Carnot, step by step walking out of the bell tower and around to a nearby stone bridge.
As he approached the leftmost archway, Klein suddenly sensed something and looked up diagonally upwards.
Harry the owl flew over and landed on a branch.
Snap!
The branch suddenly snapped, Harry plummeted straight down, barely managing to take off again without crashing to the ground.
Before Darkwill could speak, Carnot explained in a low voice:
"Congressman Ricciardo is injured, and his power is somewhat out of control. Anyone who enters his vicinity will be afflicted with Misfortune."
Carnot stopped and threw the ring box containing the dice into the archway.
"Sir, King Roy's students have brought the dice."
"Very good." A hoarse voice came from the depths of the dark bridge arch.
A hand, covered in silvery-white scales, groped its way out of the darkness and pressed down on the ring box that had fallen to the ground.
Then, he opened the ring box and took out the milky-white die inside.
His other hand, also covered in silvery-white scales, reached out, holding a piece of leather that looked like paper in its palm.
The object resembled a water pipe, yet it was connected end to end. Under the crimson Moonlight, it appeared grayish-white, and its surface was covered with complex symbols and markings, as well as numerous Ancient Hermes pointing to Will Auceptin " Mercury Snake."
" Life Councilor " Ricciardo pulled the item apart, stuffed the " Die of Probability " inside, and then put the two ends back together.
Could a small-scale repetition of Fate seal the " Die of Probability," keeping it in a dormant or silent state? Sure enough, " Mercury Snake " Will Auceptin had foreseen something similar and made some preparations... Klein withdrew his gaze with relief, hearing Ricciardo say in a deep voice:
"I am already aware of your agreement, Mr. Gehrman Sparrow."
"I'll help you find the magical item once I recover."
"That 700 pounds... I'll immediately add some luck to it. Go play at a few casinos in Oravi and you'll receive the corresponding reward. Remember, don't win more than 200 pounds at each casino, and don't let the total exceed 700 pounds."
In other words, you don't have any money either... Judging from how you were injured and hiding, it's normal that you didn't bring any money... Klein nodded almost imperceptibly.
"Good."
He waited for more than ten seconds, feeling nothing, but " Life Councilor " Ricciardo breathed a sigh of relief:
You've become lucky enough.
Is that so? Klein chose to believe him and didn't interrupt Darkwill's report to his elders about his teacher's imprisonment. Based on the bell ringer Carnot's recommendation, he found a nearby casino and sat down at a blackjack table.
A dozen minutes later, he walked out of the casino looking bewildered and dazed.
He not only didn't win any money, he lost a whole 30 pounds!
Where's the promised luck? Why should I believe him? That Old Man is wicked... Klein returned to the stone bridge without hesitation and approached the archway.
"So fast? You've got pretty good luck." Ricciardo chuckled, half-coughing, from inside the dark bridge arch.
By this time, Darkwill and Harry had already found a hotel nearby to stay in.
Klein responded expressionlessly:
"We lost."
"Lost..." Ricciardo chewed on the word, unable to utter a word for a long time.
In the dim and silent environment, an ordinary owl flew past uneasily.
P. S.: Requesting monthly votes and recommendation votes on Monday at the end of the month!