Rano was taken aback. "What do you mean?"
"Is it the god of the Tree in the Lake worshipped by the Vist People, or the God of Decay who appeared during the War of the Churches, surrounded by Foul Spirit and walking corpses?"
Rano frowned. "Even if the appearances are different, aren't the past and present the same existence?"
"If this were a philosophical question, then that would be one answer. But the problem is, what if these two things actually appeared simultaneously?" Carlo held up one finger on each hand, "Both claiming to be Morzul, one an earlier one, the other a later one."
The small boat slowly circled on the water. Rano swallowed hard. "Mr. Schuster, what are you trying to say?"
"What I mean is that the Morzul involved in this case exhibits characteristics that resemble both the Tree in the Lake from primitive beliefs and the God of Decay from the War of the Churches, and the actions of both sides are contradictory."
"I can't go into details, but as I just mentioned, the pattern on that ring symbolizes roots, an image that closely matches the Vist People ' imagination of Morzul, a giant tree whose roots run through the realms of life and death."
" Jacob Hamil, on the other hand, received a message supposedly from Morzul, instructing him to retrieve the ring. The Morzul he encountered, who issued the order through the Foul Spirit, has some characteristics that are more consistent with the current mainstream understanding of Morzul."
"As for the ring itself, I used some methods to confirm its target in the Wilderness: a tree."
" The Tree in the Lake?" Rano realized.
"Maybe, at least for now, the Tree in the Lake is the most fitting. I gave that tree a little stimulation, but it didn't react much."
Rano's lips twitched. "They can do this?"
While they were still arguing about the nature and spread of the curse, Carlo had already located the enemy's hideout and even went up to knock on the door.
Rano said, "There's no conclusive evidence that these two are completely different individuals, but they're still worth noting. However, Mr. Schuster, why did you come all the way to the lake to say this?"
"Because Lake Pote is the territory of Morzul in the tradition of the Vist People, the place where the roots of that Tree in the Lake are located." Carlo patted the gunwale. "Isn't it atmospheric to talk about Him here?"
Rano: "..."
"Moreover, that thing that resembles Tree in the Lake has a boundary with the real world, located at the bottom of this lake."
Rano: "... Huh?!"
He glanced instinctively at the water beside the boat; the lake was dark and bottomless.
"Are we just going to float up here like this, is that okay? I have a wife and kids..."
"No problem. Even if that thing discovers us, it won't attack until it's confident it can escape. Otherwise, it'll be beaten to a pulp by Vicania."
"Please don't be so blasphemous..." Rano didn't know how to react, so he changed the subject. "So what do we do next? Now that we've confirmed the boundary of that thing is in the lake, we can't just leave it like this. But if it's really as you say, then this is a major event involving the resurrection of a deity, something the Joint Investigation Bureau can't handle alone."
"If necessary, we can use Visteria."
"Cardinal Visteria? You want to bring this up before him?" Rano hesitated for a moment, thinking of that important figure.
"Wouldn't it be foolish not to use our fighting power? If Morzul really is trying to return to the mortal world through Lake Pote, then the seriousness of this matter is clearly beyond the Joint Investigation Bureau's capabilities," Carlo said. "I have my own channels to communicate with Visteria; you don't need to worry about it."
Rano took a deep breath. "Should I send people to investigate around Lake Pote?"
"Of course, otherwise why would I have asked you to come here just to tell you little stories about Morzul?"
"Cough cough..."
"I'm not asking you to turn the entire lakebed upside down, that's unrealistic, but send people to walk along the shore, to patrol the near-shore area, and see if there are any suspicious traces."
"Suspicious traces... residual curse?"
"Residual curses, and also check for unusual plant and animal decay, water discoloration, strange smells... anything unnatural counts. If someone held a ritual near the lakeshore, there will always be some clues. Your Section Two has handled many curse-related cases, so you should have experience in this area."
"No problem. Although we're a bit short-handed, it's necessary to assign a few people to this task," Rano nodded.
"It's settled then. Let me know if you find anything, and let me know if you don't find anything either, so I know you've finished your search."
"Understood." Rano replied, then waited a moment, seeing that Carlo didn't seem inclined to speak further, "Then... can we go back now?"
"Let's go back."
Rano breathed a sigh of relief, gripped the oar again, turned the boat around, and rowed toward the shore.
Once ashore, he glanced at the lakebed. The water plants that had just emerged swayed with the waves, and after hearing what he had just heard, they resembled the roots of a giant tree from ancient legends that penetrated the lakebed and connected the two worlds.
Once ashore, Rano caught his breath. "Mr. Schuster, next time something like this happens, could we perhaps talk somewhere more convenient? Like a café by the lake or something?"
"That won't do. If you get the first sign of trouble and stand up to leave, I'll have to drag you back in front of so many people. Wouldn't that be like paying someone to do it for me? On this lake, if you want to run away, you can only jump into the water. It's much easier."
"Also, remember not to let your men get too close to the water. If they actually catch something, Vicania might not be able to save it in time."
Li Jiehao stood in front of the mirror in the clothing store, tugged at the cuffs of his suit jacket, and twisted his neck.
"Sir, would you like to... change into something else?" Harper, the shop owner, stood to the side, her tone tactful.
Li Jiehao looked at himself in the mirror; his clothes were piled up loosely, making him look like a child who had stolen an adult's clothes.
"Isn't this fine? It's more comfortable when it's loose." Li Jiehao tugged at his collar again.
Harper gave a wry smile and simply took another coat from the rack, "Sir, this coat is cut to a standard size. You're on the thinner side, and it doesn't fill out well in you, making you look a bit slender. Why don't you try this smaller size? It should fit you better."
Li Jiehao took the clothes, put them on, and tried them on.
This time, the bust and waist were too tight again. After buttoning them up, even the slightest movement would produce a taut, slack sound.
"This one's too tight..." Li Jiehao sighed. "What a hassle. Can't I just buy any old thing to wear?"