Chapter 2080: First Encounter on Herring Street

"At the top of the house, the [Outlander Traveler] looked intently into the distance, then lowered his head to look at the note in his hand and received additional clue 7..."

Shard on the rooftop looked at himself on the note; the hoarse voice at the top of the bell tower actually paused, and then the black-robed person standing on the west side of the round table unexpectedly raised both hands:

"Additional clue 7, the assailant who attacked Freeman Hawthorne is Miss Charlotte.

In the summer of the Common Era Calendar 1854, on the 29th day of the Sunlight Moon. With the help of outstanding eloquence, astonishing charm, and decent luck, [Outlander Traveler] Miss Charlotte successfully solved the ’Freeman Hawthorne’ attack case, identified the culprit ’Miss Charlotte,’ and personally apprehended her. This is a story of Outlander and Outlander, a story of the despicable and the noble. The Dice Story Collection, it only favors the true sage."

"Are you joking?"

The man supporting the barely breathing woman in the black gown widened his eyes and asked the black-robed person hosting the game. Although the other two storytellers felt similarly, at least Bella Belindel was the first to react, realizing what she should do most at this moment:

"I won, I want a divination-type relic as a victory reward. My other request is: let everyone present except me forget all the details involving ’Miss Charlotte’s’ identity in this story!"

She stood up immediately, and as the trio from the Dawn Church looked at her in surprise, the "Keeper of Secrets" nodded lightly:

"As you wish~"

The long table vanished into a shadow, leaving only an ivory die in Miss Belindel’s hand. The body of the [Dice Story Collection] disappeared again into the air, and the weak afternoon sun reappeared, illuminating everyone on the bell tower’s terrace at that moment.

"Lady Amethyst, what are you going to do?"

York O’Connor, from the Nine Rings, instinctively stood in front of the two from the [Light Worshipper Training Association] before his companions could react. But the witch’s hand had already reached towards them, forming a transparent web in the air:

"Of course, it’s to keep the secret. The [Dice Story Collection] has disappeared again, but who can guarantee they have truly forgotten those memories. Mr. O’Connor, it was your honor to play games with me, why desire those pieces of information?"

Though they had been cooperative moments ago, Mr. O’Connor still chose to counter this unknown controlling Arcane Technique. The witch frowned slightly, not wanting to engage in such close range with the man, so her two maids stepped forward to handle the trouble for their mistress.

At that moment, under the dim sky of Moon Bay City, a silver flash streaked across the sky and swiftly entered the tower.

Even the Eleventh Rank Grand Witch didn’t react in time to what had happened; she turned around to see the light arrow made of light particles already piercing the chest of the man from the [Light Worshipper Training Association], the silver sparkling light fragments disappearing instantly.

She reached out to grab the woman bleeding from the seven orifices, but the other suddenly lifted her head, an expression filled with despair in her eyes, and used all her strength to raise her right hand:

"Light Spell!"

"Get out of the way!"

In the chaos, someone shouted, and everyone on the bell tower instinctively wanted to retreat at that moment. The Great Witch of Destiny, who was closest to the woman, sensed the imminent threat of death, and tried to retreat too, but by then it was too late.

A weak white light appeared at the dying woman’s fingertips, and then that light burst forth like the sun. At this moment, to Bella Belindel, it felt as though time itself had slowed.

She could clearly see the swelling-burst trajectory of that light, could see how her sudden retreat caused her hair to float before her eyes.

The golden hair touched the white light and melted away, or rather, it became part of that light. Then the light moved towards her face, and just as it was about to touch her nose, a dazzling silver light arrow struck again.

The light arrow unimpededly entered the radiant sphere, piercing the dying woman’s head. The unknown deadly light vanished instantly with the spellcaster’s death. On the terrace of the restored normal bell tower, the witch gasped for air and retreated two steps before stopping, her mind dazed for several seconds before realizing what had just happened:

"What was that light, damned madman."

She uncharacteristically cursed in her heart, her heart beating rapidly, as she grabbed her two maids’ hands, and the three figures conjured by the Illusion Technique jumped off the bell tower, though in reality, they left via the staircase... Bella Belindel is one of the few Eleventh Rank Grand Witches who can’t fly.

"Wait, Lady Amethyst!"

But at least the Great Witch of Destiny had excellent proficiency in Illusion Technique, as the equally shaken Mr. York O’Connor rushed to the terrace edge and looked down, he, of course, saw nothing of the lady and her two maids.

"How should I write this report? The Light Spell just now... it felt as if I were going to melt into the light."

The two companions behind him displayed odd expressions, clutching their heads to prevent the loss of memory. Mr. O’Connor stood at the railing, gazing into the distance, unable to see the Circle Sorcerer who had shot the silver light arrows earlier under the dim twilight:

"This arrow couldn’t have been shot by Miss Charlotte... is that why she needed to survey information from above, to facilitate attacking the people on this bell tower immediately after the story ended? She knew... strange, what am I saying?"

As he pondered, most of the "Dice Story Collection" faded from his memory like the receding tide, leaving only the overall framework of the story on the beach of memory named "recollection," with all the details forgotten. He only remembered the victorious lady seemed to possess astonishing charm and good fortune, similar to the victor in Tobesk according to records.

Yet, the deadly white light just now remained vividly etched in his memory, leaving him somewhat entranced.

York O’Connor leaned against the terrace railing, gazing at the city illuminated by the afternoon light piercing through the clouds. From the highest point in Moon Bay City, he watched the varied, jumbled skyline of buildings, the carriage pedestrians that looked like ants, and the wisps of black smoke rising far into the sky.

The scene was truly breathtaking, yet unfortunately, only a few could witness it. Despite the city’s prosperity, the sky here remained perpetually dim. For some reason, he suddenly felt that perhaps this city truly needed more light.

Forty minutes later, a private carriage with no identifying marks or family crest arrived discreetly in the district where the Moon Bay City Police Department was located, but the figure of "Miss Charlotte" was nowhere to be found there.

The carriage stopped at the entrance of an alley where a "murder case" had occurred not long ago. A beautiful blonde lady personally went into the alley to investigate. However, the alley, which was now unremarkable, was devoid of the corpse that should have been there, and there was no one waiting for them.

She frowned slightly, took out a pendulum pendant made of amethyst, and after softly chanting an incantation, she found that the divination couldn’t locate the other party:

"She is indeed a girl with a special fate."

But the originally vertically hanging crystal pendant still shifted, and following the direction of the deviation, Bella Belindel finally found a note wedged in the wall.

So the witch boarded the carriage to set off again and informed her disguised male maid driver of the new address. As the carriage slowly started, Miss Matilda, the personal maid, observed her mistress’s eager expression and softly asked:

"Miss, that Miss Charlotte..."

"Yes, she left me a message, and I’m going to meet her now. A girl with incredible charm and power, who even mastered the Time Stasis spell, I’m truly curious."

Even the birthmark in the middle of her forehead seemed to blush more out of excitement, but Miss Maid was still worried:

"After all, she is Miss Benanis’s follower, you..."

Having followed Bella Belindel for many years, she, of course, understood the Countess’s intentions.

"I have no intention of stealing someone’s follower, but it’s always good to meet. Does my current attire have any issues? Should I change clothes first?"

She asked her maid again, and after receiving a "no problem" response, she pondered how she would initiate the conversation later. Despite being an Eleventh Rank Grand Witch, facing a girl who clearly knew a lot but whose appearance remained a mystery, she still felt somewhat uneasy:

"But, the butterfly, and the relic..."

Having thought of this matter again, amidst excitement and apprehension, there was even an added element of fear. Yet this fear only amplified her longing and curiosity for the unseen "Miss Charlotte":

"Vanessa, I really won’t do anything."

Thus, the carriage drove through the lively and bustling districts of Moon Bay City as evening approached, eventually arriving at Herring Street by the Taton River. Just downstream, the Bridge of Moon Bay was still under construction.

"Miss, are you sure about this address?"

The maid’s voice came from the front, tinged with considerable doubt and even some fright:

"Yes, opposing Herring Street No. 18, above Riverside Wharf, in front of the red advertisement paper stuck to the gas lamp post."

Miss Belindel said, and the carriage stopped by the street along the riverbank. Passersby on the road sensibly skirted around the side of the carriage. The witch instructed her two maids to wait by the carriage and not to approach, and then she was the first to alight.

The carriage was cleverly positioned behind the "Charlotte" lady who awaited their arrival, so that passersby on Herring Street would not see what was about to happen. When the blond Grand Witch went to eagerly and nervously scrutinize the "96-point charm" girl, she instead saw the back of a man by the riverside railing in the sunset, with one hand resting on the railing gazing at the river’s view.

"Hmm?"

With his back to the carriage and facing the river and sunset, his head tilted slightly, the evening breeze made the hair by his ear sway, his brows beautifully furrowed, and his golden eyes carrying a hint of confusion:

"Did I get the wrong address? Wait, this man..."

Her golden eyes widened instantly, she clearly didn’t sense the trigger of a witch’s curse. The earlier nervousness and excitement instantly transformed into terror and puzzlement, followed by bewilderment and unease.

She hesitated for a moment and, out of caution, did not dare to move forward but instead cautiously reused the pendulum. After confirming ineffectiveness, she stood between the carriage and the "man," taking out divination cards, then coins, and finally the six-sided ivory dice she obtained earlier.

The first time she threw the dice, it showed a number of 6, but before she could wonder, the dice in her palm automatically jumped to 5, and then to 1, and finally became 4.

"What’s going on?"

She was increasingly confused about the situation, and in front of Shard, whom she couldn’t see, the sunset illuminated his face, and the Outlander was flipping the [Twenty-Sided Die of Destiny] with his hand while watching the river surface shimmering with reflections of the sunset. Similar relics have the special trait of mutual devouring and interfering, and the stronger one can always interfere with the weaker one.

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