Chapter 50: The Bonecasters

...

The clock in the library chimed twelve times. Prinn mentioned that it was already midnight, but in this city, it was difficult to distinguish between day and night. His Dark Young hadn't come downstairs. Moreover, owing to the necessity to confer with the Bonecasters regarding Hood's priests, Jeanne's schedule had become somewhat erratic, diverging from Salser's, and she remained awake.

Salser and Prinn were sitting face-to-face at the desk, reviewing materials and transcribing notes on spells. A witchcraft lamp on the dark brown rectangular table cast a soft light, illuminating the cluttered contents of a box and the wooden floor adorned with river-like patterns.

"Prinn, your knowledge of this world's historical anecdotes is commendable. Might you enlighten me on the origin of the Guardian Knight ritual?"

While exchanging magic materials with Prinn—their internal magic materials were fully shared within their faction, but when interacting with other factions, they still needed to exchange equivalent knowledge—Salser asked him.

"Even should you discover a means to dispel this ritual, the constraints of the Gate Key will persist in binding you," Prinn said with a hint, "I believe you should consider improving your relationship with the Inquisitor, rather than dwelling on how to escape all of this."

Salser understood this, but the more escape routes, the better, a lesson he had learned from seven years of fleeing.

Salser put down his quill, tidied up the just-transcribed materials on the table.

At the same time, he grumbled, "How did you connect so many things from just that one sentence of mine?"

"Well, had you not considered these matters, then I should apologize,"  Prinn spoke calmly as he accepted the handwritten copy from Salser, "The Guardian Knight ritual traces its origins to the Vamar Duchy on the Lether continent. Should you be intrigued, you may seek detailed information at the Duke's residence in Vamar. The current Duke of Vamar is Juventus Roderick. Considering his prolonged tenure on the front lines battling the Grey Elves, you can envision his temperament, and I cannot guarantee you that he will provide you with that information."

"I personally find it more straightforward to converse with nobles of that disposition," Salser said noncommittally, "Could you tell me where the Vamar Duchy is situated on the Lether continent?"

"It is situated in the northwest of the Lether continent," Prinn shook his head, as though he had ceased attempting to sway Salser's thoughts, "To the north of Vamar lies the subcontinent inhabited by the Grey Elves. In the era when humans were not yet fully evolved, those fur-clad savages were fighting, and now, they are still fighting. To their east resides the Britannia Kingdom, where a few years ago, the illegitimate daughter of King Uther succeeded to the throne. That queen harbors a fervent passion for war, yet she also possesses some rationality and has refrained from inciting the Vamar Duchy neighboring the Grey Elf tribes; instead, she has set her sights on France, which is embroiled in internal strife due to the insanity of Charles V. And to the south of Vamar—"

"What about the port?" Salser interrupted his rambling, Prinn tended to become quite verbose when discussing the history and current state of the world, "Genabackis is located in the north of the Lether continent. Why would I be concerned with the country to their south? Tell me, is there a direct sea route to the Vamar Duchy?"

"Should you wish to embark on a sea voyage directly to Vamar, you would need to circumvent the subcontinent held by the Grey Elves," Prinn tapped the table lightly with his knuckles, "I counsel against entertaining this notion. The most secure route is—to traverse the commercial route from the northern border of Britannia at the Debreheny Port."

"Are you jesting? I'm meant to escort the woman who has strewn the bones of the Celts to their borders to Britannia, and you're claiming this is the safest route?"

"Should your destination be the Vamar Duchy for your intended purpose, will you be accompanied by that Inquisitor woman, Mr. Salser?"

"......That does makes sense."

"But even if you manage to dispel the Guardian Knight ritual, how do you plan to address the contract of the Gate Key?"  Prinn asked him.

"Tear apart my soul."

"......What?" Prinn frowned.

 "Should I find myself at a dead end, I'll tear apart the half of my soul that stores the contract, abandon it, and then flee with the remaining half of my soul."

The title of the book was 'Research, Analysis, and Transformation of Moon Beast Individuals', written by Prinn himself, apparently a handwritten copy based on his observations of some fallen beings in Zobeide City.

"I do not believe this to be a prudent choice. As a dark wizard, I recommend against contemplating such a perilous approach."

"It's preferable to having nothing left." Salser flipped through the pages, replying to him indifferently.

Prinn silently watched him for a while, then asked:

"Are you intending to manage our alliance in a similar manner?"

"Our alliance does not encompass my demise should you perish."

"Ah," he chuckled softly, "That does makes sense."

Prinn also picked up the spell records Salser had just transcribed—the part exchanged for knowledge—and began to read. The white light from the lamp flickered slightly, illuminating the two silent dark wizards. When reading materials, they were almost oblivious to the passage of time.

"Hello, human who has made an alliance with Chavazon Turan," a gentle voice came from behind him.

Salser looked up and saw that Prinn seemed somewhat wary of the newcomer.

"How did you get here, mage?" he heard Prinn ask.

"I apologize for intruding on your territory, wanderer. We Bonecasters sometimes walk in the dreams of mortals," the female voice said, "Just now, I used this gentleman to change my position in this dream."

"Bonecasters..."

Salser turned his head. He saw a small, slender figure standing in the shadows, wrapped in a cloak made from the tanned hide of a black deer or a similar animal, with two white, sharp deer antlers protruding from the top of a deer skull—or rather, a deer skull cap, as there were two eye-like holes in the skull.

He stood up and bowed, as he always held a sense of reverence for these ancient beings.

"The individual before you is Salser Bettrafio, currently a knight, Bonecaster."

"I am Si Yibel, a member of the T'lan Imass tribe, of the Logros clan, a Bonecaster under Kig Aven," Si took a step forward, standing within the range of the light, "I am also known as the Red Fox, Salser, representing fire and rebirth."

This woman's skin color differed from the documented T'lan Imass—it was brown, not golden, and her joints were not particularly wide. The woman's height was only slightly taller than Viola's, sporting red hair woven into two front pigtails and a single ponytail cascading down her back, her eyes concealed beneath the golden fur draping from the deer bone cap. Nevertheless, Salser couldn't help but notice her astonishing amber eyes.

Si extended her slender and soft brown hand towards the arc lamp, "The technology of the secular world has brought new light, just like fire. The age of ice has passed, Salser. We wander the entire world, hunting large herds of beasts, and pursuing the surviving Jaghut tribes to fight them, born and dying with the ebb and flow of the glacial tides."

"You do not quite match the description of the recorded T'lan Imass."

"I am a descendant of the Rhivi, born in a ritual by another Bonecaster, I inherited everything I needed to inherit, and became a Bonecaster of the T'lan Imass."

Salser looked at her, "I never knew how the Rhivi reproduce."

The woman—or rather, the Bonecaster who seemed more like a girl—laughed, "I don't know either, except for the T'lan Imass who perform the rituals, no one knows how the Rhivi reproduce."

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