civilwarnovels Chapter 1983: Island Ownership
Chapter 1983: Island Ownership
According to Sloss Edwards, who is now "resurrected" and restored to a normal person, the decision to hand over the remaining power to Megan and Audrey was made by his father before the Battle of Green Lake began:
"After all, this is the family’s property. Rather than letting it fall into the hands of the True God Church or other organizations, it’s better to give it to the most promising members of the next generation."
"Wait, Lecia, do you mean to say that now that island belongs to Megan and Audrey?"
Shard asked in surprise from the bed, Dorothy nodded:
"The Witch said that Green Island completely belongs to her, but she doesn’t have strong control over the real-world island. Sloss Edwards handed over all the land deeds and property deeds for Green Lake Central Island to her, and she plans to give them to the Green Siblings so they can inherit the island. After all, she can’t admit she’s part of the Edwards Family, otherwise, if the Church investigates in detail, her identity as a witch might be exposed."
The real-world Green Lake Central Island, although it has valuable large tracts of land, its worth can’t be compared to "Green Island". Shard quite agrees with Megan’s decision:
"So now, can Megan and Audrey easily expel everyone else currently on Green Island?"
Lecia nodded:
"But she hasn’t done that yet, she just used mist to hide important locations on the island such as the Edwards’ Old House, the Lighthouse, and the Green Lake Hotel. The Witch Council seems to want to share the development and research of that island with the True God Church to a limited extent, and also jointly maintain the seal, at least ensuring no problems occur there until the end of the Sixth Era, when the existing order is shattered again. We are not yet clear on the specifics, it’s just some ideas for now."
"I thought, Green Island could become a stronghold for the Witch Council."
Shard said somewhat regretfully, Dorothy explained to him:
"Miss Galina said she had the same thought originally. But after a careful inspection, she found that the island’s monsters are endless, and the chaotic space has caused the monster bodies to split into countless reflections, so they can never be completely destroyed. Moreover, it is the core of the seal, so it’s best not to let too many people have contact with it."
Shard sighed slightly:
"You and Lecia are also completely intertwined in this matter now. Although individually, you might not be ’The Chosen One’, it’s still unclear whether you will truly escape the unfortunate fate of ’The Chosen One’. When we return to Tobesk, you should stay in Yordle Palace and your apartment for a month or two, or move to my place temporarily. I’m really worried about you."
Lecia did not object either, gently nodded, and held Shard’s right hand, which was holding a dining knife, her green eyes blinking at him:
"Speaking of which, since the Day of the Red Butterfly will last until around midnight. Might you, Knight, help us check if there are any other strange issues with our bodies after the fusion tonight?"
She lightly bit her lip:
"The fused body is different from both of us. Not only you, we ourselves are quite curious."
Seeing Shard blush, Dorothy patted Lecia on the back, as if scolding her for bringing up such a topic now:
"But before that, there’s something more important tonight. Shard, isn’t there a lady who is turning eighteen?"
"Yes."
Iluna’s birthday must not be forgotten.
Laplace Howard once explained to Shard the real reason for the soul exchange and soul fusion that Dorothy and Lecia experienced: the world chose them, allowing their condition to "infect" the entire world, so that all living beings would merge into one at the apocalypse, and if one person survives, it means the world and civilization survive. But back then, the Battle of Green Lake hadn’t ended, and Shard planned to tell them after it concluded.
However, now that the Battle of Green Lake has truly ended, Shard no longer wants to tell them this matter. Whether from Shard’s perspective or the deceased Diviner’s, Dorothy and Lecia were never meant to fulfill so-called "missions" in this occurrence of the Sixth Era, as time wasn’t sufficient.
So revealing this matter would only add to worries and explain news of the impending world apocalypse. As Shard sat on the bed contemplating this, he sighed inwardly, forcing a smile on his face:
"Iluna’s birthday is indeed important, but I have something even more crucial for you."
Before going to sleep, he changed into his pajamas, and the items he carried were placed in the bedside cabinet. He opened the drawer, finding the blank cards left by the Diviner, and handed several cards to Dorothy and Lecia:
"Laplace Howard really is a genius. When researching the Edwards’ Ascension Technique and its fusion with family descendants, he noticed you. Although he can’t completely solve the issue of soul fusion between you two in one stroke, he at least found a way to continuously delay it."
He informed the two of them about the task of finding "items related to stories powerful enough to enlighten a Circle Sorcerer" and "the need to frequently use this card":
"However, since there’s no evidence to prove everything he said is true, these cards will stay with me for now. Once I verify whether it’s true and see if there are any other considerations, I’ll give them to you."
That is, find Luviya for a quick divination.
Dorothy showed a keen interest in examining the cards:
"The same size as a Roder Card... Would this count as a spatial item? Something that can store objects and be retrieved at critical moments?"
"It should only be able to store corresponding items that meet the conditions, and once sealed, you can only use the power."
Shard shook his head:
"But I know where the diviner’s research materials are; he’s practically gifted his research to me. I will need to read through them carefully, not only to understand the function of the cards but also to continue the card-making method - hopefully, the materials aren’t expensive... Once we return to Tobesk City, Lecia, Dorothy, you can start trying to find similar items. While they might not be the original artifacts of those stories, they must be directly related at least... Which, thinking about it, is no easy task, considering they are antiques from before the Era, possibly even relics."
He shook his head again, and Lecia smiled as she kissed his cheek:
"No worries, I’ll take care of this. The issue of Gold Pound, that’s minor. Have your meal quickly, and then we’ll head to the birthday party. You need to be full of energy; the Day of the Red Butterfly that comes every 21 days shouldn’t be wasted, you know?"
Dorothy playfully swatted at her again and then bent down to gently kiss Shard on the cheek as well.
When Shard, the writer, and the princess left the room, it was six o’clock this Thursday evening, and the Green Lake Hotel had already resumed its usual operations. In this hotel in Green Lake City, there weren’t too many witch followers around because most of the girls were currently on Green Island. However, the hotel, serving as a crucial passage, was still under the control of the Grand Witches and would remain a vital asset to the Witch Council for a long time.
The Green Siblings were not continuing their normal mundane lives in the hotel; after their "coma," they were discovered by the church on Green Lake Central Island this morning, where the fog had almost lifted. Found along with them were the title deeds for the island.
As the only two known surviving "Edwards," this pair of ordinary siblings still need to undergo a rigorous inspection by the Church. However, the Church will likely show some deference to the Witch Council, as the Council has declared their ownership of Green Island, which is an indirect acknowledgment of the deep ties between the Grand Witch, the Edwards Family, and the Green Siblings.
The passage connecting the city’s hotel and the hotel on Green Island was located on the wall of the hotel’s basement. Coincidentally, it was adjacent to the hidden wall leading to the "Spatial Labyrinth," with a gap roughly the length of Shard’s arm plus Mia’s tail.
This passage had now been concealed by Miss Sylvia and was set to open using a rather classical "password setting":
"The square root of 15129 is positive and negative 123."
Dorothy spoke while tapping a spot on the wall, whereupon a complex doorframe outlined with branch patterns appeared on the wall.
"This truly reflects Miss Sylvia’s style."
"She reckoned that people might say anything in the warehouse, but it’s unlikely they’d engage in complex math calculations here."
After passing through the now-stable "door," they found themselves in an almost identical warehouse. However, this warehouse continued to host the luminous witch rituals and the witches’ hair, spreading like spider webs in all directions.
The girls maintaining the rituals greeted the three of them with smiles, and by the time they reached the ground floor of the hotel from the basement, although the three traveler’s camps that Shard conjured had vanished, a bonfire was still burning in the center of the lobby.
"We’ve decided to permanently set a bonfire here; partly for ritual purposes and partly as a commemoration of the Battle of Green Lake."
Miss Aphrola, who was casting spells, told Shard that within this bonfire there remained some "Sunfire" that Shard brought, which hadn’t yet been fully consumed. This wasn’t all of Shard’s stock of "Sunfire"—aside from the old lantern acquired from the Sin Mansion, the Crystal Bead could also temporarily store this special flame, and he had brought about a third of it with the lantern this time.
As for the old lantern, now empty, it sat on the table alongside the lantern that Sister Delphine brought from the base of the southern lighthouse on the island.
The two lanterns were almost identical, undoubtedly jointly crafted unique items. However, the origins of these precious flame vessels remained a mystery, even to Sister Delphine, but fortunately, they now belonged to Shard.
The island’s hotel was quite populous, and whenever the girls saw Shard, they would greet him. So, after emerging from the basement, such calls as "Mr. Hamilton" were almost unceasing.