Chapter 1301: Chapter 1301: The Manor, the Snowy Scenery, and the Woman
"The second clue is related to demons and stones."
Haila Osenfort nodded, and after the maid left, she spoke softly:
"The amulet hanging at your waist is very beautiful."
"Really?"
Shard took off the Unicorn Amulet and handed it to her, surprised that Haila Osenfort took it directly without showing any signs of harm.
"It was given to me by a lovely female diviner during a divination at the Prophet’s Society a few days ago."
He gave the excuse he had already thought of:
"I clearly wanted to divine love, but she said I would face misfortune soon, so she gave me the amulet she carried with her and invited me to dinner tomorrow."
Lady Osenfort looked at the handsome young man’s face before her, nodded, returned the amulet, and then suggested:
"Mr. Watson, my husband is not due back for a while. Would you be interested in taking a walk in the back garden with me?"
This was a rather strange proposal. Shard had never heard of a visit to someone’s home where the wife would accompany the guest for a stroll in the garden. But this was certainly not a romantic invitation, as Haila Osenfort’s tone was indifferent.
Shard guessed she probably wanted to say something to him, but he didn’t immediately agree:
"It seems a bit inappropriate."
The veiled woman shook her head slightly:
"I will answer some of your questions."
She stood up directly, so Shard also put down his un-drunk cup of tea and stood up.
When the door was pushed open, the maid dressed in an old-fashioned maid’s gown was still standing outside, gently asking:
"Madam, may I ask where you intend to go?"
"I want to invite Mr. Watson to pose as my model so I can paint a portrait."
The noble lady said, and the maid nodded:
"Then I will prepare the art supplies."
Saying this, she walked in another direction down the corridor, while Haila Osenfort led Shard downstairs. She did not immediately take Shard out of the haunting mansion but stopped at the foyer.
This so-called "foyer" of such a manor mansion was indeed quite large, with chairs set against the walls for guests to sit while waiting and decorative armor. The floor was covered with antique carpets.
Haila Osenfort turned to look at the large oil painting hanging on the wall opposite the door:
"Do you know who this is?"
The oil painting depicted an elderly man with white hair, wearing an old-style Southern Army uniform:
"Frei Osenfort?"
Shard guessed, recognizing the old-fashioned "Carsonrick Third-Class Battle Hero Medal" belonged to him. As for blurting out his name, Shard hoped it would arouse the noble lady’s doubts.
"Yes."
The woman said softly:
"He isn’t the most famous ancestor of the Osenfort Family, but he is the one my husband admires the most."
"Because he earned everything through battlefield prowess and by killing the enemy, didn’t he?"
Shard asked, and the woman nodded slightly, then led Shard to the yard.
As expected, it was snowing outside, the snowflakes were light and didn’t hinder them. The old butler appeared as the two were leaving the mansion but left after learning the mistress’s intentions.
Along the side path of the manor courtyard, Haila Osenfort led Shard around to the back of the building; this was also Shard’s first time here.
The back of the manor courtyard looked just as he imagined, with traces of being tended in the somewhat neglected garden. The evergreen shrubs were neatly pruned, a small pavilion stood at the center of the preaching area, and he saw the tool shed, stables, and a locked fence gate in the corner of the backyard. Beyond the backyard’s fence gate lay a path leading further into the woodland of Randall Valley Brooklands.
Although it was late winter, the garden was still snow-covered. Not a single flower was visible, only evergreen shrubs adorned among the silver-white landscape. With everything muted and solemn, the woman in the black long dress walked quietly in the snowy setting, exuding a beauty tinged with death.
Shard knew his thoughts were impolite, but as he watched Haila Osenfort, it was as if he was looking at a noble lady attending her husband’s funeral.
As he pondered, the woman walking ahead suddenly stopped. There was nothing special about the surrounding scenery, just a barren dog house beneath a bare tree, and not far away, a shovel stuck in the snow. Ahead lay the central pavilion of the backyard, with several empty brown flower pots placed within it.
The woman turned, her eyes beneath the black veil locked onto him, and her soft voice laced with a slight accent remained calm:
"You’re a Circle Sorcerer, aren’t you?"
This was a statement, not a question.
Shard shook his head slightly:
"I’m sorry, what?"
"Ordinary people can’t defeat him; even a Circle Sorcerer can only do so if they bear a special Fate."
The woman spoke, seemingly unconcerned with Shard’s opinion:
"Do not collect those three items for him. The ring is in his possession; I believe you have already obtained the medal."
Shard took a small step back, standing in the snow without feeling any cold, blessed by the God of Winter:
"Lady, I need to remind you: I returned that ring to you, it was you who returned it to Mr. Ston Osenfort."
He wore a smile on his face, but his eyes held no trace of amusement:
"I actually dislike people like Ston Osenfort, but he offered a high enough reward."
He extended one finger:
"Everyone has desires, and mine are particularly large."
"Desires will lead people into the abyss."
"The world itself is an abyss."
Shard’s eyes fixed intently on the other party, yet he felt as if he was staring at a walking corpse:
"I don’t know what you and your husband are up to, but I know your husband offered me sufficient recompense. If you wish to persuade me to give up, you must offer equivalent recompense. By the way, what he offered is ’Genesis: Earth’; I wonder if you know this, it is the first of the Roder Cards. No one, yes, no one can refuse this."
The Outlander is not a person driven solely by greed, but he needed to establish his character at this time:
"Or maybe, you wish to tell me exactly what happened to Osenfort."
He never admitted to being a Circle Sorcerer, and Haila Osenfort never asked.
She stated her request:
"I want to commission you to defeat him, to defeat my husband, Ston Osenfort."
"I have defeated him before, three times."
"Truly defeat him, make his career fail, his ambitions collapse, and finally, here in this manor, plunge a sword into his chest. But you cannot kill him; he can always resurrect, so you need to outwit him in the final game he proposes."
"Resurrection? Truly remarkable."
Shard sneered slightly:
"Why should I agree with you?"
"Because you possess the noblest soul."
This answer was indeed unexpected. Shard scrutinized the woman, but she offered no explanation:
"Please remove the snow layer and take a look."
Looking down, Shard saw the snow at his feet automatically peel away, revealing the soil. However, after the soil was brushed aside by sorcery [Move Object], what he saw beneath were pieces of shattered stone:
"Is there anything noteworthy?"
"My husband has many enemies. He turns them into stone, then brings them back here to smash with a hammer. Thus, those souls remain permanently imprisoned in this land."
This indeed sounded like Ston Osenfort’s style:
"Do you think hearing such a story will make me righteously declare I will eradicate evil?"
The woman in the black veil shook her head, and Shard could see her indifferent eyes directly:
"Knowing him means you were chosen by him. If you have sensed his abnormality, then you should understand that you also need help. The gaze of the Evil Spirit is also upon you."
This was indeed the truth. According to the doctor’s words, when Shard first defeated Ston Osenfort on the Roder Card, the demon’s gaze had already turned towards him.
"I won’t help you for nothing. What can you offer me?"
In fact, Shard didn’t care what the other party offered him, even if the woman only took out a random piece of jewelry, he would agree to it.
But quite unexpectedly, Haila Osenfort grasped his right hand, pressing it against her own left chest.
Surprised, Shard first felt not the touch but the warmth:
"The reward is my soul."
"Sorry, what do I need your soul for?"
He retorted, breaking free of her hand, but did not dwell on the question. His goal was already achieved:
"I agree to take your commission, but not for any soul. I want to ensure that after completing your husband’s commission, I have the ability to obtain what I want. I need your assistance, guide me on what to do? Though I possess some power, I cannot yet contend with an immortal monster."
There was laughter in his ear; so far, the formidable enemies Shard had defeated almost all bore the ’undying’ label.
"Before providing you with assistance, forgive me, but I must also confirm how much power you truly possess."
Calmly said the woman under the veil, and Shard tilted his head, looking at her:
"What?"
In the distance, beneath the shovel, the snow trembled slightly, and then a decaying human hand emerged from the ground.
"Please defeat him, the gardener who once loyally served me. He met his end here after discovering my husband’s secret."
She retreated beside the doghouse under the tree, while the decaying human hand protruding from the snow had gripped the shovel. A ghoul, wearing a black hat and tattered blue suspenders, hunchbacked and towering at a height of two and a half meters, emerged from the snow and soil.