Deep Sea Embers

Chapter 106 “Duncan’s Gift”

The illusory sea water quickly dissipated like a dream at dawn when Vanna’s spirit returned to her physical body. After a deep breath, she opened her eyes and saw that she was still standing in the rock chamber that looked like a cave under the sea, the magical flame still burning before her eyes.

Looking to her side, the lady saw that Bishop Valentine was also coming out of it, evidence that she had truly attended the psionic gathering. Subconsciously clenching her hand, she wanted to confirm if the parchment was still there. But of course, that’s not possible since the item only existed in the spirit world and couldn’t be brought outside.

“We have just issued a notice informing the captains that the ‘puppet coffin’ is out of control,” Bishop Valentine sighed, “and now we will have to reissue a new notice to correct the mistake.”

Vanna rubbed her wrist and looked at the bishop thoughtfully: “The question is… how will we write the announcement. We don’t know anything except the name change for Anomaly 099…”

The old bishop did not speak for a while, apparently he also believed this to be a difficult problem.

Vanna brought back the news from Vision 004, but the news only pertained to the name change. Perhaps she had indeed heard more detailed information from the tomb owner, but that’s been deliberately left out so it’s never coming out.

“At this stage, we can only first announce the situation that Anomaly 099 has been renamed from ‘puppet coffin’ to ‘puppet doll’. At the same time, modify all the characteristics of Anomaly 099 to ‘there may be changes,” Valentine said after a long silence. “It is an anomaly within the hundred ranks. There will be a chain reaction once triggered. Likely, the sealing conditions are also different now. If we continue to treat it as the old version, something bad and big will surely happen…”

Vanna nodded silently.

For a while, the watery chamber grew eerily awkward without any of the two speaking. Eventually, after an unknown amount of time, the lady finally broke the tension: “… All visions and anomalies are numbered from Vision 004’s messages, right?”

“Of course,” Valentine nodded, “why did you suddenly ask this?”

“I was thinking… the unknown corpses in that mausoleum, the gravekeeper who always remains quiet during the venture, who the hell are they…” Vanna pondered thoughtfully, “They are clearly not humans, nor of the real world. I know they’re not gods or foul creatures of the subspace either… so why can a vision interact with the outside world and help us this way? And the lists, how is the owner of the tomb able to determine the criteria?”

Valentine waited until the lady finished her questions before issuing a long sigh. Then with an old and solemn face: “This is your first time entering the tomb, and like many others, they too would have similar questions after they leave it. Unfortunately, we have no more answers than you after all these years.”

“I remember that you also entered that mausoleum.” Vanna turned her head and stared at the old bishop curiously, “What information did you bring out back then? Is it also related to anomalies or visions?”

“Not really,” Valentine shook his head, “although most of the time the mausoleum announces things related to the supernatural, but in actual fact, the owner of the tomb will occasionally convey meaningless messages. No one knows for sure what the message will be, and the only way is to enter the tomb. But one thing is certain, what the tomb owner says will always be true…”

Vanna didn’t remove her gaze because she knew there was more to this juicy story: “Then what information did you bring out that time….?”

The old bishop got all troubled and tied inside: “It wasn’t something useful, just… just a prediction…”

The old bishop’s evasive intention was obvious, but Vanna was a persistent lady. She could smell the prize: “What exactly is it, the specifics?”

Valentine shot a helpless look at his younger compatriot and spread his hands: “On the seventh month of the twenty-fourth, Pland’s weather will be sunny with a six degrees difference in the southeast…”

Vanna: “…?” ”

“Don’t look at me like that. Sometimes it’s like that,” Valentine facepalmed in embarrassment, “anomalies and visions are unpredictable, and this ‘unpredictability’ will manifest itself in all kinds of places. I happen to catch one of those unpredictability… If you’re going to laugh then can you turn around at least? I’m getting too old…”

“I’m sorry,” Vanna’s face stretched into a tense line of contorted laughing muscle. Quickly turning herself away from the old bishop, she silently giggled to her heart’s content. “But to be honest, I’m a little envious of you. At least your turn got enough information to know it’s a sunny day. I, on the other hand, don’t even know if the news is bad or good.”

……

On the edge of the upper city, in an older single-family house, Heidi, the psychologist, looked at her father with a slightly cramped expression. “… So, you visited the student’s home two days ago and spent several hours chatting with the student’s parents. From that meeting, you spent a total of 20 minutes talking about the student’s situation, then when you left, you paid more than 3,000 solas to buy an old dagger and a fake crystal pendant made of glass?!”

Morris sat behind the table with the fake pendant sitting on top with the tag removed. He’s sweating like a little child that’s made a mistake. “But the pendant didn’t cost money, it’s a giveaway…”

“…… Isn’t it more problematic for you to treat it as a birthday present for me?!” Heidi couldn’t help but facepalm herself, “You even pretended that you carefully selected this…”

Morris thought about the issue seriously before spreading his hand helplessly: “I really can’t find a second real thing in that store, so I had nothing else to pick…”

Heidi: “…”

After confronting each other for a few seconds, the daughter finally deflated: “Forget it, it’s not the first time anyway… Why do you always fall prey to scammers?”

“I didn’t suffer a loss this time! It was Mr. Duncan who suffered!” Morris protested immediately, “I bought that dagger for twenty percent cheaper than the market price…”

Heidi was shaking her head and sighing when she suddenly showed a stunned face after hearing the name: “The owner of that antique store is called Duncan?”

“Ah, yes, his name is Duncan,” Morris said casually. “It has always been rumored that he is an alcoholic plus gambler, but after actual contact, I found that it was really just a rumor. That harmful gossip is outrageous. The man is clearly a humorous and knowledgeable person…. Huh? Why do you have this face? Is there something wrong with the name?”

Heidi opened her mouth and hesitated for a moment before speaking: “Aigh, I have been in contact with a very tricky ‘case’ recently, which happens to be related to this name. I got a little nervous when I heard it.”

“This is a very common name so don’t fret,” Morris nodded, but then he grew a little concerned. “What kind of case is it?”

“It’s not your specialty, don’t ask. It certainly can’t be the same person anyway.” Heidi waved her hand, “Can a frightening ghost captain and a store owner who runs an antique shop in the lower city be the same person?”

“Well, if you say it like that,” Morris sighed with relief when he heard this. He knew his daughter often assisted city hall and even the church in dealing with some dangerous cases as an advisor. Sometimes even related to the transcendent in rare occasions where her skill was needed. Relaxing his posture, he gazes down at the crystal pendant on the table, “Then do you still want this pendant…?”

“Yes! Of course I want!” Heidi snatched the pendant on the table, “It’s not easy to get a gift from you, even if it is a giveaway…”

Morris pondered the issue again and suggested: “… Actually, you can pretend that I bought you a pendant for more than three thousand solas, and that dagger is a giveaway, if that helps~”

Heidi glanced at her father while putting the pendant around her neck: “If you really did spend three thousand solas on this scam, I will tie you to my treatment room for therapy!”