- Ritual Array.

Sherlock's heart tightened.

He had expected it before—when he looked at the Eagle Cape Village from above, he began to doubt when he saw the neat circle. But now it's finally confirmed.

The entire Eagle Cape Village is a large-scale ceremony of unknown significance.

But here's the problem.

- What is this ritual for?

If it were placed elsewhere, it would obviously have something to do with the anomaly here.

But the problem is that there are too many "anomalies" in this hellish village.

King of the Wild Hunt, Abnormal Timing, Abnormal Lifespan, Outlander Emerging from the Swamp, Fairy Cave......

Sherlock rubbed his temples. Countless possibilities were constantly patched together in his brain, and his brain hurt a little.

He turned to ask, "Uncle Magnetic Hammer, what do you mean yesterday when you said that Sister Haina's biological father left suddenly because of 'some evil'?" And he has been away from Eagle Cape Village for so long and has never returned, is he already dead outside? ”

Such a direct and almost unreasonable inquiry, if the original Sherlock asked, the other party might be embarrassed.

But now it's just right - I'm a child, and it's normal to be ignorant. It's only reasonable to be outspoken, you can't bother with me, can you?

The dwarven magnetic hammer's expression is also a little subtle.

But he was silent for a while, glancing at the back of Hayna's mother, and finally glanced at Hayna, and replied softly in a low voice, "Actually...... I think he probably ran away. ”

"Escape?"

Sherlock also lowered his voice, with a childlike look of consternation: "Why? Is it because of the undead? ”

Marina next to her also came to the spirit.

It's not disgusting by Sherlock's throat-pinching voice...... But she was also really interested in the answer. She asked her mother many times when she was a child, but the other party was confused. At that time, she was actually a little afraid of this father, who was a little rude and completely different from her own appearance, so her relationship with the magnetic hammer was not very good at that time.

And now she is gradually reacting......

It seems that the problem is his own mother.

This dwarf father, who had only taken care of himself since he was a few years old and was not related by blood, was more normal.

"Not the undead - although I was scared when I first arrived, these undead generally don't hurt. So I got used to it gradually. ”

The magnetic hammer lowered his voice, wrapped in the smell of alcohol, and put his head in front of Sherlock's face, and pressed his forehead against Sherlock's forehead: "There is a rumor that ...... He saw something he shouldn't see, so he went crazy. ”

"Things you shouldn't see......"

Haina muttered, "Could it be that Grandpa Jacob did some evil research?" ”

"Ah, that's not ......"

The magnetic hammer waved his hand again and again: "Your grandfather Jacob writes books at home every day, what research can you do......

Actually, it's because he seems to see another self. A few days before he left, he was visibly uneasy. His master asked, and said that he seemed to have seen another person who was exactly like himself. After a few days, it was gone...... When I first arrived, it happened to be a rumor in the village, so I was quite impressed. ”

"So, what about after that?"

Sherlock did his best to make a scared face: "After he leaves...... Is that 'alter self' still there? ”

"No more. That's why it's a rumor. ”

The magnetic hammer returned to its normal volume and laughed: "I thought, if there really is 'another self', then he shouldn't have disappeared at all - when he disappears, shouldn't he be replaced by 'another self'?" Then no one would have realized that he was missing.

At that time, William Sr. also investigated this matter, and asked his colleagues to help investigate. However, no trace has been found, and there is no record of him leaving by train, even in Bagpipe Town.

"But then...... About two years later. At that time, Haina had not yet gone to school in bagpipe town when her mother received a letter. It was sent by her bastard father, saying that he had been living on the glass island for a long time and had never been able to contact his family. Recently, I finally finished a big job and can take a vacation. I'll come back when I find time.

But he didn't come back until the end. He didn't leave his address either, so we couldn't send it back.

Haina's mother was also literate, and she confirmed that it was the other person's handwriting. The priest of the village also confirmed that the handwriting was correct. So he probably didn't die. At least I didn't die more than ten years ago...... But I haven't sent a letter back for so long, and I've either forgotten it or I'm dead. ”

"yes......"

Sherlock sneered.

But he and Hayna looked at each other silently, but their hearts sank.

- Not true.

The problem here is that Hayna's father disappeared suddenly.

The villagers and dwarves may not know, but Sherlock understands that if a person wants to go missing, it is not that easy.

Unless he is able to change his appearance, it is easy to leave all kinds of traces. Overseers are very good at tracking down traces...... Haina knew that, too.

If a person goes to live in a foreign country, he at least asks for money. And if you want to make money, you have to participate in the work you are familiar with.

And no one mentioned that he absconded with the money when he left, which means that he didn't leave much money on him. And at that time he was just an apprentice blacksmith, not a real blacksmith like a hammer. He didn't make much money at all.

In this case, he basically did not have the possibility of leaving on his own volition, and left no trace.

There are really only two possibilities.

Either so, he was kidnapped or killed. There is another person who helps him deal with his whereabouts, that is to say he has accomplices.

Either that, or he disappeared suddenly—teleported away, or fell into a swamp.

But he was able to send the letter a few years later, and the handwriting confirmed that it was sent by himself. As to whether the letter was written years ago, this Sherlock believes that the hammer should not be so stupid.

So, let's say her father is still alive a few years after his disappearance. And if you don't want the villagers to know where they are, you can launch another possibility......

- The "father" who suddenly disappeared was actually the clone. Because he was made of rituals or spells, he disappeared silently without leaving a trace.

And the real ontology has already gone to the glass island with the help of others.

If "copying a person" is a ritual effect, then the person who helps him should be a powerful ritualist.

Is there such a ritual master in Eagle Cape Village?

There really is.

That was Ivus's grandfather, Jacob Alexander.

Although Sherlock didn't know what his specific energy level was, since the two noble reds of the fifth level had not been able to kill him directly, then Jacob was at least the fourth level, and possibly even the fifth level.

He went to Glass Island to help Jacob arrange some ceremonies remotely?

After all, Jacob was being hunted by the Noble Red at the time, and it was inconvenient for him to go to those places where there were many people.

And a few years later, he completed that ceremony.

…… Wait a minute.

Wait a minute?

Sherlock suddenly chuckled.

- How many years later?

He thought of something, and went through the timeline from the beginning-

When Sherlock investigated Ivus, he had found out that his grandfather had died when Ivas was about four years old due to "occasional colds".

Haina was four years older than Aiwas, and that was about eight years old. It's almost as good as Hayna's experience learning to read and write from Jacob.

- and little Jack, who is eight years younger than Hayna.

That is, a year before little Jack was born, his biological father disappeared; Half a year later, the hammer came to the village of Eagle Cape; Less than a year later, Jacob died. After his death, the relics were somehow stolen by the noble red people, but they didn't find the one they wanted most.

Immediately after that, someone sent a threatening letter of unknown significance. They killed Giulio's niece, Lisa, and in the letter mentioned that Iwas's father, Julio Alexander, "didn't do what they said," threatening to kill Iwas.

Ewass' biological parents were killed and orphaned. However, he was later exiled to an orphanage, where he was not pursued any further.

Then Hayna's father sent a letter back...... He said that he had been living on the glass island for a long time. After that, she really disappeared, and she didn't come to look for her until she graduated from college and appeared in the newspaper.

During the time that Hayna's father traveled to the Isle of Glass and returned from sending letters, was there anything special that only a ritual master could do?

- Yes.

That's the day Sherlock told Ivus that Cape Eagle's Head was Hayna's hometown. That day, Sherlock overheard Bishop Mathers explaining to Ivas why he wasn't there that day...... The answer is that the curse of the red-hilted sword was accidentally leaked the night before.

Sherlock hadn't woken up yet, so he didn't have time to lift the bar. Then he came to his senses, but the subject had left, and he couldn't go back to it—but he remembered it.

Because he felt something was wrong at that time.

The seal of the red-hilted sword was cast by Merlin.

Although he hated that guy, Sherlock knew that Merlin's technology was very good, how could that thing be leaked so easily?

Not to mention leaking, even if you are induced to unseal, you have to be a top ritual master to do it.

It's only been leaked once in so many years, and that happened to be the day.

Sherlock doesn't believe in coincidence.

It is highly likely that Hayna's father was on the Glass Island, assisting Jacob in his rituals from afar! Induced the leakage of the seal of the red-hilted sword!

- So far, the time, ability, and perpetrators are basically matched.

But then it got even stranger.

The question that baffles Sherlock is......

Why did Ivus's grandfather design to kill Ivus's parents before he died?

Sherlock remembers that the man who killed Evas's parents was a cursed man from the desert who operated the Iron Hook Demon. This shouldn't be Jacob's man.

But the person who brought them to the Isle of Glass and couldn't find Bishop Mathers was Haina's father. Because he made the bishop happen to be absent that day.

Or is Jacob not trying to kill Ivus's parents, but that something is wrong with his plan?

Could it be that the cursed master is also Jacob's man? That's why Ivas didn't continue to be hunted down after that.

But what the hell is going on......

"Strange ......"

Sherlock tugged at his hair.

It's not clear here in any way.

His instinct was clearly aware that he was missing a very crucial clue in the last part of the reasoning. There is only one last step left to connect the truth, but that crucial sentence is missing.

"Damn!"

Sherlock subconsciously punched Haina beside him, planning to go to Ivas first and share information.

Update complete!

(End of chapter)