The world controlled by dice [Western Fantasy]

Last December, when Siles was arranging club activities, he learned from Mrs. Fuller that there would be an exhibition of exotic art, so he made a tour of the art exhibition a club activity.

That's the Art Show from Middleton.

At that art exhibition, the paintings of a painter named Frank Longhi attracted much attention.Those paintings all have a shocking sense of power, the struggle of human beings in the face of storms, the gap between insignificant life and the majestic nature... that feeling is charming and dangerous.

The days of Frank Longey's prestige were not so far away.He was born in AD 300 and died in his 60s, after which his paintings immediately became famous.All in all, it's just the past thirty years.

If the Foster Langhe in front of him is really related to the painter Frank Langhe, based on the general age of marriage and childbirth in his 20s, then that painter is likely to be his... great-grandfather?

Foster Longhi's Const language is a bit rusty, but there is no problem with daily communication.During lunch and on the way to Bethune University, Siles communicated with this young and introverted student.

From his mouth, Siles learned that it was because of his family background that Foster learned the language of Conster.Foster himself has also traveled to countries such as Constance and Kansas to learn about local culture and art.

Siles said, "I once heard of a painter from Middleton named Frank Longey. Is he your...?"

"He is my great-grandfather!" Foster said with some surprise, "I didn't expect the professor to know my great-grandfather. Have you seen his works?"

"Const once held an exhibition of Middleton's art, and I saw some works in the exhibition. I am very interested in Middleton's ocean, and the paintings of Mr. Langhe happen to express this aspect." Siles said.

Foster nodded repeatedly.It could be seen that the young man was unexpectedly excited by the mention of his family.Family, family, clan, tribe, these concepts are condensed in the blood of Middleton people.

Foster said: "My great-grandfather was once the president of Bethune University, and it was he who led the artistic movement in Middleton, and he taught several famous artists who are now very famous.

"Before that, the people of Middleton didn't even have a concept of art. You are from Conster, and you may not be able to imagine the life of many Middleton people in normal times.

"Their life repeats the same content every day, and there is nothing memorable. Their belief in the ocean is also boring. They don't know why they believe in it, and what relationship they have with the ocean.

"It was my great-grandfather who developed and fleshed out the concept."

Siles listened thoughtfully to the young man's excited words, and said, "You adore your great-grandfather very much."

"Yes, Professor." Foster said a little embarrassedly, "before I was born, my great-grandfather passed away. He was very low-key during his lifetime. Even though he painted many powerful works, he didn't let others appreciate them.

"My father said that my great-grandfather always appreciated the practice, depiction and recording of art and beauty in the real world. My great-grandfather thought that his work was not real enough, so he was not willing to show his paintings.

"...But I thought that great-grandfather was good enough. So immediately after he passed away, people flocked to praise his work like crazy. I can understand this kind of madness.

"When I was born and grew up, my great-grandfather's works happened to be the most popular. I heard family members, classmates, and teachers keep mentioning my great-grandfather, his ideas, and his works.

"I think great-grandfather is a very powerful person. So I also admire him very much, as if he can secretly inspire me. I regret that I have not been able to really get along with him. I can only glimpse his past from the words of history. life."

Sirius nodded thoughtfully.

He wondered if Frank Longhi's paintings became popular after his death because, while he was alive, he didn't think his own work was perfect?

This idea is indeed very much like an artist.However, Siles didn't know much about painting, he just thought that Frank Longhi's works were really good.

Foster added: "However, I don't have much talent in painting, so when I was in college, I finally decided to study philosophy as a major. It is also a very interesting major."

"What does the philosophy of Bethune University study?" Siles was a little curious about this.

In Ramifa University, the Faculty of Literature and History does have a philosophy major, but this major has always been remote, and the researchers are also weird and not very likable, so they have always kept a low profile and do not deal with outsiders much.

Siles was a little interested in hearing about philosophy as a major in a foreign country by accident.

"It's... people..." Foster fell into the dilemma of not knowing how to translate, he said a little embarrassedly, "It's the relationship between people and the world?"

Sirius nodded, he understood.However, he is actually more curious about how people will construct their own worldview in this world with strange powers?

However, they didn't have much time to discuss these topics, because they had already arrived at Bethune University.

Situated by the sea, Bethune University looks more like a resort than an institution of knowledge.Most of the buildings here are blue and white, very refreshing and eye-catching, but it looks a bit cold in winter.

The arched dome of the building makes the whole school look less indifferent, and this architectural style also gives people an approachable feeling.There are some students walking around in the school, most of them are tall and calm-eyed.

They looked over with curiosity and a not-so-obvious look in their eyes.This group of students, the feeling they bring to people is somewhat different from the Bethune residents outside the school.

Siles and his group marched into Bethune University in a mighty manner.In the past, not all the people from the church came, but some were responsible for their safety.But even so, the team of more than a dozen people still seemed crowded.

They walked in along the school gate and walked around the university all the way.Bethune University occupies a large area, and the entire school is obviously open and open, which is completely different from La Mifa University.

In Bethune, different majors of the university have different buildings, and the teaching buildings are set up separately.There are dormitories specially provided for students, as well as several lively canteens.This configuration made Siles feel familiar and friendly.

He and Foster exchanged the differences between the two universities, and both of them felt a little surprised.Foster said stammeringly: "Lamifa University sounds very interesting. A huge castle, like a legend."

Siles couldn't help smiling.

They eventually arrived at a wider two-story building.The leading young professor from Middleton said: "This is the building of our Faculty of Liberal Arts. In the future, you will all communicate with other professors here."

Const people nodded.Siles thought, liberal arts college.Fantastic appellation.

At this moment he felt an inevitable longing for his home earth.Familiar titles, friendly teaching buildings, familiar dormitories and canteens... He felt in a trance that those things were so close and so far away from him.

After all, even for He Jiayin, college time was ten years ago.For Siles Noel, that was even more distant.

He was stunned for a moment, and then suddenly came back to his senses and looked at the people around him.They were talking, in Const or Middleton.At that moment, he felt a subtle strangeness.

... Stranger.Not only for the land of Middleton, but also for the entire Fisher world.

But...but...

But at the same time, he felt very clearly the kind of incompatibility with the foreigner, which corresponds to a clear understanding of himself.Because he is feeling this kind of strangeness, he feels nostalgia for the earlier things, thinking that they are closer to himself.

He is out of tune with these people at the moment because this is Middleton, and he is more familiar with Const; in essence, it is because he is from Earth.He has a completely different cultural background from this world.

culture.civilization.self-knowledge.

...undertone?

He was stunned.

"...Professor Noel?" Foster called his name hesitantly.

Siles suddenly recovered.The wind from the sea brushed his cheeks, bringing a frightening cold.

He said: "Sorry, my mind wandered. I was just thinking about my college days."

"Oh, when you were in college?" said Foster. "You look pretty young, though."

Siles thought for a moment, then smiled slightly: "However, that is a very distant thing. After becoming a professor, it will be very fresh to recall the things of the student days."

Foster looked at Siles suspiciously.

Lorenzo, who happened to be standing by, interjected, "Oh, I see what you mean, Professor Noel. You mean it's nice to give students more homework than you did when you were a student, isn't it? ?”

Siles: "..."

He glanced at Lorenzo silently, and then thought to himself, forget it, this world is actually quite similar to the earth.

And Foster looked at Lorenzo even more in horror, and then his expression gradually changed to thoughtful, then contemplative, and finally, heartbroken.

...Look what you've done, Professor Lorenzo Grantham.Siles shook his head involuntarily.

"They're going to the next place, let's follow," he said.

The three of them continued to walk forward.

Siles, on the other hand, was absent-mindedly thinking about the question he had just thought of.

In fact, he has always had the idea that the reason why his will attribute is so high is because he is a foreigner from the earth.

His cognition of himself has always been so firm, knowing that his real name is He Jiayin, so he will not be polluted by the old gods of this world.

After all, He Jiayin is unique in this world, isn't he?Just like Qin Duo's identity as the blood descendant of the old god, both of them have a clear and clear understanding of themselves, so they have a firm and unshakable will.

However, Siles had just thought deeply about this issue, and at the same time combined with what he had seen and heard in the past, he suddenly felt that this idea was not correct enough.

Like that foreign bishop, Elizabeth Hosier.

Her will attribute is not that high, at least in the setting of the running group script.However, her identity is also quite clear.It's just that she struggled between two self-cognitions and couldn't find a definite answer.

…But Siles didn’t encounter this problem, he never felt that the two identities of “Earth novelist He Jiayin” and “Fischer World’s literary history professor Siles Noel” would make him hesitate .

He recognized the identity of "He Jiayin" too firmly, so even if he had also recognized the identity of "Siles Noel" now, it would not affect his recognition of the former.

But why so determined?

Siles suddenly felt puzzled.

Because of his status as a secret keeper?Or, because of... the Earth?

Maybe his hometown is... a bit more special than he imagined?

At that moment just now, Siles felt that he was out of place in this world, and at the same time felt that this incompatibility highlighted his self-cognition.

This is similar to what was mentioned in the conversation between the wandering poets Aldous Gershwin and Graves Darrow Cremer, that only in a foreign land can one understand oneself more clearly.

In other words, this creates contrast.

If a person exists in isolation, it is impossible for him to have a clear understanding of himself; only when he gets along with others and differentiates, he realizes the difference between "I and you" and "I and him". Only then can we realize our own uniqueness.

When Siles was conducting experiments related to the ritual of "self-reappearance", he thought that when he was in his hometown, Earth, he had directly come into contact with countless other people's concepts and ideas on the Internet.

He is already very familiar with this practice of being muddled by other people's thoughts and then being forced to wash his face clean.At the time, he also believed that the experience might boost his willpower.

The two worlds are not the same.Even though there are similarities in some aspects, he has always understood that the essence of the two worlds is different.

And now the question he is thinking about is, how different is this difference?

Earth and Fischer's world... Does it mean not only the difference in time and space, but also the difference between Earth civilization and Fischer's civilization?

This also involves the issue of "underground color" that Siles once considered.

He once thought that if the color is used as a metaphor, the souls of people in this world may be blue, and other things, such as spiritual pollution, may also be blue.

Therefore, when revelators are tainted, they may not be aware of the difference.Because blue and blue, even if there is a difference in brightness and depth, it will not be so serious, maybe you have ignored the past unintentionally.

But the base color of Sirius' soul may be red.Because the contrast is so stark, when any blue pollution enters his soul, he is instantly aware of it and rejects it.

Maybe he has gradually recognized this identity in Fisher's world now, or maybe his soul color has been slightly mixed with blue.

However, because the red is so rich and deep, and this little blue is harmless, he still has a firm self-cognition of "earthman".

...it is quite possible.It's just that Siles has never thought about it before, why is his earth red so "solid"?And what does this "solidity" mean?

For an afternoon, Siles was almost obsessed with this problem.

He thought over and over, and carefully considered some details of the past.He thought of the metaphor of the dice to this world.However, he now suddenly realizes that this "world" is not only Fisher's world, but also the world in a wider sense?

Dice also once said that the relationship between Earth and Fisher's world is more intimate than he imagined.

What dimension does this intimacy come from?

This kind of trouble actually comes from civilization.

In terms of this word alone, the country of Middleton can also be said to be a kind of civilization.However, Elizabeth Hosier, a native of Middleton, did not have such a firm self-awareness as Sirius.

Therefore, in the current context, civilization must symbolize something larger.

Siles also thought of a strange thing at the same time.Dice said that when he came to Fisher's world, he was already the "Keeper of Secrets".

However, it is impossible for him and his friends to play this group running game on Earth, and there will be other players and hosts involved.If they time travel, will they be keepers?

Is it because he is special, or is it because the earth is special?Or is it because of a combination of the two?

Siles had a vague thought.He gradually leaned towards the third possibility.

In other words, "Earth" plus "He Jiayin" made him a helper in this world.The latter may be due to his personal character, ability, etc., while the former is the root cause of his high will attribute.

... His hometown, the earth, is his backing and his greatest weapon.

When he realized this, the group was having dinner in the dining hall at Bethune University.Almost every university has such a canteen specially used to entertain foreign guests. It is not open to students, but the dishes are definitely first-class in the canteen.

Siles' silence along the way didn't attract much attention from other people, because his personality has always been like this, and when he occasionally recovered, he would also participate in other people's conversations, so no one noticed his strangeness .

If Gyndo was here, perhaps he could tell at a glance that his beloved god was preoccupied.But Cindo wasn't here.

An afternoon of thinking gave Siles some ideas.He thinks that the next time he communicates with Dice, maybe they can discuss more about the earth.

Like, if Fisherworld needed a helper, why did the dice travel to Earth to find this person?

Thinking about it, Sirius couldn't help but sighed.He felt a little belated.No, it should be said that he failed to connect everything earlier and failed to realize the special nature of the earth.

But it's not too late now.It just so happens that he is gradually touching on the topic of "shadows".These mysteries seem to be advancing in tandem, he thought.

He thought jokingly again, maybe his host just passed a spirituality or knowledge judgment for him, and then he achieved great success, so he could think of so many things, but he himself didn't know the existence of this fate.

...Wait, seriously, the dice guy won't secretly give him a judgment, right?

Siles thought a little troubled about this question.

[Will +1. 】

[You need to make a will judgment. 】

[Will: 94 (+1)/25, success. 】

[You are aware of the problems of the world, but from another perspective, thinking about these problems will only increase your troubles, because you can ask this lonely old "dice" of me.By the way, this determination of will has nothing to do with the little will you just increased. 】

Siles was slightly taken aback.

The moment these prompts appeared, his subconscious thought was whether the dice had peeped into his thoughts?But the next moment, he denied his guess.

On the contrary, he felt a little ashamed because of this thought, after all, the dice told him long ago that it would not do such a thing.This suspicion is unwarranted.

therefore……

The dice instructions are actually divided into two parts.

The first part is for the will attribute that he has grown.Obviously, Siles' idea is right. He realized the uniqueness of the earth and further consolidated his self-cognition, which is why he has this attribute of will.The dice also specifically illustrate this point.

The second part has nothing to do with his thinking just now, and the second part really has this judgment about his inexplicable experience.

The value of 25, determination of will...

Siles narrowed his eyes slightly, and he suddenly came back to his senses, realizing that they were in Middleton's cafeteria.

……canteen?

He focused his attention on the dishes in front of him and the surrounding environment.

In terms of determination of will, it can only be mental pollution, and the value of 25 can be said to be a very weak pollution.And the reason why the dice made a judgment at this time is probably to remind him of this matter.

Siles is not in the ritual time now, nor is he wearing [Akamala's Spectacle Frame], so he didn't notice any problems with the scene in front of him at all.

After thinking about it, he excused himself to go to the bathroom, swallowed the potion, and put on his glasses.When he returned to the dinner table, no one even paid attention to his departure, because everyone had been talking about it very enthusiastically.

Siles set his eyes on the dishes in front of him.He looked carefully before noticing that there was nothing wrong with the dishes but the plates.

Some fine, hazy gray-black mist lingered on the ceramic plates containing delicate dishes.So tiny, it feels more like the material of those plates than anything else.It can only be seen through 【Akamala's Spectacle Frame】.

Siles took off his glasses thoughtfully.

...he didn't want to see this scene.Although there was nothing wrong with those dishes, he ate a lot just now.This feeling is always a little creepy.

It should be said that it was because of eating the dishes served on these plates that the dice made this judgment?

Siles made a careful decision and then gave everyone present a judgment of will, especially the professors from Ramifa University. They can be said to be completely ordinary people and know nothing about the enlightener. That would be bad.

The fact that the plates were pretty unobtrusive, and the fact that the real problem came with the material on the inside, rather than the paint and trim on the outside, makes it all the more suspicious.

...what's the problem?Is it the Bethune University who purchased the dinner plates, the merchant who sold the dinner plates, or the raw material supplier?

"I noticed that these dinner plates are very beautiful." Siles said suddenly, "Is it a specialty of Middleton?"

Siles' words surprised the others, and they all set their eyes on those ceramic plates.People didn't notice the plates at first because the dishes were covering them.People are too eager to eat to pay attention to the containers below.

But now, as the dinner came to an end, the dishes were almost divided, and the beautiful dinner plate underneath was exposed.The patterns are all around, complicated and dense, and at the same time, they all contain some quite exquisite ocean elements.

Looking at the pattern, Foster Langhe showed a slightly confused expression.

Professor Bella said in amazement: "It's really exquisite!" She seemed to want to buy a few and take them home as gifts from Middleton for her friends.

... Siles had to secretly think about how to stop Professor Bella's thoughts.

Folks from Const raved about these plates.So, as the host of the guests, the Bethune University professor smiled and said: "Well, I will inquire about the origin of these dinner plates later.

"I do know that Middleton has some very famous ceramic products. When we visit Bethune tomorrow, I can also take you to pick and buy them."

They all agreed with this opinion.

It's not early, and they will also return to the hotel.

Bethune University actually arranged accommodation for the visiting scholars of Ramifa University, but they did not expect that there would be so many people from the past church accompanying them, so there would not be so many rooms for a while.

So Professor Bella flatly and tactfully declined the matter.Anyway, they had already checked into the hotel, and the hotel was not too far from Bethune University, so they could just stay there, and there was no need to pack up and move to other hotels.

This can be regarded as the best of both worlds.So, the person in charge of Bethune University sent them back to the hotel and bid them farewell.

After an afternoon of sightseeing, they also felt tired, so they said goodbye to each other quickly, and then returned to the room.Taking advantage of this opportunity, Siles quickly made a will determination for everyone who had just eaten, and confirmed that they are all in good condition.

Although ordinary people are not highly polluted because of their low spirituality, Siles cannot guarantee whether there is a person who has the qualifications of a revelation among these ordinary people, so he simply judged all of them.

Most people's will attributes are within the normal range, and they can completely resist the mental pollution corresponding to the value of 25. Siles' judgment is just an additional layer of insurance.

However, what surprised Siles was that Foster Langhe had a willpower as high as 72, which can be said to stand out from the crowd.

He couldn't help looking thoughtfully at Foster's leaving back.

This can be said to be a windfall.he thinks.Could it be the impact of philosophy majors?Or does it mean that Foster Langhe also possesses some kind of unknown and firm self-awareness?

While Siles was thinking, Knight Commander Bunyan came over and asked in a low voice: "Professor, you just asked about those ceramic plates at the dining table, and you also wore glasses. Is there any problem?"

Obviously, the knight commander is aware of the problem.After all, [Akamala's Spectacle Frame] came from the Church of the Past, and they are very aware of the power of this ceremony.

...Of course, as far as Siles is concerned, he doubts very much that the reason why this spectacle frame is so powerful to him is, in the final analysis, because he has mastered the power of Akamala, thus further strengthening the ability of this ceremony.

Siles nodded. "I think there's mental pollution in those plates," he said.

He didn't explain more, but Knight Commander Bunyan already showed a shocked expression.

Obviously, Bunyan believed Siles' judgment without hesitation. After all, Siles was the inventor of the "self-returning" ritual, and everyone knew that Siles had quite in-depth research on spiritual pollution.

Bunyan immediately frowned, and said, "This is a bit abnormal. Why does this kind of spiritual pollution appear in Bethune University? It seems..."

"It's too dangerous," Sirius said.

Beneath the surface of the mundane events of everyday life lies danger.Who would have thought that they were just having dinner in a university cafeteria, and then there would be some weird little problems with the beautifully patterned and exquisitely crafted ceramic dinner plates?

...he thought of Grayson's meat and desserts again.Really bad.

Perhaps this is why Bishop Elizabeth asked them to stand still not long ago, and first observe the situation in Bethune.This city is not as safe as it seems on the surface, and there are also undercurrents surging.

Siles didn't continue to dwell on this issue. He said, "You can observe the situation of other people, and then wait for the reply from the professor at Bethune University tomorrow. It's better for us to keep a low profile as much as possible in Bethune."

Knight Commander Bunyan also agreed with this point.Although he was still arguing with Elizabeth this morning, he has completely calmed down now.Perhaps, he finally realized that they were in a strange land.

That night, Siles did not enter the deep sea dream.Originally, he could enter the dream world this day, but considering that he might get news related to the strange ceramic material later, he decided to postpone it for a day.

He was also rarely able to sleep.Of course, he knew it in his heart because he thought of his hometown, Earth.It was the heavy ties and homesickness that held him back from falling asleep.

He knew it was human, and he couldn't help admitting that he didn't like it very much.That made him feel a little weak.

...Come on, He Jiayin.he thinks.It is normal for adults to have some soft emotions in the middle of the night.Don't be so hard on yourself.

He stared blankly for a moment, then sighed softly.He had to admit that when he was eating today, he thought of his earth's hot pot and milk tea.Maybe try it with Qin Duo next time, can you reproduce the classic dishes of the earth in a different world.

...Although his tomato scrambled eggs were a failure, hot pot and milk tea, things like this can't possibly fail, right?

He fell asleep in nostalgia for the delicacies of the earth.

The next morning, they embarked on a journey to visit Bethune.But Siles was very curious about those dinner plates yesterday.It would be too obvious for him to continue asking now, so he talked to Dr. Chester in private.

The doctor was obviously surprised that there were new incidents to be investigated in Siles within a few days.But this kind of surprise disappeared in a flash, and Chester was probably used to it.

He then found an opportunity to ask the professor.

At that time, they happened to be visiting the port of Bethune. This is the port where fishermen go to sea, which is different from the passenger port where they landed before.The name of the port is a rather complex Middletonian term.

Outside the port is a large and small hawker market, where fishermen sell freshly caught fish and other seafood, and the residents of Bethune shuttle among them, choosing and buying what they need.

The port in the early morning is the busiest and lively moment.Time came to March, and the weather gradually became warmer.The blue sky and the blue ocean are intertwined in the distance, accompanied by the noise of people in front of the blue and white buildings, which rarely gives people a sense of peace.

The professor mentioned that the fishing industry, as well as the current market, is an important economic pillar of Bethune.

Just mentioned the economy, so Chester said: "Speaking of Bethune's economy, yesterday you said that the ceramic industry is also very popular in Middleton?"

"Exactly!" said the professor, "I went to inquire about it yesterday, and only then did I know that on the isolated islands in the deep sea, the soil of some islands is very suitable for making pottery. Some fishermen happened to go to those isolated islands. , and discovered this by accident.

"It is said that this method was learned from the aborigines of those islands. Those people made pottery in a very crude way, but it was very durable.

"So some merchants dug some soil and tried to make ceramics, and the result was really good. They regarded those islands as the origin of raw materials and became their exclusive source of goods."

Siles couldn't help asking: "So, what about the residents on those isolated islands?"

"Uh, what?" The professor was a little surprised, "Those residents... naturally still live on the island. Oh, but I heard that some merchants will drive some residents away when they mine the special soil. This It's also inevitable."

Siles wanted to say something, but in the end he just said in a low voice, "I see."

Some people can understand what he is trying to say, but some people just feel that it doesn't matter.One person asked: "So, is this kind of ceramic relatively rare?"

The professor explained: "I can't say that completely. In fact, there are quite a lot of ceramics produced in the end, but most of them were bought by the upper class, and some were purchased like our university.

"The remaining small amount will go to the market, and the price of that is usually more expensive. So, if you want to buy that special ceramic, it may not be very cost-effective.

"However, ordinary ceramics are also very suitable as souvenirs. The geographical location of Middleton is very different from that of Conster, and the ceramics here are also quite beautiful and exquisite."

Several people nodded, and it seemed that they planned to buy some to bring back to Conster.

And Siles also nodded, and he was secretly relieved, because they didn't plan to buy those special ceramics.

Obviously, the soil from those isolated islands has some problems, and it carries some kind of spiritual pollution-the gray-black mist, not a fog; Sirius once saw such pollution when removing the spiritual pollution for those enlighteners, but He did not know which Old God it belonged to.

In terms of color alone... Maybe Houddoka?

However, if it is related to the fog, maybe it can also be said that various pollutions are mixed together?Siles wasn't quite sure what the situation was.

In short, it is inevitable that raw materials carry pollution.However, ordinary people don't know about this, even if it is a revelation, or someone else with power, if they don't have the power of Sirius, it will be difficult to perceive the problem.

After all, the mental pollution corresponding to the value of 25 is so small that even ordinary people can resist it with their own will.But precisely because of its smallness, once it adds up, the situation may be very serious.

On the side, Commander Benyan asked the question that Sirius was also confused about: "Excuse me, when did this special ceramic become popular?"

The professor was stunned