The world controlled by dice [Western Fantasy]

"Good afternoon, Professor."

Siles stood by the window, looking out at the street.The sky was cloudy this day, not as clear as yesterday.Hearing this, he turned around and looked at Mrs. Fuller who came to this room. He smiled and said, "Good afternoon."

"You came early," said Mrs. Fuller with a smile. "School starts the day after tomorrow?"

"Yes." There was a slight exclamation in Siles' tone, "It's another new semester."

It's one o'clock in the afternoon.He arrived at 18 Housewell Street to meet friends.

He thought of some more distant memory.

For example, not long after he came to this world, he got a business card from Grenfell, then went to the Historical Society, happened to meet Angela Clayton, and then went to the space behind the door together, and met Everyone else in room 666...

That is a very distant memory, but also a very memorable memory.

He chatted with Mrs. Fuller one after another, because they still had to wait for the arrival of other companions, so they didn't mention any important information.

Mrs. Fuller said, "I've been at the Historical Society for a while this morning. There's still so much going on in the first corridor that I don't even want to get involved."

The employment of these revelators by the Historical Society is not a "job" in the true sense, but more like a part-time job and cooperation.It is true that there are many young people who are willing to seek a position here, but for Mrs. Fuller, she naturally does not need to stay here for a long time.

It should be said that to Mrs. Fuller, the Revelator is like a novel and interesting field that she accidentally stepped into after she was old.She met new friends and learned new knowledge here, but it was no longer possible for her to really settle down.

Siles nodded and said, "However, I heard that the Historical Society is also undergoing changes recently."

"Perhaps yes. The group arena match in the first half of the year made many people excited. As far as I know, there are many enlighteners who have not participated before are eager to try." Mrs. Fuller thought for a while, "Today is Saturday , It seems that some high-level officials of the Historical Society have discussed this matter."

Siles was a little surprised to learn of this.

It happened that Angela Clayton opened the door and walked in: "Good afternoon... Ah, Professor! You are back!"

"Good afternoon." Siles said, "Yes, I just came back a while ago, and the new school year is about to start."

Although he thought these words were just objective facts, he felt that the smile on Angela's face seemed to froze.

... Indeed, he thought, Miss Angela Clayton was still a student after all.

Angela sat down, and put the small wooden box she carried with her on the table—maybe it was a snack or something, she always asked the chef at home to make some and bring it over.

Then, she nonchalantly avoided the topic of the start of school: "So, what are you guys talking about? I heard...the senior management of the Historical Society?"

"It's about the group arena." Mrs. Fuller kindly followed Angela's topic. "The Historical Society seems to be planning to hold a bigger group arena next year."

"I've also heard about this." Angela immediately said enthusiastically, "As far as I know, many elders regard this as a symbol of honor, and plan to let their own men try it. .

"...By the way, they seem to be discussing this matter at the Historical Society today?"

"Yes, that's true." Mrs. Fuller echoed the words, "The first corridor is responsible for arranging their schedule. They should plan to visit the salon in the afternoon."

Siles listened thoughtfully from the side, and he realized that the information that his companions could obtain within the Historical Society really cannot be underestimated.

While talking, Darrell Hobbs and Eric Collens arrived successively.They all said that Professor Siles Noel, a busy man, had finally returned to Ramifa City.

Siles: "..."

Another burst of ridicule.he thought.

Darrell yawned, looking a little listless.

Eric couldn't help asking: "What have you been up to lately, Darrell?"

"Academics, and training in the third corridor." Darrell said, "There are some rumors... probably about next year's group arena, so the enlighteners in the third corridor are working hard."

Mrs. Fuller couldn't help laughing: "We were just talking about the group arena."

Eric asked a little puzzled: "Is this matter so widely known?"

"No, it's just that we all know." Angela also laughed, "The specific plan is still under discussion. With the efficiency of the group of elders, it would be quite good to have a rough plan when God's birthday comes." gone."

They all couldn't help laughing.

This topic came to an end temporarily, and Darrell curiously asked about Siles' experience in the past period of time.

"This is exactly what I plan to tell you." Siles said in a steady tone. "In the future, maybe I need your help... about this city."

"This city?" They all looked at Siles dumbly.

"A group of followers of the old gods are coming to Lamifa City, which can also be said to be the aftermath of what happened in May." Siles said, still maintaining calm, even though his companions have shown expressions of astonishment, " I think they're going to do something."

Angela was stunned. She stared at Siles for a while, and then stammered, "Professor, can you...can you still be so calm?"

Siles smiled, and said, "Don't worry too much. Anyway, we've got the upper hand."

But Angela and Darrell were still grimacing.Mrs. Fuller still looked thoughtful.

Eric sighed, "Professor, your busyness is well worth it." He paused, then added, "Well, I'm not trying to make fun of you. I mean, you're unknowingly In it, it seems that the secret of the whole world has been involved."

Mrs. Fuller nodded likewise, and said, "You're doing a great job."

In contrast, the two young people were not so amazed.Angela muttered in a low voice, "I'm not surprised that the professor is involved in anything."

Look at how many troubles Professor Noel has solved in the past year!They were not surprised a long time ago!

The elders were all amused by this remark.

Angela began to distribute the snacks she brought from home.She guessed that Sirius would show up today, school was about to start after all—although she didn't want to admit it—so she brought some extra, especially the two kinds of desserts that Sirius liked.

Mrs. Fuller asked the kitchen on the third floor to bring some tea and drinks.Eric also took out the small ceramic tea set brought from home.

This was made by his wife himself, and it is quite a small and exquisite style, which young ladies like Angela like very much.It is said that this is a new product that Harriet intends to sell at Geisha, and a set was made in advance, and Eric brought it over to have a look.

Eric intended to keep the tea set in their party room at 18 Howesville Street, so that he would not have to carry it around.

Afternoon tea snacks, drinks, tea sets, handicrafts, the breath of life seems to dilute the haze brought by the followers of the old gods.

But soon, Mrs. Fuller still mentioned this matter: "So, what do you need us to do?"

Darrell said a little excitedly: "Investigate! Adventure!"

"It's not that dangerous," said Siles first.

Suddenly Darrell lost interest.

The boy's expression made them laugh.In this atmosphere of laughter and laughter, Siles tried hard to maintain his composure.

He said: "More, you may still need to collect information. We can talk about this later. The most important thing is, Mrs. Fuller, Angela, about the Principality..."

Mrs. Fuller nodded thoughtfully.

"Grand Duke?" Angela said bluntly, "I don't think he can be counted on."

Darrell looked at him oddly.

Angela rolled her eyes, and sighed again: "Grand Duke...I'm afraid that he is all about the development of Lamifa City and Land of Never Ember. At this time, they don't care about the followers of the old gods."

"Even if this may cause harm to Lamifa City?" Eric couldn't help asking.

"But we don't have evidence. Of course I believe in the professor, and I think many people will believe in the professor. However, if the followers of the old gods are only making some noise behind the scenes, the principality officials will not be happy to show a... The attitude of facing the enemy." Angela said.

Mrs Fuller added: "They won't be happy at this moment to show that Ramifa City is dangerous and they need to be ready for that."

Darrell frowned and complained, "The secular to the secular, and the revelator to the revelator?"

Mrs. Fuller couldn't help laughing, and said in a low voice, "Indeed." She turned to Sirius again, "However, I think, Professor, that with regard to the information you want, at least in private, many nobles are Willing to cooperate."

Siles nodded, not disappointed either.

After understanding what happened to Ebenezer Const 14 years ago, some nobles and high-level officials in the Principality of Const, as long as they don't make trouble like Jonathan Bryant...

From this perspective, he would rather have fewer nobles know about this matter.

Therefore, he considered for a moment, then said: "I think our focus may need to be on 'art'."

Darrell tilted his head and asked a little confused, "Atkinya?"

"No, not believers of this god." Siles said, "But they may have used the name of this god, or put what they want to do in this field. This is my guess.

"Just like the situation with Kailan before. Atkinya's sphere of authority is quite... easily exploited."

Others suddenly realized.

In fact, such related examples are simply too numerous to enumerate.

Huddoka believers will use concepts related to "sculpture", which is naturally regarded as the category of art; some of the believers in death will devote their energy to the field of art in order to make their own "die more meaningful" .

Another example is the painter Leon. In terms of this profession alone, he is quite related to Atkinya; but this painter unfortunately came into contact with the power of dreams, and recorded this perception with the last work.

Siles did not witness the true face of the painting, but he heard that Dorothea's grandfather, that is, Adolphus Grant, mentioned that an ancestor of the Grant family decided to take a look at the painting before he died. Painting, and then died with only one sentence.

"The stars are shadows on a spider's web."

For Siles at the time, this sentence once touched him quite a lot.

But at the end of the day, the information comes from the expression of the painting.

In other words, people can easily express the power, concepts, etc. of gods through the form of art.

Followers of "Shadow" are no exception.

"Art" has become the shelter of many followers of the old gods, and the followers of "shadow" use these followers of the old gods as their masks.

Siles thought to himself that what they were about to deal with was a group of masked criminals; they were mixed together, and even they couldn't tell each other's identities, beliefs and true colors.

But in any case, they don't have to divide this group of people into grades, and it is also a good choice to treat them equally and catch them all.

Mrs. Fuller said at this time: "It's a coincidence. My family's business is linked to many art-related fields. I will try to see if there is something wrong recently."

Siles nodded and thanked Mrs. Fuller.

"Don't be so polite, Professor." Mrs. Fuller laughed. "This is what we should do. This city has been living here since I was born. I hope that the followers of the old gods will go to the city as soon as possible. Behold their gods."

They were all stunned for a moment.

Darrell murmured, "Oh, that's a nice new way of swearing..."

The originally dignified atmosphere relaxed because of Mrs. Fuller's rather joking words.

"Art..." Eric thought about it seriously, "I will definitely collect relevant information on the second corridor. Besides... I'm not sure, but my wife did cooperate with many people in West City to make those handicrafts. The ladies have dealt.

"They're all craft lovers, and they'll do pottery, embroidery, or whatever. Do they know anything?"

"It's all possible." Siles said, "The private flow of handicrafts is also something we need to pay attention to."

Moreover, in Xicheng, this kind of private transaction and buying and selling will be easier to carry out.

Eric nodded, and said, "I see, there must be something to do with it, and I will pay attention to it. If there are some illegal transactions, then Ernestine's Tavern will also have some rumors.

"It just so happens that we are busy with the trade fair recently. Maybe these followers of the old gods will mix in some dangerous artwork... This is quite a serious problem."

Siles nodded, and he suddenly remembered Ernestine's underground fair.

He curiously asked by the way: "How about the transaction?"

A few of them once went to the trade fair together, and the atmosphere surprised them who had just become enlighteners at that time.

"It's bigger than before, occupying more underground passages." Eric said with a sigh, "If Jonathan Bryant's accident hadn't happened, then Ernestine's trade fair may always be just that kind of black market appearance.

"...In a few days, the trade fair will start. This time it will last longer, it should be from August 8th to August 10th. Maybe you can go around if you are free."

They all nodded and accepted the invitation with joy.

Angela thought for a while, then said: "My words... I may start with the nobles I know. You know, the matter of the Marquis of Austin is caused by a painting.

"After that, many aristocrats temporarily restrained their enthusiasm for buying art, at least for a year or two. Therefore, if someone really wants to do something about it, it will be easy to find out. "

Siles suddenly realized.It was a novel angle that he wasn't aware of.

Indeed, apart from nobles such as the Grant family and the Harrison family who are themselves related to art, after hearing about the tragedy of the Marquis of Austin, other nobles will most likely be more vigilant about those works of art of unknown origin.

Mrs. Fuller also praised: "It's quite noteworthy."

Siles added: "Unsurprisingly, the whole thing is related to Ebenezer Const. He may return to Ramifa City, so those nobles who originally supported him are worth watching .”

Both Mrs. Fuller and Angela were surprised.

Angela rubbed her chin and murmured in a low voice: "If this matter is a fuss, then the Grand Duke might be willing to provide some help... However, we have to wait until that guy really shows up."

On the side, seeing that other people had given some results of their own thinking, Darrell also racked his brains to come up with a direction that might be useful.

He said: "Can I get some information from my brother? For example, have they encountered some suspicious people related to art recently. You know, my brother is a knight of the Church of Old Times."

Darrell's older brother, Lloyd Hobbs.

During the trip to Middleton during the previous spring break, Siles had recommended the young knight to Captain Bunyan.After returning to Ramifah City, Bunyan also seemed to promote the young man.

Judging from some information that Darrell occasionally mentioned before, this young man is now the captain of a small team and will handle some affairs independently.Without divulging confidentiality, he will probably mention some things encountered in the investigation with his family.

Although Siles has a good friendship with Knight Commander Bunyan, it is also a good way to obtain information directly from the frontline investigators.In any case, they need to collect information from multiple parties, and then compare and organize it.

Darrell's statement was echoed by others.

When they talked about their plans one after another, Siles felt a little stunned.

When everyone else looked at Siles, he couldn't help but smile slightly.He said, "Don't you think this scene is very familiar?"

His companions were taken aback.

Angela was the first to react, and she said, "It's very similar to every investigation we've done in the past!"

They always do.Everyone, thinking about what channels of investigation and information they can provide for a case, then split up and communicate with each other at the gathering every Saturday.

And generally speaking, they do a pretty good job, always pushing the door to the truth bit by bit.

Mrs. Fuller whispered, "Is this the power of the Revelator?"

"I'd rather be," Eric said with a smile. "That way, we'd be successful."

"We always make it," Darrell said of course.

The young boy's almost outrageous statement made them all laugh.Angela smiled and said, “I hope so!”

Later, Siles also mentioned the ceremony of the [Invisible Pen] to them.This novel ritual naturally made them very curious and surprised.The two young men wanted to make an attempt immediately.

Siles couldn't help but smile, he mentioned the overall process of the ceremony, and then watched the experiments of his companions.

This ceremony is not difficult, the difficulty lies more in the emergence of inspiration and the process of experimentation.

Siles and Grenfell have conducted an experiment before; this morning, he and Qindo also conducted an experiment, and determined that "direction of ideas" can distinguish different papers.

Of course, this is for Siles.His will can support him to make such a difficult action, and he is used to it.For others, a better solution is to use different pens for different people.

All these complications aside, the ceremony turned out to be quite interesting.

Darrell played for a while, and then blurted out inadvertently: "This ritual seems to be used to save my penalty homework..."

Then he subconsciously stopped.Four people older than him stared at him together.

Darrell smiled coyly, and said, "It's just...to copy the contents of the textbook...twice..."

Angela looked like she was about to laugh out loud.

Siles gently reminded, "I occasionally go to the Church of the Past, Darrell. If I run into Lloyd..."

"...Okay! I won't cheat with the ceremony! I'll copy it myself!" Darrell raised his hand and shouted, "Professor, this is just an inspiration!"

Eric said to Mrs. Fuller: "It seems that in the future, when the children do their homework, parents will have to watch."

Mrs. Fuller sighed: "I'm past the age where I need to watch my children do their homework."

Angela laughed so hard that she collapsed.

Darrell held his pen resentfully, feeling that his "genius" idea had been tarnished by these grown-ups.

He looked around, and finally realized that he could probably only laugh at Angela.He said in a low tone: "Angela, stop laughing, do you think you don't have homework?"

Angela's laughter stopped abruptly.

Now it was Siles' turn to laugh.

In Room 18, 52 Housewell Street, the elders laughed at the younger ones' homework, the younger ones mocked the older ones for being busy...it was all too common.

After laughing for a while, they began to seriously discuss the feasibility of this ceremony and the applicable occasions.

This is not limited to the actions they will carry out now.In fact, the biggest problem with this ceremony is that the handwriting of the two people can only be displayed on the same piece of paper, so it is impossible to talk to each other through the air, and they can only inform each other unilaterally.

Although this is already very powerful, they naturally want a more complete solution.

"...Perhaps, it is necessary to establish a relationship between the two papers? In this way, the handwriting displayed on this paper can also be displayed on the other paper at the same time." Darrell touched his chin and said absent-mindedly , I don’t know if he is still thinking about his stillborn copying homework.

Everyone else nodded.This sounds very feasible, but then again - how to establish a relationship?

Because of this, Siles came up with a way... To be precise, he just thought of an idiom from his hometown Earth: strength penetrates the back of the paper.

Perhaps this allows the handwriting to appear on two sheets of paper at the same time?

...But this gives people a rather simple feeling, although the special feature of the power of the revelator lies in its simplicity, ease of use, and variety.

They didn't stay on this topic for too long. After confirming that the [Invisible Pen] ceremony could indeed be used, Sirius distributed eight-petal rose paper to them.

Angela said with great interest: "I still have some paper you gave me at home... when I was in the school club." Her interest slowly disappeared again, probably thinking that the familiar eight-petal rose paper will now be Be their way of fighting the followers of the Old Gods.

She couldn't help sighing.

"Don't be too depressed, Angela. Life is always like this." Mrs. Fuller comforted her gently. "Life will hit us hard in unexpected places. But at least we still have room to resist now."

Darrell said carelessly: "Yes." He waved his fist, "We can drive all those people away."

Angela couldn't help laughing, she paused, and then said: "I see."

Siles nodded too.While talking about some details about this matter, he took out an eight-petal rose brooch and handed it to Mrs. Fuller, Eric and Darrell.Angela owned the brooch herself, so there was no need to give it to her.

He had already handed over the brooches to Grenfell, Heidi, and Jon before, and together with these three people now, he had already given out six brooches.He still has seven left.

Siles said, "Just in case." He paused before explaining, "If something happens later, you can use this brooch and the eight-petal rose paper to confirm each other's authenticity."

"They're all eight-petalled roses." Darrell fiddled with them. "It's become your logo."

Siles smiled, and said in a low voice: "I hope everything goes well, don't let you have the opportunity to use this brooch."

Eric was acutely aware of something.It should be said that they all realized a problem.

Siles hoped that "they" would not have the chance to use the brooch.He did not include himself.

"...What about you?" Mrs. Fuller hesitated for a while, and finally asked.

They have always known that their beloved Professor Noel has something he has been doing.Including the investigation of Brewer Darrow's death, Siles has always been taking the initiative, and they just followed the direction of Siles' investigation.

Therefore, even Darrell unknowingly changed his attitude towards Siles.Of course they were friends, but they both respected Siles, acted for him, believed in him.

But also because of this, when this moment came, they also realized that Siles bears a more important responsibility than them.

Siles couldn't help being silent for a moment.At this moment, he could hardly reassure his friends with his usual calm demeanor.Of course, in the end, he just smiled slightly.

He said almost gently, "Don't worry. As long as things go my way, then...we'll make it."

His friends watched him worriedly, but finally nodded, wishing him to be more careful.

Soon, they changed the topic to less serious matters, such as recent interesting news in Ramifa City and so on.

Siles listened quietly, occasionally joining in for a sentence or two, and having a snack.This is his usual performance, and no one else has found any problems.

However, in fact, at this time, Sirius' consciousness had already shifted to the other side—Mr. Xia's side.

This morning, he and Qindo made many attempts at home, including but not limited to the use of the [Invisible Pen] ritual, and whether it is possible for him to control two bodies at the same time.

The previous experiment was carried out very smoothly, and the latter experiment was also relatively smooth.

After he was able to control the puppet, he consciously or unintentionally exercised his ability to use two or even three functions of one mind.On Friday, he used the body of the puppet to go out. At that time, he would occasionally be distracted to the main body to let it do something.

It's more like having two screens in front of him at the same time, and it just depends on which one he wants to focus on and which one he wants to use.

It is said to be "simultaneously", but it is another level of difficulty for him to really control two bodies at the same time, such as making the puppet's body and the main body speak at the same time.

However, as long as one side is "standby" and doesn't need to take any complicated actions or thoughts, then he can put his attention on the other side with peace of mind, as long as he observes this side occasionally.

At this moment, he turned his attention to the No. [-] puppet, which was Mr. Xia.

At this time, Mr. Xia was sitting on the sofa in the hall on the first floor of the Historical Society, closing his eyes and resting his mind.He had been sitting there for about half an hour, as if he had fallen asleep.

Occasionally, such a person would appear in the lobby on the first floor of the Historical Society, to rest, or to wait for someone.This kind of thing is not uncommon, so the staff on the first floor didn't bother to care about him.

Every now and then someone—the Revelator, to be exact—would walk across the first floor to the space behind the door of the Historical Society.Occasionally, someone would set their sights on this man who seemed to be sleeping, but no one would have thought about who he was.

... At a certain moment, Mr. Xia opened his eyes.

The location he chose was by the window, and when he opened his eyes, he could see the avenue outside the window.

The weather was gloomy and overcast on this day, and to many people, it looked like a storm was coming.This thought passed through his brain unconsciously.

So he smiled a little.He adjusted his expression, making himself more accustomed to this gentle appearance.Although Mr. Xia has disappeared for 14 years, some senior enlighteners may still have some impressions of him.

Soon, he stood up.

He was wearing a suit, carrying a briefcase in his hand, and a coat under his arm.He looks to be around 30 years old, but a gentle and steady demeanor obscures his more specific age.His appearance is not outstanding, as if he can be submerged in the crowd anytime and anywhere.

He walked toward the stairs of the Historical Society.

"...Sorry, sir." A staff member stopped him hesitantly, "I noticed that you sat on the sofa for a long time... Excuse me, what is your name? Do you have anything to do with the Historical Society?"

The man smiled slightly, and he said gently: "It's okay. My name is 'Xia', and I'm going to visit friends on the third floor."

Carl Frick was an ordinary revealer.

Saying this does not mean how poor his ability is, but just that there are many enlighteners like him in the Historical Society.

They may have arrived here excited about this newfound ability, ambitious and planning to do something big.Then slowly, this ambition has been worn away by the fatigue of life.

He is 40 years old this year.

He joined the Historical Society about 20 years ago.He was, of course, an energetic and ambitious young man then.At that time he joined the third corridor, then went to the second corridor, and then went to the first corridor.

His friends teased him about it, saying it was a triple jump.However, in fact, the order of "three two one" is definitely not uncommon in the Historical Society, and it is definitely not a channel for promotion.

... But in the final analysis, he has long since given up hope of being promoted within the Historical Society.He has been in the Historical Society for 20 years, has seen many things, and knows some secrets that are not very public.

For example... the questioning 14 years ago?

He made himself forget about those things as much as possible.He knew that many people actually remembered.

People of his age can always remember that Mr....His powerful and terrifying ability, his gentle and calm expression, his elusive style, his sudden disappearance, and the sudden change of position within the Historical Society.

But Karl wasn't very happy to remind himself of these things.As soon as he thought about it, he felt that his soul was filled with a complex, self-contradictory, difficult to sort out thoughts.He doesn't know who is right and who is wrong, and it is difficult for him to confirm his position.

He hesitated, drifted with the flow, and finally came to the first corridor.Here, he breathed a sigh of relief.

The documents in the first corridor almost overwhelmed him, and he didn't have time to think about it.

This kind of busy work sometimes makes him breathless, but after staying here for several years, he also knows very well when he can be lazy and when he needs to work hard.

He glanced at the time: it was almost two o'clock.

"...Carl!" a deliberately low voice called out to him. It was his old friend Barney. "Going to the salon for a cup of tea?"

Carl stretched and replied casually, "Let's go."

There are other people in this office.The lady next to Carl looked at them and said, "Bring me a drink?"

"Of course." Carl said happily.

The lady smiled and said, "Remember to go back to the office early. Don't forget, the elders will be in the salon this afternoon."

Carl froze for a moment before remembering this.The itinerary of the elders was not arranged by him, so he was completely unaware of this just now.He thanked the lady.

He left the office with Barney.Barney complained about the whimsy of the elders: "How could they think of inviting other Enlightenment organizations to join the group arena? What about the venue?

"The group arena in the first half of the year was held in the salon, and the venue is already cramped enough. We can't easily change the size of the salon like Mr. Xia. With the current salon, how can it accommodate so many people?

"But the elders don't think so. They never think about it that much, and it's impossible for them to think about finding a place outside to do it."

Carl didn't say a word, but felt his mood take a turn for the worse.

He didn't like to hear the name "Mr. Xia", but he rarely showed it.His old friend Barney is about the same age and experience as him, so they all know very well what the situation was like when Mr. Xia was still around.

Barney probably sensed Carl's emotions, so he said, "It's just complaining... Everyone knows that Mr. Xia will never come back."

Carl sighed too.

They come to the salon.

After the group arena, Sharon also returned to its original appearance.However, a fairly obvious change brought about by the group arena is that many people no longer continue to use the salon's cross-dressing function.

In fact, many revelators don't have that many dark secrets.They just show up in the salon as they are, and feel at ease, treating the salon as a real place to rest and play.

Some of the revelators who work inside the Historical Society, like Carr and Barney recently, will come to the salon after work to have a cup of tea or coffee, chat, and then go back to work.