The world controlled by dice [Western Fantasy]

Age of Mist 401, Friday, August 8.

At nine o'clock in the morning, Siles arrived at the Central Cathedral of the Church of the Past.

His usual arrangement on Friday morning is to go to Ramifa University to handle some professional internal administrative affairs.But I'm afraid he doesn't have the time and mood today.He finally decided to come to the Church of the Past, thinking that he might be able to get some unexpected information here.

...Of course, the main reason is that the church in the past was very close to his home, and it was very convenient to go back and forth.

He happened to run into Garland, who was going to a rehearsal at the Lancelot Theatre.The two boys, Garland and Nanisar, were going out at the same time, and seemed to intend to go together.

"Good morning, Garland, Nanisar." Siles greeted them with a little surprise.

"Good morning, Professor Noel!" Garland looked in a good mood. Although the hot weather in the morning was already disturbing, it didn't affect the smile on her face.

Nanisar, on the other hand, looked less pleased.He just greeted Sirius softly.Of course, the young boy was always so withdrawn and unhappy.

It seemed that after his high-spirited personality disappeared, he was left with only a cowardly, panic-stricken fragment of his soul.

"Don't be so upset, Thrall!" Garland said with a smile, "I know you'd rather work with the investigators, but it's not safe there. So just follow me to the theater!"

Nanisar pursed his lips, showing a displeased expression, but he still nodded.

...The investigators' operations were not safe enough?

Siles was a little surprised, he asked calmly, "Is there any investigator here today?"

"None of the investigators is here." Garland said, shaking his head, "They're all out! However, the Knight Commander is here today. If you need anything, you can find him."

Siles nodded, and he said, "Thank you, Garland."

"You're welcome." Garland said briskly, "I hope your matter can be resolved smoothly. Ah, Sal! We should go! See you later, Professor."

Siles watched the two children leave and walked into the church.The sun shines through the stained glass windows, casting a mottled blurred light in the nave of the church.The statue of Antinam still looked at the world with that cold yet gentle gaze.

Grosvenor was not there, and the church looked empty.Only Knight Commander Benyan stood there alone.

"Professor Noel!" Bunyan greeted him a little surprised, "Long time no see."

"Long time no see, Knight Commander." Sirius said the same.

Indeed, they hadn't talked carefully for quite a long time.

Knight Commander Bunyan probably sensed Siles' intentions. His handsome face, which was specifically mentioned in the script of the running team, showed a very gentle smile.This Mr. Knight Commander has a rather friendly disposition.

He said, "How about just chatting here? There are not many people coming to the church on weekdays, but I have to stay here. Everyone else is out today."

"Of course not," said Siles. "Why is everyone else out?"

"...They are investigating something." Bunyan showed a complicated expression at this time.

This made Siles think of it. Dominic Milner, the investigator of the Church of the Past, had mentioned to him that the activities of the followers of the old gods have been very frequent recently, which made Captain Banyan very distressed.

... follower of the old gods?Or, shadow believer?

Doubt quickly flashed across his heart, with a feeling of helplessness, he thought to himself, I hope the followers of the old gods don't add trouble at this time.

Bunyan went on: "You know about the murder in the theater district? It happened in the early hours of Thursday, August 8. I think it's been reported at length in the papers lately."

"Indeed, I've heard many rumors about it," said Siles.

"This case involves the power of the Revelator. The victim's companion came to the Church of the Past for help shortly after the incident, and the investigators rushed to the scene immediately." Bunyan said, "... They're contaminated."

Siles listened thoughtfully.

Bunyan added: "It's thanks to the 'self-reincarnation' ritual you invented that they can get rid of this pollution. But because of this, we are more concerned about this case.

"You have also told the bishop before that the city of Ramifa has not been very peaceful recently. We know that you are conducting an investigation, and we also need to do our best... We are investigating the information about the deceased."

Siles' eyes moved slightly, and he asked, "Have you found any relevant clues?"

"...it's hard to be sure...that was an accidental discovery," Bunyan said. "Some investigators think it's relevant to the case, and some investigators think it's not.

"You may wonder why a clue can cause such a big controversy... because, the results of our investigation seem to prove that this murder seems to be aimed at the Church of the Past, and, my God."

Siles frowned involuntarily.

He has already reached this conclusion from another angle, but he is a little curious about how the investigation by the Church of the Past came to this conclusion... After all, the Church of the Past does not know the relationship between "Shadow" and Anti-Nam.

He asked, "Why?"

Bunyan explained slowly: "We visited the family of the deceased Alan. His parents were devout believers in the church, and his grandfather was a priest in a church in the city. Because of this, when Alan wanted to become While a theater actor, he had a falling out with his family.

"His elders originally hoped that he would go to the Divinity School of La Mifa University, and then join the Church of the Past to become an investigator or a priest, but he was unwilling to follow the path planned by his parents.

"After he ran away from home, his elders decided to listen to their children's real thoughts...but it was too late. They were distraught and did not understand why Alan was targeted by the murderer.

"...this is Alan's family situation.

"What followed was an investigation into those companions of Allen's.

"The murder scene was so eerie that it tainted even church investigators. Naturally, we thought there might be followers of the Old Gods involved.

"It is impossible for Allen's family to be related to the old gods and the followers of the old gods. Therefore, we began to wonder whether he provoked some unsafe things after he came to the theater district.

"His companions are actually in a similar situation to him, they all came from ordinary families, and their parents did not support their hobbies, so they hit it off and decided to run away from home together and go to the theater district together.

"They all participated in a small club, more like a club, where there were quite a few drama lovers in Ramifah City. It was here that they met each other... About this club, I'll get into that later.

"It is worth mentioning that one of the young people told us that it was precisely because Allen often mentioned their family's belief in our God that they would immediately think of going to the Church of the Past for help after the incident happened."

Siles listened very carefully.

After the murder in the theater district, his investigation was more inclined to investigate the murderer, and the information about the deceased Allen was not comprehensive.These things mentioned by Knight Commander Bunyan just completed his understanding of this case.

It did solve a long-standing doubt in his mind: why Alan's companions would come to the Church of the Past for help.

It is because Allen's family believes in Anti-Nam, so his companions also think that when Allen has an accident, they should seek help from the Church of the Past, maybe there will be something strange in it... They are likely to do so think.

but……

"Sorry, Bunyan, I want to interrupt." Siles said, "I heard that Alan's companion came to the church for help because of the tragic and weird situation at the crime scene? "

"Indeed." Bunyan nodded, "This is related to Alan's actions that day. Alan's companion told us that on that day, to be precise, on Wednesday, Alan was ecstatic, Because he is about to sign a resident actor contract with a theater company.

"That day he needed to go to a place - what his companions didn't know very well - to attend a social event, maybe a reception or something, in short, he behaved mysteriously but overjoyed.

"In the evening, Allen went back to his rented place and told his companions that he had got an audition opportunity. His companions said that Allen should have kept this matter a secret, but he was not careful. Leaked, because he was so excited.

"He asked them to help keep it a secret, at least until he actually got the acting role. They agreed to it. If Ellen didn't have an accident, then they would indeed help keep it a secret. But... it doesn't seem necessary now up.

"In short, Alan didn't come home that night, and his companions began to worry about Alan's situation, so they went to the theater Alan himself mentioned...that is, the place where Alan died.

"At that time, the theater hadn't opened, or was about to open, and they had an argument with the gatekeeper... Then, they saw Alan's body on the stage."

Both Siles and Bunyan were silent for a moment.

After a while, Siles said: "So, the party and the audition that Allen participated in seemed to be malicious."

"But the theater owner didn't admit it. He said that Allen did attend a reception and an audition, which was organized by the Kermit family, and there is a similar event every year for some promising young actors. .

"He said that after the audition, Allen left the theater. As for how he came back to the theater and was killed, that's another matter. This statement was recognized by other theater staff, Allen was indeed seen leaving that theater."

Bunyan said so, and then sighed: "So, the investigation in the theater district stopped here. We can't get more information."

Siles nodded.

He knew that there must be a shadow believer involved in a certain link, which led to the final result.

Besides, whether the theater owner was telling the truth is another question.The homicide investigation is still ongoing.

He then asked, "However, judging from this information alone, it is not enough to prove that this murder was deliberately targeted at the church?"

The family of the deceased Allen had a tradition of believing in Antinam. After the incident, his friends also naturally sought help from the Church of the Past.These circumstances have indeed deepened the connection between this case and the church in the past step by step.

However, what evidence can prove that this is deliberately targeting the church of the past?

Bunyan also nodded, showing that rather complicated expression again, and whispered, "I understand your confusion."

He was silent for a moment before continuing: "After the investigation in the Theater District was temporarily suspended, we continued to focus on Alan's interpersonal relationship after he came to the Theater District. We paid attention to the events he and his companions participated in. That club."

"You're making progress here?" said Siles.

"Yes." Bunyan's tone became a little lower, "We visited the venue where the event was held, and then... found a special symbol. They seem to use that symbol as a decoration, and randomly painted it in many places."

Siles couldn't help but startled.

symbol?

"...you once sent a manuscript of Professor Cabell to the church." Bunyan turned suddenly and said, "Perhaps you should remember that symbol. Please forgive me, I don't want to depict that blasphemous symbol. "

Following Bunyan's words, Siles slowly recalled.

The blasphemous symbol... the eye symbol with a cross?Isn't that a symbol of the idea against Antinam?

He felt a little surprised.

The first time he saw this symbol, as Bunyan said, was on Professor Cabell's manuscript.

And that manuscript... Now that I think about it, it is already very far away.At that time, he only had a half-knowledge about the power of the Revelator and the existence of Anti-Num.

He was aware of the problem behind Professor Kabell's disappearance, and out of caution, he mentioned Professor Kabell's manuscript to Grenfell, but unexpectedly learned that the eye symbol he didn't pay much attention to was against Antina The symbol of Tom's concept.

Therefore, Grenfell handed over this manuscript to the Church of the Past together with him.Mr. Grosvenor, Bishop of the Old Church at that time, showed a feeling of outrage, but in fact, there was no follow-up to the investigation of this manuscript.

Judging from Professor Kabell's words and deeds, he actually has no interest in Antinam.Siles was even a little puzzled, why did he draw this pattern on the paper?

The information obtained from Detective Jon made Siles realize that Professor Kabell might be a member of the "family" and the sharing meeting.

Perhaps when Professor Kabell analyzed the information he got about the "shadow", he also counted these two organizations and their concepts among the objects worthy of attention, so he drew an eye on the paper symbol.

For those who don't know, this symbol may just mean opposition to Antinam; but in fact, this symbol may point to the "family" organization.

... Siles suddenly sighed in his heart.He felt that the information was densely intertwined and annoying like a spider's web.

From the first time he heard about the disappearance of Professor Kabel, to now hearing about the existence of Professor Kabel again... the same manuscript, the same pattern, and the same person, he has refreshed his understanding of this paranoid scholar and his legacy several times. impression of the information.

And once he got some new information and clues, he had to re-analyze the whole ins and outs from the beginning.It's just upsetting.

He didn't think about it for the time being, but listened carefully to what Knight Commander Banyan said.

Bunyan didn't notice the change in Siles' expression, he was a little distracted recalling the situation during the investigation.

"We asked the young people - all of them young people - why they knew the symbol. They seemed to be drawing the symbol for fun, but they also recognized part of the idea.

"They seemed a little frightened, and they probably didn't expect such a serious investigation and questioning. They said that it came from an organization called 'Family'. This organization seems to have existed in the city for a long time... and we But never know.

"We then conducted some investigations into this organization. The young men mentioned some names, some were businessmen, some were outsiders, and some seemed ordinary residents of Lamifa City.

"We found a way to sound the merchant out to see if he knew anything.

"Then, the really surprising thing is that he actually mentioned Hamlin... He knew about Hamlin the Apostate! He complained about the loss of his business due to the failure of Hamlin's operation...

"This organization named 'Family' is related to the conspiracy that happened last year!"

In the end, Bunyan could no longer suppress the anger in his tone.

Siles listened silently.

...The murder in the theater district actually indirectly involved the "family".Now, the angry Church of the Past will probably investigate this organization thoroughly.

This result is a good thing, however, this process seems to be erratic.

In the past, through a special ceremony, the church discovered that the apostate Hamlin was related to the sea in the north, so they specially asked Bunyan to lead the team to Middleton, hoping that the bishop Elizabeth Hosier there would help deal with the matter.

They actually did find the culprit, the apostate Hamlin was indeed related to the "Shadow"... However, the "family" hidden in Lamifa City, the direct executor of this conspiracy, the Church of the Past has never found out.

Now, because of an accidental murder, they found out instead.

Siles knew that the church in the past never gave up.During the turmoil that occurred in Fuliou Sea in May this year, he also vaguely heard some of the actions of the church in the past.

This conspiracy—the conspiracy of Hamlin the Apostate, as well as, the original story of the running group script—has always directly or indirectly affected every aspect of this world.

Although... things are much more complicated than he first imagined.

If the church really did something to the "family" in the past, will the "family" and the sharing society continue to maintain the current silent silence?Will they also take action?

However, the existence of the "family" will sooner or later attract the attention of the church in the past.After all, that symbol has been silently circulating in Lamifa City, and sooner or later it will reach the Church of the Past.

Isn't that what it is now?

Knight Commander Banyan continued: "We are very surprised by this... It is an organization of followers of the old god! It is hidden in the city of Lamifa!"

His tone gradually became depressed, and he said: "And this organization has attracted many young people. We never thought that they would be so opposed and resist the existence of our God. Moreover, there are already so many such people.

"...We realized that Alan's elders restrained this young man, which made him hate my god in disguise. He may not be so serious, and he may not be really blasphemous, but perhaps in the process, he also came into contact with Something not so good.

"It is very likely that he came into contact with the followers of the old gods and was selected as a victim. The reason why he appeared there late at night that day is also very likely related to this incident.

"We think that this may be a provocation by the followers of the old gods against the church of the past. They deliberately killed Alan after realizing Alan's family beliefs. If we fail to find out this, it is a Our failure."

Knight Commander Bunyan showed a determined and persistent expression, and he said word by word: "So, I think we have to capture these followers of the old gods, and we must completely destroy this organization.

"Some investigators believe that this is just a coincidence, and that the blasphemous symbols that appeared in the club and the organization called 'Family' have nothing to do with Allen's death.

"But I don't think so. It can't be a coincidence, it's a deliberate provocation, it's a blasphemy against my God.

"If this continues, more and more people, even ordinary people, will believe in their opinions. We guard this city, this country, and this civilization. I don't want the people we guard, but instead Come and stab us in the back.

"...Actually, this has already happened."

Siles hesitated for a moment, then asked, "What?"

"Mr. Xia." Bunyan said in a low voice, "at the Historical Society, you should have heard about Mr. Xia recently, right? What do you think of his experience? And although outsiders don't know, but he Is the agent of my god.

"...The representative of my god was betrayed by human beings! I am troubled by this, and I have to admit it."

After his words fell, for a brief moment, only the sound of the wind remained in the nave of the church.

Siles looked at the statue of Antinam not far away.

That is no different from the body of Antinam in Fisher's Mirror.He felt a momentary contradiction, because he could understand both Jon's "Godless" philosophy and the anger of Knight Commander Bunyan at this moment.

After a while, Knight Commander Bunyan forced himself to show a gentle smile.

He whispered: "I'm sorry... I lost my composure. Last year, the matter of the apostate Hamlin has not been resolved, but now there are new murders, which seem to be the work of the same group of people.

"I don't think the church can continue to remain silent. We have to do something...at least, we have to catch the murderer of this murder and those followers of the old god who are behind the scenes. We have to do this."

"At this point, I support your idea." Siles said seriously, "We can't continue to let these followers of the old gods go."

Knight Commander Bunyan sighed softly.He was silent for a moment, and then smiled wryly. He said, "Sometimes, I even suspect that the faith of some people in the church has deteriorated."

Siles was slightly taken aback.

"...the old gods, and, my gods—the old gods and the new gods." Bunyan murmured, "... some believers can understand the madness of the followers of the old gods. They do understand...very much."

Siles didn't know what to say for a moment.

These emotions have obviously been fermenting in Bunyan's heart for a long time.Perhaps, since the spring break at the beginning of this year, since the trip to Middleton, Bunyan has begun to think about these issues.

...Perhaps, the appearance of Mr. Xia and Mr. Xia's experience in the Historical Society were not completely unknown to the believers of the church in the past.Therefore, the storm within the Historical Society also indirectly affected the Church of the Past.

They stand on the edge of the turmoil of the times, and no one can really be alone.

"...What do you think?" Bunyan asked suddenly, "What do you think we should do?"

Siles was silent for a moment, and then said: "Actually, I'm here today to see Mr. Bishop."

Bunyan was startled, and subconsciously said, "The bishop isn't here today, he was busy investigating some things about the followers of the old god, and went to another church."

Siles nodded, he already knew this.He said, "And I'm here to...do you think we can name a new era?"

"...New Era?"

"Dawn Ji, how about this name?" Siles smiled slightly, "To welcome the dawn and to get out of the night, we have to pay something. Some things will be left in the past, thrown into the past, and some things will be Brought into the future, will shape the future.

"Everyone has their own dawn, I think. That's why this era is called the dawn era."

"...even if the followers of the Old God want to bring the Old God to their dawn?"

"That's what we have to work hard for." Siles said, "Some people want it, and some people don't want it. It is impossible for either party to sit still or enjoy the benefits. It is not feasible to bury your head and wait for the favor of fate."

"And...Antinam?"

"That's the same." Sirius showed a peaceful smile, "If you want to remember Antinam, you need to work hard."

He turned his head to look at the sunlight falling from the church window, which shone on the shoulder of the statue of Antinam.He said slowly: "Everyone needs to make an effort."

Knight Commander Bunyan was silent for a moment, then he smiled wryly again: "You confuse me... Are you playing charades with me? Maybe the Bishop will understand what you mean better."

"It's just a proposal, about the new era." Siles lightly put the topic aside, and he turned to say, "Actually, I do have something to ask you... Are you free tomorrow afternoon?"

"Of course." Bunyan looked at him, his eyes gradually returning to the gentleness of the past.

"Tomorrow afternoon, a group of painters will visit Ramifa University. I suspect that there may be one or two followers of the old gods among them." Siles said, "You know...the murder in the theater district involved To the frame and canvas."

Bunyan's eyes became serious.He didn't ask where Siles got the details of the crime scene, but nodded seriously.

Siles said: "So, I hope you can bring a group of knights and investigators to Lamifah University to observe the situation. Qindo and I will also stay there, but for ordinary people, the Church of the Past Actions will be more credible and less likely to cause panic."

"I see," Bunyan said dryly. "Tomorrow afternoon...?"

"One o'clock tomorrow afternoon," said Siles, "please."

"That's what I should do," said Bunyan very gently.

Siles smiled slightly, and then he said goodbye to Bunyan and said, "See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow." Bunyan took a deep breath, and seemed to be thinking about tomorrow's actions.This look is much better than the sleepy and dazed look just now.

Siles chose to entrust this matter to Bunyan. On the one hand, it was because of the reason he mentioned. In Lamifah University, the actions of the Church of the Past may be more reliable and convenient. Ordinary people tend to think that the Church of the Past be well-meaning.

On the other hand, it was because he deliberately made this slightly confused knight commander act.

Utopias don't help.Do what you want to do, defend this city and its residents, Captain Benyan.Siles said quietly in his heart.

He took one last look at the statue of Antinam in the nave, and left the church.

Tomorrow is Saturday.I'm afraid there will be a big move by the Shadow Believers.During this last day, some news came pouring in, as if they were trying to make a little contribution before the deadline.

Detective Jon's news arrived immediately.

He mentioned the death of Jeremy Forbes.

Jeremy Forbes is 27 years old and still living alone.His daily schedule is quite fixed. In the morning, he usually receives visitors. In the afternoon, he goes to work or other social occasions. If there is no entertainment in the evening, it is his personal time.

Because of his regular life and fixed schedule, Jon quickly grasped his whereabouts.

Jon had seen Jeremy at a certain club on Wednesday morning, but on this night, Jeremy Forbes died of a sudden illness at home.

This kind of "death due to illness" is not recognized by many people, because Jeremy is still young and has no underlying diseases.On the night of his accident, the servants in his house are said to have heard nothing, and Jeremy was completely unaware of his illness.

It wasn't until the next morning that an appointed visitor came to visit and the servant opened the door, and they found Jeremy's body by surprise.

The witness was a businessman who had recently gotten lucky and made a lot of money, so he went to visit Jeremy Forbes specifically for a cooperation matter.

Many people were very interested in the scene he saw and specifically asked him about it. He also wanted to use this incident to gain power, so he told the scene he saw without hesitation.

In fact, rumors about the death of Jeremy Forbes have already been circulating in some circles.

In short, according to the witness, Jeremy died in his bedroom with blood and vomit all over the carpet on the bed.A bad smell filled the whole room.

This situation sounds like Jeremy died of food poisoning or sudden death from some kind of malignant disease, but this witness swears that Jeremy was definitely poisoned to death.

...Of course this is food poisoning.

Some news in the newspapers did report in this direction, and there were some claims that Jeremy might have provoked some people who should not have been provoked.

Based on the unclear relationship between Jeremy and the Fillmore family, some people believe that the Fillmore family may have an official heir, so these rumored "managers" (or illegitimate children) , you can abdicate and let the virtuous.

There are always many sayings, but whether these situations point to the truth is another matter.

Jon also mentioned his views on this case.

He got some tidbits, mostly about the guy Jeremy Forbes.

It is said that Jeremy is very cautious. Every night before going to bed, he will walk around his mansion, lock all the doors and windows, and finally lock his bedroom door with an iron lock.

He also seems to be using some of the revealer's tricks, securing himself for safety before bedtime.

He especially hated the servants disturbing him at night. The servants' rooms were far away from him. Perhaps it was because of this that he died so quietly.

"I don't think anyone could actually break into Jeremy's bedroom while he was asleep," Jon wrote on the eight-petal rose paper. "I went to his mansion as a detective and found His bedroom was invulnerable.

"I really wonder what kind of coward and how good the quality of sleep is that makes him value his bedroom so much... All in all, I am also more inclined to poison.

"...Of course, there is another possibility.

"If the whole thing involves the power of the Revelator, or even the pollution of the old gods, then the situation becomes much more complicated. Maybe he just happened to be unlucky enough to encounter some pollution, and then killed himself in hallucinations and madness... ...is also possible.

"Maybe his brain tricked his gut into thinking he had food poisoning... Well, that's possible, isn't it? Imagine what Grayson Foods did.

"I observed the Fillmore family's thoughts on this case, and noticed that at present, no important figures in the Fillmore family have come forward to express their opinions, and they have always remained silent.

"However, secretly, I also noticed that the investment matters in charge of Jeremy Forbes have now been handed over to another person... If my source is correct, this person seems to be Fillmore The illegitimate child of the family?

"His name is Christian Bevan. It is worth mentioning that his name also appeared in another place——on the custom contract for the small monument in the Fillmore Family Museum.

"He is the person in charge of related affairs of the Fillmore Family Museum."

When Jon's news appeared on the eight-petal rose paper, Siles and Cinder had just finished lunch.

... which is thankful, after all, Jon mentioned the Grayson incident.No one wants to hear the word Grayson while eating, especially the residents of Ramifa City.

In short, the death of Jeremy Forbes sounded full of mysteries, but the appearance of Christian Bevan made them have to pay attention.

This yet another illegitimate child of the Fillmore family who appeared out of nowhere probably bears a heavy responsibility.He must be more "loyal" than Jeremy Forbes.

...but then again, "loyalty".

Jeremy Forbes seems to have betrayed the Shadow Cultists, which in some ways may have led to their demise.At least from what they know, this would be one of the possibilities.

But what about the evidence?In other words, where is the portion of the Graves estate that Jeremy took first from the estate?

Jeremy had asked the lady, the businesswoman Eugenia Beard, to help sell something to the Never Embers, possibly from the Graves family, but the lady turned him down.

That was a few days ago... To be exact, that was the night of Wednesday when the lady told him about it.And that night, Jeremy Forbes died.

He might not have time to entrust that batch to someone else.

…Speaking of which, is it possible that the businessman witness is the partner selected by Jeremy Forbes?They seem to just miss it - because of a death.

In short, have those things returned to the hands of the Fillmore family now, or have they gone to the hands of shadow believers, or have they been hidden by Jeremy Forbes in a place that only he knows?

Siles pondered the question.

Qin Duo looked at Xi with some doubts.