The world controlled by dice [Western Fantasy]

"...so, how about that Kansas academic team?"

Their eyes looked at the autumn scenery outside the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Bridges family study.The time is approaching the end of autumn, and the scene of irreversible decay dominates the northern suburbs, and also dominates the scenery outside this floor-to-ceiling window.

When Celeste saw Alden Bridges for the first time, he was slightly taken aback.

The last time I met this old painter was in the winter at the beginning of the year.Alden is now 67 years old, but when we last met, he was not as old and tired as he is now.

His hair was almost completely white, the skin of his face was wrinkled and clinging to his bones and blood vessels, his eyes were cloudy and hollow.It seemed that he was really going to meet the gods that the family really believed in.

However, when he looked at Sirius, his eyes were still as gentle as usual - a kind of gentleness in disguise.

When Siles came over, he didn't see Amir and Amir's mother.He was taken directly to Alden's study by the servants of the Bridges family.They exchanged pleasantries, and then Alden asked the question.

That academic team from Kansas.

Siles saw them this morning, and secretly made a will judgment on each of them.

Although the will attributes of a few professors look a bit bad, at least they are still within the safe range.They may have just inadvertently come into contact with some unsafe tomes, so they have been contaminated.

The judgment that Siles made for them can also be said to have helped them get rid of the pollution.For them, it may be that they "lifted their spirits" inexplicably when they came to La Mifa University.

Anyway, this is good news.He sincerely hoped that there would be no surprises to these foreign guests.

The academic team is expected to return to Kansas after participating in the God's Birthday celebration in Ramifa City.In the meantime, Siles may have to keep an eye on it.

So, to Alden's question, Siles simply replied, "They look like they're going to have a good academic journey."

"That's a good thing," Alden said mildly. "No one likes to have an accident."

After saying this, Alden and Sirius were silent for a moment.

"...the last time we talked here," said Siles, "was at the beginning of this year."

Alden's expression changed slightly.

"After that, the Underground Arch incident happened." Siles said calmly, without any emotion, just describing the facts objectively, "Now, more than half a year has passed."

"...No one thought that Jonathan would do that kind of thing." Alden said in a heavy tone.

Siles finally settled his eyes on the old painter in front of him.They stared at each other in silence, but Alden never said a word.

So Siles smiled slightly, and he said, "You are very clear about the purpose of my visit this time, Alden, besides, you invited me to come over for a detailed discussion. There is no need for us to go around in circles."

Alden's eyes trembled slightly.A trace of hesitation quickly crossed his old face.

“…of course we can chat here about academic topics, about the upcoming Faculty of Fine Arts at La Mifa University, about your life, the October fair, the weather or other news.

"But you are also very clear that behind all these seemingly peaceful topics, there are terrible truths and shadows in the world."

Siles said calmly.

Not knowing whether it was the last word that touched Alden, a trace of fear appeared on the old painter's face.

He was silent for another moment, then whispered, "We're all going to die."

Siles was slightly taken aback.

"...all will." Alden sighed long, the wrinkled skin on his face seemed to tremble, "That is the ending we cannot escape."

"...how are they going to achieve this goal?"

"We will be attacked... from underground..." Alden seemed to hesitate, "Attack."

"for example?"

Alden was silent.

"Human?" Sirius asked.

"...more than that." Alden said as if forcing himself, "everything...people and insects, sludge and darkness...will emerge...that will swallow this world, and the human beings in this world. We'll lose everything."

Siles listened somewhat casually. He combined this information with what he knew before, and then thought about it.

Then he said: "And you help the evildoers?"

Alden seemed to have been hit by some sharp weapon suddenly.He silently and deeply looked at Sirius.

Siles was also a little more wary.

Of course, he knew that the conversation with Alden might not be so safe this time, and it would be bad if the shadow believers were ambushing here—although he felt that the shadow believers would not do that—however, the ghost of Lygardia hovered over him. around the body.

In addition, regarding Alden's mental state, he felt that as long as he gave the old painter a judgment of will, the guy might go crazy straight away.

In the past few months, what has Alden Bridges, and even the rest of the family, gone through?

At this moment, Alden suddenly patted the bell on the side, and called the servant over, and asked the servant to call Emil and Emil's mother over.

Siles waited quietly without saying anything.And Alden kept his head down throughout the process, and didn't look at Siles.

Alden finally looked up when Emile and his mother arrived.It wasn't until this time that they realized that Alden was already in tears.

"Grandpa!" Emil couldn't help being surprised.

He obviously didn't understand what happened, so he looked at Alden in a panic, then at his mother, and at Siles who was present.

And his mother seemed to have understood something at this moment, and stood there expressionlessly, ignoring her child's eyes asking for help.

"...I made a wrong choice," Alden said, his voice trembling and hoarse, rough washed by tears, "but I had no choice.

"This is a turbulent and changing era. I have to make this choice so that I can keep the Bridges family...I have to."

His daughter stood aside, her eyes indifferent, or perhaps, sad.

... Siles suddenly understood at this moment.

Alden did not let Emil copy those paintings out of belief, refuge, or submission.He is for the continuation of the family blood.

As he said, this is a turbulent era, and now is the crossroads of destiny.

If the shadow believers win, then Alden's actions will naturally win some status for the Bridges family on the side of the shadow believers.

And if the shadow believer fails, then Alden can also claim that he is obsessed with everything and that his daughter and grandson are innocent.

What's more, Emil has not changed his surname until now, and Alden can completely let the blood of the Bridges family continue to exist under the surname of Harrison.

…Like the Fillmore family, Alden also wants to leave a way out for his family, or in other words, bet on both sides at the same time.

It's just that the connection between the Fillmore family and the shadow believers was too deep, and the shadow believers also discovered their double heart and killed Jeremy Forbes.

On Alden's side, after all, they were weak and unobtrusive.Alden Bridges even directly used himself as a bargaining chip, intending to sacrifice himself when necessary to keep the family's descendants.

... Siles could not evaluate the rationality of Alden's choice.

In fact, Siles's companions were of course on his side, unquestionably, and never waveringly.

However, even though Alden Bridges had contact with Siles, and even provided some clues about the underground arch incident, he still paid for his actions for the Shadow Believers after all.

...is he to be blamed?Is this a kind of "betrayal"?

Siles also had a hard time answering this question.It can't be said that he has no objection to Alden's behavior, but he can't accuse Alden in a harsher and colder tone.

"...So you decided to meet with me at this time." Siles said, "You know very well what you are doing, and you also know that your choice is wrong. So you decided to tell me part of the information."

Alden nodded slowly, then he sighed again and said mockingly, "Sounds very contradictory, doesn't it?"

"Father..." His daughter couldn't help calling Alden, but that was all she said, and then she didn't say a word.

After a while, she said, "May I take Emil back upstairs?"

Alden nodded.Emil was taken away by his mother again in a daze.

"...you let them down because..."

"Because I want to tell you that the Emil is innocent," Alden said. "Me and my daughter, we made the wrong choice, at the wrong time. But the Emil didn't know anything about it." .I hope you don't blame him.

"Right now, I'm trying to be on the right side, but I'm really confused—are you really on the right side?"

Alden looked at Sirius with troubled eyes and said, "You always... always keep silent."

Siles gave a low laugh and said, "Otherwise what should I do?"

"Tougher... tougher, more ruthless, more arrogant," Alden said, "even more, like a god."

Siles frowned slightly.

"...Do you know that the Church of the Past has already decided on the name of the next era?" Alden said, "Many people, many nobles, know it, and they all know that this name comes from you.

"The Church of the past has shown its attitude, so we have to show our attitude. We have to choose a side. Maybe you don't realize it yourself, but...

"...I thought about it for a few days before I decided to meet you. They may or may not care, but I don't care anymore.

"Tonight, Emil will leave here. He will go to a... a place where he will witness all of this, until this matter is completely over - there is a result."

Siles asked, "Where?"

"Central Cathedral of the Church of yesteryear," said Alden.

The answer is not surprising.Siles even suspected that many nobles would choose to send their children, even just one of them, to the Church of the Past.This is the style of this group of nobles, and the eggs are never put in the same basket.

Siles also realized belatedly that he was incompatible with some unspoken rules of this world after all.

In theory, he should actually communicate with this country and these nobles through the Church of the Past.But he himself doesn't like it that much.

After all, he is still a human being from Earth.It was difficult for him to recognize... this way of belief in Fisher's world.

"...Then, I already know your position." Siles said noncommittally, "Is there anything else you can tell me?"

Alden looked at him with a kind of careful thought.

"Like... about the Emil?" Siles said.

Alden was visibly taken aback.He showed a dejected expression, and then said: "I really can't hide anything from you."

Siles waited for his next words.

"... Emil." Alden said in a heavy tone, "They asked Emil to draw a picture."

"creation?"

"Yes, it was a creation at first," Alden said. "They wanted the Emir to paint a... painting about the city of Ramifa."

Siles was slightly taken aback.

"But Emil couldn't do it. This kid...has never liked painting." Alden said helplessly, "So, in the end, Emil went to them to copy some paintings.

"I don't know exactly what kind of process it is. They are responsible for it. I just sent the emir there. I know that the emir must have... been polluted, but fortunately there is a 'self-reappearance' The ceremony made him recover slowly."

There was an understatement in Alden's tone, and it should be said that he had clearly downplayed his role in the whole thing.

And according to Emil, when Alden took him to the Menethil Museum, Alden didn't even think about the timing of the "self-reappearance" ceremony for Emil. It was Emil's mother who reminded him. own children.

This means that Alden actually didn't care that much... At least at that time, he didn't care that much about Emil's safety.Perhaps, as he said, he was obsessed with ghosts.

However, because of the news he heard from the church in the past, he changed his mind again.

...This is actually a cruel fact, for Emil and his mother.

But for Siles at this moment, he just kept his expression calm.

Alden added: "They seem to have mastered a certain way...to make the painting a 'door', like the space behind the door of the Historical Society, or the salon. Somewhere in reality, some object, connecting A fictional, illusory space.

"...those places... I think they might be hiding in those places. They are always elusive. Maybe not just paintings, but something else will be their 'door'."

"So, are all paintings like this?"

"No, they'll pick from it," Alden said. "...and, as far as I know, they don't seem to have the capacity to make it in large batches. It's just a part of it, a specific part."

"Will the paintings copied by the Emil become 'doors'?" Siles asked.

Alden hesitated for a while, but he couldn't give a definite answer, so he could only say: "Maybe there is such a possibility, but I don't know exactly what they plan to do with these paintings.

"...I don't even understand why they found the Emil."

Siles looked at the old painter, and he suddenly asked, "Do you know Jeremy Forbes?"

"...Of course." Alden was stunned for a moment, "The Fillmore family. Isn't he already dead?"

"In the bedroom where his accident happened, there is a piece of your work." Siles said succinctly, "It is said that it is a painting depicting the scenery of the southern suburbs of Ramifa City."

Alden showed obvious surprised expression, he was even a little nervous and anxious.He said: "No... I don't know what's going on. The painting... I think, it should be my early work, it was sold 20 years ago."

"Sold to who?"

"A collector?" Alden said hastily, "I'm not sure, it was a long time ago...South Suburb, South Suburb. I have painted many paintings related to South Suburb, but those are all My work before I turned 50.

"After I get old, I don't want to paint those natural mountains and rivers."

"Why?" Sirius asked somewhat curiously.

"...Because I'm old." Alden said slightly bitterly, "And nature is always alive. Besides, at that time... I heard about the family from my father.

"Atkinya, Thaddeus...you know, that hit me hard. When I was getting old, I had to pay attention to Thaddeus, not just because of the family, but also because Myself.

"So, it is difficult for me to face those...arts I once loved."

Siles nodded thoughtfully, and he said, "So, you don't know why they chose this painting to be the 'door'."

"That's... that actually became a 'door'?!" Alden said in horror.

His performance seemed a little too surprised and frightened, and Sirius looked him up and said, "I doubt it so much, because Jeremy's death is always a mystery.

"Perhaps the 'door' brought death to Jeremy, and the painting looked most suspicious in Jeremy's bedroom."

Alden managed to calm himself down.He was already in a cold sweat from fright, and picked up the teacup with trembling fingers.He took two sips before slowly calming down.

He smiled weakly and said, "I just... didn't think of it. Didn't think of it, this."

"...The painting becomes 'door', will it implicate you?" Siles asked keenly.

"I... I'm just guessing like this." Alden showed a pale smile, "After all, I created it myself. And Emil just copied some paintings. Creation and copying are different after all, you Definitely understand that too.”

Siles looked deeply at the old painter.He didn't quite buy that claim, and he suspected Alden knew more.

They were silent for a short moment, and then Siles said: "What did you mean just now, when you didn't know the true belief of your family, you always admired the natural scenery of mountains and rivers?"

"Of course." Alden also regained his composure a little, probably because he talked about a topic he was familiar with, "Atkinya is always inseparable from Trisley.

"...No, it should be said that as 'art', Atkinya is closely related to many old gods. But believers in art always prefer nature, or appreciate nature, which is very natural."

Art and nature.Atkinya and Trisley.Siles thought.

He is more or less concerned about this hidden connection.

Then Alden hesitated, then whispered, "Friday night."

"……what?"

"They plan to act on Friday night." Alden's voice was very soft, "...at nightfall of that day."

Siles looked deeply at Alden and said, "You should be very clear that telling me about this will not do you any good."

"But..." Alden struggled, and he sighed, "Maybe I just feel... I just started to look forward to it, Dawn."

Siles said in a low voice: "It sounds very beautiful."

"Yeah, it sounds pretty good," Alden said, "at least it's better than it is now."

Siles was silent for a moment, and then said: "If you want to go to the Dawn Era instead of the second Shadow Era, then you should tell me all the information instead of being vague."

"...I can't do it." Alden said with a wry smile, "[Keep it secret]. You may know this ritual? When certain key information is touched, this ritual will be carried out spontaneously, and it will make me a A deaf and dumb idiot who can't even read a word.

"I don't have time to tell you about those things before this ceremony takes place."

Now Siles was really surprised.

He does know about this ceremony, and the Shadow Believers will indeed use this ceremony to keep secrets, but "spontaneously"?

This sounds a bit like the power of the gods-it happens automatically when a certain concept is touched.Or, is there someone who is always monitoring these insiders?Or is it a sealed item?

Many possibilities popped up in Siles' mind.

He had certain doubts about this statement, and after thinking for a while, he decided to give Alden a psychological judgment to see if the old painter was lying—the information Alden possessed must be quite critical.

In fact, he can also judge his own psychological attributes, but it will be more convenient for Alden to judge.He's the Keeper after all, isn't he?He is not a player.

He remained silent briefly, and said in his heart: "Determine the psychological attributes of Alden Bridges."

[Keeper, Alden Bridges (painter) is conducting a psychological judgment. 】

【Psychology: 54/...】

The numbers that jumped out in front of him all pointed to the success of the psychological judgment this time.

In other words, whether or not Alden lied, Siles would believe him.Fate did not point out a second way, and it turned out there was only one.

Siles chose one at random.

[Psychology: 54/39, success. 】

[The old painter who is bound by shackles, of course he wants to be honest about everything, but he can't.He could only describe the shackles on himself.He expects the man in front of him to believe him; this expectation is equivalent to his fear when he sees the gray ghost around the man. 】

The description given by the dice really surprised Siles.

Alden Bridges saw the ghost beside him?

this means……

Siles almost subconsciously raised his eyes, looking at Alden's old, tired, and gloomy face.

... The old painter was dying.

He did not lie.He probably knew more, but he couldn't tell Sirius those things.He was about to die, but before he died, he also wanted to hold on to this poor, dying last moment of time.

Siles quickly went through the results of today's conversation with Alden in his mind.

Then he realized that the biggest gain might be the sentence "people and insects, sludge and darkness will emerge to devour the world" and the time when Friday night falls.

For other questions, Alden actually didn't know what to ask, and at the same time, he couldn't say it.Of course, what he vaguely implied about the position of the nobles in the city is also quite interesting, but that is not what Siles is concerned about now.

"...I see, Alden," said Sirius at last. "So, do you have any clues that might have something to do with this?"

Alden looked relieved, and then he racked his brains for a moment before saying, "One thing, I can tell you... that guy, the guy who left Ramifa City 14 years ago... "

He doesn't look like he can get the name Ebenezer Cost out of his mouth.

"...he had a fit of rage the other day, maybe it was because the time was approaching." Alden was as vague as possible. "He said he was cheated by a woman."

Ebenezer Const cheated by a woman?

Siles narrowed his eyes slightly, then nodded, he said: "This is a very interesting thing." After saying this, he glanced at the time and said, "Then, I should leave."

Alden was a little surprised. He said, "But it's not three o'clock. Would you like to have dinner here? I mean..."

"The time is approaching." Siles said coldly.

Alden wanted to say something, but in the end, he just sat there dejected and said nothing.After a while, he murmured in pain, "Did I make a wrong choice?"

"Perhaps that judgment needs to be judged by history, not by me," said Siles. "Goodbye, Alden."

The Praia family's carriage has been waiting outside the Bridges family, so Siles declined Alden's proposal to send a servant to take him back.Siles did not return directly to 99 Kelly Street, but went to Ramifa University first, which happened to be on the way.

By the time he arrived at Ramifa University, Cindo had just finished proctoring the exam.He was casually counting the test papers.

And the students had just finished the exam, and they were invigilated by the teaching assistants, so they all breathed a sigh of relief.

But their beloved Professor Siles Noel appeared at this time with a deadpan face and serious eyes. Every student felt that his breath of relief returned to his throat again, and he couldn't move up or down. , tense and anxious.

"...Are you here?" Qin Duo was a little surprised.He thought the conversation between Siles and Alden would last longer.

Siles nodded, and he looked at the students in the examination room again - for a moment, he was a little puzzled why the expressions of the students were so imminent, and then the next second, he understood.

...He was laughing in his heart, wondering if this group of students would still take his class next semester.

But then again, he didn't seem to do anything after becoming a professional director, right?Isn't it just that students have to take exams at the end of each professional class, is it worth waiting so hard?

Siles felt a little funny, but he didn't talk to Qindo again.

After the students walked away tremblingly one by one, Qin Duo said playfully: "They seem to be frightened by you."

"They'll get used to it later," said Siles objectively.

Qin Duo: "..."

Hmm... Mister TA is skeptical.

To be honest, sometimes Qin Duo also felt that Sirius' sternness and gentleness seemed to be symbiotic.But most of the time, the students can only experience this kind of tenderness... er, pity through the one or two sub-questions in Professor Noel's test paper?

They sorted out the papers and went back to the office to review some of them.During this process, Siles also told Cendo some of the information provided by Alden.

"Enemies from underground at nightfall on Friday?" Cinder said, "It sounds like they came prepared."

Siles nodded.He said: "Alden mentioned people and bugs. Leaving aside the bugs, are people just shadow believers?"

"But we have been monitoring the situation in Lamifa City for a while." Qin Duo said confusedly, "There is no mass disappearance of residents. Can't they conjure some people out of thin air?"

"Indeed." Siles said, "However, with shadow believers alone, how can they guarantee to 'swallow the world'? At least there are so many people in Lamifa City, and the power of the Revelator is not invincible."

But the shadow believers seem to be very confident.They even let Alden pass the information to Siles.

Besides, this is only the plan of the Shadow Believers.

"Shadow"'s plan to become a god, and the shadow believer's plan to destroy the world.These are two issues that they need to pay attention to at the same time.

The former involves the thirteen old gods, while the latter is more of the shadow believers' self-talk.

"Shadow" wants to devour this world, the entire Fischer civilization, so as to obtain the power of destiny; before finding "destiny", he does not intend to destroy this world.

As for the shadow believers, they seem to think that "destruction" is the way to devour.

...It seems that there is nothing wrong with it, but Siles always feels that something is not right.The closer the birthday of God was, the more obvious this feeling became.

The efforts of the shadow believers obviously involved those paintings, but these paintings have never been used; they seem to want to use Trisley's hatred of humans, but Trisley's pollution seems to only appear in the land of no embers .

It is true that the Fillmores ordered a large order of hats, but the deadline for delivery was after the birthday of the god.

Do shadow believers really have such confidence that they can pollute the residents of the entire Lamifa City in a short period of time—overnight?

Also, that nursery rhyme by Josephine Hosier...

… Did Josephine Hossier cheat Ebenezer Const?

This is a guess drawn from what Alden Bridges said just now.

A few days earlier, Ebenezer Const had been in a fit of rage because he had been cheated on by a woman.

Of course, it is difficult for Siles to reasonably infer the relevant possibility with such a statement that came out of nowhere; but, if you think about it a little wildly...

If it wasn't for the woman in the shadow believer who deceived him, then Ebenezer Const didn't seem to need to get angry in front of Alden and others.As for the women among the shadow believers, the only one Sirius knew best was Josephine Hosier.

Where could Josephine have deceived Ebenezer?

The information Siles got from the River of Time was that Josephine was probably killed 14 years ago, before Ebenezer left Ramifa City.

Therefore, if Josephine intends to deceive Ebenezer, it is only possible that it was 14 years ago, or earlier.

... He once considered a question, Josephine has been in the shadow believers group for 20 years, from young to old, from birth to death, did she really only send that nursery rhyme at the last moment of her life?Did you not do anything else?

Is this kind of deception of Ebenezer Const what she used to do?

However, there are obviously many problems with this speculation.

How could Ebenezer believe Josephine's lies?He even wanted to kill Josephine before leaving the city of Lamifa. This meager trust did not meet the level of trust of "being deceived".

Also, is there any possible connection between Josephine's deception of Ebenezer and the nursery rhyme she composed?

Of course, if the woman who deceived Ebenezer was not Josephine, then Celes could only feel helpless—God knows who this woman would be.

As the evening approached, they planned to take some of the remaining test papers home and finish grading.

"What are your plans for tomorrow?" Qin Duo asked.

Siles thought for a while, then sighed: "I need to accompany that academic team to visit Ramifa University, and then the academic seminar. It should be free the day after tomorrow, and I won't be needed."

Qin Duo said rather annoyed: "You are saving the world, and you have to waste time on them."

Siles laughed and said, "It's nothing, it will give me more time to think."

Qin Duo looked at him, and finally leaned over and kissed his lips lightly.He whispered: "You are too tired."

"Have it?"

"Yes." Qin Duo said firmly.

Siles was speechless for a while, and finally he could only say: "It's human nature."

Ginto looked at him with a very alert look.

"...Are you trying to say that I still regard myself as a 'human being'?"

Qin Duo muttered: "No...you are always the god I believe in, but this concept has nothing to do with the old gods. I hate those old gods. I just think that even if they are gods, they may not be able to be like You did such a good job."

Siles was slightly taken aback.

"...Let me praise you." Qin Duo kissed him, "You deserve it all."

Siles smiled softly, and he deepened the kiss.The kiss lasted for a moment, until Cindo collapsed on top of Sirius, panting.

Qin Duo's voice was a little hoarse.Resting his forehead on Sirius' shoulder, he said a little exasperatedly, "Why are we in the office?"

His beloved god never agrees to do anything at the office—although he thinks it's the perfect spot—and as a result, they have to go home first before he can get what he wants.

"Take control, Gindo." Siles reminded him slowly, "You sit on me now, don't think I can't feel it."

Qin Duo smiled embarrassingly, and he kissed the corner of Sires' lips flatteringly and cunningly, and then whispered: "Then let's go home. I'm almost starving to death."

The night passed like this - the paper, and Qin Duo, for the time being, these two things were the only things for Siles.He also needs to relax occasionally.

The next morning, what awaited him was still the school's affairs.He also brought the test papers back to the office and was generally satisfied with the students' results.

The arrangement of academic activities is also similar to the ones he has participated in before.As he thought, that actually gave him plenty of time to think, because most of the time the school didn't need him to do anything.

And his always calm and indifferent face can also conceal his inner thoughts.

His main consideration is the actions on the side of the revelators.After the time point of midnight on Friday is determined, he needs to adjust the details of some actions slightly, and also needs to inform others of this time point.

but informing