The world controlled by dice [Western Fantasy]

Two weeks ago, Siles and his companions, following Carol and the revelators of the Second Corridor, traveled to Westside to investigate Anselm Norrison's theft of the museum's collection.

That incident seemed unremarkable at the beginning, it seemed that it was just an incident of an old man who was desperate to treat his granddaughter.However, after a real investigation, it was found that there were elements such as the revelation, the underground gang, the crocus symbolizing Pessonari, and the big figures in the East City.

Therefore, this incident, which was supposed to be closed quickly after the lost property was recovered, was delayed until now to come to a result.

And the result is...

Eric said, "Second Corridor dropped the case." He paused, then added, "I know about this because someone had an argument with Mr. Grace about this decision."

Louis Grace, head of the Second Corridor.Bello is often referred to as "Director," which Grace doesn't seem to like, and is always referred to as "Sir."

It was a smiling, tall, thin, cunning man.On the outside, he has a good temper, but not so good that someone can directly lose his temper with him.

"Mr. Grace decided to abandon this investigation?" Angela blurted out.

Eric nodded.

Angela showed a subtle and complicated expression, she said: "On the bright side, the elders have not talked about this matter."

Mrs. Fuller and Darrell also shook their heads, indicating that they hadn't heard the relevant news.

Eric said: "No one knows why Mr. Grace made such a decision. Or maybe it was because the case dragged on for too long and wasted too much time. We have a lot of things to investigate."

Mrs. Fuller sighed softly.

Angela said: "That's right. It's just that it's too..." She paused, "I know that the underground gang in West City is behind the incident, but..."

"Because of the big man?" Darrell said carelessly.

"Maybe he put pressure on the second corridor?" Eric speculated.

Angela fell into deep thought, and after a while, she said, "Well, I'm actually curious about who that big shot is, so I went to investigate."

The rest of the people suddenly became curious, and Darrell asked directly, "Who is it?"

Angela coughed and said, "First of all, I couldn't find the exact candidate."

Darrell let out a loud sigh of disappointment.

Angela gave the young boy a sneaky look before saying, "But I have selected three candidates."

They listened intently.

Angela looked a little hesitant, and then talked about her own investigation process: "At first I thought that it might be a member of the Presbyterian Church, and there are indeed people I know in the Presbyterian Council... some nobles, or ministers of the Principality .”

Having said that, they were a little surprised.

Eric said in surprise: "There are indeed nobles or ministers who are enlighteners!"

"It's not surprising." Mrs. Fuller said, "I've heard that some nobles have magical powers, and that guarantees the continuation and inheritance of their families. The great nobles with a long history may have more power .”

Siles whispered: "For example, Brewer, his family has records related to the old gods."

They all nodded.

Darrell muttered, "Think about it. The records related to the gods are actually everywhere. Ordinary people certainly think it's nothing. But for enlighteners like us..."

Indeed, Siles thought.Ordinary people aren't even bothered by Old God pollution.

He suddenly realized that this might be... the issue of "revealer's qualifications"?Spirituality?It is because the spirituality is too high that it has the qualifications of the revealer, so, correspondingly, it will be polluted by the old gods?

Siles felt that this guess was very possible.

Unfortunately, until now, Siles has not been able to know what his spiritual attributes are.He failed to trigger the spiritual judgment.He only knew that so far, his spirituality had increased by five points.

...and that doesn't seem like good news either.

The topic diverged slightly, and then Angela brought the topic back to the three candidates: "Before Carol said that it was someone who might be a revelation, a big man in the East City, so I think those people in the Presbyterian Church It's suspicious.

"...Then I discovered two suspicious candidates. They both fit Carol's statement—the big man in the East City, and the revealer. Well, it's mainly about the big man."

Darrell said, "Don't be a fool. Who the hell?"

"Jonathan Bryant. And Halston Constantine." Angela quickly said these two names, as if she was afraid that she would hesitate. The next second, she breathed a long sigh of relief.

But the others looked at each other instead.

Darrell stammered, "Jonathan...er, Bryant. Isn't that the Chancellor of the Duchy? My dad used to say that name a lot when he read the paper in the morning."

Angela nodded happily.

Eric swallowed subconsciously: "Konstantin... Sir? That Constantine?"

Angela also nodded.

The Constantine family is one of the important aristocratic families in the Principality of Constantine. Its reputation comes from the fact that the earliest Sir Constantine was the guard of the Duke of Constantine when he established the Principality, and he is still a member of the imperial military. important faction.

In other words, this is an important pillar of unquestionably ecumenicalism.If Houston Constantine is really supporting the underground gangs in West City, how much of this matter is the wish of Grand Duke Constantine?

Several enlighteners looked at each other.

After a while, Eric said with a wry smile: "I suddenly realized that this matter seems to be more complicated than we thought."

Siles asked: "You said there were three suspects. Who else is there?"

"Uh, that's not a member of the Historical Society, at least I haven't seen it in the Presbyterian Church. However, I do have some doubts about her." Angela said, "Eugenia Beard."

Mrs. Fuller's face changed for the first time: "The businesswoman?"

Angela nodded repeatedly.

Eric frowned, and said uncertainly, "I seem to have... heard her name. She seems to be... from West City?"

"Yes." Angela nodded, "She is from Lamifa West City, later became a big businessman, and then tried to join the circle of nobles in the East City... This is not the point. The point is that she has money and connections in the West City .

"Besides, she first made money through the Land of Embers. It's dangerous there, as you all know. So, she may have channels related to the Revelator."

"Sounds suspicious," said Mrs. Fuller thoughtfully, "but why do you suspect her?"

Angela touched her cheek in embarrassment, and then whispered, "She seems to want to be my stepmother."

Room 666 suddenly fell into silence.

After a while, Eric said nonchalantly, "Maybe we should talk about the two candidates for the Presbyterian Church."

Angela said angrily: "It's definitely not my prejudice against her! She was originally related to the old city, and she is also a wealthy businessman, and may have mastered the power of the revelator!"

The rest were dumbfounded.

"We need more evidence ... to confirm who is the big guy we're looking for," Siles said.

Angela just wanted to refute, but then she blinked, thinking that Siles was in control of her elective grades... So her attitude softened all of a sudden, and she said softly, "Professor, you are right."

Darrell laughed loudly and unceremoniously.

Angela cryptically made a threatening gesture towards him.

The older trio ignored the contest between the two younger kids.

Eric said worriedly: "If it's really such a big shot, then I'm afraid there's nothing we can do."

Mrs. Fuller nodded likewise.

Siles said, "Not necessarily. We don't want to deal with these big shots directly, but just want to know... what the underground gangs in West City want to do.

"Is it just to grab the benefits of Everland? But their actions seem a little too extreme."

The rest nodded in agreement.

They participated in this matter, but the case ended abruptly without end, which made them a little bit unwilling.Brewer's incident always made them feel that if something happened, they could learn more about it, and maybe they could prevent many tragedies from happening.

For example, until now, they don't know what happened to the gatekeeper's granddaughter.

"If that's the case," Angela said, "do we still have to start with the underground gangs?"

Eric took the initiative and said: "Leave this matter to me. I will investigate what the underground gangs are doing recently."

"Be safe," whispered Mrs. Fuller.

Eric said, "I will." He thought for a moment, then added, "Sooner or later we will be in danger for a revelator like me who joins the second corridor."

"Have you been investigating anything recently, Eric?" Angela asked curiously.

Eric nodded, then shook his head again. He said, "It can't be said that it's under investigation. I'm sorting out some files, which involve... the out-of-control timing caused by mental illness."

Darrell was taken aback: "What is a mental illness?"

In this day and age, mental illness, mental illness, is often relegated to the "cursed lunatic."For those with extraordinary strength, this kind of mental illness is somewhat difficult to classify.

Siles remained silent.

"I seem to know." Angela said thoughtfully, "I have a friend who is in medical school, and she told me something... that is, some people are crazy because their brain or body is sick. , rather than... madness in the sense of mysticism."

Darrell still looked puzzled: "So what?"

Eric sighed, showing a somewhat worried expression: "Some people who are mentally inactive due to out-of-control timing are regarded as mentally ill, and some mentally ill are considered mentally inactive, and there are two people who are in one. Case……

"In short, there are more and more out-of-control timelines involving mental or mental illness. Moreover, these mental patients are more likely to make timelines out of control."

What he said surprised others.

Indeed, to normal people, a madman is a madman.Who wants to classify madmen?But now, such cases often appear, so they have to pay attention to the relevant definitions.

Perhaps, Siles thought, mental illness, or mental illness, also causes spiritual growth?Causing these crazy psychopaths to be more exposed to the contamination of the old gods?

He guessed so, but there was no evidence to prove his idea.He can't directly see other people's attribute panels, nor can he see his own.This is a huge regret.

Because they mentioned the daily work in the second corridor, they also talked about the work content of different departments.

Angela complained about the mountain of documents and meeting minutes in the Presbyterian Council, and Mrs. Fuller quietly mentioned the office politics in the first corridor.Darrell talked about the training content of the third corridor recently.

He came into contact with some rituals for attack and defense, and... sealed items faster than others.

He said to Siles, "I heard it was invented by the Research Department?"

"They found it," said Siles. "How does it feel to use it?"

Darrell said he was given a gun that he could only use and practice within the Historical Society for the time being.His expression was mixed with likes and dislikes, like a bit contradictory.

Finally, he said: "It's like the weapon in your hand is alive...you can even communicate with it. That's weird."

The others also showed subtle expressions.

Darrell was only contradictory for a moment, and soon he turned to say: "But there are not many, and it is impossible to use it often. I can meet it because most of the revelators in the third corridor are busy with one thing. gone."

"What?" Angela asked curiously.

"God's Birthday Celebration." Darrell said triumphantly, "The third corridor of the Historical Society will maintain the order of the day and prevent some people from making trouble. They are busy studying the manpower deployment and station arrangement of the day."

Angela was startled, and then suddenly remembered: "Yeah, it's almost September. In just over a month, it will be God's birthday."

When it comes to this, the atmosphere is a little warmer.

For ordinary people who are not believers, God's Day means holidays, rest and shopping.

"I'm already looking forward to the October Fair," said Mrs. Fuller, smiling.

Angela said: "The last time I was at Ernestine's underground fair, I just wandered around a little bit, and I didn't find it enjoyable. I'll buy more interesting things when the fair is held in October."

"I hear there will be circuses and other acts from the Never Embers," Eric said.

circus.Siles suddenly thought of a character card for the running game.

Angela nodded expectantly, and suddenly said, "I'll be on vacation then too..." She paused and murmured, "There are exams and final homework before the holiday..."

Her aura suddenly became gloomy.

Darrell looked at her with a curious look.In the end, he still couldn't help asking: "Aren't you a noble lady? Why did you go to university?"

Angela didn't refute the title of "Miss Noble". Anyway, her true identity had been revealed in many details in front of her companions, and she didn't bother to cover it up.

She just said: "My mother died when I was very young because she ate a poisonous plant. At the funeral, a not very pleasant relative showed off that he went to college and was in class. I've heard about the toxicity of that plant.

"So, my father felt that I also had to go to university and learn something. I couldn't be like my mother and those old-fashioned nobles... However, I don't like botany, entomology, etc., so I went to studied literature."

Her story made Mrs. Fuller turn sideways and hug her tenderly.

Angela looked a little embarrassed, and finally, she said: "The mother's affairs have long passed. I think she will also be proud of my current situation."

They nodded one after another, comforting Angela.

After some conversation, more than an hour has passed.

At this time, Darrell suddenly proposed: "By the way, I just heard Mrs. Fuller talk about the salon... Let's go to the salon! I haven't been there yet."

Mrs. Fuller mentioned Sharon because, when she spoke of office politics in Corridor One, she was euphemistically referring to those senior people who would let the new Revelators take care of trivial but troublesome chores.

The nature of the work in the first corridor is special, and Mrs. Fuller needs to understand many situations and organizational structures within the Historical Society.The Revelators who entered the first corridor may connect with different departments within the Historical Society, and Mrs. Fuller was assigned to the salon.

She often went to the salon during this period, either to arrange seats, or to move and arrange goods, or to deal with some disputes, which was not an easy task after all.

Everyone else hasn't been to a salon yet.One is because their respective lives are relatively busy, and every time they come to the Historical Society, they just go back and forth in a hurry; the other is because they want to understand the content of the work in the department first, so they postpone the matter of going to the salon.

Darrell curiously asked about the specific situation in the salon.

"The salon is a wonderful place. Have you ever been to the theater?" Mrs. Fuller thought about it, asked tentatively, and then said, "The salon is like a huge theater stage surrounded by many curtains. Behind the different curtains are the doors leading to different departments.

"There are also some open public spaces, like the auditorium in a theater. There will be some areas for free trade and conversation, like a real salon."

Angela asked: "Then how do we join the faculty?"

"The 'stage'... is the open space in the center of the salon, where the recruiting departments will wait for the arrival of newcomers." Mrs. Fuller said, "But different departments have different requirements."

Angela suddenly realized.

Darrell couldn’t wait to say: “Then let’s go.”

So the five of them went to the salon together.

They walked along the corridor for a period of time, about 5 minutes, passing countless rooms.Then, at the end, they saw a closed door.

In front of this door, Mrs. Fuller paused for a moment, and then said: "By the way, the biggest feature of the salon is—" Her eyes swept over everyone present, and then she smiled slightly, "It's like a theater, every day Individual identities are kept private. I think you'll like it."

After speaking, she opened the door and walked in.

Siles saw a light blue halo around the door frame.They filed in, and Sirius was the last.He didn't think about anything when he crossed that layer of light, but when the dim light in front of him suddenly brightened, he heard someone around him exclaiming.

...that was an unfamiliar voice.

Siles looked around in a little surprise, and found that the four companions who entered the door together turned into four people with completely different appearances.

There are aristocratic ladies in exquisite gowns, painters with watercolors on their faces, musicians with violins, and young princes dressed in horseback riding clothes.

In order, these four should be Mrs. Fuller, Darrell, Angela and Eric.

They were standing in front of the mirror, looking at their new outfits.

Siles looked around and found that the space was like a dressing room, full of different clothes, accessories, and many mirrors.

"This is the entrance hall of the salon." Mrs. Fuller said, "You can look at your new image in front of the mirror. If you are not satisfied, you can also redress or restore your original appearance."

Darrell doesn't seem to understand.He touched the watercolor marks on his face, and said, "But, is it necessary?"

It's obviously a salon inside the Historical Society, why hide your identity?

"Because some people will do some shady things or business here. Over time, this has become a customary convention." Mrs. Fuller said meaningfully, "People always need to hide their identities at some point."

Darrell nodded half understanding.

Siles went to the mirror and gazed at his new image.

These images seem to be random, but they also seem to be related to their real identities and images.Siles saw a slightly familiar face - it was a bit like He Jiayin on Earth, and it was not similar to the high nose and deep eyes common to the residents of the Principality of Constance.

Still black hair and black eyes, still wearing a black suit.His face looked more mature, like an older man in his thirties.Judging by his attire, he failed to realize his "identity".

But he took a dice out of his pocket.

... Siles wondered what kind of identity this was.

Angela, who was holding the violin, glanced at Siles, and then said, "Gambler? Dealer?"

Siles: "..."

He actually felt that this argument was quite reasonable.

"Then the croupier." Siles put the dice back in his pocket, and then looked at the others, "This is my code name."

His companions followed his train of thought well.

"Then I am..." Mrs. Fuller considered for a while, "maid."

Although she looks like a noble lady in a delicate gown, she chose the title "maid".

"Painter." Darrell seemed dissatisfied with this identity, but didn't bother to change it.

"Musician." Angela was in high spirits instead.

Eric also looked at the young son in the mirror with dissatisfaction, and finally imitated Mrs. Fuller's words and said, "The groom."

Five people determined their code names.At this time, someone entered the entrance hall again, so they hurriedly led by Mrs. Fuller, passed through the entrance hall, and merged into the huge space of the salon.

Darrell let out an uncontrollable exclamation.

As Mrs. Fuller said, it was like a theater, with high ceilings and slightly dim light and a dull air.Nearby are some round tables, and many people sit among them.

They were talking, or doing some exchange business and tricks.Those faces covered by novelty costumes still vividly depict their inner thoughts.

Farther away was an open, slightly elevated clearing where some people were waiting.Surrounding it is a curtain that hangs down.

Siles just looked around for a while, and when he turned his head again, he found that his companions had already disappeared into the crowd.He couldn't help being startled, and then chose to wander around the salon by himself.

In general, the salon is not too noisy.As Mrs. Fuller said, people do some shady things here, like behind-the-scenes dealings, private conversations and things like that.Faculty is another matter.

Siles walked past some round tables, and could occasionally hear a few words exchanged between those people.

They are buying time rails, potions, or exchanging information, intelligence, or issuing bounty tasks and the like.In any case, it doesn't look like a proper...an officially accredited society.

No wonder you need to change your identity to enter here.

Siles suddenly thought of the Dawn Apocalypse.That mysterious department organization that Carol mentioned intentionally or unintentionally.Joining that department seems to require hiding one's true identity.

Unknowingly, Siles came to the high platform at the end of the salon.In other people's mouths, this place seems to be called a stage.

There were many people standing on the stage, gathered in twos and threes.Some put signs in front of them, introducing their department; others just stood there lazily, as if this would let others understand what his department was.

Siles noticed that his companions had also arrived here.

Someone went to the stage from the side to communicate with these new departments.Siles thought for a while, and went with the flow.He noted some of them with interest.

For example, Household Rituals share the Department.

To be honest, Siles was really moved for a moment.

But he held back and wanted to look again.According to Director Bello, he needs to join several departments to increase his qualifications.Siles wanted to choose something that seemed to be very leisurely and free, or that he was very interested in academically.

While he was observing the introductions of the faculties, the curtain behind the stage was quietly lifted, and a man dressed like a knight in metal armor quietly walked out from there, and then stood on the stage.

His face was completely obscured by the helmet.

Siles didn't notice it, and just browsed through one by one step by step.He was completely unaware that a new department had appeared.It wasn't until he stood in front of the armored knight that he suddenly noticed this man who was as quiet as a shadow.

He was startled, and asked, "May I ask what department you are from?"

The armored knight was very tall, and his voice was low and hollow with an echo.He said, "Follow me, croupier."

After speaking, he turned and left, lifted the curtain, and waited there quietly.

Siles frowned.

Why does this knight in armor know he is a dealer?

The surroundings seemed to be quiet, and everyone seemed to be waiting for Siles' choice.But Siles just felt baffled.

He stood where he was, looking at the armored knight calmly and indifferently.He didn't understand where the invitation came from, and he didn't understand why the armored knight was so sure that he would follow.

He looked up and asked again: "May I ask what department you are from?"

The armored knight looked at Siles quietly through the cold metal helmet.After a while, he said, "Dawn Revelations."

These five words made Siles narrow his eyes for a moment.He felt something... as Alfonso Carlyle said, the force of fate.

He came to the salon today only because of Darrell's whim, no, maybe Director Bello's proposal.If not, then he might never remember the existence of the salon and the department.

However, he just came to the salon by accident.And the people from the Dawn Revelation Society seemed to be waiting for him deliberately.

……why?

Confusion and anxiety arose in Siles' heart.

After a moment, he nodded, and then stepped up to keep up with the armored knight.He didn't look back, but he heard a small murmur behind him.

He thought that his companion should help divert attention, lest a newcomer join the Dawn Apocalypse would spread throughout the Historical Society within today.

More likely, many people probably don't even know what the dawn revelation will be.

In fact, Siles is not so clear.He only heard a few words from Carol's mouth.

It was a mysterious organization.It was established to wait for the dawn of revelation, but no one knows who the founders are and who the participants are.This is a department that has not recruited new people for ten years, and has done a big thing that is not bad.

That's all Celeste knew.

The curtain opened and fell, and Sirius' vision suddenly became dim.They walked straight along the dark corridor.

Siles followed in silence for a long time, and then asked, "Why did the Dawn Revelations invite me over?"

"Because you proposed the three elements of a god," said the armored knight.

Siles was stunned, but at the same time he also felt more cautious. He asked, "So, can the Dawn Revelation Society know the identity of the revelator under disguise?"

"No." The armored knight stopped, and then took off his helmet, "Because I know you, Professor Noel."

Carol under the armor noticed Siles' tense and relaxed expression for a moment, and laughed out loud.

Siles: "..."

He was speechless for a moment.

Carol coughed twice with a laugh, and then said, "Just kidding, Sirius. It was a coincidence that I came in after you. That's why I noticed your clothes."

Sirius nodded thoughtfully.

"So usually, the revelators will change their disguises again in the entrance hall. But this is not a big deal. After all, generally speaking, the interior of the Historical Society is still safe."

"I see," said Siles.

Carol took his helmet back again.

Siles asked, "So you specifically invited me to join the Dawn Revelation. Why?"

"Would you believe me if I said this is the style of the Dawn Revelations?" Carol asked back.

Siles didn't understand, so: "What?"

"The Dawn Revelation—very inexplicable, isn't it?" Carroll said. "I joined the Dawn Revelations ten years ago. I just became a Revelator at that time. The Dawn Revelation has been dormant for ten years." state.

"As you can imagine, a mysterious underground organization that doesn't know what to wait for."

They walked in a long dark corridor, which seemed to have no end in sight.

"So, no one knows what the recruitment criteria of Dawn Apocalypse are. I think this organization is an invitation system, not a review system." Carroll said simply, "But no one knows what the invitation criteria are. "

Some confusion arose in Siles' heart.

If it was an invitation-only mysterious organization, then why did Carol mention the existence of this organization a long time ago?Was Siles already noticed by the Dawn Apocalypse at that time?

After all, Siles still didn't understand why he was favored by the Dawn Revelation Society.

He thought for a moment, and suddenly realized a problem: "So, it's not because of the three elements of gods I proposed."

"It's not. It's just a coincidence that I discovered your identity." Carol shook his head. "I just got a message that I'm here today to invite 'Dealer' to join the Dawn Revelations. That's all."

Siles frowned: "But, dealer..."

"First of all, you may think that 'dealer' is the term you proposed, isn't it?" Carroll asked back, "It's not the case. In the salon, if you stay for a long time, you will find that everyone's initial allocation The identities you get are actually definite and different.

"So, there will only be one croupier, and you happen to be that croupier."

Siles felt a little weird.He said, "A prophet?"

"Prophecy?" Carol thought for a while, "No, I think it's just some kind of mysterious... action. For example, when I first joined the Dawn Revelation Society, the person who received me said that he Is to invite a 'armor knight' to join.

"But who knew that I would appear in the salon one day in the form of a knight in armor? I don't think anyone can be sure of that. The salon is a place far more ancient and mysterious than the space behind the door of the Historical Society.

"Believe me, no one knows Sharon's true identity ahead of time.

"In the ten years since I joined the Dawn Revelation Society, this kind of thing has happened occasionally. According to that senior, he has been asked many times to go to the salon at a certain moment to invite someone to join the Dawn Revelation Society .

"Sometimes he gets invited and sometimes he doesn't. So I guess it's just a random mechanic."

Siles thought, everything depends on fate?

But he was still skeptical.After all, this is a mysterious world with extraordinary power, and he is not sure if there is really any strange power at work behind this invitation system.

But Carol doesn't seem to know much either.

He reminded Siles: "After entering the Dawn Apocalypse, the two of us have to pretend to be strangers. I will call you a dealer, and you will call me a knight. Externally, we must not expose each other as the Dawn Apocalypse members of the meeting.

"Overall, Apocalypse is like a place for... er, small talk."

"...chatting?" Siles looked at him troubled.

"The Dawn Apocalypse Society appeared in the year when the Historical Society was founded, that is to say, it was the first department within the Historical Society, and has a very long history. The members have changed from generation to generation.

"...In short, in fact, many members, including me, don't understand what the Dawn Apocalypse is waiting for. We all regard this place as a club where we can't disclose our identities. troubles."

Siles kind of got it—a small anonymous living group.

His mentality calmed down almost instantly.

He thought for a while, and then asked: "So, what you said before, the Dawn Revelation Society has done a good or bad thing... What is that?"

Carol made an uh, and said a little embarrassedly, "You have a really good memory, Mr. Dealer."

"Indeed, Mr. Knight."

Carol was silent for a moment, and finally said: "This matter has something to do with the Principality of Constance."

Siles said slightly surprised, "What?"

"The current Grand Duke Const is actually the youngest son of the previous Grand Duke. He has an elder brother." Carol whispered, "However, the person who inherited the seat of the Grand Duke is not the eldest son. In fact, he is still missing. unknown."

Siles thought to himself, this is a little different from the "big deal" he imagined.

"There are some rumors that the Apocalypse of Dawn will promote the succession of the current Grand Duke behind the scenes." When Carol said this, his voice was originally soft.