The world controlled by dice [Western Fantasy]

"...

"I am very glad to know that the translation of the travelogue has been completed, Professor Noel. Besides, it is my honor to introduce you to the publisher. I have read your work, and you are such a talented novelist.

"It is inconvenient to explain too much information in the letter. If you are free, I will wait for you at the restaurant where we met last time at one o'clock tomorrow afternoon. You'd better bring the translator with you, and I will also bring you here publisher.

"If this time is inconvenient for you, then you can write back to tell me another time; if I don't receive your reply, then I will default to meeting you tomorrow.

"..."

One o'clock tomorrow afternoon.Siles thought.He happens to have no class.

Siles was relieved by Ranmere's reply.Even if I don't have too many expectations for the publication of the novel, it is naturally a good thing to be able to publish it.That's what Siles was used to doing.

Do you want to bring Emmanuel to tomorrow's meeting...

Siles thought for a while, then changed into casual clothes, put on his backpack and went out.

The morning air is fresh.Siles walked along 6 Hayward Street and arrived at the Folklore Society not long after.

He asked in the foyer on the first floor if Emmanuel was there, and after getting a positive reply, he went to the second floor.The status of a professor at La Mifa University has given him great convenience. If it weren't for this status, it would be difficult for him to move unimpeded in the Folklore Society.

It was still the office on the second floor. After Siles knocked on the door, after a while, he heard a hoarse "come in" from inside the door.This made Celes frowned slightly.

He turned the doorknob, walked in, and was taken aback.

Emmanuel looked much older than the last time we met.With tired eyes, he lowered his head and wrote something quickly on the paper.Siles caught a glimpse of the parchment-covered travel journal in front of him, and immediately understood that Emmanuel was here to translate early in the morning.

...He may not be diligent, conscientious, or attach great importance to translation, but because he wants to complete the translation as soon as possible, and then go to the land of no embers.Sirius knew this well.

"... Oh, Professor Noel... good morning." Emmanuel raised his head, subconsciously glanced at the visitor, and saw that it was Siles, and was suddenly at a loss.

Siles stood at the door for a moment, then sighed slightly, and said, "I'm starting to wonder if it's a good thing for me to hand over this travel book to you, Emmanuel. Good morning."

Emanuel shook his head immediately: "This is not possible."

Siles knew that he couldn't persuade Emmanuel at all.At this moment, Emmanuel's heart is full of nostalgia for his brother Isherwood, guilt for his dead companions, and resentment for the "non-existent city".

He frantically wants to go to the Land of No Embers, frantically wants to solve this mystery, and is even willing to use his own death to see off his brother and companions.

It was his last sanity and sobriety that allowed him to stay here and complete the task promised to Siles.After the translation is over, I'm afraid no one can stop him.

...the only possible candidate, Alfonso Carlyle, was swayed by Emmanuel's behavior.

Siles could do nothing about their past grievances.

He just said: "I came this time to tell you that at one o'clock tomorrow afternoon, at Atherton Square..." He paused, and then gave the address of the restaurant, "The businessman and publisher will be waiting with us."

"...the businessman?" Emanuel said. "Tomorrow afternoon...tomorrow afternoon is certainly no problem. I mean, is the businessman... the one you were talking about?"

"Yes." Siles nodded, "It was he who got this travel book from an explorer, and then resold it to me."

Emmanuel's eyes suddenly burst into surprise, and he said to himself: "Then I can ask, where did he meet the explorer, and whether he has heard of his past experience, In the travel notes, some fragments are not so clear..."

He murmured something.After a while, he suddenly came back to his senses, and said in an apologetic tone, "Sorry, I just..."

"I can understand your feelings." Siles considered his tone, "However, the dead are gone. I think your brother also hopes that you can live well."

"...carrying the death of his and other companions?" Emmanuel's tone was low and depressed, "I don't think I can do it. Even if Isherwood didn't die because of me, my companions did ...

"I think Alfonso should have told you something about...our past experiences. He must still blame me on this matter...my recklessness and indiscretion. Those lives, those are not light things.

"I don't mean to accuse you, but...you can't be substituted into my situation, and you can't understand that those things at the beginning...like a long, dead shadow, covering me, let me I can't get rid of it for the rest of my life..."

he told.Rather than saying that he hopes that Siles can understand him at this moment, it is better to say that he just needs someone to listen to these emotions and psychology that have been accumulated for a long time.

Siles asked: "Are you determined to die?"

Emmanuel stared at him blankly, and after a while, nodded slowly and firmly.

"I have lived for many years." He murmured in a low voice, "I have lived enough."

Siles sighed slightly and said nothing more.He said goodbye to Emanuel and left the Folklore Society.

After walking on the boulevard in autumn for a while, Siles felt the heavy emotion gradually fade from his body.He thought that Emmanuel's choice was not incomprehensible.

It's just that he couldn't just watch a life commit suicide...and it was indirectly because of him.Although it was impossible for him to know the contents of the travel book when he handed it to Emmanuel.

...In any case, let's wait until tomorrow's meeting is over.

Siles found a rental carriage at the corner of the street, and then went to Finn's house without stopping.

Fortunately, Bertram Finn was at home.

"Cilles." Mrs. Fein who opened the door was a little surprised, "What's the matter? You came to visit at this time, what happened?"

"So to speak," said Siles. "Is your husband home?"

"Bertram?" Mrs. Finn was a little puzzled, she turned and called home, "Bertram!"

Then, turning to Cilles, she said: "He is at home. Anthony is doing his homework under the supervision of his governess, and Bertram is there. I appreciate your advice; Anthony has been working harder lately."

Siles smiled slightly and said, "Anthony is a smart boy, he will understand your painstaking efforts."

Learning so early, he thought... Anthony had indeed transformed.

After talking for a few words, Bertram Finn came down from upstairs.

"Cilles!" said Bertram, "how have you come? What has happened?"

The couple asked the same questions.

Siles nodded towards him, and then said, "Bertram, have you read the newspaper? Did you hear what happened in the gourmet town yesterday?"

"...What?" Bertram reacted dully, "No. What happened? What happened to the gourmet town? I'm planning to go with Irene and Anthony...in two days, maybe."

Eileen was Mrs. Finn's name.

"I wholeheartedly advise you not to go," said Siles. "I went there with my friend yesterday, and then ... something happened."

Bertram realized the seriousness of the matter, and became serious.

He asked Sirius to sit on the sofa in the living room, and he and Mrs. Finn sat down too.

Bertram said: "I know that the business of the food town has been very good recently. Is there something wrong with the food?"

"That's not the case." Siles said, "On the contrary, people's pursuit of those foods is a little too crazy."

Bertram looked a little surprised: "Nevertheless... Siles, I think it's normal for people to like to eat food." He joked, "Just like when I was in the land of no embers, I was crazy. Miss my wife's craft."

He smiled at Mrs. Finn.

Siles left the couple for a moment, and then said: "Yesterday afternoon, those diners fought and even built a wall in order to compete for food...Do you think this is still normal?"

Bertram immediately showed a surprised expression, and he frowned: "This is not right." He paused, and then said, "Could it be that those people have conflicts and struggles?"

Siles said in a low voice: "Thousands of people... are like this."

Mrs. Finn gasped and showed a panicked expression. She said, "It's so crazy! It's incredible... Bertram, I'm afraid we don't want to take Anthony there."

Bertram comforted his wife, and then said, "I think Sirius means..."

Siles had a slightly probing tone: "Did you encounter any... special dangers when you were in the Neverland?"

Bertram hesitated for a moment, then said, "You mean, those followers of the old gods?"

He knows it.Silas breathed a sigh of relief.

Then he said: "I suspect that someone behind the scenes is taking advantage of this opportunity..." He picked a saying, "Something is brewing."

Bertram thought about it.

After a moment, he said, "Are you suspicious of Grayson Corporation?"

Siles nodded, not hiding it.

He said: "Don't you think Grayson's business expansion in the West Side is too simple? Also, people's pursuit of Grayson's ingredients and finished food is a bit too crazy."

"Grayson..." Bertram thought for a moment, "Indeed. The amount of the dividend is a bit exaggerated."

Siles asked, "You said earlier that you had a friend who worked at Grayson?"

"Yes, it's the merchant who found several recipes in the Never Embers." Bertram said, "I do believe in his character... However, your words also make me have some doubts.

"In fact, I can only trust him, but not the moral standards of Grayson's entire company. Although I don't want to say it directly, some businessmen really have no moral code."

Siles said, "Have you had contact with anyone else at Grayson's?"

"I have contacted a person in charge...he is a bit fat and likes to wear a suit." Bertram thought for a while, "he always wears a brooch on his collar..."

Siles said: "The pattern on the brooch is a balance falling from one end?"

"How do you know!" said Bertram in amazement.

"After the incident in the gourmet town yesterday, it was this person who came forward to coordinate the matter." Siles said in a low voice, "What's his name?"

"Bill Beaumont," said Bertram, "he's called Billy."

"What's your impression of him?"

"I can't tell," Bertram said. "He's a typical businessman, but I'm afraid he didn't make his fortune from the Land of Embers, but worked as a manager in Ramifa City. He was hired.

"He is responsible for managing the company and maintaining the company's daily operations and development, but he is not the owner of the company. It can be heard from the tone of his communication with other investors."

Siles understood, and said: "So he is not the real owner of Grayson Company." He paused, "Then have you met the real owner of Grayson Company?"

"No." Bertram said, "I'm afraid no one has seen it. It's always Billy who comes forward to coordinate everything. At that time, everyone guessed that it would be someone important in the government of the Principality of Constance, so it was inconvenient to show up. But... ..."

"That's a possibility," said Siles.

Bertram hesitated again and again, and said, "Do you really think that what happened in the gourmet town may be caused by... a mysterious force?"

Siles was taken aback.

Bertram said, "Could it be some kind of vicious business competition?"

Siles was about to refute, but suddenly stopped.

Nor did Bertram's guess seem impossible.This is a natural conclusion drawn from the perspective of a businessman and operator.Of course, Siles also knew that Bertram guessed so because he was not present yesterday.

If he was on the scene and saw the crazy and exaggerated performance of those ordinary people, then he must be able to draw the same conclusion as the other enlighteners—that there is some kind of hidden power playing tricks.

However, just based on what Siles said, Bertram wondered if some competitor noticed the hot development and promising prospects of the gourmet town, so they deliberately made trouble during the rising period?

This is certainly not impossible.

Grayson Foods monopolized most of the ingredients and finished food in West City, and even the source of ingredients for pubs and restaurants.For many food companies and processing plants in Dongcheng, their interests have already lost a lot.

And Grayson also wants to expand the market in the East City through food towns, October fairs and other means.

Losing the customers in the west city is not a serious injury to some merchants, but the market in the east city is another matter.

If Grayson Foods really manages to monopolize the catering industry in the entire Ramifa City... that would not be good news.

Siles was stunned for a moment, then said: "You are right, this is a possibility that I overlooked."

Of course, he still believes that there is a mysterious power... The revealer or the followers of the old gods are playing tricks.However, if it is really vicious commercial competition, it may not necessarily be related to the revival of the old gods.

Most likely, it was just Grayson's competitor who hired a powerful revelator to act behind the scenes, making people frantically chase Grayson's food.

But extremes must be reversed.In the next step, Grayson's competitors may start promoting the news that Grayson's food drives people into a state of insanity. Addictive".

This would obviously take a toll on Grayson's reputation.

Compared with the "hidden power" of empty talk, this kind of commercial competition seems to be more justified.

Seeing that Siles approved his guess, Bertram also seemed relieved.He laughed and said, "You startled me. If there are some followers of the old gods active in Ramifa, it would be too dangerous."

Siles: "..."

But Ramifa City does have some followers of the old gods.he couldn't help thinking.It's just that there is a subtle tacit understanding with the officials of the Principality of Const - if you don't make trouble, I don't care about you.

The only question is, are any of the followers of the Old Gods actually planning to resurrect their god?

Siles left the Finn's house with this doubt.

Mrs. Fern wanted to keep him for lunch, but Sirius had a lot of unfinished business to do, so she declined.

"Then come to dinner in two days, Celes," said Mrs. Fern. "I keep forgetting to tell you about it, and my memory shows that the doctor is right.

"I'm very grateful that you helped me bring little Anthony back. You live alone in Lamifa City, and you always need friends to take care of each other. If you are free, come over for dinner."

Siles naturally agreed.Before leaving, he said, "However, I think you should stay away from the southern suburbs."

"I understand," said Bertram.

After leaving the Finn's house, Siles returned to Ramifa University.Along the way, he was thinking about what was hidden behind the events in the gourmet town.The vicious business rivalry proposed by Bertram seems the more likely account.

but……

Even if it is vicious business competition, is it necessary to make the scene so big?

Siles believes that if there was not the presence of the revealer and the ritual that can amplify the voice yesterday, the scene would have gotten out of control.Crowds in a frenzy would kill each other and grab food.

That was the melee of thousands of ordinary civilians.

Even if Grayson's competitors wanted to bring down Grayson, they wouldn't be able to do so.If there are really heavy casualties, if their practices are exposed, then it is a lose-lose approach.

……out of control.Siles belatedly realized the problem.

The whole thing can be considered from two angles.One is the gourmet town and the forces behind it, whether Grayson, or other followers of the old gods, this is a possibility.The other is the opposite of the gourmet town and the forces behind it.

No matter which party caused the matter, they couldn't hope that the whole thing would get out of control to the situation yesterday.Tens of thousands of ordinary people caught up in a frenzied melee—it's horrific, and it's obvious that it will attract serious official criticism and investigation.

No matter which side, what they want to do is not above board.

If it is the resurrection of the old gods, since they have already assumed the name of a food company, they must want to steal the day and hide the truth, and it is impossible to be so ostentatious and public.

If the intention is to bring down a competitor, then the whole thing should be handled more carefully so as not to show any flaws.

Therefore, the development of the matter to the extent yesterday was something neither of the suspects could have hoped to happen.In other words...something went wrong.

What is it?Siles couldn't help thinking.

Is there a third party involved, fishing in troubled waters?Is it because the popularity of the gourmet town has caught the man behind the scenes by surprise?What grand and incredible ceremony did they start by mistake?

Siles thought so, and felt that it was meaningless to be so dreamy.

He could find no evidence at all.From another point of view, even if he finds the evidence, he can't fight against the possible mastermind.He is just analyzing here, trying to find a truth.

Siles sighed secretly, and the moment he stepped out of the taxi, he let go of all his thoughts.

Just study your thesis carefully.That is directly related to his academic mission.

After lunch in the cafeteria, after returning to the dormitory, Siles opened the two books he got from Professor Calverley. "On the Journey" and "The Poet's Fate".

Both books were books he hadn't read before.When he saw the title, he guessed that the former was a travelogue and the latter was a biography, but after opening it, he found that it was indeed so.However, the content was slightly different from what he had imagined.

The author of "Above the Journey", Jacob Farley, is not from the contemporary era, but from the distant imperial era.He is a devoted follower of Lycardia, the god of leaving home and traveling.

In the introduction of Shulekou, Jacob has never been married, has no wife and no children, wandering all over the world, compiled his own experience into a book called "On the Journey", and mentioned many similarities in the book. Thoughts and insights related to Lygardia.

However, due to the long history, many parts of this book have been lost. In the end, there is only this thin book, which was assembled into volumes by contemporary publishers and finally published.

Because there are so many missing parts, although this book can be called a time track, it will not cause any major impact.In addition, the missing parts obscure many parts of the extant text, and it is not at all clear what the author was referring to.

Such regrets did not conceal Siles' interest in reading this book.

Traveling is like a habit for Lygardian followers.They are used to setting foot on strange lands and stopping at scenery they have never seen before.There is an unquenchable curiosity and desire to explore the outside world in their lives.

Based on this stubborn belief, any believer in Lygardia will embark on a journey to explore exotic lands.In this book, Jacob described the landscape of the land he visited in great detail.

Since many parts have been lost, Celes has no way of knowing where these lands are located.This is indeed a pity.

Among them, what caught his attention was the description related to the sea.

"...

"There is a lighthouse by the sea. The residents on the lighthouse told me that there is fog on the sea, and there is a giant snake in the depths of the fog. The giant snake inhabits an island turned into a whale. The island is the paradise of the north. The paradise of the north is not affected by the cold wind.

"..."

These few lines made Siles ponder for a long time.

A lighthouse is a building that guides fishermen on a long voyage.In other words, the residents on the lighthouse should be the keeper of the lighthouse, and he got the news about the sea from the fishermen.

The islands of the Mist Snakes are a northern paradise protected from the cold winds.Siles thought, is this affected by ocean currents?

To be honest, he really wanted to use his high school geography knowledge to analyze the world's ocean currents and monsoons.Unfortunately, he forgot all about it after the college entrance examination.

... the Internet oh the Internet.Siles sighed.How he wishes this era would fast forward to the Internet age.Information is everywhere, just reach out and pick it up.

This almost mythical legend aroused some interest in Siles.He wondered if Jacob was on a quest to find the lands of the North afterward, but unfortunately, the follow-up was missing.

This greatly affected Siles' interest, and made him think of the author that Yuan Zhen had studied before—Conan Fremont.Much of his work has also been lost.

But... his thoughts suddenly took a turn.

The extant works of Fremont are a patchwork of fragments, manuscripts, and transcriptions by others.However, this is only on the surface.There may still be some private collectors in the world who will acquire other parts of Conan Fremont's works.

Like, Professor Calverley?

Perhaps, Siles thought, he could call on Calverley under that name later.A friendship with a bibliophile is worth keeping.

After reading "Above the Journey", Siles has a better understanding of the believers of the Empire Chronicle Lycardia.This is a work that could well be included in the bibliography of a dissertation.

However, he thought, from the pious believers who explored different corners of the world in the Empire period, to the wandering poets who were poor and addicted to drinking in the Silence period.Such differences and changes are too exaggerated.

What happened to Shadow Age?Ligardia disappeared at that time...why?

Jan Calder once mentioned in the playful "Gods and Disciples in the Shadow" that Lygardia was traveling at that time.On the contrary, Siles really hoped that this seemingly unreliable statement was true.

At least that didn't seem too cruel.

Siles has recently studied the texts and works related to Lycardia and his followers for a long time, and because he himself is a stranger who has traveled far away from home, he inevitably has a little emotion for this god.

The protector of the traveler on the journey.This is what people think about Lygardia, and it also contains a simple and sincere wish and prayer.Siles doesn't believe in gods, but he knows the existence of this simple wish.

If the power of Lycardia really still exists in this world, then Sirius also hopes that he can bless him—at least so that his journey in Fisher's world can go smoothly.

Another book, The Poet's Fate, is quite different from Beyond the Journey.

The author of this book, Archibald Jon, is a resident of the Duchy of Const. He was born in the first year of the Mist Era, and he has already been buried in the ground, but the content of this book still seems... too much. harsh.

Very different from Jacob Farley's peaceful, slow writing vibe.

Archibald's diction is poignant, ironic, and it's clear that he doesn't like poetry and these poets.He described them as "hypocritical wastes who waste air and food" and "playboys who recite clichés and romance all day long".

This made Siles feel dumbfounded.

Archibald mentions several different poets in his book, and one of them particularly caught Siles' attention - Aldous Gershwin.

This is the wandering poet mentioned in "Karacak's Diary", and should also be the author of the two poems in hand by Siles.Siles didn't expect to see words related to Aldous in this book.

He immediately concentrated on reading and recorded some useful information.

According to Archibald, the reason he knew of the existence of Aldous Gershwin was because he had a friend from the Principality of Kansas, and the friend's family was from when the country was just a city. , already exists.

As a result, the family contains a number of documents related to that era in Kansas City.

This kind of ancient family is not uncommon in the Fisher world.However, the migration from Kansas to Conster is relatively rare.Of course, it is not without, such as Brewer Darrow's family.

Although Brewer didn't explicitly say why his family migrated to the Principality of Const at the time, Siles had some guesses about it.

This world also has the custom of resettlement and relocation, and the family's honor and inheritance are rooted in that land, so few families are willing to completely sever contact with their original homeland.

If any family chooses to migrate, it must be because of some major change in the place of origin.

Nor does Archibald introduce much of this friend in the book.He just said that he had known him since he was a child, so he often read books in the family library, and accidentally discovered an unpublished manuscript of the conversation.

Among the two parties in the conversation, one was an ancestor of the family, and the other was Aldous Gershwin.

This ancestor seemed to be a nobleman who was curious and interested in the low-level residents, so at that time he would often go to some pubs, drink or chat with the commoners, and learn about their lives.

It is in such an atmosphere that this conversation record was born.

For the Sardinian Empire at that time, poets and writers were also a respectable identity.Therefore, a poor poet at the bottom attracted the attention of this nobleman.

Perhaps he intended to publish the transcript of the conversation, but due to subjective or objective factors, the manuscript of the transcript of the conversation, which had been dusty for hundreds of years, was finally discovered by Archibald, and instead he used it in a slightly joking book. , a sarcastic tone in the biography of the poet.

Siles doesn't know much about the literature of the Middle Ages in the Mist, but he still understands some basic theories.He has more or less some insights into why Archibald left such a strange prejudice and impression on the poet community.

At the beginning of the period in the fog, when people gradually regained their confidence in life from the dissipating fog, they unconsciously feared and resented everything that happened in the past.

They are focused on rebuilding civilization, and have always—and have to—maintain an extreme devotion to life and work.Because they need to survive at that time.

The past is always shrouded in layers of fog.For ordinary city and rural residents, they are not so happy to talk about the land of no embers, the mist, and those lands covered by mist and their former civilization.

Those things are the past that was left behind.

Based on this sentiment, many literary works have been sidelined.

In the past 200 years, with the stability and gradual development of human life, people re-examined everything in the past with a normal and objective attitude.Whether it's fear or despair, the fog has indeed happened in this world.

Archibald's sarcasm and his aversion to the poet's impracticality may largely reflect this mentality in the early period of the Mist.

In any case, people in different eras have different concepts and ideas.Siles just hopes to get what he wants from the book, and casts a curious glimpse into the state of mind of a writer at a certain point in the past.

Aldous Gershwin's conversation with this unknown ancestor occurred when the poet was 40 years old.According to some accounts in the transcript, Aldous had been in Kansas City for nearly five years at this time.

"...so why did you come to Kansas City?"

"Because ... fate guides?" said the poet, "I have chosen this place as my grave. My lover also sleeps here."

"Do poets always talk like this?"

"Maybe you don't need to think of me as a poet. There is no difference between what I do and what you do every day."

"for example?"

"Drinking. Missing my love. Eating. Sleeping. Talking to people in the tavern. You have every other activity, I'm afraid, but my love."

"That's true. But don't you want a different way of life?"

"I miss my love for endless hours. The way of life is just a burden. My soul is clear about what I want to do and the future that awaits me."

"...I'd better regard you as a poet."

"You are a nobleman. Why do you come to this place to drink all day?"

"Because... I want to see the lives of people who are different from me."

"turn out?"

"It doesn't seem to be much different either. It's just our standard of living..."

"Oh, the people here are all poor. You should be able to tell. Maybe we are drinking at the same time, and your drink is worth a thousand dollars. I drink it, and the waste water poured into the river will not hurt."

"What do you want to drink?"

"No, you don't need to treat me. The waste water in the river is also interesting to me."

"...so how do you make money?"

"Some people, like you, are willing to treat people. Sometimes people listen to my poems and think they are well written, so they give me some money."

"You don't think..."

"Life means nothing to me. Life itself is the meaning."

"……why?"

"My love wants me to live a normal life. However, for us, wandering in different places is the meaning of life. We will choose our own grave. My love died here, so, I will also die here."

"Is this a normal life? And...you?"

"We. Yes, we. We are a... group. If you know any of the tribes that live outside of this country, then you can understand. It is our custom to pick where our graves are. And we are doomed In a foreign land."

"I don't understand why anyone is doomed to wander and die in a foreign land."

"Oh, you are a nobleman. Of course you value your family honor. You were born and bred here, your relatives, your friends, your career, your happiness, your sorrow...all of you are here .You are local."

"indeed so."

"And we. We are different. We don't have a hometown. So we can only choose to be nomads. Nomadism is our destiny. We are destined to come from a foreign land."

"But there must be a place for you in this world. What about your tribe?"

"...our... He has abandoned us."

"... Abandoned? You mean, the gods you believe in?"

"It's not just belief. It's not just abandonment. I can't say much about this matter. In any case, we are still practicing our principles. Since he left..."

"In this form of wandering and choosing your own grave? I can't understand..."

"What we believe in is not the gods, but the rules in our hearts. Maybe I should say this. I intend to see the scenery I have never seen; I intend to set foot on the land I have never set foot on."

"You crave novelty?"

"It's not just a novelty. It's... a foreign land. Only when you go to a foreign land can you really understand where you are from. For example, if you want to see these