Oravi was situated northeast of the Rorsted Archipelago. The straight-line distance wasn't too great, but the safe sea route had required ships to take many twists and turns, causing the distance traveled to increase by several hundred nautical miles.
It was originally a primitive island that harbored many kinds of Beyonder creatures without any humans inhabiting it. After the hunting era came to an end, the Loen Kingdom banished certain criminals there, causing Oravi Island to gradually have villagers and towns.
When more eastern islands were discovered and colonized, the area attracted many new immigrants due to the convenience of the sea route and its rich natural resources, making it a rather thriving port city.
The light from the lighthouse tower appeared so warm in the dark environment as it led liners towards the harbor for them to dock.
"We've finally arrived. My gratitude to the crimson moon and fate for blessing me." Darkwill jumped off the last gangway and stepped onto solid cemented ground.
To be precise, apart from fate, you should thank The Fool and Sea God for their blessings... Klein held his leather suitcase with one hand as he tapped his cane.
Darkwill properly put away the ring box which contained the Die of Probability, and he didn't delay in asking where the bellman, Carnot, stayed. He rented a carriage and went straight for St. Draco Cathedral. He then entered the magnificent bell tower which boldly used the colors of red, blue, and yellow.
Inside the bell tower, Carnot had a cramped room he could call his own.
Knock! Knock! Knock! Darkwill knocked on the door thrice, eager to hand over the item on his person.
With a creak, the brown wooden door opened and out came a large man who was slightly hunched.
He looked to be in his forties, and individually, there was nothing strange about his facial features, but when put together, it was filled with an unharmonious vibe.
Klein only took a glance and discovered that his eyes weren't leveled. His nostrils were of different sizes, and his left facial muscles were slightly loose, causing the corner of his mouth to droop slightly. It was the complete opposite for the right side of his face.
Carnot's legs were obviously of different lengths, and one of his arms was thick, while the other was thin. His entire body was highly disproportional, making him extremely ugly.
"Who are you?" Dressed in a black robe, Carnot glanced at the duo.
"Are you the bellman, Carnot?" Darkwill asked cautiously.
Carnot chuckled with one corner of his mouth raised while the other stayed low.
"There shouldn't be a second person as ugly as me."
"Indeed." Darkwill nodded very honestly before laughing. "I can tell that you have quite a good state of mind. To be honest, looks don't matter for a man. What's important is their skills in bed."
Tsk, that's because you haven't seen ladies who only have fetishes for good looks... Having experienced the era of celebrities of the masses, Klein scoffed from the side.
Carnot's expression darkened as he said, "I don't wish to discuss such matters."
"You have problems in that area? No problem. I have different kinds of medicine that can treat all your problems..." Before Darkwill finished his sentence, Klein took a step forward, afraid that he would end up being beaten to death.
He put half his body between them as he said in a deep voice, "He's Roy King's student."
"I figured. Roy King once described his traits." Carnot made way and invited the two in.
His room was extremely tiny, with only a single bed and a cabinet which could be used as a dining table. The washroom was at the bottom of the bell tower.
Darkwill pulled out a ring box and handed it to Carnot as he forced a smile.
"My teacher got me to hand this item to you."
Carnot stole a glance at it and was clearly relieved to see 4 points. He said to Darkwill, "You aren't as unreliable as your teacher described you to be. I can tell that you didn't attempt to use it. That would've awoken it and make it realize that it's no longer sealed."
"..."
The chubby Apothecary's face blushed red as he honestly said, "That's because it's relatively quiet now. In another one to two hours, it will automatically roll itself. It's best you think of a method to seal it again."
Carnot's face twitched.
"Again?"
"W-well, I accidentally dropped it on the ground and then i-it came alive..." Darkwill wanted to glance at his owl, Harry, but he realized that it hadn't followed him in. It was perched outside the bell tower to serve as a sentry.
Carnot's eyes clearly widened as his hunched back nearly straightened.
"How did you arrive here?"
From his point of view, Roy King's student should've long died at the whims of the die.
Darkwill hurriedly pointed to Gehrman Sparrow and said, "It's all thanks to this gentleman. He's a powerful adventurer. He provided the most effective protection and a temporary method of sealing the die."
"What method was it?" Carnot blurted out the question.
Klein laughed and replied, "Trade secret."
Carnot's expression changed a few times as he pressed his hand to his chest and bowed.
"I thank you for your help on behalf of my organization."
Darkwill continued, "Hiring him costs 1,000 pounds and a request. The request is to help him find a mystical item with powerful offensive traits but without very serious negative side effects. He will purchase it at a reasonable price.
"Uh, I only had about 300 pounds, so that was all I could pay. I'll have to rely on you to pay the rest..."
Carnot fell silent as the corners of his lips twitched.
"I only have about 100 pounds..."
Suddenly, there was silence in the bellman's room. The wind from outside blew through the cracks and brushed across the three men's face.
Finally, Carnot spoke again.
"Perhaps Councilor Ricciardo has the money. I'll lead you to him."
From the looks of it, he trusts us. After all, a Fate Councilor is in no way comparable to a Die of Probability. If there were really problems with us, there would be no need for us to bring the die over to prevent any accidents and snatch away the Uniqueness... Klein watched as Carnot picked up a lantern from the corner of the room.
At this moment, he secret activated his Spirit Vision and simply scanned the man.
Klein nearly pricked up his brows with the sight. This was because Carnot's aura colors were rather unique.
There were no problems with his emotional colors, as they were very ordinary. However, his Ether Body which represented his body appeared unnatural. His heart was green, his head was purple, and his digestive system was yellow. It felt like they were different parts which were mashed together in great disharmony.
At the same time, Carnot's soul also gave the same feeling.
A monster that was stitched up internally? Klein made a rough judgment based on what he knew.
After Carnot got the lantern, he turned his head to glance at the adventurer, Gehrman Sparrow, and said without much of an expression, "I'm very sensitive to Spirit Vision.
"I believe you have noticed certain problems. I'm not a naturally born person. I'm a product of the Church of Earth Mother's attempts to refine the human body. I'm considered a failed specimen, which is why I do not have the ability in that aspect."
His final sentence was directed at Darkwill.
Carnot didn't speak again as he carried the lantern and donned a black robe. He hunched his huge body and used the dim light to walk down the stairs of the dark and silent bell tower.
Product of the Church of Earth Mother's attempts to refine the human body? But St. Draco Cathedral belongs to the Church of Storms... Since it's a failed specimen, no attention is paid to it. Carnot turned his back on the Church of Earth Mother and became a member of the Life School of Thought? This is understandable. Both the Church of Earth Mother and the Life School of Thought hold the Apothecary pathway, and they will definitely have some overlapping... But why would the Life School of Thought send this fellow, that doesn't seem simple to be a bellman, to the Church of Storms? Is it just a normal disguise, or there's a particular connection between the two? Klein followed Carnot in a seemingly calm manner as he walked out the bell tower and circled round to a stone bridge.
Just as he came close to the left side of the bridge, Klein suddenly felt something as he looked diagonally upwards.
The owl, Harry, had flown out as well and landed on a tree branch.
Kacha!
The branch suddenly snapped as Harry plummeted. With great difficulty did it fly up again without falling to the ground.
Darkwill was just about to say something when Carnot explained in a deep voice, "Councilor Ricciardo is injured, so his powers are somewhat out of control. Once anyone enters a specific range, they will be tainted with bad luck."
Carnot stopped in his footsteps as he threw the ring box containing the die under the bridge.
"Mr. Councilor, Roy King's student has delivered the die."
"Very good." A hoarse voice sounded from deep within the bridge's belly.
A silver scaled palm reached out from the darkness as he held down the ring box which had fallen onto the mud.
Following that, he opened the ring box and took out the milky-white die.
His other hand, which was covered in silver scales, also reached out as he held a piece of a paper-like item made of leather.
The item resembled a water pipe, but its ends were connected. It revealed a grayish-white color under the crimson moonlike. Its surface had many complicated symbols and labels, as well as many words in Hermes text which pointed to the Snake of Mercury, Will Auceptin.
Fate Councilor Ricciardo pulled the item apart and stuffed the Die of Probability into it before connecting the two ends together.
Using fate at a small scale to seal the Die of Probability with periodic boundary conditions, making it remain in a perpetual state of slumber or calm? Indeed, Snake of Mercury Will Auceptin had foreseen such a situation and had made certain preparations... Klein retracted his gaze in relief, and he heard Ricciardo's hoarse voice.
"I already know of your agreement, Mr. Gehrman Sparrow.
"I will help you find the mystical item after I've recovered.
"As for the 700 pounds... I'll immediately augment you with good luck. Go to the few casinos in Oravi and make some bets and you'll receive the corresponding reward. Remember, do not win more than 200 pounds at each casino. You must not win more than 700 pounds in total."
Which is to say that you don't have the money either... Seeing how you're hiding while injured, it's considered normal not to have money with you... Klein nodded indiscernibly and said, "Okay."
He waited for about ten seconds without sensing anything. Councilor Ricciardo heaved a sigh of relief and said, "You have become sufficiently lucky."
Is that so? Klein chose to believe him and didn't disturb Darkwill's report to a senior of how his teacher had been imprisoned. Based on Carnot's introduction, he found a nearby casino and sat at the Blackjack table.
After about ten minutes, he walked out of the casino with a blank look.
Not only did he not win money, but he had lost a total of 30 pounds!
What happened to the good luck? Why did I believe him? That darn old man is terrible... Klein didn't hesitate to return to the stone bridge and approached its belly.
"That fast? You have pretty good luck." Ricciardo laughed as he coughed under the dark bridge.
At that moment, Darkwill and Harry had already found a nearby inn to live in.
Klein replied without a change in expression, "I lost."
"Lost..." Ricciardo ruminated over the word and couldn't formulate a sentence for quite a long period of time.
In the dark environment, an ordinary owl nervously flew over.
