The God of Jesters
Chapter 315 - 5.12.3 Breaking character.

Chapter 315: 5.12.3 Breaking character.

An open field of weeds that reached to the hill. "This is weird?" Thought Henry, for this scene seemed harmless compared to the oddities of before.

"We should move." Said Sheva, who looked at the sun and wondered the time. ’Around 11 in the morning.’ She thought, adding to the oddities of this place, as unlike before, where the sun was close to setting, it was still morning int his place.

’It should be the least of my worries.’ Were her thoughts as she entered the field and was surprised to find that the weeds were not weeds at all. "Its Wheat." She said. Which the two before her didn’t understand at first.

But soon, when looking at the weeds deeply, they did find a seedy stem in between of some of these weeds. "We are on a farm?" Crow wondered, before giving a curious look toward Henry, which he hid instantly.

"Does it being weed changes things?" Crow then answer after Sheva seemed to have gone silent for a while. Who then shook her head in response to Crow’s question before asking Henry, who was on the side, a simple question.

"Are you religious, Henry?" An odd question in itself, but understandable one if one were to know the context behind it, which Sheva seemed to have caught on to.

But the answer she got was a denial. "My parents are." He said, saying he knows they exist, but only as someone stronger than him on a higher level than common people. And nothing more."

Meaning, he was someone who lacked knowledge over the god he followed as well as faith he held in his heart for them.

And Sheva replied with "Good". Whether it was actually the answer she wanted was kept to herself. She didn’t wish to speak her own suspicious before she has all the clues in her hand.

So they moved and kept on walking for a second before they reached the top of the hill and found a small fruit bearing bush was growing alongside the wheat. Fruits that smelled delectable in the nose as well as eyes. That’s how strong the ripened smell of it was.

And when looking down, there were multiple similar trees below their feet in the giant farm that seemed to have no end.

"This place is big." He said, coming close to the small bush, before perching down before it. And as he readied his hand to take the fruit from the Bush, Sheva shouted to him. "Don’t be stupid." She said, coming close and seeing the fruit, before her eyes fell on a small board that was hidden inside the wheat leaves until she got close.

"You found another one?" Crow spoke, as he saw Sheva pick it up, with a curious smile under his breath. "Now this is getting weird." Hearing which, Henry asked. "What do you mean?" He was not as insightful as others. Or, at least, he was not used to using his brain as much and hence hadn’t been able to caught onto things.

But Sheva had, she had caught on to it after the second time she saw those boards. "Jara is leaving these?" Asked Sheva, looking at Crow. Who nodded in return. "Seems that way. He should know that we are here... Ah, wrong, it should be grandmaster Jester, he is the one who should be aware of us."

The boss of the boss Jester, it should be him who informed Baldar of their intentions and who was following him. And Baldar, true to his nature as Jara, ended up helping them in his own way.

"He should have waited if he worried so much for us... instead of leaving such cryptic warnings." crow spoke, before looking at Sheva and asking. "What did the latest warning says?"

And Sheva did read it, she had read it long before and has come to a single conclusion. "Forbidden, it’s danger... don’t eat, look or touch that bush."

"Distance from these shrubs is necessary." Saying those words, she ripped the board apart with her bare hands, before looking at the two. "Do you understand?" The two nodded, noticing that something has disturbed Sheva, who even had the intention to go back.

It was also then that Henry recalled past legends. "Most just explored the outer area, with few daring to go deeper."

And this whole field can be considered the deeper area, the place where the true dangers lurked, so he nodded. Understanding that something was wrong with that shrub. But Crow didn’t listen, his curiosity has awakened, but he also knew that touching the shrub under Sheva’s eyes was going to be hard, so he could only sulk and move on.

But move where?

That was the question.

"It’s only the fields as far as the eye can see."

Crow said, hunching down on the field while his eyes wandered to the shrub that was filled with ripened fruits not too far from him.

"No temple, so no entrance..., not even a sight of anyone else." Henry complained, followed by Crow, who laughed and said. "A sign that others have found a way in, leaving us behind."

"What should they have done, that we can’t do?" Crow asked, looking toward the shrub once again. "I wonder if it’s something to do with that plant?"

At this point, even Sheva had wondered if the plant was the answer to all of this predicament they find themselves in. But Henry, knowing that the boards have saved them till now also questioned if it was worth it taking such a risk.

Understandable in the eyes of many, but the moment Sheva was sure that these boards were left by Jara, her mind changed a bit when treating these boards.

’Wouldn’t he prevent me from coming deeper?’ She thought, looking at the open field. The board can be a lie

All done to save her from danger. But coming this deep, she had already found herself in danger and wishes to end it all. End all this misery for once and for all. Then she won’t have to suffer so much.

"Let’s drop some blood on one of them and see what happens." She made a suggestion. An understandable one considering how they have opened the path to the next zone each time.

And this time, she did it before Crow could do it. But nothing happened. "Odd" She thought, considering how she had expected the shrub to drink her blood. But nothing happened.

"Guess, it needs transcendent blood?" Crow spoke, and opened his earlier injury, squeezing some blood. But nothing happened again. "Want to give it a try?" He asked Henry, who also seemed to have the same intention. And did the same.

But nothing happened at all.

All they did was dirty the plant with their blood.

And with nothing left to do, Crow couldn’t help but ask Sheva. "Can you at least tell us what it said in the board?"

"Fruit of blood and iron, grown on a field of corpses."

"With additional mention of not trying to look for the roots of the shrub."

"Just that?" Crow asked, not understanding why this was dangerous, which Sheva found odd at first, before saying. "Don’t you know what it means to not look at things in a ruin like this?" When she specified, only then did Crow understand. "The power of Taboo? In that bush?"

"It’s why I warned you against touching it."

"But do we have another any option?"

At this point, Henry, although a bit confused, added. "We can still go back."

"The floor above, yes, but what about the first one? What about the Mist?"

"A mist that only you saw?" Sheva asked again, suspicious of Crow, who took offense with Sheva’s tone. But he didn’t retort at all. "I know it might look that way from your perspective. But what I said was the truth." He said in a sensible manner, making Sheva somewhat calm in the process.

On the other hand, Crow’s mind lit up with a good idea. "Sheva, if I am not to think wrong, does this place has anything to do with Church of Root and Harvest?" He asked.

Surprising Henry, who had remained oblivious of this fact since the start. "The Church of Root and Harvest worships familiar bonds, love and farming." Before she could continue. Henry retorted.

"What do you mean, this is the ruins of my Church?" Which surprised Sheva for a bit, as earlier, he had claimed that he was not religious, but why is he saying these words in such a tone.

But Crow came in between with some additional details instead. "In the earlier days, the church was also famous for sacrifices to call in the rain and for bountiful harvest. Like the depictions we saw on those murals before."

At such a mention, Henry asked again. "Where did you get such blasphemous information from?"

"Books, in Bothal. There is a reason why Pulgasiri only allowed few churches in their land." Crow answered, before continuing. "And what is wrong with your tone?... you were not like this before?"

"I... I.."

"His mind is probably being influenced somewhat, because at the end of the day, his blood does belong to the owner of this ruin."

At such words, even Henry started to question himself.

But before he could be given time to get rid of such distracting thoughts, he heard Crow speak again. "From the looks of it, you are compatible with this ruin... why don’t you try touching the shrub?"

"Noo... Its wron."