The Whispering Verses
Chapter 79: Coming

As Miss Anat walked through the garden, she noticed the estate had fallen eerily silent. Not even the usual summer night insect calls could be heard. Approaching the mansion, she saw the guests who had been attending the outdoor banquet lying unconscious on the ground. Fortunately, their lives did not appear to be in immediate danger.

Wearing the mask no longer seemed necessary.

Shad once again used Blood Echo to survey the scene. He discovered that every person was marked with blood-colored lines, except for himself and Miss Anat. The world was indeed perilous for ordinary people.

“The ritual hasn’t fully started yet, but its power has already begun affecting the surroundings. This outcome is beyond what both the Association and the True God Church expected. But it’s not all bad; now, we don’t have to hold back to avoid involving civilians,” Miss Anat explained.

The closer they got to the mansion, the stronger the sickly sweet scent in the air became. By the time they reached the mansion’s perimeter, they noticed that the vines climbing the walls had sprouted eerie, blood-red flowers. Miss Anat casually plucked two, claiming they were rare extraordinary materials.

While Shad hid behind the hedgerow “pondering life” and waiting for events to unfold, unrest brewed inside the mansion. Although Madame Lasso, a member of Blood of Mercury, was unexpectedly trapped by the doctor and his group, the man in the wine-red suit was hunting Shad for “revenge.” Meanwhile, followers of the evil god, the Master of the Blood Banquet, had infiltrated Lakeside Manor. The primary portion of the summoning ritual for the evil god was being conducted by the cultists, while Blood of Mercury merely provided assistance.

One side coveted the possessions of the evil god, while the other sought its descent—a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Ring Warlocks from the True God Church were the first to clash with the cultists. Realizing their precarious situation, the cultists triggered the ritual prematurely.

Dr. Schneider had confronted Madame Lasso directly in the third-floor banquet hall, as he was aware that this enigmatic figure was a member of Blood of Mercury. Unexpectedly, this led to his encounter with her, while the Church’s Ring Warlock squad battled the cultists on the lower floors. Father August and Miss Louisa, searching for the doctor, had also ended up on the third floor.

Miss Anat hadn’t left the mansion to avoid combat but because she had in her possession a document-grade relic that required two Ring Warlocks to use.

“We’re going to use this relic to defeat Madame Lasso?” Shad asked the diviner as they hurried along.

“Of course not. We’re going to use it to locate the key points of the evil god summoning ritual and disrupt them. If we don’t, once the evil god descends, no matter how many enemies we defeat, we won’t be able to escape. The Master of the Blood Banquet would destroy all of Tobesk. Each time this evil god appears, it inevitably consumes at least an entire city.”

Miss Anat seemed well-versed in the layout of the Lakeside Manor mansion. She led Shad through a rear kitchen access route into the building. Using a servants' staircase, they avoided the uncertain situation on the first and second floors and headed directly to the third.

As they reached the hallway, the heavy blood mist made the opulent passage shimmer as if adorned with gold. In reality, the effect was created by the elegant gas lamp covers designed to diffuse such light. A red carpet stretched from one end of the corridor to the other, while ornate, expensive portrait paintings lined the walls.

The solid yellow wooden doors, polished tiles, and wall-hugging decorations showcased the owner’s wealth.

The silence was oppressive, as if no one were present. Shad’s instincts warned him of danger. On this quiet third floor, an indescribable presence seemed to be watching, more threatening even than the man in the wine-red suit.

Although the Master of the Blood Banquet had not yet appeared, its influence had already begun to affect the mortals nearby.

“The summoning ritual is being held on the third floor,” Miss Anat explained. “The manor’s owner, Young Crowen, who was manipulated by the cultists, had everyone evacuated beforehand. The Church’s Ring Warlocks are on the lower floors. The five major True God Churches maintain at least one ten-ring Warlock in Tobesk’s Archdiocese. There’s even a thirteen-ring Warlock stationed here—Sally Pilot, ‘The Iron Right Hand’ of the True God The Lady of Creation. He’s over fifty years old.”

“How much time is left until the ritual takes full effect?” Shad asked.

“Seven minutes.”

“...What?” Shad blinked, doubting his ears.

Miss Anat confirmed, “Yes, seven minutes. Luck isn’t on our side. Only we can stop it now. Fortunately, Blood of Mercury and the cultists are tied up with others, so no one will hinder us. We’re safe.”

Noticing Shad had stopped walking, she asked, “Detective, are you afraid?”

Shad shook his head. “I’m just wondering why we’ve become the saviors here. Rationally speaking, this is the Church’s job.”

Miss Anat’s violet eyes twinkled with a hint of a smile. She displayed no fear whatsoever. “The Church’s forces were deliberately held back. The enemy didn’t anticipate Academy-affiliated Warlocks being present. Detective, we live in this city, in this world. We’re part of it. Some responsibilities can be avoided, but not this one. This evil god won’t manifest through a human host in a saintly form—it will appear in its true form. That’s a catastrophe; no one can escape it.”

“I understand. Since I came with you, I won’t back out now.”

The diviner smiled gently. “If this were a lesser incident, we would absolutely flee. But this time, there’s no way out. Don’t worry—we’ll do what we can. It’s the Warlock squads of the True God Churches who are bearing the brunt of the danger.”

She stomped her heel-less high heels for emphasis, pointing to the ongoing battle downstairs.

Shad glanced at her feet, and his mask made the gesture obvious. This earned him a slap from the annoyed woman.

In this era, it was fashionable for women to wear evening gowns that exposed a small part of their backs, but showing one’s legs was considered something only women of ill-repute would do. Staring at a woman’s feet was equally impolite.