manynovel Chapter 127 More Characters
Chapter 127 More Characters
Chapter 127 More Characters
Since Lola gave Lolotti a jug of water from the Weeping Canyon, she had never seen the old wizard again.
However, she guessed that if she went to the library, she would most likely run into Lolotti.
Loloti promised Lola that he would teach her some witchcraft.
Lola wasn't very interested in this, so she naturally wouldn't ask for it. Besides, she wasn't helping out of a sense of obligation. Lolotti, on the other hand, was quite persistent. He promised to contact Lola after the research was finished and pay her the promised reward.
But Lola found it more troublesome to speak than to refuse, so she simply nodded slightly in the end.
However, Lola is currently preoccupied with something else and doesn't know what to do.
Lola learned something completely unexpected during her last trip to Nail Town.
Shortly after Laura killed Irwin, a murder also occurred in the neighboring town of Finger Root.
Murder is nothing to be surprised about; Lola herself has killed two people.
But Lola heard that someone left a square symbol at the crime scene!
This is very similar to Lola's killing of Erwin, but she knows for sure that it wasn't her doing.
Laura was completely baffled by the situation, so she took a few days off from the academy to investigate in Finger Root Town.
She saw what happened and witnessed the square symbol.
Overall, it looks very similar to the character "侠" (xia, meaning chivalry/martial arts) that Annie taught her.
Anne didn't know who was behind this, nor could she understand their motives.
After making some inquiries, she finally learned that the deceased was a local loan shark.
Many residents of the town rejoiced at the man's death, suggesting that he had been a troublemaker in his neighborhood during his lifetime.
Aside from these, Lola didn't find out anything else.
Based on the clues she already had, Lola could not deduce any other conclusions.
Lola felt she wasn't smart enough and was sometimes driven by her emotions, leading her to do impulsive things.
If it were Anne, she would definitely be able to understand the current situation, discover more, and even formulate a timely response strategy.
That's why Lola always thought Anne was amazing and was willing to follow her around.
Unfortunately, Annie isn't here with me now.
"That's it!" Lola suddenly realized. "Even though she's not here, I can go find her!"
She also established an eternal anchor point near Herald City, which allowed her to easily reach Anne!
Besides, I do need Anne's help with something, Lola told herself, now is the perfect time to go see Anne!
Thinking of this, Lola nodded, then instantly stood up, bracing herself against the table, and left the bedroom.
Lola arrived at the Mushroom Field, found and activated the magic circle, and traversed the Radiant Realm to reach the anchor point near Emblem City.
After leaving the Realm of Dawn through that exit, Lola arrived at Emblem City.
Having visited Emblem City for the third time, she was quite familiar with the rules of the Emblem Academy.
Upon arriving at the academy gate, he directly told the gatekeeper his need to find someone and paid a commission.
Not long after, Anne was found.
When Anne saw Lola, she immediately rushed over and hugged her tightly.
Lola hated that she was too short. When Anne bumped into her, she stumbled back several steps before regaining her balance.
If she were a little taller, she could catch Anne and return the hug to her sister.
"Lola, I miss you so much!" Anne said happily.
"Me too."
Did you read the letter I wrote to you?
Hearing this, Lola shuddered. She had been so focused on seeing Anne that she had completely forgotten about Anne's letter.
"Sorry, Annie, I forgot. I'll go check right now!"
After saying this, Lola started walking towards the pile of strange rocks to retrieve the letter.
But Anne grabbed her hand: "Never mind, Lola, you can look at it when you leave."
"Yes," Lola nodded, "but I have something to tell you, and we should go there too."
Upon hearing this, Annie inexplicably raised her chin, a hint of mystery in the upturned corners of her mouth:
"We're not going there today; I'll take you somewhere new!"
Before Lola could express her doubts, Anne took Lola's hand and walked deeper into the city of Herald.
She took Lola to a bakery that was exquisitely decorated, and the tapestries on the walls must have been very valuable.
This bakery doesn't just sell bread; it also has seating and offers drinks and fruit for customers to enjoy while eating.
The two women sat down at a relatively quiet table. After ordering, Annie immediately asked Lola:
"It must have cost you a lot of money to get me out here, right?"
"Not many, just a few small silver coins."
"That's quite a lot, here you go."
As she spoke, Anne took out her money pouch.
Lola shook her head repeatedly and hurriedly said:
"Need not!"
"You have no income. If you spend all your money, you'll have trouble even surviving on the frozen continent. And you probably don't want to ask Aaron for money, right?"
Anne accurately guessed what Lola was thinking, and Lola couldn't find a reason to refute it, so she could only ask in return:
"And you?"
"Hmph! Things are different now. I'm a grown man with my own income!"
"Huh?" Lola looked at Anne, puzzled.
Anne smiled and said:
"Now I am a formal disciple of a mentor. In addition to receiving guidance from my mentor, I also need to assist my mentor with some miscellaneous tasks occasionally. My mentor also pays me wages, although it is not much."
"Hehe! If I didn't have my own income, I naturally wouldn't dare to spend money recklessly, and I wouldn't have known about this bakery and brought you here to try it."
As soon as she finished speaking, the baker brought over the food that Annie had just ordered.
In front of each person is a plate of thinly sliced bread and a glass of milk.
In the middle of the tea table, there was a plate of diced fruit and a small bowl of something that looked like milk but was yellowish.
Anne explained, "I ordered the honey bread, which costs twenty times more than regular bread! But it's really delicious. You should try it; I guarantee it will melt your heart with its sweetness."
Hearing this, Lola swallowed hard, and encouraged by Annie's gaze, picked up a piece of bread and stuffed it into her mouth.
Anne didn't speak; the sweet taste immediately filled Lola's mouth.
The bread's surface was baked to a crispy perfection, while the inside remained soft and fluffy.
The aroma of honey blended perfectly with the fragrance of the dough, making Lola feel as if she were lying in a flower field, quietly watching the bees collecting nectar in front of her.
Anne asked, "How is it?"
"Sweet!" Laura replied.
Anne smiled and then continued:
"Try the cream next."
"cream?"
“Nobody near the library makes butter; it’s a sauce usually reserved for nobles,” Anne said. “But butter is very popular in the Duchy of the Holy Envoy. Legend has it that butter was invented by the papal chefs, and Herald City isn’t too far from the Duchy of the Holy Envoy, so it’s normal to see it here.”
After Anne finished speaking, she picked up the small box, took a spoonful, and spread the yellowish, viscous liquid inside onto the surface of the bread.
Next, Annie used her fork to pick up some diced fruit from the plate and placed it between two slices of bread.
Then she brought it to her mouth and took a bite, letting out a sigh of enjoyment.
Lola's cravings were rekindled, and her mouth filled with saliva.
Seeing this, Anne also recommended that Lola follow her eating method.
Lola was more than happy to oblige and repeated all of Annie's steps.
During the meal, Anne strongly recommended the jujube chips, saying they were a specialty of the nearby desert region, so Lorado sandwiched some jujubes in the middle of his bread.
With one bite, the sweet and rich bread, the unique aroma of the cream, and the diverse textures of the diced fruit all instantly assaulted Lola's senses through her taste buds.
If happiness truly exists in the world, Lola believes it's right now.
She opened her eyes and found Annie looking at her expectantly.
Lola understood Anne's meaning, and said:
"tasty!"
"Ha, that's great!"
Annie laughed upon hearing this, seemingly very happy.
Lola quickly realized that while it's true that eating delicious food alone can bring happiness, sharing what you like with important people can also bring just as much joy!
She thought it was great to be rich, and if she had an income, she would like to try the unique cuisine of the frozen continent.
And if Annie could also have some, her happiness level would definitely increase several times over!
However, it's unlikely that Annie will go to the frozen continent.
But Laura immediately realized another problem:
"Annie?"
"Um?"
Is it expensive?
"It's quite expensive," Annie's smile was tinged with bitterness. "The first time I passed by here, I was immediately drawn in by the sweet aroma wafting from the shop, but after asking about the price, I hesitated for several days before finally deciding to try it."
"Although the taste was definitely worth the money, I couldn't help but feel a little guilty."
"However, after seeing you, I immediately wanted to bring you here to try it. I didn't hesitate for a second at that time!"
Lola frowned: "I want to contribute too!"
"I told you, you don't have any income yet, so this is my treat—."
"But-"
"No buts, please."
Anne reached out and touched Lola's chin.
As she pulled back, Lola noticed that Anne's thumb was covered in cream.
Anne licked the cream off her fingertips, then gave Lola a lively smile:
"My dear sister, I'm so happy you could come to see me, so I wanted to share some things I like with you. So, Lola, please give me a chance to thank you!"
Upon hearing this, Lola lowered her head.
She gripped the cup with both hands, gazing at the steaming white milk inside. She gently swirled the cup from side to side, the bottom scraping against the table with a soft, rustling sound.
"Annie, although I only wanted to come see you, I came this time because I have something to discuss—"
4
"Whatever the reason, Lola," Anne's tone turned serious in an instant, "you're welcome."
Lola looked up at Anne and saw that Anne's eyes were so firm and unwavering.
She nodded and made up her mind to find a way to make some money.
That way, she could come here often and get the gatekeeper to see Anne.
"Hmm!" Anne nodded in satisfaction. "So, Lola, what do you want to tell me this time?"
When asked, Lola recounted to Anne in detail how she killed Erwin in Nailport.
When Annie heard that Lola had carved words at the scene after killing Irwin, her eyes suddenly widened:
"You're saying you carved the word 'chivalry' that I taught you at a murder scene?!"
"Hmm, should I not have done that?"
Seeing Anne's intense reaction, Lola asked anxiously.
"This is just too much—"
Hearing Anne's voice, Lola lowered her head, patiently awaiting Anne's judgment.
However, Anne's answer completely surprised Lola:
"So cool!"
"Huh?" Lola raised her head, looking completely bewildered.
"I mean, your actions were both incredibly stylish and cool!"
Anne spoke excitedly, and Lola even saw a glimmer of admiration in Anne's eyes.
Feed?
"But I killed someone—"
"But you killed bad guys!" Annie said happily. "And you helped the oppressed people. That's what 'chivalry' is."
Lola, what you did was an act of chivalry, and what you carved is the word "chivalrous"!
Hearing Anne's praise, Lola felt her cheeks burning, but still asked:
"Is this really okay?"
"I think there's no problem, Laura,"
As Anne spoke, she sat down next to Lola and took Lola's hand.
"You're naturally taciturn, and you wear dark glasses, making it impossible for others to see through your eyes, which makes you seem incredibly mysterious. Crucially, you're also powerful, using your strength to punish evil and uphold justice. Lola, you're the embodiment of a hero! It's just a pity you're a little short—"
Upon hearing the last sentence, Lola's initial excitement, fueled by Anne's words, instantly subsided.
To be honest, it was even a bit of a blow.
"But! Maybe you still have a long way to go," Annie quickly added.
Lola nodded, but she couldn't be happy.
She was only ten days younger than Anne, but almost a head shorter than Anne.
There are other parts of Anne's body that Lola can't help but envy.
But Anne seemed oblivious to Lola's change in mood, and continued talking to herself:
"Anyway, Lola, your actions, so swift and decisive, truly impress me! 'Heroine' Lola, hehe, what a cool name!"
Hearing such passionate words, even Lola couldn't tell whether Anne truly meant it or was just teasing her. However, as the older sister, Anne would never bully Lola.
Laura believed that Anne was speaking from the heart.
Despite being praised by Anne, Lola felt overjoyed.
But she still remembered that this was not why she came to see Anne.
Lola adjusted her mindset and then told Anne about the case in Finger Root.
After hearing this story, Anne's expression immediately became serious.
She stroked her chin, thinking carefully.
After a long time, Annie finally came to a conclusion:
"Lola, that's a copycat case!"
"A copycat case?"
"Yes," Anne nodded, "After learning about your case, the criminals in Fingerroot Town began to imitate your behavior and commit murders in Fingerroot Town."
Lola frowned, puzzled. "But why would that person do that?"
Anne paused for a moment before answering:
"I can think of two possibilities. One is that he wants to eliminate the target but doesn't want to be discovered, so he chooses to imitate you, trying to make the two cases seem connected, in order to guide the investigators' attention in the wrong direction."
"Secondly, some people saw your actions, admired them greatly, or simply found them amusing, and therefore chose to imitate and replicate them. Lola, what kind of person was the deceased?"
"Loan sharks."
"Hmm—" Anne sighed, "Then there must be many people who want him dead, making it hard to distinguish which kind."
Lola didn't really care whether this case was someone else imitating her.
Lola only cares about herself and the people she cares about, so all she wants to know is:
"So, Annie, what should I do?"
Anne said with a serious expression:
"This is a troublesome matter. Once more people imitate it, it will surely attract the attention of the local lords. If they send out capable people or seek outside help, your situation will become very dangerous."
"After all, you never know what kind of intuition and ability the person tracking you has. They might actually be able to follow the clues and identify you as a suspect."
"Of course, if you don't return to Nailport, no one can do anything about it, so there's no need to worry about these things. Therefore, I need to ask you first: do you plan to go back?"
The Slave King's seal is still in Lola's possession, and she can still return to Nailport to try to save her people.
Moreover, Lolotti might ask her to go to the seaside again to fetch some seawater from the Weeping Gorge.
Although the subsequent incident was not Lola's responsibility, Lola felt that she would most likely have complied if Lolotti had actually made the same request.
So Laura nodded: "Possibly."
"Then we can't just leave it unattended, but even if we were to deal with it, it would be quite troublesome."
As Annie spoke, she reached for the glass opposite her, took a large gulp of milk, and stained her upper lip white.
"The former is easier to deal with. It's unlikely that the murderer would commit the crime a second time, otherwise he would likely leave a loophole and be caught. And the deceased just happened to be a bad guy, so you can think of it as you punishing evil and promoting good."
Lola frowned. "But I didn't do it, and no one asked me to!"
"You're just a wizarding apprentice, Lola. You probably won't be able to find the killer, nor will you have the time. For now, we can only look on the bright side."
Faced with this explanation, Lola understood that Anne was right, so she could only nod.
Anne continued her analysis:
"But if it's the second case, then it's complicated. If the perpetrator chose to kill because of a perverse pleasure, then once this person gets a taste of pleasure, there's a high probability that they will commit the crime again. If that's the case, Lola, you must kill the perpetrator."
Why?
"This shows that this person is a heartless demon, and he deserves to die. More importantly, this person will cause you to continue to commit more murders, making your situation even more dangerous. Killing one malicious imitator will serve as a warning to others, and no one will dare to easily use your name to do bad things in the future."
Lola nodded, agreeing with Anne's statement.
Anne added, "But if the other person is your admirer, you'd better find them and tell them that you don't want them to continue imitating you. At least, in a different way, don't pin all the murders on your head."
"What do I do?"
"Hmm—" Annie thought for a moment before answering, "For example, change the Chinese character."
"Chinese character?"
“That’s right,” Annie laughed. “The ‘xia’ character I taught you before is just one Chinese character, but there are more than just one Chinese character.”
After saying that, Annie started rummaging through her small cloth bag.
Then she took out a piece of paper and a quill pen.
The pen was stuck in a cork, which in turn plugged the mouth of a small glass bottle about the size of a finger, which contained a little black ink.
Anne pulled out the cork and began to write on the paper.
Lola saw that Anne had written several square-shaped symbols, but none of them were the same as the previous character "侠" (xia, meaning hero).
After Anne put the pen into the small inkwell, she pointed to the words on the paper one by one and said:
These characters are "loyalty" and "loyalty".
,male",
义」
Cheng Luola repeated it many times before she finally learned to read those so-called "Chinese characters".
Anne continued, "If you let your imitators use different characters in the future, then they will be able to distinguish themselves from your own behavior."
Lola picked up the paper, staring at the dizzying characters, unsure whether this method would work.
However, she chose to believe Lola.
So this piece of paper was folded in half and inserted into "The Knot of the Cloud Realm".
Laura then asked, "But how am I supposed to find imitators?"
Anne said, "If this person commits multiple crimes, they should leave clues, and they are likely to stay near the scene for a period of time after committing the crime."
Why?
"In order to gain more pleasure, pleasure offenders are very likely to want to see the reactions of others after seeing their 'works'."
"As for the worshipper, he might think you will be attracted to the case, so he stays and waits, hoping to meet the object of his worship."
"As long as they are still at the scene, your chances of finding them will only increase."
Lola thought Anne's analysis made sense, but she herself lacked confidence:
"But I may still not be able to find out who the culprit is."
"Then let nature take its course, Lola," Anne tightened her grip on Lola's hand. "It's okay not to do things you don't want to do, and there's no need to be sad about failing after trying."
"Yes, I understand, Annie."
Anne nodded, and added:
"Of course, there is another possibility, which is that the copycat is not the same person. If that is the case, you will most likely not be able to find the copycat, or even collect any useful clues."
"But since you can't find any clues, and neither can the investigators, and there's no connection between all the cases, you don't need to worry too much about being suspected."
After listening to Anne's analysis, Lola's thoughts became much clearer.
She couldn't help but exclaim, "Annie, I feel you've matured a lot these days!"
Anne shrugged:
"My mentor would always assign me tasks he needed to handle and ask for my advice, but I could hardly ever satisfy him. However, he would patiently correct me and teach me how to analyze problems. Perhaps it was in this process that my analytical skills were honed and improved."
Lola was a little envious of Anne; she also wanted to become more mature and be able to analyze problems clearly.
But she didn't have a mentor like Anne.
Thinking of this, Lola suddenly pictured Lolotti's face.
But she quickly shook her head, dismissing the thought.
He was indeed a very experienced old man, but Lola never had any expectations of him, and she never will.
Anne added, "I still have a lot to learn. As I told you today, there are probably many factors that haven't been considered yet, so Lola, just listen to what I have to say."
Lola shook her head repeatedly: "No way! I think you're absolutely right!"
Afterwards, the two chatted and finished off the remaining snacks.
It was getting late, and Lola didn't want to part ways, but Anne had to go back.
Lola wants to use the Radiant Realm to dismantle all the shield walls of the Emblem Academy, so that Annie can stay a little longer.
But she knew that doing so would only cause trouble for Anne, so she wouldn't do it.
The happy time eventually came to an end. Lola reluctantly said goodbye to her sister and then went to the pile of strange rocks to retrieve the letter that Anne had written to her.
She didn't open it immediately, but instead put it in her bosom, intending to sit down in the room and read it carefully.
Lola arrived at the anchor point outside Emblem City, activated the magic circle, and traversed the Realm of Clouds.
She had planned to go straight back to school, but remembering Anne's words, she decided to go to Nailport instead.
If the case is indeed a copycat crime, then if this person commits another crime, Lola must go to the crime scene as soon as possible to have a better chance of obtaining clues or even encountering this person.
Therefore, she decided to inquire about it.
Upon arriving in Nailport, Lola immediately began gathering intelligence.
Unexpectedly, she actually overheard a useful clue.
Another murder has occurred in Chik Kek Village, located between Chik Kek Port and Chik Kek Root Town, and a square pattern was also left at the scene!
Lola immediately realized that this was a copycat crime.
According to Anne, she should investigate and find the culprit.
Without hesitation, Lola immediately rented a light carriage and had the driver take her to Knuckle Village.
The carriage traveled quickly along the road, making Lola very uncomfortable. On both sides of the road were only steep hills and dense forests.
The moonlight wasn't very bright, but the autumn insects were making a lot of noise.
It was already past midnight when she arrived at Zhijie Village.
By this time, even the tavern had closed.
Therefore, Lola could only wander through the village alone, searching aimlessly.
Until she found a house with its door open in a corner of the village, she realized that it was likely the scene of the murder.
Lola carefully observed her surroundings and, after confirming that no one else was around, walked toward the house.
Upon entering the house, Lola immediately smelled the pungent stench of blood.
The smell was still strong, so the murder must have happened recently, probably within the last few days.
She walked toward the wall and saw the marks on it.
Then, with the faint moonlight reflecting into the room, Lola could barely make out that it was a non-standard character for "hero".
After examining the marks, Lola concluded that they were caused by a bladed weapon.
Furthermore, the strokes are quite thick, making it more likely to be a giant sword or axe.
Laura is considering whether the prisoners should remain in the village.
Just then, she suddenly felt a chill on her back.
So he turned around.
A figure rushed to her side in an instant.
She felt something cold and sharp pressed against her throat.
The light was dim, and Lola couldn't see the other person's face clearly.
But a thick braid sticking out from under the chin of the other person's helmet was dangling in front of Lola's eyes.
Laura looked down and saw that the man was using an axe. Laura concluded that this was the perpetrator of the murder.
So, is this person a pleasure offender, a worshipper, or something else entirely?
Just then, the other party issued a low, gruff threat:
"Don't move."