The Secret Code of Monsters

Chapter 25: Wall, Nails, Stone Powder

Chapter 25 Ch.25 Wall, nails, stone powder

Instead of taking Roland back to the drug store, Enid took her...

Does it count as residence?

The carriage broke through the fog, carrying two people, and slowly stopped on a street in the West District.

In front of a three-story building.

The walls are gray and not decorated like other residents.

There were no flowers or plants planted outside the wall - the house was as bare and monotonous as a stick standing in a flower garden.

Enid unlocked the door and invited Roland in.

The layout of the room did not change Roland's view of the house:

A simple, patternless soft blanket.

There is a patternless mirror on the cupboard, but it is covered by a piece of black cloth.

The wardrobe and boxes are stacked together to form a wide-sided rectangle. A convenient oil lamp is placed on the table, and the tea sets surround the teapot, with a clean tablecloth pressed against it.

Angular room, clean and tidy layout.

There is just no breath of life at all.

You know, even for an uncle, there are a lot of cheap decorations hanging on the second floor for show.

"Actually, you don't have to give her the alien remains, Roland."

Enid took off her coat, pushed Roland into the room, placed him on a chair, and brought the plate over while listening to his account of what happened that night.

Scattered on it were a few slices of flat apple, chopped nuts, and two slices of expensive-colored bread.

"Eat, you haven't eaten all night."

Enid pushed the plate forward.

"I'm not very hungry, Enid. I was worried she might get into trouble, so..."

He was still talking about the ceramic shard marked 'Guard'.

"Smart thing to do. But you may not know the Inquisition, and us. That's understandable."

"Xenomorphs are very rare creatures," Enid said. "They are born out of human imagination... or some other reason that is not clear yet - let's just say they are no more common than three-legged dogs."

"No more than four-legged men."

Thank you, I can understand.

"Last night was thrilling, wasn't it."

Mentioning that monster, Roland felt lingering fear and touched his ears: "It was just a little bit..."

"I don't know whether you should be lucky or unlucky," Enid crossed her legs and put her hands on her knees. "That's a living corpse, Roland. A creature that is summoned only by the ritualists of the Ring of Eternity... Recently, they have appeared There's a little problem. Don't go out at night."

Before Roland could think about the word 'Ring of Eternal Silence', Enid asked again: "Mestelle, did he save you?"

Roland shook his head.

"That's the opposite."

No movement.

Women understand.

She did not ask for detailed procedures like the previous interrogators, perhaps because she knew what the Supervisory Bureau was.

Her brown eyes stared at Roland for a long time.

"I understand how they do things. It seems that you have to join us this time. Come to the Inquisition. Although the reserve executive officer's weekly salary is only one pound, at least it can protect you and allow you to use soap. No need to eat meat of unknown origin——"

"What's more important is not to be troubled by those vultures."

"She actually used 'only'."

really.

One pound, how many times more than the weekly salary his uncle gave him?

Roland clasped his fingers.

"For children, your uncle's offer is a fair price, Roland."

But I am not a child. I am a man, and I might have reached adulthood long ago.

"Before you enter the ring, I will temporarily place you in the Supervision Bureau. First, get familiar with the city and the case-handling procedures."

Roland thanked him sincerely: "You have helped me a lot."

“Anyone with talent deserves it.”

Enid pinched a small piece of apple and put it into her mouth, "Depending on your luck, maybe I have to tell you something you should know."

Right now:

Ritualist.

mystery.

The road to greatness.

"First of all, do you think souls exist?"

Roland nodded.

"Give me your hand."

Enid conjured a box of nails from nowhere, got up and pulled Roland to the nearest wall.

He pressed the nails into the wall one by one lightly.

Only a short tail is exposed.

Then let Roland touch it.

"Touch the wall."

I didn't touch anything else.

Roland's eyes twitched and he forced himself to ignore the words in his sight.

"It's...the wall, and the nails, ma'am."

"very good."

Enid knocked on the wall, making a sound for Roland to hear: "I assume that this wall is the human soul."

She compared: "And nails..."

"That's where we 'hang' the power."

She found a coat and hooked it on the tail of the nail.

"Soul: Wall."

"Coat: Power."

Enid said: "The so-called ritualist is a wall covered with nails. We hang different powers, clothes, paintings, oil lamps on it - these different powers create different ritualists..."

"Do you have any questions?"

She pressed the nails into the wall one by one, making them into patterns she liked, and asked casually.

Roland tapped the nail with his hand: "The wall is incomplete, madam."

Enid looked at him in great surprise:

"You are so perceptive."

"That's right. Those are mortal scars, the price paid for power, Roland."

Mortal scars.

cost.

Enid held the tail with two fingers, pulled out a nail, and asked Roland to touch the hole left by the nail.

“The wall is incomplete because brick powder is missing.”

"Soul dust, this is the price to pay for hanging power."

Enid looked at the thinking young man with pleasure and asked with a hint of test: "We suspend power by driving nails into the soul, and the stone powder of the soul is the price. So, can you tell me, what are the nails?"

Roland thought for a while.

nail…

"Is it the church?"

Enid smiled: "Not even close."

She said 'the road'.

The road to greatness.

"Different roads, different principles, cause different 'scars'."

"There is a saying circulating in the mystical world: Don't look at what you are willing to accept, but look at what you can give; you don't choose the road, but the road chooses you."

She brought Roland back to the table and sat down.

"You probably understand?"

To be honest, I'm confused.

"Ma'am, what's the price you pay?"

Roland asked cautiously.

Enid…

What price did this young and beautiful lady who took great care of herself pay?

"me?"

"I said before," she dusted her hands, held Roland's wrist, and drew a big ring on the table: "Among the three principles of the Father of All Things, the great road I embarked on, From the trial.”

"It's called the Holy Flame. "

"The "Holy Flame" under the Judgment Code. "

The Road of Holy Flame?

He thought of the flames as sharp and sharp as thorns.

A power that is astonishing, even terrifying.

"The ritualists who set out on this path..."

"There will be a price of mercy."

After Enid finished speaking, seeing Roland's surprise, she repeated it with certainty: "Yes, that's right. It's 'mercy', compassion for all things."

"The higher we climb, the closer we come to the flames of judgment held by the gods."

“We are the executors of the Benefactor, His loyal warriors.”

She held her chin with one hand and looked at Roland while talking, as if she was talking about a trivial matter.

"In the face of the enemy, the Executor does not need meaningless mercy - what do you want to say?"

Roland was puzzled: "But you treat me..."

Enid crossed her arms, pressed her upper body on the table, and leaned in his direction: "Your talent and intelligence have earned you a chance, Roland Collins."

"The ritualists of the "Holy Flame Path" just don't have meaningless mercy. "

"That doesn't mean we're a bunch of cold-blooded monsters."

This time, the pale text did not cover the woman's face, but blocked it downwards.

"I'll bet Roland Collins' face."

"This evil bat is lying."

Use your own.

but.

If only this were the case...

There seems to be nothing wrong with joining the Inquisition.

This is Enid's second invitation.

You can know the status of an executive officer just by looking at the performance of his uncle and the two police detectives today.

He didn't think that his so-called talent and wisdom could enable this executive to extend a friendly hand again and again.