Chapter 1375: Chapter 1375: Heavy Memories

“Cyndia and I have basically determined that the Guardians are likely the Chosen of the Earth. However, we are not quite sure if the Guardians, according to the newly discovered fragment of the Poem Chapter, have also been here, why they didn’t clear the Crazy Earth in the cave… What I’m even more uncertain about is the current form of existence of the Guardians.”

After Shard finished speaking, he looked again at Miss Lathes under the glow of the campfire:

“If the Guardians are indeed the Chosen Ones, then you’ll need to communicate with your father at that time.”

Miss Lathes nodded:

“No problem.”

Shard petted the cat lying on his lap in a half-sleep after being full. He was about to propose performing that ritual for extracting the Memory of the Land but suddenly looked back at Miss Lathes:

“Also, could you promise me one thing?”

Miss Lathes blushed inexplicably, although that might also be an illusion under the reflection of the campfire:

“Sure, you’ve helped me so much, I already owe you… what is it?”

“Before the matter in Randall Valley is over, no matter who says what to you, you must not give up your life.”

“What?”

Miss Benanis asked Shard in surprise:

“What do you mean by that?”

“This afternoon, when I was in contact with the Earth, I saw some strange illusions. I’m not sure if it was foresight, reading the Memory of the Land, or truly an illusion. In any case, Miss Lathes, please cherish your life.”

The young golden-haired girl nodded somewhat bewilderedly:

“I understand.”

She actually didn’t understand what Shard wanted to do, while Luviya looked at Shard with an inexplicable gaze. She was almost the girl most familiar with Shard, naturally knowing that Shard definitely didn’t tell the truth just now.

“Is the ritual ready? Let’s start now, oh, I really should hurry up and take a bath.”

Shard said, standing up first, and then gazing toward the night sky without clouds on the side of the cliff, where the splendid Star River was. On a certain night of the Sixth Era, the scenery seen by Luviya and Miss Lathes was just as enchanting as tonight.

[If the emergence of the Chosen of the Earth requires Ciris Lathes to die, what will you do?]

“She” suddenly asked.

Shard did not hesitate and softly asked in his mind:

“Didn’t I come here to change all of this?”

“She” merely chuckled without further comment, but Shard understood that “she” knew what he was thinking.

The Divine Ritual of Miss Lathes required relying on the pattern of Sun, Moon, and Stars on the ground to proceed. Since this was the Night Shrine, to hold a ritual related to the “Earth,” additional symbols related to the Moon were needed, so Shard provided some “Water of Moonlight.”

Shard and Luviya stood by the cliff wall, with Shard holding Mia to prevent it from running around. Miss Lathes stood on the solar pattern on the ground, and Miss Benanis stood on the lunar pattern. As the young girl began spellcasting, the Ritual Circle on the ground began to shimmer with light again.

Under the night sky, spots of starlight gathered from the base of the mountain upwards, ultimately gathering through the Ritual Circles under the two ladies’ feet to the front of Miss Lathes, who stood with her eyes closed and arms slightly open in front of her.

Even Shard could not discern what those pure white light spots were. But he distinctly felt a heavy, ancient power, becoming increasingly apparent due to Miss Lathes’ spellcasting.

The initially expected ritual duration was about ten to fifteen minutes, but those lights only lasted until the seventh minute before gradually disappearing.

Miss Lathes opened her eyes, watching the light of the Ritual Circle under her feet gradually fade. The witch shaking a silver bell in her hand asked, confused:

“Why do I remember the ritual should last several more minutes? Did it fail?”

“It succeeded, but not completely.”

Miss Lathes opened her tightly clenched hand that she didn’t know when she clenched it, with a glossy white pebble resting in her palm:

“This is the Memory Crystal extracted from the Memory of the Land.”

“What happened?”

Shard and Luviya also walked over, and Miss Lathes regretfully shook her head at him:

“I felt that someone had left a memory that doesn’t belong to this land within the Earth. That should be the memory you’re looking for. But I’m sorry, I can’t extract it now. The weight of that memory is truly astounding, and considering my current power and the number of Inner Ring Sorcerers in the Order, the Divine Arts Ritual is not enough to extract such a memory.”

Shard thought for a moment:

“Is it just because your power is insufficient?”

“Yes, and the Earth also refuses my attempt to touch that memory. Someone has made a covenant with the Earth to store that extraordinary memory here.”

Shard even knew that the sacrifice to achieve the covenant was the girl in front of him:

“In other words, if you become closer to the Earth, even without improving your level, you might be able to extract that memory?”

“Yes… like the Power of the Earth.”

Miss Lathis said confidently.

In this context, the Miss Lathis that Long-Haired Luviya knows is definitely not at the Seventh Ring now. Their conversation takes place in 1857 of the Sixth Era of the Bygone Era, and it is only 1854 now. Not to mention, Long-Haired Luviya must have done something to grant Miss Lathis the Power of the Earth; otherwise, as the third candidate, she wouldn’t be qualified to perform the ritual.

“Shard, the memory you are looking for was left to you by a witch from the previous Era?”

Luviya asked from beside him, and Shard immediately nodded:

“Yes, a long-haired witch from the previous Era.”

This time he did not lie at all.

However, Miss Lathis’s ritual was not entirely fruitless. Although she did not manage to extract the segment of memory Shard wanted, she at least obtained the memory of the land itself. The smooth white pebble in her hand is a byproduct of the ritual, a “Memory Crystal,” which can be deciphered using a special method.

The method for interpreting the memory is quite simple. Miss Lathis placed the stone into boiling water, and after the stone completely melted like sugar crystals, she submerged her face in the basin of water, then read the contents of that memory.

“I saw a witch from the Fifth Era.”

The first sentence the young girl said, lifting her face from the basin.

“Is it the Witch Empress?”

Miss Benanis perked up and handed her a towel to wipe her face.

“No, she was a member of the Cult of the Forgotten in the Fifth Era. Although not the Witch Empress, her power was terrifying as well. Just a glance at her in the memory chilled my very soul. I didn’t expect the cult to have such powerful ladies in the previous Era.”

Miss Lathis pressed her temples, feeling a headache; extracting the Earth’s memory had placed a heavy burden on her mind.

Luviya helped her sit down, while Shard used his Arcane Technique, “Cyndia’s Silvermoon Blessing,” to aid her mental recovery.

“But it’s not someone unfamiliar; it’s the witch that Shard once mentioned, Maggie Blanchett.”

She looked at Shard:

“That lady left a piece of memory here, and only a Circle Sorcerer from the same Order could extract it. The memory contained only one Arcane Technique.”

“What Arcane Technique?”

“Power of the Earth: Memory of the Land.”

This was the Arcane Technique Mrs. Blanchett obtained at the Butterfly God’s banquet.

She had promised to pass on this Arcane Technique through the Cult of the Forgotten, but Shard in the Sixth Era could not find any trace of it. Unexpectedly, she indeed kept her promise, just as Sister Perry promised to leave the “Butterfly Summoning Flute” for Shard. Even though it spanned two Eras, they all fulfilled their promises.

“Have you learned this Arcane Technique now?”

Miss Benanis asked, quite excited, but Miss Lathis shook her head:

“No, I only know how it should be learned. This Arcane Technique is very complex, and it requires me to connect with the Power of the Earth, a necessary condition for the ‘Power of the Earth.’ I need to prepare, and recently we found traces left by my father, which should guide me to connect with the Power of the Earth.”

With this, given some time, Miss Lathis would master this unique Arcane Technique. Thus, the third candidate for the Chosen of the Earth would fully qualify to conduct the ritual should the first two candidates die.

This past Thursday, leaving the city and venturing into the mountains did not waste any time. Although they still couldn’t gain that Time Key, at least Shard learned more.

The group packed up the camp, ready to return to the city, having not received any news from the city for a day; they were unaware of the status of the petrification disease.

Miss Lathis and Miss Benanis, who had to erase traces of the ritual from the ground, were slower than Shard and Luviya in packing. So, Shard stood side by side with Luviya at the edge of the cliff, waiting for them, as they gazed together at the multitude of stars:

“It’s strange; I always feel this is not my first time here.”

The purple-eyed girl said, making Shard look at the stars and softly ask:

“Do you often have this feeling? Not just here.”

“Yes, you know me well. This must be because a Diviner’s perception of fate is too strong.”

Luviya said with a smile, slightly turning to look at Shard, who was holding Mia, gazing at the Star Ocean:

“Lately, it seems you have been troubled… well, you’re always troubled. I know there are things you cannot share with me or anyone else, but do remember, I will always be with you.”

She held his hand, and Shard nodded, also looking at her. Under the starry sky, those purple eyes were maddeningly enchanting, and he suddenly kissed her on the side of her face. The purple-eyed girl blushed instantly, her eyes glimmering as she looked at Shard:

“Did you forget something?”

“What thing?”

Dusk Dust.

Thus, Shard almost forgot the most important thing.