Chapter 233: Chapter 233 Sacrifice_1
"..." Aiden fell silent.
Sitting in a ladyâs bathroom and discussing matters while she was taking a bath felt quite awkward.
Abigail, on the other hand, seemed perfectly composed, even casually opening a bottle to pour essential oils into the bathtub. This was probably what people meant by "If Iâm not embarrassed, then the embarrassment is on someone else".
After a while, Aiden couldnât bear it any longer and spoke up, "It seems rather inconvenient for you right now, so perhaps I should come back later to bother you."
But Abigail refused, "No need, Iâve just started bathing. Iâll be soaking for at least an hour, and Iâd feel terrible making my guest wait that long. Please, donât mind me, letâs continue here."
"Alright then."
Aiden let out a sigh and reminded himself to stay calmâit was just a normal discussion; he shouldnât let any strange thoughts occur...
Well, just think that the witch soaking in the tub was at least seventy or eighty years old, a person of his grandmotherâs generation. That thought seemed to cool him down immediately.
"Youâre not pondering any disrespectful thoughts, are you?" Abigail suddenly asked.
"No, not at all!" Aiden reflexively denied, and even though he wasnât sure if she could see him through the mist, he still promptly donned a gentlemanâs smile on his face.
How was this witch so sharp?
"Alright, then what brings you here this time? Is it that the business we agreed upon isnât going smoothly?" Abigail inquired.
"No, that matter is progressing well. Iâm here to ask about the Blood Moon Cult of the Blood Clan that you mentioned before."
"What about the cult?"
"The cult has appeared in Silvertown, and...it seems theyâve even investigated Sister Neveâs body before her inheritance." Aiden said slowly, "You mentioned before that they worship the god of death, right?"
"Thatâs correct." Understanding dawned on Abigail, "I see, after the Black Goatâs fall, theyâre coming for us next."
In the diary of the nameless witch, it was indicated that the god of death intended to manipulate her to seize the "fertility" authority from the hands of the Old Lese Kingdomâs royalty, a matter only known to the two of them.
The god of death desired the "fertility" authority, and after the Harvest Mother Cultâs disappearance, the next target would likely be the one who took the sole authority and Sister Neveâs remains. Now, the Blood Moon Cult was his pawn.
"Theyâre coming for you." Aiden corrected.
"The remains were once in your hands; you canât be entirely detached either," replied Abigail.
"Regardless, these people emerging is ultimately a threat to both of us," Aiden gestured back and forth between Abigail and himself.
"Are you hoping that I will take action too?" Abigail perceived Aidenâs intent.
"The people are already at the city gates, canât you feel a sense of crisis?"
Aiden came to find Abigail specifically to involve her in this matter.
If the Blood Moon Cult was to follow the Harvest Mother Cult here, it would only be a matter of time before they showed up at her doorstep.
Even if Aiden could inform them that the remains of Sister Neve and the hatching egg were in Abigailâs hands, whether or not they believed him was another matter.
Moreover, it seemed that the members of the Blood Moon Cult were still murdering people throughout the city, and no sane person would allow such a dangerous group to roam freely in their place of residence.
"Since youâve asked, how could I not help?" Abigail shifted her position in the bathtub, propped her elbow on the edge, and supported her cheek with her hand, "However, whatâs the situation at hand?"
Aiden then recounted what he had discovered, including how a "Supervisor" from the Blood Moon Cult was directing other vampires to distract the Inquisitorial Bureauâs attention throughout the city and the serial killings related to the vampires that were taking place.
"Serial killings..." Abigail mused after listening, "This is probably a âsacrificeâ ritual."
"Sacrifice?"
"Using the ritual of sacrifice as a medium, one can obtain a portion of the dominion granted by the ruler. This is how many priests who serve the rulers, or their emissaries, receive the âgraceâ of the gods." Abigail explained, "âDeathâs dominion,â for instance, requires offering âdeathâ to the ruler, hence the need for murder."
Upon hearing this, Aiden instantly thought of an inmate in his prisonâthe madwoman Halo, who had received the rulerâs benediction and gained the special ability to reflect damage, but had also gone mad under the influence of the divine words.
"Such things must cause spiritual contamination, right?" Aiden asked.
"Itâs fine as long as one can adapt to the divine words, strong mental spells or formulas of expression are sufficient," said Abigail, "Killing three people... the other party might have already temporarily obtained three powers from the âdeathâs dominion,â although incomplete... Moreover, to continue possessing the power, the ritual must be performed regularly."
Hearing this, Aiden couldnât help feeling a chillâhis enemy might be a monster granted power by the ruler, who also needs to continue killing innocents in this city...
At the same time, however, a question arose in his mind.
"This Reaper seems to be acting a bit too discreetly though, a god, causing trouble but always using pawns to do the work," he commented.
Two hundred years ago, the Reaper, to target the Old Lese Kingdom, summoned a transmigrator to lead a rebellion against the Kingdom. Now here was a group of vampires running errands.
"Thatâs not strange at all. Rulers wouldnât let people easily trace them. Every saint nearing dominion constantly thinks about pulling them down and taking their place, and other rulers eye them covetously as well. Many rulers have already lost their original bodies and identities in these struggles," Abigail said nonchalantly, "Moreover, considering the Reaper who was mutually wounded with another ruler two hundred years ago, his current status remains unknown."
Aiden nodded, reminded of Melifiliaâshe too had taken over a mortalâs body, could her original body also have been lost long ago?
It seems that becoming a ruler in this world didnât guarantee peace and quiet. Sitting on the throne didnât just mean being lofty but also being coveted by countless others and wrapped up in more fierce struggles for dominion.
If his life hadnât been targeted, Aiden, with his disposition, would honestly prefer not to be involved in such troublesome affairs.
"From your description, that âSupervisorâ the Blood Moon Cult sent out might very well be the Reaperâs emissary," Abigail brought the topic back, "What are you preparing to do now? Find him proactively, or wait for him to come to you and deal with it whenever possible?"