Chapter 1236 — A Dreadful Conjecture
Blade of Dawn · Page 1 of 4
Gao Yang withheld nothing and hesitated not at all, laying out the news from Talrond before Enya in full.
The hatchery fell silent. Gao Yang and the others did not speak for a time; only the pale-gold runes on the surface of Enya's eggshell drifted on as ever, slowly, betraying that this former god of the dragon race had sunk into thought.
"About the Tower of the Countercurrent..." The first to give in was Amber, her half-elven face taut with unease. "Could it be..."
"There are two things that cannot presently be explained," Enya's voice came from within the shell. "First, Mojin's peculiar condition does not resemble the result of Countercurrent contamination, but plainly relates to the Shadow Goddess who vanished in ancient times. What connection could there be between the Countercurrent and the Shadow Goddess? Second, when Mojin left the Tower of the Countercurrent his condition was normal. For many years afterward, records of his adventures circulated through the world, and I can affirm that from his departure until the day of the 'Coming of Age,' he never once returned to Talrond, to say nothing of touching the Tower of the Countercurrent again. So his strange condition cannot be the consequence of contact with the tower. Then where did he come into contact with a god-level power of corrosion?"
"Which is why we have always suspected Violet is involved in this as well," Amber said at once. "That country keeps itself so shrouded in mystery, it feels as though some earth-shaking secret lies buried within. Honestly, if one day I learned that the power of a god was hidden on that enormous island, I would not be surprised. Perhaps Mojin Wilde did visit Violet in those years and was there tainted by a god, or even forged a link with the Lady of Night?"
No sooner had Amber finished than Gao Yang, standing to one side, gave a slight shake of his head. "Unfortunately, Emberfall has already given us a formal reply. They deny that Mojin Wilde ever visited Violet."
"That is only their denial. What the truth is, no one can say," Amber could not help muttering. "But then again, if Mojin Wilde truly was tainted in Violet, then perhaps this whole business really has nothing to do with the Tower of the Countercurrent. We might at least breathe a little easier..."
For a moment no one spoke, and no one answered Amber's muttering, until several seconds later Enya's voice came drifting from the shell, breaking the silence faintly. "Nothing in this world is absolute..."
"The great adventurer..." Gao Yang suddenly tapped his temple, a flicker of headache passing over him. "It really is a profession that gives one headaches. Mojin went to altogether too many places in his life and brushed against too many suspicious things, so that any thread of evidence seems to find some point of connection in him. Two fields with not the slightest relation could intersect in that man..."
"My friend, how do you intend to handle this?" Enya said suddenly. "Whether or not there truly is some connection behind all of this, at least two things we can be certain of: the Tower of the Countercurrent cannot be left unattended forever, and the worsening condition of Mojin Wilde cannot be allowed to drag on. Our discussion here accomplishes nothing. At the very least, there ought to be a concrete response."
Gao Cen did not speak for a time, his brow furrowed as he sank into deep deliberation and weighing of options, while Amber at his side murmured, "If only we could just blow that tower up..."
"What the Departurists left behind is not so easily blasted apart," Gao Yang said with a helpless glance at the half-elf, then his expression turned grave, as though he had reached some decision. "It may be necessary for me to go to Talrond in person."
At these words, Maggie, who had stood quietly to one side without speaking since a moment ago, widened her eyes in astonishment. "Your Majesty? You intend to go yourself..."