Blood tax

Chapter 70 The Clippers bound for Neopolis Part [-]
Griffith and Umber came to the main deck, where they were about to enter the lower cabin.

The main deck of the Equinox is very open and gathers many tourists who enjoy the sea.Second class and bottom cabin guests also rest here.

"I'm going to the lower cargo hold next. I don't think it's suitable for you," Griffith suddenly thought of something, "and the situation there is unknown, I'll take the sailors down, and you'll be outside to meet you."

"Heh, what does this mean, why didn't I go down, you answer, sexism?" Amber raised his eyebrows, "You may have misunderstood the power of the huntress."

"No, I'm not saying that there might be danger to you there, although the danger is real. The main reason I say this is..." Griffith laughed, rubbing the ends of his hair like a girl. , "Since it is the source of the odor, the place must be smelly. There is probably something indescribable. You can decide."

"Why didn't I think of that!" Amber took a step back, "Yeah, ah, I don't do this kind of dirty work. But, Mr. Police Dog, it may not be safe for you there, if there are signs of danger, don't go deep, I'll come down."

At this time, the security director came here with a sailor.

"This is Second Boatswain Makarov," the supervisor quickly introduced, "although it is not certain that it will have much effect, but the unusual odor noticed by the apprentice knight itself is something that needs attention. It is necessary to go to the lower cabin and check."

The strong bear-like second bosun took out a huge wrench and patted it in his hand, "Let's go, the steward's disappearance has spread among the sailors, and we shouldn't embarrass the captain."

……

As the latest sailboat, Spring Breeze uses a lot of metal components and pipes, and wood is no longer the main material in many places.The tortuous pipes are like the roots of a dense forest, making people do not know where to go.

"What kind of stench is that?" said the second sailor Makarov, taking a gulp from a bottle of soju.

"Why are you hiding the wine again, put it away, and if the captain sees you again, you will be demoted again." The safety supervisor frowned and said, "Speaking of the smell, I also smelled it in Mr. Eck's cabin, it should be It's said to be a sickening smell mixed with the smell of sewage and putrefaction."

"Then let's go to the slop tank on the ship and check it. For the convenience of maintenance, all the sewer pipes on the ship are connected, hiccup~" Makarov collected Votega. That slob is probably dozing off."

When the three arrived at the sewage tank, Griffith really smelled that special odor.

"I thought the sewage was directly discharged into the sea," Griffith flipped through the watch at the entrance. "I saw Feith's record yesterday, but today's record is blank."

"Everyone spread out and search," the security chief instructed the intricate roads and pipes. "Be vigilant and don't go far."

Griffith crossed the narrow road and moved forward cautiously.

Strange... Although there are sewage pipes, why is the smell so strong? Are the pipes always open?Griffith became more and more suspicious, and took out the corrupted feather fencing and held it in his hand.

"Come here! Apprentice knight, Makarov!" After a few minutes, the voice of the security director suddenly sounded, and Griffith immediately ran towards the place where the sound was made.

The stench was getting stronger and stronger, like a fecal pit that had been fermented for days and nights.

The bear-like Makarov came running from the side road and nearly collided with Griffith.The two rushed to the safety supervisor's location together, only to see a valve opened on the sewage tank, enough to get in an adult, and the stench was coming from there.

"This is the source of the stench," Griffith nodded. "It should be able to connect the sewer pipes of each cabin from here, and the residual stench comes from here."

"But the pipes are not spacious, and there are compartments in the middle," Makarov held back his nausea and glanced at the dark sewage silo, "Even if you can get in here, you can't climb over a dozen decks to come here. Top cabin, eh?"

"I didn't ask you to see that," the security director said suddenly. "You should look here."

"What's wrong?" Griffith and Makarov turned their heads together.

On the pipe not far from the sewage tank, there is a set of sailor suits.

A belt and sailor's bow tie were neatly tied around the dress, and trousers covered a pair of loafers.The security officer lifted his trousers slightly, only to see two socks hanging on the upper.

The owner of the suit disappeared like a melted candle.

……

"The stench lingering in Mr Eck's cabin is most likely from the sewers and the bizarre state of his and the missing sailor's clothes also shows a correlation. But what is incomprehensible is that the two places are separated by Almost the whole boat is connected to the central node by a number of not very thick launching pipes in the middle, and the distance is very long." Griffith said as he opened a chair for Amber and asked the blonde girl to sit down.

In the past day, Amber led people to cross-examine and investigate some of the guests, except for causing some terrifying commotion and suspicion.Griffith found nothing but one missing sailor.

The two of them listened and sensed inspiration reluctantly, but they were not of the same material. They heard nothing and felt nothing.

The two of them didn't know how to do divination either, so they could only wait for a thorough search of the bottom cabin after dawn tomorrow.

The root of the problem is that manpower is too tight to handle an investigation of this scale.If there are more Beyonders present, the investigation of the bottom cargo compartment that is most likely to go wrong can start today during the day.It's large, poorly lit, and intricate terrain, making it easy to encounter ambushes and traps.Griffith would have tried to avoid it if the visit and other area investigations revealed anything.

Even if the manpower is tight, the configuration is also very poor.Griffith found that Amber was serving as a melee assaulter in the team for attack output, and his position overlapped a bit.That nagging but capable hunter Pera would be more useful than her here.

The lack of scouts and hunters was also the reason why Griffith avoided the bilge.He was here to carry out a mission, not to ambushed to die.Only at the last minute will he let the sailors go down to the bottom first, and then follow up.

"What a failure!" Amber sat down, rubbing his hair, and quickly glanced at the menu. "Fried salmon and veal! Look at the rest! Where did the missing sailor come from?"

"Missing is the Fez sailor who was on duty in the slop tank today," Griffith took a sip of his savoury drink. "The possibility of Mr. Eck jumping into the sea can now be ruled out. The fallen mage on this ship and the Black magic items are threatening us."

"Speaking of searching for the cultist and his dark magic items," Amber put his arms on the dining table and tilted his head to one side, "I got some information before I came here, and there is a sealed item on this ship. "

"Sealed Artifact?" Griffith almost jumped up.

"A sealed artifact called "Linyuan Collection" is not our mission goal. Don't be excited. It is currently kept by a member of the Arcane Council. He is a first-class passenger. I have already inquired, I am not sure. Could it be related to a cult?" Amber took out a small notebook and handed it to Griffith, "It would be better for you to see."

Milovan Neville Arcane Council Member holds a Sealed Artifact?Griffith nodded and opened the notebook of the trainee investigator.

"Memorandum on the Sealed Artifact "Linyuan Collection"

"Sealed Artifact: "Linyuan Collection",
"Hazard Class: Class 1 (Dangerous).

"Special sealing measures: Do not open. This ancient book does not appear to be in any danger with the pages unturned. You may even hold it in your hand.

"Description: This is a manuscript bound by 404 pages, written in clear and well-written writing. The ink used is still wonderfully scented to this day, with a few margin notes in red writing. Scroll The title page of the book is wrapped in a white silk lining and has a new navy blue paper cover, showing no signs of age. In fact, the manuscript could not have been damaged in the slightest by soaking it in water or throwing it into a fire. On the outside, this is an ordinary, unsettling book, but once the reader turns the page, whispers and dangers ensue.

"Characteristic: The single copy of this codex is filled with depraved and confused knowledge. It led to the death of a learned and powerful sorcerer when it was first presented to the authorities. Read this codex for a long time. Investigators claimed to have footsteps and gasping sounds behind him, but nearby bystanders found nothing unusual.

"Mythological Knowledge: This terrifying ancient book records the tales of far-flung and alien lands, of how disaster struck a peaceful and beautiful village, and how the kind-hearted inhabitants fell into madness and were imprisoned in a never-ending cycle of killing and death. Hidden in the text The methods of manufacturing and controlling undead creatures, the rituals and necessary sacrifices for summoning and binding mythical creatures, the use and consequences of many terrifying spells and sealed items. There are all indications that the residents of the recorded village worship a Unspeakable ancient god.

"Remarks: Reading this ancient book will lead to loss of sanity, but it is possible to obtain certain mythological knowledge and magic spells. Known magic spells that can be obtained include: Resurrection of the Undead, Domination of the Undead, Devour and Healing, and Powerful Heat Shields, high-level summons, and sacrificial rituals."

Griffith read it several times and looked up at Amber, "You want to track this?"

"It can't be traced. As an official institution, Beacon Academy has come into contact with some residents who escaped by chance. "Linyuan Ji" is a sacred relic guarded by their hometown, but they lost all their senses before they told us enough information. Villages in ancient books The exact location of the book cannot be verified," Umber said. "They lost a lot of memory after leaving their hometown. My assignment this time also includes meeting with Milovan Neville, the Arcane Councillor who holds this ancient book, and then reporting To the Bureau of Investigation and the Academy."

"Be careful, don't investigate alone, tell me the details." Griffith nodded and handed the notebook back to Amber.

(End of this chapter)