Chapter 344

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Chapter 344: Well, There Is Only One Answer!

"Gods incarnate?"

"You are also one of his faithful witches, but don’t forget who has been protecting you during every Blood Moon since you were little."

"Could it be…?" Michelle uttered in an ancient tone, "Your Majesty?"

"Yes, we are the most loyal followers of His Majesty, unchanging for five hundred years!"

Michelle couldn’t determine the truth of these words.

Although she was a witch with beliefs, she wasn’t that devout of a follower.

The elders of the witch village had also told her that there was no need for devout faith; once she returned, she would be blessed.

"Can I not join?"

"Sure, but I want to wash away the memories of our conversation today."

"Will it hurt my soul?" Michelle asked sorrowfully.

"I will use my special tool, as long as you don’t resist, your soul won’t be harmed."

"Does Black Rose even have Noble Phantasms?" Noble Phantasms possess inherent mystery and the older they are, the stronger they become, in accordance with the laws of fantasy and martial arts.

"If you join us, you can also apply for the right to use the special tool, and well… we are quite wealthy, for now," Arivia cautioned discreetly. "However, I don’t welcome witches without beliefs to join the Black Rose. Among us, there are no traitors, only the dead and the dying."

Full of murderous intent.

"Alright, I have one more thing to ask…" Michelle couldn’t help but inquire, "Why me?"

If there was a tool to erase memories, they could simply proceed with interrogating directly.

Arivia spoke without hesitation, "You have this talent."

Michelle chuckled self-deprecatingly, "I don’t possess these abilities naturally, they are not powers I acquired on my own."

Arivia shook her head, "But, you have been chosen."

"Selected by what? Chosen by light?" Michelle wondered to herself, knowing full well that she had actually been chosen by Mr. Devil.

"Golden," Arivia whispered softly, "is a mysterious inheritance exclusive to the imperial royal family. It has been lost for five hundred years. Being able to master the Golden Engraving means that you have grasped this mystery. You are also the only woman among many witches who has gained the favor of gold. Naturally, you are qualified to join the Black Rose."

Michelle fell silent, she knew nothing about the Golden Engraving. The mystery that had been lost for five hundred years and the Golden Engraving she possessed, could they really be unrelated?

"If you don’t understand, I’ll show you in a different way."

Arivia took out a necklace from her collar and opened the outer layer of gold. Underneath the pendant of the necklace, she opened an eye.

A golden eye released a gentle glow, instantly dispersing the crimson moonlight that lingered around.

The warm sensation truly made Michelle feel extremely comfortable, as if basking in the sun, soaking in a hot spring, dispelling the chilling effect that the Scarlet Curse had penetrated into her marrow.

And this feeling was very familiar to her.

"Ritual…" Michelle recalled, "It was the ceremony in the village."

"This is one of the Holy Relics left by the Majesty… one of the only two remaining Golden Orbs in the world," Arivia explained, "All the witch villages keep parts of the Majesty’s remains. During ceremonies, the radiance emitted by the Holy Relics disperses the Scarlet Curse, protecting us witches from the calamity of the Red Moon. You, too, have been raised under this blessed protection since childhood."

Michelle quietly gazed at the Golden Orb, and then looked at the shimmering golden light hovering above her palm.

The majority of her inner resistance had already dissipated, for isn’t it one’s rightful duty to be blessed by the deity one has believed in for twenty years?

Even if one cannot offer faith, one should still receive kindness in return.

The Black Rose also aimed to break the curse of the Red Moon. As a witch, it was her duty to contribute her own small power.

"I’ll join," Michelle said earnestly. "As long as the Black Rose is truly as you say, I am willing to join."

Arivia smiled satisfactorily and said, "Very well, the Black Rose is not such an evil organization. Its functions have long vanished and now it is merely a remnant of its former self. Once you pass the assessment and truly enter the inner circle, I will tell you the history of the Black Rose."

"Does it take a long time?"

"Maybe," Arivia couldn’t give a definite answer. "You are still a student, so your main goal should be to continue studying and attending classes. After you graduate, then you can consider other things. Just like me, I still manage to handle my daily work."

"Really feels like being a secret agent." Michelle let go of some of her caution and returned to a star-struck attitude. "Speaking of such roles, I particularly love the gray-white witch character you played in ‘Impossible Mission’ Part 9, and also as Professor Maize in ‘Magical World: Goblet of Flames’!"

Arivia, a seasoned actress, spoke about these roles without feeling awkward. With a dignified satisfaction, she fulfilled her curiosity. "That can be considered as another form of true acting, after all, I have been playing witches for many years, so I naturally immerse myself in the characters."

She said again, "You’re talented too. Would you consider learning acting from me in the future?"

"Really?" Michelle’s heart skipped a beat, then she gently tapped her cheek. "But I still need to prepare for the college league, so this… "

"Let’s talk about it another time. You’re still very young, and there will be plenty of opportunities," Arivia said kindly.

"When does the assessment start?" Michelle asked. "I need to make some preparations."

"Since the moment I laid eyes on you, it had already begun," Arivia said. "Everything you experience will be part of the assessment criteria. I, we will all be watching you."

Michelle couldn’t help but feel nervous, like a novice driver on the road. "Is this the driving test?" she wondered.

She asked again, "How many people are there in Black Rose now?"

"I can’t tell you that yet, but we have very few people," Arivia concealed.

"There were so many people, even though the witch."

"There aren’t many devout witches left, and it is not necessary to involve them when they have finally obtained a simple and ordinary life."

"And what about me?"

"It was not my intention to involve you, but you have been chosen, and you yourself yearn to shine brightly. So it was you who called us, not us who chose you, Michelle Hope," said Arivia earnestly. "You will understand in the future that some people are born with a burning desire. The inner lion and dragon cannot be contained."

The formal conversation between Michelle and Arivia came to an end. After that, they went to have a cup of milk tea and talked about light-hearted topics.

Michelle also learned a lot about the behind-the-scenes and anecdotes of this film shoot, which further confirmed that the gray-haired witch was indeed the famous star, Arivia Huaiert.

"I have another question that I’m curious about," Michelle asked. "Why is your hair gray? I know it can be dyed, but…"

Arivia replied, "Indeed, my hair is not naturally gray, but… you can understand it as a tribute to a departed loved one."

Michelle said, "Sorry, I spoke without thinking."

"It’s okay," Arivia glanced at the time. "You should go back, and I should take leave as well. Let’s end it here, little Snow, this is a souvenir I brought back from the Witch Village. Until next time."

Michelle watched as Arivia left, revealing a contented smile like that of a fairy godmother. Afterwards, she happily carried her bag and went back to school.

Arivia walked around the corner and arrived at a public telephone booth. She dialed the phone number.

"Hello, how are things going?"

"At present, she hasn’t gained anything yet. She keeps some secrets, but it doesn’t seem like she’s lying. She really doesn’t know the heroic spirits."

"Do we still need to confirm further?"

"Yes, let’s keep an eye on her. I persuaded her to join the Black Rose, and by interacting with her normally, we can determine if she is truly involved with the Queen. If not, we can also gain a new member for the Black Rose. Despite not being very clever, she has great potential for the future."

"I hope so, we are in desperate need of more help… Will it be possible that His Majesty is not even in Europa, with such a nonsensical search going on like this?"

"I can only pray that it’s not… If it is, it means he doesn’t want to come back. Actually, it’s okay if he doesn’t come back, I just hope everything will be fine."

"I’m sorry, but this is impossible. It’s all because of the Blood Moon and the fault of the demons."

"After the enchantment is lifted, all the sinister creatures will gradually reveal themselves… Next, I have to return to Champs-Élysées."

"Rarely do we visit the Tulip Academy. Don’t you plan to meet the leader of the vampire clan?"

"Next, we are about to go," said Arivia. "Give her some hints, and by the way, let her share the burden by helping us with some hard work."

"It’s a good idea. Sasha is stubborn but not foolish. She must have noticed something, but she’s afraid and unwilling to believe it. Make sure to give her the right hints… Sigh, I have to hang up now, work is coming again. These demons never rest, not to mention the scattered witches. The spread of the Blood Moon Disease is getting worse. I’m not the Prime Minister, why should I worry about it? It’s so frustrating. You better come and switch positions with me quickly."

"Go, Susan Huaiert!"

"Let’s encourage each other, Arivia Huaiert,"

After hanging up the payphone, Arivia dialed another phone number.

"Sasha Capesh, good evening! I am a kind stranger and I am here to offer you some help."

"I will slowly tell you what kind of help it is, but we also need to help each other."

"To show you my sincerity, I offer you a simple piece of information for free, which you can take your time to understand."

"Listen carefully, Liliana does indeed know some very, very, very important things that she hasn’t told you."

"Wondering what it is specifically? Well, let’s take it step by step."

"Back then, why couldn’t we find the mentor’s body, but Liliana brought it back later? Have you always been puzzled by this?"

"If you want to know the answer, let’s exchange it with your investigation results on Michelle Hope… and then, get in touch."

Arivia stepped out of the phone booth, breathing into her hands, dispelling the chill of the winter day.

"Doesn’t everyone see only what they want to see? So is what I’m hoping for, the right answer, Your Highness?"