章 23: Chapter23-Another Tablet of the Dark God
The moment Ranch's eyes fell upon the black disk, a thought flashed through his mind: "Is that the table of the dark god?"
He was dubious.
Yet, this required only a simple confirmation.
Ranch promptly employed his identification ability, and the information about the black disk on the wooden trolley was revealed.
[Identification successful!]
[Splitmouth's Greed Tablet (Activated): One of the five tablets for the ritual of the dark god.]
Seeing the information identified, Ranch's expression remained unchanged, but a sense of danger was already dawning on him.
He thought to himself, "As I suspected, it's that thing, and it's been activated."
When it comes to the dark god, one cannot be too cautious.
At that moment, Dis, noticing the curiosity and longing on the faces of the banquet's attendees, no longer kept them in suspense.
He lifted the black disk and proclaimed, "In this gathering, we shall witness the greatest miracle! That is, even ordinary people will have the chance to wield great power. This will be a grand transformation for humanity, as we ascend to the highest under the guidance of the divine!"
Dis's words were incredibly stirring, igniting a fervent gleam in the eyes of many present.
Of course, Ranch was not among them.
At this time, Ranch was turning to Sophia, whispering, "Sophia, have you ever encountered this thing?"
Sophia shook her head, replying, "No, but this item bears a striking resemblance to the lost artifact of the Tribunal. It's very likely there's some connection."
As they finished their discussion, Daisy leaned in close, her body pressing against Ranch's arm, her breath growing heated as if she had thought of something.
To disguise her unease, she said with a laugh, "This is a Sacrifice table. It's somewhat like the wishing well at the headquarters of the Dark Night Tribunal. As long as one pays a sufficient price, their wishes can be granted. But the price for using the Sacrifice table to make a wish is not something just anyone can bear."
With that, Daisy glanced at Vera, where a necklace was glowing in the narrow gap pressed between the young girl's breasts.
Ranch, curious, asked, "Daisy, how do you know this?"
Daisy didn't answer; she drew even closer to Ranch, nearly clinging to him, her hand gently brushing over the back of his.
She whispered, "If Mr. Ranch wishes to know, he can find me at the Butterfly Tavern tonight."
Ranch pondered Daisy's invitation for a moment and did not decline, "I'll be there."
Meanwhile, at the center of the hall, Dis made another move, commanding another iron cage to be brought forth.
This cage imprisoned a fearsome 1-tier spellbeast, which let out enraged roars, causing many guests to recoil in fear, yet piquing their curiosity about what Dis was planning to do.
Dis revealed a meaningful smile and began to chant a strange incantation.
As the chant progressed, the 1-tier spellbeast inside the cage became increasingly agitated, frantically slamming its head against the bars, desperate to escape—a futile effort.
In the next instant, terrifying fluctuations emanated from the black disk, drawing out the spellbeast's blood, all of which was absorbed by the disk.
Concurrently, the disk emitted a grayish-black smoke that infused into Dis's body.
Dis exclaimed excitedly, "This is power!"
He pulled the cage closer, forcibly breaking the cage's iron bars, as the many guests of the banquet gasped in astonishment.
This made Dis even more delighted as he declared, "This is the power bestowed by the gods. If you, too, desire to wield this power, you merely need to offer sacrifices to the deities!"
Ranch frowned, turning to Vera and Viscount Layne, inquiring, "Does the viscount not care about this matter?"
Viscount Layne was taken aback, not expecting Ranch to suddenly question him, and uncertain of Ranch's actual status.
However, seeing that Butler Haren hadn't voiced any objections, he assumed Ranch must be of significant standing, given that the traditionally strict butler would never approve of Miss Vera associating with commoners.
After a moment's deliberation, he answered truthfully, "It's beyond my control."
He gave a bitter smile before continuing, "In fact, although I am the lord of Mapleleaf, I have little power to intervene in its affairs. A few months ago, Mapleleaf was attacked by spellbeasts. The guards I brought with me perished, and the magi from the Tribunal branch were stripped of their magic and disappeared without a trace."
Viscount Layne seemed utterly helpless; in Mapleleaf, only the ordinary residents still regarded him as their lord.
Ranch hadn't expected Viscount Layne to be in such a predicament. As he was about to inquire further with Vera, he noticed Dis approaching.
Dis stopped in front of Vera, saying, "Honored Miss, welcome to my estate."
Out of politeness, Vera had to respond, though her tone was somewhat frosty, "Mr. Dis, thank you for your hospitality. I'm very pleased."
After speaking, Vera disengaged from further interaction with Dis.
Dis then turned his gaze back to Ranch, his eyes undisguised with contempt, sneering, "Ranch, while I'm uncertain how you managed to deceive Miss Vera and this beautiful elven lady, your lies can't sustain forever. And in the interest of upholding justice, I challenge you to a duel... in the name of a knight!"
The sudden invitation to a duel baffled everyone present.
Why had a simple banquet escalated to a challenge of a duel?
And wasn't the conversation just moments ago centered around worshipping the gods for power?
Ranch also sensed something amiss.
In that moment, it dawned on him, his thoughts racing: "Was this banquet, from the very beginning, specifically orchestrated against me? It seems that encountering him at the Dark Night Tribunal branch yesterday was no mere coincidence, and neither were those guards still stationed at the entrance of the Tribunal..."
Clearly, the banquet was a conspiracy from start to finish.
Yet Ranch couldn't fathom why Dis would do this, especially since the banquet didn't seem to be organized hastily.
When Dis introduced the Sacrifice table, Ranch had learned from Pierre that the banquet had been in preparation for three days, coinciding with his departure from the City of Crimson.
Could there be a connection?
Of course, now was not the time to ponder that.
Ranch stood up, smiling at Dis, and said, "I accept your challenge to a duel."
The surrounding guests quickly stepped back, clearing an open space.
Dis, seemingly in haste, launched the first attack, swinging his fist at Ranch.
His fist was enveloped in a black mist, but Ranch merely furrowed his brow, dismissively stating, "If that's the extent of your ability, you're hardly qualified to be my opponent."
Ranch spoke the truth, but to Dis, those words were unbearably grating.
Dis roared, "I have been blessed by the gods, what do you have to compare with that!"
A merchant among the spectators also voiced support for Dis, saying, "Mr. Ranch seems rather arrogant.
Dis is a novice knight, and now that he has received the gods' blessing, he is surely capable of defeating an intermediate knight!"
Others nodded in agreement, believing Ranch's defeat was only a matter of time.
However, Vera, Haren, Daisy, and Sophia, the only ones who could perceive the real victor of this duel, remained silent. They too sensed something off.
Dis must have had other motives; otherwise, he wouldn't have issued a challenge to a duel under these circumstances.
Amidst the duel, Ranch's frown deepened.
As Dis drew near, Ranch swiftly kicked out, sending Dis flying back to crash against a pillar in the hall, spewing blood, evidently severely injured.
Seeing this, Ranch shook his head and remarked, "Mr. Dis, you need more practice."
With the host of the banquet injured, the event descended into disarray.
Ranch, having no desire to stay, left with Sophia.
Vera and Daisy followed suit, and seeing Vera leave, Butler Haren and Viscount Layne found no reason to remain, so they too departed from the estate, followed by the other guests.
However, after everyone had departed, Dis, who had been lying on the ground, eerily stood up.
A cruel smile spread across his face as he muttered to himself, "Ranch, your body will soon be mine!"
Meanwhile, under Butler Haren's insistent demands, Vera had no choice but to return to Viscount Layne's castle.
Daisy, after reiterating her request for Ranch to visit her later, headed back to the Butterfly Tavern.
Ranch and Sophia returned to the inn, while Pierre went off to the docks to busy himself once more with the prospects for his orange juice sales.
In the inn, Ranch's expression grew grave as he opened the system's personal information tab.
In the current status section, there indeed was a new special status.
[Current Status]
[...]
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