In the small parlor on the second floor used for afternoon tea parties, Lex saw his mother, Amelia, an elegant lady who was no longer young but still graceful, flipping through a poetry collection. With her glasses on, she exuded an intellectual beauty.
Since there was no afternoon tea party today, Lex was relieved not to see those ladies and young misses, especially a few who seemed to have an ambiguous relationship with the original owner. He certainly didn't want to take on that burden.
"Good afternoon, Mother."
Lex strode into the parlor, his bright, clear voice causing Amelia to put down her poetry collection, remove her glasses, and smile as she looked at him.
"Are you here to have afternoon tea with me? Unfortunately, it's still a bit early."
Lex took a few steps to her side, sitting directly on the carpet, looking up at his mother's face, and smiling, "I found something interesting in your books that I'd like to ask you about."
"Oh?" Amelia affectionately stroked Lex's short black hair, "What is it?"
Lex handed her Roselle the Great's diary. Amelia put on her glasses, looked at it, and exclaimed, "You actually found it! Where was it?"
"In that book, 'Myth of Creation,'" Lex deliberately asked, "Are these words? Or symbolic characters?"
Amelia took off her glasses again and said with a smile, "This is Rosell Gustav's lost notebook before his death. Of course, it's not the original."
"It is said that the Great Emperor invented a strange set of symbols to keep secrets, which are what you see now."
"I obtained this note during an adventure in the past. I also studied these symbols, combining mathematics, ancient texts, and mysticism, but I couldn't decipher any useful information."
"To be precise, I couldn't even decipher a single symbol, well, except for those representing numbers. Afterwards, I put it away and never thought you would discover it."
Lex nodded and asked again, "Is this the only one? I find it quite interesting, and I'd like to try deciphering these symbols too."
"I'm sorry, I only have this one note in my collection. I've heard that some Beyonder gatherings occasionally auction off the Great Emperor's notes, but it's difficult to distinguish between genuine and fake ones, as only the Great Emperor knew these symbols and could decipher their meaning."
Amelia spread her hands and said, "Therefore, many collectors who are passionate about such items often buy fakes."
She added, "Although people cannot decipher these symbols, they can use methods like divination and philology to distinguish authenticity."
Lex felt a little disappointed, "Alright then. I'll try to collect more if I get the chance in the future."
Amelia didn't forget to say, "You can treat it as a hobby, but don't invest too much energy. There's still a lot of knowledge you need to learn. Don't forget, tomorrow you'll be learning ritual magic and talisman crafting."
Lex stood up and promised, "I'll prioritize properly, don't worry, Mother."
The next day, Lex and Harribel came to their mother's 'private classroom,' spending the entire day there.
In the morning, they learned ritual magic, understanding that to pray to different deities, one needed to use items made from corresponding Materials.
For example, to pray to the Night Goddess, one would need candles made from moonflowers, crimson sandalwood, and so on.
In the afternoon, they moved on to the talisman crafting course. This required mastering incantations and various symbolic characters, and how to use a carving knife to express spirituality, thereby carving these incantations and symbols onto the talisman Materials, was also an important topic.
In addition, Lex also had to master some special formats, so that he could carve the correct symbols and marks in the appropriate positions on the talisman Materials according to these formats.
He quickly discovered that he wasn't very good at either ritual magic or talisman crafting, lacking talent.
Harribel was much better in this regard, a fact that left Lex far behind.
After dinner, Lex returned to his room, his original bedroom. After being attacked by the monster named Gore last time, the bedroom window was damaged.
Now it had been replaced with a new one and tidied up, so Lex moved back in.
Outside the window, a dog bark occasionally sounded. Since the attack, the villa's security had been increased at night, and even two more hounds had been added.
Lex also heard a few horse neighs, and the sound of wheels rolling. He glanced out the window and saw the family's carriage driving out of the gate. It seemed his father had social engagements tonight.
When the wall clock reached ten past ten, Lex changed into a button-front high-collared long trench coat, took his golden revolver and Shadow Gauntlets, and put a black iron mask on his face.
Transforming into the bounty Hunter 'Duke,' Lex quietly opened the window and left the house without attracting anyone's attention.
To the south of Enki Town was Desi Bay. Following Mermaid Road, one would eventually reach the White Stone City Gate. After exiting this ancient city gate, which had witnessed the 'White Rose War,' and heading right for about 15 minutes, one would see a White Beach.
That was White Beach.
Opening his pocket watch, and using the crimson moonlight from the sky, Lex saw that he had 10 minutes until his agreed time with Doug.
He walked among the trees near White Beach, moving in the shadows. A moment later, he saw some Gang members.
They were huddled together, seemingly beating someone, with screams and laughter occasionally coming from them.
The Black Bowties' leader didn't seem to be among them. At this moment, Lex caught another horse neigh and followed the sound. A carriage was parked in the distance on the beach.
Although a Hunter's eyesight was very good, due to the distance and insufficient light, Lex couldn't clearly see the style of the carriage.
He only saw the door open, and a short, stout figure got out of the carriage, bowing towards the interior of the carriage.
The carriage quickly turned around and disappeared into the vast night. As for the short, stout figure, he walked back. When he got closer, Lex could see clearly that it was Doug, the leader of the Black Bowties.
With his hands in his pockets, Lex left the shadows and approached the crowd on the beach.
Doug also saw Lex at this moment, spread his hands, and said loudly, "Duke, you're punctual!"
Lex didn't respond, only nodding slightly.
Seeing their boss return, the Gang members separated, allowing Lex to see a person kneeling on the beach. There was blood everywhere on his face, clothes, and the beach. It seemed he had been severely beaten.
Doug walked over to the man, suddenly kicked him in the stomach, and cursed, "Run, why aren't you running now?"
"Bastard, you dare to betray me? You want to report me, right? Fine, I'll let you report!"
He raised his hand, and someone promptly handed him a pistol. Doug pointed the gun at the 'traitor' and sneered, "Consider yourself lucky. I have other things to do and no time to play with you. Let me give you a quick end. Thank me for my mercy."
The hammer of the revolver slowly rose. Just as Doug was about to pull the trigger all the way down, a hand suddenly pressed down, causing the bullet to hit the beach.
Doug was startled, then looked up and smiled, "Duke, what does this mean?"