"Miss Orland, do you know more detailed information about the 'Gate of Death'?"
Shard asked again, and the witch nodded slightly:
"It is difficult to move that door due to its size and other reasons, but not every condemned criminal can be securely escorted to the execution grounds in the Midland. Hence, the 'Gate of Death' includes a method of opening the door from outside its main body."
This could also be considered Spatial Movement, only that dying once as a price is perhaps a bit too harsh.
"I'm not a member of the Supreme Witches' Council, because the previous members are still there, so for the time being, my teacher is just a substitute. But it is said that one needs to find a place where death and life intersect, and then an official Council member, acting as the executioner, can draw forth the projection of the 'Gate of Death' at the boundary by the power of the Council. The effect after opening the door is completely identical to that of the door's main body."
She paused for a moment and then added:
"My teacher said that the emergence of the 'Gate of Death' is related to the departure of the 'Ancient God of Death.' It's absurd that the Witch Council treats that gate as an instrument of execution rather than a research object. The Witch Council is now very corrupt, and perhaps in a few thousand years, it will collapse on its own due to the infighting among the Grand Witches."
Such talk was very much in character for Miss Feliana, and Shard also showed a smile. Judging by the truth he had learned, the downfall of the Fifth Era was indeed related to the disunity among the Council Archwitches.
He bent over to pick up the stone slab wrapped in cloth, his fingers lightly touching one of its corners. In this library, only three books genuinely came from the First Era as required by the deity, so he triggered the Arcane Technique 'Ancient Sound' to function once more.
The information this time was also brief because it was gained through touching the 'Jaeger Scroll,' and therefore it related to death:
"Every mortal has one death, and all things have their ultimate end. Even the Ancient Gods depart, a fact that the earliest followers of death already knew. Deities understand the fate of the future and therefore promised their believers in the First Era: before departing, all arrangements would be made. There's a cycle of life and death, and with departure comes a return."
There didn't seem to be any useful information, just an affirmation that the departing Ancient Gods would indeed return and that before their departure, they would make arrangements for the future.
But Shard already knew this, like 'Father of the Infinite Tree,' this Ancient God did indeed clearly arrange for the Outlander who would come to this world in the Sixth Era. Even Shard having this thought at the moment, might be within the expectations of the Tree Father.
"However, if the departure of the Ancient Gods wasn't so abrupt, and their believers had long known that the Ancient Gods would definitely return, then where did those Ancient God Churches that had disappeared go? As long as their faith is not extinguished, they who possess the oldest powers shouldn't have vanished so thoroughly... Modern ancient organizations, as well as the True God Church, couldn't all be related to the ancient Thirteen Ancient Gods Churches, could they... "
Shard didn't have much time to stay, so after getting the stone slab, the two returned to the lobby of the Gadis Library entrance.
They had only left for about ten minutes, but Miss Becky Samuel, who had been sitting by the fireplace, seemed to have completely recovered. When the two returned, she stood up from beside the campfire to greet them.
Shard noticed that the box he had taken out had been moved to a sheltered spot from the wind, indicating that she hadn't just been sitting there.
Shard shook the cloth-wrapped stone slab in his hand and asked Miss Samuel if she wanted to inspect the book.
The Eleventh Rank witch immediately shook her head, while Miss Orland took the cloth from Shard's hand, glanced at the stone slab with her back to them, sighed, and passed it back:
"It's okay, you two can take a look directly, but don't stare at it for too long."
The stone slab was about twice the size of a regular sheet of paper. Although it seemed to be made of Gray Stone, it mysteriously felt more like a bone product. The back of the slab was blank, with only the front featuring patterns.
There were no ornamental patterns or designs; the stone slab simply bore a line of text written in a style resembling bone fragments—and Shard had seen this line of text not so long ago:
[The World (From the First Era Year 1 to the Present)].
This line of calligraphy matched exactly with the text on the back of the Roder Card held by the "Person of Reverse Life," Joey Barton, whom he had seen recently at the Raven Club, even down to the way the calligraphic letters were started and finished.
"It is indeed ancient."
He murmured softly, then asked,
"Miss Orland, this looks like a tombstone. Were the books from the past all ? The 'Text with Threads' that I handed over to the Deity last time I came, it was also just a stone slab."
"We have yet to properly open the book; this is merely the cover."
The seemingly well-recovered Miss Samuel replied:
"People from the First Era would use this method when making books meant to last. The stone slab is just the outer appearance; the real knowledge is hidden within."
"So how does one view such a book... do you press it under your pillow and then go to sleep and dream?"
Both witches were amused by Shard's joke, and the three of them sat around the campfire:
"No no, just pronounce the name of this book, and it will open. The language used must be that of the book's title itself; otherwise, it cannot be unlocked. 'Text with Threads,' 'Jaeger Scroll,' and 'Nameless Ritual Book' are all books from the First Era, so you need to use the lost language of the First Era. But all knowledge from the First Era is taboo, as the Gray Robed Sage has said, and it's not for mortals to tamper with."
At this point, the young witch from the Zaras Academy could not help but sigh... at least, she appeared very young.
"The language of the First Era, hmm..."
Shard hesitated, then asked:
"Do you know how to write 'Jaeger Scroll' in the language of the First Era?"
Miss Samuel furrowed her brow in suspicion, and Miss Orland shook her head carefully:
"We do not know, for that is forbidden knowledge. Shard, do not try to pry into those secrets; those who madly pursue knowledge will undoubtedly fall into eternal insanity. At least, that is true for you at the moment."
Shard nodded. He actually wanted to try and peek at the knowledge within the book before leaving this era. After all, once the Time Key adventure was over and he returned, any injuries from the past would heal; as long as he did not go completely mad at once, the Father of the Infinite Tree would surely restore him.
The knowledge was within his grasp, and perhaps the information about [Death] could even help solve the troubles at Midshire Fort. But Miss Orland was right; he was not yet worthy to gaze upon the knowledge of the First Era. The lost history and truths were still far out of Shard's reach.