Chapter 2037: A Cursed Object Capable of Evolution
“Actively seeking out users, why would they actively seek out users?” The first time I encountered the music box was at the undead trade fair. They were selling themselves, looking for a master.
Back then, some undead even advised the man assassinating the Lord of the City not to court death by buying the music box. This indicates that Despair Double Sound already had a considerable reputation. They must have committed crimes in many other places afterward, their notoriety spreading far and wide.
As soon as I asked the question, several researchers looked at me with confusion, as if I had asked something profoundly lacking common sense. However, they quickly realized that things that were common sense to them might not be to others.
“My Lord, regardless of whether they are called Cursed Artifacts or Sealed Objects, they are ultimately artifacts. Artifacts need to be used by someone; only in the hands of a person can they unleash their full power. Otherwise, their power is reduced to less than a tenth. Even Cursed Artifacts with self-awareness will instinctively seek out a suitable master,” one researcher explained.
I suddenly understood. No wonder the music box actively sought a master; it was to unleash its power. “Wait, so the first Police Station Annihilation Incident actually happened because someone took out the music box and used it?”
“That’s right. At least, according to our analysis, the forensic analyst at that police station took the music box out of the Sealing Cabinet, opened it, and even played the music, which led to the annihilation. They were truly too careless,” the researcher grumbled again.
“Afterward, it appeared in various places, and the masters it sought were mostly those who had lost all hope and were utterly disheartened. After fulfilling their last wishes, it would take their souls. Of course, some died before they could complete their wishes,” a female researcher added.
“Despair Double Sound is quite famous, isn’t it? Among Cursed Objects, it’s known as the most powerful Magic Apparatus against groups. Furthermore, it’s simple to use and has a low barrier to entry. It once annihilated an entire army. Its power is also extremely formidable. If it weren’t for the restriction that the user must die, many people would want to possess it,” another researcher stated.
“Of course, due to its dangerous nature, Despair Double Sound has always been a target for major organizations and churches to hunt down. Putting aside its power, its notoriety alone might rank it in the top ten among Cursed Objects.”
Listening to the researchers, I looked at the Glutton believer, but he shook his head and said with a wry smile, “I don’t know. The church usually doesn’t pay attention to Cursed Objects. Of course, that’s just my limited knowledge. Lord Karina might know.”
He was just a mid-level leader, so it was normal for him not to know. After all, Despair Double Sound had no connection to them, so they wouldn’t specifically investigate it. The Church of Gluttony possessed quite a few Cursed Objects, but most of them were self-produced.
However, I estimated that someone high up in the church must know. People like Lavias, the General, and the Old Scholar, who possessed vast knowledge or had complete faction inheritances, would surely have records of such dangerous items.
After all, as the researchers said, Despair Double Sound was incredibly famous. Even the undead at some underground trade fair knew of its notorious reputation, which shows how well-known they were.
Moreover, the user dying was not an insurmountable obstacle. There were plenty of scapegoats. If the master was most suitable for someone who had lost all hope, there were many ways to buy the lives of such desperate individuals and make them into suicide bombs.
The fact that it attacked indiscriminately was not an unsolvable problem either. In my opinion, those organizations must have sent people to find Despair Double Sound and failed to capture it, otherwise, this thing wouldn’t still be at large.
The most crucial point was that the power of this organizational artifact could be stacked. When it absorbed the souls of all the police officers in the station, it could break through the Sealing Cabinet and escape on its own. After that, it had absorbed so many souls, even the souls of an entire army. How strong had it become now?
For me, there was another question: had the nobles gathered in Cando City heard of the horrors of the music box? Had the Bourbon Royal Family even known that Despair Double Sound was responsible for assassinating the Crown Prince?
I believed they must have known. After all, Despair Double Sound didn’t sound like a secret at all. My lack of knowledge was simply because I hadn’t specifically investigated. It would be too unbelievable for such an ancient and prominent family to be ignorant of it.
So, the fact that Despair Double Sound was not explicitly mentioned on the wanted list was very intriguing. Was it out of fear of offending Despair Double Sound and attracting retaliation, or out of fear of beating the grass to startle the snake and letting them escape? It was impossible to know.
“In conclusion, this is an extremely terrifying object. You’d best not come into contact with it. If there aren’t enough professional personnel around, the best course of action is to turn around and run,” the researcher concluded in the end.
“Alright, thank you for your answers. My questions have been resolved, and you can continue your research,” I said with satisfaction, thinking that I probably wouldn’t encounter this music box again anyway; I was just curious.
Before dawn the next day, Karina took Via, Sherris, Giselle, and nearly half of the Glutton believers back to the Kingdom of Saxony. Lester, however, chose to continue working under me. Did he misunderstand something?
Meanwhile, in Valencia of the Kingdom of Aragon, the feared situation had arrived. On the first day of the new year, the Lord declared a restriction on sailing. The reason was likely the mass exodus of merchant ships, leading to a severe outflow of capital and merchants, which finally made the Lord anxious.
Then, the second merchant summons arrived. This time, it was not a summons from the Chamber of Commerce but from the Lord himself, and it was explicitly stated to be in order to assist in the investigation of the assassination of the Lord.
Valencia’s renowned merchants were all gathered in the Lord of the City’s Hall. The Marquis of Valencia had built his castle on a high mountain in the center of the city, overlooking the port.
Compared to the resplendent Lord of the City’s mansion in Cando City, this place was more like an ancient castle. Rows of archaic chandeliers with three tiers of metal rings hung in the air, yet the light remained dim. The three rows of wooden long tables looked ancient, and the walls were made of large stones.
As I entered, I also saw the drawbridge at the entrance, towering watchtowers and walls, and even cannons. This was a castle with practical defensive capabilities. Valencia had experienced the fires of war when they fought fiercely with the Ottoman Navy in the Mediterranean Sea.
Even Elder Brother Jayad, with his recently rising reputation, had been summoned, which was exactly the outcome we desired.
“Gentlemen, I believe you are all loyal and good people. However, His Majesty the Emperor has ordered investigations across the entire nation, so we can only ask for your cooperation,” an official wearing a lavish golden-adorned uniform said from the stage.
The Lord, the Marquis of Valencia, sat at the seat at the end of the hall. His actual status was higher than this official, but now he was an imperial envoy, representing the Emperor’s will, so even the Marquis could only sit and watch him interrogate.
