usatvline Chapter 342 Lakeview Village (Part 4)
Chapter 342 Lakeview Village (Part 4)
Chapter 342 Lakeview Village (Part )
[Professor: Ahem, Master Idhela, is it really okay for you to leave Darren and me here?]
[Dream Witch: What's wrong? What are you dissatisfied with?]
[Professor: I dare not...]
[Native believer: Professor Lucchino, I want to eat strawberry jelly.]
[Professor: Good heavens, the only thing you can make on this beach is seafoam pudding.]
[Explorer: Do you want me to buy a few?]
[Professor: Thank you for your support!]
[Native believer: I also want mango, cantaloupe, pineapple, lychee flavor...]
[Novelist: Eating too many snacks is not good...]
[Little girl: I want to eat it too, but today I want chocolate cake more!]
[Novelist: You'll get cavities, little Alice...]
[Little girl: Woohoo! (crying)]
[Entomologist: If the child likes it, let her eat it. Why, Orpheus, can't you afford it?]
[Composer: Don't listen to your Aoife's nonsense. If you eat too much candy, just brush your teeth.]
[Reporter: Mr. Orpheus, please buy some for little Alice. She hasn't had any cake for several days.]
[Novelist: Okay, okay... (wipes sweat)]
[Deer Head: I’ll go buy it right now!]
[Little girl: Yeah!]
Conan stood on the beach, where some broken fishing nets were scattered and a sacrificial torch was stuck next to it. I don't know what kind of fuel the torch used to withstand the strong sea breeze for so long without going out.
Akai Shuichi walked over and said, "It's probably fuel like animal fat, most likely derived from deep-sea fish."
Conan held his chin with his hands. "Mr. Akai, do you think the plague in the village is really the curse of that 'goddess'? I always feel something is wrong. This doesn't seem like a naturally occurring infectious disease."
"Indeed, only the residents of Lakeview Village were harmed. If it wasn't an infectious disease, then perhaps it was caused by radiation or pollution? Or perhaps some kind of secret human experiment?"
"I remember there is indeed a mermaid in the Oritis organization, codenamed 'Fisherwoman'. I wonder if she has any connection with this place." Conan sighed.
Judy called the two over because she and Cameron found a respected old man in the village and learned some stories from him about the past.
Several people sat around the campfire, ready to listen to the old man tell stories about the past of Lakeview Village.
The old man spoke slowly, "Since the sacrifice of the goddess, few outsiders have come here. I don't know if you have heard of the supernatural legends in our village or if you simply want to come and explore. I will tell you the story in its entirety."
"That goddess, Miss Grace, who can't speak, is born with the ability to communicate with fish in the water. She's incredibly good at swimming, able to dive to the bottom of the sea and bring back oyster shells filled with pearls. She's a gentle and kind lady. Even if she weren't a goddess, there would probably be someone willing to raise her as their own daughter."
"But, Miss Grace finally..." Conan didn't say the second half of the sentence.
The old man sighed. "Alas, it was bad luck. During that time, there was an inexplicable plague, a sudden decrease in fish catches, and Grace was no longer able to catch pearls. The villagers pointed their fingers at her."
"But everyone, or most people, should be aware that the plague could be accidental, the reduced catch is due to seasonal and ocean current changes, and the lack of pearls is because the pearl oysters in the shallow waters have been plucked clean."
"So, Miss Grace is innocent..." Judy frowned. "Such an innocent and kind person..."
"Alas, the couple who adopted Grace are now dead. They both drowned themselves. Some villagers at the time said that the couple, believing they had adopted a goddess who had betrayed the gods, committed suicide out of fear of guilt."
"Later, although the village enjoyed a period of prosperity thanks to its previous harvest, its living standards continued to decline. There used to be a circus performing in the village, something called the Noisy Circus, but gradually the number of people coming stopped."
"Wait, grandpa, you said the Loud Circus? Do you know anything about this circus?" Conan's eyes widened when he heard the name of the Loud Circus.
"Huh? What happened to the circus? I remember the little girl from Eugene's family went with the circus. I think her name was... Natasha."
Conan's pupils trembled. Natasha, Natalie, Margaretha Zelai—these were all names of dancers. So this Lakeview Village was actually the dancers' hometown? It was a small world.
"It's better to leave than to stay here and be a sacrifice..." the old man said with a cough.
"Sacrifice?" Cameron looked over. "Does this village still have the tradition of human sacrifice?"
"Originally, there wasn't one. This tradition only started after Grace sank into the sea. It's about sacrificing beautiful girls to regain the favor of the sea god. It's completely unfounded, yet so many young people believe it."
"What about now? We've performed living sacrifices and worshipped the sea god. Sacrificial activities are held every year and every day, but the situation in the village still hasn't improved?" The old man shook his head helplessly.
"This kind of sacrificial activity is totally unreasonable!" Conan was very angry. This behavior was simply trampling on innocent lives.
At this time, a man's voice sounded: "Old village chief, I have brought back the herbs. I hope they can help those seriously ill people."
Hearing this voice, Conan looked towards the source of the voice in disbelief: "You, you are..."
"Oh, it's Professor Dilusi. You have worked so hard during this period. It's hard for you to bring the child to our remote little place for treatment." The old man stood up to greet the professor.
"That's not true. I came here because I accepted a commission from a friend. Also, that child is not mine. He belongs to one of my...superiors." The professor said with a smile.
"Thank you anyway." The old man slowly left his seat. "I'll take you to the patients' room."
"it is good."
As soon as the professor nodded in agreement, Conan jumped up: "Wait, we want to go too!"
"Oh? That might be some kind of infectious disease. It's very dangerous. Do you really want to go?" The professor looked at Conan and the others with some amusement.
"Well, my family members know a little bit about medicine, so I wanted to see if I could help..." Conan quickly excused himself.
"Old village chief, more people mean more strength, so let them go together," suggested the professor.
The old man looked back at Conan and the others, sighed, and walked forward: "Well, that's it, I'll leave it to you."
The professor looked at Conan and the others and smiled. His cleft mouth looked quite evil, especially when half of his forked tongue, similar to that of a reptile, was exposed.
Cameron was startled and whispered to Akai Shuichi for confirmation: "So, this guy is..."
"Yes, he's a member of the Oletus Organization. I wonder if the current situation of this village is related to the Oletus Organization."
Conan followed the professor closely, pondering the relationship between Lakeview Village and Oletus Manor. Of course, he also recalled the dream he had once had: the spiral staircase, the deep cave, the dilapidated fishing village, the writing on the beach...
And now, the woman's laughter filled his ears with the sea breeze.