Book of the Seven Celestials: The Third Prophecy

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As the slap flew toward El's cheek, he instinctively moved away.

"You pervert!?" Ran exclaimed, glaring at El with irritation.

"Wha—what? Why are you angry?" El said, perplexed. One more important thing for El was that he didn't understand what she meant by "pervert." 'What is a pervert? Some kind of unique, hillbilly phrase for when you're angry with others?'

"Hahaha, I like this guy already," Sill said, moving toward the two while laughing and then putting his arm around El's shoulder. "You know, this is the first time I've seen Ran flustered like that. Nice job, little guy!!" He gave El a thumbs-up, beaming happily.

Ran rolled her eyes at Sill's comment.

"What? What did I do wrong?"

"… So, you don't know?" Sill asked, staring at El in bewilderment.

"What should I know?"

Putting his arm away from El, Sill replied, "Hmmm, you really are not from Mirthwater, huh? The culture here in Ralrain is quite different from the other three states. It's rigid. A man can't just praise a woman out of nowhere, or you'll be accused of being a pervert, profligate, or just straight-up a lecher…"

"Excuse me, but what are 'pervert,' 'profligate,' or 'lecher'?"

After El raised that question, everyone suddenly fell into a hush.

Speechless, Sill inquired, "You really don't know?"

"Yes, I don't know…" El shook his head, his eyes gleaming with pure innocence.

"Have you ever gone to school?"

"I've heard about school. It's a place for people to study, right? Then no, I've never once gone to school."

"Wha… so how have you lived this long? I mean, there's no way. You converse with us just fine, though. You even know about Mirthwater and Ralrain…"

"Of course, I know. I read it in books. Mirthwater is one of the many cities in Ralrain. On the other hand, Ralrain is one of the four Vassal States of the Eschaton Empire, also called The Empire's Shield, isn't it?"

El explained fluently, without pausing to think, thanks to his intelligence and the books in his room.

"See, this kid is a liar," Nore accused, pointing at El. "He said he never attended school, but he knows knowledge that only high school books would contain. That doesn't even make sense. Where does he even get that kind of book?"

"You all coming or not? Stop wasting time! What if we're late? I'm sure the others are already waiting," Ran shouted, unknowingly already ahead of the group.

As she looked back and noticed that the others were arguing instead, she called out to them loudly—her voice bouncing off the walls surrounding them. The rest exchanged glances with each other and hurriedly followed behind Ran.

After approximately forty-five minutes of walking, El began to hear voices drifting in from the mouth of the alleyway, growing louder as they approached their intended destination.

Ran and the others stopped in front of an abandoned building full of debris and random spray paint, creating abstract graffiti. Sill grasped the back of El's jacket, stopping him from going any further down the path.

"We already arrived, little bro. Where do you even want to go?" Sill said amiably.

All along the way, El and Sill had spent time together, conversing on various topics, which made them realize that they clicked well as they joked with each other.

Sometimes, though, the two ended up feeling depressed when they unknowingly touched on the subject of the restaurant and what kind of execution would be carried out on the workers and the owner of that restaurant.

"Meh, I'm just checking things up ahead. You know, standard precautions…"

"Just say you don't know the way. Why the need to use difficult words?"

"Bruh… if you knew it, what's the need for you to say it…"

"It was a safety measure, not standard precautions!!?" Ran interjected suddenly from the side, trying to join in on El's and Sill's banter.

"What!?!?" El and Sill exclaimed simultaneously upon hearing what Ran said. As they exchanged glances, the two ended up chuckling at Ran.

"Kekeekkekekek, that was such a dry joke. You are funny, Ran," Sill remarked.

Meanwhile, El just laughed quietly alongside him, trying not to say more than necessary as he didn't want to hurt Ran's feelings. While chuckling, his curved eyes were directed at Ran, who was glaring at the two of them.

"Shut up. Remember, we're not here to laugh…" Ran scowled angrily at their jokes. Yet, the truth was, she was actually really embarrassed, especially when Sill pointed it out without mercy.

The ambiance grew gloomier again. El regained his composure, his mood taking a sudden nosedive—sinking to the very depths. Sill at his side gradually adopted a more solemn demeanor.

"Tch, idiots!" Nore muttered quietly, ensuring that only El and Sill could hear him. He then walked between the two of them, deliberately using his shoulder to knock them aside as he passed, leaving a heavy silence in his wake.

"Ummmmh, what's the problem with him?" El inquired of Sill.

"Sigh… don't mind him. He's actually a good guy if you get to know him long enough. Though I'll admit he is kinda tangy… You know what I mean?" Sill replied.

"No…"

"I figured so…"

"Hey, you. Come here…" Ran called out to El.

"Yes, what's up?" El hastily drew closer to her. He could feel that Ran was still a bit angry at him from their earlier conversation—or perhaps from the earlier jokes.

"Since you obviously don't know the rules of the underside, based on how you don't even know propriety, I'll tell you this just once."

Pausing after delivering that thick sarcasm, Ran resumed her string of words.

"Do not ever, ever—move anything, or even touch anything you see in this building. From the table to the chair to even the window curtains. And remember three more rules that are the most important to ensure you are alive and well after this. First, never look through the mirror if you find one by accident. Second, resist all urges or sudden curiosity to remove any clothes that are draped over something. And lastly, if by any chance a doll or a small statue appears before you seemingly out of nowhere, run away immediately. If possible, get outside the building—while shouting as loudly as possible to alert the others. Understood?" Ran spoke gravely, her eyes unwaveringly fixed on El—as if the weight of her words demanded his full attention.

"Okay, I understand," El replied, his voice steady. Deep down, he actually felt a surge of curiosity, a desire to ask further questions about her vague instructions.

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Spoiler Alert:

Just pieces of the story background. 

"Profligate" is what Sill means when he refers to a drunkard, someone frowned upon by people living in almost all regions of Ralrain, especially in cities adjacent to harbors or docks. In the past, a certain group would cause trouble in the towns of Ralrain while intoxicated, which ultimately led to their ban. As a result, profligacy is classified as equivalent to being a pervert or a thief. However, there is actually a deeper implication and reason behind all of this.