Ebner was deep in thought when Tracy, who was sitting on the bed, suddenly noticed some movement outside the door. Her eyes shifted, and she immediately assumed a pitiful posture, drawing a sorrowful smile as she said:
"You can do whatever you want… I have no ability to resist… There's no need to use 'inspection' as an excuse…"
Hearing this, Ebner came back to his senses. He too had noticed the presence outside the door, and couldn't help but feel a little speechless.
Since the "Vice Admiral of Ailment" learned that Ebner knew she had once been a man, she seemed to have completely let loose, convinced that he wouldn't actually do anything to her. She kept changing her methods daily to display her charm and tempt him, hoping that he would make a fool of himself in front of Helene, thus driving a wedge between them.
Has she awakened some innate talent for court intrigue? But you've got the wrong role for that…
Ebner internally ridiculed her and then decided to give Tracy a deep lesson.
So he used the secret technique "Charm Humans" he had learned from the latter part of the Feast of Blood, and, with the enhancement from the "Goddess of Beauty's Blessing" on his forehead, he instantly threw Tracy into a daze. Her eyes filled with obsession as she stared at Ebner. If she could move, she would likely have lunged at him right then.
At that moment, Ebner canceled the secret technique, and Tracy immediately came to her senses. She turned her head stiffly to see Helene standing at the door with an expression of utter disbelief. Just as she was about to explain, Helene suddenly vanished like an illusion...
At the same time, "Chesia" pushed open the door and entered, reporting to Ebner about the scheduled meeting with the manager of the First Bank the following morning. She gave a slight bow and turned to leave the bedroom.
It wasn't until this moment that the dumbfounded Tracy finally realized that she had been played with from beginning to end…
She suddenly gritted her teeth and snapped, "What was that ability just now?"
"'Charm Humans,' a type of secret technique," Ebner glanced at her and explained without hiding anything. "Actually, the technique isn't that high-level. If your strength was fully recovered, you likely wouldn't have been so completely charmed."
"You're immune to my temptation… is that also because of a secret technique?" Tracy seemed to recall something and asked again.
"No… that's because I've seen what true 'beauty' is."
With that simple response, Ebner heard a knock at the door — this time it was truly Helene.
He greeted his personal "Red Maid" and left the room. After all, Helene's "rehabilitation massage" for Tracy wasn't something he felt it appropriate to watch.
After he left, Tracy finally snapped back and felt that she had just been insulted by Ebner: He's seen true 'beauty'? So I fall that short, and that's why I can't seduce him?
Hmph! Once I recover my 'Pleasure' ability, I'll make sure he thoroughly embarrasses himself!
But as soon as she thought that, Helene pressed a few "sensitive" points on her body, and she couldn't help but moan out loud…
Helene glanced at the completely helpless Tracy, then turned back to look toward the door, and for some reason, sighed.
...
In the living room of a luxurious villa in Bayam—
Princess Vera stepped out from the spirit world and walked through the empty room to the wall on the other side.
A painting hung on the wall, depicting a lavish banquet scene—not particularly original in content.
However, in a corner of the scene, by the dining table, a silver-haired, red-eyed lady was raising a cup of black tea, seemingly extending an invitation to whoever viewed the painting.
Princess Vera thought for a moment, then touched the surface of the painting with her hand. In the next instant, she vanished from where she stood, and a moment later, the banquet scene in the painting gained a beautiful, valiant-looking woman.
Inside the painted world, Yalolan waved at Vera upon seeing her appear. After rejecting a few invitations from gentlemen, Vera finally walked over to Yalolan.
"Mystery reborn? This scene... doesn't seem very proper..." Vera glanced at the men and women who were occasionally holding hands and heading to the lounge and frowned as she asked.
"This place is called the 'Wall Painting.' I can't tell you much about it, but in its original legend, it was indeed somewhat improper... Still, it's safe enough. If you have something to say, just say it." Yalolan chuckled lightly and took a sip of her black tea.
"You don't look too well." Vera sat across from her, lifted a cup of black tea, and said while drinking.
"You're not much better yourself. You hold the position of an angel, yet can only exert the strength of Sequence 3. If it weren't for the help of the 'Mist of Uncertainty,' you probably wouldn't have been able to deal with the divine power of the 'Mother Tree of Desire' just now." Yalolan gave a small laugh.
"You know what I mean. The pollution of the 'Hermit Sage' isn't so easy to overcome. You were fine before only because you became a demigod using Rhine's blood and gained a sliver of his authority over the 'Unknown.' That's how you maintained balance...
"But the fall of the 'Original Moon' earlier implies that Rhine's body has now become the 'Goddess of Beauty,' and She has completely inherited the authority Rhine left behind. You can no longer share the power of the 'Unknown.'" Vera looked at her and spoke in a low voice.
Yalolan scoffed, "The 'Hermit Sage' is troublesome, yes, but the will of the Outer One in the 'Mist of Uncertainty' is even more terrifying. Even with both the barrier and Rhine's methods suppressing it, if you can't recover to your peak soon, you'll end up worse off than I am.
"As for the aura of the 'Wilderness of Knowledge' drawn in by the 'Hermit Sage' from who-knows-where, I can at least hold out for another year or two. I'll find him again... Besides, when he was still the 'Wanderer,' he gave me another possible solution."
But I've already found him... Vera thought to herself, while on the surface she asked thoughtfully, "Fool?"
"That's right... and Fool will be his dearest friend." Yalolan replied with a smile.
Vera fell silent for a few seconds before finally saying, "I'm here to form an alliance."
"Didn't you already gather the 'Dragon of Fantasy' and Hermes as allies?" Yalolan asked in surprise.
"The 'Dragon of Fantasy' is more like a disposable distraction released by the God of Knowledge or 'Him' to mislead the divine child's attention—though that old dragon doesn't see himself that way...
"As for Hermes... I still don't know His intentions or goals to this day... That one is incredibly enigmatic!"
Yalolan straightened her posture, thought seriously for a moment, then asked solemnly, "Then tell me—what benefits does this alliance bring you? And what benefits does it offer me?"
...
In the "Amyris Leaf Bar," Klein looked coldly at the master and disciple pair, Darkwill and Roy king, in front of him and said, "It's time you paid the remaining balance."
They had promised a thousand pounds, but so far had only paid a three-hundred-pound deposit.
(End of chapter)