However, when Will had previously mentioned the School of Life, he had always used the word "we"...
Could it be that the School of Life was founded by me and Him together? Even the master-apprentice model might have been passed down from us?
Just as Ebner was secretly pondering, he heard Will laugh and say:
"Alright, that foolish snake is about to turn its attention back…
"Goodbye!"
The moment His words fell, Ebner felt the tower begin to tremble as the dream rapidly shattered.
Soon, he woke up.
"Felina's matter doesn't need to be rushed for now. Since she's only traveling, she'll eventually return to Backlund. Just assign someone to keep an eye on her…
"As for uncovering the true purpose behind that ritual eleven years ago, I'm afraid I'll still have to wait until I've thoroughly exposed the secrets of all five survivors…
"The matter of performing the Acting Method with the uniqueness of the Wheel of Fortune also needs to be put on the agenda… Hmm, after exploring that ruin with Edwina tomorrow, I'll give it a try.
"As for the method Will mentioned to materialize the 'tributary of fate,' I already have a rough idea… Heh, after all, it was originally something I thought of, so my train of thought should be the same.
"This isn't just for my Acting, nor is it merely to share some of Ouroboros's burden for Will. More importantly, it's to divert that serpent's attention and help Fors kill Mr. X, Louis Wayne.
"After all, I've already accepted payment—I can't just do nothing…
"Also, when heading to the ruin beneath the Aromatic Manor, should I bring the Solomon Coin and the slate in Mr. Azik's possession?
"This makes it clear—the Solomon Coin really does have some connection to the God of Luck!
"As for Mr. Azik's slate, it should be the one he obtained in the dream ruin at Indore Harbor… I remember it bore the symbol of the God of Luck, serving as a 'key' to the Silver City near the Giant King's Court.
"Back then, I suspected that the place this key matched wasn't the Elves' Trial Temple but the ruin beneath the Aromatic Manor.
"And the latter was obviously more likely. After all, such a passage had to be located somewhere private. The Trial Temple was a public facility and didn't seem suitable…
"Now, Will's hint has undoubtedly confirmed this.
"Conveniently, I'm hosting a banquet tonight for Mr. Azik, Silica, and Cullen. I'll ask them then."
Thinking of this, Ebner once again glanced at Dr. Allen's house, then turned and left.
…
In the sea region of the God War ruins, after that unlucky encounter with Anderson in a dream, and later rescuing him aboard the Future in reality, Klein and Cattleya's group faced a series of misfortunes.
First, they were attacked by inexplicable monsters. Then, the lingering divine power in the sea caused Frank Lee's ability to mutate, resulting in the Future producing milk…
At the same time, they were ambushed by Vice Admiral Twilight.
Fortunately, after Creeping Hunger was upgraded, Klein's strength increased significantly. Even though they were caught in an extremely passive situation, he still managed to repel Vice Admiral Twilight's ship, the Glory.
—Speaking of which, Vice Admiral Twilight, Bratov Ivan, had pursued them to the God War ruins because Klein and Alger had jointly hunted down his niece, Fleet Commander Carol Ivan.
His display of power and madness in this battle left many pirates astonished, and even Anderson gave him a thumbs up.
With such feedback, Klein realized that the Faceless potion had been fully digested.
But before he could savor the moment, the sky suddenly darkened, and the sunlight vanished abruptly.
Night had fallen once more.
Without delay, Klein immediately returned to his room and lay down on the bed.
When he awakened lucidly in the dream, a clean set of floor-to-ceiling windows, neatly arranged tables and chairs, and bookshelves filled with books appeared before his eyes.
It was a library!
Twilight's glow streamed in, casting everything in a soft golden hue. As Klein walked toward the bookshelf, his gaze swept across the opposite shelf and landed on a black-covered book:
Roselle's Notes, Volume 3!
The Emperor's diary? A complete diary? Klein instinctively reached out for it, but just then, accompanied by a series of steady footsteps—tap, tap, tap—a figure approached from the depths of the library.
Klein's mind immediately tensed as he slipped Creeping Hunger onto his hand.
The newcomer was a lady. She wore beige trousers suited for movement and a pair of tall black leather boots, yet over her upper body hung a light-brown, knee-length skirt, its hem slanting down in a casual, unrestrained manner.
That outfit instantly gave Klein a sense of déjà vu, as though he had returned to Earth. Quickly, drawing upon his past chats with Ebner, he made a judgment:
Bernadette! This strikingly beautiful woman was Roselle's eldest daughter, the owner of the Dawn, and the "Mystery Queen" Bernadette.
Wait, I think I recognize those black boots… Wasn't she the demigod I encountered in the Kingdom Museum while in a spiritual state, when I took the Black Emperor Card?
Yes, back then, it was those black boots dangling from the steps, suspended in the air!
Later, after I returned to my Sherlock Moriarty identity and was chased by that devil hound, crying for help, I encountered the road of intertwined green pea vines. Forced to follow the carriage, riding up into the sky—I saw those same boots again!
So that's how it is. She was Bernadette all along! No wonder she pursued me so relentlessly for taking the Black Emperor Card.
Sharon even told me before completing her ritual that this woman was looking for me…
Klein thought and recalled the related scenes.
Tap, tap, tap—Bernadette walked step by step until she reached Klein's side, pulled out a chair, and sat down.
"We meet again." The woman, who seemed to be Bernadette, spoke in a gentle voice devoid of emotion.
Wait, why did she say 'again'? Has she recognized me? But right now, I'm Gehrman Sparrow! Thoughts raced through Klein's mind as he maintained an indifferent expression and replied:
"Bernadette."
So what if she's a demigod? As long as she's not an angel, in this dream world I can still rely on the Sea God Scepter and Creeping Hunger to fight back! Not to mention, in times of need, I can even use the Error Card to tap into the powers above the gray fog—or, as Liu Bo suggested, directly seek the Goddess's help… Klein silently encouraged himself.
The lady with long, elegant brows sat opposite him, slightly raised her chin, and gazed at Klein for two seconds before saying:
"It seems you know a bit about me… Gentleman Thief, Mr. Black Emperor…"
So she's only peeled back this one layer. That's far less than what Mr. Tower knows!
For some reason, Klein let out a quiet sigh of relief. Controlling his facial muscles, he calmly replied:
"The mysterious person spying on me aboard the Future—that was you?"
The beautiful yet untouchable woman answered frankly:
"Yes. Even Cattleya doesn't know I secretly boarded the Future. For you to sense me… was it the Clown's danger premonition?"
A normal Clown could never have such intuition… This well-traveled pirate queen must know that… Is she trying to bait me?
Thanks to his many chats with Ebner, which had honed his conversational reflexes, Klein quickly realized the trap. He neither confirmed nor denied, instead nodding slightly and then shaking his head before speaking in a flat tone:
"Miss Bernadette, if you have something to ask, just say it directly. There's no need for such tests.
"Of course, my Lord's principle is equivalent exchange—one question for one question."
"Alright." Bernadette gave a small nod and glanced toward the bookshelf:
"Did you discover that the bookmark was the Black Emperor Card through his diary?"
Diary… She also knew that the so-called Roselle's Notes were diaries… Klein froze for a moment, but before he could reply, Bernadette's deep-blue eyes lingered on him for several seconds, and she said:
"I want you to share with me the method of deciphering that language he invented. I can satisfy most of your demands."
Klein chuckled softly. "Can you, for example, give me the corresponding High-Sequence potion formulas?"
The "Mystery Queen," her aura restrained but her presence undiminished, gazed at him and said:
"Your destiny lies at the main peak of the Hornacis mountain range."
Klein wasn't particularly shocked. After all, Ebner, even before advancing to Prophet, had acted far more like a true diviner. So he only mused aloud: "Clairvoyant?"
"It seems your knowledge is greater than I expected…" Bernadette replied, her gaze deepening.
"This is my Lord's gift… Likewise, you should understand that without His permission, your request cannot be answered." Klein acted extremely "pious," then added, "The situation regarding the Black Emperor Card is indeed recorded in the diary."
That served as his answer to her earlier question.
Then he quickly asked, "How did you figure out that Gehrman was the Gentleman Thief, Black Emperor?"
He wanted to know exactly where his slip had been.
"That wasn't hard to deduce.
"Through the Black Saint's dream, I confirmed you took Kalvetua's sea serpent relic.
"You also, like before, appeared in spiritual form to seize an item before Yan Kortman, then disappeared on the spot…"
At this, Bernadette's lips curved ever so slightly as she continued, "You must also hold a Demoness Card…
"Thus, Kortman believed that the one who stole the sea serpent's relic was Tracy… which is why you saved her, isn't it?"
Klein's mind exploded as if struck by thunder. His thoughts turned into chaos, and he nearly lost his composure. After all, this was one of the very few matters he absolutely didn't want anyone else to know.
That figure was your father, not me… That figure was your father, not me…
Klein muttered the phrase several times before regaining composure.
Then he heard Bernadette say again:
"If you cannot decide, then please convey my request to that existence…
"Also, he once left behind a ruin that requires different combinations of Blasphemy Cards to open.
"I wish to borrow all the Blasphemy Cards you hold…
"If you're interested as well, then once you reach demigod, you can join me in exploring it."
(End of this chapter)