"Mr. Envoy, we meet again!"
A soft, feminine voice, as gentle as a lover's whisper, sounded beside Ebner's ear.
He turned toward the source of the voice, and as expected, the Demoness of Unaging Katarina Pelle appeared before his eyes, dressed in a robe of pure white sanctity.
He had sensed something amiss with the carriage from the very beginning, but he still pretended to be "charmed" and stepped into the trap... After all, this was only an avatar. Even if it were lost, it would merely affect his plans slightly—nothing serious.
At this moment, he was no longer in the carriage, but within some mysterious space.
The place was vast, boundless, yet empty. Only in the farthest distance did faint mists swirl and fade.
Recalling the fragments of Owen's memories—those passionate scenes with the "Saintess of White"—Ebner imitated his tone and calmly replied, "Katarina, it's been a while. You're still as enchanting as ever... In fact, the first thing I wanted to do after I escaped was to find you."
"Only to be controlled by you again?" Katarina gazed at him, a faint smile curling her lips. "Or perhaps you still haven't given up on that depraved little dream of yours—to put my whole family on the same bed for your amusement?"
Don't frame me for that! That was Owen's twisted idea, not mine! Ebner protested inwardly, but outwardly he smiled faintly and said, "Aren't you here because you can't bear to be away from me?"
Katarina's eyes flickered. She gave him another glance and chuckled softly.
"Though what you gave me was... memorable, I'm someone who likes to take initiative. I'm not used to being controlled by force. So, this time, I'd like to switch things up... say, by controlling you instead.
"I know you're strong—you defeated Ruen's princess and enslaved her, and behind you stands an organization capable of sending angels...
"But I'm not unprepared either. Heh, the reason you're trying so hard to appear calm while chatting with me is because you've already sent a call for help, haven't you?
"Well? It's not working, is it? I can tell you why—this space isolates your prayers completely!"
Through her words, Ebner had already determined that the "Dream Dragon's" implanted suggestion within the "Saintess of White" was still effective. In her perception, Owen had indeed joined forces with his family's demigod and a saint from his organization to defeat Vera.
Moreover, she hadn't attacked him immediately but chose instead to talk endlessly—this was suspicious. The "space" she mentioned... could it impose some sort of restriction? Was she deliberately trying to provoke fear or despair within him?
And she was being far too talkative, answering every question without resistance...
After a moment of thought, Ebner glanced around the vast emptiness of the space, maintaining his smile as he probed, "Aren't you going to introduce the rest of your 'preparations' to me?"
"You really are sharp! But yes, you're right. To deal with you, I've invited a few sisters to join me." Katarina turned her head to the side and said, "Sisters, come out."
As her voice fell, three graceful figures appeared before Ebner—three beautiful women, each with distinct charm.
The one in a crimson dress had fiery red hair but a soft, elven beauty in her features.
The woman in blue possessed starry eyes and a heroic air, yet her expression carried a faint trace of confusion, a contrast that made her even more alluring.
The last one, dressed in green, exuded an aura of scholarship and refinement, like a learned academic.
Ebner recognized only the red-haired woman—she was the "Saintess of Red," Margaret Constance, suspected descendant of the Goddess of Luck and the Queen of Calamity.
She had been acting as a socialite in Trier, and Ebner had once planned to have Owen approach her at a ball to confirm her identity... He never expected to meet her so soon after arriving in Trier.
Since the "Saintess of Red" was here, the others were surely the "Saintess of Blue" and the "Saintess of Green."
Tsk, Katarina really went all out just to take revenge on Owen... Was their grudge really that deep?
But then—why weren't they attacking yet?
The three saintesses' gazes were dull, their movements stiff, almost puppet-like.
Yet, it didn't feel like hypnosis...
Could they be historical projections?
Was this space created using a high-Sequence ability of the "Fool"? Or perhaps a "Scholar of Yore" is hiding somewhere behind the scenes?
Damn, this avatar can't activate the Pure White Eye—so much remains unseen.
Judging from the way she summoned the three saintesses, this was most likely a Sealed Artifact—and one with severe limitations.
So, she's been talking all this time to buy herself time to seize control of my spiritual threads?
She's bound to be disappointed then. This avatar, tainted by the 'Unknown,' has its spirit threads directly linked to that very realm. There's no way she can control me.
And those three 'historical projections' still haven't made a move... they probably don't even have real combat power—mere decorations?
With that thought, Ebner no longer hesitated. He prepared to move forward and capture the "Saintess of White."
But just then, at the crucial moment of her "control," Katarina suddenly commanded the three saintesses to remove their clothes and encircle him.
"I admit... I misjudged them. These three projections do have combat power!"
(End of Chapter)