The word Priestley itself meant "the Emperor's attendant" in ancient Fusac, so Ebner wasn't surprised to learn that Daphne's family had ties to the Emperor of the Night. He merely nodded slightly, signaling for her to continue.
"Our Priestley family possesses the potion formulas for Sequence 9 to Sequence 4 of the Seer Pathway. Though we don't hold the same rank as the blood clans or the four archangel families within the Empire, we were His Majesty the Emperor of the Night's most loyal servants — the eyes in the dark, the blade of the night…"
So basically, you handled espionage and dirty work, Ebner mused silently, sipping his coffee. Well, the "Cautious Three Families" are naturally gifted for that kind of thing, given their abilities.
"His Majesty once, through the authority of His divine power, canonized seven knights… Each knight represented a virtue. As long as they upheld their respective virtue, they would receive the Emperor's power of 'Balance' during battle. But if they violated it, they would suffer backlash.
"These seven knights were: Augustus the Loyal, Einhorn the Tolerant, Sauron the Gentle, Castiya the Diligent, Audra the Generous, Mollica the Temperate, and my ancestor, Priestley the Humble.
"And the Sealed Artifact used for this canonization ceremony was none other than the item I mentioned earlier — The Book of Virtues."
Her voice carried a hint of pride as she spoke — and understandably so. Her ancestor had stood among the same ranks as the families of Augustus, Einhorn, and others who possessed angels.
The Seven Knights of Virtue, huh? Ebner thought. If Daphne's ancestor was among them, that probably means all seven knights were at the "Saint" level. Was this the Emperor of the Night's "reward" for loyal families — or a method to keep them under control?
Still… these "virtues" seem a little ironic now, don't they, Emperor?
Augustus the Loyal? So loyal that after your death, the Augustus family took over Backlund, wiped out the Trunsoest family, and even stole a Hand of Order characteristic.
Einhorn the Tolerant and Sauron the Gentle? Since when did Hunters ever have anything to do with "tolerance" or "gentleness"?
Castiya the Diligent… I don't know much about that family, but the only two Castiyas I've ever met were "Miss Laziness" and, in my past life, Giuseppe Castiya — both the very definition of "slacker." Hardly diligent.
Audra the Generous? If I recall correctly, there was a vampire marquis named Nibais Audra in the original timeline. If it's really him, that man was stingy to the bone — sending Emlyn to contact the Fool, yet offering compensation that didn't even match the risk. Even when he paid later, it was in promissory notes!
And Mollica the Temperate…? In Roselle's diaries, the Emperor's subordinates included a family of "Succubi" — one of the three major Demoness branches — which even caused discontent among the blood race. From my own later research, "Monica" likely was that family's surname. If that's true, having a Succubus embody "Temperance" is either a cruel joke or a political compromise with his in-laws.
After silently roasting the Emperor's sense of humor, Ebner set down his utensils and gestured for Daphne to pause.
"Can you explain more specifically what the Book of Virtues does?" he asked thoughtfully.
"Of course." Daphne nodded without hesitation and began explaining:
"In His Majesty's era, the Book of Virtues was a Sealed Artifact of Grade 0. It could grant those who upheld virtue the authority of Balance, temporarily elevating a Saint-level knight to an Angel-level being — achieving equilibrium.
"Additionally, since it was forged using the combined characteristics of a Chaos Hunter, a Whisperer, and a Mystic, it could create a 'Trial Space.'
"Anyone seeking canonization as a knight would be drawn into this space to undergo a Trial of Virtue.
"During the trial, participants could provoke others' emotions and desires using words or abilities, but they were forbidden from causing any real, physical harm. Violating that rule would trigger punishment from the space itself.
"And if a participant's heart gave rise to sin, the severity of their punishment would match the magnitude of that sin.
"In His Majesty's time, the punishment had an upper limit — it never caused death. But now… it can kill those within the trial outright. Just like what almost happened to me earlier."
As she said this, Daphne's face turned slightly red. She made no effort to hide it with her Clown abilities — before a divine emissary, she wanted to present her truest self.
So that's how it worked… Ebner mused. No wonder she summoned those three high-sequence Demoness projections but only had them strip instead of fight. My guess back then was right — direct attacks would trigger punishment. That's why they relied purely on "charm."
"So," Ebner continued, "you said earlier that the Book of Virtues could bestow the power of Balance upon knights when the Emperor was alive. Meaning that now, it can't? Even if someone passes the Trial of Virtue and becomes a canonized knight, there's no corresponding authority attached?"
Daphne nodded. "Yes. These days, the only benefit is that in moments of great danger, the knight can instantly take refuge within the trial space, no matter where they are.
"But since the one holding the book now is not His Majesty, no demigod is willing to entrust themselves to me… Besides, upholding 'virtue' isn't easy.
"Now, I mostly use it as a hidden method to trap enemies."
Even so, that's still an impressive Sealed Artifact, Ebner thought silently before asking, "Does it have any side effects?"
"The side effect," Daphne sighed, "is that each time I unseal it, I'm forcibly drawn into the trial space for testing. If I fail to earn the favor of even one of the seven virtues, I'll likely die — becoming fuel for either virtue or its corresponding sin."
"And which virtue's favor have you earned?" Ebner asked curiously.
With her back straight and voice full of pride, Daphne replied, "The Virtue of Humility! I am still Priestley the Humble!"
Then, somewhat sheepishly, she added, "It's easier for me than others. After my ancestor's death, his soul returned to the Book of Virtues, becoming one of the standards for Humility. So inheriting that title came rather naturally."
Girl, I can't see an ounce of humility in you. Your ancestor must've really bent the rules for you, Ebner thought dryly, giving her a long, appraising look. Unlike most members of the Cautious Three Families, this woman — despite being at least three hundred years old — lacked the usual scheming nature. Perhaps spending so long intertwined with the Book of Virtues had softened her disposition.
After a pause, Ebner raised his coffee cup again, smiling faintly. "Go on. Continue where you left off."
Where was I…? Daphne blinked, then relied on her spiritual intuition to recall the thread of conversation.
"After Her Highness Ornia fell under mysterious circumstances, the Primordial Demoness joined forces with the Empire's traitors to ambush Her Highness Monica, seizing her Sequence 2 characteristic as the Demoness of Calamity.
"From that moment on, His Majesty the Emperor of the Night seemed to sense that His own downfall was inevitable.
"So, using Princess Monica's corpse and her remaining characteristic, He constructed a vessel meant to protect His people — the ship later known as the Phantom Empire.
"Sadly, in the end, no one ever boarded that ship carrying the Trunsoest family's final legacy…
"And after the fall of the Trunsoest Empire, my family merged into the organization founded by the Zaratul family — the Secret Order."
The Succubus branch lost their Demoness of Apocalypse, yet still retained the characteristic of the Demoness of Calamity… meaning she probably didn't die outright. Like Pallez in the original timeline, she must've used a downgraded resurrection to survive.
But to think the Emperor of the Night used her corpse to build a ship — was that a sacrifice? Ruthless bastard… Ebner thought, clicking his tongue inwardly.
Then Daphne went on:
"Also, there are two reasons I became interested in the Phantom Empire.
"First, my ancestor helped construct it. According to his surviving notes, the ship's core material included not only the Demoness of Calamity, but also a Traveller from the Abraham family. I've reached the limit of my current path within the Secret Order, so if I wish to advance further, I might have to switch pathways — and exploring the Phantom Empire may be my only chance.
"Second, my ancestor hinted that the Book of Virtues shares a deep, intrinsic connection with the Phantom Empire. It might even serve as a key to control the ship."
(End of Chapter)