"According to reliable reports, Intis Prime Minister Charlie Delien, along with his secretary and his guards, all perished in this unprecedented earthquake…
"Parliament of Intis has declared a national state of emergency…
"Further casualty numbers remain impossible to confirm for the moment…"
Ebner skimmed the newspaper report briefly, then put it aside. It was obviously an officially released smokescreen. Aside from the fact that Charlie Delien was indeed dead, there wasn't much of value in it.
After a simple breakfast, Ebner still didn't see any sign of Xio or Fors. So he used his Cognizer ability to "Trace Back" inside his own villa—and couldn't help letting the corners of his lips curl upward slightly.
It wasn't because he saw anything embarrassing. Rather, he discovered that Fors had gotten up early and voluntarily gone out to look for opportunities to act the role of an Astrologer.
He knew—this was Fors again, witnessing him unconscious and deeply realizing her own lack of power. She didn't even know where to begin helping, so she gained the motivation to advance…
Of course, with Ebner's understanding of this lady "Magician", the enthusiasm would last a few days at most. Once the heat faded, she'd return to being a "salted fish."
But even just these few days of effort warmed Ebner's heart. His heart softened at once—all the help Lilith had given him still couldn't compare to such genuine friendship.
As for Xio—there was no need to mention anything. She had always been working so hard… Only, she was stuck before the demigod threshold; neither the materials nor the ritual could be completed in the short term.
After confirming the situation of the two friends, Ebner made a brief "Prophecy," ensuring neither was in any danger, then relaxed and went upstairs back to his bedroom.
He had collapsed into unconsciousness as soon as he returned to Backlund yesterday. Naturally, many things had gone unhandled.
First among them was the matter of the Magic Mirror… Even though Ebner was confident it wouldn't betray him—indeed, it hadn't tried anything while he was unconscious—some matters still needed confirmation.
—In fact, Ebner had already been guarding against the Magic Mirror. At the very least, the "Yaloran" clone residing in his eye could come out to protect him at any time.
After the Magic Mirror, Resalieu, was brought out, it did not manifest as the winged "being of light" seen when it was first unsealed yesterday. Instead, it released the body of the Desire Apostle Chesia it had been controlling, then attached its spirit to her body. Only then did it bow and say:
"Great 'Master,' your servant, the Magic Mirror Resalieu, offers you the highest respect."
Ebner unexpectedly found Resalieu using Chesia's appearance quite acceptable—if a burly man called him "Master," he would definitely feel extremely uncomfortable.
However, according to intelligence he had "Cognized" from the White Saintess during battle, this former pope Resalieu, was apparently not human, but a mythical creature born as a "Solar Divine Bird," without gender.
"Resalieu… you should have regained the memories you had as the Pope of the Eternal Blazing Sun, right?" Ebner asked after some thought.
"Yes, Master… I remember everything!" Resalieu nodded through Chesia's body.
"You never considered returning to your former master, the Eternal Blazing Sun?" Ebner tested.
This was also the question he cared about most, and the one he couldn't grasp through Cognition.
Resalieu, however, looked puzzled. "But I have never changed masters… where would a 'former master' come from?"
Then, as if understanding something, it said suddenly:
"You assume my former master was the Eternal Blazing Sun? No—that's inaccurate. I, and the popes before me, Auerbach and Louisa—we have always worshiped you as our Lord… It was only because your presence once descended upon the Eternal Blazing Sun that we temporarily followed Him.
"In truth, the reason we three popes fell, is that during our time in office, we inevitably sensed that the Eternal Blazing Sun was no longer you. So He deliberately arranged our deaths."
They worship me… not the Eternal Blazing Sun? What does that even mean? Did Liu Bo transmigrate onto the Eternal Blazing Sun at some point?!
No, that's impossible… Rhine was killed by a descent of the Eternal Blazing Sun…
Then… could it be that what Resalieu and the others worshiped was actually that illusory "Sun" inside the "Land of Unknown"?
That Sun originally belonged to the Eternal Blazing Sun, but for some reason entered the Land of Unknown. After losing that power, the Eternal Blazing Sun was doubted by the popes, so He 'disposed' of them?
Then what exactly is that illusory Sun? According to Dannit's memories, it was already there before the "Omniscient Eye" of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom ever entered the Land of Unknown.
And the Eternal Blazing Sun's only known connection to the Land of Unknown was… that descent which chased and killed Rhine, and succeeded…
Wait. Could it be that, after killing Rhine, He tried to seize the Land of Unknown for Himself—so He let His vessel follow Rhine's "silver eye" channel into it?
If that's true… then that vessel—or rather the spirit inside it—has huge problems!
To the point that after losing that vessel and spirit, the Eternal Blazing Sun was no longer recognized even by His popes…
So, boldly speculating… could "God" already have partially awakened inside the Eternal Blazing Sun?
As the "All-Knowing, All-Powerful" Original Creator, His instinct would be to chase the "Unknown." Thus He killed Rhine to explore the Land of Unknown…
But He was incomplete—only a sliver of spirit revived. That might be terrifying for the Eternal Blazing Sun, but before the Unknown, it may not have been an issue…
And the vessel He attached to was likely just a Sequence 2. So after entering the Land of Unknown, it was quickly polluted, becoming that illusory "Pure White Angel."
Yet the sliver of God's spirit would not be destroyed—no matter how little remained, it wouldn't be wholly polluted or assimilated. Thus it retained God's imprint, allowing Resalieu, Auerbach, and Louisa to treat me as their Lord…
Because the one they serve has always been the Original Creator, not the Eternal Blazing Sun!
If my guess is correct… then the "Banquet of Betrayal" probably happened because the Eternal Blazing Sun was already contaminated by God's spirit at that time…
And once He struck first, the Two-Five Dragons and Leodero had no choice but to betray Him. Otherwise, they would immediately become raw materials…
Not to mention, the aggregation impulse back then must have been terrifying—one piece moved; everything moved.
Just as this chain of thoughts formed, Ebner suddenly froze—because he sensed the digestion progress of his Cognizer potion suddenly advancing dramatically.
(End of Chapter)