"Ahem, ahem…"
Cyrus cleared his throat lightly, speaking a little awkwardly:
"Honorable Prinzessin der Verurteilung, you and your familiar, Oz, are both excellent investigators of our Adventurers' Guild. This time, with the Knights of Favonius entrusting us to search for Albetwo's whereabouts in the snow-capped mountains, we'll be counting on the two of you…"
"Hmph~ Investigators of the Adventurers' Guild? That is but a shallow façade! To pass judgment on all sins of this world and to pierce through all truths within—that is what I, the Prinzessin, must do!"
Fischl declared with great solemnity:
"With everyone's aid, I shall not fail the expectations of the Knights and Lord Cyrus. Instead, I shall better manifest and exercise the majesty of the Prinzessin der Verurteilung, defeating that foe of destiny known as 'reality' itself!"
Watching this scene, Cyrus truly didn't know what to say…
He knew Fischl shared a vision link with Oz, and that was precisely why their duo could become such excellent investigators.
Dragonspine's terrain was complicated, but with Oz's aerial view providing guidance, it would no doubt make things much easier.
Originally, Cyrus had only meant to make a simple request of Fischl, yet somehow it had turned into this whole performance…
After Cyrus left, everyone present finally breathed a sigh of relief, giving Oz a thumbs-up.
Oz really had been quick-witted—sensing something amiss, he immediately stuffed something into that man's mouth to shut him up…
"Oz, you did well. You successfully safeguarded the dignity of Her Highness, the Prinzessin der Verurteilung!" Su Yuan praised.
"As Her Highness's most loyal familiar, this is only what I should do," Oz replied.
"Then I too must lead these adventurers, and together we shall point our blades toward Dragonspine…" Fischl looked at the adventurers who had already begun preparing for departure and spoke, "My companions, beneath the interwoven threads of fate and causality, we shall meet again!"
"My lady says she will move together with the main force of the Adventurers' Guild, offering them guidance. Everyone, take care—until fate lets us meet again," Oz added.
Soon after, the great host of adventurers set out toward Dragonspine, beginning their search for Albetwo's traces.
At that moment, Aether suddenly realized something and spoke up:
"Hmm… how come I didn't see Bennett among that group of adventurers just now?"
"He's also a member of the Mondstadt Adventurers' Guild. Even if his luck is a little bad, he's still a kindhearted guy. He wouldn't just turn a blind eye to such a large-scale commission, would he?"
"Aether, you already said it yourself—Bennett's luck is kind of terrible. That's probably the reason…" Hearing this, Su Yuan spoke thoughtfully.
"With Bennett's unlucky streak, if he can just avoid hurting himself, that's already impressive enough…"
"What do you think Bennett's conditions for becoming Eerie would be?" Paimon asked.
"And if he did become Eerie, what sort of powers would he show?"
"Well…" Aether thought for a moment before answering, "Bennett's luck has always been awful. Could it be that if he ever got lucky, he'd fall into an Eerie state?"
"That shouldn't be it." Su Yuan immediately rejected the idea.
"The conditions for Eerie state are usually tied to something that triggers a person's negative emotions…"
"If Bennett got lucky, he'd be happy. Why would that cause him to become Eerie?"
"Su Yuan, now that you say it, that does make sense." Aether nodded.
"Although I can't think of Bennett's Eerie condition for now…" Su Yuan continued, "once he's corrupted by Eerie, he'd probably target people who are lucky, right?"
"After all, Eerie Bennett might think—'Why is it that I'm always unlucky and stumbling into misfortune, while you get to walk in good fortune?'"
"Alright, enough chit-chat!" Aether proposed.
"The adventurers have already departed, so we can't just stand around here doing nothing either!"
"Let's set out for Dragonspine right away, search for Albetwo's traces, and put an end to this looming threat!"
…
In a certain cave within Dragonspine, Albetwo was busy researching something…
Suddenly, the corner of his lips curved into a faint, dismissive smile as he spoke:
"Heh… The Knights of Favonius don't actually believe that with the help of a few third-rate adventurers, they could possibly track me down, do they?"
"Dragonspine is my domain. As long as I don't wish to be found, no one will ever find me!"
"Heh, sometimes being too overconfident doesn't seem to be such a good thing…"
Just then, a voice came from behind Albetwo.
Albetwo immediately turned around, full of vigilance.
How could this be possible?
He had just said those words, and in the blink of an eye, reality had slapped him in the face—someone had actually managed to find him?
"In the past, I too was filled with absolute confidence in every aspect of myself, believing that nothing in this world could escape my predictions and control…"
"But later, many things went beyond my expectations, striking me down harshly and leaving me deeply unsettled…"
"What I went through made me realize this: having confidence in yourself is naturally a good thing, but too much confidence might very well become a flaw…"
"For instance—you were so certain that no one could possibly discover your location here in Dragonspine. And yet, here I am, standing before you."
The owner of that voice finally stepped into view before Albetwo…
"Dottore… so it's you…" Albetwo spoke cautiously as he looked at him.
"You and I have had little to no dealings. What is your purpose in seeking me out?"
"I am someone who enjoys befriending those with true talent and knowledge…"
Dottore smiled as he spoke:
"The one who created you, your mother, 'Gold' Rhinedottir—I have long wished to meet her. Unfortunately, I've never been able to find her whereabouts, so that wish was never fulfilled…"
"To the eyes of the world, the Knights of Favonius' Chief Alchemist, Albedo, may seem like an all-rounded genius. But to me, he is still unworthy of recognition. I look down on him entirely—he is in no way qualified to be my friend."
"Albetwo, don't blame me if my words are harsh and cut into your heart." Dottore let out a small smile and spoke bluntly. "You, in the past, were nothing more than a defective product, an experimental subject. In every way imaginable, you fell short of that 'Chalk Prince,' Albedo."
"So, the former you—not to mention becoming my academic peer—I wouldn't have even spared you a single glance."
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