Audrey put down the newspaper with a complicated mind, not lingering on the topic. She glanced at the sky, which was gradually turning dim, and rose to instruct the servants to prepare dinner.
At the other end of Empress Borough, outside Sodela Palace, the center of power in Loen.
Alfred Hall, dressed in a general's uniform, walked out of the magnificent palace complex. His brilliant golden hair fell casually, and his azure eyes looked at the guard waiting near the carriage.
Behind the guard, Xio, who was already a mature Judge, immediately stood at attention and gave a knight's salute, while calmly poking a friend beside her, who was somewhat infatuated, with her free left hand.
Fors flinched in pain and snapped back to reality, quickly following suit with a salute. She then glanced around nervously, relieved only after confirming that no one else had noticed her.
Unlike Xio, who had achieved numerous military successes in the Southern Continent and had now been promoted to Sequence 6 Judge, becoming a Major in the army, Fors, who had no deep-seated grudges and no need to worry about the ravings of the Blood Moon, embraced her 'lazy' spirit to the extreme. Even after being 'disciplined' multiple times by her friend, she was still merely an Astrologer.
The orderly convoy departed Sodela Palace, heading along King's Avenue towards Earl Hall's residence in Empress Borough.
Under the shadow of the Intis Plane trees, Susie stretched her body lightly and joyfully, contentedly watching the maid trimming the garden nearby.
Suddenly, she straightened up, wagging her tail, and ran out with a bouncy gait.
At the entrance of the spacious Earl's residence, Alfred Hall had just alighted from his carriage and quickly embraced the golden retriever that was wagging its tail and pouncing on him.
A smile appeared on his resolute and serious face. The Vice Admiral stroked Susie's fur and dismissed his guard, but he stopped two ladies at the end of the line who were trying to sneak away:
"Audrey wrote to me earlier, wanting to see both of you again. Come in with me!"
Even without deliberately displaying his authority, the aura of a Disciplinary Knight combined with his shining Vice Admiral's uniform made Fors instantly timid, unable to utter a refusal. Xio merely paused for a moment before silently nodding.
After arranging for maids to lead the two ladies, Alfred did not linger and went directly to the banquet hall with Susie, where he saw Audrey and Earl and Countess Hall waiting, as well as his elder brother, Hibbert Hall.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Alfred straightened his expression, looked at his father, and lowered his voice, saying:
"His Majesty the King has agreed to the Church's plan. In two days, a special train will depart from Backlund for East Chester County to reinforce the Amantha Mountain Range defense line. The Church's intention is for us to go together."
Two days... Earl Hall pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded. This time was enough for him to finish his current tasks, and it would also allow him to avoid the disputes in the Upper and Lower Houses over the new Prime Minister candidate.
In the void, which neither naked eye nor Spirit Vision could penetrate, Aaron withdrew his gaze from Audrey and spoke plainly to Will Auceptin, who was playing with the silver light ball in his hand:
"Have you found anything valuable?"
The fleshy hand stopped kneading, and Will Auceptin pouted, muttering:
"You might be disappointed. After all, this is just a virtual personality of that Manipulator."
"However, I can help you find his true body through the trajectory of fate!"
Aaron nodded, glanced at "Hvin Rambis" who had just entered Earl Hall's residence and was unknowingly caught in a fate loop. Arianna's Night emblem appeared, and a dense Darkness subsequently engulfed the silver light cluster.
Will Auceptin, on the other hand, rolled his eyes and fixated on the specially made ice cream neatly arranged in the corner of the banquet hall.
-----------------
In a hidden small port somewhere in the Rorsted Archipelago waters, in the Future's captain's cabin, green vines strangely retracted.
Cattleya, the Admiral of Stars, emerged from within, her eyes a deep purple mixed with silver-white, her ears seemingly still echoing the illusory ravings from the Hidden Sage.
She grunted. The leap brought by her divinity subtly revealed a corner of the thick, layered, impenetrable curtain.
It seemed as if one Moon after another, in different colors, some blood-red, some silver-white, some dark brown, emerged, like eyes watching the earth.
"Calm your mind and meditate!"
A familiar soft voice sounded in her ear, and a warmth emerged around her eyes. Cattleya's various abnormalities were quickly suppressed. In just a moment, her eyes were already dark, no longer containing the mysterious deep purple and silver-white.
Cattleya's body trembled slightly, and Bernadette's tall figure was reflected in her shimmering tears. Her lips moved, unable to suppress her emotions, and she said tremblingly:
"Your Majesty..."
Looking at Cattleya now, Bernadette seemed to recall the stubborn little girl who walked off the Dawn many years ago. She raised her hand to wipe away her tears and said in an extremely gentle tone:
"You've always done very well. I'm proud of you..."
Her gentle tone carried a hint of guilt. Analyzing the blood of the 'Snake of Fate' and completing the ritual to gain divinity should have been an extremely easy task for Cattleya.
But because of His conflict with the Hidden Sage during His advancement to Sage, He vented His anger on Cattleya. If He hadn't left a contingency plan on Cattleya, she would likely have failed her advancement and mutated into an information Monster.
After Cattleya's emotions stabilized, Bernadette straightened her expression and cautioned:
"Promoting to a demigod grants immense power, but it also brings more dangers."
"Among all Sequence 4s across the twenty-two Pathways, Mysticologist is the Sequence most prone to danger. After all, we often see things we shouldn't see, hear sounds we shouldn't hear, and touch secrets we shouldn't touch."
"Therefore, if you wish to live long, you must learn to restrain your curiosity and control your corresponding actions."
Cattleya inexplicably recalled the 'eyes' behind the curtain she had seen, and a chill inexplicably rose in her heart.
Bernadette glanced at the astrolabe, which had fallen to the ground and shattered into pieces, and quietly added:
"Do you remember what I told you back then? Your fate is not with me. After my advancement to Sage, I have a more accurate interpretation of that prophecy."
"Your destiny has intertwined with an existence named 'The Fool'...."
Above the gray fog, Klein, who had been secretly observing through the prayer light, suddenly rose from the high-backed chair. Even when the power projection of the Hidden Sage had appeared earlier, he had not lost his composure like this.
For some reason, he always felt as if Bernadette was deliberately speaking to him, and this feeling gave him an inexplicable sense of unease.