Chapter 146: Arrodes’s Question

Chapter 146: Arrodes’s Question

As Klein finished drawing the final stroke, the light inside billiard room number three abruptly dimmed a little.

Ripple-like patterns spread one circle after another across the surface of the small compact mirror, ultimately becoming deep and dark.

Immediately afterward, one bloody Loenese word after another emerged.

“Ask your questions.”

The scene was filled with eerie horror. Even though the ones opposite it were a Wraith and a living corpse, they seemed to be intimidated for a short moment and did not dare to speak.

Only Klein, with a smile always at the corners of his lips, seemed already accustomed to all this.

Beforehand, he had already instructed the Magic Mirror Arrodes not to ask questions that were too difficult or too private, and not to behave like a servant. If it were not for the fact that Sharron and Maric, who understood the circumstances better, could grasp the key points through their questions, Klein would certainly have preferred to handle everything privately himself, without exposing the fact that he had such a “helper.”

After several seconds of silence, Maric took two steps forward and came before the billiard table, opening his mouth.

Just then, Sharron’s gentle yet emotionless voice suddenly sounded.

“I will ask.”

Without waiting for Maric’s response, she stood as though drifting, looked toward the compact mirror, and asked, “The mummy of Tutanthis II is a trap set by the Loen military against the Rose School of Thought. Is that correct?”

The original blood-red words on the compact mirror abruptly melted and slid downward, dragging out dirty streaks. Only one word barely remained, writhing and changing into:

“Correct.”

As expected, it is a trap set by the Loen military against the Rose School of Thought. This basically rules out the possibility that the Rose School of Thought is targeting Miss Sharron and Maric with this plot. After all, the risk they would have to bear far exceeds the value of one Sequence 5 plus one Sequence 6. No matter how little those people restrain their desire for revenge, they have not gone insane to that extent—unless they already intended to deal with the Loen military and merely dragged the traitors in along the way. But if that were the case, the best place for war should be the Southern Continent or the sea, not somewhere near Backlund. Nobody knows how many terrifying fellows are hidden here…

As thoughts rose and fell, Klein saw the mirror surface turn deep again, showing new blood-red words:

“According to the principle of equivalence, it is now my turn to ask.

“If you answer incorrectly or lie, you will suffer punishment.”

It is still obedient. It did not ask for performance-art behavior…

Klein, gazing at the billiard table, nodded almost imperceptibly.

At that moment, the previous sentence slowly vanished, and new words appeared:

“You…”

That bloody word froze for a full three seconds before continuing:

“…answer the relationship between the Chained God and the Mother Tree of Desire.”

For some reason, Klein felt that the color of the blood-red words in the latter part seemed much dimmer than before. Fortunately, the question belonged to the sort that was not too excessive and that he himself wanted to know.

Wearing a black soft hat, Sharron looked at the compact mirror. Without any change in expression, she said, “At the beginning of the Fifth Epoch, following Death’s fall, the Eggers family gradually lost control over the Star Plateau and the Paz Valley. Those places gained their own Beyonder organization: the Rose School of Thought.

“At first, there was no Mother Tree of Desire—only the Chained God. The Rose School of Thought advocated temperance and established a religious ritual system, including laws. Official members lived austere lives with low desire in order to cope with the aftereffects of obtaining power.

“Then, one day, words like indulgence appeared in the oracles. Many people gradually changed, restoring ancient, bloody primitive sacrificial traditions. Later, part of the School’s higher-ups secretly began claiming that the Chained God was the embodiment of the Mother Tree of Desire.”

That sounds like the Chained God was gradually corrupted or replaced by the Mother Tree of Desire… If this being was once Sequence 0, then the Mother Tree of Desire is truly terrifying. No wonder She is opposed by all other gods… However, the Chained God may not necessarily have been Sequence 0. There is a significant chance He was a fully activated Uniqueness, or a King of Angels with two Sequence 1 characteristics, or perhaps even weaker. At present, there is not enough intelligence to verify this…

Klein slightly frowned and began thinking about matters related to the Mother Tree of Desire.

At this moment, Sharron had already turned to ask, “What problems exist with the mummy of Tutanthis II?”

The blood-red words on the compact mirror wriggled and changed, deriving a complete sentence:

“It is filled with curses. It is the embodiment of curses. There is a possibility it will transform into a living corpse on its own.”

This mummy is composed of curses? As expected of the body left behind by a high-Sequence powerhouse… How is that to be solved?

Klein turned his head toward Miss Sharron and Maric, discovering that both of their expressions were calm enough, showing no surprise at all. This meant they had long known of this problem, and it also meant they had a way to resolve it. Of course, Sharron had almost no expression regardless of the situation, always equally calm.

Having finished answering, the Magic Mirror Arrodes, according to the principle of equivalence, posed its own question:

“You…

“…work hard to raise your level. What is it for?”

This time, it likewise opened with one bloody word, then after freezing for a few seconds, continued with a less vivid section.

Does this represent Arrodes hesitating, struggling, fighting against itself? On one hand, it cannot restrain its nature and wants to ask difficult questions. On the other, it has to consider my instructions and rein itself in?

Klein laughed inwardly in thought.

Sharron stood there in her complicated and exquisite long dress, silent for a while before lightly parting her lips.

“At first, it was because I did not want to be bullied. Now, it is to possess the ability to protect myself and my companions, and also for revenge, and also to spread the philosophy of temperance… If everyone can restrain their desires, there will be no war, no killing, and not so much suffering.”

Klein was slightly surprised by what he heard, because in his impression, Miss Sharron rarely spoke this way.

This was not to say she could not speak at length. Rather, even when she did speak in long passages, she was extremely restrained and did not describe too much. Just like when she had answered the first question earlier, she had merely restored the course of events simply. It seemed like she had said a lot, but not a single extra subjective sentence existed. Yet now, that final addition was clearly rather talkative compared to her usual style.

Is this a view she has repeated many times in her heart and suppressed for a long time without expressing?

A chaotic reality filled with conflict on the Southern Continent suddenly surfaced in Klein’s mind.

There were countless enslaved natives there, countless lower-class people dying in batches from hunger and disease, incessant wars, and living sacrifices occurring again and again.

If I were born on the Southern Continent and managed to live until now, I would definitely wish for peace in the world and happiness among the people… Speaking of which, Miss Sharron and Maric’s appearances are not typical Southern Continent ethnic traits. Mm, I have heard that some of the upper-class figures in the ancient Highland Kingdom and the Paz Kingdom were actually from the Northern Continent. That makes sense. Before Death fell, the Northern and Southern Continents could be traveled between smoothly… Also, when Sharron mentioned revenge just now, the word carried very little weight. Does that mean she has already lost hope, or that her desire for it is no longer so intense?

Klein silently sighed and listened as Sharron asked detail after detail, answering question after question.

After clarifying the relevant circumstances of the mummy of Tutanthis II, Sharron asked again, “Other than Mahmos, which high-Sequence powerhouses will appear in this trap?”

On the dressing mirror’s surface, waterlight rippled and finally condensed into brilliant light—light that covered everything. Nothing else could be seen.

With Arrodes’s ability, this should mean it involves an angel or a Grade 0 sealed artifact, so it cannot give a precise answer…

Klein withdrew his gaze and smiled at Miss Sharron and Maric.

“It seems roughly the same as I predicted. The Loen military has left a considerable margin.”

Sharron nodded very slightly and continued looking at the dressing mirror, waiting for the hidden existence to ask its question.

Blood-red words wriggled. This time, instead of appearing intermittently like before, they presented themselves in one breath:

“What do you think of your teacher?”

Teacher? Miss Sharron has a teacher too… Then again, as part of the temperance faction, for her to have remained unaffected inside the long-corrupted Rose School of Thought and persisted on her path, there must have been someone protecting her… Is this also one reason why she and Maric were able to escape?

Klein suddenly understood something and began anticipating Sharron’s answer.

Sharron pressed her lips together.

“I greatly revere Him.”

…She used Him?

Klein was so shocked he nearly failed to maintain his smile.

Among the various Beyonder organizations, including the orthodox Churches, angels walking the earth were extremely rare—some had only one or two, perhaps none. Klein had assumed that Miss Sharron’s teacher was a saint at Sequence 4 or Sequence 3, perhaps as strong as Sea King Yan Kottman at most. Who could have known that she would use the honorific “Him”? In Loenese, ancient Feysac, Giant, and Elvish alike, that was a word clearly distinct from he, she, or it!

After the shock, Klein abruptly felt a faint sigh inside.

Miss Sharron’s current state largely showed that her teacher was probably no longer around. Her and Maric’s escape had likely been the temperance faction leader’s final struggle within the Rose School of Thought. And to the Mother Tree of Desire, the only choices were to corrupt such a being, or erase Him and turn Him into a sealed artifact. There would be no other possibilities.

The surface of the dressing mirror once again became deep, and all the blood-red words vanished.

Only after quite some time did new text appear above it:

“Continue.”

“I have no more questions. Thank you for your assistance.” Sharron’s speaking speed was slow as she lifted her skirt and curtsied.

As her words fell, the dressing mirror abruptly returned to normal, and the light inside the billiard room was no longer dim.

Sharron turned to look at Klein, her voice showing no abnormality.

“We will abandon this matter here.”

Clearly, she also understood what the brilliant mass of light meant in that hidden existence’s final answer.

Klein, however, shook his head and smiled faintly.

“There is no need to hurry into a decision. Let me ask you a few things first. Perhaps there is still an opportunity—an opportunity that will not require taking too great a risk.”

At least my divination result indicates that such a possibility exists! he silently added in his heart.

“What things?” Maric asked ahead of Sharron, unable to fully control himself.