Ebner looked at Xio's dazed expression, the corner of his mouth involuntarily lifting, and then briefly explained to her how he had used the identity of "Pride" to blend into George III's camp.
Only then did Xio understand what was going on. She immediately sighed and said softly, "So it really was His Majesty the King himself who framed my father?"
If it weren't for this, Ebner wouldn't have needed to go to such lengths to carefully infiltrate George III's side.
Thinking this to himself, Ebner glanced at Xio and continued, "Without your help, whether it was restoring my father's reputation or seeking revenge, when facing a king, hope was always so slim. I couldn't imagine any way to accomplish something like that…
"Moreover, my father was originally loyal to His Majesty the King… Was he really innocent when he was executed?"
As she said this, Xio stared intently into Ebner's eyes, hoping to receive an answer.
Ebner pulled her over to his side and said solemnly, "Your father was a 'hero.' There's no doubt about that!"
Choosing the justice he upheld over the object of his loyalty, the former Captain of the Royal Guards, Mason Derecha, was without question an upright man, a true knight.
Xio gave a soft "Mm," and her gaze gradually became firm.
After quite a while, Ebner finally released Xio and asked with a smile, "Your simulated advancement ritual for becoming a 'Imperative Mage' in that 'Hero World'—it seems it went very smoothly?"
Xio hadn't chosen to advance to demigod directly within the "Ghost Empire." On one hand, Ebner hadn't given her Giuseppe's Beyonder characteristic; on the other hand, the "worlds" inside the Ghost Empire weren't real worlds after all, and the people within were almost all "ghosts." Relying solely on them to complete a demigod ritual was unpredictable and very likely to go wrong…
However, rehearsing the ritual there, understanding its objectives and essence, and then using the power of the "Hand of Order" to simulate the state after drinking the "potion" was entirely possible.
It could be said that after this "dress rehearsal" in the Ghost Empire, Xio's success rate when advancing in reality could increase by at least twenty to thirty percent.
Sure enough, when Ebner asked about this, Xio's mood immediately lifted, and she said excitedly, "I've already figured out which kinds of rules make it easier for people to quickly understand and consciously obey…"
Xio spoke for a long time. Ebner listened with a smile the entire time. Only when she became thirsty and stopped to drink tea did he finally smile and say:
"Actually, once you're 'controlled' by Pride, advancing to demigod won't be that troublesome anymore… The characteristics and the ritual can both be provided by the Loen royal family!"
Ebner had originally intended for Xio to become a demigod using Giuseppe's legacy. But later, he realized that Giuseppe was very likely involved in schemes surrounding the "Seal of Calamity," and there was no guarantee that his Beyonder characteristic was free of problems. That was why Ebner had been keeping it himself instead of handing it over to Xio.
He also didn't want Xio to get involved too early in the whole mess surrounding "Liu Bo."
Hearing Ebner's words, Xio became even more energized and asked, "How so?"
"What George III promised to 'Pride' was a mid-to-upper-level position in MI9. Although your military rank isn't low, you don't have much real authority, and you're not a demigod, so you're not of much help to Hvin Rambis…
"Obviously, that wouldn't satisfy Hvin Rambis. So sooner or later, I'll definitely have to bargain with the king and help you secure a demigod slot."
Ebner felt that George III would most likely agree. After all, the reason that guy pushed Xio out to be controlled by Hvin Rambis was also because he wanted to use Ebner Bryan—a viscount with deep connections—as a counterweight to restrain Pride.
Everyone knew that Xio Derecha and Ebner Bryan were closely related. In George III's mind, if the latter discovered that Xio had been hypnotized by Hvin Rambis, a conflict would inevitably erupt.
And as long as His Majesty believed he held onto this secret, he could make Hvin Rambis "obedient" to a certain extent…
Of course, the premise of this "leverage" was that Xio Derecha had to be of great importance to Hvin Rambis, making her impossible to simply "discard."
Therefore, Xio's "value" needed to be increased.
"George III really lives up to being king—his heart is filthy. But what you probably didn't expect is that the person you're using to keep me in check is also me!"
Ebner mocked inwardly a few times. After chatting casually with Xio for a bit longer, he prepared to head to a more "Eastern-style" world within the Ghost Empire to bring out the "Iceberg Admiral" as well.
However, Edwina refused, saying she still had some matters to deal with and needed to stay for another two or three days.
...
June 26th, Sunday.
Above the gray fog, through divination, Klein confirmed that during the battle at Pritz Harbor, both he and Sharron had been influenced by an unknown force, which led to his mistaken decision and Sharron being injured.
Although that injury wasn't much for Sharron…
"I just don't know who was targeting me… Could it have been that giant dragon that blocked Mr. 'Tower'? Who could that be?"
Klein muttered to himself, then returned to the real world. He walked to the desk, found paper and pen, and drew a composite symbol that combined secrecy and peeping runes.
As soon as he placed the final stroke, the light in the room dimmed slightly. The full-length mirror in the living room first turned pitch-black, then silver-white light emerged, outlining one Loen word after another:
"Great Master, your humble, insignificant, loyal servant Arrodes has heard your summons. I—I wasn't late, was I?"
Every time there's something new… Klein shook his head with a smile and said, "No."
"This is your tolerance, Great Master. You may ask your questions." One word after another appeared neatly on the mirror's surface.
After thinking for a moment, Klein said, "At Pritz Harbor, who was it that secretly influenced my judgment?"
The words on the mirror surface froze for a few seconds, then wriggled and changed:
"Royal Advisor Hvin Rambis, one of the Psychology Alchemists' council members—Pride.
"Great Master, are you satisfied with this answer?"
A council member of the Psychology Alchemists? A royal advisor? Klein frowned.
He was no stranger to the Psychology Alchemists and had even witnessed Mr. "Tower" attending a supreme meeting in "Eden" under the identity of "Lust."
However, he didn't know much about Pride, only that Pride had once helped Mr. "Tower" deal with "Lust."
But that doesn't necessarily mean he's a friend…
Moreover, this Pride seems incredibly strong… This is the first time I've seen a demigod able to contend with Mr. 'Tower' for so long without falling behind… even if it was only one of Mr. 'Tower''s projections.
As his thoughts turned, Klein first nodded and said, "Very satisfied."
Then he carefully asked again:
"Arrodes, when Hvin Rambis was influencing me, did he take the opportunity to steal my thoughts?"
On the full-length mirror, a line of silver-white words immediately appeared:
"No. He only learned from your shallow consciousness your identity as Gehrman Sparrow, as well as that your two companions belonged to the Rose School of Thought's Temperance faction.
"At the time, Reinette was in the spirit world, so he didn't dare to excessively invade your mind."
"That's good!" Klein let out a sigh of relief. This matched the result he had previously obtained above the gray fog.
His thoughts shifted, and recalling how Arrodes had previously reminded him about Zaratul, he asked, just as he had that time:
"Do you have anything else you want to say?"
On the surface of the full-length mirror, words quickly appeared one after another:
"Great Master, Amon, as you anticipated, has already arrived in Backlund.
"Because He came in the form of an avatar, I was able to see Him."
As I anticipated? When did I ever anticipate that? Klein raised an eyebrow and said, "I know."
Not wanting to waste more words, he changed the topic and said, "That's all for today."
"Yes, Great Master. Your humble servant is eager to serve you!"
After the full-length mirror shattered, Klein painfully summoned the servants to clean up the broken glass, while calculating that next time he summoned Arrodes, he should use a copper mirror—or maybe just a bowl of water…
At that moment, the butler knocked and entered, bowing as he reported, "Sir, the carriage is ready.
"Madam is already waiting for you in the foyer."
"Alright, let's depart!" Klein nodded to the butler, then went down to the first floor, accompanied Sharron—disguised as Madam Daly—out the door, boarded the carriage, and headed toward the affiliated hospital of Backlund Medical College in the North District.
On the surface, he was taking his wife for a prenatal checkup. In reality, he wanted to "run into" Doctor Allen—yes, along with his wife—and the son who would be born today: Will Ceres.
(End of the chapter)