Black Earl could provide only very limited intelligence.
He merely told Angel which locations he found suspicious, and which dangerous areas could be avoided.
"I conducted carpet searches through many places. I touched every single object in those places, yet I still couldn't sense where the Wood Spirit was. That's truly strange."
Black Earl's voice carried confusion. He simply could not imagine where this Wood Spirit might be hiding.
"Did the Wise Sovereign notice where the Wood Spirit is?" Black Earl turned his slate toward the Wise Sovereign.
The Wise Sovereign had monitored him from every angle throughout the journey. Everything Black Earl had experienced had been seen by him, so if Black Earl had passed by where the Wood Spirit was, the Wise Sovereign should have noticed.
Yet the Wise Sovereign had no intention of answering Black Earl's question. He said lightly, "This is your bonus condition, not mine."
Angel also chimed in from the side. "That may be true, but I think that even if we find the Wood Spirit, persuading it through words and reason alone to leave the Stairway of the Hanging Prison without using violence would be harder than finding it."
The Wise Sovereign did not deny it. "You are right. But finding the Wood Spirit itself is also a test of your ability to observe details. As for persuading the Wood Spirit to leave the Stairway of the Hanging Prison, that tests your ability to adapt and make decisions."
"And both of these abilities are ones you will certainly need on the road ahead."
The Wise Sovereign's deeply meaningful words revealed one piece of information: if they successfully passed through the Wise Sovereign's Hall, they would certainly encounter unforeseen changes.
Those changes might come from Augustine's Legacy Site.
Perhaps they were trials Augustine had