While Angel was studying the memory mural, the Wise Sovereign had already arrived at the center of the room.
He sat down directly on the floor.
"We've said enough about the mural. Now we can talk about the Immortal Serpent Crest you mentioned, as well as those... Source-Worshippers you are concerned about."
Angel moved to sit opposite the Wise Sovereign. He had originally wanted to create an illusory chair, but since the Wise Sovereign was seated on the ground, he felt awkward about placing himself above him. So he could only follow the Wise Sovereign's example and sit cross-legged on the floor.
"Let's talk about the Immortal Serpent Crest first." The Wise Sovereign said, "Before we discuss this topic, I want to ask you: why did you think the Immortal Serpent Crest was the Serpent-Coiled Awl?"
Rather than answering, Angel asked, "Wise Sovereign, have you heard of the Kula Kuka Clan?"
The Wise Sovereign pondered for a moment before saying with some hesitation, "You mean the Littlefolk?"
Angel froze. "The Littlefolk?"
In a sense, the Kula Kuka Clan really could be considered Littlefolk. They were no larger than a palm; if they were not Littlefolk, then what were they? Still, was their formal taxonomic name really the Littlefolk?
The Wise Sovereign heard Angel's confusion and explained, "In the Southern Region, aside from humans, those accepted by wizards and capable of learning extraordinary knowledge must, by bloodline, be close relatives of humanity. By classification, these include giants, humanoids, dwarves, and Littlefolk."
"Among this series of human relatives, most people believe dwarves may be the closest to humans by blood, because many humans are no taller than dwarves. And aside from looking somewhat like midgets, dwarves are no different from humans."
"But in truth, dwarves are not particularly close to humans by