An hour had already passed by the time everyone gathered again in Wise Sovereign's Hall.
Dox wore a secretly delighted expression, the corners of his lips curling up from time to time. Yet every time they did, he seemed afraid someone would notice and immediately put on a stern, ready-for-battle look.
From that alone, the "treasure" Dox had received from the Wise Sovereign must have satisfied him greatly.
Wai and Kael, meanwhile, made no attempt to hide their delight. They had read quite a few books in the study, many of which did not exist in the outside world—or rather, books beyond the reach of people at their level. All of it was immensely precious knowledge. Though they had only had an hour to read... the Wise Sovereign had not forbidden them from using image-recording stones or cheating methods such as reading spells.
Thus, their gains were solid and tangible. Even if they found nothing at all in the Clear Sky Poem Room, the trip would still have been more than worthwhile.
Black Earl and Angel, on the other hand, remained as calm as ever, revealing no emotion. But in the eyes of the others, having spoken with the Wise Sovereign alone, they surely must have gained even better things.
"I have said and done all that I can. If you have no further questions, then continue onward. Of course, if you wish to rest, you may remain here a while longer. But the longer you stay, the more time the Goddess will have to prepare. How you weigh that choice is up to you."
As the Wise Sovereign spoke, he waved his hand. The passage door on the other side opened at once.
Looking deeper in from the hall, they saw only pitch-black darkness, nothing at all visible within