Pain Obtained

Royal Museum, Roselle Memorial Exhibition.

Inside the venue, Luther unexpectedly encountered the mysterious figure from the extraordinary world—the "Queen."

She was standing in front of a glass display case, gazing at the exhibits inside for a long time.

Chessboards, puzzles, cards, picture books, dolls... a colorful and diverse array of toys filled the display case. The guide explained that these were all handmade by Roselle for his children. A child would surely be very happy to have so many toys!

The exhibition hall was bustling with people, visitors lingering in front of the display cases with curiosity. They seemed to want to glimpse the emotional world of a legendary emperor through these exhibits.

The Queen simply stood and watched calmly, seemingly unaffected by the commotion around her.

Because of the black veil, Luther couldn't see the Queen's expression. But at this moment, he seemed to be able to feel a deep, nostalgic, and lonely emotion emanating from the Queen.

... What is she reminiscing about, feeling sentimental about?

Wrong!

Luther froze, as certain clues connected at that moment, leading to a bold conjecture that suddenly popped into his mind.

Why were there so many fairytale figures in the Queen's procession that night, figures resembling her from a past life?

Why does she have a natural air of superiority?

Why does she feel nostalgic about these exhibited items?

Because the Queen... she wasn't actually a time traveler, but Roselle's child.

"Um?"

Just then, as if sensing Luther's surprised gaze, the Queen shifted her gaze from the exhibit and slowly turned it to him. Disturbed, her emotions were forced to withdraw, and she appeared somewhat displeased.

"Boom!"

Her gaze was almost tangible, pressing heavily on Luther's heart, making it hard for him to breathe.

Other visitors were still wandering around the exhibition hall, but everyone ignored their strange behavior as if they didn't exist.

Is this the true aura of Queen?

Despite the immense pressure, Luther reached up and wiped his face, restoring his hastily altered appearance to its original state. He then bowed slightly to the other party.

Your Queen.

The heavy sense of oppression emanating from him instantly dissipated.

"It's you."

Luther heard the other person's calm voice, "Why did you come here?"

That's what I wanted to ask you too.

He thought to himself, but said aloud, "I'm taking a break these few days, just wandering around."

"Just browsing? I clearly saw you linger in front of his secret diary for a long time."

The Queen's voice was devoid of emotion, yet her words sent a shiver down Luther's spine.

So you found out about me all along... Speaking of which, everyone's guessing it's a notebook, yet the Queen knew it was a diary. It seems she really might be Roselle's child... Luther looked up, meeting his gaze, and asked with slight confusion, "Is that a diary? Didn't the experts say it was Roselle's notebook?"

The Queen did not speak, but her gaze pierced through her veil, looking directly at him as if trying to see through his eyes into his heart.

Don't you recognize the writing above?

"Of course I don't know him."

"Then why did you stare at it for so long?"

"Because I was a little curious about these mysterious characters, I tried to decipher them, but unfortunately, I don't think I have the talent for it."

Luther used the excuse of "trying to conduct research" to deceive people.

The Phantom Tide echoed in his mind, a sound he had consciously awakened the moment he recognized the other party as the Queen. Perhaps it was psychological, but he felt that the Tide blocked his view.

After a moment, the Queen behind the veil lowered her eyes, her gaze becoming less aggressive.

"That was indeed his diary... It's just a pity that others can't understand its meaning."

She said in a low voice.

Really? As far as I know, there are at least two people who can understand it.

Luther wisely remained silent.

The Queen sighed for a moment, then turned back to look at the items in the display case, ignoring him completely.

I'll be going now...

Luther quietly retreated, preparing to leave the exhibition hall, when he suddenly heard the Queen's voice.

I'm preparing to leave Backlund.

She said it without turning her head.

Ah?

"Your Queen, have you achieved your goal?"

Luther paused for a moment, then asked, "To be honest, I saw you that night. Was that powerful extraordinary individual who escaped connected to MI9?"

The Queen made such a big fuss a few nights ago, and she still had the mood to come to the exhibition today. I guess she figured out the truth of the matter, caught the culprit behind the incident, and successfully prevented a Catastrophe.

Then he saw the other person slowly shake their head.

"No, I failed."

She said, "That man was the head of MI9, Celt. In order to capture him and obtain clues, I created a lot of chaos to distract MI9. But Celt was more cunning than I imagined, and he eventually escaped."

"Even if he escaped once, we could continue the investigation. Why did he leave?"

Luther was somewhat confused.

"I was a bit too hasty, and my methods went a little too far."

The Queen said, "All three major sects of the Loen government have issued warnings to me. If it were just warnings, it wouldn't be a big deal, but the problem is that the people behind this have made their move... My base at sea was attacked by an unknown force, resulting in significant casualties, and I need to return to take charge."

So her base was raided... Come to think of it, her influence is actually at sea.

Luther nodded, feeling somewhat helpless. This meant that the Queen might not be able to stop this Catastrophe in time.

"I'll try to find more clues."

He said.

"Well, I hope I can come back in time after I've resolved the issues at the base."

The Queen's Way.

Then, she raised her right hand and began to draw in the air. Colorful light spewed from her fingertips, transforming into countless mysterious symbols. These were strange characters unlike anything she had ever seen before, intertwining together and ultimately opening a secret door to an unknown space.

"I was planning to come see you before I left... Since we've run into each other here, I'll just give you this while I'm at it," the Queen said casually to Luther.

The secret door opened, and a man with his upper body wrapped in white cloth and his lower body covered in wind appeared.

"Pain."

She said briefly.

The latter immediately bowed respectfully and took out a bright red dagger from inside the door. The blade of the dagger was a vivid blood red, with blood grooves on both sides, and the hilt was white and smooth, like bone. Overall, it gave people an ominous and dangerous feeling.

Yes, this is the very powerful Beyonder Item the Queen promised to give him: Pain!

"Has that person already used up?"

Luther glanced at the dagger, then looked up at the Queen and asked, "I remember you said I'd have to wait several months..."

"Yes, he's dead, so it's no longer needed."

The Queen said calmly.

Um?

Luther was taken aback and couldn't help but look at the Queen, whose tone seemed to carry a hint of sadness.

Were they killed because the base was attacked?

He didn't intend to ask any more questions, and reached out to take the dagger. The moment he held it, a strong smell of blood immediately filled his nostrils.