Hearing Abner's question, Bernadette thought for a moment before answering:
"In the ruins on a small island... You can ask Gehrman Sparrow for the details. I mentioned it to him before and invited him."
So you don't want to invite me?
That's not right... Now that she knows I'm connected to the Calamity Seal, shouldn't she be trying to get more information about the Emperor from me? As Old Huang's daughter, she must know what his relationship with "me" was back then.
Unless... Old Huang specifically warned her...
A scene sprang unbidden into Abner's mind: Roselle ruffled Bernadette's hair and said gravely, "If you ever become an important figure in the mystical world, remember this: be careful around anyone connected to the Calamity Seal. Keep your distance from him if you can."
Abner shook his head, dismissed the baseless thought, and asked no further questions. He simply put away the card containing the sealed characteristic.
Audrey, meanwhile, did not refuse Queen Mystic's compensation. She was still only a Sequence 7 Psychologist, but there was no harm in obtaining a Dreamwalker characteristic early.
After apologizing, Bernadette turned her gaze back to Groselle's Travels on the altar. She chose her words carefully. "You said the tower is made up of individual Dream Labyrinths... and one of his avatars was originally hidden there...
"Is there any way I could visit the first floor you mentioned?
"If there is, what would it cost me?"
Seeing a phantom of the Chaos Sea wasn't enough? Now you want to see the contamination the Mother Goddess left behind?
Abner grumbled inwardly, but after a brief pause to consider, he answered, "You can't enter the first floor directly... But I can request access for you, allowing you to work your way up from the ninth floor.
"It won't