New Commission

Without a sound, everything in front of them became illusory, transparent, and then vanished.

What appeared before my eyes was a Pure White snow country, with countless snowflakes as big as goose feathers floating motionless in the air, and the ground covered with a layer of snow like a cotton blanket.

Klein smelled the refreshing coolness, took a deep breath, and his mood instantly became as calm as snow. In this calm, he saw the "King of the North," Ulyssan, vanish like air. Behind the dragon, a girl in a white robe withdrew her hand, adjusting her hat as she muttered, "So, it seems this one can't get out—"

"----?" Klein realized something and stepped forward.

"Where is my Marionette?" he couldn't help but ask.

Neph shrugged and replied, "Luckily, you didn't have time to add the Spirit Worm into its body, otherwise there might have been problems—I mean, creating something from nothing is the power of Imagination; even if something created by memory is very real, it's still just an illusion."

"Adventurer, if you wish to retrieve your dragon, you will likely need to meet my My Lord."

Klein felt a sense of relief. Neph hadn't emphasized to him that the dragon was fake, but he already knew that the book came from the former "Dragon of Imagination." It was perfectly normal for Yuris to be fictional, even though he felt a moment of regret for losing his Marionette.

But soon, a doubt flashed through Klein's mind, because the former "Angel of Imagination," now Adam, was undoubtedly an enemy of the "True Creator." Even if their relationship had eased for some unknown reason, Neph would never call Adam "my My Lord."

Could it be that the "True Creator" holds some Imagination Authority? No, how could that be? If she wasn't lying to me, Uniqueness and the three Sequence 1 are all in Adam's hands. Adam is only one step away from becoming a god—could it be something like a "Sefirah Castle"?

Klein convinced himself.

Neph closed her eyes briefly, turned to Klein, and reminded him, "Adventurer, I don't recall mentioning something to you—"

"I hold the Authority of memory, and this is the Kingdom of Memory. When you stand here, your mind is to me like an open book."

"Considering your relationship with Mr. Fool, I will refrain from actively looking into it, but please control your outward feelings, okay?"

Klein's eyelids twitched, and he immediately began to meditate.

Neph then withdrew her gaze and looked at the other people who had emerged from the travelogue. They had formed a protective circle, their bodies tense, but they did not show any hostility. The Ascetic named Snoman even had a hint of cautious fanaticism on his face.

"Welcome back," Neph chuckled softly, closing her eyes slightly as her Spirituality spread out to sort through their past. "And welcome—well, welcome to the Winter's End Kingdom."

- This name was something she came up with on the spot, or rather, something she copied down.

Still no one spoke, for a strange feeling spread. The hazy, confused feeling from the travelogue gradually faded, and memories of the past became clear in their minds, overshadowing those long and chaotic adventures. They seemed to recall their lives before they entered the travelogue, everything clear and vivid, as if it were yesterday.

"Hoo," Neph opened her eyes, "I can probably only do this much. As for the rest, that's the realm of 'Psychiatrist '."

This seemed to constitute a kind of declaration. Snoman finally couldn't contain his emotions any longer. He leaned forward, took a step forward, and asked in a tone full of longing yet containing almost negligible caution, "You, you are the White Angel!"

"Don't call me that," Neph shook her head, correcting the form of address. "Although I always refer to myself as Pure White, the Lord reminded me of this the last time I saw Him."

She sighed and spoke in a troubled tone, "He is about to return to his position and reclaim his former Authority. Before that, I should think of a new title for myself—after all, I don't seem to want to use a title that has been used by a traitor."

"However, I tried—I think I can accept Amon's suggestion and let the Lord think it through. Maybe that's more reliable, at least more normal than—well, at least more normal than what I thought myself."

Neph glanced sideways at Klein.

Klein stood still, gazing up at the motionless falling snow, and began to study the application of physics in this extraordinary world.

Neph rubbed her head and couldn't help but say, "Why don't you continue meditating?"

Klein gave up and continued meditating.

Their conversation revealed a familiarity, making the title of King of Angel seem more approachable than intimidating. The Giant Groselle, no longer allowing Snoman to ask questions alone, asked quite directly, "You—you're the God of Winter who sent that kid to save us?"

"That kid—" Neph glanced at Klein, her lips curving into a wider smile, "You can't say that. That gentleman over there is much older than you."

"Huh?" The Giant Groselle was dumbfounded.

"----?" Klein couldn't help but glance at Neph, but said nothing.

Neph didn't explain. She silently calculated in her mind before looking at him and chuckled, "Giant Groselle— to be honest, I originally considered whether you might be a fake. After all, Ulyssan is obviously fictional, so it's not impossible for him to create another one like you. But now it seems that you are just a victim too."

"Welcome to the Fifth Epoch. First of all, I regret to inform you that Giant no longer exist in this era."

"I know," he said in a loud voice.

Neph didn't speak. She looked up at the four-meter-tall Giant, pondered for a few seconds, and then slightly raised her hand.

Quite noticeably, the Giant's figure shrank little by little, until, to everyone's astonishment, it became just over two meters tall, and its deep blue skin faded, making it indistinguishable from a human.

"Much more comfortable," Neph shook her head. "This should make it easier for you to go out—hmm, let me think."

She scanned the group of people and asked, "Do you know what you've been through?"

Everyone remained silent until Mobet spoke up, "We've entered a travelogue, the one called ' The Groselle's Travels,' and become part of the main group, is that right?"

"Clever," Neph smiled, "Pallez will be happy to see you."

"You know the Old Man?" His eyes lit up in surprise. "How is the Old Man?"

"Not too good, not too bad," Neph shook her head. "Amon, now free from his father's control, is somewhat unrestrained—well, perhaps he's even more unrestrained when he has a father's supervision—anyway, Pallez was forced to abandon his body and parasitize a young man's body, and is in a very weak state, but in any case, at least he's still alive."

Chapter 23 New Commission

Mobet calmed down, looked at Neph with a scrutinizing gaze, and frowned as he said, "This... Your Highness."

"You seem to know Amon quite well?"

Neph thought for a moment, then, amidst Mobet's frightened expression, took a Monocle from her pocket, put it on her left eye, and then said without any apparent change in expression, "Hmm, maybe."

"After all, if I were Amon, I would also be interested in the first new colleague who lied to me on our first meeting."

"You—" Mobet tried to understand the meaning of these words, an incredulous look on his face, "You lied to Amon?!"

Neph blinked.

Mobet regained his composure and asked, "You seem to be following the same God?"

"My following the Lord doesn't mean I have to serve His children," Neph scoffed. "Besides, the Lord might not even—well, anyway, I don't want to interfere in their struggle unless it affects my My Lord's plans."

Mobet understood, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

Seeing that they seemed to have finished their conversation, Groselle finally found an opportunity to interject, asking gruffly, "What travelogue?"

"You don't know?" Neph asked him back.

"I don't know," Groselle shook his head, "Never heard of it."

Neph glanced at him thoughtfully, then showed him the travelogue and asked, "Have you seen it before?"

Groselle shook his head again.

Neph frowned. She couldn't help but search Groselle's memories, only to find that there was indeed no corresponding content. She couldn't help but curse under her breath.

"Shift!"

"So you really are a character in the book? No, you can't say that. You weren't created; you were written directly into the book—that explains why you're the protagonist. You were in there from the very beginning!"

"So what exactly does it mean?" Groselle asked.

"It's nothing," Neph said, rubbing her forehead. "Anyway—oh, right, I have something to tell you all."

O

She smiled slightly, looked around, and said to the people, "I think you all remember your past and know roughly when you went in, right?"

Everyone nodded.

"It is now the Fifth Epoch," Neph smiled at them, "The year 1350 of the Fifth Epoch, and unfortunately, the time that has passed through your lives is real."

"What do you mean?" Mobet reacted quickly; he had a bad feeling.

"It's exactly what it sounds like," Neph shrugged. "This travelogue—well, it's a remnant of a divine kingdom, capable of saving your lives. And this is my kingdom, so of course it can save your lives too, but after we leave—"

Neph chuckled and told them, "The youngest among you is nearly two hundred years old. A person's lifespan doesn't reach that long."

"We will die," Shatas asked calmly, "Is that so?"

"What would happen if I said yes—" Neph narrowed her eyes.

The atmosphere quieted down, and after a brief silence, Shatas asked, "Since there are no Giant left in the Fifth Epoch, are there still Elf?"

Neph shook her head.

"I think I have no regrets," said Shatas. "If I had to say something, I would like to make a request."

"Hmm?" Neph raised the lip at the end of her sentence.

"You—" her voice trembled slightly, "Could you choose a suitable burial site for me?"

Neph didn't say yes or no. She looked at the others and asked curiously, "What about you?"

They looked at each other, Longzel looked at Neph and said, "I want to be buried with my family. If that's difficult, you can refuse."

Neph looked at the others.

Groselle thought for a moment and asked, "Do you know the ruins of the Giant King’s Court '?"

"I actually know that." Neph nodded.

"I want to be buried there," Groselle said.

"And what about you?" Neph looked at Snoman and Mobet.

Without the slightest hesitation, Snoman replied, "I hope you will bring my remains with you on your next audience."

"----" Neph shifted her gaze from the fanatic to Mobet Zoroaster.

This "Dream Stealer" seemed to be the most lucid of them all. He neither expressed his wishes nor made any begs, but simply asked, "You went to great lengths to send someone into the travelogue to bring us out, and then led us into the divine kingdom, saving our lives. Was it all just to hear our last wishes?"

"What if I said yes?" Neph couldn't help but laugh.

Mobet answered without hesitation, "Then it's no wonder you became acquainted with Amon."

"Pfft," Neph laughed, "You—I must say, you're really on your deathbed, yet you still dare to speak. I mean, you at least remember I'm an Angel, don't you?"

She was still smiling, but when she glanced at Mobet, a chill that went straight to his soul instantly enveloped Mobet, causing a thin layer of ice crystals to form on his body.

Neph's kind, gentle smile vanished, and in an instant, the Pure White surroundings disappeared. They awoke to find themselves on an unfamiliar deserted island.

The power of time swept past, only to be pushed back by another force. This confrontation was completely undisguised; everyone clearly felt the time flowing through them. Until everything stood still, a soft yet somewhat cold voice drifted down like snowflakes. "After you have settled yourselves, pray to me. As for the appropriate Honorific Name and Ritual, you can ask the Adventurer beside you."

"Well, perhaps you'll need to brush up on your general knowledge and history after all this time. You can ask that Adventurer; he's quite knowledgeable in that area."

"Also, you can ask him for help with language issues; I trust him."

"Go for it, Adventurer!"

"----?" Klein stopped meditating and looked at the group of extra "students".

"What an astonishing request," he shook his head, his voice unreadable. "Miss Pure White, you didn't mention before that I would be responsible for this part. I thought you would handle it yourself."

"Oh dear," the girl's voice floated down, "Please."