The night was deep, the moon was obscured by layers of clouds, and the Backlund Bridge was shrouded in darkness.
As soon as Klein " Teleportation " here, before he could even look around, he saw green pea vines falling from the sky, covering the surrounding area like a torrential rain.
They intertwined and quickly formed a forest, layer upon layer, with no top in sight.
Klein released his right hand from his top hat and skillfully followed the path formed by the vines upwards.
Before long, he saw the natural swing formed by green plants, and he also saw the " Mystery Queen " Bernadette standing next to the swing.
The eldest daughter of Emperor Roselle had long chestnut hair, wore a blouse with a lace floral bow tie, a gray skirt that went past her knees, and a pair of tall leather boots, and a soft hat with a thin black veil hanging down.
"You've grown much faster than I expected." Bernadette's Blue Eyes, hidden behind a black veil, reflected Gehrman Sparrow's image.
Klein responded without any change in expression:
"Praise be to Mr. ' The Fool '."
As he said this, he mentally muttered a complaint:
This is what it means to strive for self-improvement; it's better to rely on yourself than on others!
The " Mystery Queen " nodded slightly, her voice soft but devoid of emotion as she spoke:
I know why you want to see me.
Before Klein could speak, she tilted her head slightly, glanced at the vine swing beside her, and said in a tone as calm as a still lake concealing countless undercurrents:
"I feel that he hasn't truly, completely fallen."
... Does that mean you think Emperor Roselle isn't completely dead? That he's still alive somewhere in this world, and that he has a chance to return? Klein hadn't expected to hear such blunt and explosive words right at the beginning. Although he managed to control his expression well, he was momentarily at a loss for words.
At the same time, he noticed that Bernadette used "he" instead of "He" to describe Emperor Roselle, which were two completely different words, whether in the Ancient Feysac they were currently speaking in or in the everyday Loenese or Intis language.
This means that in the heart of the " Mystery Queen," Emperor Roselle is not Angel, but a father... Klein calmed himself down and carefully asked:
Why do I feel this way?
Bernadette withdrew her gaze from the vine swing and said in her still gentle voice:
"In the final stage of his life, although he was crazy and radical, nothing was left unplanned. I believe he must have made some preparations for himself."
"You should know that in his later years he attempted to cross the path and challenge the vacant throne of the ' Black Emperor,' which required the construction of nine pyramid-shaped secret mausoleums."
"After he died in the White Maple Palace, the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun and the Church of Steam joined forces to find eight such tombs and destroyed them one by one. However, the ninth one was never found, and no one knew where it was hidden."
"If he has become the ' Black Emperor,' then he can certainly awaken and return from this mausoleum. If he fails, I think there might be a possibility of resurrection through this..."
Bernadette's voice grew softer and softer until it became so faint that it was almost indistinguishable.
You're not that confident... it's more of an expectation and hope... Klein sighed as he listened.
Suddenly, he remembered something Nast, the " King of the Five Seas," had said:
Emperor Roselle liked to stand in front of a row of floor-to-ceiling windows and gaze westward.
From Roselle's Diary, Klein learned that He had discovered the entrance to the Abyss in the Sonia Sea west of Intis, found a primitive island, and believed that it was full of strange things and worth exploring.
Could it be... that Emperor Roselle built that final secret mausoleum in the Abyss, or on that primitive island? Klein for a moment, then a slight smile played on his lips.
"You seem to know a lot about the ' Black Emperor ' route."
He suspected that Emperor Roselle left a " Black Emperor " card as a bookmark and used Bernadette's Ancient Feysac name as the opening incantation, partly to inform his daughter of the corresponding ritual. However, it seems that Bernadette obtained this information through other means.
The " Mystery Queen's " lips, not covered by her veil, showed a subtle curve:
"I have been investigating this matter for over a hundred years, and in order to find out the details, I have been given knowledge by the ' Hidden Sage '."
"It's clear that you, and Mr. ' The Fool ' behind you, are quite knowledgeable about this... I've always been curious why you're so interested in his affairs?"
Judging from the current situation, in terms of seniority, you should call me uncle... The Emperor and I are probably "roommates" who have been hanging together for many years... Klein relieved his gloomy mood with a sarcastic remark, replying in a flat tone:
"You can ask Mr. ' The Fool ' this question."
He didn't intend to tell Bernadette now that the ninth secret mausoleum was likely somewhere in the Sonia Sea, perhaps on that primeval island or within the Abyss; it was better and more appropriate for " The Fool " to answer that.
The " Mystery Queen " was not surprised by Gehrman Sparrow's response and turned her gaze westward to a place far away.
Although he couldn't see Bernadette's eyes, Klein could vaguely sense that the woman was looking at the place where she had lived as a child, at the place where her spirit and soul had found their home, at the homeland she could never return to.
At this moment, amidst the verdant vines and deep black, many subtle emotions and dreams hidden in the heart are slowly fermenting.
In just a few seconds, the " Mystery Queen " withdrew her gaze and softly spoke:
"Once my business in Backlund is settled, I will give a few pages of my diary to Cattleya and have her ask this question for me."
"Why not ask next week?" Klein didn't hide his doubts.
Bernadette answered calmly:
"I feel that the answer will affect my mood, and a bad mood will lead to my failure."
A bad mood can lead to failure? What kind of thing demands such strictness? A confrontation with Demigod in the realm of the mind? Or, after resolving some of her inner conflicts, is she confident in breaking through to the Angel rank? Klein nodded thoughtfully, without asking further questions.
This involves the other party's secrets, so it's best not to ask unless absolutely necessary.
The " Mystery Queen " then said:
"When he wrote one of those pages in his diary, I was sitting across from him, wanting him to teach me how to interpret and depict those symbols. He didn't agree; he just ruffled my hair. By then, I was already an adult..."
"I could tell that when he wrote that page in his diary, he was worried, hesitant, and fearful. At the end, he said to me, 'If I really do become a great figure in the mystical world in the future, as Zaratul predicted, then I must remember to be careful of the ' Spectator.'"
Beware of the " Spectator "... Klein couldn't help but repeat Roselle's warning to himself.
He believed that this emperor did not refer to the Beyonder along the entire " Spectator " path in general, but must refer to a specific being, a specific event, or both.
Emperor Roselle was a member of that ancient Concealment organization... The founder and leader of that ancient Concealment organization was... Klein's eyelids twitched slightly, and he dared not think any further, afraid that some being could hear his thoughts.
"Perhaps that page of the diary contains a detailed explanation," he remarked, hoping to see that page of the diary as soon as possible.
"I know." Bernadette nodded.
She didn't continue the topic, and after a two-second silence, she said:
"On behalf of Cattleya, I would like to express my gratitude to Mr. ' The Fool ' and to you. Obtaining the blood of the ' Snake of Fate ' will be of great help to her future path."
"Although the blood of Mythical Creature from any path can be used in the ' Mystic ' advancement ceremony, the best choice is still the ' Fate ' path, which will make her advancement to Sequence 3 much easier."
"Why?" Klein asked, with a learning mindset.
In any case, it's impossible for a Blessed to know everything; even the true god can't!
Bernadette's gaze seemed slightly unfocused.
"'Peeping into the secrets of Fate ' is another way of saying 'prophecy,' and the Sequence 3 name of the ' Mystery Pryer ' is ' Prophet,' which is why I'm in Backlund."
Because of some prophecy? Klein, with a hint of suspicion and a sense of understanding, spoke up:
"Many methods seem to have the ability to predict related things."
The " Mystery Queen " slightly curved her lips and sighed softly:
"In ancient times, many extraordinary beings believed that by concentrating the same abilities together, they could achieve a qualitative change and breakthrough. As a result, without exception, they went mad and lost control. It wasn't until the first ' Blasphemy Slate ' was born that all living beings understood that balance, the kind of balance that comes with walking on the edge of a cliff, is the key to the path of transcendence."
So, the capabilities encompassed by a field might be distributed across multiple pathways, with the main pathways concentrating a large amount and the remaining pathways dividing the rest? Hmm, a counterexample is Yurizan, the " King of the North " in Groselle's Travels... Klein fell into thought and didn't ask any further questions.
After a while, the " Mystery Queen " Bernadette broke the silence:
If you have nothing else, let's call it a day.
Klein thought for a moment and said:
"Okay, if you need any help, you can contact me through ' Admiral of Stars '."
Bernadette nodded slightly, and her figure suddenly became transparent, turning into a pile of bubbles.
The bubbles dispersed and drifted away in an instant, and the dark green pea vines shrank and disappeared into the night.
Klein seemed to be Invisible Hand, and floated lightly onto the Backlund Bridge.
He reached up and pressed his hat down, then looked around. He saw houses lining both banks of the river, their lights casting dim glows. Amidst the rushing river and the deep, dark night, the scene appeared peaceful, serene, warm, and tranquil.
"I hope all of this won't be ruined..." Klein sighed, his figure quickly becoming transparent and fading away.