Bernadette gazed at the outlines for a long time, until they gradually became clearer as the Dawn approached, outlining a sizable island.
On the island, towering, dark green, almost black trees stand tall, covering the ground and obscuring the mountain peaks.
Although Bernadette couldn't be sure if this was the original island her father had visited, a " Prophet's" intuition told her that this was very likely the place she was searching for.
As the coastline came into view, she pursed her lips, lowered her head, and uttered a revered name:
" The Fool That Doesn't Belong to This Era, Mysterious Ruler Above the Gray Fog, the King of Yellow and Black who wields good fortune..."
Immediately afterwards, the " Mystery Queen " Bernadette raised her hand, causing the uncrewed " Dawn " to stop near the shore.
At the same time, the sounds of piano, violin, cello, flute and other instruments filled the empty cabin, weaving together a lively and cheerful melody.
As the music played, the toast, steak, mashed potatoes, fried mushrooms, and other items on the plates leaped up and danced their way back into the oven or into the trash can.
The wine bottles, white tablecloths, and other items returned to their original positions, some even having their corks replaced, while others folded themselves neatly.
Then, Bernadette tossed a bright, unrealistic ball of yarn into the air with her right hand.
The ball of yarn rolled into the void, leaving behind a thread. Bernadette followed it, wandering through the Spirit World, until she arrived at the edge of the nameless island.
This " Mystery Queen " did not rush to delve deeper into the possible tomb of the " Black Emperor." Instead, she cautiously deepened her azure eyes, which were as blue as the sea, and briefly lost focus, as if she were peering into the river of Fate.
A few seconds later, Bernadette's eyes returned to normal, and she subconsciously looked up at the sky.
She felt herself being watched by something.
Of course, this was something she had expected, because she had taken the initiative to recite the name of " The Fool ".
Above the Gray Fog, inside the ancient palace, Klein, holding the " The Fool " card, draped in the " Curtain," and wielding the " Staff of the Stars," was examining the island's situation through the prayer lights of the " Mystery Queen."
In his Spirit Vision, the island was shrouded in a faint, Distortion blackness, preventing him from seeing directly what was inside and allowing him to only see Bernadette's perspective.
Even if it wasn't the primitive island discovered by Emperor Roselle, this place is no ordinary island... Klein nodded almost imperceptibly, waiting for the " Mystery Queen " to explore further.
Bernadette never used the ball of thread again, for she sensed that it would lead her into an insurmountable Abyss of danger.
She took out an illusory hat and put it on her head.
Her figure, dressed as a captain, vanished without a trace.
This is also one of the Fairy Tale Magic from " Mysticism Re-enactment," the core of which is a "hat" that can make people invisible.
Then, Bernadette followed a path that appeared to have been carved out by humans and entered a forest of enormous trees.
There were no birdsong, no roars of wild beasts, and no crawling of insects. It was so peaceful that time seemed to have frozen, and so deathly silent that it was as if no living beings existed.
According to Bernadette, there should be many extraordinary creatures that have become extinct in the outside world here, so it would normally be quite lively. But now, she felt like she was walking through an empty graveyard, with each giant tree a tombstone.
If it were any of the more mentally weaker Beyonder, they would surely be on edge by now, bearing immense pressure and slowly teetering on the brink of losing control. But Bernadette's expression remained unchanged, as if she had become accustomed to navigating danger and the bizarre.
After walking for nearly half an hour, she still hadn't seen any living creatures, nor even felt the presence of the wind.
Suddenly, the view opened up before her, as the massive trees in front of her began to thin out.
Bernadette felt no joy whatsoever; instead, she slowed her pace, raised her hand, and touched her brow.
A pair of eyes appeared before her, devoid of eyelashes, unusually indifferent, and almost transparent.
Then, these " Eye of Mystery Prying " were taken by unseen hands and placed on the face of a transparent person.
This is Bernadette's " Invisible Servant ".
This " Invisible Servant," carrying " Eye of Mystery Prying," swiftly traversed the remaining path and arrived at the open woodland.
During this process, its vision gradually cleared, seemingly no longer affected by the faint darkness permeating the air.
Finally, this " Invisible Servant " reached the edge of the open area and relayed the situation there back to Bernadette's view through the " Eye of Mystery Prying ":
Beyond the sparse woods lay a large clearing, where countless creatures roamed.
Among them were red Dragon with flames flowing from their skin, tree-men with burls serving as eyes and fissures as mouths, eight-legged Demonic Wolf, Giant with deformed limbs, feathered Feathered Serpent that resembled small hills just by coiling up, and all sorts of creatures that were a mixture of humans and wild beasts.
At this moment, they were all facing one direction, prostrating their upper bodies or heads, as if worshipping some unknown being, and none of them made a sound.
There were even a few humans among them.
One, two, three, four, five... As Bernadette silently counted how many humanoid creatures there were, her azure pupils suddenly dilated slightly.
She learned from " Admiral of Stars " Cattleya that the primitive island her father discovered had been contaminated with some kind of strange pollution that caused any creature that died from it to return to this place, to its source, no matter where its body was.
Of the "knights" who followed Emperor Roselle, Green died first, followed by William and Pally. But apart from these three, no one else perished in the event. At this time, there were five of those extraordinary or mutated creatures.
Furthermore, Bernadette also knew that her father had eventually solved the pollution problem, making the pristine island his secret base.
Could it not be that island? This " Mystery Queen " scrutinized the five humans one by one through her " Eye of Mystery Prying."
They were all dressed in luxurious Roselle- era clothing, their faces pale and their skin withered, making them look more like Living Corpse than humans.
Because the five people were all prostrate on the ground, Bernadette could not see their faces for the time being and could only patiently wait for the "prayer" to end.
A few minutes later, the creatures simultaneously straightened up, and the entire primeval forest came to life.
Seizing the opportunity, Bernadette saw the faces of the five people and compared them with her own memories and the portraits she possessed:
" Green, it really is Green, this is that primitive island..."
"This is Uncle William. I remember what he looks like. He used to teach me swordsmanship..."
"Uncle Pally..."
When she recognized the fourth person, Bernadette's usually expressionless face revealed an undisguised astonishment.
That person is:
Edwards!
In Bernadette's memory, the knight lived until his father's death, and then the family moved to Lenburg; he did not die on this primitive island at all.
According to the intelligence she obtained from " Vice Admiral Iceberg " Edwina, Edwards lived to be nearly one hundred years old, passed away peacefully, and was buried in a cemetery on the outskirts of Lenburg.
Uncle Edwards has also returned to the island... He wasn't affected by the pollution, and he didn't die from it... One thought after another flashed through Bernadette's mind, so much so that the " Eye of Mystery Prying " on the face of the " Invisible Servant " kept staring at the human who resembled Edwards.
The "gentleman" looked old, with completely white hair, matching the portrait of her ancestor in his later years shown by Edwina Edwards. Bernadette could also discern what he looked like in his prime from his facial features and contours.
At that time, Edwards was her riding instructor.
Suddenly, the human who resembled Edwards turned his head and looked with cold, indifferent eyes toward the location of the " Invisible Servant ".
Although Bernadette inherited a great deal of wealth from Emperor Roselle, her ability to rise to her current position in the mystical world was not solely due to the possessions she acquired. In that instant, she made a decisive move, dispelling the " Eye of Mystery Prying " and allowing the " Invisible Servant " to return to the Spirit World.
Immediately afterwards, she quietly changed her position while remaining invisible.
At the same time, Klein, above the Gray Fog, lightly tapped the edge of the mottled long table, increasing the probability that Bernadette would remain undetected.
Once the human, resembling Edwards, had withdrawn his blank gaze and joined the other creatures heading towards different parts of the primeval forest, Klein frowned slightly and muttered to himself:
What strange thing has happened?
He remembered that the Great Emperor had solved the problem of Starry Sky pollution on this primitive island before his death, but now, these creatures were still worshipping some unknown entity and holding mysterious rituals, which were close to the earliest description in the diary.
After the Great Emperor's fall, did something in the Starry Sky invade this place, or are they actually worshipping a symbol left behind by the Great Emperor? Who are the two extra people? They look like Edwards and Benjamin Abraham. Klein, whose vision is obscured by the faint blackness on the island, cannot see what is being worshipped for the time being and can only follow Bernadette's eyes to observe his surroundings.
After a while, Bernadette, who was skilled in prophecy, finally determined that there were no living beings left in the open space, and summoned the " Invisible Servant " once again, giving it the " Eye of Mystery Prying ".
This " Invisible Servant " traversed the sparse parts of the forest and completely open areas, carefully arriving at the place where those creatures had just been worshipping.
There was a huge rock with a simple shrine made of dark red wood on it.
The " Invisible Servant " circled halfway around and arrived at the front of the shrine, only to find it completely empty, without any statues of gods or badges or other items made up of symbolic symbols.
The creatures on this island seem to be worshipping something that doesn't exist.