As Klein finished his final stroke, the light in billiard room number three suddenly dimmed a little.
On the surface of the small makeup mirror, ripples spread out in concentric circles, eventually becoming deep and dark.
Then, one bloody word after another came to the fore:
Ask your questions.
Such a scene is filled with a sense of eeriness and terror. Even if the person opposite is a " Wraith " or a " Living Corpse," they seem to be Awe and dare not utter a word for a moment.
Only Klein maintained a constant smile, as if he had grown accustomed to it all.
He had instructed the " Magic Mirror " Arrodes beforehand not to ask questions that were too difficult or too private, and not to act like a servant. If Sharron and Maric, who knew the situation better, hadn't been able to ask questions that were more focused on the key points, Klein would have preferred to handle things privately without revealing the fact that he had such a "helper."
After a few seconds of silence, Maric took two steps forward, came to the pool table, and opened his mouth.
Just then, Sharron's soft but emotionless voice suddenly rang out:
"I'll ask."
Before Maric could respond, she stood up as if floating, looked at the vanity mirror and said:
"The mummy of Tutanssess II was a trap set by the Loen military against the Rose School of Thought, wasn't it?"
The blood-red characters on the makeup mirror suddenly melted away, sliding down and leaving stains. Only one word remained, wriggling and deforming:
"Right."
It was indeed a trap set by the Loen military against the Rose School of Thought. This initially ruled out the possibility that the Rose School of Thought had a conspiracy against Miss Sharron and Maric. After all, the risks involved far exceeded the value of a Sequence 5 plus a Sequence 6. Even if the Rose School of Thought members were unrestrained in their desire for revenge, they wouldn't be this insane. Unless, of course, they originally intended to deal with the Loen military and drag the traitors into it. But if that were the case, the best place to start the war would be on the Southern Continent or at sea, not near Backlund. No one knows how many terrifying figures are hiding there... As his thoughts drifted, Klein saw the mirror's surface return to its deep darkness, and new blood-red characters appeared:
"Based on the principle of reciprocity, it's my turn to ask a question."
"If you answer Error, or lie, you will be punished."
He was fairly obedient and didn't make any demands regarding performance art... Klein, gazing at the pool table, nodded almost imperceptibly.
At this moment, the previous sentence slowly disappears, and new words appear:
"You..."
The word "blood" froze for a full three seconds before the rest of the sentence followed:
"... Answer the question about the relationship between the Chained God ' and the ' Mother Tree of Desire '."
For some reason, Klein felt that the blood in the latter part of the text seemed much dimmer than before, but fortunately, the question was not outrageous and was the kind he wanted to know.
Wearing a black soft hat, Sharron gazed at the vanity mirror and said without changing her expression:
"At the beginning of the Fifth Epoch, with the fall of Death, the Einhorn Family gradually lost control of the Star Plateau and the Paz Valley. In those places, extraordinary organizations of their own emerged, the Rose School of Thought."
" The Original, there was no ' Mother Tree of Desire,' only the ' Chained God.' The Rose School of Thought advocated moderation and established a religious system of rituals, including laws. Formal members lived a life of austerity and low desire in order to cope with the aftereffects of gaining power."
"Suddenly one day, words like 'indulgence' appeared in the divine pronouncements, and many people gradually changed, reverting to ancient and bloody primitive sacrificial traditions. Later, some high-ranking members of the school began to Concealment claim that the ' Chained God ' was the incarnation of the ' Mother Tree of Desire.'"
It sounds like the " Chained God " has been gradually corrupted or replaced by the " Mother Tree of Desire "... If this was once Sequence 0, then the " Mother Tree of Desire " is truly terrifying, no wonder it is hated by all other gods... However, the " Chained God " may not necessarily be Sequence 0, there is a good chance that it is a fully activated ' Uniqueness ', or Angel King with two Sequence 1, or even weaker, there is currently a lack of sufficient information to confirm this... Klein frowned slightly, pondering the matter of the " Mother Tree of Desire ".
At this point, Sharron turned and asked:
What problems exist with the mummy of Tutanssess II?
On the surface of the makeup mirror, blood-red words wriggled and changed, evolving into complete sentences:
"It is cursed, the embodiment of curse, and has the potential to turn into Living Corpse on its own."
This mummy is made of "curse"? No wonder it's a corpse left behind by High-Sequence powerhouse... How should we deal with this? Klein turned his head to look at Miss Sharron and Maric, and found that their expressions were calm enough, without the slightest surprise, as if they already knew, which meant that they had a solution. Of course, Sharron was almost expressionless at all times, always calm.
After answering, " Magic Mirror " Arrodes, based on the principle of reciprocity, posed his own question:
"You...
"... What is the purpose of striving to improve one's rank?"
This time, it also begins with a blood-stained word, followed by a less vivid passage after a few seconds of stillness.
Does this mean that Arrodes is hesitant, struggling, and fighting against itself? On the one hand, it is unable to restrain its nature from asking difficult questions, and on the other hand, it has to suppress itself considering my instructions? Klein chuckled thoughtfully.
Sharron, dressed in a long, elaborate, and exquisite gown, stood there silently for a moment before softly speaking:
" The Original, it was about not wanting to be bullied; now it's about having the ability to protect myself and my companions, as well as seeking revenge and spreading the idea of moderation... If everyone could control their desires, there would be no war, no killing, and far less suffering."
Klein was slightly surprised, because in his memory, Miss Sharron rarely spoke like that.
This doesn't mean she can't speak at length, but rather that even when she does, she's extremely restrained and doesn't go into too much detail. Just like when she answered the first question, she simply recounted the events, seemingly saying a lot, but without a single superfluous or subjective word. Now, the sentence she added later is noticeably more verbose than her usual style.
Is this the opinion she's been pondering repeatedly, suppressing for a long time without expressing it? Suddenly, the chaotic reality of the Southern Continent, rife with conflict, flashed into Klein's mind.
There were large numbers of enslaved natives, countless people dying from hunger and disease, and constant wars and human sacrifices.
If I were born in the Southern Continent and were still alive today, I would certainly also hope for world peace and the well-being of the people... Speaking of which, neither Miss Sharron nor Maric looks like typical Southern Continent people. Hmm, I've heard that some of the upper echelons of the ancient Highland Kingdom and the Kingdom of Paz were actually from the Northern Continent. That makes sense; before the Death Reaper fell, the Northern Continent were easily navigable... Also, when Sharron mentioned revenge earlier, the word she used carried very little weight, as if she had given up hope, or perhaps her desire had faded? Klein sighed silently, listening as Sharron raised one detail after another and answered one question after another.
After clarifying the details regarding Tutanssess II's mummy, Sharron asked again:
"Besides Mahams, which other High-Sequence powerhouses will appear in this trap?"
On the surface of the dressing mirror, ripples of water floated for a moment, then solidified into a brilliant light that covered everything else, making it impossible to see anything else.
Given Arrodes's abilities, it must involve Angel or "0" level Sealed Artifact, so a precise answer is impossible... Klein withdrew his gaze and smiled at Miss Sharron and Maric:
"It seems to be pretty much what I expected; the Loen military has left themselves a considerable margin."
Sharron nodded slightly, still gazing at the vanity mirror, waiting for the Hidden Existence to pose its question.
The crimson words wriggled, no longer appearing intermittently as before, and came out all at once:
What are your thoughts on your teacher?
A teacher? Miss Sharron has a teacher... Well, as a member of the Temperance Faction, to remain unaffected and persist on her path within the long-corrupted Rose School of Thought, there must be someone providing her protection... Is this one of the reasons she and Maric were able to escape? Klein looked forward to Sharron's answer with a sense of realization.
Sharron pursed her lips and said:
I admire Him very much.
... Using Him? Klein was so shocked he almost lost his smile.
Among the major extraordinary organizations, including the Church of the True God, Angel on Earth are extremely rare, sometimes only one or two. He had just thought that Miss Sharron's teacher was Sequence 4 3 Saint, the strongest being like " Sea King " Jahn Kottman. Who knew that the other party used the honorific "He," a word that is significantly different from "he," "she," and "it" in Loenese, Ancient Feysac, and even Jotun and Elvish!
After the initial shock, Klein suddenly sighed: Miss Sharron's current condition largely indicates that her teacher is probably no longer alive. Her escape with Maric was likely the last stand of this leader of the Temperance Faction within the Rose School of Thought. As for the " Mother Tree of Desire," there was no other choice but to either corrupt or erase it, turning it into Sealed Artifact.
The surface of the dressing mirror turned dark and gloomy once again, and all the bright red words disappeared.
After a long while, new text appeared on top:
"Continue."
"I'm all right now, thank you for your help." Sharron spoke slowly, lifting her skirt slightly and giving a curtsy.
As she finished speaking, the vanity mirror suddenly returned to normal, and the lighting in the billiard room was no longer dim.
Sharron turned to look at Klein and said in a normal voice:
"Let's abandon this matter."
Clearly, she understood what the light that the Hidden Existence presented in its final answer truly meant.
Klein shook his head and smiled slightly:
"Don't rush into a decision. Let me ask you a few more questions. Perhaps there's still a chance, a chance that doesn't require taking too much risk."
"At least my Divination results suggest that this is possible!" he silently added to himself.
"What is it?" Maric asked, barely able to contain himself.