Vera's beautiful golden hair hung down in slight disarray, part of it spilling over her back, the rest drifting over her chest. It added a hint of allure to her otherwise heroic features.
Ebner's gaze unconsciously followed those strands of hair into the collar of her silk nightgown, where whiteness and shadowy valleys entered his eyes at the same time…
He had to admit, whether it was her figure, her looks, her aura, or her personality, Princess Vera matched several of his favorite types. She was very tempting to him.
And before they had acted together, she had already said she would fully cooperate in his "acting" as Owen. Even if he wished to display "lust," she would comply… judging from her current attitude, she had no intention of going back on that promise either…
But Ebner still suppressed that "desire," and did not go any further.
It was not because of some moral scruple. To be honest, if it had been someone he was familiar with—Xio, Fors, Jane, Edwina, Fanny, or even Helene or Gwen with their seductive charm—he would not have withstood the temptation…
But this Princess Vera before him, he had only met her a few times, and knew nothing of her background! And the normally reserved and dignified princess described by Xio was showing such initiative before him… This instead raised great wariness and concern in his heart.
After all, in such a mysterious world, reckless indulgence might bring about a tragic end.
Whether it was the Demoness of Affliction Ray or the Saintess of White Katarina, both had fallen prey because of this very aspect…
With so many negative examples, Ebner naturally dared not attempt such intimacy with Vera before he had fully understood her purpose and background, before he had established a strong bond with her.
Not even with an avatar!
Vera, watching him, easily guessed what was on his mind. A faint smile appeared on her lips. She actually hadn't intended to really go further with him just yet either—the timing was not right, it was still too early.
Moreover…
At that thought, Vera glanced out the window at the red moon and the stars hanging in the night sky.
Next, instead of moving closer, she simply motioned for Ebner to sit on the bed. She herself sat down on the other side, smiling as she brought up serious business: "How do you plan to deal with the Saintess of White Katarina? She is still trapped in the dream woven by 'Arrogance,' but as a Demoness of Unaging, that dream can at most restrain her for a day."
Seeing her cease her "offensive," Ebner exhaled in relief, though he couldn't help feeling a little regret and disappointment.
As a man of normal desires, he actually somewhat enjoyed such close contact with a beautiful woman…
Steadying himself, he thought for a moment before replying: "Since I am now Owen, I'll temporarily maintain 'control' over her. That Sealed Artifact, the Proof of Heartloss, still holds sway over her.
"After all, if we release her now, and she guesses that 'Owen' failed in the previous ambush, it could ruin our plans.
"And if she doesn't guess, then she will inevitably seek revenge on 'Lust,' which would still be troublesome.
"As for killing her, that would certainly draw the Demoness Sect's investigation. I had previously leaked to the higher-ups of the Demoness Sect that Katarina might be under Owen's control… As the prime suspect, I would suffer the witches' retaliation.
"So it's best to keep her in her current state for now."
Clearly, Ebner had thought this through in advance. His explanation was well-structured and clear.
Vera nodded after hearing him, then added, "I'll have 'Arrogance' plant in her a memory where 'Lust' emerged victorious… though I'll need you to provide the outline. 'Arrogance's' own scriptwriting is… crude! It would surely be seen through."
As she said this, she couldn't resist grumbling about her collaborator.
Ebner's lips twitched, but in the end he had no choice but to agree to her request.
After that, while drafting the script, Ebner also discussed matters concerning the Mist Demon with Vera. To his surprise, she suddenly chuckled and said with a smile:
"So that's why Owen kept making moves on me… all for this. Though his reasoning was full of errors, the conclusion was right—I do indeed know the whereabouts of the Mist Demon."
Hearing this, Ebner quickly set down his pen and looked up at Vera, hoping she would share more.
But Vera only gave him a playful glance and said with a laugh, "When you truly become a Prophet, and bring me something that moves me, then I'll tell you."
…
The night passed. After sending Vera away, Ebner left a message for George III using the contact details in his memory, then used the excuse of a family summons to depart Backlund.
Not long after leaving the city, however, he "switched accounts," letting Owen enter the Quiz Labyrinth to escape MI9's surveillance.
Afterward, Ebner returned to Backlund, planning to attend the Tarot Gathering before using the Teleportation Altar to travel to Trier.
During this, he discovered another drawback of his refined mystical art: the Owen avatar could not stray too far from his main body. At most, they could operate simultaneously within the same large city; otherwise, the "signal" would cut off…
…
That week's Tarot Gathering was similar to the last three. There was no Roselle diary, hardly any transactions, and very little information shared.
The only notable thing was that Mr. World had successfully hired the Hermit Cattleya. In a little over a month, at the capital of the Gargas Archipelago, the White City, Nas, he would meet her and board the ship of this Admiral of the Stars to sail to the far eastern edge of the Sonia Sea—toward that nearly illusory and perilous ocean, in search of the wild mermaids that dwelled there.
The Hermit Cattleya seemed interested in meeting the Tarot members in reality. After only a few seconds of thought, she agreed to Mr. World's request. But given the danger involved, she set a relatively steep price:
3000 pounds!
Klein's first reaction was to give up and instead take Mr. Hanged Man's Blue Avenger, or Admiral of Stars Maria's Pale Saintess.
But considering that Mr. Hanged Man's ship had many sailors from the Church of the Storms, limiting his freedom, and that the easternmost Sonia Sea was indeed extremely dangerous; while Admiral of Stars Maria rarely ventured near the divine war ruins and was unfamiliar with that region…
In the end, Klein still accepted the Hermit's terms. She would wait for one month near the Gargas Archipelago starting in early April. If he missed the deadline, the deal would be canceled.
After this transaction was settled, the Tarot members shifted into free discussion. Everyone shared bits of local news, and then Mr. Fool declared the meeting over.
As the scarlet light swallowed the figures of the others, dissolving them into the mysterious space above the gray fog, Klein, seated at the lowest place, turned toward Ebner and said simply:
"Maria succeeded in capturing Abby!"
Ebner's spirit stirred at once, while a trace of surprise flashed through his thoughts:
Huh? Didn't you say Abby was on the Black Death with the witches of the Demoness Sect, making it difficult for the Pale Admiral to strike?
I remember I even thought of tossing Tracy back into the sea as bait to draw them out…
Wait, could it be that Klein actually adopted that plan, disguising himself as Tracy to lure Abby out, and that's how he succeeded?!
(End of Chapter)