The several "girls" appearing in Trier were naturally the White, Red, Blue, and Yellow—four Saintesses of the Demoness Sect who had come to trouble Owen.
Among them, aside from the "Yellow Saintess" Natalia, who was a Sequence 2 Demoness of Catastrophe, the "White Saintess" Katerina, the "Red Saintess" Margaret, and the "Blue Saintess" Veranica were all Sequence 3–level Unaging Demonesses.
Within the Demoness Sect, only those who advanced to Sequence 3 were qualified to receive a codename based on a color.
At this moment, hearing the Yellow Saintess sigh, the Red Saintess Margaret furrowed her brows slightly. She was an Intis native herself and still held some affection for Trier, not wishing to see it fall into disaster.
But she quickly discarded such unnecessary sentiments. After all, none of the women present—including herself—were good people. If they revealed a "weakness," they might easily be exploited to death.
"Your Highness, where are we going to ambush Owen Delien… I also need to inform my friend first…" Margaret asked.
But before she finished her sentence, the Yellow Saintess Natalia interrupted her. Narrowing her gem-like bright blue eyes, she shook her head. "No need to inform outsiders… and I don't trust them!"
As she spoke, she brushed the ends of her golden hair, as if thinking deeply, and finally said, "We just need to wait near the Delien family's old residence."
Hearing Natalia openly declare distrust toward her friend, Margaret's expression tightened. But as the other was an angel, her decision could not be opposed. Margaret could only bow her head and reply, "Yes, Your Highness."
The White Saintess Katerina's eyes suddenly turned sly. Smiling, she suggested, "Why don't we split up and meet in front of the Delien family's old residence later?"
Natalia glanced at her. Although she was nearly a thousand years younger, she instantly saw through Katerina's plan—she wanted to use this chance to gather traces of Catastrophe for her ritual…
Natalia sneered inwardly, but accepted the suggestion on the surface.
Only when the other three Demonesses had departed in different directions did Natalia shake her head and silently murmur:
"A group of fools… Based on my sense for 'Catastrophe,' the most critical location of this event is actually near the Delien family's old residence!
"Just like Roselle said: 'Abandoning the root to chase trivialities.'"
...
Loen Kingdom, Backlund.
After receiving the perfunctory answer "I used to be a detective" from Gehrman, Bernadette allowed her form to turn transparent and dissolve into a spray of bubbles.
The bubbles scattered and vanished, and the dark-green pea vines retracted from Gehrman's sight.
By the time her figure reassembled, she was already inside her temporary residence in Backlund.
Even with Gehrman's guidance, the seventh floor's segment in the Dream Labyrinth Tower spanned a long period. Bernadette had still spent an entire night within it and felt mentally fatigued.
She intended to follow the habit she had maintained for nearly two centuries—bathe first and recover.
But just as she removed her outer coat, revealing an Intis-style white blouse underneath, a cough suddenly sounded behind her.
Bernadette stiffened at once. This was her own residence, surrounded by defensive rituals she had set up. Even in her current tired state, she was still a Clairvoyant… For someone to get so close without her spirituality warning her—
She instantly shifted into a combat stance. Her chestnut hair swept upward with the movement, her straight brows tightening into a sharp, unfamiliar expression.
—Since becoming a demigod, this was the first time someone had approached her without her noticing.
Bernadette's ocean-blue eyes swept backward. Then she quietly relaxed.
She recognized the intruder. It was Jane's good friend—Mr. Tower, a high-ranking member of the organization Cattleya had joined.
She didn't know how he infiltrated her residence, but he likely bore no ill intent.
Her thoughts turned rapidly. Bernadette asked gently and calmly:
"How did you know I was here?"
You're a Clairvoyant, aren't you? You didn't get even a hint?
Ebner nearly responded like that in his mind but quickly realized speaking it aloud would sound too arrogant…
This must be because of the 'Conqueror' crown I'm carrying… At that level, its influence is inevitable… making me want to provoke everything?
After a brief guess, Ebner smiled and said:
"You have access to the Dream Labyrinth Tower because I granted it to you."
In other words, he found her through that connection.
For others, this link might not work. For a Cognizer, it was more than enough.
Bernadette nodded slowly.
"I see."
She didn't linger on the topic. Instead, she put on her coat again and asked:
"What did you come for?"
Ebner looked at her, then carefully organized his words before saying:
"I recall that the Sequence 2 potion of the Mystery Pryer pathway is called the 'Sage.' To advance to that level, one must stop a disaster involving high-level forces… Correct?"
Bernadette's expression shifted slightly, as if she had sensed something. She said nothing and simply gestured for him to continue.
"And right now, a disaster is about to unfold in Trier. If it isn't stopped, tens of thousands might die!
"It is a catastrophe potentially even more terrifying than the Great Smog!"
After listening, the Queen Mystic Bernadette fell silent for a few seconds. Then she raised her hand, and her gentle yet emotionless voice gained a subtle undertone:
"Take me there immediately. With your hint, I have already foreseen the massive crisis brewing in Trier!"
Ebner relaxed and smiled, then took her hand and activated his teleportation.
Before seeking her out, he had "discerned" how she would respond. Roselle's eldest daughter was, just like in the original history, righteous and kind to the point of seeming "foolish." She could never watch her homeland be destroyed.
Moreover, she might be able to use this opportunity to ascend to Sequence 2 Sage—though she detested such disasters and had even fallen out with her father because of them.
And the reason Ebner didn't take action himself was that Trier was not Backlund. The Eternal Blazing Sun held grudges against his "Rhine" persona. If he used half-god powers, it might pass unnoticed. But using his former-life abilities would definitely draw higher-level attention.
At that point, even with the God of Steam and Machinery promising an angel to protect him, it wouldn't be fully safe.
Far better to let Bernadette—who also wished to save people—act openly while he aided her covertly.
Actually, Mr. Fool would be the best candidate… but he's still too weak…
Ebner sighed inwardly as he led Bernadette through the spirit world toward Trier.
At that moment, an extreme evil aura erupted from the White House, the Prime Minister's Office.
The Queen Mystic's ocean-blue eyes dimmed instantly, losing focus before closing for two or three seconds. When she reopened them, she frowned.
"A divine abomination has descended… but it isn't Suah!
"And Bonova has already arrived, carrying a '0'-grade Sealed Artifact capable of dragging the target into 'Concealment'… It seems the disaster has already passed…"
The disaster already passed?
Ebner opened the Eye of Pure White again, observing the flow of fate among the marching crowds—only to see their rivers of fate growing clearer, all flowing toward death…
"No… Something else is happening!"
Just as he thought this, a far more corrupt, blood-drenched, filthy aura burst upward from the White House, instantly shattering the Concealment around it. Ebner and Bernadette both clearly saw Bonova's mechanical body being wrapped in forces of "Corrosion" and "Defilement," dissolving into rust in one second.
Fortunately, that was only one of his many mechanical bodies.
"This is… the Abyss descending?!"
Ebner and Bernadette could no longer restrain their shock and exclaimed in unison.
...
Inside a building near the White House, Yaldabaoth—dressed in a crimson formal suit—looked at the corrupted Bonova and murmured with a smile:
"The Night Emperor's imprisonment sentence set by the Dark Side of the Universe has just ended;
"The Mother Tree of Desire is entangled with the Tenebrous World, unable to intervene for now;
"Suah is fully occupied with digesting Tolzna's remnants…"
He glanced at the other Bonovas rushing in and shook his head.
"My target truly is the divine abomination—Nors Fárbauti…
"But I never said I needed His characteristic, Bonova. You misunderstood me.
"He is merely a tool for the Demon Monarch to break free.
"Besides, I told you through Charlie Delien that my goal was the descent of the Abyss…
"And the Abyss was never meant to descend in the west—it was always intended to appear in the heart of Intis, right here in Trier!
"Now, even if the God of Steam and Machinery and the Eternal Blazing Sun perform temporary god descents, it will already be too late.
"Unlike the Evernight Goddess, your vessels for god descent require preparation and ritual alignment…
"And the time needed will be more than enough for the Abyss to devour every cathedral in Trier!"
Finishing his words, Yaldabaoth laughed wildly and arrogantly, as though deliberately revealing these truths.
(End of chapter)