In fact, from the moment the "Saintess of Blue," Veronika, prepared to ambush Margaret, she had already fallen into Ebner's calculations.
And the reliance that had allowed her to repeatedly escape with her life from the hands of the "Saintess of Black," Medea—the sealed artifact "Star Flag," formed from a "Wanderer" characteristic—also failed to help her break free from her predicament.
This was because Ebner had manipulated the "Ghost Empire" to overwrite the "Mirror World" she had previously modified, unknowingly casting her into one of the worlds within the ship.
As for what happened afterward, Ebner no longer paid any attention to it. If "Monica," within her own "domain," still could not take down an "Undying Demoness" whose power had been restricted by a "Hand of Order," and whose personality had even been overwritten, then she was not worthy of being called the "Primordial Succubus."
In short, by the time Emlyn arrived at 28 Kingster Street the next day for a visit, the "Saintess of Blue" was already standing respectfully beside Ebner and presented him with a relatively pure portion of "Fountain of Youth" water.
Of course, the current "Saintess of Blue," although her outward appearance had not changed and she was still as refined and scholarly as before, was no longer Veronika in essence. Instead, her body had been occupied by "Monica," becoming a vessel for the latter to "descend" outside the "Ghost Empire."
Emlyn did not pay much attention to the woman who led him into the reception room. At most, he thought she looked decent, but since he did not like things that could move on their own, he merely complained inwardly about Ebner's style and then put the matter out of his mind.
Once only one person and one bloodkin remained in the reception room, Emlyn used spirituality to seal off the surroundings, then looked at Ebner, who was drinking coffee, and said:
"The Marquis needs three portions of 'Fountain of Youth' water, each with a thousand-year capacity. The price he's offering is—"
Before Emlyn could finish, Ebner raised his hand to interrupt him. Having already "seen through" the other party's "bottom line," he smiled and said:
"No need to quote those probing prices. Just tell me the highest price you've been authorized to offer."
Emlyn was immediately stunned and said in a low voice:
"I haven't finished speaking yet—how did you know?"
Ebner did not answer his question. He merely nodded to himself and said:
"That Marquis is fairly sincere… Mm, I can accept the offer of one million gold pounds per portion."
Emlyn was momentarily dazed, feeling as though he had no secrets at all in front of the other party. He forced a smile, but in the end, he still could not suppress his curiosity and asked:
"I didn't detect any intrusion into my mind… How exactly did you do it?"
He had already obtained a Sequence 5-level vampire characteristic through a three-party transaction with Ebner and Derrick, becoming a "Crimson Scholar," capable of using "moonlight" to reflect the mind.
"You know, I'm a detective," Ebner said seriously as he looked at him. "So this is deduction."
Do you think I'm an idiot? Emlyn shot Ebner a contemptuous look, then raised his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose and chuckled:
"Then, great detective, can you 'deduce' what I'm going to say next?"
Hearing this, the corners of Ebner's mouth lifted slightly. He then took a mirror and manifested the scene he had "seen through" within it.
The surface of the mirror first rippled like water, then slowly revealed Emlyn's figure.
However, a rectangular frame appeared near his mouth, inside which text continuously appeared, as if he were speaking.
—This form had already been applied in some comic books and was said to have been invented by Emperor Roselle, so Emlyn understood its meaning.
"Since the price has been agreed upon, let's discuss the specific details of the transaction… The Marquis hopes to schedule the exchange for next Wednesday at midnight… and the location will be determined by you," the Emlyn in the image said.
Next, the image in the mirror changed to show Ebner. He wore a smile, and text likewise appeared near his mouth:
"It seems that among the Marquises who need 'Fountain of Youth' water, there is one who won't fully awaken from slumber until next week?
"Mm, I have no problem with the timing… As for the location, let's set it at Lady Helen's ancient castle.
"She is both a vampire and an archbishop of the Church of the Earth Mother. We can all feel at ease, can't we?"
The image ended there. Ebner pushed the mirror aside, then looked at the dumbfounded Emlyn with an ambiguous smile.
After becoming a "Seer," and prying into the power of the "Eye of Omniscience," Ebner already possessed a bit of "Arodes's" flair. He had even considered integrating his honorific name into a "mystical art" and spreading it to aid his acting.
Unfortunately, those who didn't understand the field would find it difficult to use this mystical art, while those who did understand it would be extremely cautious toward it, making it ineffective for helping him act—so he had no choice but to give up on the idea.
After quite some time, Emlyn finally came back to his senses and smacked his lips:
"So this is the kind of 'deduction' you use…"
This has absolutely nothing to do with the 'deduction' I understand, okay?!
Then, he restrained the pride that had arisen from his advancement and said with a smile:
"I'll inform the Marquis of your suggestion regarding the meeting location."
...
Saturday night.
One of the vice presidents of the Secret Order, the "Scholar of Yore" Nelly Pitt, who lived in the Golden Horn Bay estate in Indore Port, stood up and drew the curtains after dismissing the manservant and butler. He then sat back down on the sofa, continuously rubbing a badge in his hand as he quietly waited for eight o'clock to arrive.
"The president has been missing for over a hundred years. Does this return mean that He has taken another step forward and become a 'Servant of Mysteries'?
"Also, I wonder whether my conflicts with Daphne Priestley and Maud will earn the president's punishment…
"Daphne Priestley's side is easier to deal with. She isn't one of the president's direct subordinates, and the conflict between her and me isn't that severe. There shouldn't be much of a problem.
"But Maud is another matter… He himself is a descendant of the Zaratul family, and these past years he's been hiding in the Southern Continent precisely because he was jointly suppressed by Daphne and me… He will definitely complain to the president!
"Heh, but the fact that the president sought out Daphne first upon returning and had her notify the others to convene is itself quite intriguing…
"If it weren't for that, and if the results of my divination weren't fairly decent, I probably wouldn't dare to keep this badge on me all this time."
Just as he finished thinking this, he realized that the time had reached eight o'clock Trier time. The badge in his hand suddenly burst forth with dazzling light, forming a "door" constructed of starlight and gray mist.
As soon as Nelly's spirituality touched that door, he was informed that once he passed through it, his spiritual body would be taken to a hidden space.
He hesitated briefly, knowing full well that the president's orders could not be disobeyed. Gritting his teeth, he still entered it.
In the next moment, he found himself already within a magnificently splendid palace.
...
At the same time, the "Prophet" Tylers, who had also obtained a badge, was examining the "door" that had appeared before him.
Because he had replaced a certain elder of the Secret Order using a Beyonder characteristic and was effectively an "undercover agent," he felt rather conflicted at this moment, unsure whether his disguise would be seen through by Zaratul.
But just then, a familiar voice suddenly came from within the "door":
"Come in with confidence!"
Ebner?! Tylers froze for a second, then his entire body relaxed. He stepped through the door with ease.
(End of Chapter)