Aaron was not too surprised by Arianna's attitude; after all, complete Mythical Creatures inherently had weak humanity. Aaron nodded slightly and tapped his chest, making a crimson moon symbol.
"I'm returning to Backlund shortly. Please send a telegram to His Highness in Sivellaus County, relaying the Church's arrangements to Archdeacon Randolph Carter."
As Aaron spoke, he placed the Evernight Emblem back over the "Eye of Rusco" and chuckled softly:
"Also, I'll be taking this Sealed Artifact with me."
The Demonic Wolf in the Forsaken Land of the Gods had been untraceable for a long time. A remnant body of a "King of Demonic Wolves" carrying the aura of Sefirah Castle might be a very good bait.
After all, the Evernight Goddess only said she wanted to give the "Eye of Rusco" to Klein; she didn't specify a deadline.
Leaving the Cathedral of Serenity and standing on the towering snowy mountain, Aaron's figure slowly vanished.
-----------------
Backlund, Cherwood Borough, 44 Sifield Street.
Klein pressed down on his hat brim and stepped off the public carriage. He looked at the unremarkable detached house across the street and hesitated for a moment before slowly approaching.
The fact that Arrodes couldn't pry into it at least indicated that even if the "Snake of Fate" restarted, it still left some arrangements within this room, and the unknown always caused hesitation.
Feigning nonchalance, Klein circled the street where the house was located, then went to the more secluded and quiet back door, taking out his universal key.
A pale blue halo spread across the wall. Klein took a deep breath and, with nerves taut, walked inside.
At the same time, at the junction of Cherwood Borough and the West Borough, a young man with black hair, black eyes, a gaunt face, and a monocle rode a bicycle, swaying leisurely through the streets.
Suddenly, his monocle seemed to flash with a faint light.
The bicycle slowly stopped. He adjusted the monocle on his right eye, looked at the sky, curled his lips, and chuckled softly:
"The changes in fate… a contingency left before the restart… how interesting."
After a brief evaluation, he clenched his right hand into a fist and gently tapped his monocle.
From the pedestrians on the street, the trees by the roadside, the sparrows on the rooftops, the rats in muddy corners, and the various unseen organisms in the air, a phantom insect-like figure flew out from each, converging into one like stardust.
The original young man had, at some unknown point, transformed into Amon, wearing a pointed soft hat and a classical black robe.
-----------------
A sense of ethereal unreality emerged in his mind. Klein was certain he hadn't entered a dream. The moment he entered 44 Sifield Street, he lost control of his body.
The sound of rushing water echoed in his ears. Klein's somewhat bewildered consciousness saw a shimmering river, and a gigantic silvery-white snake, seemingly composed of countless wheels, flashed past. A thin, grayish-white mist quickly rose above the river.
A strange sense of restraint came over him, followed by a somewhat familiar sensation of falling. Klein suddenly opened his eyes and saw the clean, dust-free living room, and the paper crane placed in the most prominent position in the living room.
Klein cautiously looked around. He felt that something inexplicable had changed in the room. Recalling the peculiar feeling from just now, he instinctively touched his chest, his expression freezing slightly.
The Wheel of Fortune card, which he had kept close to his body, had completely disappeared. After taking off his overcoat and checking it repeatedly, Klein finally turned his gaze to the paper crane.
Both its shape and size were identical to the one Dr. Aaron had shown him previously.
He raised and lowered his hand. Klein still meticulously searched the entire small building inside and out first. After confirming there were no other discoveries, he picked up the paper crane and examined it closely.
As expected, he found no abnormalities. With a sigh in his heart, Klein put away the paper crane and quietly left with the help of the universal key.
-----------------
On the outskirts of Backlund, Bernadette, wearing a fine black veil, looked at the mirror world that quietly surrounded her. She showed no panic, and her clear, cold voice echoed in the empty world:
"I didn't expect the 'Saintess of White' of the Demoness Sect to be lurking in Backlund. Aren't you afraid of being encircled by the Evernight and Storm Churches?"
A pleasant and charming soft voice emanated from various corners of the mirror world. Katarina Pelle, dressed in a simple, holy white robe, slowly emerged from the mirror surface:
"It's been a long time, hasn't it? The little girl who used to follow Roselle has now become the renowned Queen Mystic. I must say, your temperament is nothing like his."
"Can you tell me how you found this place?"
Bernadette's expression was calm, as if they were just chatting. Neither party had any intention of fighting, creating a strange harmony:
"The guidance of fate. It seems my opportunity for advancement is hidden here!"
Katarina Pelle's eyes narrowed slightly. As an elder Demoness who had personally experienced the War of Four Emperors and the Pale Disaster and successfully survived, she knew the advancement ritual for a Mystery Pryer Sequence 2. A smile quickly appeared on her beautiful face:
"My Demoness Sect has no intention of being your enemy. Instead of competing with me and suffering mutual losses, why don't I choose a more suitable opportunity for you?"
Adhering to the idea of sacrificing others to save herself, and in order to quickly get rid of this uninvited guest, Katarina Pelle decisively sold out her temporary ally, the Aurora Order, even emphasizing that Mr. A, who was responsible for the descent ritual, was only a Sequence 5 Shepherd.
Bernadette looked at the detailed address Katarina Pelle provided and fell silent for a moment, not leaving immediately.
Her "Eye of Mystery" appeared, quickly deciphering the array patterns she had previously obtained and deducing the array's direction to verify whether this "Saintess of White" had lied to her.
At Red Rose Manor, Edessak watched as Trissy slowly walked over and casually gravely injured the mid-sequence old butler. His expression was inexplicably horrified, unable to imagine how Trissy could have suddenly changed so much in such a short time.
Trissy looked at Edessak with an indifferent expression, black flames seemingly burning in her eyes. She seemed to think of something, then revealed a playful smile:
"Now, no one can stop me. Heh, to be frank, I am actually a Demoness!"
Prince Edessak's expression had returned to calm. He slowly exhaled:
"I know you are a Demoness. All those potion ingredients you got were provided by me!"
"I don't mind if my queen is a Witch or a Demoness. I've even seen your wanted poster!"
Trissy was startled at first, the black flames in her eyes no longer violent, but then she sneered:
"You know a lot, don't you? Then do you know that I used to be a man? My real name is Tris."
"What?" Edessak's eyes widened, and he tilted his head slightly, seemingly unable to believe what he had just heard.