Sylvia stared blankly at Mei, unable to hold back from shouting, "A higher status than you? Wait, the only entity in this universe capable of being far above you is—"
"Yes."
Before Sylvia could even finish her sentence, Acheron nodded.
Just as she was about to explain the situation further, the door suddenly burst open with a loud bang.
A fiery red figure rushed into the room in a desperate hurry.
"Sparkle has arrived! Everyone out of the way—! Huh? Wait, how is it already over? I'm positive I rushed over here the exact second it happened!"
The moment Sparkle burst into the room, she cupped her hands around her eyes like a pair of binoculars, scanning the area frantically.
But all she saw were two people sitting and one standing. Absolutely nothing was happening.
Her face, which had been bursting with pure anticipation for some good drama, instantly slumped.
"Quick, tell me! What just happened between you guys? Something definitely happened, right?!"
Like a slippery eel, Sparkle slid right into Sylvia's embrace with a swift whoosh.
She sat astride Sylvia's lap, wrapping her arms around her shoulders and staring at her with wide, sparkling eyes.
She looked exactly like a little brat begging for a toy.
Acheron reached out, intending to pull Sparkle out of Sylvia's lap.
But Sylvia waved her hand, stopping Acheron while asking, "How did you know something just happened here?"
Despite asking out loud, Sylvia already had an answer in her heart.
The only thing that could make Sparkle rush over so erratically was probably when that Aeon made a sudden, bizarre manifestation.
Sure enough, Sparkle narrowed her eyes and answered without a shred of hesitation, "Heehee, didn't you guys feel it? The Aeon of Elation just descended a moment ago!"
Sylvia and Acheron had already guessed as much, so they remained relatively calm.
Robin, on the other hand, was so startled that she jumped straight up from her seat. The wings behind her ears stiffened in sheer fright. Her eyes widened, displaying a look of utter bewilderment.
"Th-that Aeon of Elation?? What... what did THEY just do??"
Robin knew very little about the faction of Elation.
In her eyes, Masked Fools were mostly the type of people who loved watching a chaotic spectacle and always wished for things to get bigger.
Naturally, she assumed the Aeon of Elation would be the same.
But just now?
Did something happen just now?
Wasn't it just Sylvia tripping and taking Miss Acheron down with her, pinning Robin underneath them both?
What part of a cliché like that could possibly attract an Aeon to come watch??
"Sparkle doesn't know either~"
Sparkle shook her head side to side while resting her hands on Sylvia's shoulders.
She had rushed over in such a frantic hurry precisely because she was curious about what kind of fun that dramatic god had spotted here.
In the end, she had missed it completely.
"So what exactly happened to you guys just now? Come on, come on~ Little Bird, little white-hair, tell Sparkle~"
"Nothing happened."
Sylvia shrugged, having absolutely no intention of speaking.
Robin, however, blushed furiously. She stammered and shook her head, making it blatantly obvious to anyone watching that something had definitely happened.
"Hmph—!"
Sparkle puffed out her cheeks, staring daggers straight at Sylvia with an accusatory gaze. But very quickly, she couldn't maintain her angry facade any longer and burst out laughing.
Then, with a sudden release of her grip, Sparkle threw herself entirely into Sylvia's embrace.
Her mischievous little hands began shamelessly rummaging through Sylvia's pockets.
By the time Acheron reached out, grabbed Sparkle by the collar, and hauled her up, everyone saw that a mask had appeared in Sparkle's hand.
"Heeheehee~ As expected! Sylvia, quick, put this mask on and try it out."
Sparkle held up the mask, eager to force it onto Sylvia's face.
However, Sylvia frowned, took the mask from her, and grew deeply vigilant.
"…Sparkle, you were the one who gave me this mask, right?"
"Yup, yup!"
"When you gave it to me, there shouldn't have been any power of Elation inside it."
"Nope, none at all~"
"Then why are you making me wear it now?"
"Heehee, haven't you already guessed why?"
Sparkle covered her mouth and giggled. This mask, which she had originally gifted away, had completely transformed into a brand-new Fool's Mask.
"…Which means that dramatic god was messing around just now?"
Just by holding the mask, Sylvia could feel a profound urge and temptation to put it on.
A massive, tranquil power continuously called out to her.
All she needed to do was place it over her face, and she would obtain immense power from within the mask.
Sylvia didn't ask Sparkle; instead, she looked toward Mei.
Mei nodded, confirming her suspicion.
If she hadn't been entirely certain just a moment ago, looking at this mask now left Mei with no doubt.
That entity had left this mask behind.
"..."
Sylvia's expression turned somewhat complicated.
This meant the accident earlier wasn't caused by her own skill acting up, rather, it was the result of that dramatic god noticing her and personally putting THEIR hands to work?
But if it was just a prank, why on earth would the Aeon of Elation freely grant her power?
And such a terrifyingly strong power at that...
Sylvia had a faint premonition. If she put on this mask and combined it with her existing strength, she would be able to rival an Emanator.
The portion of power that dramatic god had given her was neither too much nor too little—it was just the right amount to elevate her current strength to the level of an Emanator when combined.
Taking her components separately, her Fullbottle possessed enough raw power, but she couldn't wield it at a hundred percent yet. Meanwhile, the Ambrosial Arbor was inherently flawed and incomplete.
Neither could reach the passing line of an Emanator on their own.
But if they were all mashed together and used as one, it seemed the story would be completely different.
As expected of an Aeon, such precise micromanagement.
But seriously, isn't Aha incredibly bored? If she really became an Emanator like this, which Path would she even belong to?
Elation, Permanence, Abundance, and Destruction—pushing four distinct powers together to reach the Emanator level, doesn't Aha find that awkward?
Besides, it was highly unusual.
Sylvia didn't consider herself a joker or a prankster. Even if she possessed a slight streak of mischievous humor, she was nowhere near as pure of a gremlin as Sparkle.
Being granted a single glance by Aha would already be a stretch. Sylvia didn't think she was worthy of receiving such a massive surge of power from THEM.
If she had to pinpoint anything about herself that could attract an Aeon's gaze...
The only thing Sylvia could think of was the random assortment of bizarre items she had pulled from her system.
Could it be...
Her new skill actually did trigger, but it triggered right after Aha pulled THEIR prank on her?
So, a result that was supposed to be far more disastrous ended up turning into a classic lucky pervert scenario because her luck stat spiked?
And Aha probably noticed this, sensing an unnatural shift in the threads of fate, which sparked THEIR interest in her.
Hmm... logically speaking, this explanation made a bit more sense.
Otherwise, it would be impossible to comprehend the power sealed within this mask.
Aha certainly loved a good laugh, but THEY weren't like Yaoshi, who handed out blessings to literally anyone THEY stumbled across.
Reflecting on this, Sylvia didn't put the mask on. Instead, she looked at Sparkle with curiosity.
"The power inside this mask is actually pretty insane. Sparkle, can you wear it?"
Granted, power bestowed by an Aeon typically shouldn't be transferable—this wasn't like the Seven Arbiter-Generals of the Xianzhou's Reignbow Arbiter.
However, this mask did originally belong to Sparkle's own power.
Theoretically, it wouldn't be surprising at all if Sparkle could wear it.
"Huh? Me wear the mask? Are you for real?"
Even Sparkle was stunned by Sylvia's bizarre logic.
Since the mask hadn't shifted to match Sylvia's specific identity yet, Sparkle genuinely could wear it. In fact, out of everyone present, she was the one who could most directly perceive the sheer, staggering magnitude of the power within it.
And because of that, even Sparkle's face flashed with genuine bewilderment.
It wasn't that Sylvia didn't want power.
After all, she was suppressed by Mei every single day. She dreamed of the day she could pin Mei down with one hand and turn the tables.
It was just… those who know, know.
An Aeon like Aha… for someone who isn't a natural prankster to squeeze into the circle of Masked Fools?
She felt like one day, this bunch of lunatics would team up and sell her down the river for a laugh.
Besides, if she trained step-by-step, the power of Permanence would gradually strengthen.
The utilization rate of her Fullbottle and the Ambrosial Arbor's power would also increase over time.
Sylvia would eventually climb her way up to the Emanator level on her own strength sooner or later, and it wasn't an unreachable dream.
Therefore, regarding this mask...
She didn't actually have that strong of a desire to put it on.
Sylvia's eyes were so profoundly sincere that it left Sparkle looking a little dazed.
But very quickly, Sparkle caught on. Giggling, she pinched the mask and made a theatrical motion to slam it right onto Sylvia's face.
Of course, with Sparkle making such an exaggerated move, there was no way she would succeed.
Sylvia blocked Sparkle's hand with ease.
Then, she pulled the mask back into her own possession.
"…You little brat, returning kindness with hostility, are we?"
"Heeheehee~ How can you say that? Sparkle, you see, really wants to witness how an Emanator of Elation is born!"
Sparkle giggled, covering her mouth.
"Stop fooling around. I don't want to be an Emanator of Elation, I'm not a prankster."
Naturally, that was only the surface-level reason.
In reality, compared to a Path governed by a living Aeon, the Path of Permanence—which currently lacked an active Aeon—felt significantly safer to Sylvia.
As she spoke, Sylvia reached out, pinched Sparkle's slender, soft waist, and lifted her off her lap like a stuffed doll, putting her down on the floor.
"Alright, quit playing. Let's set the matter of the mask aside for now."
Sylvia tucked the mask away once more.
She didn't plan on wearing it anytime soon, but there was no guaranteeing she wouldn't encounter a situation requiring raw combat power down the line. She'd cross that bridge when she got to it.
For now, she'd treat it as an extra trump card.
As for throwing the mask away?
Haha, wishful thinking.
Even with a system at her disposal, Sylvia didn't think she could simply hide from the gaze of an Aeon.
Compared to a mere mask, Sylvia was far more terrified that Aha might experience a sudden brain short and hurl ten or eight Masked Fools right into her daily life.
As for whether Aha would reclaim the power inside the mask...
Sylvia figured that if Aha really did become curious about her because of her system's power, THEY probably wouldn't strip the power away anytime soon.
Of course, if THEY actually did take it back, Sylvia would breathe a sigh of relief instead.
Mei had no objections to how Sylvia handled the situation. To her, the power within the mask didn't even constitute a complete Emanator's strength, so it didn't really matter either way.
Sparkle merely chuckled and said nothing.
To her, power was merely a tool used to find amusement—or perhaps, a safety net.
Robin, conversely, still hadn't quite processed the conversation occurring between them.
She still couldn't comprehend why Sylvia had suddenly caught the attention of the Aeon of Elation.
Did something so trivial and boring really happen just now?
What kind of grade-schooler Aeon is this? Even middle school graduates wouldn't play pranks like that anymore, right?
Furthermore, THEY bestowed power so covertly, without stirring up even a ripple of commotion.
Normally, if someone so much as caught a fleeting glimpse from an Aeon, it would trigger an intense, overwhelming sensation among nearby Pathstriders.
Or was the Aeon of Elation just uniquely bizarre in every possible way?
Robin fell into deep, existential contemplation regarding the Aeons.
She even began pondering the ultimate meaning of Paths and life itself.
It wasn't until Sylvia gently pinched her cheek that Robin snapped out of her daze.
"Mmgh..."
"Wake up, what are you daydreaming about?"
"You guys are far too calm. That is an Aeon we are talking about."
Robin even used her eyes to question Sparkle beside them.
Acheron and Sylvia could get away with being detached since they walked different Paths, but isn't the Aeon of Elation the very god you worship, Sparkle?
"Don't look at me like that, heehee. Doesn't that dramatic god do this kind of thing all the time?"
"Uh…"
Robin blinked her eyes, still completely unable to grasp the relationship between this band of Masked Fools and their Aeon.
Though she had heard rumors in the past, she never expected that they weren't just jokes made up by the Fools themselves.
As expected, the cosmos truly was filled with boundless wonders.
"You'll get used to it in the future. More importantly, let's discuss our plan to investigate the Grand Theater," Sylvia said, patting Robin's shoulder.
Allowing her a moment to calm down, Sylvia continued, "Now that we've gathered together, the Family is undoubtedly keeping a close watch on us. Although they haven't made a move yet out of respect for Sunday, the petty tricks behind the scenes probably won't be lacking."
Robin nodded in agreement.
Perhaps Sylvia's arrival had made the Family increasingly wary.
Today, the stares and underlying malice directed at Robin were palpably more intense.
"After all these days, no one has made a move against me, and they even let Sylvia return to Penacony smoothly. I suspect the Family likely harbors the same thoughts as I do," Robin shared, offering her perspective with a soft smile.
No matter how capable Sunday was, he was ultimately just the head of a single Lineage. The one who truly guaranteed Robin's safety was the Dreammaster.
It remained unclear whether the current deadlock was exactly what the Dreammaster desired to see, or if it was merely a convenient turn of events.
Before the IPC personnel arrived on Penacony, it would be a race against time.
Would Robin locate the Stellaron first, or would the Family successfully suppress the entire matter beforehand?
"We must resolve this internal conflict before the IPC arrives. However, my brother—the head of the Oak Family, Sunday—has been heavily pressured by the other Lineages. He can no longer aid us."
"In that case, we definitely need to investigate the Grand Theater first. Leave that to me."
Sylvia volunteered herself for the investigation at the Grand Theater.
She possessed stealth skills after all, and combined with her transformation abilities, handling an investigation was well within her wheelhouse.
"Acheron, go look into Misha's situation. That whole ordeal is also completely bizarre."
Mei nodded, accepting Sylvia's assignment without objection.
"And then... speaking of which, regarding the traitor within the Family, Robin, you must be extremely cautious when you hunt for the Stellaron."
"Me?"
The concept of an internal traitor remained purely within the realm of speculation, without a single shred of tangible evidence to support it.
To be honest, Robin had been planning to focus her energy on the immediate problems at hand and leave the traitor business for later.
However, Sylvia currently felt that out of all of them, Robin might actually be the one who least needed to worry about the traitor issue.
"Come to think of it, Robin, your brother must be worried sick by now, right? You're actively opposing the Family, yet as a Lineage Leader, he can do nothing but sit on the sidelines and watch. He's probably scratching his head in sheer frustration."
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL