The pitch-black coffin in front of him seemed to absorb even the surrounding light, making Emlyn feel as though he couldn't see it clearly.
In the two seconds he was stunned, Nibbs' voice echoed, somewhat hoarsely:
"What revelation did the Ancestor give you?"
Emlyn quickly regained his composure, took a deep breath to steady his emotions, and said in a solemn tone:
"In the Southern Continent, around the Paz River Valley in West Balam, there are followers of the Primordial Moon active."
He didn't state it too clearly, as it was only a revelation, and then he added:
"I received news at a certain gathering that the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom and the local forces of the Southern Continent are preparing to clear out those active Primordial Moon Believers. If our Sanguine can participate, we should be able to recover many Beyonder Characteristics that rightfully belong to us."
"Lord Nibbs, you can also pray to the Ancestor for more accurate guidance. As a Marquis, you will surely receive a response from the Ancestor more easily than I."
Emlyn used Leyton's words from the Tarot Club, hoping that Nibbs, as a Sanguine Marquis, would pray to the Ancestor. After all, the so-called revelation was something he had just made up.
Important figures like Dukes and Marquises would certainly receive a response from the Ancestor more easily, and Mr. Fool didn't warn about this matter, which means He also believes the Ancestor will give us Sanguine the correct revelation.
Nibbs inside the coffin fell into a long silence, his aura completely still.
After a long while, when Emlyn thought Nibbs might have forgotten him, he heard the other party's voice again, hoarse and aged, yet subtly tinged with some confusion and excitement:
"I understand. You go back first. I will contact Duke Round Moon through prayer. Do not disclose this matter to outsiders for now."
"Understood, Lord Nibbs."
Emlyn was stunned for a moment before reacting. After bowing, he turned and left the basement.
Outside the basement, Cosmi looked at Emlyn as he came out and asked curiously:
"What did you tell grandfather?"
"Heh, Lord Nibbs said it cannot be disclosed to outsiders for now."
Emlyn chuckled, deliberately emphasizing the words "to outsiders..." then he walked straight back the way he came.
Cosmi stood rooted for a moment, looking at Emlyn with a hint of displeasure, then turned back to the door leading to the basement. After a moment of hesitation, he resisted the urge to go in and ask, turning instead to walk out of the manor.
After leaving Odora Manor, Emlyn found a carriage and prepared to go to the commercial street in Hillston Borough. There was a newly opened doll shop there. He was in a good mood today and wanted to acquire another collectible for himself.
Leaning against the carriage compartment, Emlyn gazed out at the street through the bay window and fell into thought.
Lord Nibbs' sudden silence and emotional fluctuation just now were because he was praying to the Ancestor and actually received a response? Very likely, otherwise he wouldn't have directly said he would contact Grand Duke Round Moon, who is a true great figure who once followed the Ancestor, an ancient powerhouse who existed even before the Great Cataclysm.
Thinking of the deeds of Grand Duke Round Moon, Emlyn couldn't help but curl his lips slightly. "I wonder if I'll ever have the chance to meet one of the three Archdukes from Sanguine legends."
The City of Silver, on the Round Tower where the Council of Six was located.
Derrick, with a somewhat anxious heart, knocked on chief Colin's room door.
A strong voice quickly came from the room: "Enter!"
With a creak, Derrick pushed open the door and entered the chief's room, seeing chief Colin Iliad standing by the window.
He wore a simple linen shirt, with a multi-compartment leather belt around his waist, and his grizzled hair was somewhat disheveled.
"Your Excellency, chief Colin!" Derrick respectfully saluted the other party.
Colin turned his body at a leisurely pace, looking at Derrick, who had shed much of his youthful greenness, and nodded slightly:
"You participated in another gathering there?"
"Yes." Derrick nodded lightly, then, without waiting for the chief's inquiry, began to narrate on his own:
"Your Excellency, chief, at the gathering, I heard them discuss a Pathway called Apprentice. Beyonders of this Pathway possess the ability to travel freely to various places. To a certain extent, it seems to be the Wanderer or Planeswalker stage, they can even break free from the shackles of the Spirit World and freely enter and exit the Forsaken Land of the Gods!"
Chief Colin's eyes flickered, then he seemed to fall into deep recollection. After a long while, he came back to his senses and spoke in a deep, hoarse voice:
"Apprentice? Unfortunately, the City of Silver has no record of this Pathway. Moreover, the acting required to digest the potion may not be met here. Since they can travel freely to various places, digesting the potion very likely requires corresponding acting."
"I remember there was a related description in the accounts of Gregrace, the Phoenix Ancestor, one of the eight ancient gods. She could travel freely between various worlds and places."
"Perhaps the Apprentice Pathway was one of the authorities once mastered by that Phoenix Ancestor."
"Phoenix Ancestor?" Derrick questioned, but did not press further. He instead brought up the materials Leyton needed for his potion:
"Your Excellency, chief, someone at the gathering was seeking the Red Crown of the King of Dawn Roosters, pure white radiance stone, the Heart of a Gorgon, and the Crest Feather of a Thunder Owl—these Beyonder materials. It's the same person who traded us the Druid formula for food last time."
Colin nodded lightly and said in a deep voice:
"The City of Silver's warehouse has pure white radiance stone and the Crest Feather of a Thunder Owl. You can have him continue to trade us food."
"We need a lot of normal, uncontaminated food. If he cannot collect so much food alone, you can try to post a related commission at the gathering, with some Beyonder materials as a reward."
"If anyone refuses to trade, or wants to lower the price, you can temporarily not trade with them."
"I understand, Your Excellency, chief." Derrick nodded in response, not quite understanding.
In his perception, the members of the Tarot Club were quite friendly and helpful. "Our previous trades basically had no price reductions or situations where they agreed and then refused to trade."
Colin nodded silently, gazing out the window at the City of Silver, which was brightly illuminated by frequent lightning strikes, and said calmly:
"The City of Silver's first exploration team to the Giant King's Court has returned. Soon, we will organize a second, more in-depth exploration, primarily focusing on a town called Afternoon Town, which is also a necessary path to the Giant King's Court."
"This exploration will be led by me, and you will also go. Your abilities are very helpful for the exploration."
"Yes, Your Excellency, chief!" Derrick's eyes flickered for a moment, and he responded in a steady voice.
"The exploration of the Giant King's Court is finally about to begin. Perhaps that is the key to leaving the Forsaken Land of the Gods."
Above the Gray Fog, Klein, having listened to The Sun's prayer, remained silent for a moment. He leaned back in The Fool's high-backed chair, his posture relaxed and steady.
"The City of Silver is about to begin its exploration of Afternoon Town. Is this intended as a transit and recuperation point, and then a closer exploration of the Giant King's Court?"
"My intuition tells me that the Giant King's Court won't be an easy place to explore, just like a stage boss you encounter when playing a game."
Muttering to himself, Klein clipped a portion of The Sun Derrick's prayer, leaving only the sentences about exchanging pure white radiance stone and the Crest Feather of a Thunder Owl for food, and threw them into the crimson star representing Leyton.
Then he directly spread out his spirituality to envelop himself, simulating the feeling of falling, and left this place above the Gray Fog.
Late at night, Backlund's South District.
Emlyn, not feeling sleepy at all, was flipping through a book on second epoch history borrowed from Viscount Weyman, a Sanguine Baron.
A moment later, he couldn't help but yawn, and a sense of fatigue and drowsiness overwhelmed him.
"Strange, why am I feeling sleepy at night? I'm not a low-level creature like a human… No! I'm being affected—"
Before more thoughts could surface, Emlyn had already fallen asleep, slumped on the table in front of him.
The crimson moonlight from the Round Moon outside the window cast patches of light through the window onto him, making the scene appear peaceful and harmonious.
In his sleep, Emlyn was unknowingly drawn into a dream. Here, he saw a colossal Round Moon illuminating the entire land. Under the crimson moonlight, countless pitch-black bats flew in formation across the sky.
The next moment, a pair of enormous, webbed wings, large enough to cover an entire City, enveloped the sky above him.
Panic, fear, and other emotions appeared on Emlyn as if in slow motion. Before he could react, a low, extremely oppressive whisper came from beside his ear:
"Interesting little fellow. Don't worry, I'm just curious what makes this young Sanguine, who Nibbs said received revelation and favor from the Ancestor, so different."
"To become a Baron so quickly, you're barely decent among the younger generation of Sanguine."
After a pause, the somewhat low voice continued:
"Who is this person who wants to deal with the Followers of the Primordial Moon? Do you have his contact information? I will go and communicate with him personally."
Emlyn, somewhat groggily, recited Leyton's messenger summoning incantation.
Before he could react, the low, yet extremely oppressive voice sounded again:
"A messenger? I see. Lucky one chosen by the Ancestor, I hope you can show me a new future for the Sanguine."
The entire dream suddenly went dark, as if the whole world had come together. Under intense panic and oppression, Emlyn suddenly awoke from his sleep.
In the dimly lit room illuminated by the gas wall lamp, he sat leaning on a wooden chair covered with a blanket, panting heavily. The memories from the dream just now clearly surfaced in his mind.
"Marquis Nibbs is a powerful Sanguine active in the Fourth Epoch, and to call him a 'little fellow'… Was that an ancient Duke just now? And that crimson Round Moon… Duke Duke Full Moon Olmer, who bears the title of 'Round Moon'!"
"I truly am the Sanguine chosen by the Ancestor, a lucky one favored by the Ancestor! Even Duke Round Moon acknowledged my identity!"
Emlyn tilted his chin slightly and muttered to himself, a brighter smile spreading across his face. He even had the urge to go show off to Cosmi right now.
"No, no, Cosmi is Lord Nibbs' grandson. He might have already known about this, known about my identity. His previous behavior was just jealousy towards me!"
"I am the Sanguine favored by the Ancestor, the savior of the Sanguine. Before truly fulfilling the Ancestor's revelation, I should be a bit low-key… Showing off at the Tarot Club shouldn't count; that's Mr. Fool's divine kingdom, and everyone there maintains a certain understanding about what happens there!"
Thoughts flashed through Emlyn's mind, and his mood gradually became joyful. He could already imagine the surprised expression of that childish The Sun at the next Tarot Club when he learned that he had received the favor of a deity.