Toward "Madam D’s" displeasure and wariness, Ebner was very understanding. After all, anyone who had been abducted out of nowhere to be studied and then confined within this "world" the size of half a city for several months would not be in a particularly good mood.

And so he said in a rather "amicable" tone: "I would like to ask you to help complete a ritual. Afterward, I’ll return your freedom."

"Do I have a choice?" Lofia let out a short laugh and countered.

"No... If you refuse, I will directly ’dominate’ you... You should have felt what that is like before." Having said this, Ebner seemed to recall something and added with a smile, "You are also welcome to try seeking help from the ’True Creator,’ but I should remind you of one thing — on this matter, that one and I have a mutual understanding."

"Madam D" Lofia fell silent upon hearing this, and only after quite a while did she speak again: "I can roughly guess what you want me to help with, and I am willing to undergo that ritual once more... But I have one condition... No, one request... If you can agree to it, there’s no need to spend the effort ’dominating’ me.

"I would imagine that because of the ’quality’ on my body, dominating me is actually not so easy, is it?"

If it were "easy," the other party would hardly have lifted it so quickly.

Ebner neither confirmed nor denied Lofia’s words, and only asked with a smile: "What request? Tell me."

"Simple enough — I want to be rid of the ’True Creator’s’ ’gaze’ after the ritual, and to break free from the Aurora Order’s control." As "Madam D" Lofia said this, a trace of "resentment" seeped through her tone.

I recall that when "Vice Admiral Deep Sea" Howl Constantine introduced this lady, he had mentioned that her faith in the "True Creator" was not particularly devout... Looking at her now, she has evidently not had a pleasant time in the Aurora Order over the years.

That makes sense — because of her own special nature, she likely has a high resistance to the "True Creator’s" ravings, which is why she has not yet gone "mad"... And a "normal person" living among a group of madmen — it would be strange if she were faring well.

As for helping her block out the "True Creator’s" rapping — this is a trivial matter. Whether by reciting my own honorific name or that of "The Fool," both would do the trick. It’s just a question of whether she will dare to.

As his thoughts turned, Ebner gave a slight nod. "That is not a problem... Would you like to draw up a contract?"

"There is no need." "Madam D" Lofia adjusted her composure and shook her head.

For an existence that could negotiate conditions with the "True Creator," she did not believe any "contract" would have meaningful binding force — unless she went to the "Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun" for notarization. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

But would the "Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun" notarize for her, an evil god worshipper of the "Aurora Order"? The far more likely outcome was a beam of purifying light.

...

Loen Kingdom, Backlund, Doctor Allen’s home.

Ebner led a lady quietly through the door guarded by two maidservants, entered the room, and came to stand beside the infant’s crib, turning his gaze toward what lay within.

Inside was a small child wrapped in silver silk, with very white skin and chubby little hands so plump they seemed to have little rings around them.

This infant was not the least bit afraid of "strangers." Sucking on one finger, with wide open eyes, it met Ebner’s gaze directly.

Seeing this, Ebner smiled and said: "You should know why I’ve come."

"Should one not offer a gift when asking someone for a favor?" The infant pulled its finger out and said in a clear voice entirely unbecoming of its age.

"Didn’t I give your family three complimentary passes for my territory last time? I recall that the passes allowed unlimited enjoyment of food in the film city, and you tried all seven or eight flavors of ice cream on the food street." Ebner said with a smile.

"That was compensation! You gave complimentary passes to me and to Tolzna’s parents — wasn’t that so we would be close by to protect that person’s brother and sister?" Will spread out his chubby little palm.

"How about a ’Worm of Time’?" Ebner said after a moment’s thought.

"Is it from that Mr. ’Fool’?" Will asked, sucking on his finger.

You’re rather picky... But even though I do have Klein’s "Worm of Time," I certainly wouldn’t give it away so casually.

After a few moments of silent muttering, Ebner shook his head. "It’s mine."

Meaning the "mutated" "Worm of Time" from Alvin’s body.

Upon hearing this, Will pursed his lips, but still extended his chubby little hand: "Fine, I suppose I’ll have to make do."

His tone was thoroughly disdainful.

Seeing his attitude, Ebner’s mouth twitched, but he still opened his left hand, produced a translucent worm shimmering with three-dimensional mystical symbols, and handed it over.

After putting away the "compensation," Will then turned his gaze toward the lady who had come in with Ebner.

She was none other than Mrs. Felina — who had been "hypnotized" back in the "Ghost Empire" and had been living in "Alvin’s Palace" for the past several months.

This lady was also a member of the "School of Life." The "Sefirot" contamination on her body had once been "sealed" by Will using certain methods, and this was not conducive to the approaching ritual — which was precisely why Ebner had brought her here.

Under Will’s gaze, one complex mercury-colored symbol after another leapt out from various parts of Felina’s body in succession, and in an instant joined together into a single enormous, ethereal scaleless serpent.

Across the surface of this silver-white giant serpent, densely packed patterns and symbols formed one interlocking wheel after another, each surrounded by different markings.

In the next moment, the giant serpent transformed back into individual mercury-colored symbols, all of which flowed into the palm of Will’s chubby little hand.

"Done!" Will gave his stubby little arm a wave and declared in a child’s tender voice.

After Ebner "hypnotized" Felina once more — who had shown a tendency to "awaken" due to the power of the "Snake of Mercury" reverberating through her — he gave a bow and said: "Many thanks."

Then he moved to take his leave with the others.

But at this moment the little infant turned its head back and said with some hesitation: "Be careful of ’Fortune’ — many of His arrangements are not as simple as they appear."

Be careful of "Fortune"... That refers to the "God of Fortune," does it not? For Will to give this warning means I may soon be encountering His arrangements...

Why can Will "see" it, while I — as a "Discerner" holding the "Wheel of Fortune" — cannot?

Did He specifically use some means of concealment against His own future self?

Right... The Uniqueness of the "Wheel of Fortune" is itself something the "God of Fortune" left behind — there’s no guarantee that some trick wasn’t worked into it.

Furthermore, Will warning me means that the "Liu Bo" connected to Him, in all likelihood, is not the "God of Fortune"...

And He said before that He was once "my" student, and also took "me" as a student.

On top of that, the "School of Life" holds portions of the "Apothecary" pathway’s potion formulas... Will very likely once studied under Rhine.

As his thoughts wound down, Ebner saw that Will had no intention of saying more, and so gave another bow and took his leave.

...

On the night of the full moon, at the "Observer’s Castle" in the Antals Mountains of Feysac.

Through the "Door of Reality and Illusion," Ebner led the five survivors from eleven years ago and entered the castle’s uppermost ritual chamber once more.

The scene inside remained the same as ever — the massive altar, the heavy coffin, the rivers formed from blood, the ritual platforms arranged in the positions of the "Pentagram"... Everything was identical to how it had been when they last departed.

The only difference was that the soul of Aglaia Constantine — the former "Demoness of Apocalypse" placed here by Roselle — was no longer in hiding, and instead appeared directly to greet them.

This high-ranking Demoness, whose ears were slightly pointed as though she carried some elven bloodline, swept her gaze over the five survivors from last time standing behind Ebner — all of different appearances, yet without exception strikingly beautiful — and said with a smile:

"All the conditions for this ritual have been gathered?"

Ebner gave a nod. "Five survivors, the Divine Chest, the night of the full moon, the Observer’s Castle... or rather, the body of the ’Source of Depravity’ within the Observer’s Castle...

"All conditions have been met. The ritual can now be recreated.

"Or more precisely — the continuation of the ritual from eleven years ago that was never fully completed."

After exchanging a few words with Aglaia, Ebner directed the five ladies to take their positions at the corresponding "ritual platforms," while he himself came to stand before the "coffin" housing the existence known as the "Father of Succubi, Lord of Desire, Source of Depravity," and placed the "Divine Chest" in his hand upon the main position of the altar.

In an instant, the "rivers" of blood within the castle surged upward, reflecting against the "red moon" in the sky above, creating a scene that was exceedingly terrifying and eerie.

"It was like this when I resurrected Dunn, and it’s like this again now... Why do all the rituals I conduct have to have this kind of atmosphere?!" Ebner muttered, then gradually his expression grew solemn, and he began to recite the incantation he had "deciphered" from the bodies of the five — Maria, Bianca, and the others:

"I... in the name of the ’Divine Chest,’ do hereby call out...

"I call upon the Anarchy, shadow of order; "I call upon the Demon of Knowledge, and the mad arcane; "I call upon the Calamity of Destruction, root of ruination; "I call upon the Eternal Darkness, singularity of all things, unifier of space and time; "I call upon the Father of Devils, lord of the aberrant, source of all curses; "I call upon the Key of Light, endless chaos, incarnation of fate; "I call upon the Goddess of Origin, mother of all things, the filthy brood hive;

"I call upon you all with the power of the ’Divine Chest,’ and request your response..."

(End of Chapter)