The Calamity Seal gave the Key of the Northern King to the soldier's family?
The Calamity Seal again? Why does it keep showing up everywhere? Just how many schemes has it left behind... and for what purpose?
After inwardly complaining, Ebner seriously pondered the meaning of this "prophecy":
"First, that 'soldier' should be, as Edwina suspected, the Loen soldier, Longzel, who accidentally entered Groselle's Travels 165 years ago. The timing of his entry into the book matches the period when the Calamity Seal was active, making him relatively easy to locate. So, did that transmigrator hand over the so-called 'Key of the Northern King' to the soldier's family?
"Second, as a transmigrator, the Calamity Seal might have also taken an interest in Groselle's Travels... After obtaining the book, it could have created the 'Key of the Northern King' through some means, essentially opening a 'backdoor' into that world. But... does a Conqueror have authority over Imagination?
"Wait… I remember in Roselle's diary, he mentioned that before obtaining the Calamity Seal, it had already appeared in his dreams… Maybe it really does have some connection to Dreams…
"Moreover, based on Xio's experience in East Chester County, I suspect that the Dragon of Imagination, Ankewelt, has already awakened within the Ancient Dragon, Ariehogg… If I were to make a bold assumption, perhaps it awoke even earlier...
"Could it have been awakened by the Calamity Seal? At the very least, it must have been involved…
"Groselle's Travels was originally conceived from the imagination of the Dragon King. He holds authority over that world, so creating a 'backdoor' should be effortless... Could the so-called 'Key of the Northern King' have simply been something He conjured at will?
"Lastly... Edwina's mentor, Isabella, was able to receive such a 'revelation'. Based on my experience, this suggests she must have gathered a great deal of relevant intelligence, allowing the 'prophecy' to be so precise, with almost no ambiguity.
"And Isabella was extremely close to Roselle—in fact, I've overheard quite a bit from Leon the Lion's constant grumbling… So, if she knew, then Roselle likely knew as well…
"Could Groselle's Travels be part of their grand scheme? And if so, what was their goal?"
As thoughts raced through his mind, Ebner suddenly recalled that the first ship he and Xio had taken for their voyage was the Radiant Thousand Cities, captained by Aranson Edward—a direct descendant of Longzel, the Loen soldier who had entered Groselle's Travels!
Now that he thought about it, that journey, though originally arranged by his teacher as a way to temporarily escape the Witches, ended up leading them to numerous events related to Dreams—encountering Longzel's descendants, the Dream Labyrinth Tower, and the Ancient Dragon in East Chester County…
Was this just a coincidence? Or was it some form of convergence?
"The deeper I dig, the murkier it gets…" Ebner rubbed his temples, then, after a brief hesitation, spoke to Edwina:
"I have some clues regarding the family of that soldier in the book…"
Edwina's eyes lit up as she eagerly asked, "What are they?"
"The captain of the Radiant Thousand Cities, Aranson, is very likely a descendant of Longzel's family.
"I once sailed on his ship and heard him mention that one of his ancestors mysteriously vanished over 160 years ago… His family used to live in Backlund, and the missing ancestor was also a soldier."
At this point, Ebner recalled that the night in question was the same one when The Fool descended. He had even promised to deliver Aranson's words—"You're always welcome home"—to Longzel if possible… Though, in all likelihood, the captain himself had long since forgotten his drunken ramblings.
"The Radiant Thousand Cities…" Edwina murmured, her pale blue eyes gleaming slightly before she continued, "I'll look into it. If I find anything, I'll inform you immediately."
If it weren't for the looming threat of the Great Smog, I would've liked to personally track down Captain Aranson… After all, this concerns the Calamity Seal and transmigrators…
Fortunately, Edwina plans to invite me along when she ventures into Groselle's Travels, so I won't be missing out on anything.
Besides, Lilith warned me not to probe too deeply into these transmigrators—especially in front of demigods. So, it's best to let things unfold naturally.
After wrapping up their serious discussion, the two began exchanging stories about their past experiences. Ebner took the opportunity to inform Edwina that he had transferred ownership of his Doctor Strange persona.
However, Edwina hasn't been in the best mood lately. A betrayal had occurred aboard her ship, the Golden Dream—someone had leaked information about the massive black iron key she had salvaged, as well as her ambush on Mr. D of the Aurora Order.
To distract her, Ebner used the Scholar's Exchange Technique to invite her into his learning space, where they exchanged several arcane knowledge models.
.....
Got it! Here's the revised translation with the specified name changes:
Backlund, West District, No. 6 Edward Street.
This is the house of Patrick Jason, who is disguised as the Desire Apostle.
At this moment, the front door of the house suddenly opened, and a group of Nighthawks dressed in black woolen coats hurried inside.
Their expressions were vigilant and on edge, as though facing a terrifying enemy.
Clang, clang, clang. Leonard, fully armored in a silver full-body suit, walked in.
The armor was of an ancient design, and the left shoulder, slanting toward the lower abdomen, was stained with a patch of dark red blood that could not be cleaned off, almost like a unique and extravagant decoration.
"Captain, the demon is not here," Leonard reported after using the armor's ability to "scan" the house.
"Soul Assurer Sost spoke with a nod, then pulled out his pocket watch and glanced at it before saying:
"Switch out!
"Leonard, the hot water is ready in the master bathroom on the second floor, don't waste time. Otherwise, you'll be returning to the Goddess's embrace."
Leonard did not dare delay, quickly disassembling his armor with the help of his colleagues. But at that moment, a Nighthawk rushed in and reported:
"Captain Sost, someone has seen Patrick... no, Jason Beria, near South River Street in Cherwood Borough. Two Mandated Punishers have already gone to investigate... they hope we can offer support nearby."
Although South River Street was in Cherwood Borough, it was separated from the northern district's Nighthawk base only by the Tassok River.
"How did members of the Storm Church get involved in this case?" Sost asked, puzzled.
"A couple of the detectives' families refused protection, believing they wouldn't be implicated, so they stayed outside... As a result, they were found dead in their respective offices. One died of fear, the other from exhaustion after being overly excited.
"They were both followers of the Lord of Storms, so the Mandated Punishers formally took over the case," the Nighthawk explained.
Leonard, halfway through removing his armor, initially did not find this strange. But then, as if recalling something, he casually said:
"Already a lead just after getting involved? How 'coincidental'!"
Coincidence? Captain Sost furrowed his brow at this word.
.....
In a villa in St. George District, Baron Larry looked at the letter he received and muttered to himself:
"The butler of Prince Edessak asked to meet me tonight at the villa on Corte Street, No. 3?
"I remember that place is not far from St. Wind Cathedral...
"Could it be a trap?"
While hesitating, he took out an extraordinary item to perform a divination. Soon, the result showed it was not a "trap."
Baron Larry breathed a sigh of relief and thought: If I can meet the prince and earn his trust, I might get the chance to meet His Majesty the King… Then I can surely clear my name!!
It's a pity my dear visited just yesterday... If only I could share this good news with her!
She truly is a good woman. If I regain power, I'll take her away from Panis...
....
At the South River Street house, where Ebner had previously set up the "Teleportation Altar," Panatia, wearing the face of the Desire Apostle Jason, placed two Mandated Punishers, both critically injured and near death, on the ground and thought to herself:
"No ambush... Looks like the mastermind's target is only Talim, and they even prepared a one-time teleportation ritual... Too bad they made the wrong choice. The curse released by an 'original' item is not something distance can erase!"
"Heh, although the item shields the aura, Roselle that dead fool once said, 'Everything that passes leaves a trace.' And I just happen to have an item with that ability."
Smiling confidently, Panatia took out a mirror and used it to look around the shattered altar. Soon, she saw a very faint, graceful figure.
"How could it be her?!" Panatia was surprised, but she quickly calmed down, thinking, "No, it's not impossible...
"As far as I know, that mother and daughter pair have recently been to Backlund... Especially Tracey, who deliberately approached Edessak...
"What are they trying to do?"
(End of Chapter)