Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 2649: Chapter 2650: Reflection in the Mirror

”So, tell me about it.” Cicia adjusted to a comfortable sitting position, crossing her legs and resting her chin in one hand, looking ready to listen.

Angel: ”I just heard Miss Cicia talk so much about the Noah ancestors, it seems the Noah Clan and Miss Cicia share quite a connection.”

Cicia frowned slightly, not immediately refuting Angel’s words: ”And then? What do you want to say?”

Angel: ”Doesn’t Miss Cicia find it strange to suddenly meet two descendants of the Noah Clan today? Among them, the Black Earl, whose true body is one of the top Wizards currently in the Southern Domain, yet he joined my team to explore the Underground Aqueduct, already recognized as an abandoned ruin?”

Cicia understood the meaning behind Angel’s words, but she still didn’t comprehend what Angel was trying to convey or what his purpose was.

”Rather than the strange encounter with two descendants of the Noah Clan, I find it stranger to meet someone carrying the Primeval Flame who can also let me reunite with my fellow Baiyuanians.” Cicia raised an eyebrow and looked at Angel.

Angel: ”...It was really just a coincidence on my end.”

Cicia: ”Coincidence? Then your two Noah teammates make more sense compared to your coincidence.”

Angel: On second thought, he really couldn’t argue against that.

Cicia snorted coldly: ”If you have something to say, just say it directly, don’t beat around the bush. The thing I hate the most is going in circles, spinning so much that you tie yourself up, is it fun?”

”Okay, I’ll just say it directly.” Angel gave up on playing the coincidence card to tempt Cicia, realizing it was easy to trap himself in the process.

”Actually, when we first planned this ruin exploration and the team was formed, there weren’t any Noah members.” Angel: ”The Black Earl and Vay only suddenly joined my team the day before we set out.”

Cicia: ”And then, what’s the strange part?”

Angel: ”Miss Cicia has seen Vay’s black crystal and should be able to sense that Vay’s personality is quite unusual. He stays in his little shop year-round and hardly ever steps out of the safe zone.”

Cicia: ”Academy Faction Wizards, one is more reclusive than the next, what’s unusual about that?”

Angel: ”It’s different. Vay doesn’t stay because he doesn’t want to leave, but because he is wary of the Black Earl. Just like I told you before, the Black Earl has divided his organs into countless parts, staying with his descendants, making them all apprehensive, afraid of getting played by the Black Earl.”

”To us, Vay might seem a bit overly paranoid, but being in the game, he finds it hard to view the whole board. Like other descendants, he wouldn’t go out unless there was something important.”

Cicia silently agreed, that was indeed true.

”This time, Vay was invited by his friend Dox to our then location at the Wizard Market, where Dox attempted to assess the danger of the ruin exploration using Death Sense.”

”Dox? That Bloodline Wizard? Such a coward.” Cicia sneered.

”Maybe it’s just being overly cautious. Anyway, the final result was like this, whether Dox was satisfied with the answer is another story. However, the Black Earl strongly insisted on joining our team along with Vay.”

”With the Black Earl’s status, I couldn’t refuse.”

Cicia: ”And then, why did they strongly join?”

”Initially when they joined, I was merely puzzled but didn’t think much of it.” Angel maintained a calm facade, knowing only by deceiving himself could he deceive others: ”However, when we reached the ground ruins of Naraku City to find the entrance to the Underground Aqueduct, we encountered an unexpected event.”

Angel then detailed how they discovered the Underground Church, how they solved its mysteries, found the remaining information inside, and the Uisu language engraved on the table holding the sacred texts.

Cicia: ”Uisu language? It indeed relates to the Noah Clan, it seems to have been passed down from them, once highly popular but later gradually declined.”

Angel: ”Does Miss Cicia understand the Uisu language?”

Cicia: ”Naturally, back then Noah used Uisu language to write love poems to my friend.”

”Since Miss Cicia understands, why not take a look and see what’s written here?” Angel used an Illusion Technique to recreate the Uisu language they had discovered in the church: ”In our team, only the Black Earl understands Uisu language, he mentioned some of the information.”

Angel briefly recounted what the Black Earl had said, then added: ”But he admitted to hiding some information.”

Cicia: ”So, you want me to see what information he concealed?”

Angel nodded.

Cicia, showing a rare semblance of interest, agreed, since these events likely occurred while she was unconscious after transforming into a box; she was curious about what had transpired in Naraku City during that time.

Cicia gazed at the lines of Uisu language simulated in the illusion and began reading them softly.

However, after uttering a few words, Cicia stopped.

Nearly all of it was composed of unrelated words, many serving as flattery, or you could say sycophantic? In any case, it was difficult for Cicia to find complete sentences, and the nauseating flattery made her reluctant to continue.

”Almost all of it consists of shallow praise, with words lacking connection, leaving it unclear why they were engraved together.” Cicia frowned.

Angel: ”These were engraved on the table where the sacred texts were placed, perhaps as cues secretly left by the preacher.”

Cicia: ”Even praise requires cues, these Mirror Demon God’s followers weren’t so devout, after all.”

After her brief ridicule, Cicia continued to read.

About one or two minutes later, Cicia looked up, a puzzled expression on her face, silently forming guesses in her mind.

Angel: ”Did Miss Cicia seem to uncover something?”

Cicia: ”I roughly understand what information the Black Earl concealed. A name is recorded here, a name belonging to an ancestor of the Noah.”

Angel: ”Is it that dear friend of Miss Cicia?”

Cicia hesitated for a moment, then nodded: ”Yes. I never expected that after millennia, I would see his name again in such a way.”

”Besides this, the Black Earl didn’t conceal other information. However, there were translation errors, probably not intentional. Some words are unique to the early Uisu language, and they changed after Uisu language lost its Extraordinary Power, leading to such discrepancies.”

Cicia: ”For example, the Black Earl translated ’someone,’ whom you believed to be the mastermind directing these Demon God cult followers. In fact, translating it as ’someone’ is incorrect; it should be ’a certain presence among them.’

”A certain presence among them? That sounds even stranger.”

Cicia: ”You find it strange because it lacks context. If you associate it with the Mirror Demon God mentioned incessantly above as a prefix, its true meaning becomes apparent: the Image in the Mirror.”

”Is the Image in the Mirror a representation of the Mirror Demon God?”

Cicia: ”I don’t know, but it’s indeed an image appearing in the mirror. The Black Earl mentioned that this ’someone’ felt distant from the followers, as if they never met, which makes sense because they all communicated with the ’Image in the Mirror’ through mirrors.”

”The rest of the translation is essentially correct.”

Angel: ”The Black Earl mentioned a thief who stole the Sacred Object and offered it to some Dominator; are there clear indications of the thief, the Sacred Object, or the Dominator?”

Cicia: ”The thief and the Sacred Object aren’t identified, I’m not sure either. But the Dominator... you should be able to guess, right? The institution closest to the Underground Church is the Hanging Jail Stairway.”

”Is it the Warden? Or the Sage?”

”Undoubtedly, the institution’s Dominator they spoke of can only be the Warden.” Cicia: ”Although the Sage resides near the Hanging Jail Stairway, its status is exceptional, not subordinate to it.”

Angel: ”Then what does this have to do with the Noah ancestor?”

Upon this question, Cicia’s expression also showed confusion: ”This puzzles me too. His name is listed separately, even marked with a symbol for emphasis.”

”It doesn’t seem like he’s being pointed out as a target of hatred, but neither is he a friend; instead, he’s portrayed as a completely independent presence... can’t figure it out.”

Angel: ”Does Lady Cicia have any understanding of the Mirror Demon God?”

Cicia shrugged: ”The Black Earl asked me this question before, and even displayed the emblem of the Mirror Demon God on a slate, but I have no information on that.”

”However, hearing you talk about it, I’m sure the matter of the Mirror Demon God happened after I encased myself. During that time, I definitely have no memory, but if you meet the Sage, perhaps you can seek its advice.”

Angel: ”Will the Sage be willing to answer? Or should I say that Miss Cicia asked me to inquire?”

Cicia said irritably: ”I told you, don’t use my name to boast! Whether the Sage responds has nothing to do with me, it depends on your ability to make it speak!”

Make the Sage speak, make the Sage speak... Angel whispered these words, and couldn’t help but recall Dororo’s earlier reminder: the Sage is not foolish.

Both Dororo and Cicia, these two Baiyuanians mentioned the Sage.

Perhaps Cicia hit the core point, making the Sage speak might be the key to everything.

But how to make the Sage speak, perhaps only the Wood Spirit is the way.

After gaining some ideas, Angel visibly relaxed: ”Miss Cicia, do you understand my feelings now? Initially, I didn’t think about Black Earl and Vay’s intentions in joining, but before entering the underground aqueduct, we saw the name of a Noah ancestor, a coincidence I couldn’t help but question regarding Black Earl’s purpose.”

Cicia pondered for a moment: ”You can only ask Black Earl himself. From your description, he must have sensed something to come along. This kind of foresight, only he knows, and coincidentally, you encounter the name of my dear friend, it must implicate him in the end...”

At this point, Cicia suddenly said: ”By the way, I have never asked, what exactly are you exploring the underground aqueduct for, what is your purpose?”

Angel: ”Now you believe I didn’t come here because of you?”

Cicia ignored Angel’s teasing and looked into Angel’s eyes: ”Are you avoiding the topic?”

Angel didn’t evade Cicia’s gaze and calmly said: ”Our purpose here stems from Kaier. He is passionate about exploring ruins, once finding an ancient book called the ’Travels of Gaia’ during an exploration. ’Travels of Gaia’ recorded some secrets of the Garden Labyrinth and left something hidden within it. By the way, the Garden Labyrinth is what the underground aqueduct of Naraku City is called now.”

”Then Kaier came to the Garden Labyrinth, and following the book’s instructions, sought the hidden place Gaia mentioned before, and found that thing.”

”It was an alchemy blueprint, which once refined into a key, could unlock a certain place deep within the Garden Labyrinth. That place is our destination.”

After encasing herself, although Cicia lost her prophetic ability, her intuition remained. She could tell from Angel’s eyes that he wasn’t lying, but whether he intentionally withheld information was unknown.

Cicia: ”Is the destination near the Hanging Jail Stairway, and requires passing through the Hall of Wisdom?”

Angel nodded; these were things he had previously told Cicia.

Cicia thought for a moment: ”Before I encased myself, I often visited the Hanging Jail Stairway and have some understanding of the area around there. But the target place you’re heading to, I’ve truly never heard of it.”

Angel: ”Can I ask Miss Cicia a somewhat personal question?”

Cicia raised an eyebrow: ”If it’s about a woman’s biggest secret, I won’t tell you.”

Angel didn’t know what the ”biggest secret of a woman” was, but he believed his question wasn’t something pertaining to the entire female group.

”The special friend Miss Cicia keeps mentioning, the lady with an ambiguous relationship with a Noah ancestor, what is her identity and background?”

Cicia looked at Angel with some vigilance: ”Why are you asking this?”

Angel sighed inwardly; he already knew the answer but didn’t know how to explain how he knew about Margaret.

After thinking for a while, Angel straightforwardly said: ”Is she the daughter of the warden of the Hanging Jail Stairway?”

Surprise flashed across Cicia’s eyes: ”How do you know?”

”Looks like I was right,” Angel said. ”As for how I know, it’s because it’s a simple deduction.”

Cicia’s expression became more puzzled: A simple deduction? Deduced??? Could this really be deduced???”

Angel coughed twice to get Cicia’s attention, then solemnly began to explain his so-called deduction: ”To come to this deduction, it only requires a few prerequisite conditions and a reasonable association.”

”Firstly, Black Earl suddenly joining our team is unreasonable, which I’ve already discussed with Miss Cicia why it’s unreasonable.”

Cicia nodded: ”Then what?”

Angel: ”Black Earl joining the team, and our team discovering the name of a Noah ancestor as soon as we arrived at the underground church implies that Black Earl might have truly sensed something, prompting his deliberate join. What does Miss Cicia think he sensed?”

Under Angel’s guidance, Cicia thought for a moment and said: ”Your destination might be related to the Noah Clan? No, something related to my dear friend Noah?!”

Angel nodded with satisfaction in his heart and continued guiding Cicia’s thoughts: ”Next, Miss Cicia mentioned two things to me before, the first being, your dear friend had an ambiguous relationship with a Noah ancestor.”

Cicia nodded: ”Yes.”

”The second thing, when Miss Cicia learned our destination is on the other side of the Hall of Wisdom, you once said a sentence.”

”You said, even ten thousand years ago, passing through the Hall of Wisdom wasn’t easy, only the warden’s daughter was an exception.”

”I did say that,” Cicia nodded.

”Now, all prerequisite conditions are here: 1. The place we are going might be a secret land of a Noah ancestor; 2. The place is on the other side of the Hall of Wisdom; 3. The only person who could pass through the Hall of Wisdom even ten thousand years ago was the warden’s daughter; 4. The Noah ancestor had an ambiguous relationship with a highly influential ’caged bird’.”

”With these four prerequisites, Miss Cicia, what can you surmise?”

Under Angel’s patient guidance, Cicia’s thoughts followed these prerequisites: ”Are you saying the other side of the Hall of Wisdom is a meeting place between a Noah and my friend?”

”See, such association only points to the warden’s daughter being the friend you mentioned.”

Cicia unconsciously nodded, even following Angel’s line of thought further: ”Thinking about it, after I encased myself and I’m no longer a conduit, they would certainly try to find another voice relayer.”

”And Margaret...” after saying the name instinctively, Cicia suddenly realized what she had revealed.

After thinking about it, she simply said to Angel: ”Since you’ve guessed it, I’ll just tell you, the warden’s daughter is named Margaret, and the one from the Noah Clan is Augustine.”

Angel assumed a thoughtful expression on the surface, but inwardly breathed a long sigh of relief, finally able to say these two names openly.

”Margaret and Augustine would find... as a substitute for my voice relayer, it indeed seems like only the Wise Sovereign fits.”

Cicia mused: ”Margaret has an extremely strong talent in alchemy, and her father, the warden, sourced many rare alchemy tomes for her continuous alchemy practice.”

”When I met Margaret, her alchemy was quite competent, though her strength limited her alchemy potential, but theoretically, she could even communicate with the Wise Sovereign.”

”Of course, the Wise Sovereign knows more than alchemy, but Margaret can communicate equally in this field with the Wise Sovereign, which is remarkable.”

”The Wise Sovereign also enjoys conversing with Margaret, because their alchemical directions differ, Margaret focuses on Metallography, while the Wise Sovereign leans towards Potionology. Their differing directions often spark more ideas, and they take each other’s strengths to compensate for their own deficiencies.”

”Later on, the Wise Sovereign chose to reside near the Hanging Jail Stairway, rumored for the sake of conversing with Margaret.”

”From this, it’s clear Margaret and the Wise Sovereign share a good relationship, and the Wise Sovereign’s position is extraordinary, equaling my position back then.”

Cicia: ”So, after I encased myself, Margaret seeking help from the Wise Sovereign to contact Augustine is highly probable.”

After a pause, Cicia looked at Angel: ”So, your deduction should be correct.”