In the end, it was Mr. Puppet who broke the silence. He spoke with a sense of lingering relief:
"Fortunately, I have already made plans to leave Intiles!"
Mr. Snake chimed in immediately, "I’m also preparing to leave Intiles now."
Mr. Black Cat and Mr. Paper Crane both nodded in agreement. "I was planning to wait and see for a bit longer, but looking at it now, it's better to leave Intiles as soon as possible."
"Then shall we bring this gathering to an end? I need to head back and pack my things as well."
Finally, the terrifying Mr. Doll suggested concluding the meeting. His suggestion met with unanimous approval from the others; they were all anxious to return to the physical world, pack their belongings, and run for their lives.
Although they couldn't be certain that what Eros said was true, it was never wrong to be cautious about such matters. After all, one only has one life, and staying in the center of the storm that was Intiles felt far too dangerous.
One by one, they bid their farewells and departed. They didn't even set a time for the next gathering; it looked like there wouldn't be a next time.
Eros: "..."
It’s gone after I joined just once?
However, he could understand the mindset of those "wild" warlocks. Those who weren't cautious enough simply didn't survive in the mystical world. In fact, he had leaked the news of someone ascending to the Divine Throne on purpose.
By mentioning it today, these people would surely spread the news through their own various channels. Word would travel, and before long, the entire mystical world would know that an unknown existence, unaffiliated with the Church, was attempting to ascend to a Divine Throne.
Without a doubt, this would cause the undercurrents of the mystical world to surge, throwing everything into chaos. And that was exactly what he wanted. The more chaotic the mystical world became, the better the situation would be for his family.
With a light chuckle and a shake of his head, Eros turned his gaze toward the only person who hadn't left: Ms. Paper Figure.
"You must be looking for me for something."
Eros spoke with a tone of certainty. Given how she had been glancing at him earlier and her choice to stay behind now, it wasn't hard to guess she wanted something from him. He was also curious about what that could be. He was a newcomer who had just joined the gathering; logically, she should have approached someone she was more familiar with. Unless, of course, there was a specific condition that only he met.
Eros realized something: was she approaching him because of his identity as a Remnant of the Night? In other words, was she looking for a member of the Night lineage?
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Thinking of this, Eros’s eyes narrowed slightly. The Paper Figure across from him didn't notice the subtle change in his expression. She looked at Eros and said:
"I want to make a deal with your Night lineage!"
So that’s it. Eros kept his expression neutral and asked calmly, "What kind of deal?"
Ms. Paper Figure didn't answer directly but brought up another matter instead:
"I know that for the past tens of thousands of years, your Night lineage has been working tirelessly to collect the fragments of the Goddess of the Night’s Divine Kingdom!"
Eros’s expression turned solemn. He could guess what she was going to say next.
"I want to trade information regarding the location of a fragment of the Goddess of the Night’s Divine Kingdom with you!"
Eros didn't show a look of pleasant surprise. Instead, he stared at the Paper Figure and asked coldly:
"You seem very well-prepared. Did you know beforehand that I would appear here?"
As he spoke, Eros was inwardly surprised. Theoretically, shrouded as he was by the Authority of Secrecy, it should have been impossible for anyone to divine his location in advance. So what was the deal with this woman?
Ms. Paper Figure shook her head. "I made many plans for this transaction, and the power of your Night lineage is the most suitable. Therefore, I collected what you needed in advance, so that if I ever encountered one of you, I could use it as leverage for a trade."
"Of course, if my final deadline had arrived and I still hadn't met any of you, I would have moved on to my second backup plan. So, you don't need to worry about me knowing you'd be here in advance."
"However, I was the one who guided the others to choose this location in the Spirit Realm for the gathering. After all, the probability of encountering one of you near a cathedral of the Goddess of the Night is much higher than elsewhere. In truth, I was just trying my luck and was prepared for the possibility that I wouldn't run into you."
After hearing her explanation, Eros gave a low laugh, his voice carrying a strange inflection:
"Then this truly is an arrangement of Fate. Tonight, I just happened to be wandering through the Spirit Realm and noticed this ancestral sanctuary."
When Eros said "Fate," he placed a heavy emphasis on the word. Ms. Paper Figure didn't catch the underlying meaning; to her, it truly did seem like an arrangement of fate. What else could it be, to cross paths in the boundless Spirit Realm?
Collecting his thoughts, Eros looked at her and said:
"Tell me! What do we need to pay? And are you certain that it is a fragment of our ancestor’s Divine Kingdom?"
Ms. Paper Figure shook her head. "I cannot be certain if it is a fragment of the Goddess of the Night’s Divine Kingdom. I only suspect it based on the materials I’ve gathered."
Eros mocked, "So you want to trade a piece of information that might be false?"
Faced with his mockery, her tone remained calm. "Are you going to refuse?"
"No! we accept!"
Hearing him agree, she inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. She had been worried he might reject the deal outright. Eros looked at her and asked:
"So, what are the terms of the transaction?"
She hesitated for a moment before saying tentatively:
"Before the official transaction, I want to confirm if you have the strength to complete this deal. Can you agree to this condition?"
Fearing he might be offended by her doubt, she quickly added:
"I am not questioning your strength. It's just that I only have one chance to do what I need to do, so I must be cautious."
Eros nodded. "Understandable. How do we prove we have that strength?"
Seeing that he understood her difficulty, she let out a long breath and said:
"Empress Isabella of the Empire has a necklace called the Heart of the Ocean. If you can steal it before December of this year, we can begin the transaction."
Eros raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that just an ordinary piece of jewelry?"
He had heard of the Heart of the Ocean; after all, it was a world-famous accessory valued at the astronomical price of 15,000 pounds.