Lord of Mysteries: Starting As A Reader

Bayam, Fragrant Manor.

Not long after Xio left, Ebner noticed that the squad monitoring the manor had also withdrawn.

At that moment, he suddenly received a request from the "Teleportation Altar." Without delay, he hurried down to the basement and used his mystical abilities to "pass through" the teleportation request.

Moments later, Vice Admiral Iceberg Edwina stepped through the circular "gate" formed by flames.

Back when Ebner first returned to Bayam, he had tried to contact Edwina and had also sent a letter to Jane via a "Messenger" to confirm their safety. Unfortunately, he received no response… However, judging by the state of the "Messenger," he could deduce that she was likely unharmed—just unable to communicate for the time being.

Edwina had actually attempted to use "Teleportation" to come here as early as the previous Sunday. But at that time, Fragrant Manor was still under surveillance, so Ebner had denied the request.

Now, she had finally arrived.

Dressed in an outfit similar to what Xio had worn in the Tarot Club, Edwina held a silver mirror in her hand. Upon seeing Ebner, her light blue eyes carried a faint smile. "I 'foresaw' that if I requested teleportation at this time, it would be approved."

Ebner smiled in return. "Seeing that you're safe puts me at ease."

"I passed through the Mirror World and directly arrived at Lenburg… I even met with my mentor," Edwina said, pausing briefly before taking out a bottle filled with liquid from her pocket and handing it to Ebner. "And I happened to collect some 'Spring Water from Lenburg's Fountain of Wisdom' for you."

Ebner's eyes lit up as he took the bottle and instinctively asked, "How much did it cost?"

Although the fountain was located within Lenburg University, not just anyone could access it. The price was steep, and one had to make an appointment in advance.

However, Edwina simply shook her head, her gaze bright. "The only thing I want to know is—what did you discover inside that grand hall? Or rather, what secrets does it hide?"

A whole mess of divine and angelic schemes, and possibly even unknown entities beyond my current comprehension… If I spill everything, we might just 'expire' on the spot…

Ebner internally griped for a moment before carefully considering his words. He then focused on the Ghost Empire's "ticket," choosing to emphasize that aspect. As for the true function of Danitz's grand hall, he only hinted at it vaguely, subtly guiding Edwina to draw her own conclusions.

"So that's how it is..." Vice Admiral Iceberg Edwina nodded thoughtfully, murmuring, "So it sails through the Mirror World… No wonder no one has discovered it for nearly two thousand years..."

As she spoke, she looked at Ebner with anticipation and asked, "When you explore it in the future, can you take me with you?"

"Of course…" Ebner nodded but then warned directly, "However, discovering the 'Ghost Empire' might not be the best choice for an advancement ritual…"

Before he could finish his sentence, Edwina had already nodded slightly, her expression calm as she replied, "I understand. Its implications are too vast—there might be treasures within it that even Angels or True Gods covet… Publicizing its discovery would be far too dangerous. But I'm only interested in the history and mysteries contained within the 'Ghost Empire' itself. I have no intention of using it to ascend to demigod."

"In that case, there's no problem… I'll notify you in June next year," Ebner said with a smile.

"In fact, my recent return to Lenburg led to a new discovery… I might be inviting you on another expedition within the next month or two." Edwina's eyes gleamed as she spoke, watching Ebner closely.

She had a vague premonition—if Ebner didn't participate in this expedition, the risks would be significantly higher.

"What kind of expedition?" Ebner asked cautiously, intrigued but wary. After all, this was another unexpected deviation from the original novel's events.

"I'm not entirely sure yet… I'll investigate further after the New Year and give you all the details. You can decide then whether you want to join," Edwina replied after some thought.

"Alright." Ebner had no objections and nodded in agreement.

At that moment, as if recalling something, Edwina suddenly asked, "That lion… I mean, the Finks Lion—it didn't leave with you?"

"It didn't…" Ebner shook his head before asking curiously, "Why are you asking about it?"

"It was my mentor, Lady Isabella. She asked me about that lion…" Edwina recalled the slightly agitated expression Isabella had shown at the time, still finding it surprising even now.

From the moment she had met that lady, the other party had always exuded elegance and composure, almost never displaying such an uncharacteristically emotional reaction.

"Leon… or rather, 'Three Light'?" Ebner's expression turned odd. After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Pardon my curiosity, but who exactly is this Lady Isabella… and what level of Beyonder is she?"

That lion was already confined in the Daniel Valley of the Southern Continent by Roselle over a hundred years ago… Someone who knows about it must at least be a demi-god.

Understanding what Ebner was truly asking, Edwina organized her words before explaining, "Lady Isabella is a Saint of the 'Reader' pathway, a Sequence 4 'Prophet.'

"I don't know her exact background, but I suspect she has connections with the Grand Duke of Lenburg's family…

"She told me that the lion was actually something she and Roselle discovered and raised together… During Roselle's reign, she often visited Intis to see it…

"But everything changed when Roselle became Kaiser. It was as if he had become a different person, no longer close to his old friends… Kallen felt the same, and so did she.

"After the fall of the Gustav Dynasty, she tried to find that lion again… but unfortunately, she never did."

Hearing this, Ebner detected a hint of melodrama in the story. He strongly suspected that Lady Isabella's real reason for searching for the lion was merely a pretext—what she truly wanted was to track down Roselle's whereabouts.

Still, the Emperor distancing himself from his friends in his later years might not have been purely due to corruption and personality changes. Perhaps he was also trying to protect them from being implicated…

...

Southern Continent, a village west of the Star Plateau.

Jane let out a long breath after coaxing a little girl, no more than four or five years old, to sleep.

The girl's name was Wenna. She was the daughter of a friend of Maric…

"And the only one still alive among the friends and families he entrusted me to find and care for… The others who had helped him and Sharon all ended up with their entire families slaughtered in blood sacrifices… The 'Rose School of Thought' truly deserves to be destroyed!"

If, in the past, Jane had sworn to annihilate the Rose School of Thought out of vengeance, now, her resolve had only grown firmer.

At that moment, a woman dressed in traditional Southern Continent attire entered the room. After greeting her, she smiled and said to Jane, "Look who's here."

Jane's gaze moved past the woman and quickly landed on a large-headed lion.

The lion, still walking with slightly unsteady steps, rasped out, "Little girl, can you help me find that brat?"

(End of Chapter)