Chapter 2788 The Lost Choice <TOC> Chapter 2790 Gastly
Translator: SumTLMan
Perhaps having noticed Angel’s gaze, the Black Count at the side said calmly:「You also need not be overly worried, regarding Eremy’s situation, even if Laplace does not remind you, I believe Rhine will also tell you.」
「As far as my understanding of that old friend goes, since he has already handed Eremy over to you, he would naturally have considered all hidden dangers. If you truly have misgivings, after we return, you may as well go and ask Rhine.」
When he said this, the Black Count also sighed slightly:「I had not expected that that old fellow Rhine, sneaking about in secret, could actually come up with a method to control Awakened Demons, if this were to spread, it would absolutely set off a huge uproar…… it seems, after we leave, I will also have to go and see him.」
Regarding the Black Count’s well-meant suggestion, Angel could only give a vague「mm」in response.
Eremy’s origins were easy to explain, but how to control Eremy on this point was not so easy to explain. So, Angel had previously pushed everything onto Rhine, and this in itself had also received Rhine’s approval.
From the Black Count’s point of view, what he said was not wrong. But from Angel’s side, Rhine probably had no way to solve Eremy’s problem.
If it truly was to be resolved, it was estimated that they would still have to make a trip to the Land of Heart Sigh.
The Land of Heart Sigh ah……
As soon as he thought of the Land of Heart Sigh, Angel felt his calves slightly quiver, the last time, if not for the spotted puppy at his side, Angel would not have known how to face Minister Nooka under that oppressive state.
Although the Land of Heart Sigh had a powerhouse like Nooka, as long as he found a way to solve the problem of the oppressive pressure, Angel still had some confidence that he could「play」Shava a bit.
Moreover, Eremy’s problem also inevitably had to be resolved.
Sigh, he could only take one step at a time. Only, what Angel did not know was, why Eremy had happened to show a second awakening precisely during this period? Could it be that the Seed of Distortion also had a catalytic effect?
Angel sank his thoughts into Eremy’s shadow, confirmed that Eremy should not have any problems in the short term, and thus temporarily set his mind at ease.
「Let us continue forward, if nothing unexpected happens, the『trial』should be almost upon us.」Angel lifted his head, and looked toward the depths of the tunnel.
After they once again set foot on the journey, perhaps because what Laplace had spoken of was full of profundity, and adding that the Mirror Realm was something they were hearing of for the first time, everyone’s chatterbox could not help but open a bit.
What they talked about basically revolved around Laplace, the Time Thief, and the Mirror Realm.
When he was asked, Angel would occasionally reply with a few words, but most of the time he was still silently lost in thought.
This time, however, he was not pondering because of Eremy.
Rather, he was thinking, about how to distribute…… the Two Faces of the Shepherd God.
He did have some desire for the Two Faces of the Shepherd God, but this desire was mainly limited to the future, if he were to research the Mirror Realm, then when entering the Mirror World he would need to use the mask to connect with Laplace.
This actually counted as an unknown proposition. As for matters of the future, Angel could not necessarily make them clear. If he did not plan to research the Mirror Realm anymore, then having the mask would also be useless.
Moreover, he did not necessarily have to obtain the mask; as long as he made an agreement, and when the time came borrowed it for a while from whoever had the mask, Angel could also accept that.
But this was only Angel’s personal wish, how other people thought, who else might want this mask, perhaps still required further discussion.
Angel coughed twice, interrupting everyone’s chatting:「Let us talk about something proper, the Two Faces of the Shepherd God, who among you wants it?」
Pausing for a moment, Angel looked alone toward Kael:「Do you have any thoughts about the Two Faces of the Shepherd God?」
The reason Angel would separately ask Kael was because, if one divided the distribution of profits among those present, they roughly split into four camps: the Daus camp, Angel as one camp by himself, Vai and the Black Count as one camp, and Kael as one camp.
Among the first three camps, there was a formal wizard, so when distributing benefits, so-called humility basically would not appear. If they had no interest they would directly refuse, if they had interest they would speak up, and then they would further discuss the allocation.
Only Kael, he alone was one camp, and moreover as an apprentice, he did not dare to go and fight for things, especially when facing several formal wizards, so there was a high probability that he would yield.
Therefore, Angel would separately ask Kael.
「The key itself is yours, for anything you want in the underground sewers, you do not need to bear any burden.」Angel said:「I think, Lord Aesop would also not allow his own disciple to be bullied.」
On the surface, these words of Angel were saying that Aesop would back Kael up, but in fact the meaning expressed was that he would back Kael up.
This was both Angel’s promise to Kael and what Kael himself deserved. Without Kael’s intelligence and diagrams, this exploration simply would have been impossible to set out on.
Kael also understood the implication in Angel’s words, cast a grateful glance toward Angel, and only then said:「If the Two Faces of the Shepherd God really is related to the Shepherd God family. If I hold it, it will only become a disaster. I also cannot always stay at my mentor’s side and let my mentor protect me, because I have my path, and my mentor also has my mentor’s path. So, I have no designs on it.」
Angel also agreed with Kael’s thinking; this was actually the so-called 「a jade pendant becomes one’s crime.」 However, Angel still gave Kael the opportunity, precisely because if Kael chose to stay at Aesop’s side, then holding the mask would not matter. But Kael was very clear about his own path, so in fact it was Angel who had overthought it.
After Kael refused, it was the others’ turn.
Daus was the first person to show a desire to have it, and Angel was not surprised by this, nodding and taking note.
Then, Angel looked toward Vai.
Vai glanced at the excited Daus beside him, hesitated for a moment, and said:「I also want it.」
Angel did not know with what kind of mindset Vai wanted it, but it did not matter. After all, behind Vai stood the Noah family, and if the Two Faces of the Shepherd God truly was related to the Shepherd God family, with the Black Count present, not only would he not suffer a loss, he was very likely to earn a big profit.
After asking Vai, Angel actually no longer needed to ask the Black Count.
Because if Vai obtained it, it was no different from the Black Count obtaining it.
Only, in order to show fairness and follow a procedure, Angel still looked toward the Black Count.
The Black Count gave a soft snort:「What use would it be to have it?」
Angel was stunned, and just as he was about to ask what he meant, he discovered that the Black Count was speaking directly to Vai. This question of his was also addressed to Vai.
Vai opened his mouth, seeming not to know what to say, and only after quite a while did he squeeze out a sentence:「I think this mask should be quite useful, we could research the materials and such, and perhaps in the future even make an exchange with the Shepherd God family……」
The Black Count sneered:「Is that something you ought to be thinking about?」
Vai fell silent and said nothing; the reasons he had spoken of indeed were not things he needed to consider right now. If they truly needed to be considered, it should be his family’s ancestor who considered them.
The Black Count said:「You basically have two kinds of ideas, one is to contend with Daus, the other is, just like Daus, to get excited when you see something you fancy.」
Daus, who had kept silent at the side and still got hit silently, felt somewhat displeased in his heart, but he did not dare complain in front of the Black Count, and could only say awkwardly:「Vai really does keep me in his heart.」
Vai rolled his eyes at Daus in annoyance, and when he looked at the Black Count, he immediately put away his expression and stood properly at attention.
The Black Count said:「To obtain it yet have no use for it, and yet have your mind tied to it, do you think this is good or bad for you?」
Before Vai could open his mouth to answer, the Black Count turned his head and said to Angel:「He does not need it, nor do I. However, if it truly is one of the Shepherd God’s Divine Outfits, it would be best not to give it to Daus either; he cannot withstand those old fellows of the Shepherd God family.」
Daus wanted to cry but had no tears: why did it circle back to me again?
The Black Count’s thinking he naturally understood, however, he himself was also quite open-minded; even if he truly could not deal with the Shepherd God family, he could secretly find a channel to sell it off!
He had been running his business in the Sandworm Market for so many years, and it was certainly not for nothing; in the shadows, he had plenty of routes.
Just as Daus was thinking this, the Black Count seemed to see through his thoughts:「If you want to find a channel to sell it, do you believe or not that the Shepherd God family will definitely have a way to find you. Next, they will exhaust every means, prying open your mouth…… True Word spells will not be of use; they trust brainwashing spells more, extracting the memories directly from your head with their own hands. As for exactly how they would operate, and what end you would meet, I guess, you would not want to know.」
Daus:……
Daus wanted to say something in rebuttal, but faced with a「authority」like the Black Count, as a grassroots nobody, could he really rely on private channels to escape the pursuit of the Shepherd God family?
When Daus thought it over carefully, he really had no way.
Was he just going to give up on this mask like this?
While Daus was struggling in his heart, Angel opened his mouth at this time:「Actually, Lord Black Count has no need to worry about this point.」
Angel paused for a long time when he said this.
The Black Count snorted a breath through his nose, seeming to realize something:「True enough, if he goes to Phantom Island, then these problems indeed need not be worried about.」
The Black Count said:「Let it be so then, Vai and I both give up the mask. The mask is handed over to you and Daus to distribute.」
The Black Count directly made the final decision, and also very clearly arranged things for Vai.
It was not that the Black Count had no interest in the Two Faces of the Shepherd God; it was truly that…… the fact that they could keep heading forward, and continue accompanying them to the ruin site, already made the Black Count feel that he had taken a great advantage; if he were to take another share of the other things obtained here, where would that leave his face?
If there were no outsiders, then taking a bit of advantage would not matter. But Angel was here, and standing behind Angel were Rhine and Sanders; if those two came to know of today’s events, Rhine would on the surface surely still smile with narrowed eyes, but his words would have blades hidden in them, dripping with veiled barbs; and as for Sanders, there was no need to mention him, that fellow would absolutely, without a word, send a Nightmare avatar straight over to attack.
So, even for the sake of his face, the Black Count would not take it, and would certainly not let Vai take it.
Since the others had all refused, the ownership naturally was to be decided by Angel and Daus.
Daus had also heard the Black Count’s words just now; if Phantom Island was standing behind him, then indeed there would be no danger, however, even if he really did want to follow Angel for a period of time, he did not much want to stay long-term in the Savage Grottoes…… after all, he still had the Cross Bar.
While Daus was hesitating, he saw Angel directly toss the Two Faces of the Shepherd God to him.
Daus froze for a moment, looked at the two different boxes in his left and right hands, and in an instant all the things he had been thinking about in his mind vanished.
He looked at Angel in confusion:「You, you don’t want it?」
Angel said:「I never said I did not want it, I’m only depositing my share with you. You also heard just now, if in the future I suddenly want to research the Mirror Realm again, I will still have to take it back from you.」
Daus said:「Then why don’t you just take one over now yourself?」
Angel folded his arms across his chest, and said with a smiling squint:「A burning-hot sweet potato, of course it is better if only one person holds it.」
Daus:「……」
Looking at Daus’s dazed look as if struck by lightning, Vai snorted coldly:「Still the same as before, as stupid as a blind snake.」
Faced with Vai’s mockery, Daus seemed already to have developed「muscle memory」, and replied subconsciously:「Blind snakes are not stupid.」
Vai snorted and sneered:「They are not stupid, but without eyes, unable to see the world clearly, they will do some foolish things. For example, taking their own tail as an enemy and giving it a good bite.」
Daus said:「You mean I brought this on myself?」
Vai said:「I never said that, you said it yourself. I do want to see, though, whether you have the guts to let the Two Faces of the Shepherd God flow out onto the market; I will definitely keep watching!」
Daus had nothing to say; right now he truly did not dare let the mask leak out, and he did not even dare to show it off to outsiders for a little bragging.
He seemed to somewhat understand what Angel meant by「burning-hot sweet potato」, and he also vaguely understood what the Black Count meant by「to be unable to forget, with your heart tied to it, yet to obtain it and have no use for it」.
Had he actually profited, or had he lost out?
Leaving aside whether it was a gain or a loss, Daus always had a sense that he had once again been tricked by Angel.
Yet his inspiration had given him no warning.
Was it because his inspiration had, from the very beginning, taken Angel’s side?
Daus sighed once in his heart, and in the end still said nothing, putting the two boxes in his hands away into his space.
After the distribution of the Two Faces of the Shepherd God was finished, everyone’s interest in conversation still had not faded, and they continued chatting in the mental connection.
However, Daus, who had always been known for talking much and loving to bicker, was now silent. Probably, he was still immersed in his complicated emotions.
「Actually, I still care quite a lot about the Gift-Words Laplace said to Kael.」Vai looked toward Kael:「What do you really think? After knowing the truth, do you still intend to continue fulfilling that remnant soul’s obsession?」
Kael was silent for a moment before saying:「I don’t know…… I care more about the『link』she spoke of.」
Kael gazed blankly toward the far-off distance with no visible end, and muttered softly:「He, that remnant soul attached to my body, is he really the help that allowed me to become an extraordinary being? The link she spoke of, is it real?」
This question, even with Vai’s breadth of vision, could not be answered. He could only comfort him:「As long as you are without shame in your heart, whether it is a link or not, there is no need to care too much about what Laplace said.」
Kael hesitated and said:「But if the reason I became a talent really does have his contribution…… most likely, I will still choose to fulfill his obsession.」
When he said this, Kael murmured in a low voice:「Actually, even now I still don’t know whether exploring ruins is his obsession or my obsession. Was it that he saw my yearning and curiosity for the unknown, and therefore chose me; or did he, after choosing me, influence my exploration of the unknown.」
Vai said:「This kind of question is just like the chicken-and-egg problem; there’s no need to care too much about it.」
After Vai finished speaking, he waited for a long time, yet did not hear Kael’s reply.
Puzzled, he looked back over his shoulder.
He suddenly discovered that Kael was no longer behind him…… as if he had evaporated, he had disappeared from the team.