Realizing this, Ebner glanced at Xio, who was still blissfully unaware. He couldn't help but think how lucky she was to have such a friend looking out for her like this! Of course, she genuinely deserved such care and attention.
Meanwhile, Fors bantered a bit with Xio before returning to their previous topic. "Ebner, Xio told me about the plan you helped her come up with. Using knowledge of mysticism to gradually approach high-ranking nobles through their children... that kind of plot would be brilliant in a novel! I have to say, it's a flawless idea—except for the fact that Xio may not have what it takes to pull it off."
Then why bring it up at all? And besides, I intended for you to be the one to carry it out... Ebner almost did a double take at Fors' sudden twist in her response.
Xio, on the other hand, was also annoyed and gave Fors a disgruntled look. What did she mean, "Xio doesn't have what it takes"? Wasn't it just about making friends? Who's to say she couldn't find a noble brat who enjoyed a good fight and gathered a whole gang of followers?
Ignoring her friends' looks, Fors shrugged unladylike and continued, "Alright, alright, I was only joking. Xio actually asked me to help yesterday. I just have a few questions I want to clarify with you."
"What kind of questions? I'll answer as best as I can." Ebner kept his response guarded, knowing Fors' mind was rather unpredictable, and who knew what she might ask.
"First," Fors began, "if nobles are supposed to have easier access to the mysticism, why would they come to us for knowledge? Isn't it more convenient for them to go to official channels?"
"It's true that nobles have easier access to potions and mysticism, but the cost is usually high. It either requires joining a church's Extraordinary team or becoming an official government member… In short, they'll lose a good amount of freedom one way or another. This is exactly what many noble children want to avoid, which presents your opportunity." Ebner explained, drawing from the storyline he'd read in the novel.
Fors nodded in agreement as her expression shifted slightly. "So, in other words, the 'knowledge of the mysticism' is more of a front; what they're really after is a way to obtain potion formulas."
"Miss Fors truly has a sharp mind," Ebner said admiringly.
"Alright, second question: how did you know I was Xio's friend? I'm sure that even if Xio thinks highly of you, she wouldn't bring up any information about me without a reason." As Fors posed this question, her gaze lost its usual lazy look, her eyes sharpening a bit.
Xio, on the other hand, appeared puzzled. "When did Ebner ever say he knew you?"
Ebner cut Xio off and, smiling slightly, answered, "What makes you ask that?" He could tell Fors's serious expression was partly an act; she was more curious than suspicious.
"You kept emphasizing that she'd need a friend with 'a bit of a reputation' in a specific field and even suggested she contact Viscount Glaint. Wasn't that basically hinting for her to come to me for help? Just recently, I met that overly trusting viscount at a literary salon. You really have your ear to the ground!" Fors explained smugly.
"That was actually a coincidence... even though I was, admittedly, planning to ask for your help." Ebner sighed inwardly and chose a slightly vague explanation. "I am, after all, someone blessed with knowledge, so I know a bit of everything." There was no way he could tell her it was all "written in the novel."
Fors frowned, clearly dissatisfied with this answer. With a hint of sarcasm, she asked, "Blessed with knowledge? And you know a bit of everything? Quite a bold claim! Then tell me, do you know why some Beyonders hear whispers during a full moon?"
Ebner instantly knew this was Fors' current greatest challenge, and after a moment's thought, he decided to respond sincerely, sharing some real insights. Besides, none of the three of them had the ability to solve it anyway.
"Unless they've crossed paths with an evil god or some similar great entity, such whispers usually come from high-level figures in the same pathway. And as far as I know, only some Beyonders in the Apprentice pathway experience full-moon whispers," he explained.
"You actually know?" Fors was genuinely surprised. She had only intended to put Ebner on the spot to express her dissatisfaction with his vague answer.
Xio, who had heard Fors mention her issue with full-moon whispers before, thought it didn't sound too serious. But seeing Fors's shock, she began to suspect otherwise.
Fors could no longer bother with her irritation toward Ebner's earlier response. With a look of suppressed hope, she asked, "Ebner, do you know more about this? Could you tell me?"
Ebner was only too happy to leave the previous question unanswered, so he nodded. "Well, let me start with the Fourth Epoch's War of the Four Emperors…"
Xio perked up, murmuring to herself, "He really does know how to weave stories about the Fourth Epoch."
Fors looked exasperated, forcing a smile. "Just get to the point, will you?" The thought of sitting through a long historical recap made her feel faint.
"Alright… long story short, the first angel family under the Blood Emperor Tudor, the Abraham family, possessed the Apprentice pathway. After the War of the Four Emperors, the family swiftly declined due to a curse. All of the Apprentices in their lineage were afflicted with a full-moon whispers curse! In lower sequences, the whispers are tolerable, but mid-sequence Beyonders can barely survive through a full moon… Eventually, the Abraham family fell into obscurity. If not for the fact that they have retained some high-level Sealed Artifacts, people might think they've gone extinct entirely."
Ebner decided against mentioning "Mr. Door" Though he was currently sealed in the stars by the Goddess, his influence still extended over the world. Even Roselle might have been manipulated by him, and Ebner wasn't eager to take any unnecessary risks. Maybe one day, when he was above the gray fog, he could share more with "Miss Magician."
"The Abraham family… Could I be a descendant of the Abraham family? No, I didn't start hearing whispers right after becoming a Beyonder—it only happened after I used that bracelet… Could it be that the bracelet is tied to the Abraham family and dragged me into the curse?" Fors muttered as she nervously ran her fingers through her curly hair. Then, she looked at Ebner and asked, "So, is there any way to remove the whispering curse?"
"Pray for divine blessing and protection," Ebner replied without hesitation.
"That's as good as saying nothing." Fors clearly didn't pick up on the hidden meaning behind Ebner's answer and asked, a hint of desperation in her tone, "Anything else?"
"The Abraham family still possesses several 'Grade 0' Sealed Artifacts." In other words, if the Abrahams, who wielded Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts, couldn't break the curse, then there wasn't much hope for the three of them as Sequence 9 Beyonders.
Fors seemed to understand this point as well. She slumped back into her seat, looking utterly defeated, resuming her typical "saltfish" demeanor. Knowing the curse's origin only made things worse—it left her just as trapped as before but with no solution in sight.
Xio gave her hand a gentle squeeze, offering silent encouragement.
Forcing a faint smile, Fors said, "It's alright, the whispers are tolerable at low sequences. I'll simply avoid advancing… Don't worry." But why is it becoming harder and harder for me to endure?
Just hold on a bit longer—The Fool will be here at the end of the month! Though Ebner wasn't sure how to comfort her, he gave her some encouragement in his heart.
Fors, having composed herself, flicked away her earlier dark thoughts and returned to her usual lazy demeanor. "Alright, 'Blessed of Knowledge,' let's say you've passed question two. Now for question three, and it's the last one. This plan you devised for Xio is beneficial to her, no doubt, and I believe you truly want to help her. But the plan is so well thought out, it doesn't seem like something you could've come up with on the spot. It feels like you've had this in mind for a while… So, is there some hidden agenda behind it? Or is there something you're hoping to achieve yourself?"
Honestly, I just want you both to have a chance to meet Miss Audrey as "arranged." And as for how perfect the plan seems, well, it's right out of the original plot... Ebner sighed internally and, after pretending to hesitate, replied, "I do have a goal. I want to know why the military is trafficking so many people… and where those people are being sent."
Xio, recalling how Ebner's mother had been abducted by traffickers, thought he was just seeking closure. She immediately offered, "Don't worry, Ebner, I'll help you!"
Fors, having heard the story from Xio, was similarly outraged. "The idea that the military would collude with a hidden organization to traffic their own citizens is beyond despicable! I want to know what their real goal is, too—don't tell me it's just about the money."
No, it's so the king can ascend to godhood… Ebner sighed, saddened by the bleak state of things and by what he guessed had been the fate of the original Ebner's mother. What could one hope for in the tomb of the Blood Emperor?
With her questions answered, Fors ultimately agreed to help Xio carry out the plan, planning to help her connect with nobles.
"But there's no rush. I'll wait until my current book, Wuthering Heights, is complete and published. My reputation will be stronger by then, and I'll have better leverage when it's time to approach the nobility," Fors said, pushing the task off in her usual manner.
Xio nodded, her expression unyielding. "Well, I'll keep a close eye on you until it's finished!"
Fors gaped at her in shock, spluttering, "Are you the devil?"
"No," Xio replied curtly.
Watching the "harmonious" interaction between the two, Ebner couldn't help but chuckle.
Meanwhile, in a private room at the Grant Clothing Store in Cherwood Borough, Jane's father, Mr. Charlie Grant, held his breath as he dropped a dried black-spotted toad into a beaker.
After stirring thoroughly, he eyed the pitch-black solution in the beaker, took a deep breath, and downed it in one gulp, shutting his eyes tightly against the bitterness.