Chapter 2664: Chapter 2665: The Sage Overthinks
The crowd felt a slight stir of emotion upon hearing the Sageâs question. However, they were not ordinary people and soon managed to suppress their inner emotions.
Before this, Angel had mentioned to them the Sageâs intelligence as relayed by Cicia. Being called a "Sage" already indicated a level of intelligence... or rather, cunning.
In front of the Sage, any emotion you reveal, any behavior, and even actions you think are innocuous might be interpreted by the Sage and provide even more information.
Therefore, Angel had advised them that when meeting the Sage, it was best to do nothing at all and to act like an emotionless, heartless Gargoyle.
Of course, doing nothing would still offer some information to the Sage, but compared to the information provided by emotional outbursts, it would be considerably less.
The Sage across from them, observing how the groupâs emotions shifted from surprise and trepidation to sudden calm and indifference, raised an eyebrow slightly, already forming some hypotheses in his mind.
"It seems I was slightly mistaken; not only do you know who I am, but you also have a deeper understanding... Who could have told you?"
The Sage paced back and forth in a small area, seemingly pondering.
Since the Sage had not come to damage the dome, Angel had not activated the Plane Corridor either. They were meant to meet the Sage, and since they met him earlier and the other party had a desire to communicate, a temporary pause would do no harm.
"Many knew of me a millennium ago, but those who know Iâm still alive and near the Hanging Jail Stairway are few." The Sage looked at the group, seemingly trying to find something in their eyes, but no one revealed any emotion.
Only the Black Earl snorted at the Sage. Unfortunately, no matter how formidable the Sage was, he could glean nothing from a pair of nostrils.
Seeing no one respond, the Sage continued, "There are only a few I can think of, and even fewer who would tell you about this place. The only one who might have mentioned my existence to you should be... Cicia?"
When the Sage mentioned Cicia, at last, someoneâs gaze flickered.
It was a man concealed beneath layers of illusion. Even though the Sage could see through the illusion to perceive a red-haired, golden-eyed man inside, the continuous layers of illusion made it difficult to judge if the exterior was authentic.
Speaking of illusion... Could this be the wizard capable of casting a Moving Mirage?
The Sageâs attention was naturally drawn to Angel.
He scrutinized Angel closely, but aside from the previous flicker of his gaze, Angel showed no other emotion.
"Was I right?" the Sage softly asked, his eyes still fixed on Angel, for only Angel had given him some feedback. Perhaps he could break through his defenses and find a clue.
No one else made a sound, not even the Black Earl. Yet, Angel responded.
"Why does the Wise Sovereign pursue this minor issue? Letâs return to your initial question: What is it you wish to discuss with the Noah Clan?" Angel glossed over the topic nonchalantly.
The Sage furrowed his brow because Angel had shifted the topic so naturally that it felt like a minor issue. This indifference suggested there might be a hidden truth behind it.
Could he have been wrong in his judgment? Was it not Cicia who divulged the information? Or did they gather more than just what Cicia provided?
His thoughts raced, but the words on his lips came quickly: "Are you from the Noah Clan?"
"Whether I am of the Noah Clan depends on what you wish to discuss."
This time, Angel did not control his expression but displayed his emotions vividly on his face: If good comes from dealing with the Noah Clan, he would reluctantly claim it; if itâs a matter of sacrificial carnage, he was unrelated to the Noah Clan even eons ago.
The Sage actually appreciated it when others answered in ambiguous terms because the more obscure one was, the more might be revealed.
But this time, the Sage found it somewhat tough to discern.
Because Angel seemed composed, and although the others remained expressionless, it felt as after Angel spoke, they all breathed a sigh of relief. This also meant Angel might be the core figure of this group or even the leader.
The presence of the Noah Clan here likely meant they were searching for the location of Goddessâ Excellency, making it normal for a Noah Clan member to assemble this group.
Seen from this angle, Angel indeed might be from the Noah Clan.
However, Angel also had many traits not common to the Noah Clan. For example, from available intelligence, most of the Noah Clan were Earth Wizards, yet Angel displayed no such characteristics, seemingly more akin to an Illusionist Wizard. In contrast, that peculiar nose exerted a dome shield with an evident surge of Power of Earth.
After pondering for a moment, the Sage turned his gaze towards the Black Earl: "Arenât you going to say something as well?"
"You canât trick me. I can admit that I hail from the Noah Clan. However, I believe you should speak with him first; heâs our leader," replied the Black Earl, referring to Angel.
The Black Earlâs words did not clarify the visitorsâ identities for the Sage; instead, they added to the confusion. The Black Earl used "hail from the Noah Clan" instead of "belong to the Noah Clan," creating ambiguity regarding his identity.
Most importantly, the Black Earl acknowledged Angel as their leader, confirming his guess was correct. This Illusionist Wizard, who spoke actively, was indeed a core member, increasing his likelihood of being a Noah.
What also needed pointing out was that, among these people, the greatest threat came from the nose on the slate, followed by the Bloodline Wizard, and only then the Illusionist Wizard.
Yet, there seemed to be something hidden on that Illusionist Wizard; even for the Sage, there was a slight unease.
This led the Sage to a certain hypothesis.
This Illusionist Wizard, irrespective of Noah lineage, held an extraordinary identity; otherwise, he wouldnât exude an aura that even the Sage found threatening.
If the Noah Clan dispatched descendants to explore the Underground Aqueduct, they would undoubtedly provide the greatest support, possibly entrusting treasures of the clan to them. Hence, if Angel were a Noah descendant, concealed threats aligning with this logic could be reasonable.
Moreover, the aura emanating from that nose on the slate was highly unusual. He openly admitted coming from the Noah Clan and handed the speaking authority to Angel.
Could this nose possibly have been sent by the Noah Clan as a guardian for a younger member?
The possibility was substantial.
Because his sudden attack caught them unprepared, they undoubtedly focused initially on combat, protection, and escape. From how they positioned under the dome, the nose on the slate was evidently tasked with combat and protective duties while the others gathered possibly to activate and escape through the Plane Corridor.
Thinking it through in this way, the logic holds together. The probability of this Illusionist Wizard being a descendent of the Noah Clan just went up a little.
Regarding rumors of the Noah Clan being solely Earth Wizards... it was said to be a rumor. Distortions and exaggerations in the course of information spread are common. A burgeoning Wizard Family is unlikely to reach the pinnacle of the Wizardsâ Realm relying on a singular discipline.
Thus, the Noah Clan may indeed include wizards of other disciplines.
The probability of Angel being a Noah has increased once again.
The Sage, in just half a second, deduced several scenarios. In each scenario, Angel had a probability of being a member of the Noah Clan, but none were definitive.
Yet, since the "nose from" the Noah Clan made this Illusionist Wizard the front-runner, he might as well treat him as a descendant of the Noah Clan for now.
"Do you want to discuss now?" Angel looked at The Sage, his gaze sincere.
The Sage eyed Angel: "Alright, I can temporarily consider you as part of the Noah Clan..."
Before The Sage could finish, Angel hurriedly waved his hand: "But hold on, you first talk about whether there are benefits or drawbacks, that way I can switch identities anytime."
Angel directly laid his cards on the table, which somewhat gave The Sage a headache. Of course, The Sage could also pull a fast one, but his identity was already known to them, an "elder" from a millennia ago, so itâs better to maintain some decorum.
The Sage smiled with decorum: "Cunning kid."
"This isnât cunning, I just donât want to end up buried here for no reason, I still have a bright future ahead." Angel still displayed sincerity, and indeed, this was his true inner thought.
The Sage pondered for a moment, glanced at the group, including Dox: "Well, letâs talk first. But are you sure you want to talk here?"
The Sageâs meaning was clear: Is this a matter of the Noah Clan that youâre not afraid of outsiders knowing?
Angel seemed to fully embrace the role of âSchrödingerâs Noah member,â and said without hesitation: "Of course weâll talk here, Iâm terribly afraid of dying."
"As for secrets, those meant to know will always know. Those who arenât, there are always ways to ensure they donât know."
Angelâs words meant that if there were truly any secrets that Dox and the others shouldnât know, then use memory erasure or a binding oath.
But The Sage understood it as: For those who shouldnât know, simply make them nonexistent.
"Thatâs quite in line with the Noah Clan style." The Sage softly remarked.
Angel didnât realize The Sage misunderstood, and said directly: "So, can you tell me now, what business do you have with the Noah Clan?"
The Sage looked into Angelâs eyes, the atmosphere subtly tense, and after a brief pause, The Sage finally spoke:
"The Noah Clan shouldnât have come here."
Upon hearing this, Angel replied without hesitation: "Ah, Iâm not from the Noah Clan, youâve got the wrong person. This guy, this guy is from the Noah Clan, go find him for whatever you need."
As Angel spoke, he pointed at Dox.
Doxâs eyes widened in disbelief: "You..."
Before Dox could speak, a âXâ appeared on his lips, silencing him. Judging by the handiwork, it was undoubtedly the Black Earlâs doing.
However, not silencing Dox might have been better than silencing him, as it seemed to make The Sage more convinced that Angel was from the Noah Clan.
Angel knew this was intentional by the Black Earl, but at this point, he couldnât speak up. Since he had to put on an act, he would carry it through to the end.
"You neednât decide itâs a bad thing so quickly." The Sage looked toward Angel.
"Not a bad thing, then why do you say the Noah Clan shouldnât be here?" Angel raised an eyebrow.
"I know why you came." The Sage didnât respond directly to Angelâs claim, aware that this was mutual probing of each otherâs information and bottom line.
"You know, huh? Youâre no Prophet Wizard." Angel deliberately muttered under his breath before loudly responding: "Okay, since you say you know why weâre here, why donât you tell us what weâre supposed to do here?"
The Sage: "Whatever you do here doesnât matter; your destination is not here."
Angel: "Then where do you say our destination is?"
The Sage: "No need to keep probing me; my ties with your Noah Clan are not shallow."
"Do you know about playing cards?" Angel suddenly switched topics: "I guess you wouldnât know because itâs a newly popular form of entertainment. But I can tell you, there are many types of card games, yet one thing is universal: whoever reveals their hand first will fall behind. Sometimes lagging one step means losing the whole game."
The Sage, looking at Angel probing continuously and yet directly stating, felt somewhat exhausted. He had been working within You Nuâs body for days, already fatigued, and wouldnât have moved unless summoned by that individual.
This cunning fellow wouldnât show his cards dead or alive, making continued struggle pointless, so let him reveal them instead.
The Sage: "Are you seeking that individualâs relics?"
Angel noticed The Sageâs softened stance and immediately followed up: "That individual, The Sage Sovereign, who does that refer to?"
The Sage closed his three eyes in silent reflection for several seconds before opening them to say: "Augustine."
The Sage quietly observed Angel, wanting to discern which twist Angel would take this time. In The Sageâs view, Angel surely wouldnât respond straightforwardly; heâd probe multiple pieces of information, confirm them thoroughly, and then offer a selective answer.
However, this time, The Sage guessed wrong.
Though Angel didnât speak plainly, he offered a somewhat clear answer: "Intending to."
"Are you sure you want to go?" The Sage asked again.
Angel: "Is that something I can be sure of? Isnât it first about understanding The Sage Sovereignâs stance?"
The Sage paused for a moment but soon understood.
Because if they genuinely intended to reach that place, they would inevitably pass through his hall, and deciding whether to let them pass was in his hands.
Realizing this, The Sage chuckled: "I thought youâd take a roundabout approach, but youâve become very direct."
Angel: "Because this time, the choice is in your hands. If The Sage Sovereign does not let us pass, we can only leave."
As for where theyâll go, thatâs not your concern.
After Angel completed speaking, he looked directly at The Sage Sovereign, plainly indicating: Now, itâs your turn to decide.
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