Chapter 2854: Chapter 2855: Concession

This was Angel’s second visit to the Hall of Wisdom.

Last time, to avoid being spied on by Adanis in the mirror, they conversed in a secret chamber. This time, however, they were seated directly in the hall, discussing with the Wise Sovereign.

The previously dreaded and avoided Adanis was also present.

But she did not take a seat; instead, she was concealed within the mirror on the high wall, overlooking everyone from above.

On the gilded round table, the lit candles emitted a hissing noise.

The air was filled with a faint fragrance.

After everyone was seated, the Wise Sovereign’s gaze never left Angel, as if time had paused at that moment.

After a while, until Adanis in the mirror let out an impatient cold snort, the Wise Sovereign chuckled lightly.

"Is this the effect you wanted?"

Angel looked innocent: "Wise Sovereign, what effect are you referring to?"

"You should know very well in your heart." The Wise Sovereign said this, glanced at Adanis, then smiled at Angel.

On the surface, Angel still appeared harmless, but in his heart, he was indeed as clear as a mirror, just as the Wise Sovereign had said.

He used "whispering into Olao’s ear in the future" as a condition to have Adanis do something for him, and it was a very simple task: to say one sentence to the Wise Sovereign — to borrow the Sweet Dream.

As for whether Adanis could borrow the Sweet Dream, Angel hadn’t thought much about it.

It would be great if she could borrow it. If not, it was inconsequential.

Looking at it this way, it seemed Angel was doing something pointless. But that wasn’t the case; a look at the Wise Sovereign’s current expression reveals that everything is proceeding according to the normal script.

What Angel wanted to do was not to have Adanis actually borrow the Sweet Dream, but to use the act of Adanis borrowing the Sweet Dream to convey some information about the Qingkong Poetry Room to the Wise Sovereign.

This information didn’t surface and required the Wise Sovereign to deduce it himself.

From the current situation, the Wise Sovereign indeed did as Angel had intended.

Angel didn’t know to what extent the Wise Sovereign could infer, but he believed the Wise Sovereign would surely conclude from Adanis’s visit that he and Adanis were "collaborating."

Once the Wise Sovereign started thinking along this line, naturally he would begin to wonder why Angel would let Adanis borrow the Sweet Dream? Clearly, he had promised Angel earlier that he would lend him the Sweet Dream; why the sudden change in attitude?

The answer to this question, if one thinks about it carefully, could only be one of two possibilities. Either Angel was forced to change his stance, or he did so voluntarily.

Why was he forced? Why did he voluntarily change?

With the Wise Sovereign’s analytical ability, he would surely deduce it all.

However, the answer wasn’t important. The essential point was that whichever direction one thinks, it all points to one core: a significant upheaval in the Qingkong Poetry Room.

This is the real message Angel wanted to convey.

If everything was normal in the Qingkong Poetry Room, or if changes were minor, Angel could disclose the happenings inside to the Wise Sovereign without issue after coming out.

However, now that there’s a significant upheaval in the Qingkong Poetry Room, his agreement with the Wise Sovereign might face some uncertainties.

- Previously, he had an agreement with the Wise Sovereign that if he wanted to borrow the Sweet Dream, he would have to detail the events inside the Qingkong Poetry Room.

Now, with such a significant upheaval, changes so substantial that Angel couldn’t judge whether he should disclose them, or even if he could speak of them.

But Angel was unwilling to give up borrowing the Sweet Dream.

Thus, he had to find a way to make the Wise Sovereign accept some "changes."

For instance, he had Adanis come in advance to give the Wise Sovereign a "heads-up"; also, after the heads-up, he raised the threshold for the Wise Sovereign regarding the upheaval in the Qingkong Poetry Room, creating a situation where Angel could find a way to exit gracefully.

He would tell the Wise Sovereign about some of the events in the Qingkong Poetry Room, but he couldn’t give details and could only choose to give a general overview.

This is the entire process.

To put it simply, it’s about raising the threshold, lowering expectations, and then expressing his true intentions — he can only reveal so much and hopes the Wise Sovereign can accept this.

Though a bit convoluted, Angel knew that if he straightforwardly told the Wise Sovereign ’I can’t fully disclose the events in the Qingkong Poetry Room,’ the Wise Sovereign might not accept it, as they had agreed previously.

And Angel didn’t want to lose the chance to borrow the Sweet Dream, so he went about it indirectly, subtly expressing it to the Wise Sovereign.

Angel also understood well that his attempt to not fully keep his promise while still wanting the opportunity was somewhat selfish. But reality compelled him to do so.

Because some things truly couldn’t be spoken directly, such as the arrival of Augustine.

Previously, they didn’t know if Augustine was still alive, so they could talk freely about him, even without using honorifics, which could be excused as ignorance.

Now, Augustine had genuinely appeared, and his strength was an enigma; even if it hadn’t reached above Legendary... his achievements in refining the Mirror of Truth were enough to grant him a status comparable to Miracle.

Moreover, is Augustine really not a Miracle Wizard? It’s hard to say.

Even if he wasn’t a Miracle Wizard but merely a Legendary Wizard, they couldn’t speak as casually as before. This respect for high-ranking individuals was necessary.

Otherwise, angering them, they might obliterate you with a mere thought.

Just like Wizards and Apprentices, apprentices must show respect to all Wizards, even those from enemy factions, or face unpredictable consequences.

Of course, exceptions exist like Vay and Dox. One has backing, the other doesn’t mind, plus they are close friends; their deep friendship allows them to disregard such etiquette.

But Angel and Augustine weren’t as close as Vay and Dox. Although Augustine valued Angel greatly, it didn’t mean he could tolerate Angel being disrespectful.

Leaking information about him without his approval was disrespectful to Augustine.

Thus, Angel couldn’t speak of "Augustine’s arrival." And this event being the source of the significant upheaval in the Qingkong Poetry Room, it’s a topic the Wise Sovereign would inevitably ask about.

Therefore, Angel could only find a way to make the Wise Sovereign willing to "compromise."

However, Angel also hinted at goodwill:

Angel couldn’t detail everything, but if the Wise Sovereign deduced "Augustine’s arrival" himself, then he would be blameless.

Is there a way to let the Wise Sovereign guess it himself? Yes, there is.

The key factor resides in "Adanis."

Adanis appearing in the Hall of Wisdom is not only the beginning of everything but also indirectly serves as the "witness," witnessing what Angel can and cannot say.

Based on the Wise Sovereign’s understanding of Adanis, as soon as she speaks, the Wise Sovereign can guess much of the situation, even without detailed explanations.

Therefore, Adanis is not only a "witness," but also a gesture of goodwill from Angel. Of course, Adanis herself is unaware of this.

Whether the Wise Sovereign knows, Angel cannot determine.

Angel believes that with the Wise Sovereign’s analytical ability, he should be able to discern this gesture of goodwill.

But even if the Wise Sovereign discerns it, Angel still cannot be certain whether he is willing to cooperate.

If the Wise Sovereign does not accept this plan, Angel has no other recourse and can only give up borrowing the Sweet Dream.

In any case, Angel feels he has done quite a bit; at least on the moral high ground, his actions are beyond reproach. Although there is an agreement with the Wise Sovereign, it is not a contract, and he is not obliged to adhere to it; similarly, the Wise Sovereign has the right not to lend the Sweet Dream to Angel.

All this, although not spoken, is nonetheless an open secret in the minds of both Angel and the Wise Sovereign. Angel has laid out his bottom line and stance; now it depends on whether the Wise Sovereign is willing to "take a small step back."

...

After a moment of contemplation, the Wise Sovereign softly said, "How is Olao these days?"

Angel glanced in Adanis’s direction, using his gaze to indicate to the Wise Sovereign: This is a question you should ask Adanis, not me.

The Wise Sovereign continued to inquire, "How was Olao’s contract dissolved?"

The Wise Sovereign directly bypassed the question of "whether Olao’s contract has been dissolved," seemingly certain that it had been resolved.

Angel’s response was to show a troubled expression, wanting to speak but hesitating.

The implication is clear: whether to answer this depends on whether the Wise Sovereign is willing to compromise and whether Adanis permits him to speak.

"So, regarding the situation within the Qingkong Poetry Room, you really don’t plan to disclose anything?" The Wise Sovereign squinted at Angel.

Angel looked at Adanis and softly said, "Hasn’t the Wise Sovereign already learned much?"

The Wise Sovereign gazed deeply at Angel, fully aware that if he didn’t clarify the lending of the Sweet Dream, Angel would not speak further.

The air suddenly turned silent, as if both parties had fallen into thought.

However, the quiet atmosphere didn’t last long before being disrupted by others present.

This time, it wasn’t Adanis but Dox.

"Sigh..." A long sigh escaped Dox’s lips. He yawned and spoke to Vay beside him: "Do you think they find talking like this exhausting?"

Vay rolled his eyes, mouthing a silent warning to Dox: Don’t drag me into this!

Dox shrugged and turned his gaze to Kaier on the other side: "What do you think?"

Kaier dared not interject, keeping his head down and silent.

Dox wasn’t upset; he wasn’t really expecting Kaier to answer, merely trying to break the silence.

At this moment, the Black Earl, who hadn’t spoken until now, said softly, "Whether it’s exhausting depends on the thoughts of those speaking. You won’t find the answer by asking others."

"However, many times, even if reluctant, you must undertake burdensome tasks. Being at the bottom, facing constantly changing directives, unable to resist, you have no choice but to accept those constraints, even I am no exception."

The Black Earl glanced at Dox as he spoke: "So the genuine freedom you desire isn’t so easily obtained."

As soon as the Black Earl finished speaking, Vay leaned towards Dox and whispered: "I actually think genuine freedom is quite easy to achieve... Just become the lowest dust, and no one will bind you. Why not give it a try?"

Once again teased about "freedom," Dox was too lazy to retort, instead looking to Angel, awaiting a breakthrough in the tense conversation.

Though Angel was in dialogue with the Wise Sovereign, he overheard Dox and the Black Earl’s discussion.

He also felt weary, but as the Black Earl stated, oftentimes, he had no choice.

He didn’t wish to damage his relationship with the Wise Sovereign, especially since a contract was signed, and with the Wood Spirit still on him, clashing wasn’t an option.

So, he could only continually adapt, seeking the most suitable course through change.

Time slipped by slowly.

Several minutes later, the Wise Sovereign looked up at Angel: "As agreed, I will lend you the Sweet Dream. However, are you planning to narrate by yourself, or shall I ask?"

Upon hearing this, outwardly Angel remained calm, but inwardly he was relieved.

Perhaps due to the Black Earl’s earlier remarks on inescapability, or maybe the Wise Sovereign perceived Angel’s gestures of goodwill.

While not explicitly stated, the underlying implication of this statement signified agreement to his request, taking a step back and no longer demanding a detailed explanation from Angel.

Angel then dispensed with his restrained manner of speaking: "The Wise Sovereign can ask whatever you wish to know. I will share all that I can."

Pausing, Angel turned his gaze to Adanis on the high wall.

"If Lady Adanis feels there is anything inappropriate to say, she can notify me in advance, and I will be cautious."

Adanis nodded in assent.

Though her expression remained icy, for the first time, a look of satisfaction flickered in her eyes towards Angel.

Angel’s acknowledgment of her opinions was evidently of more importance than those of the Wise Sovereign.

This brought her considerable gratification.

What Adanis did not realize, however, was that while she felt gratified, Angel and the Wise Sovereign were exchanging a glance.

In many cases, silence can signify consent, so why can’t prevention serve as an answer too?

Angel: "What does the Wise Sovereign think?"

The Wise Sovereign smiled: "It’s agreeable."

With those words, the tension that had gripped the roundtable finally began to ease.

"Shall we use the True Words Tome?" Angel asked.

The Wise Sovereign waved it off: "No need, since the Wood Spirit trusts you and follows you, as the Wood Spirit’s Mentor, I am willing to trust you as well."

Angel’s expression remained unchanged, but he was internally exasperated: You say that now, but do you believe it? If trust was based on the Wood Spirit before entering the Qingkong Poetry Room, why did you use the True Words Tome?

Though chagrined internally, Angel still smiled and said: "The Wise Sovereign may proceed with the questions."

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