Regarding this, Klein was greatly shocked:
"...Even the thing you don't dare to divine, you want me to do it?"
Alice's eyes became evasive; she shoved the pendant in her hand into Klein's hands, and dropped a sentence:
"I'll go help you wake the secretary!"
Klein was slightly stunned, then saw Alice's figure flash, appearing next to Bilt, and lifted her foot to kick him.
Watching Bilt slowly wake up, Klein quickly walked over, while transforming himself back into the appearance of Admiral Admiral Amyrius.
Seeing him change his appearance, Alice understood his meaning, silently disappeared from the spot.
When Bilt woke up, Klein had just stopped beside him, looking down at him solemnly and seriously.
"Your Excellency Admiral..." Bilt for a moment couldn't react.
"Admiral Amyrius" clearly had no interest in explaining, and coldly instructed:
"Wake up all the lightly wounded here. Part of them will treat the remaining people, part of them immediately investigate the Celestial Sect on Oravi Island.
"They worship an evil god called the 'Mother Tree of Desire.' Mm... start checking from the people around Cynthia.
"I'll be waiting in the study for the report."
After speaking, Klein held the broken rhinoceros horn pendant and entered the study.
Alice did not follow, but followed Bilt instead.
He clearly was a competent secretary, confusion lasted only a moment, then he methodically began his work.
As one unconscious person after another was awakened, the chaos gradually lessened, the surroundings slowly became orderly, and Bilt also began interrogations.
So strange... now he didn't show even a bit of that previous arrogance.
Alice thoughtfully glanced at him, then went back to find the Fool who was now acting as a lonely old man.
...
Klein didn't notice Alice's disappearance. After entering the study, he very obediently didn't think about matters related to the starry sky.
From the scene that occurred after the "Ninth Law" took effect, he judged that the "Mother Tree of Desire" was precisely the "star" in the "starry sky."
Given Alice's rare warning, Klein didn't deeply think about more information in this regard, but instead pondered why the "Mother Tree of Desire" would want to... have a child with him?
Without doubt, the answer must be inseparable from Source Castle.
However, in Alice's eyes, the "Mother Tree of Desire" seems even more dangerous than a true god. She dared to steal even from the Church of the Lord of Storms, yet she doesn't even dare divine the "Mother Tree of Desire"...
If true gods are Sequence 0, could it be... there really is a Sequence -1?
He twitched the corner of his mouth at his own self-deprecating cold joke. Before he had time to react, a pair of hands covered his eyes, and a soft, charming voice rang out:
"General~ guess who I am?"
Almost as soon as she spoke, Klein let down his guard and any desire to attack—this kind of boring behavior must be Alice!
He reached out to try to pull away the hands covering his eyes, but Alice's hands didn't budge. After trying twice, he gave up.
He used the "Faceless Man's" extraordinary ability to perform the difficult movement of rotating his head 180°, and then smiled at Alice under her terrified gaze:
"You're even afraid of this?"
Alice pulled back her hands and took several steps back before saying: "If a creature that looks like a human does something clearly not human in front of you…"
Her voice suddenly stopped. The two of them stared at each other and fell into thought. After ten seconds, Klein hesitantly asked:
"Are you talking about yourself?"
Alice looked at him with a 'seen-a-ghost' expression. Just as she was about to speak, suddenly heard footsteps coming upstairs. She gave up on the desire to retort, and instead reminded:
"Bilt is coming."
After speaking, she didn't wait for Klein to remind her and disappeared on her own.
Klein had just restored his facial features and hair to the correct positions, and before his head had time to return to normal shape, he heard a knock on the door.
"Come in," he responded in his usual deep voice, while secretly adjusting his head to normal shape.
Bilt didn't notice this scene. As soon as he entered, he lowered his head and calmly reported:
"Your Excellency Admiral, the Celestial Sect has already been found. We've captured their leader.
"This was a lead provided by Miss Cynthia's parents.
"This cult has been very active in Oravi in recent years, promoting the belief of not wearing clothes, returning to nature, indulging natural instincts—believing that in such a state, humanity can achieve spiritual liberation."
No, not wearing clothes...?
Alice lowered her head, tugged at the sack-like school uniform on her body, and fell into contemplation.
To her now, clothing had already become "skin" as she once jokingly said—she could now transform and conjure different outfits.
But even so, she didn't go out naked! She still wore clothes properly! What the hell are you Celestial Sect people doing!
Bilt didn't know what Alice was thinking, and naturally didn't consider her feelings. He continued:
"Reproduction is an attached product of this philosophy.
"Their leader is an extraordinary, a Sequence 8 'Madman.'"
"Madman"... That's... the Rose School of Thought!
Alice thought briefly and recalled this Sequence's affiliation. She still remembered that Klein once hired a "Resentful Spirit" from the "Rose School of Thought" as a bodyguard.
Right, the "Rose School" has both an Indulgence Faction and a Restraint Faction. If it's the Indulgence Faction, then it's indeed possible... No, but going naked is still a bit too much! Even if it's illusion, at least look clothed!
Alice found it hard to understand.
However, if "Prisoner" is one path to the "Mother Tree of Desire," then what are the other one or few? Hmm, "Demon" is definitely one of them. "Desire Apostle" sounds absolutely related...
Klein's voice interrupted Alice's thoughts: "Bring him over."
Bilt soon brought back the Celestial Sect's leader. His name was Follett Ken, a man in his thirties.
Follett had a thin, narrow face with a brown beard and strange bluish tattoos on his neck. Alice was disappointed to see that he was, in fact, wearing clothes.
He looked mentally unwell... consequences of interrogation?
Bilt's report quickly answered Alice's doubt:
"Your Excellency Admiral, during the arrest, he repeatedly exchanged sanity for power. His mind is close to collapse…"
Exchanging sanity for power... Hearing for the first time the "Madman's" combat style, Alice was quite surprised. She thoughtfully examined the collapsed Follett Ken, suddenly wanting to restore his state and make him do it again.
To avoid really doing that, Alice stood a bit closer to Klein to remind herself not to get beaten.
Eh, actually Klein clearly can't beat me, right...
Alice licked her lips, and gave Follett Ken a desirous glance. (End of Chapter)