Klein swore, he originally wanted to stop it.
But when he opened his mouth, air rushed into his respiratory tract, and he suddenly uncontrollably began to cough violently, so he could only cough while watching Alice shyly and timidly finish that sentence.
As expected of you, fate.
No matter what, Admiral Amyrius wouldn't take that sentence seriously. After thinking briefly, he looked towards Gehrman Sparrow.
Klein recovered from the coughing, met Admiral Amyrius's gaze, and answered expressionlessly:
"This is Miss Cynthia's last words."
After being silent for over ten seconds, Admiral Amyrius turned to Alice, nodded, and said:
"Thank you."
This instead made Alice choke; she realized that Admiral Amyrius's thank you was sincere—regardless of what purpose she did that thing just now for, she indeed brought back Cynthia's last words.
Such feedback suddenly made Alice's mood somewhat bad. It was a kind of stifling feeling from deep inside, and Alice knew what that represented—that was guilt.
She opened her mouth, but found that she couldn't naturally apologize like she did facing Klein.
Alice bit her lip, lifted her foot and lightly—not too heavy or too light—kicked Klein's calf. Under Klein's incredulous gaze, she dryly threw a sentence at Admiral Amyrius:
"You're welcome."
Alice's figure disappeared from the original spot, and Klein unobtrusively moved the muscles in his calf, restraining the urge to grimace and show it to Alice.
Actually, it didn't hurt as much as when his eye exploded, but it already counted as her venting quite mercilessly… Klein sighed inwardly and asked Admiral Amyrius:
"Is there anything else you want to know?"
Only then did Admiral Amyrius retract his gaze from the two of them. That faint trace of melancholy completely disappeared from him, and he opened his mouth in a deep but still dignified tone:
"What exactly happened?"
Klein didn't conceal much, starting from when his pants dropped in front of Austin, then mentioning the mysterious person's warning in the dream, and finally recounting Cynthia's mutation and everyone's reactions.
Klein didn't describe the specific battle process in detail, only mentioned that the "Ninth Law" sigil isolated outside interference, and pushed the remaining events entirely onto Alice.
He also described to Admiral Amyrius the subsequent investigation results, and Alice's pranks on the others. Of course, in between, he avoided mentioning that the "Mother Tree of Desire's" actual target was him, and didn't mention Alice's narrative about Adam.
Admiral Amyrius's expression changed from initial shock and hesitation to gradually numbness. Finally, he opened his mouth in a deep voice:
"The mysterious person who invaded your dream emphasized the fate of the era and the current tide?"
"Yes." Klein, who had returned to the face of Gehrman Sparrow, answered.
Admiral Amyrius glanced at Klein, then confirmed: "In the dream, you maintained my appearance?"
"Yes." Klein affirmed this matter, but didn't explain further.
Admiral Amyrius likewise didn't pursue the matter. After silently pacing a few steps within a small range, he looked back at Gehrman Sparrow and said:
"Your choice was not wrong."
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Infected by Alice's strange thoughts, Klein excitedly felt the feedback of potion digestion and suddenly had a new whimsical idea.
Eh, if I played the role of Alice…
"I have a question," Alice's voice interrupted Klein's thoughts, "Did you plan to sign a contract with him from the beginning?"
Admiral Amyrius's gaze naturally fell on Alice, who had already adjusted her emotions. He spoke in an emotionless voice:
"I originally didn't plan to sign a contract with the substitute, but intended to inform Cynthia that signs of losing control had appeared and that I wouldn't be able to be close to her within 5 days. But later, for some reasons, I changed my mind."
Someone helped me… Klein keenly realized this, and subconsciously asked: "What reason?"
Before Admiral Amyrius could answer, Alice turned her head and said:
"Even if you ask, it's useless… A good 'writer' will not leave their name behind."
Klein immediately understood who Alice suspected. That indeed was one of the suspicious candidates, and Alice indeed pointed out a core issue—if the other party helped him but didn't say so, then most likely they still didn't want to show up.
Klein didn't ask further, and instead took out that broken pendant, handed it to Admiral Amyrius, and said:
"This is the 'Breeding Necklace' from the 'Mother Tree of Desire'."
Alice added half a sentence for Klein: "You can try to…"
A force came from the sleeve, and Alice silently shut her mouth, pulling her sleeve out from Klein's hand.
Admiral Amyrius didn't participate in the interaction between the two of them. If one had to say what realization he had…
A level 0 sealed item with complete activity seems easier to seal than in normal circumstances… Admiral Amyrius inconspicuously glanced at Alice and made a judgment.
He took the Breeding Necklace, looked down at it, and said:
"You can leave now.
"Go to Bilt to receive your reward."
Alice suddenly stopped her movement, looked at Klein, then looked at Admiral Amyrius, and asked Klein while propping her chin:
"In a normal situation, shouldn't you be silenced?"
Klein was silent for two seconds, ignored that sentence, turned to Admiral Amyrius, and pointed at the tuxedo on his body:
"Clothes."
Admiral Amyrius suddenly realized, perhaps the abnormal one here wasn't just Alice.
He very presciently didn't take off his clothes himself, but looked with Klein at Alice, who was trying to muddle through.
Alice blinked twice, and after thinking for a few seconds while staring at the two of them, opened the window and jumped down.
"...?" Admiral Amyrius felt faint confusion.
Klein looked at this scene in surprise, then turned his head to Admiral Amyrius and explained:
"I think the reason she did that is probably because, you came in through the window." Note ①
This reason-for-the-sake-of-a-reason could do nothing except bring Admiral Amyrius deeper confusion. He finally confirmed that Alice's way of thinking was something he couldn't understand, and silently took off his clothes.
In this silence, Klein and Admiral Amyrius finished exchanging clothes. He got up and walked to the door. After hesitating for two seconds, he turned back and tentatively asked:
"Your Excellency Admiral, can we leave together?
"She came in with me at the beginning."
Admiral Amyrius once again confirmed that the abnormal one here wasn't only Alice.
No, maybe the ones who are abnormal aren't the two of them, but me...
Watching Klein's disappointed departing back, Admiral Amyrius fell into intense self-doubt.
(End of this chapter)