Hate me, Miss Witch!

The metal box contained several small glass containers, with liquids inside undulating and swaying unpredictably.

The liquids in the glass bottles displayed various colors; some were pale gold, while others were a deep blue, bubbling as if connected to the abyssal depths of the ocean.

Next to the glass potion vials lay a pitch-black letter, resting quietly.

Shiayar opened the red wax seal on the envelope and took out a piece of paper.

This time it wasn't a wordless enigma like with Dyres; the pitch-black paper clearly recorded several lines of text.

[Dear Esteemed Client:]

[The information trade you proposed to the Dark Shadow Council has been completed.]

[The intelligence you provided concerned the fall of the Ancient Dukedom Azure Garden during the Calamity Land era. This information has passed verification by the "Hourglass of Time" and the "One-Eyed Stone Statue" and is confirmed as genuine.]

[After high-level adjudication by the Dark Shadow Council, the intelligence you provided has been ultimately graded as— "Angel of Death".]

[As per your request to the Dark Shadow Council, the trade compensation has been settled with the alchemical magic potions and rare materials you needed.]

[The list of alchemical secret remedies and extraordinary materials traded are as follows: 200 milliliters of Holy Water from Blazing Sun Church blessed by a bishop, 30 grams of Sage's Blood, a portion of High-Grade Armorizing Secret Potion...]

[The alchemical secret remedies and extraordinary materials have been included with this letter. Please check them promptly.]

[As the intelligence you provided is extremely valuable, after the trade is completed, there remains a surplus of three thousand Rhine gold coins, which you can use for future expenditures within the Dark Shadow Council.]

[By the way, Her Majesty, the Queen of the Night is particularly interested in intelligence from the Calamity Land era.]

[Should you be able to provide further detailed intelligence about that lost era of history to the Dark Shadow Council, we will offer a price that will surely satisfy you.]

[We eagerly await our next cooperation with you.]

The signature bore the mark of the black moon, symbolizing the Dark Shadow Council.

Shiayar's gaze swept over the pitch-black paper.

After a long while, he nodded slightly.

For that final scene of the Echo of History, Shiayar had indeed gone to great lengths.

After all, he might be up against an ancient god struggling to break free from its chains and awaken; no amount of preparation would be excessive, even if it cost him everything.

The shakedown of Her Royal Highness was complete.

As for the assets in the Black Lily District that could be liquidated, all had been converted to cash, leaving mainly fixed assets for long-term yield; selling those would be a devastating loss, akin to killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.

The only option left was to become an information trafficker.

An ancient dukedom, its past buried in the dust of history...

Such intelligence was valuable, as it was a groundbreaking discovery in the field of archaeology. But on the other hand, it wasn't worth that much.

After all, the nation itself was gone. Aside from cultural and historical significance, there wasn't much substance left to squeeze from it—just a few antiques in a museum or a few brief lines of text in ancient books.

Fortunately, Shiayar's guess was correct—

The Dark Shadow Council, the largest intelligence organization on the Western Continent, was particularly interested in such secretive and unknown intelligence that involved extremely high levels of power.

Shiayar had no trouble selling intelligence. The defection of Elder Norton from the Brunestadt family was almost certain, and during the last journey into the Echo of History, Norton had revealed information about secret ties with the Lost Kingdom.

Aside from omitting information about himself, Shiayar sold everything he knew about the dark dealings within the Ancient Dukedom Azure Garden.

And the Dark Shadow Council lived up to its reputation as the King of the grey world, meeting all of Shiayar's demands generously, and then some.

The intelligence grade is "Angel of Death"... Is it because of Silvia, a future Legendary, and the possible revival of the Ancient God of Twilight?

I wonder how exactly the Dark Shadow Council confirms the authenticity of intelligence.

"Hourglass of Time," "One-Eyed Stone Statue"... Just from the names, one can tell they're related to temporal powers. I wonder if they're contaminants or time-related Pet Beasts.

The letter also mentioned that Her Majesty, the Queen of the Night, the master of the Dark Shadow Council, is also very interested in Calamity Land era intelligence.

I have indeed heard rumors that the Queen of the Night's original race is also of the longevity species, but I don't know exactly how long she has lived... Could she have personally experienced the Calamity Land era?

Such stray thoughts merely flashed through Shiayar's mind.

Soon, Shiayar gathered his wandering thoughts back together.

Connected by the Soul Pact to Shiny, he collected all the items in front of him, including the metal box and the shield emblem, into Shiny's "Spatial Pocket."

Then, he meticulously categorized and placed them in the secondary planes created by the Spatial Pocket.

Having done all this, Shiayar finally stood up again and entered the washroom on the second floor.

The light from the magictech lamp extinguished, leaving only the faint candlelight.

The washroom mirror reflected Shiayar's appearance.

Black hair, black eyes, and a slender figure.

His handsome face bore deep features, and his expression was indifferent.

He took a deep breath and calmed his thoughts.

Then, let's do a final check.

A pair of small military teleportation arrays, Judgment Warrant, Blazing Sun Church Holy Water, Sage's Blood, various alchemical secret remedies... nothing has been omitted.

Mental state is full of vitality; compatibility with the Soul Pact is still satisfactory.

All plans, as well as a variety of backup and emergency contingencies, are confirmed correct.

Preparations complete, ready perfectly.

With a small flicker of his thoughts, his spiritual power activated the spacetime mark.

Everything around him, whether it be the flickering of the candlelight or the flowing breeze, froze in an instant.

The Echo of History from the Ancient Dukedom Azure Garden had begun its final activation.

...

When Shiayar's consciousness revived, he found himself in a familiar secret chamber.

It should be early morning at this point.

The Silver Moon was still present, yet it was fading gradually.

The dark sky revealed the first light of daybreak, and the horizon began to turn slightly white.

Norton was half-reclining on the sofa, his aged face enshrouded in the purple smoke from "Fantasy Dream Hometown," making his expression indiscernible.

Why is it still this secret chamber?

Could it be that my return to the Echo of History has brought me back to the same time point when I last exited?

This guess had just arisen in Shiayar's mind.

The next moment, he heard Norton's words.

"There is news from the hidden organization in the Lost Kingdom."

"The dispatch of Zealots and Titled Rank powerful pros has been completed."

"During that time, corresponding rebellions will break out within the borders of the Holy Creed Kingdom and other major human nations. This will leave the three factions too busy to attend to other matters."

Norton's voice was exceptionally cold.

But within those indifferent words, there lay an unmistakable thirst and ambition.

"Seven days from now—"

"Azure Garden will fall, and dusk will descend."