Princess Alice dug deeper, trying to unearth more clues from her memory.
The scene of a god creating the world was only one of the many scenes she had glimpsed through spirit sight.
After that, there was more.
Surrounded by a corpse sea that seemed to cross the heavens…
Praised by billions of living beings…
Preaching to the world…
Obtaining the Demon King's Great Eye…
There were simply too many fragments like that, so many that it nearly felt as if they would burst Alice's mind apart.
…
By the end of the spirit sight, her mind really had reached the point of feeling like it was about to explode.
Because her spirit sight was cut off directly.
She had strained with all her strength to see that person's true face, to understand what that existence really was.
But the moment she formed that intention, as if she had touched some kind of taboo, every last vision vanished.
No, saying it "vanished" was not quite accurate.
It was more like it was suddenly… severed.
"What… is going on?"
Alice could not help pressing a hand to her temple. Because of the spirit sight, this rest did not restore her strength at all. If anything, it left her mind and body even more exhausted.
"What kind of being was that? What did I actually see?"
The sheer volume of information was too immense. For a moment, Alice could not process it, and she even began to suspect her spirit sight had malfunctioned.
But then she immediately performed several consecutive "Heavenly Eye" checks, trying to review the impression again.
"I should write it down first. These images are undoubtedly connected to a god."
"Almost all of them are scenes of salvation and creation. That cannot be a Godslayer."
If the God of the Bible was truly involved, then weren't the other images… not that closely related to the God of the Bible?
After finishing her notes, Alice suddenly remembered something, and the corners of her lips lifted into a sly, playful smile.
"The Last King. Even if it was only the faintest trace, I did glimpse something connected to the Last King."
"If I remember correctly, that person is the one who likes the Last King the most. To the point of obsession."
"Just imagining the look of surprise on that Black Prince's face… feels truly interesting."
…
After thinking it through, Alice picked up the phone and dialed Black Prince Alexander Ruscoin (Alec).
Alexander, known as the Black Prince, had defeated the demon-angel Remiel who governed illusions and dreams, and had obtained a miracle-like Authority. Unlike most Godslayers, Alec did not specialize in head-on clashes with gods. Instead, he was better at maneuver, calculation, and striking where it hurt.
Of course, that did not really matter. Deep down, every Godslayer was a warrior who chased what they desired, and he was no exception.
At present, Alec's true reason for pursuing the Holy Grail was to make up for the regret he carried from his father's death when he was sixteen.
Alice remembered that a few days ago, at dawn, he had mentioned he was secretly hiding in some small country, trying to uncover the connection between the Last King and the Primogenitor Vera, and dig out the Last King's true identity.
By her estimate, it should be deep night over there.
Sure enough, the moment the call connected, a man's low, suppressed breathing came through the receiver, heavy with irritation. Clearly, he had woken up in a foul mood.
"Do you even know what time it is over here?"
Alec forced down his displeasure at being disturbed. His stiff tone carried obvious irritation, as well as a distinct sense of dislike toward Alice.
Alice did not disappoint him.
In the very next second, what she said was like a bucket of ice water, instantly extinguishing the anger that had flared up from being interrupted.
"Alec, if I told you I just spirit-sighted some information about the Last King, would you still be angry?"
Alice's voice carried a deliberately light, almost sing-song cheerfulness.
"Although, from the looks of it, you seem to think I'm bothering you… what a pity. Should I just hang up?"
A short silence followed from the other end, and only the sound of breathing proved he was still there.
"…"
"What did you say?" Alexander's voice came again, now tinged with unmistakable urgency and hunger.
"Oh?" Alice's smile deepened. "Black Prince-denka, you seem to have woken up all at once?"
"I'm saying, just now, I saw clues about the Last King. I feel like I…"
Alice deliberately paused, savoring the awkward silence Alec could not quite hide.
"Is it real?" the Black Prince asked in a low voice.
"You know it. My spirit sight has never been wrong," Alice said with absolute certainty.
"Fine. Then what did you see?" Alexander's drowsiness vanished immediately.
"Mm. There was a lot. It was messy, and even a bit chaotic."
Alice twirled a strand of her golden hair, as if trying to organize her thoughts.
"I saw seven creator gods from the Bible. I saw the king who fell from the heavens. I saw a stranger praised by billions of living beings. I saw an existence not bound by fate. All of it seemed to point to the same existence, or the same concept. But I do not know what that existence represents."
She selectively revealed only part of the impression, without stating any final conclusion.
There was a brief silence on the other end, and then Black Prince-denka spoke again, his voice edged with suspicion.
"Seven creators? Are you sure you didn't mix Bible stories into your spirit sight? Or did your spirit body finally go wrong, and your head's gone muddled?"
"Heh, heh, heh."
Alice chuckled, wholly unsurprised.
"At first, I thought so too. But Alec, tell me, would mere Bible stories make the world's memory go to such lengths, mixing them together with other mythic symbols, and offering them to me in one bundle?"
"And besides, the legend of the Last King has always been closely intertwined with creation myths from many gods, hasn't it?"
Alice pointed straight at the key issue.
"Idiot." Alexander's voice turned serious.
He realized Alice was not joking. She might truly have glimpsed something new, something tied to the Last King.
"As for more details, they're not easy to explain over the phone. And I'm exhausted. I need to rest…"
Alice drew out the ending, brazenly dangling the bait.
"But, precisely because of what you just said, and because this is the thing you can only chase desperately from afar, I've already written down a set of notes recording the spirit sight."
Her tone remained unhurried, teasing him with a calm confidence that made his impatience even sharper.
"Your terms," Alexander asked bluntly. He knew perfectly well that Alice would only call him to negotiate.
"As for terms, I haven't decided yet," Alice said lightly.
"Just treat it as you owing me a favor. Relax. I won't ask you to go destroy the world."
"…Fine."
After weighing it, his desire for information about the Last King overwhelmed everything else. Black Prince-denka accepted Alice's condition.
"Deal."
"Deal." Alice's mood brightened. The thought of forcing Alec into this position pleased her immensely.
"Once I'm rested, I'll have someone deliver a copy of the notes to you. As for whatever remote corner you're hiding in… there will always be a way to get it there."
…
"Soon," Alexander urged.
"I know, Black Prince-denka."
"Then… good night?" Alice said lazily. "Oh, right. It's deep night on your end. Sweet dreams. I hope my clues don't keep you awake."
She gave him no chance to respond. She quickly ended the call.
After placing the phone back on the bedside table, Alice lay down again. The exhaustion in her body seemed to fade in an instant, and even Alexander's attitude toward her had shifted noticeably.
She stared at the ceiling, golden eyes flickering with a thoughtful light.
"The Last King… If those layered miracle-symbols all overlap… what does this time foretell?"
"Salvation… or destruction?"
"Without a doubt, those images all point to the same person. I can't clearly remember what that person looked like, but faintly, I can still recognize a human silhouette."
In the end, Alice decided to sketch what she could remember.
…
While Alice was enthusiastically drawing, the bedroom door opened.
A woman with her hair tied back and thin-framed glasses, looking about twenty-eight, walked in slowly.
"Alice-sama, your call records indicate you just contacted that Black Prince-denka?" the woman asked softly.
The woman's name was Ericsson. Her full name was Hartmann Ericsson, and she went by the nickname "Ericsson-sensei." In daily life, she was extremely responsible for Alice's schedule and personal care, limited to her everyday routines.
Without a doubt, she had once served in the role of "Princess Alice's steward."
Of course, in name, her official job was something else entirely.
She was Princess Alice's private tutor.
"Ericsson-sensei, that's right." Alice smiled brightly, pleased with herself. "I just made the Black Prince choke on shock for once—"
"I see, hime-sama. However, the content of your call has already been recorded into your schedule," Ericsson replied.
Her expression remained stern and composed. She looked exactly like the kind of strict, serious female tutor you would expect.
But Alice knew Ericsson had a far more interesting side.
That was—
Despite appearing extremely serious on the surface, she was one of the most frequent visitors to London's matchmaking agencies.
Logically, that should have been a secret, private matter.
But Alice knew it, because… she was the holder of an exalted spirit sight.
Naturally, Ericsson-sensei, who presented herself as straightforward and upright, also knew exactly what kind of "little devil" Alice could be.
Still…
Lately, Ericsson-sensei did not seem to go out searching as often.
Could it be that she had already found someone she liked?
Next time she had the chance, Alice wondered if she could peek out a clue or two.
While thinking that, Alice continued to study the drawing.
"Alice-hime… is this the person you spirit-sighted?" Ericsson asked.
She had walked to the desk and noticed Alice's sketch.
"Mm. I only drew a rough outline," Alice replied. "Why?"
"No, it's nothing." Ericsson shook her head gently.
"I just think… this person looks very much like someone I know."
Ericsson remembered the boy she had encountered while handling official business.
(End of Chapter)
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