The Three Princesses

In a village west of the Star Highlands in the Southern Continent.

Brunna, the former princess of the Balam Empire, sat across from the "Mystic Queen" Bernadette at a stone table, each holding a set of pieces as they played a game of Gomoku.

Brunna was clearly no match for Bernadette and soon conceded defeat.

"Is there some trick to playing this game?" Brunna frowned, her usual poise completely absent, as she looked at Bernadette with confusion.

"No," Bernadette, wearing an old-fashioned veil hat and with beautiful chestnut hair, replied indifferently.

Brunna didn't believe her and was about to press further when she suddenly looked up at the sky. A figure was flying toward them at an incredible speed, arriving in their courtyard in the blink of an eye.

With her brown eyes, Brunna examined the woman who had descended from the sky. She had black hair, blue eyes, and wore a black dress with matching boots. Her beauty was striking, her demeanor elegant, and she exuded an intellectual charm.

Brunna raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Isabella, even though you're no longer a princess, you still know how to put on a show."

The newcomer was none other than Isabella, the former crown princess of Lenburg and the mentor of Edwina.

"Brunna, you're as rude as ever," Isabella glanced at Brunna before turning her gaze to Bernadette, offering a perfectly polite smile. "It's been a long time, Bernadette."

Bernadette curtsied in response, then turned her calm gaze to Brunna and said, "Aunt Brunna, now that Aunt Isabella is here, can you finally tell me why you asked me to come?"

"You were waiting for me? But I came looking for 'Leon'..." Isabella said, slightly puzzled.

Brunna scoffed, "Why don't you use your reliable premonition to 'foresee' it? Besides, Leon isn't here anymore. It should be in the Northern Continent by now.

"Do you think it didn't foresee your arrival? Clearly, it doesn't want to see you and even interfered with your 'prophecy.'"

Isabella's brow furrowed slightly, but she quickly regained her composure and looked at the former Balam Empire princess. "Brunna, provoking me is pointless."

"But I still don't like you very much," Brunna muttered, then cleared her throat and got to the point: "I've discovered a mausoleum of the 'Black Emperor,' with traces left by Roselle... Would you like to go see it?"

"A mausoleum of the 'Black Emperor'?" Isabella, who had been about to leave to chase after "Leon," suddenly brightened. After a moment of thought, she asked, "Is it Roselle's or Solomon's?"

Bernadette remained silent, but her gaze lingered on Brunna as if anticipating something.

"Judging by the insignia, it should be Solomon's... But Roselle must have been there. He might have left some clues," Brunna stated confidently.

"How can you be sure Roselle was there?" Isabella's tone remained calm, but her eyes clearly brightened further.

"Because to enter that mausoleum now, you need three 'Blasphemy Cards'..." Brunna paused, then added, "At least three."

"Why do you say that?" Isabella asked.

"From my observations... and my understanding of Roselle, the mechanisms he designed are never that simple. Different combinations of 'cards' might take us to different parts of the mausoleum... To fully explore that grand mausoleum, we'd probably need to collect all 22 'Blasphemy Cards.'"

As she spoke, Brunna casually summoned a wraith and pulled a card from its mouth... The card depicted an angel with Roselle's face, exuding an artistic temperament but bound by bandages...

It was a "Bound Angel" card!

"This card was left by Roselle for Maria, but carrying it with her was dangerous, so I've been keeping it safe for her," Brunna explained.

Seeing this, Isabella hesitated for a moment before finally making up her mind. She recited an incantation, performed a certain "secret art," then unbuttoned her collar, reached into her chest, and pulled out a card.

The card depicted a sun with Roselle's face—clearly a "Sun" card. 

"This was given to me by him the last time I saw him..." Isabella said, pursing her lips, then buttoned up her collar. 

"I have to say, the 'storage' secret art Roselle developed is quite vulgar... And you actually learned it! As expected, you really are putting on an act!" Brunna only glanced at the card before shifting her attention elsewhere. 

Isabella glanced at Brunna's chest and said indifferently, "People without 'capital' can't learn this art..." She then ignored Brunna and turned her gaze to Bernadette. 

Hearing this, Brunna's smile visibly stiffened. 

Bernadette ignored the tension between the two aunts and nodded slightly, saying, "I have four cards: 'The Hermit,' 'The Wheel of Fortune,' 'Death,' and 'The Judge.'" 

Before leaving the Southern Continent, Jane had handed over the Blasphemy Cards obtained from the depths of the "Daniel Maze" to Bernadette. 

"So, with that, we have... uh, how many combinations are there, and how many places in the mausoleum can we explore?" Brunna tried to calculate in her head but couldn't come up with an answer immediately. 

"C(6,3), 20 combinations. It's a simple math problem," Isabella said coolly, providing the answer instantly. 

Almost simultaneously, Bernadette confirmed, "Exhaustive enumeration yields 20." 

"Alright, 'Readers' are the pathway to learning and applying knowledge, and 'Mystery Pryers' are the pathway to knowledge itself. Your conclusions must be correct." Brunna casually brushed off her "weakness" in math and continued, "I can take you to see the mausoleum now. As for how to explore it, I'm sure you both have your own ideas. We can discuss that later." 

One of the two before her was a "Prophet," and the other was a "Master of Prophecy." When it came to sensing danger, breaking seals, and utilizing rituals, they were undoubtedly far more skilled than her, a "Ferryman." This was one of the reasons Brunna had called them here. 

"Where is the mausoleum located?" Bernadette asked after a few seconds of silence. 

"At the junction of the Polar Sea and the Misty Sea." 

... 

Backlund, Steam Train Station. 

Jane stepped off the steam train with her luggage, looked around, and sighed, "Backlund hasn't changed much!" 

"You've only been gone for a little over a month. How could there be any significant changes in such a short time?" The lion crouching at her feet snorted. 

Passengers walked past the lion, but none seemed to notice the fierce beast. 

"Rest for the night, then buy a ticket to the Rorsted Archipelago tomorrow. If nothing goes wrong, we should be able to reach Endor by Wednesday," Jane muttered to herself, then checked her bearings and prepared to stay at the "Bravehhh Bar" for the night before buying a ticket the next morning. 

But as soon as she and the lion stepped out of the station, they saw several police officers subduing a man. The crowd that had gathered around him quickly dispersed, leaving only a young woman wearing long gloves and a bearded man standing nearby, seemingly pointing at the arrested man and discussing something. 

It seemed like the police were catching a scammer... Jane quickly made her judgment and turned her gaze away, intending to walk past the scene with the lion. 

But when she looked down, she realized the lion was no longer by her side. Instead, it had somehow ended up behind the bearded man, sniffing the air. 

The bearded man seemed to sense something and turned around, only to see an orange cat lying by his feet. 

He paused for a moment, then tore off a piece of meat from the pie in his hand and placed it on the ground. 

(End of Chapter)