Angel had previously heard from Genggui that Laplace agreed to follow his aura to meet him, and Angel thought he would wait some time before Laplace arrived.
Unexpectedly, Laplace arrived earlier than he did, and she had even entered the "Lost Paradise."
Laplace floated in mid-air, looking down at Angel from above, her heterochromatic eyes showing no emotional fluctuations: "Lost Paradise is a name I discovered from a memory in the mirror. Why, do you have a problem with the name?"
Angel: "No problem."
When he heard the name Lost Paradise, he instinctively felt that it didn’t seem like a style the Wise Sovereign would name, which was why he asked, without any other meaning.
However, Laplace seemed very focused on Lost Paradise, and even after Angel clearly expressed no issue with the name, she continued to ask: "Have you ever heard of Lost Paradise?"
Angel looked at Laplace with some doubt: Could it be that this Lost Paradise harbored some secret?
"No, it’s my first time hearing about Lost Paradise."
Laplace’s gaze fixed on Angel, and after a few seconds, she slowly relaxed her brows, no longer mentioning the matter of Lost Paradise.
At this moment, Genggui said, "Sir, do you want to enter the Lost Paradise now?"
Angel was about to answer, but he noticed that Genggui’s expression was somewhat abnormal. Just a moment ago, they were having a lively conversation, yet now Genggui had his head bowed low, inching backward cautiously.
He looked as though he was quite afraid of Laplace.
Even asking Angel whether he wanted to enter the Lost Paradise seemed rushed and anxious, completely different from his previous unhurried pace.
Could it be that Laplace did something to Genggui in the past? Is that why he is so afraid of her?
Angel didn’t voice his question, but seeing Genggui’s head almost buried into his chest, he couldn’t help but feel a bit sympathetic: "Alright, let’s go in now."
Genggui quickly responded, "Okay, sir, you just need to take out the key, and then I’ll..."
Before Genggui could finish, Laplace said coolly, "No need, I can take him in."
The Lost Paradise itself was solidified by Laplace; even without the key, she could enter and exit at will.
Genggui: "But..."
Laplace turned to look at Genggui and said softly, "If you want, you can come in with us."
Genggui waved his hands hurriedly, taking several steps back: "I-I’ll just stay outside and keep watch. I won’t go."
Seeing Genggui in such a timid state, Angel was convinced that he indeed harbored a fear of Laplace... no, perhaps fear isn’t the right word. If Genggui was truly afraid of Laplace, the Wise Sovereign wouldn’t have assigned him to find her.
It should be... caution and reverence.
Angel was quite curious as to why Genggui felt this way towards Laplace. Was it due to Laplace’s unique status or a natural suppression as the child of the Mirror Domain? Whatever the reason, Angel knew he couldn’t ask Genggui in front of Laplace.
So, he could only let it go.
Nodding to Genggui, he then bowed to Laplace: "I must trouble you, Lady Laplace."
Laplace said nothing, merely manipulating a strand of her silver hair. She tied one end to Angel’s arm.
Immediately, a pulling force came from the strand of hair.
Angel did not resist, and with a leap in line with the force, he flew through the wooden archway.
At the moment he entered, Laplace’s silver hair transformed into a shimmering silver protective shield, warding off the oppressive spatial power surrounding Angel.
The silver shield lasted for about ten seconds, and when it disappeared, Angel found himself in a dreamy garden filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers.
It was called "dreamy" because everything before him was beautifully surreal.
Here, the wind had color. The verdant wind blew vitality, turning wherever it passed into spring, the land blooming with flowers, rich with the scent of a nascent sun.
The dusky purple wind brought splendor. Wherever flowers were, the petals danced like angry lotuses, each petal swept into the wind by the purple-breeze, roaming with it.
A gust of purple breeze passed before Angel, bringing a rain of countless petals.
The petals fell to the ground and sank into the earth. When the green wind returned, they would break soil anew.
The verdant wind and the dusky purple wind seemed like a cycle of life and death. Yet there was nothing cruel about it; rather, it felt like a painted fairy tale, fantastically wondrous.
Besides these, there were other colors of wind here.
The milky white wind carried dewdrops; the pale yellow wind served as the "magic carpet" for birds; while the light pink wind was the cradle for giant trees.
Angel had never seen such colorful and fantastical winds before.
However, were these colored winds truly winds? Perhaps other forces were mixed within them?
Angel felt slightly curious, yet with Laplace beside him, he hesitated to explore further.
After pondering for a moment, Angel looked toward Laplace: "Lady Laplace, I have an impertinent request."
Laplace still did not land but, her silver hair seemed woven into a throne, allowing her to hover in a seated posture.
Hearing Angel’s question, Laplace replied indifferently, "You had Second Treasure summon me because you wanted my help, didn’t you? Whatever you want me to do, since I am already here, just say it directly. Don’t dance around with words; I don’t appreciate that human trait."
Laplace’s response seemed to indicate a willingness to help Angel. However, Angel believed Laplace probably wouldn’t help for free.
Perhaps she had other motives? Did she want more answers to that earlier question?
Angel’s unguarded expression did not escape Laplace’s notice.
Understanding his thoughts, she said coolly, "Indeed, I can’t help you for free. Nevertheless, I haven’t yet decided what you should do in return because I don’t even know what you want from me."
"Every question you ask and every request you have, I will keep in mind. These will accumulate, ultimately determining what you need to repay."
"Similarly, if I ask questions or have requests, and you answer or respond, I will also remember them. Including your answers outside earlier, I took note of those too."
"If I judge that your contributions exceed mine, I will compensate you rather than expect you to repay."
Simply put, it is an equitable exchange.
But determining what the final repayment or compensation will be is not possible now, as both sides have questions and requests.
With this "transaction" premise, Angel felt much more assured.
With assurance replacing anxiety,
Angel no longer expressed himself obliquely this time, and straightforwardly stated his request: "You should know, I have a wind-elemental follower, which I currently keep in my bracelet. I want to release it. May I?"
Angel was, of course, referring to Speedy.
The wind here was peculiar, and Angel was curious. However, if he researched it himself, it might take a lot of time.
But with Speedy, the situation would be different. Being a wind-elemental creature itself, it would understand the winds here much quicker than he could.
"You may." Laplace nodded in agreement without much ado.
Though Laplace agreed, Angel did not immediately release Speedy. Instead, he watched Laplace to see if she had any questions or requests.
Nevertheless, Laplace shook her head. "Such trivial matters need not warrant your inquiry. Since the Wise Sovereign allowed you to enter and bring it..."
Laplace gestured at Dangross on Angel’s shoulder.
"It signifies his consent for you to bring elemental creatures in. Since he agreed, I’m not in a position to refuse."
"This won’t count towards your request."
"Even if it were to count, I currently have nothing to ask of you, so you needn’t seek an absolute one-for-one exchange."