"I understand." Angel lowered his eyes and nodded gently.
The white-haired old man thought for a moment, feeling that his previous statement might make himself appear weak. Although it was true, he was, after all, an Observer. It’s rare to interact with a native Southern Domain Wizard, especially one with ties to Frost. If saying "powerless" causes Angel to look down upon him, and he mentions it to Frost later, it would be quite embarrassing.
With this in mind, the white-haired old man added, "Worrying about what happened there is useless. As an Observer, I cannot directly intervene, but there will always be a way to solve it."
"Observer, sir, what solution might there be?" Angel asked hurriedly.
The white-haired old man smiled faintly, "The future is undecided, everything is hard to say. Perhaps it will be resolved by forces from the Origin World, the World Will, or maybe by a certain person..."
Angel contemplated the Observer’s words. He understood the first two: either someone from the Origin World will come to resolve it, or the World Will will intervene in the process; but a certain person capable of resolving it—what does that mean? Who is this certain person?
Angel intended to ask, but at that moment, the white-haired old man suddenly mentioned another matter, "I heard that the Peach Heart Theater is about to dock, this time arriving at the Southern Domain."
Angel instinctively nodded, this information had been prophesied by Dororo.
The white-haired old man: "Why has the Peach Heart Theater chosen to land at the Eternal Night territory?"
Angel abruptly raised his gaze, "Sir, do you mean..." Is the Peach Heart Theater coming because of the Nightmare Realm’s dome?
The white-haired old man shook his finger, "I don’t know, nor do I have any information sources. I’m just speculating freely. However, the Void merchants have already spread the word that the Peach Heart Theater is about to dock, and soon, various parties will arrive, making the Southern Domain lively."
As the white-haired old man’s words fell, Angel seemed to think of something, but before he could ponder further, the ground suddenly shook again.
Moreover, this time the tremor was more severe than before.
The corridor they stood in tilted slightly.
Only, the tilting of the corridor did not affect Angel, because at the moment the tremor appeared, the white-haired old man’s distorted force field stabilized the surrounding space.
Their bodies seemed to stand within reality, yet also appeared to exist in an incongruous gap. The surrounding corridor looked like a false oil painting, with only themselves being real, vibrant entities.
This was undoubtedly the white-haired old man’s power.
And this time, Angel could not use the "Domain Field" to shield the distortion, clearly demonstrating the white-haired old man’s active intervention.
As he existed between reality and illusion, within twisted rules, Angel’s previously slightly settled heart grew uneasy once more.
"Observer, sir..."
The white-haired old man once again gestured for silence, turning his gaze upwards. His eyes were bright, seeming to pierce through all veils, looking at the unknown void.
After a while, the white-haired old man withdrew his gaze, murmuring softly, "Though I haven’t seen him, his presence has arrived. I wonder will it be a bloodline ancestor visiting, or the city official, or perhaps..."
His voice was faint, with the latter part being unclear.
Angel’s mind also stirred with unspoken thoughts. Who might the "him" the Observer mentioned be?
After the white-haired old man expressed his own sentiments, he turned to Angel, "I hadn’t intended to reveal myself, but you captured a third-class citizen, so I had to come to see you."
A third-class citizen? Angel paused, his gaze languidly shifting to the misty shadow enclosed by the Domain Field.
"Sir, are you saying this misty shadow is a third-class citizen? A third-class citizen of Phantom Spirit City?"
The white-haired old man nodded, "I see you know quite a bit. It is indeed a third-class citizen of Phantom Spirit City, but its name isn’t misty shadow... never mind, just call it misty shadow. Knowing their clan’s name won’t benefit you, and its elders might directly sense your existence."
Angel was silent. Although the Observer didn’t state it explicitly, merely knowing the name invokes a sense, which indicates at least a Demon God level existence, equivalent to something beyond a Legend.
"Since you know about third-class citizens, you should also understand the significance of third-class citizens to Phantom Spirit City."
Angel nodded. Though third-class citizens seem relatively low-level in Phantom Spirit City’s hierarchy, once they are citizens, they will certainly be under Gluz Deward’s protection. Just look at the situation with No. 01; after killing a third-class citizen, he was forced into a desperate situation, even going mad to the point of hardly surviving.
From this, one can see the importance of third-class citizens.
"By the way, this guy is a third-class citizen, but its elder is a first-class citizen. It’s said that it’s about to be designated as a Diamond Citizen by the City Lord. Moreover, their clan currently only has these two known existences." The white-haired old man paused, "So, do you still plan to capture it?"
Angel: "...No."
Having seen No. 01’s miserable fate after killing a third-class citizen, Angel guessed the consequences would be even more severe if he acted against the misty shadow.
Moreover, without Gluz Deward needing to order, given their tribe’s numbers, the elders might act themselves.
Angel looked at the misty shadow trapped by the Domain Field, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Observer, sir, I actually just wanted to invite it as a guest... will it believe me?"
The white-haired old man chuckled, "What do you think?"
Angel: If it were him, chances are he wouldn’t believe it.
The white-haired old man understood Angel’s concerns, likely worried about retaliation from the misty shadow. He extended his hand and gently waved, causing the misty shadow in Angel’s hand to fly into his palm.
At the same time, the Domain Field enveloping the misty shadow automatically dissipated.
Seeing the misty shadow about to reform and levitate, the white-haired old man extended a finger, pointing gently at the misty shadow’s center. A wave of twisted power entered the misty shadow.
"I’ve twisted its memory from five minutes ago; it won’t remember you captured it," the white-haired old man spoke, then tossed the misty shadow back into Gomito not far away. "It will awaken soon, and how to proceed is up to you."
Angel bowed in gratitude, "Thank you, sir."
"I just don’t want the Southern Domain to be targeted by ’him,’ after all, I am here observing." The white-haired old man spoke lazily, using freehearted obligation as a public justification. Without this justified stance, he, as an Observer, would find it difficult to interfere in Southern Domain matters.
Of course, he could frame anything under freehearted obligation, allowing him to manage quite a lot, but there’s no need.
His overt reason for helping Angel was for the Southern Domain, but the hidden true reason was still out of regard for Frost. Both he and Frost were members of the Orderly Guild, and previously mystic hunters who cooperated many times, maintaining a good relationship. Frost suddenly descended upon the Southern Domain last time, and stayed longer for Angel’s sake, which the Observer noticed.
He understood Frost’s background and intentions, which were evidently focused on Angel’s potential to become a mystic Alchemist. He wished to nurture Angel, and should Angel succeed, perhaps helping accomplish that goal.
The old man with white hair felt it was an endless task, but since Frost valued Angel, he was willing to lend a hand.
This was the real reason he appeared and chatted with Angel for so long.