Seeing Angel not responding for a long time, the silver-haired girl thought for a moment and said, "Perhaps my inquiry was somewhat presumptuous. If you don’t mind, I could give you a free remark."
Before Angel could respond, Dox beside him muttered, "You just said you couldn’t see the bond, and there would be no remark. How is it that now you’re offering a free remark?"
The silver-haired girl initially didn’t want to acknowledge Dox’s comment, but his words did pique the curiosity of the others, who all looked toward the silver-haired girl. She paused for a moment and then said to Angel, "Though I can’t establish a bond with you, there are things reflected in my mind from you..."
"Eh? Eh!"
The sound again came from Dox, his tone changing from a high point to sly, his eyes shifting from shock to something else.
Even without saying a word, Dox’s tone seemed full of implications.
The silver-haired girl glanced coldly at Dox and held back her irritation, explaining in a low voice, "Reflection of the Heart only corresponds to intelligent beings."
In other words, what the silver-haired girl referred to was not Angel, but the intelligent beings with him.
For example, Dangross, or the Wood Spirit.
Angel also heard the silver-haired girl’s words, but he had little interest in what she called a remark. In Angel’s view, how could her so-called Reflection of the Heart compare to Dororo’s prophecy?
You know, the several times Angel set out to see Dororo, Dororo would arrive at the destination first and wait, offering crucial prophetic guidance before Angel even spoke.
Just like this time, when Angel went to see Dororo, he hadn’t even mentioned his situation, and Dororo said directly: "The Sage is not foolish."
Back then, Angel had not yet encountered the Sage, illustrating the extraordinary nature of Dororo’s prophetic abilities.
With such backing, why care about a remark?
Nevertheless, although Angel thought this way, his expression showed a hint of interest.
After all, the relationship between Dororo and Illusion Demon Island was not known to outsiders. While Dororo’s name was spreading outside, more widely known was his performance at the Stargazing Day, enhanced by the Mysterious Object, not entirely credited to Dororo. So outsiders still held a bit of skepticism regarding Dororo’s own prophetic abilities.
Until Dororo spreads his wings fully, Angel did not want to reveal the true extent of his prophetic abilities.
"I cannot answer this question, my apologies."
In the gaze of disappointment from the silver-haired girl, Angel continued: "It’s not that I’m unwilling to answer; I genuinely don’t know. Before this, concepts like bond, Temporal Body, Reflection of the Heart... I’ve never heard of them."
"If I haven’t heard of them, how can I guard against the so-called bond?"
Angel shrugged: "So, don’t say you’re curious; I’m curious about the reason too."
Angel spoke candidly, and the others nodded in agreement. They had always been communicating via Mind Ribbon, whether Angel truly didn’t know or was pretending was clear.
Moreover, Dox had repeatedly cried out in fairness, questioning why the Rabbit Girl directly handed the mask to Angel.
Throughout the process, Angel’s actions and mind were unguarded. As for what others might think, everything was plain to see.
Therefore, they agreed with Angel’s statement.
As for curiosity? Of course they were curious, but since Angel claimed he didn’t know either, were they really going to make Angel display every object and ability he had to prove which was the "truth"?
Angel wasn’t someone to be casually manipulated by others; even faced with the Wise Sovereign, he showed no fear, certainly having hidden cards. Riling a tiger’s whiskers—why would they do that?
The silver-haired girl gazed quietly at Angel, and after a long while, she softly spoke: "Indeed, I was oversimplifying things. Too long floating in that Distant Sea, with too many chaotic memories, I’ve somewhat forgotten that everything in reality must adhere to logic. Questioning without logic won’t yield answers."
The silver-haired girl’s words were vague, but the meaning was clear: I know you definitely have an answer in your heart, but I can’t prove these matters because the evidence I hold isn’t enough, and logic doesn’t allow me to deduce this conclusion. So, you win.
Angel understood her words, but he felt indifferent to her "self-mockery-like accusation."
Instead, he was somewhat curious about her judgment.
"Why do you believe I must have the answer?"
The silver-haired girl: "I can’t answer that, as I can’t formulate a logical reason that would convince you."
This is truly an evasive answer... Angel sighed nonchalantly, but he casually replied: "Alright, I don’t need you to provide a logical reason. Purely from a result standpoint, you believe I must have the answer, correct?"
"Yes." Nearly without hesitation.
Angel chuckled: "Prior to this, I was very sure I had no answer. Whether I lied or not, you can step outside the mirror and use Truth-Saying to check."
"However, after your firm response, I started entertaining some ideas."
If the silver-haired girl’s judgment is "absolutely correct" as she claimed, then Angel could be certain that among his previous predictions, one of them must be the correct answer.
Among Patterns, Primeval Flame, Blood Night Shelter, Wilderness of Dreams, and Eye of the Sky, surely one is the correct answer.
But which one specifically, Angel couldn’t discern.
"Indeed, I do have several standby answers, and if your judgment is correct, then I guess the answer you want should be amongst my standby answers." Angel didn’t hide and directly shared his thoughts.
The silver-haired girl’s eyes suddenly lit up and focused on Angel.
Angel shrugged: "However, those standby answers of mine are pretty much... secrets, you know."
Angel squinted slightly when he mentioned "secret": "So, what makes you think you have the right to demand my secrets?"
Although Angel’s words were devoid of emotional fluctuation, the content was filled with tension.
Yet the silver-haired girl wasn’t angered by Angel’s provocation; instead, she pondered over the question carefully for a while before tentatively inquiring, somewhat hesitantly: "What about the remark I mentioned earlier?"
"Do you think the intelligent beings with me would gain any insight from your remark?"
Angel paused, then gestured to the others around him: "And do you think they would appreciate your remark?"
"Forcing a bond and karma through the so-called bond. By leaving a mask, making us unwillingly enter ties and Bridges of Fate. What you call a remark is simply attributed to arrangements made for you by the Wise Sovereign, not something we actively seek, nor do we currently need." Angel: "To say you use your so-called remark as ’reward,’ have you considered how we view your remark?"
"These remarks are merely rewards you presume in your own world. To us, it’s an undeserved burden placed upon us."