"Your Highness Frostbite." Angel placed a hand on his chest and half-bowed. Alongside him, Lobal and Cubic also lowered their heads.
The only one with a raised head was Toby on Angel’s shoulder.
Frost Iser’s gaze swept over Angel, Lobal, Cubic, and lingered on the trembling Dangross before finally settling on Toby.
As he looked at Toby, recalling the message sent by Troysha not long ago, a barely detectable glow flickered in his pure white eyes.
Eventually, Frost Iser withdrew his gaze and nodded to Angel: "Did you mention Mr. Feng earlier?"
Angel nodded: "Yes, I followed in Mr. Feng’s footsteps to come to this realm."
Frost Iser glanced at Toby and then at Angel, murmuring softly: "So it is..."
Angel also heard Frost Iser’s murmur, and a trace of curiosity flitted across his eyes: "Your Highness doesn’t seem surprised by our arrival?"
Frost Iser didn’t respond, not out of pretension but because his gaze was fixed on the distant horizon, seemingly lost in memories.
At this moment, beside the massive ice throne, a hunched figure slowly appeared.
"Because this is destiny." The speaker was the hunched figure.
It was a half-human ice creature with the head of a lizard, appearing very old, its back hunched, and its lizard head drooping nearly parallel with its heels. However, it had two long whiskers that supported the weight of its head, preventing the head from touching the ground.
Angel looked at this ice creature; although he didn’t recognize the newcomer, remembering what Troysha previously mentioned, apart from elemental sprites, only two beings could freely enter and leave the Crystal Palace. Excluding Frost Iser, the identity of the newcomer became evident.
"Are you... The Sage Akimo?"
"Indeed, I am." Akimo extended a slender hand to stroke his whiskers, smiling serenely.
Affirming the newcomer’s identity, Angel curiously asked: "May I know what you meant by destiny earlier?"
Akimo sighed softly: "Your appearance here is guided by destiny."
Upon hearing familiar prophetic rhetoric, a trace of helplessness flashed across Angel’s eyes. Although Akimo hadn’t provided any substantial information, from just this statement, Angel could roughly piece together the backstory.
"Did Mr. Feng say these words?" Though phrased as a question, Angel’s tone was firmly assured.
Akimo: "You know of it? Well, you yourself are a crucial part of this destiny loop; it’s understandable that you know."
Akimo’s answer further confirmed Angel’s suspicions. However, inwardly, Angel subtly ridiculed; Akimo was definitely deliberately acting profound.
Though Angel was not a wizard of the prophecy system, he had a friend who was a genius in it, hence he had a certain understanding of the prophecy system.
Within the prophecy system, there’s a theory: those within a destiny loop, apart from the executor manipulating the loop, no one will understand the truth of the loop. Because once someone within the loop understands the truth, the destiny loop ceases to exist, a concept akin to "observation leading to collapse."
That’s why Akimo’s statement "You are a crucial part of the destiny loop; it’s understandable that you know" is fundamentally wrong.
It’s likely Akimo pieced together some fragmented words from Feng, weaving them into his current statement.
Despite a heightened urge to ridicule, facing a pretentious old man, Angel restrained himself, letting him maintain the act.
Unaware of Angel’s inner thoughts, Akimo continued to reflect quietly: "Ah, destiny, destiny..."
The aged voice, the gaze into the distance, complemented by the surrounding echo; if an unwitting person were present, they’d likely be awestruck by the scene.
Yet Angel remained expressionless.
Deep admiration? Far from it. This is simply skilled theatrics.
Angel played along quietly, exclaiming in surprise: "So that’s it... Did Mr. Feng foresee today’s circumstances, unraveling the threads of destiny?"
Akimo this time chuckled lightly, not directly answering: "If you truly wish to know, have His Highness tell you. If I were to speak, it would be beyond my station."
Angel nodded "understandingly," shifting his gaze from Akimo to the icy throne.
Frost Iser seemed to have returned to awareness, softly sighing.
Angel: "Is there something troubling Your Highness?"
Frost Iser shook his head, the expression still cold: "I was merely reminiscing."
"About Mr. Feng?"
Frost Iser didn’t deny it: "Yes."
After speaking, Frost Iser didn’t elaborate further, passing over the topic and refocusing on Angel: "Mr. Feng spoke much of destiny’s path, mentioning that perhaps in the future someone might follow in his footsteps."
"So, are you the one he spoke of?"
After Frost Iser finished, his gaze suddenly sharpened, his aura shifting, the pressure surging dramatically as if to scrutinize Angel thoroughly.
Faced with the sudden oppression, Angel remained unresponsive, for the always-ready Earl Mi had already manifested his shadowy form, blocking the pressure.