The crowd felt a slight stir of emotion upon hearing the Sage’s question. However, they were not ordinary people and soon managed to suppress their inner emotions.
Before this, Angel had mentioned to them the Sage’s intelligence as relayed by Cicia. Being called a "Sage" already indicated a level of intelligence... or rather, cunning.
In front of the Sage, any emotion you reveal, any behavior, and even actions you think are innocuous might be interpreted by the Sage and provide even more information.
Therefore, Angel had advised them that when meeting the Sage, it was best to do nothing at all and to act like an emotionless, heartless Gargoyle.
Of course, doing nothing would still offer some information to the Sage, but compared to the information provided by emotional outbursts, it would be considerably less.
The Sage across from them, observing how the group’s emotions shifted from surprise and trepidation to sudden calm and indifference, raised an eyebrow slightly, already forming some hypotheses in his mind.
"It seems I was slightly mistaken; not only do you know who I am, but you also have a deeper understanding... Who could have told you?"
The Sage paced back and forth in a small area, seemingly pondering.
Since the Sage had not come to damage the dome, Angel had not activated the Plane Corridor either. They were meant to meet the Sage, and since they met him earlier and the other party had a desire to communicate, a temporary pause would do no harm.
"Many knew of me a millennium ago, but those who know I’m still alive and near the Hanging Jail Stairway are few." The Sage looked at the group, seemingly trying to find something in their eyes, but no one revealed any emotion.
Only the Black Earl snorted at the Sage. Unfortunately, no matter how formidable the Sage was, he could glean nothing from a pair of nostrils.
Seeing no one respond, the Sage continued, "There are only a few I can think of, and even fewer who would tell you about this place. The only one who might have mentioned my existence to you should be... Cicia?"
When the Sage mentioned Cicia, at last, someone’s gaze flickered.
It was a man concealed beneath layers of illusion. Even though the Sage could see through the illusion to perceive a red-haired, golden-eyed man inside, the continuous layers of illusion made it difficult to judge if the exterior was authentic.
Speaking of illusion... Could this be the wizard capable of casting a Moving Mirage?
The Sage’s attention was naturally drawn to Angel.
He scrutinized Angel closely, but aside from the previous flicker of his gaze, Angel showed no other emotion.
"Was I right?" the Sage softly asked, his eyes still fixed on Angel, for only Angel had given him some feedback. Perhaps he could break through his defenses and find a clue.
No one else made a sound, not even the Black Earl. Yet, Angel responded.
"Why does the Wise Sovereign pursue this minor issue? Let’s return to your initial question: What is it you wish to discuss with the Noah Clan?" Angel glossed over the topic nonchalantly.
The Sage furrowed his brow because Angel had shifted the topic so naturally that it felt like a minor issue. This indifference suggested there might be a hidden truth behind it.
Could he have been wrong in his judgment? Was it not Cicia who divulged the information? Or did they gather more than just what Cicia provided?
His thoughts raced, but the words on his lips came quickly: "Are you from the Noah Clan?"
"Whether I am of the Noah Clan depends on what you wish to discuss."
This time, Angel did not control his expression but displayed his emotions vividly on his face: If good comes from dealing with the Noah Clan, he would reluctantly claim it; if it’s a matter of sacrificial carnage, he was unrelated to the Noah Clan even eons ago.
The Sage actually appreciated it when others answered in ambiguous terms because the more obscure one was, the more might be revealed.
But this time, the Sage found it somewhat tough to discern.
Because Angel seemed composed, and although the others remained expressionless, it felt as after Angel spoke, they all breathed a sigh of relief. This also meant Angel might be the core figure of this group or even the leader.
The presence of the Noah Clan here likely meant they were searching for the location of Goddess’ Excellency, making it normal for a Noah Clan member to assemble this group.
Seen from this angle, Angel indeed might be from the Noah Clan.
However, Angel also had many traits not common to the Noah Clan. For example, from available intelligence, most of the Noah Clan were Earth Wizards, yet Angel displayed no such characteristics, seemingly more akin to an Illusionist Wizard. In contrast, that peculiar nose exerted a dome shield with an evident surge of Power of Earth.
After pondering for a moment, the Sage turned his gaze towards the Black Earl: "Aren’t you going to say something as well?"
"You can’t trick me. I can admit that I hail from the Noah Clan. However, I believe you should speak with him first; he’s our leader," replied the Black Earl, referring to Angel.
The Black Earl’s words did not clarify the visitors’ identities for the Sage; instead, they added to the confusion. The Black Earl used "hail from the Noah Clan" instead of "belong to the Noah Clan," creating ambiguity regarding his identity.
Most importantly, the Black Earl acknowledged Angel as their leader, confirming his guess was correct. This Illusionist Wizard, who spoke actively, was indeed a core member, increasing his likelihood of being a Noah.
What also needed pointing out was that, among these people, the greatest threat came from the nose on the slate, followed by the Bloodline Wizard, and only then the Illusionist Wizard.
Yet, there seemed to be something hidden on that Illusionist Wizard; even for the Sage, there was a slight unease.
This led the Sage to a certain hypothesis.
This Illusionist Wizard, irrespective of Noah lineage, held an extraordinary identity; otherwise, he wouldn’t exude an aura that even the Sage found threatening.
If the Noah Clan dispatched descendants to explore the Underground Aqueduct, they would undoubtedly provide the greatest support, possibly entrusting treasures of the clan to them. Hence, if Angel were a Noah descendant, concealed threats aligning with this logic could be reasonable.
Moreover, the aura emanating from that nose on the slate was highly unusual. He openly admitted coming from the Noah Clan and handed the speaking authority to Angel.
Could this nose possibly have been sent by the Noah Clan as a guardian for a younger member?
The possibility was substantial.
Because his sudden attack caught them unprepared, they undoubtedly focused initially on combat, protection, and escape. From how they positioned under the dome, the nose on the slate was evidently tasked with combat and protective duties while the others gathered possibly to activate and escape through the Plane Corridor.
Thinking it through in this way, the logic holds together. The probability of this Illusionist Wizard being a descendent of the Noah Clan just went up a little.
Regarding rumors of the Noah Clan being solely Earth Wizards... it was said to be a rumor. Distortions and exaggerations in the course of information spread are common. A burgeoning Wizard Family is unlikely to reach the pinnacle of the Wizards’ Realm relying on a singular discipline.
Thus, the Noah Clan may indeed include wizards of other disciplines.
The probability of Angel being a Noah has increased once again.
The Sage, in just half a second, deduced several scenarios. In each scenario, Angel had a probability of being a member of the Noah Clan, but none were definitive.
Yet, since the "nose from" the Noah Clan made this Illusionist Wizard the front-runner, he might as well treat him as a descendant of the Noah Clan for now.