Angel’s words had an implicit message: If a result is desired, then a result is given, without questioning the means. However, if both the method and result are required, why not clearly state it from the start? As certain methods may involve personal privacy or private capabilities, revealing them means not utilizing these methods at all.
The Wise Sovereign knew he was somewhat at fault, but he didn’t want to retract his statements.
He even considered, should he just use power to pressure them? After all, on his turf, these people were merely ordinary wizards...
However, he was already convinced that Angel’s background and identity were anything but simple. If they were indeed allowed to escape, the consequences would be unimaginable.
After weighing it over, the Wise Sovereign said, "I know your intentions and that you wish to go to the remnants, I can exchange information on the remnants with you."
Angel raised an eyebrow: "Didn’t you say I’m not of the Noah Clan? Since I’m not of the Noah Clan, my need for intelligence about the reliquary isn’t that great. What does the Wise Sovereign think?"
Angel’s words weren’t wrong here.
The Wise Sovereign had basically confirmed that Angel was not of the Noah Clan. Since he wasn’t of the Noah Clan, was his purpose here really for the reliquary?
Moreover, the Wise Sovereign knew a secret.
The reliquary isn’t accessible to just anyone. If anyone could enter, the Wise Sovereign would have gone in long ago.
Only those with the Noah bloodline and who gain recognition can enter.
The "recognition" mentioned here isn’t about recognition from the Noah Clan, but from the one who created the reliquary. In other words, one must either gain Augustine’s recognition or Margaret’s recognition; only with these two recognitions can one enter the reliquary.
And Angel, obviously, couldn’t gain recognition from those two, nor was he a Noah descendant, so his need for the reliquary was indeed not as great as that of a Noah descendant.
Considering this, the Wise Sovereign really didn’t know what method to use for inducement.
After pondering for a moment, the Wise Sovereign spoke again: "Then how would you like to exchange?"
The Wise Sovereign’s words surprised everyone. Because his speaking meant he conceded, which also implied he agreed with Angel’s words.
At the same time, it also showed one thing: the Wise Sovereign acknowledged Angel didn’t need the reliquary much.
In other words, the reliquary doesn’t hold much value for non-Noah Clan members.
Although this kind of extreme equivalence easily leads to fallacies, combined with the current situation, and the Wise Sovereign’s inflexible nature, it can basically confirm that this exchange of concepts is correct.
Angel, of course, could think this far, though he didn’t show it on his face, he felt some disappointment in his heart.
If the reliquary was really set just for the Noah Clan, then wouldn’t the wall behind the Nightmare Realm remain forever inaccessible? Unless he brought along a Noah descendant?
While Angel was deep in thought, the Black Earl next to him felt his heart skip a beat.
If the reliquary held no meaning for Angel, would he choose not to proceed further? Even though they had come this far and were already close to the reliquary, perhaps they could still find its location even without Angel.
However, the "key" was still in Angel’s hands!
The Black Earl hadn’t even seen the key yet, only knowing it was an exceptionally special key. In Red Sword Docks’ description, no one but Angel could craft it, and its usage method was extremely unique, requiring Angel to operate it.
If Docks had been talking about someone else, the Black Earl wouldn’t have believed it. But he was talking about Angel, so this matter needed to be taken seriously.
As a member of the Research and Development Institute, Angel surely had an expertise. From all that Angel had done along the way, it was clear he wasn’t in the Research and Development Institute by mere luck; in Enchantment Studies, he was worthy of being called an Alchemy Master.
Therefore, Angel did have the strength and confidence to say that only he could refine the key, and only he could open the reliquary.
If Angel chose to give up the search for the reliquary now, that wouldn’t be good news for the Black Earl.
After all, putting himself in Angel’s shoes, there was no need for him to engage in this thankless task.
Moreover, the Black Earl also understood their position. They had forcibly joined halfway, and previously, there were shared interests, so Angel could turn a blind eye to them joining. But now, with no shared interest, there was a high chance Angel would give up the search for the reliquary.
And once Angel chose to give up, this operation would inevitably fail.
Put simply, Angel was the key fabricator, holder, and the one necessary to open the door to the reliquary; Kaier was the true owner of the key; Red Sword Docks could be considered the escort.
The three of them could conduct this exploration without a hitch.
But the Black Earl and Vay were just "attachments" in this relic exploration; their presence made things easier, but even without them, it would be fine.
However, now the problem had changed. The owner of the key, the holder of the key, and the escort could not gain any benefits from the reliquary; instead, the "attachments" who joined halfway could gain the most benefits, which would make anyone feel uncomfortable.
Empathetically, the Black Earl was very worried that Angel might decide to turn back.
The most important thing was, the Black Earl’s demand for the reliquary changed from indifference at the start to a necessity now.
It was the reliquary of the Noah ancestors, there might be something crucial for the Noah Clan.
The Black Earl had already set the reliquary as his short-term biggest goal, and he couldn’t let go.
It could be said that the one most affected by the Wise Sovereign’s words wasn’t Angel, but the Black Earl.
The Black Earl knew he had to do something now, at least show Angel that even if the reliquary didn’t benefit him, he would find a way to compensate Angel’s gains.
Thinking of this, the Black Earl spoke: "If the Wise Sovereign wants to exchange, at the very least, you should put forth an exchange offer. When I exchange with others, I always present the conditions I can offer, such as exchanging technology, passing on some of my unique secret techniques, or other valuable items. If you speak of exchange without saying anything, isn’t that thinking too highly?"
It seemed like the Black Earl was talking to the Wise Sovereign, but in reality, Angel caught his true intention.
Because Angel had previously complimented the Black Earl’s Avatar secret technique as impressive. At that time, the Black Earl also said it could be shared with him.
However, neither of them had taken it seriously, as such secret techniques aren’t things one could just exchange casually.
Yet now, the Black Earl directly suggested an exchange of unique secret techniques, obviously hinting to Angel and echoing their previous conversation.
Angel initially didn’t understand why the Black Earl suddenly said this, but upon considering the current situation, he understood his intention.
Did the Black Earl think that Angel no longer had shared interests with him, so he quickly expressed compensation, signaling Angel not to give up halfway?
But the Black Earl didn’t know that regardless of whether the Wise Sovereign said those words, he would go to the reliquary anyway.
From the beginning to the end, his concern wasn’t the items in the reliquary but the structure of the reliquary. It would allow him to correspond to the Nightmare Realm and give him a general concept.
However, Angel wouldn’t refuse the benefits delivered to his door.
Angel was well aware that for a Wizard like the Black Earl, acceptance could sometimes be more useful than rejection. Compared to sentiments, they believed more in benefits.
"Indeed, I agree with Black on this point. If you don’t present your terms, how can I exchange with you?" Angel replied.
The Black Earl and Angel spoke to the Wise Sovereign as a proxy for addressing each other. Essentially, the Wise Sovereign became a mediating medium.
The Wise Sovereign, in fact, felt their conversation was a bit odd, but he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was strange.
In the end, the Wise Sovereign didn’t fully understand, so he temporarily set it aside and said, "I don’t know what you want, but if you wish to exchange knowledge and technology with me, I can do so with you. I can also lend you my handbook to peruse."
"But the premise is, your answers must be truthful."
After a pause, the Wise Sovereign asked the initial question again: "How did you discover the Wood Spirit?"