Contract... Angel is definitely signing it.
This contract isn’t harsh, plus signing it equates to making the Wise Sovereign stand on their side.
The prophecy by Dororo—that "the Wise is not foolish"—reminds Angel that venturing into the Legacy Grounds inevitably involves the Wise Sovereign. Having the Wise Sovereign on their side, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks.
However, what kind of reward to stipulate is what Angel needs to consider.
The best request is certainly knowledge. However, the Wise Sovereign has already promised to hand over his collection of the Alchemist’s Manual, as well as his early original manuals to Angel.
So, in terms of knowledge alone, Angel has already obtained quite a lot. As the "Wise One," the Wise Sovereign undoubtedly has other reserves of knowledge, but these are not necessarily what Angel needs. The only attractive Alchemist’s Manual he has already obtained; other knowledge is either not impressive to Angel or considered by him as unnecessary in the short term.
Moreover, the foundation of the Barbarian Cave is certainly superior to Naraku City, and the Cloudtop Library continues to increase its collection of books daily, many of which are rare editions, primarily written by the Book Elder.
In terms of knowledge, Angel is not very worried at the moment.
Then what kind of reward should he ask for?
After pondering for a moment, Angel spoke: "I can sign this contract, but I hope the Wise Sovereign can tell me some... past events."
"Past events?" The Wise Sovereign raised an eyebrow: "Are you interested in the past of Naraku City?"
Angel: "I am not interested in the destruction and rebirth of Naraku City; what I want to know is something else."
Wise Sovereign: "Oh? Then feel free to ask, and I’ll see if I know."
Angel did not speak but quietly observed the Wise Sovereign.
The Wise Sovereign immediately understood Angel’s intention. What he wanted to know, he did not wish to disclose, not even to his own teammates.
What could it be? Could it be related to Angel’s visit to the Underground Aqueduct?
The Wise Sovereign’s curiosity was piqued, and without hesitation, he directly cast a Mind Ribbon, connecting himself and Angel.
Although it’s called a Mind Ribbon, it actually differs slightly from a regular Mind Ribbon. Its energy source does not rely on the Wise Sovereign’s physical form but is dependent on the Magical Energy Array beneath his feet.
This means that if you want to eavesdrop on the conversation within the Mind Ribbon, you’ll face not just the Wise Sovereign alone but be confronted by the entire Underground Aqueduct’s Magical Energy Array.
Even if the Black Earl’s true form came, he wouldn’t be able to eavesdrop.
It can be said that this is the exclusive ability of the Wise Sovereign, as the current controller of the Magical Energy Array in the Underground Aqueduct is the Wise Sovereign himself. Only he has such confidence to manipulate the Magical Energy Array as a basis.
"You can speak now; no one will interrupt. What information do you wish to know?"
Angel pondered for a moment: "I want to know what experiments Naraku City conducted ten thousand years ago, and all information related to the ’snake entwined spike.’
Along the way, Angel had encountered several experimental areas, substantially proving that Naraku City was conducting human experiments.
Human experiments are not a novelty in the Wizards’ Realm, but almost all the equipment in these experiments bore the emblem of the snake entwined spike. Angel always believed that the snake entwined spike was the symbol of the Fairy Tale World’s land of giant snakes, but upon arriving at the Underground Aqueduct, he discovered that the snake entwined spike had existed for millennia.
The Black Earl also shared a secret with Angel: the snake entwined spike is related to the Baiyuanians.
Angel previously asked Cicia, but her responses were either that she didn’t know or that she couldn’t disclose due to contract restrictions.
Thus, perhaps only the Wise Sovereign could inform him about the snake entwined spike.
The Wise Sovereign was silent for a long time after hearing Angel’s question. He initially thought Angel might inquire about Naraku City, Augustine, or even about Franklin and Margaret.
But unexpectedly, Angel posed a question that the Wise Sovereign deemed completely unrelated to him.
For a moment, it seemed as if the person standing in front of him wasn’t Angel but someone sitting cross-legged on a throne, looking down on him — Cicia.
"Are you very interested in this?"
Angel: "I think what the Sovereign wants to ask is, why am I interested in this, right? The answer is simple, I’ve seen the emblem of the snake entwined spike elsewhere."
Angel’s explanation, not to mention the Wise Sovereign disbelief, would likely be met with skepticism by anyone present if voiced.
Nevertheless, Angel’s explanation revealed some information: he was unwilling to discuss the snake entwined spike with anyone else, not even the Wise Sovereign.
The Wise Sovereign did not expose the evident falsehood, instead contemplating briefly before saying: "Naraku City conducted numerous experiments back then. I cannot tell you about the core experiments, but I can select a few to speak of."
Seeing Angel furrow his brows, the Wise Sovereign added: "Rest assured, the few experiments I mention will indeed be related to the snake entwined spike."
Upon hearing this, Angel somewhat relaxed, but a new doubt arose: "Are the core experiments related to the snake entwined spike?"
The Wise Sovereign gently shook his head: "Whether they are related or not, I cannot tell you. That was settled in the contracts with various Sovereigns thousands of years ago, preventing the dissemination of such experimental details."
Angel could only nod.
"As for the matter of the snake entwined spike, I can certainly inform you. But for things I cannot divulge, I will have to avoid them."
The Wise Sovereign didn’t have to mention the last part, but by saying it, he implicitly reminded Angel that the snake entwined spike is probably really connected to Naraku City’s core experiments.
"Additionally, you mentioned that anything related to the snake entwined spike — this is quite broad. Are you sure you don’t want to narrow it down somewhat?"
Angel was silent for a moment before saying: "Anything associated with the snake entwined spike and... the Baiyuanians."
The Wise Sovereign squinted slightly, internally muttering: As expected.
Previously, he was puzzled about why Angel suddenly brought up the snake entwined spike — it’s just a symbol on experimental equipment, akin to a brand in essence. It might not hold any substantial meaning.
But if tied to the Baiyuanians, that’s a different story.
It’s worth noting that the snake entwined spike itself originated from the Baiyuanian clan.
Angel’s inquiry into the Baiyuanians — is it out of personal curiosity? Or is Cicia influencing from behind? Furthermore, is investigating the Baiyuanians and Naraku City’s experiments perhaps the reason Angel has come to the Underground Aqueduct this time?
The Wise Sovereign closed his eyes in contemplation for a moment, temporarily shelving his doubts, then nodded to Angel: "Alright."
Angel: "Then let’s formalize the contract."
The Wise Sovereign chuckled, manipulating the energy to inscribe the words "information intelligence" in the reward section of the True Words Tome contract.
Then, the Wise Sovereign took the lead and engraved his energy onto the contract.
The contract in the True Words Tome records the energy you release, offering a stronger bind than mere name constraints.
Angel watched as the Wise Sovereign had already signed the contract; he hesitated for a moment before extending his hand.
Still... the right hand.