The moonlight was cold, casting its light upon Shiayar's face.

Shiayar sat up from the head of the bed and lightly straightened the messy bedding beside him.

A soft murmur came from the girl by the pillow. Her pale arm gently tugged at Shiayar's clothing, stirring in him the urge to dive back under the blankets for another round of intimacy.

Perhaps Silvia's arrival had put the girl on guard; these past few days, Shiayar's 'rewards' had been quite plentiful.

However, Shiayar controlled this impulse, as he had more important things to do.

"It's alright. I'm just going to the balcony for some air. I'll be back soon."

Shiayar stroked Enola's cheek beside him, kissed the girl's fair cheek, and then got out of bed and went out to the balcony.

His spiritual power stirred slightly, gently probing into the sealed cage of the 6th Soul Pact Space.

"My lord, you've finally come to visit me in this dark cell."

"Do you know how pitiful it is to be locked up here? Like a stray dog abandoned by the roadside—no, like a sticky dog turd..."

As soon as Shiayar's spiritual power probed in, he saw the Sage's Chalice swaying continually, with words emerging from it.

"Stop your babbling."

"As you command, my lord."

The white chalice moved its right handle, as if trying to make a salute gesture. But its inflexible and rigid body did not allow it to complete the gesture, and so it collapsed to the ground with a THUD.

"First question."

Shiayar did not bother with the chalice. He had already figured out the cup's pattern of behavior. It had probably been lonely in the lost history for too long, so it was talkative with anyone it encountered and seemed to have a talent for both clowning and pandering.

Hence, he had placed himself under a mental suggestion using 'Moon Reading' before his spiritual power entered.

Shiayar thought for a moment, then began to inquire.

"Describe in detail to me the current state of Isadella von Freysberg."

"Are you referring to the Knight King who defied history?"

Text emerged from the Knowledge Holy Chalice: "She is under the protection of the Sacred Sword. Its mystery, older even than mine, may shield her from my Authority in the Spirit Realm, allowing me only to observe certain aspects."

"However, her current state isn't good. The Power of Historical Correction has already dissipated much of the Sacred Sword's mystery, enabling me to see the whole picture."

The Knowledge Holy Chalice paused for a moment, then continued to produce text: "Isadella von Freysberg, using the Sacred Sword's mystery, traversed history a thousand years ago to ascend to the Throne as the Knight King."

"But because of the Kingdom's Bane, 'Cain', she refused to return to the correct history. Instead, she used the mystery of the Sacred Sword to twist the flow of history, creating an entirely new branch."

"Of course, as powerful as the Sacred Sword is, it is not omnipotent. Being able to contend with the principles of humanity and the Power of Historical Correction is already its limit."

"However, Humans are not long-lived species; their lifespan has a limit. That she has survived until now appears to be due to borrowing the power of the True God of the Abyss—the 'Crimson Red Moon'."

Shiayar's eyes flickered. "You mean Isadella has been possessed by the 'Crimson Red Moon', or corrupted by it?"

"Not quite."

The Knowledge Holy Chalice shook its head. "The spiritual power of the Throne is immense. Even a True God of the Abyss could not possibly breach the protection of the Sacred Sword to corrupt her true self."

"She chose to cooperate with the 'Crimson Red Moon' for some reason."

"To wait for that 'Cain' to return from the Hall of Heroic Spirits, she pursued longevity at all costs..."

The font on the cup shifted from white to black: "Despite having already achieved the Throne, possessing the qualification to touch the Divine Realm... yet, because of some trivial mortal emotions like love and affection from a time of weakness, she voluntarily embarked on this path of no return. How foolish, how laughable."

"And that 'Cain'."

"Clearly already dead, yet still dragging others down with him. He's no good either."

The chalice then bounced up again. "Actually, my lord, you don't need to concern yourself with her at all."

"From the First Era to the Fourth Epoch, there has never been a shortage of Demigods, or even True Gods. Relying on Sacred Relics or the unique aspects of their own Authority, they have vainly attempted to alter the grand course of past history."

"And the divergent histories they carved out, those that strayed onto the wrong path, are also called 'Imaginary Zones'."

"But without exception, every King of an Imaginary Zone and the Imaginary Zone they carved out were ultimately crushed to dust by the Corrective Force. All traces of their existence were completely erased, forgotten by the world."

"Those on the Thrones and the Fabled Creatures rarely intervene precisely because they know that they only need to wait. This erroneous history will sooner or later return to the right track, and nothing will change."

Shiayar glanced at the hopping white chalice. "I'll tell you a secret."

"Actually, I am Cain."

...

"To share my lord's secret is my greatest hono—"

The text emerging from the Knowledge Holy Chalice halted abruptly. Only now did it realize that the target of its disparagement all along had included Shiayar himself.

And if one were to follow this logic further... that Scarlet Queen Isadella, who defied history and created an Imaginary Zone, might very well become its own future mistress.

"Actually, my lord, I think Her Majesty the Empress is also very much in need of saving!"

"A vigil spanning a thousand years—what a noble and great love that is..."

"Next question."

Shiayar looked at the white chalice, which had changed its tune faster than one could flip a book, and interrupted.