After walking out of the main door of Dewlight Pavilion, Aventurine stopped, turned around, and looked at the door of Dewlight Pavilion once more.
"Oak Family Head, the [Causality] Emanator, and that guy Ratio…"
Silently recalling the few people who had made him taste the flavor of defeat, Aventurine's heart felt extremely complicated. However, there was no point thinking about these things now. Rather than pondering over and over here, it was better to consider what he should do next.
Although this meeting had some deviations from his plan, the result was at least not bad. He had successfully retrieved the Aventurine Cornerstone, and the plan should proceed to the next step.
"Tch, damn it! What kind of information did that Masked Fool provide? Didn't she say Robin was killed by [Death]? Why did Sunday…"
A fiery red figure suddenly popped into Aventurine's mind—a Masked Fool who was always laughing mischievously.
At the beginning, Aventurine had completely disbelieved the information Sparkle provided.
After all, there was an old saying in the universe: if you believe the words of a Masked Fool, you might as well believe a rooster can lay eggs.
Naturally, Aventurine had not believed it at first, so he had conducted his own secret investigation.
However, what surprised him was that it seemed exactly as the Masked Fool had said—Miss Robin had not appeared for several full days.
After using some small tricks, Aventurine had also obtained partial reasons for Miss Robin's disappearance from Family members. It was indeed related to [Death].
Even so, Aventurine still found it hard to believe that Robin had died at [Death]'s hands, since he had not seen it with his own eyes.
After thinking it over, Aventurine eventually settled on a compromise guess: Robin had only gone missing and had not died.
"Masked Fools, heh! Sure enough, they're nothing but sewer rats!" Aventurine sneered.
"Hm? Yoohoo~ Let me hear which guy is badmouthing Sparkle behind her back?"
The moment Aventurine's voice fell, a playful laughing voice suddenly came from behind him. Hearing it, Aventurine's body tensed slightly in alertness.
"It's you, Masked Fool…"
"Heehee, long time no see, little peacock~ Have you missed the great Sparkle?"
Seeing that Aventurine had recognized her voice, Sparkle no longer needed to keep hiding. Of course, she had never intended to hide in the first place.
If she truly wanted to hide, changing her voice and appearance were the simplest things for a Masked Fool.
"You liar, you still dare to appear before me? Aren't you afraid I'll make a move against you, Fool?"
Aventurine's words were cold, and a dangerous intent entered his tone.
"Hm?" Facing Aventurine's threat, Miss Sparkle only tilted her head cutely, then sat down on a stone chair to the side with interest and crossed her legs.
"How interesting, little peacock. Then how do you plan to deal with Sparkle? With force? With your sharp tongue? Or… are you going to glare at the great Sparkle with those beautiful eyes of yours until she faints? Heehee~"
Sparkle covered her mouth and laughed lightly, letting out a clear, bell-like laugh as crisp as immortal music played on a pipa.
"Then you are welcome to find out, Masked Fool." With that, Aventurine took the Cornerstone out of the box and stared at Sparkle with cold, sharp eyes.
"Oh? This is the precious treasure of your Strategic Investment Department—the 'Cornerstone' that each member of the 'Ten Stonehearts' holds one of?"
"When?!"
Aventurine's pupils suddenly widened. Because just a moment ago, before he could react, Sparkle had somehow taken the 'Cornerstone' from his hand. In the next instant, she was sitting back on the stone chair again.
"What a beautiful gem!"
Sparkle carefully examined the Aventurine Cornerstone in her hand, holding it high and observing the beautiful gem through the glaring sunlight. However, when she saw the glaring crack on the 'Cornerstone,' she could not help showing a trace of regret.
"I say, little peacock, you really are willing to part with it. Shattering a 'Cornerstone' like this is simply wasting a heavenly treasure!"
Sparkle pouted in dissatisfaction. Such a good collectible had been ruined by this unromantic guy. Really.
"Whether the 'Cornerstone' is intact or not has nothing to do with you, Fool. Return it to me."
Aventurine's brows furrowed deeply, his tone icy. At this moment, with no company reinforcements possible, the 'Cornerstone' had become his final trump card. If he lost even this now, then the things he wanted to investigate…
"Alright, alright~ Little peacock, you really have no gentlemanly manners at all. Here, here, here~ I'll give it back~"
Sparkle helplessly spread her hands and was about to toss the Aventurine Cornerstone back to Aventurine, but before that…
'Buzz——!'
Sparkle extended her fair, jade-like little hand. Immediately, a surge of Path power emerged in her palm and swallowed the entire Cornerstone.
"What are you doing?!"
Aventurine's expression tensed. He wanted to step forward to snatch the Aventurine Cornerstone, but to his surprise, his feet felt as if bound by invisible chains. No matter how hard he tried, he could not lift them even an inch.
"Don't be in such a hurry, little peacock. The great Sparkle only wants to help you repair it. There are no other intentions~"
"Heh, repair? Fool, your hypocrisy is nauseating. Just like that Oak Family Head—all of you are hypocritical gentlemen."
Hearing Sparkle's words, Aventurine laughed coldly. The 'Cornerstone' was forged by the Preservation Emanator 'Diamond' and sealed with Emanator authority. Repairing it would be impossible unless one possessed equivalent power.
"Hmph hmph, I told you, little peacock, don't look at the great Sparkle with your shallow eyes. So-called 'Cornerstones' are nothing more than tools at best. And as a tool… for us Pathstriders of the [Causality] Path, it's just a piece of cake."