"In that case, take me to the Sanctuary soon," Regulus ordered.
"Yes... cough, cough, cough!"
Facing Roswaal, who had suddenly descended into a violent coughing fit, Regulus couldn't help but frown.
His current physical condition was clearly deteriorating.
"What is wrong with your body?"
"This body's old ailments have suddenly worsened recently," Roswaal wheezed, wiping his mouth. "But please do not worry, Grandmaster. There is no need to be concerned about my failing health, because I have already prepared..."
Roswaal paused, wincing as another wave of physical discomfort hit him.
Taking this opportunity, Regulus smoothly cut in.
"I understand. By the way, since I arrived here, I've taken a liking to that child, Julia. I will be keeping her by my side from now on."
He stated his main purpose for coming without hesitation.
This made Roswaal freeze.
"Julia, you say...?"
"That's right, Julia. I really didn't expect that you, Roswaal, would have such an excellent daughter."
Roswaal's face displayed a myriad of conflicting emotions. He looked as if he wanted to speak but didn't know how.
Excellent? Perhaps she was excellent. He had never particularly cared about his daughter's talent or personality, because such things were completely unimportant to him. What he valued was his daughter's physical vessel.
Julia's body was the perfect genetic match he needed right now to transfer his soul.
"Wait," Regulus narrowed his eyes, feigning a look of disgusted realization. "You weren't planning to use your own daughter as your next vessel, were you?"
"No..." Roswaal subconsciously retorted, swallowing hard.
To be honest, Roswaal didn't usually care whether his future body was male or female, as he would just change bodies again after a few decades anyway.
But now, staring at Regulus, his calculations had changed drastically.
'If I were to possess Julia and become a woman while the Grandmaster is around...' Roswaal thought, a cold sweat breaking out on his back. 'And a woman that the Grandmaster has already explicitly taken an interest in at that... something extremely terrible would happen.'
Especially considering that his Master, Echidna, was about to be resurrected!
If it really came to that, with Echidna's fiercely jealous and possessive personality, wouldn't she flay him alive for getting involved with her man?
Absolutely not! He absolutely could not become a woman right now.
"Good that you weren't," Regulus smiled coldly. "So, what is your answer?"
"Since you desire that child, Grandmaster, I naturally will not refuse. However, if you take my daughter... the seniority between us..." Roswaal trailed off.
He watched Regulus carefully, hoping the man would understand the awkwardness of taking his "apprentice's" daughter.
But Regulus just stared back with an amused smile.
Which meant, the seniority would remain exactly the same. He would be Roswaal's Grandmaster, and also his son-in-law.
"Grandmaster, you are indeed the same as always," Roswaal sighed in resignation. "Unwilling to suffer losses in anything."
"Good that you know."
"I will speak to Julia about this later and have her follow you from now on," Roswaal agreed. "However, Grandmaster... you seem to have found many female confidantes. If Master Echidna were to find out upon her resurrection, she might get very angry with you."
"I'll handle her when the time comes."
"Alright."
Roswaal said nothing more on the subject. Either way, it wouldn't be him facing the Witch's wrath, and from the Grandmaster's arrogant performance, he seemed genuinely unconcerned about the risk.
"Grandmaster, do you have any other questions?" Roswaal asked proactively, noticing Regulus's slightly furrowed brow.
Regulus was indeed troubled by something.
Since Roswaal had been Echidna's apprentice for centuries, did anything intimate ever happen between the two of them? He needed to be sure.
"Your memory of your first meeting with Echidna shouldn't have faded due to the passage of time, right?" Regulus asked casually.
"I have never forgotten," Roswaal said reverently. "At that time, Master and you found me suffering immensely during my Mana Deviation. It was you, Grandmaster, who helped extract the overflow of magic power that was killing me, and it was you who persuaded Master Echidna to allow me to freely read the grimoires in the Forbidden Library. If it weren't for you, I would not be who I am today."
"Good that you haven't forgotten," Regulus nodded, hiding his relief. "Do not lose yourself because of time and soul transfer magic."
"I will keep your teachings in mind, Grandmaster."
Roswaal lowered his head respectfully.
Regulus completely relaxed.
That's right, he thought. With my personality, how could I ever watch a woman I claimed be taken advantage of by some apprentice? It all made sense now. Compared to Echidna, the Witch of Greed, Roswaal actually felt a deeper debt of gratitude to Regulus.
'So, my future self didn't just save Roswaal out of the kindness of his heart,' Regulus mused internally. 'He saved him to ensure the bloodline continued, specifically so Julia would be born four hundred years later for me to claim. Brilliant.'
"I will take my leave for now," Regulus said, turning toward the door. "Just send word when you are ready to depart for the Sanctuary."
"Yes, Grandmaster."
Regulus chose to leave quickly. His contact with Roswaal could end here for today. The more he said, the more mistakes he might make. For safety's sake, it was best not to let the perceptive mage notice any temporal discrepancies.
After all, he still had to meet Echidna in the Sanctuary. If Roswaal noticed something unusual and snitched, it would complicate his plans.
As the heavy door clicked shut, Roswaal slowly pushed himself up to a sitting position on the bed.
He reached under his pillow and pulled out a heavy, black book.
The Tome of Wisdom.
"My current body can still last for a few years," Roswaal muttered to himself, his voice dropping its deferential tone. "These few years should be enough to prepare an alternative vessel instead of Julia."
While muttering, he opened the book in his hand.
He flipped through the worn pages, scanning the future text. He found that the content of the book had not changed at all regarding Regulus's arrival.
"As expected. This Gospel that Master gave me cannot predict a single thing about the Grandmaster."
But he understood why.
His Grandmaster was a ruthless, unfathomable monster who had successfully subdued the Witch of Greed—and rumor had it, even the other Witches of Sin.
If even Echidna herself couldn't predict the Grandmaster's actions and thoughts, how could a mere flawed copy of her book do so?
The only mystery Roswaal couldn't unravel was why his Grandmaster had suddenly vanished four hundred years ago, leaving Echidna alone right before her death.
Roswaal shook his head, closing the dark tome.
I shouldn't dwell on it. There must be a profound reason for his absence. Now that Grandmaster has returned with the artifact, everything will finally proceed toward Master's resurrection.
The next moment, a small, seemingly lifeless puppet sitting on a nearby shelf suddenly twitched.
These were the magical familiars Roswaal had crafted. They were hidden throughout the mansion and its grounds, serving as both a security network and invisible messengers.
"Bring Julia to see me," Roswaal commanded the puppet.
The wooden doll bowed stiffly and quickly scurried out of a small vent in the wall.
At the same time, Regulus stood in the grand, carpeted corridor, looking at the seemingly endless rows of identical doors. He raised a hand to touch his chin.
He had successfully handled Roswaal. Now, it was time to find Beatrice.
Based on the lore he knew, obtaining the Great Spirit of the Forbidden Library would be incredibly smooth once he got inside.
But there was a catch.
Which door leads to the Forbidden Library?
Beatrice's "Door Crossing" ability meant the library's physical entrance constantly shifted between the mansion's many doors. If he was unlucky, he might have to open every single door in the entire estate just to find her.
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