Faust was stunned for a moment, then pleasantly surprised: "What? You can give me a blessing now?"
An unexpected bonus?
The Prince of Qingxi steadied his heart and asked: "Didn't you say Fairies cannot willfully interfere with reality?"
Faust had previously begged Mephisto to give him some serious "cheats," ideally a direct stat boost; with a Fairy's great power, it shouldn't be difficult.
But the latter had expressed that it was beyond its power, revealing the internal truth of Fairies to Faust.
As executors of Destiny, they possess no physical form and can only wander the outer side of the world as spirits. A Fairy does not have the authority to willfully interfere with reality—unless permitted by the Wheel of Destiny.
[Any person who has practiced their Path has the qualification to receive a gift from Destiny. This is the primary duty of us Fairies. Beyond this, there are other missions, but they are difficult for a Human child to understand, so I will say no more.]
[In short, because you completed the Witches' Feast, I have the authority to grant a certain degree of blessing.]
"So practicing a Path actually has this effect? Is this the essence of so-called 'trials'?"
Faust smiled: "In that case, Mephisto, how do you plan to bestow this blessing?"
A Fairy's blessing wouldn't involve suddenly pouring power into your head to make your occult cultivation surge, explode, or skyrocket! Nor would it involve creating a legendary artifact out of thin air to gift to you.
Again, unless it is a "A fallen dragonll," a Fairy has no power to directly interfere with reality. Prophecies and revelations go without saying, but if it is a tangible treasure or power, it must actually exist in the physical world before a Fairy can mobilize it.
Even if there truly were a case of "An immortal strokes my beard, binds my hair, and grants me longevity," there must first be such a transcendental master existing. Then, under the pull of the Fairy, they would take the initiative to seek you out, say they share a bond with you, and then drop rewards on you without another word.
Faust said optimistically:
"My requirements aren't high. How about a Lady of the Lake? I've kind of wanted to be a Grail Knight."
He had read the legends; the "Lady of the Lake" was practically the Fairies' go-to tool. Whenever information or treasures needed to be delivered, a "Lady of the Lake" appeared, and their "elixirs" could mass-produce legendary warriors.
And if one could receive the ultimate reward—drinking the water from a pure gold Holy Grail—they would become a Grail Knight revered by millions.
A body tempered a thousand times over could take a meteorite to the face; a light cannon fired with a wave of the hand could pierce the night; a single breath could extend life by a hundred years; flying and tunneling would be effortless.
Legends of Grail Knights were endless. Even Faust's "precious foster father" was a fanatical supporter of the Grail Knights, having his own statue modeled after the requirements of a Grail Knight sculpture.
[...I indeed have the authority to command a Lady of the Lake, but the Path you have practiced is not yet enough to descend such a gift. Furthermore, I do not believe the Path of a Grail Knight is a suitable one for you, Faust.]
Mephisto hummed twice, seemingly mocking:
[Grail Knights who have sworn oaths of devotion have lost the lovability of a Human child; they have no more possibilities. I do not wish for you to become like that, Faust.]
[Your nature of being immoral to satisfy your desires is what is most lovable; it fascinates me. This is the true posture a Human child should have.]
"...Can you stop saying 'lovable'? It's a bit disgusting."
Faust smacked his lips: "I don't even know what you look like."
[We have no physical form, only spiritual projections. Similar to a Human child—do you wish to see my image?]
"Yes, very much so."
To be honest, having communicated with Mephisto for so long, they could joke and play around with each other, yet he lacked a concrete visual perception of Mephisto in his mind.
As for the voice... it could only be described as ethereal and clear, but it was impossible to tell if it was male, female, old, or young.
[Since Faust wants to see, then I...]
Wait, really? You're not going to treat me like an outsider?
Just as Faust was getting excited, the Fairy's tone shifted:
[Refused! I've become shy, so I won't.]
Mephisto, sensing Faust's fluctuating emotions, laughed joyfully. It seemed to thoroughly enjoy this kind of teasing exchange between friends and never tired of it.
However, after laughing enough, the Fairy returned to the main topic and offered Faust a suggestion:
[Hmm... I think you need a teacher.]
"A teacher?"
[Your accumulation on the 'Monarch of Dominion' Path is actually quite good, but you are still too green in terms of experience. You won't be able to travel for trials smoothly like this. An excellent teacher can impart her Path's experience to you. This is quite niche knowledge—don't tell others, just enjoy it within a small circle.]
Faust nodded. He had indeed never heard of such a thing. Sharing Path experience was a bit like a fantasy; it felt like a hidden mechanic only a Fairy would know.
"Who do you plan to find as my teacher?"
[Shh... I intend for it to be a surprise. Do not ask for now.]
"Mysterious as always. I'll leave it to you, then."
Faust didn't try to be clever, expressing that he would leave it entirely to Mephisto. He wasn't arrogant enough to think he could guide a Fairy in this regard.
An ancient Fairy was a true veteran; they had seen more heroes than he had eaten grains of salt.
After this, Mephisto suddenly went silent. Faust called out a few times but received no response.
It seemed It had indeed gone to settle matters.
To say Faust wasn't interested at all would be a lie. Receiving a blessing for the first time in his life, the Prince of Qingxi was very curious about how a Fairy would pull the strings of Destiny.
Thinking this, Faust walked toward the other side of the palace.
That was Yu Xuemu's bedchamber. Faust still had to inform his Royal Sister of his news. He wasn't sure if she would accept; he felt it was a long shot, because the silver-haired princess's impatience from handling government affairs for three months was written all over her face.
If Yu Xuemu refused, Faust would have to train his own cabinet.
The Princess's bedchamber was quite deserted. Yu Xuemu was a Caster who fit the stereotypes perfectly: she practiced mysticism, always kept to herself, and was rarely seen even by the court casters under her command.
However, as a fellow royal, Faust could reach Yu Xuemu's room without obstruction. Just as he reached out to knock, the door before him opened slowly.
A face that was incredibly clear—reminding one of stern ice and snow—appeared before him. Dressed in a long gown, the Princess had her hands clasped gracefully in front of her waist. Her posture was dignified and elegant, yet felt entirely natural.
The "lewd" figure accentuated by the gauze dress made Faust unsure of where to look. Just as he was about to peer inside the room, Yu Xuemu took a step straight forward.
This movement caused the silver-haired princess's chest—which was so large it obstructed the view and disrupted her elegant aura—to press nearly against the Prince's chest. However, Yu Xuemu seemed indifferent to this, as if preventing Faust from investigating the room was more important.
It was Faust who had to take a step back to end this incredibly ambiguous posture.
"Faust... for what reason have you come? Do not tell me it was specifically to commit such a sacrilege; that would truly be beyond hope."
The Princess's holy azure eyes watched Faust calmly, though her gaze held a few extra traces of disgust.