Chapter 2556: Chapter Two Thousand Six Hundred: Paradox

The eighteen-year-old female sorceress pursed her lips, and she did not bring up the topic of the "other Adele" that the cat on the windowsill had assumed:

"If the birth of a Paradox Worm were so simple, then based on my and Flora's estimates, one should have appeared here long ago. Aren't Baron Kaming and James Kaming, whom we discussed this morning, the most obvious paradox? The father is younger than the son — does that make sense?"

"This Pantanal Pantanal Xiewu is sentient. Ordinary people cannot detect such a thing. Once someone truly travels through time and brings about the birth of such a worm, the worm will likely take up residence in their soul, waiting for more paradoxes so it can absorb more power and grow.

Therefore, only one Paradox Worm is born in a single 'time accident,' because the one born first will absorb all the power. So the matter with the Baron's family that you mentioned definitely involves a worm — we just don't know where it's hiding."

Miss Isabella speculated, and even the cat on the windowsill felt her analysis was correct.

"But don't worry — isn't there someone here who can deal with this kind of trouble?"

Seeing that both Miss Dac Dac Nisi and Miss Winslet had solemn expressions, the blonde witch added reassuringly:

"As long as a method is found, the worm itself is not actually that terrifying. I simply didn't anticipate this kind of opponent this time. Once I get back, Flora, I'll have someone send you some relics — relics have quite a few properties that can deal with or restrain Paradox Worms.

Dac Dac Nisi, I'll also need to trouble you and Flora to look for the Miss who stepped in today here, whether under the name of your academy or the name of the Council."

Both ladies were resisting the urge to look at the cat lying on the windowsill:

"Alright. Perhaps she has a method to alleviate or even lift the time curse."

Miss Winslet hesitated:

"So, you're going to leave here?"

The blonde witch smiled helplessly:

"Meghan and Audrey are still with people, right next to the out-of-control 【Song of the Penitent】. I know the matters here involve the Chosen One, but Audrey and the others need me more — after all, every second over there is dangerous.

Although I do know Zhou Fa like clones, if one must fight at full strength, it's best not to do that."

"Since you mention clones, then the other you from earlier was actually..."

The red-haired girl said hesitantly, the cat continued watching this side, but the thirteenth-tier blonde archmage did not answer immediately.

She thought carefully, recalling her deliberations along the way:

"Existing evidence indicates she is the future me who, due to the time confusion in the corridor before the Council, accidentally arrived here."

"That's reasonable — after all, you both walked out from there."

Miss Dac Dac Nisi said, and the cat also breathed a sigh of relief, but Miss Isabella frowned again and said:

"The evidence points that way, but before she left she said a few words to me — some strange words... My instinct is telling me she doesn't seem like my future self, but rather... she is far stronger than me, yes, far stronger. I even suspect she has already taken that step."

The silver cat withdrew its gaze and focused on dealing with little Mia who had sidled up beside it.

Dac Dac Nisi, the "Crimson Moon Witch," who had once also been of the thirteenth ring, inquired:

"A demigod?"

The Witch of Time nodded hesitantly:

"I cannot comprehend it, yet I am certain she truly is me. When I faced her, it was as if I were facing myself in a mirror, and I could clearly sense that, if she wished to act and kill me, she could completely replace me and remain at this point in time."

The silver cat on the windowsill was still frolicking with the orange cat, and the meowing sounds were especially clear in the terrifyingly quiet room.

The Witch of Death opened her mouth but didn't know what to say — this had already exceeded the limits of her imagination. In the end, it was the red-haired girl who said:

"But she didn't do that, and she has her own time. You are both time-talented, and you both know that traveling through time to change the past is a foolish act."

Adele Isabella did not respond to this remark, just as she had said earlier — she felt that the relationship between the other her who had just appeared and herself was absolutely not one of past and future.

"Flora, Dac Dac Nisi, would you say that my future self might fall in love with someone, and specifically warn my present self not to do anything unnecessary because of it?"

She suddenly asked again, and this question startled the other two:

"What?"

They were quite displeased in their hearts with the cat on the windowsill that was surely "eavesdropping," because he hadn't explained anything yet, but just from this question alone the two of them could immediately think of many things.

The archmage with the tear mole at the corner of her eye said hesitantly:

"This warning is very interesting — it's as if she thinks I would be hostile toward that person, or at least have some unpleasantness with them."

So the Witch of Death and the red-haired girl fell silent together, and even Miss Bell standing nearby was trying to minimize how often her peripheral vision glanced toward the windowsill.

Fortunately, Miss Isabella did not bring up this matter again, but it was easy to imagine she would puzzle over it for a long time.

She was definitely going to leave here, because leaving Vista City and ending the matter of 【Song of the Penitent】 as soon as possible was the only way to free up the Council's full strength to deal with the matters in Riedon Town. If through this incident she could figure out exactly where the "Adele Isabella" who appeared today had come from, then the distant path of demigodhood might truly be about to open up for her.

Afterwards, Miss Isabella carefully examined Miss Dac Dac Nisi's curse condition, confirmed that her curse had deepened further, and listened to her recount her experience of "going back to the past" that morning.

The red-haired female sorceress omitted Xia De, claiming only that she had broken free from the Illusion on her own, and that the tree hollow had then unexpectedly activated on its own, which was what brought her back to 1854:

"But this way, I've completely confirmed that my teacher once came to Riedon Town — after all, 【A Dream Beneath the Shade】 wouldn't be wrong. It's a pity I didn't see her this time."

To conceal Xia De's existence, she even took the initiative to bring up this matter; before this, she had not even been willing to discuss the purpose of her coming to Riedon Town in detail with Miss Winslet.

Miss Isabella nodded and did not press further on the matter of the previous generation's St. Byron's Library administrator:

"Flora, the Council won't be sending more people here for the time being, but if you need help, the Council will provide any assistance short of manpower. I'll have dinner with you all and then leave — first I'll stop by Wendell, to notify Sylvia to prepare to come here to support you."

After speaking, she took out her pocket watch from her pocket again, but not to leave the pocket watch behind — instead she took off the watch chain and handed it to the Witch of Death, who was overwhelmed by the favor.

"This is for me?"

"Yes, Flora. Treat this as a bracelet and tie it around your wrist. That way, no matter what point in time you accidentally end up at, I'll be able to sense the traces. Also, Dac Dac Nisi, I..."

"I won't be needing your help, Adele — don't underestimate us St. Byron's."

The eighteen-year-old girl said with a smile, taking out the "Spirit-Clearing Elixir" Xia De had given her and giving it a shake.

Xia De of course still remembered that this evening the group from 【Golden Dawn Opera Troupe】 would be arriving here. He had originally planned to go welcome Vanessa and Hilary and the others, but Miss Isabella had sat down and simply never gotten up.

By the time they finally stood up from the sofa, the dusk sun outside had already bathed the city in gold, and had also cast the backs of the silver cat and the orange-and-white cat in a golden glow.

The people in the city were still discussing the anomaly that had appeared above the Golden Music Hall at noon, and the ladies who stood up were not leaving the room — they discussed having dinner here, and then each went to the washroom.

Xia De actually could have taken this opportunity to toss the crystal slipper and go home, but if Miss Isabella came out of the washroom and saw the cat was gone, she would certainly be puzzled.

So it could only lie on the windowsill with Mia watching the ladies dine. During this time, Miss Bell also considerately brought food for the two cats — of course, food meant for people.

The Outlander, out of pride, stubbornly refused to eat in cat form, which made little Mia, who had been about to take a bite, hesitate for a moment — then she too closed her mouth and curled back up beside Xia De.

【But weren't you fed milk by Bella Berendal while in cat form?】

"She" asked with a smile.

"That's because I was unconscious. Oh, can we not bring this up again in the future?"

During dinner, the ladies continued to discuss local topics. Besides her impressions of the 【Hermits of the Forest】, Adele Isabella also brought up relics capable of dispelling the "Time Curse" that she thought might be effective:

"For a curse of this magnitude, there's no need to consider anything below Sage-level relics. Among Sage-level relics, the 【Sage's Dispel-Curse Stone】 and 【Tears of the Mourning Angel】 might both work. For Angel-level relics, I can think of many options, but the side effects would all be quite severe.

Using relics to dispel the curse is just one approach to solving this; I'll handle that part. Your attention still needs to stay focused on Timberton."

The Sage-level relic 【Sage's Dispel-Curse Stone】 was in Princess Lei Lei Qianya's possession—specifically, the ruby earring worn by Lei Lei Qianya. This gave both the Princess and the young lady writer the small habit of occasionally touching their earlobes.

This was a gift from Lei Lei Qianya's teacher at the Zaras Academy of Literature. However, after the two became the Chosen Ones of the spatial realm, Lei Lei Qianya rarely wore this relic, so Xia De could borrow it to try.

Miss Isabella did not leave until after dinner. Miss Winslet and Miss Dac Dac Nisi saw her off downstairs. And when they returned to the room together with Miss Belle, they saw Xia De sitting on the windowsill feeding the cat:

"Don't eat so fast."

He patted Mia's little head, then spoke before they could say anything:

"Miss Dac Dac Nisi, could you arrange for me to project to Saint Byrons to see Amelia now? I have some things I want to ask her."

The red-haired girl nodded in surprise:

"Of course, I'll write the letter. It's Miss Shinaud's turn to keep watch at the library tonight, so we can let you meet her without disturbing anyone else."