“No. You came very timely.” Annan smiled and replied briskly.
He didn’t ask where Nicholas had gone or how the Paper Princess got here.
Annan spoke softly and thanked the Paper Princess politely, “Thank you for coming to save me. I don’t know what will happen when He takes me away.”
Hearing this, the Paper Princess showed a gentle smile.
She rubbed Annan’s cheeks up and down with Her hands and pinched his face again.
“Yes, finally, you have grown up a little.” The Paper Princess showed a satisfied smile and persuaded with a stern face, “But remember to eat more.
“Although the Noah Kingdom is not as cold as Austere-Winter, it won’t be much different in winter, and your body is weak. If you don’t eat enough, you may catch a cold.
“Especially, you have to eat more meat. You are still growing, you don’t have to worry about your figure, and exercising is much healthier than dieting. Are you exercising every morning and evening? Since you have advanced to the Silver Rank, how is [Frost Sword] doing? Have you dropped your training?”
Hearing the Paper Princess’ words, Annan showed a baffled expression.
Why do you sound like you’re close to me?
I’m not hungry.
The relationship between the Paper Princess and me doesn’t seem like the one between “peers”.
It came off as an empathetic feeling from elders, like how Silver Sire previously treated Annan.
But there were subtle differences.
When Silver Sire talked to Annan, He was much more cordial and polite than the Paper Princess. It felt like a neighbor or some relative who always kept a distance. He would only praise but not reprimand Annan.
However, the Paper Princess’s attitude toward Annan was like a sister, mother, or teacher.
“What’s the matter, Annan?” The Paper Princess touched Annan’s head worriedly because Annan did not speak.
She put her hands on Annan’s head as if massaging his head. Then, She stroked his smooth hair repeatedly and skillfully. Annan squinted his eyes obediently, standing there without resisting.
For some reason, Annan felt this scene was a little familiar, like it had happened many times before.
It appeared as if he was close to the Paper Princess.
However, that should be unlikely.
Annan had previously learned from Silver Sire that the Old Grandmother always had mixed feelings about this new deity born from Her own portrait.
It was not enough to say that the Old Grandmother hated her, but She had clearly shown Her dislike for the Paper Princess.
Therefore, the Paper Princess did not go to Austere-Winter Dukedom.
If the Paper Princess and Annan were acquainted, it would only have happened during the year he traveled around. Therefore, the Paper Princess should be among the deities who protected Annan at that time.
The Paper Princess was a false deity who traveled all over the place and would not stay in one place for long.
She would travel worldwide, walking between reality and the imaginary world. She would sell Her paintings to support the poor painters who believed in themselves.
But the situation did not seem only like this.
Although the Old Grandmother was distant from the Paper Princess, the Paper Princess seemed to care about the Old Grandmother.
Annan did not think much of it.
He shook his head and asked probingly, “Do you know that I may lose my memory?”
“You told me that.” The Paper Princess nodded and was about to say something when suddenly, as if She had remembered something, She said apologetically, “Ah, sorry. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you the details right now. It might affect your determination.”
“Determination?”
“En, it has something to do with the sacred bone. That’s all that I can say.” The Paper Princess not only did not doubt Annan but comforted, “Don’t overthink it. You made the decision after discussing it with everyone. They had to consider it on multiple angels and thought things wouldn’t go wrong.
“Everything is within our plan, and it hasn’t gone off the rails so far. So you don’t have to be too nervous. Even if you lose your memory, you will get more than before.”
“Am I trying to get the approval of a sacred bone?” Annan frowned, “Am I not a Transcended in the past? But how do I advance to the Gold Rank if that’s the case?”
“Ah, I have to mention this to you.” Hearing this, the Paper Princess suddenly remembered something and added, “You don’t have to rush to advance into the Gold Rank. First, you need to get your sacred bone, and then… You don’t need to sign a covenant. Just getting it is enough. It is vital to promote into the Gold Rank in the case of possessing a Truth and the sacred bone.
“Since you now have the reversed Winter Heart, you’re qualified to sign a covenant with several sacred bones; at the same time, you have also got a rainbow-colored soul, and the sacred bone that matches you will look for you on its own and reach you sooner or later. You just need to follow your heart.”
Although She said, “That’s all I can say,” the Paper Princess couldn’t help but leak a lot of information out when Annan asked.
You did not seem to keep anything secret.
You’re leaking too much more than a sieve. Even if I do not ask in detail, I already have a general idea.
So that’s the situation. Is it for the sacred bone?
This is indeed quite possible.
The former Annan was afflicted with the [Winter Heart] for thirteen years. He had undergone tremendous changes in temperament, which was enough to affect his mind, change his character, and make him no longer recognized by the sacred bone.
This message was likely to be true, but that might not be the entire case.
According to his character, he would definitely not tell all the information to the same person.
In particular, he would not casually tell others the information far beyond their limits.
Giving someone a treasure map full of traps was a crime of murder, too. It was enough to ruin a person’s life when the goal was beyond the limit of the other party’s capability but desired.
Although Annan occasionally took advantage of others and often plotted against his enemies, he would not hurt his friends.
So Annan could conclude that what the Paper Princess knew must not be the complete version. She would be worried for him. Thus, what she knew must be “the safe version that She did not need to worry about Annan”.
I still have to ask Silver Sire for the specifics.
I should help Silver Sire deal with Rotten Man’s problems first.
With Silver Sire’s character as a businessman who liked to not reveal the entire case in His words, the matter of dealing with the Rotten Man might have something to do with Annan’s previous plans.
“Paper Princess, do you know the person just now?”
“He is Nicholas, the second Hermes, the leader of the Fallen path. Many Fallens were born through his work. I heard that the Shadow Demon is also with you. The Shadow Demon is his student.” The Paper Princess shook her head and warned, “You’d better stay away from him. He’s a dangerous and crazy man.”
“But is he important?” Annan asked in a deep voice, “Right?”