It was a plain, peaceful narrative.
Ivan apologized to Annan.
His pale icy-blue eyes were empty and emotionless.
However, no matter how Annan interpreted it, every word seemed like a silent grief.
It was like piercing a poisonous knife into the heart.
It was a moan that could not even be uttered.
“I can’t even make sure that you can maintain control over the [Winter’s Hand]. All I can do is limit the user of the scepter’s power, hoping they don’t realize that the [Winter’s Heart] has lost its control over the [Winter’s Hand]…”
“I know it’s challenging, especially at your young age. Keeping these seemingly loyal Winter’s Hands in check will become even harder. Thankfully, you now possess the power of [Tyrant]. If you struggle to manage them, you can always control one or two among them first. Then, you can capitalize on them to control the rest.”
“There’s no need to shy away from a power that can alter one’s mind… All powers have their value simply by existing. In fact, I once considered turning the scepter upside down to tap into the Tyrant’s strength but ultimately decided against it. My main concern was becoming too reliant on that power and the fear that I might genuinely turn into a mad tyrant.”
“I hope you can understand. The year I took over the three-color scepter, I was only 17 years old, fifteen years younger than your brother Dmitri, one year younger than your sister Maria, and only three years older younger than… now, only two years older than you.”
Ivan looked at Annan calmly, “This scepter and this destiny is your birthday present.”
“Happy birthday, Annan.”
“Thank you, Father.”
Annan was silent for a long time before taking a deep breath and thanking him in a low voice.
It wasn’t until then that he suddenly remembered that today seemed to be March 14th…it was really his birthday.
Even Annan himself had forgotten about it.
After all, he had been in this world for less than a year. His previous memory had been erased.
Strictly speaking, this was Annan’s first birthday after coming to this world.
Annan vaguely felt something surging in his heart.
The moment he captured that emotion, his eyes seemed to light up.
However, it wasn’t a vague description anymore.
Ivan saw that pure light gushed out of Annan’s eyes.
It was like the glimmer of light in a dark cave, pointing toward the only way out.
It was the light of hope—
Is that the Light of the Divine Transporter?
Ivan was also a little dazed.
“Thanks.” It was like how Ivan was saying ‘I’m sorry’ all over again. Annan took a deep breath and sincerely said ‘thank you.’ Yet, he didn’t feel a hint of sadness.
Annan raised his head and smiled calmly, “But I don’t have to inherit this fate.”
“Father, have you ever heard of a saying?”
Annan reached out again, gripping the three-color scepter tightly.
At that moment, the light in his eyes became brighter and tripled in its brightness.
“[Fate is the tracks of the Divine Transporter]. For Divine Transporter, the curse based on fate is meaningless.”
Annan’s tone was as calm as Ivan’s but had a different resolve.
If Ivan’s emotion was utter despair, then Annan’s was a sense of control.
“So, I don’t believe in fate. Whatever misfortunes or hardships there might be, I don’t think they’ve come before and won’t in the future.” He whispered.
From the secret room, Annan looked down and saw a crystal ball on the table.
Annan’s heart moved, and he reached out to hold it.
The crystal ball came to life like a living creature – it suddenly opened its eyes.
It looked just like a massive eyeball, even blinking from time to time.
The most mysterious part was that, no matter from which angle you looked, you could always see a human-like deep gray eyeball with a hint of silvery mist.
As the power of Divine Transporter coursed through it, a system panel appeared in Annan’s eyes.
[All-Seeing Eye of the Faceless Poet]
[Type: Mystical item/ritual item (Gold)]
[Description: A crystal ball crafted by the Faceless Poet, capable not only of initiating Prophet rituals but also of dispelling or safeguarding all “secrets” within its range.]
[Effect: Whenever any light approaches the crystal ball, it activates, triggering the “All-Seeing Eye” to illuminate the space within a 15-yard radius. This dispels all darkness, fog, blinding effects, and invisibility. Its power is equivalent to the Gold Rank Prophet spell of the same name.]
[Effect: Once a day, you can cast “Total Darkness” once a day to block out the surrounding light and sound. This effect is equivalent to the Silver Rank Idol Spell of the same name and can last up to three hours. Since there is no “light” when activating this effect, the “All-Seeing Eye” effect will be automatically terminated.]
[Price: After using “Total Darkness”, the holder will lose vision and hearing for three times the duration of activating “Total Darkness”.]
“This is a curse vessel to detect whether someone has sneaked into the secret room.” Noticing Annan’s gaze, Ivan said casually, “Although it’s a deity-named curse vessel, it’s rarely used… If you like it, feel free to take it with you.”
“Anyway, no one will use this secret room for quite a long time.”
“Wait, I was just thinking about something else.” Annan thought about it and said in a low voice, “I wonder if using the three-color scepter upside down might raise suspicions in others. They might not recognize it as the legendary curse vessel of Austere-Winter Dukedom, but they would surely notice its significance beyond just a ‘symbol of power’.”
“Once I become a target, things will get much more complicated. To avoid their suspicions, I’ve decided…”
As he spoke, Annan slowly placed the crystal ball on top of the scepter.
This heavy scepter made a resounding thud when it hit the ground. However, once Annan knew its real name, it felt weightless in his hand.
The sturdy vine, neither gold nor copper nor wood, felt like an exoskeleton shell when touched.
The vine perfectly secured the crystal ball in place — and even after Annan placed the crystal ball on top, the three branches wriggled like living things, gripping it even tighter.
The silver-gray eyeballs blinked in a panic but inexplicably became quiet and closed again.
“This is perfect. It doesn’t look out of place at all.”
Annan smiled contentedly, “When people see this scepter again, their attention will be drawn to the crystal ball. The scepter beneath it will merely be seen as a stand for the [All-Seeing Eye] and be overlooked.”
“Let’s spread the word that someone assassinated me. To prevent future attempts, I’ve combined the All-Seeing Eye with the three-color scepter, to create the Austere-Winter’s Grand Duke’s new scepter.”
“At a glance, it actually looks quite legitimate. I remember in the Papal Kingdom. Some people used large gemstones, skulls, or crystal balls as the heads of the scepters. It’s a kind of tradition, and it won’t seem out of place.”
I’m such a genius.
Annan thought to himself complacently.
After the secret room was reopened, the Winter’s Hands waiting outside saw that Grand Duke Ivan exited without carrying anything.”
The three-color scepter was in Annan’s hand, so they knelt before Annan.
“—Rise.” Annan intoned with a deep breath, “Your Grand Duke has returned.”
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