Once it was confird that Bernadino was controlled by the Paper Princess, another question erged...
Annan was certain that he had never offended this man.
The Bell Ringer never communicated with His clergy, so it couldn’t possibly be His instruction;
As the Pope of the Bell Ringer, Bernardino couldn’t possibly use the Book of the Celestial Chariot for anything either. His energy was so deathly that he likely couldn’t even resonate with the "radiance" attribute of the Book of the Celestial Chariot, let alone see it, touch it, or obtain it.
Opposing him had no aning and granted no benefits either.
Moreover, he already knew who possessed the Book of Truth... There was no need to co to Jiu’er to fish for him, he could locate him directly through the eyes of bystanders.
...It was almost as if he intended to deliberately die before Annan.
There’s no such way to throw one’s life away.
"What exactly is your purpose?"
Ignoring Bernadino’s provocation, Annan raised his voice again and asked, "Although you have acted against my n... I can still believe your words. As long as you can persuade ."
"Then release first."
Facing certain death, Bernardino showed no fear.
He just let out a low chuckle, speaking calmly, "This is not how a chat should look."
"—This is not a chat, it is an interrogation."
Annan took a few steps forward, stopping at a certain distance, giving a cold response.
He looked straight at the man seated in the wheelchair, overflowing with the aura of death, like a withered corpse.
Seeing this, the old man’s mouth slightly curled upwards.
"At this distance, I could pull out your soul with just a flick of my finger..."
Although his entire body was bound by silver chains and his life rapidly drained away, the old man rely squinted at Annan.
But Annan showed no fear.
He was deftly flipping two silver coins between the fingertips of his right hand.
The two silver coins danced between his fingers like butterflies threading flowers, reflecting the brilliant light of the sun.
"—Feel free."
Annan smiled gently, "But do you really want to do that?"
"...Ha."
The old man gazed into Annan’s fearless eyes for a long while before suddenly laughing out, "You truly aren’t afraid."
He uttered in a rough, deep voice, "Fools know no fear, heroes have nothing to fear...
"Which one are you?"
"I don’t know."
Annan replied without any hesitation, "It doesn’t matter."
"...It doesn’t matter, huh."
Appearing surprised by this response, Bernadino was silent for a long ti.
He seed to be pondering sothing.
As ti passed and the life of Bernadino continued to be withdrawn by the Paper Princess’s ritual, his energy grew weaker and weaker.
Just as Annan couldn’t help but start considering whether to ask the Paper Princess to stop for a mont, Bernadino finally spoke.
He glanced at the Paper Princess and then fixed his gaze on Annan.
He began to speak slowly, "Do you know that you...
"...are already at the end of your life?"
"How dare you!"
Paper Princess imdiately spoke out in rebuke.
Annan, however, was not angry but asked with great interest, "Are you saying that I am about to die now?"
"Not now."
Bernadino corrected him, "It’s that you have been dead for a long ti."
—This sounded a bit like an insult.
This thought popped into Jiu’er’s mind as she observed from the side.
"Do you wish to dispense justice?"
"No, I just... hope for an exchange of information."
The old man’s tone was nearly humble, "There are so things, which I cannot seek or will definitely not be able to find. And there are so things, which you might not conveniently obtain or be unable to do."
Unbeknownst to him, Bernadino had started using honorifics for Annan.
Yet Annan had already realized the purpose of Bernadino’s visit.
There probably weren’t many people who knew that "Annan" had already died once.
Without the ability to see through the past, the future, and the fates of souls, it would be impossible to confirm that "Annan" had been replaced.
Clearly, Bernadino had not received his information from the Bell Ringer but had obtained it through his own Divine Ability—
To be more precise, he must have confird that "this was not the real Annan" while stealing mories from Salvatore... or ascertained that the previous "Annan" had died, and this was Annan’s "second playthrough."
Based on this situation... Annan already knew what he wanted.
—Bernadino was seeking the "technique of rebirth."
...How laughable.
Annan almost let out a laugh.
Bernadino’s way of battling involved causing trouble for his enemies through mockery and escaping death; yet now, as his life neared its end, instead of bravely facing the inevitable death, he was pondering how to escape this fate.
How ironic.
Is this the Pope of the Bell Ringer?
Dear dear, the suggestion here is to believe in the Skeletal Duke, isn’t it?
Truly love it, love it.
Annan lifted the corners of his mouth looking at the old man.
"Just tell what you really want," Annan said in an unquestionable tone, calmly stating, "As long as the price is right, everything is negotiable."
Upon hearing this, the old man let out a sigh of relief.
His expression, obscured by bandages, was indiscernible, but one could faintly sense his relaxation, as though he had co to an understanding.
"...I see. Did you invent the ritual yourself?"
"Indeed, it was ," Annan replied without hesitation: "But I have been reborn and have lost my previous mory. If you ask how the ritual should be conducted, I cannot answer you."
For now, just admit that you indeed used so sort of ritual to rebirth yourself.
However, facing such a response from Annan, Bernadino did not give up.
He probed further: "I heard that the Pope of the Moth Mother is continuously reincarnated, dying and then being born again... always without any mories of the predecessor, yet forever the sa soul.
"Is the ritual you used from this domain? Can the ritual and Divine Arts of the ’Moth’ domain supplent your own soul?"
—As expected.
Hearing Bernadino’s query, Annan affird his own speculation.
...Bernadino must have nearly burnt out his soul completely.
Intending to refine the elent to its utmost, he planned to sublimate his own soul... but you lack the compatible Book of Truth.
He is seeking a thod to avoid death, to prolong his lifespan, planning to snatch away a Book of Truth that he could use once it appeared, right?
"I am not certain. But from your description, it should be so. But what I forgot, besides my mories... also includes the relevant knowledge."
"It should indeed be the Divine Arts of the Moth domain..." Bernadino exhaled in relief: "Thank you very much... Your Grace."
Annan inquired further: "By the way, what would have happened if I had killed you then?"
At the question, Bernadino hesitated for a mont.
The face under the bandages remained silent for a while, but he still spoke up: "As compensation, I shall answer your question.
"I have a Curse Binding that has been strengthened to the limit and inscribed with runes on . Anyone who has ever killed will be bound by the ’Soul Desiccation Curse.’ Their mories and knowledge will continuously flow towards in their sleep... This is one of the reasons why I am powerful."
"Oh?"
Annan raised an eyebrow at this information.
"Then may I ask, from whom did you learn of my existence?"
"...That’s another question, my lord," Bernadino chuckled, his voice growing lower and lower as he slowly bowed his head.
In the end, he had his life sucked dry by his own waning spirit.
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