After speaking to Robin, Sylvia turned and walked toward the port exit. Robin hesitated only briefly before quickly following.
Leading Robin out of the port, neither of them spoke.
Then, avoiding most people's eyes, Sylvia opened a teleportation wormhole. She glanced at Robin, and the two stepped into it one after the other.
At the same time—
Phantylia, who had just passed through the checkpoint, strolled leisurely with her luggage toward the exit. Yet her gaze pierced through the crowd, spotting the opened teleportation passage.
"Well now, isn't this a coincidence," she mused. 'I was just wondering where to find you, and here you deliver yourself right to me. Can't blame me for this.'
Phantylia saw the wormhole—and the woman following Sylvia.
She couldn't help feeling a little surprised. She hadn't even started looking yet, and here her target had jumped right in front of her.
Though she wasn't sure what Sylvia was up to, Phantylia made her move.
From within her sleeve, a flicker of flame sparked and vanished.
In an instant, it crossed space, and just before the wormhole closed, a few subtle embers drifted out, clinging silently to the hem of Robin's coat.
They passed through the teleportation together.
As for Phantylia herself, she calmly maintained her 'tourist' persona and walked out of the port.
"In another delve, is it?"
Her gaze lifted toward the sky, as if seeing through the spatial barriers separating the different realms.
--+--
Exalting Sanctum.
Sylvia's residence.
Though the Exalting Sanctum was lively, that was mostly in the bustling commercial districts. The residential areas were far quieter.
Of course, if she only wanted fewer people, Sylvia had considered Fyxestroll Garden as well.
But considering the private nature of their upcoming conversation, talking about such things openly in Fyxestroll Garden felt… rather odd.
So Sylvia simply brought her back home.
After all, the place was tucked away in a quiet spot with pleasant surroundings—rarely disturbed.
"Make yourself comfortable. Would you like some tea? It's a local specialty of the Xianzhou."
Sylvia pointed toward the sofa, then busied herself with the tea leaves while watching Robin remove her disguise.
The most fascinating part was that detachable halo—the one she could just take off and slip into her pocket.
Sylvia was curious: was that halo natural, something that grew over time, or just an added accessory?
And how did it float above her head like that? Was there some special structure in her skull that let it hover?
But considering it might be a sensitive racial trait, Sylvia kept her questions to herself.
Seeing Robin casually take off her large coat and hang it on the nearby rack, then sit down properly, Sylvia carried the tea set over. As she passed the coat rack, she glanced at the hanging garment.
A slight, unsettling detail triggered her instincts.
Danger—serious danger.
Sylvia instantly went on alert, but outwardly, she simply set down the teapot and cups.
She offered a cup of tea to Robin.
Robin took it, curiously sniffing the aroma.
She knew a little about Xianzhou tea culture, but had never really experienced it firsthand—this was likely her first time tasting a genuine Xianzhou brew.
Still, she only took a small, polite sip.
Robin hadn't forgotten the real reason she was here.
She watched as Sylvia, after sitting down across from her, immediately pulled out her phone and seemed to message someone.
The white-haired girl soon noticed Robin's gaze, put her phone away, and smiled apologetically.
"Sorry about that, a friend was looking for me."
Robin set her cup down and returned a gentle smile.
"You're already sparing me your time today, Miss Sylvia. If you have something urgent, please feel free to handle it first."
"Nothing pressing today."
Sylvia shook her head, signaling Robin to proceed.
So Robin's expression turned serious. She straightened slightly, meeting Sylvia's eyes.
"Miss Sylvia… I believe you've guessed why I'm here. So I wanted to ask—what do you know about the current situation in Penacony?"
Perhaps out of habit as a public figure, Robin carried herself with poise and grace before Sylvia. Her emotions were well-contained—she seemed only to be inquiring about a hometown matter, concerned but not overly so.
Her words remained polite throughout.
Sylvia didn't answer immediately. Instead, quietly admiring Robin's composure, she pulled out a deck of Tarot cards and placed it on the table between them.
The move left Robin momentarily unsure.
Did she know or not? Was she willing to talk or not? There ought to be an answer.
What was the point of bringing out a deck of cards?
To give her a reading?
Seeing Sylvia remain silent, Robin stayed quiet as well. Noticing Robin's puzzled look, Sylvia explained:
"You may have misunderstood, Miss Robin. I've never been to Penacony. How could I possibly know secrets even you aren't aware of?"
"…"
Robin's expression didn't change much. It was only natural Sylvia might not want to share—after all, today's visit was initiated by her.
They weren't close; why would she hand over information?
As for claiming not to know—Robin didn't buy it.
She knew about the mole within Penacony—intel most family members weren't even aware of.
And now she's saying she doesn't know Penacony? Who would believe that?
Just then, Sylvia swept her hand gently. The Tarot cards fanned out across the table.
She then turned her palm upward in an inviting gesture.
"I've merely glimpsed faint traces of fate, caught fragments of whispers. Miss Robin, you may draw a card. Let fate give you an answer."
"…You're a seer?"
Robin furrowed her brow slightly, seeming genuinely conflicted.
Given what she knew so far, Sylvia had almost no connection to Penacony.
Only something like 'glimpsing fate' could explain how she knew about the traitor—and about Robin losing her voice.
"I wouldn't call it prophecy. I'm no slave to destiny—just making modest predictions."
"Is that so…"
Robin lowered her gaze from Sylvia to the twenty-some cards on the table.
Just as she hesitantly reached out to draw one, suddenly, another hand extended from behind Robin's side, casually plucking a card and flipping it over.
At the same time, a third voice, filled with mockery and amusement, echoed in the room:
"How interesting. That woman never told me you had such an ability. Why not… let me draw a card too, hmm, Sylvia?"
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.