When the pressure eased, Klein casually pulled over a chair and set it by the door, sitting opposite the King of the Five Seas, Nast, across the hall.
Although the pirate king, standing over 1.90 meters tall and seated on a black elevated platform, looked down on him, Klein did not lose any ground. Instead, he put his top hat back on.
After a brief silence, Nast, who held the legitimate title of Count White Maple, spoke in a dignified voice:
"Give me a reason to answer your questions."
Klein, whose body seemed as thin as a book, leaned back leisurely and said:
"The reason is that when you need to make a deal with me in the future, you won't have to hear similar demands."
The dark red light in Nast's black eyes flickered, and he replied:
"I know almost all the saints still active in the world, but that doesn't include you."
Klein rubbed the feather mask covering his face, smiled, and instead of answering, asked:
"Have you seen Zaratul?"
"I saw Him twice at the court of Emperor Roselle and have also come into contact with many members of the Secret Society," the King of the Five Seas Nast replied in a plain but imposing tone.
Many members of the Secret Society... Some day, introduce us all... Klein couldn't help muttering to himself.
He then smiled and said:
"I've seen Zaratul too."
Nast raised his hand and stroked his short black beard. His already tall figure seemed to swell, pressuring the entire captain's cabin into a heavy, dim atmosphere.
After a few seconds, he stared down at Klein and said:
"My impression of Emperor Roselle is simple:
"No one is more suited to be the 'Black Emperor' than Him."
He didn't explain the specific meaning or reference of "Black Emperor," nor did he care whether the demigod opposite him understood.
I see... From the King of the Five Seas' words, although the Emperor's diary showed that he only made the decision to switch to the 'Black Emperor' pathway in his later years and made corresponding preparations, in reality, he had a certain awareness and inclination long before, unconsciously revealed it, and laid out many plans in advance... Klein thought with some realization.
He believed that the King of the Five Seas Nast's perception of Emperor Roselle was essentially like that, having only met him a few times, so he shifted the question:
"In his later years, did the Emperor entrust you or your father with any secret tasks?"
The pointed crown on Nast's head swayed, and he said in a low voice:
"Someone has asked me that same question before."
Klein laughed and boldly guessed:
"Bernadette?"
"Yes." Nast gripped the sides of the iron-black throne with both hands. "At that time, she was still young and immature to have asked such a question. Given Emperor Roselle's status and level in his later years, what secret matter could be entrusted to me or my father that would be more confidential than if He himself planned and acted covertly?"
So he's saying I'm as immature as Bernadette was back then... Klein sighed and smiled:
"For someone concerned about such matters, even a glimmer of hope is worth holding onto."
That was the reason he had come to visit the King of the Five Seas after hiding the passenger ship with an illusion.
He wanted to find clues about that mysterious light door above the Gray Fog in the real world; besides trying to confirm who the third transmigrator was, he had to delve deeper into Emperor Roselle's affairs — it was an inevitable choice!
The dark red light in the King of the Five Seas Nast's eyes constricted and expanded again:
"What is your relationship with Emperor Roselle?"
Klein thought for a moment and sighed:
"An old friend, I suppose."
After all, up there above that mysterious light door, their cocoons had been hanging together for hundreds or thousands of years, if not side by side, then only separated by a single barrier.
That was on the practical level, but psychologically, after reading so many of the Emperor's diaries, Klein had long come to regard him as a true fellow countryman, sharing the same emotional home and identity.
Nast gazed for a moment at the demigod sitting by the door, thin as a book, then averted his eyes and said in a low voice:
"Any more questions?"
Klein, already prepared, asked unhurriedly:
"In your mind, was there anything unusual about Emperor Roselle in his later years?"
Nast, with slight wrinkles on his forehead, was silent for a long time before saying:
"I don't know much about Him, so I can't find anything unusual.
"The only thing that struck me as strange was that whenever my father and I met with Him, He would always stand by the floor-to-ceiling window on the west side, gazing into the distance. This happened sometimes in the morning, sometimes at noon, sometimes in the evening, and that room didn't have only that one row of windows."
"The west... the distance... the Mist Sea?" Klein said, as if talking to himself or seeking confirmation.
He recalled that mysterious primeval island the Emperor mentioned in his diary, and the abyss hidden somewhere in the Mist Sea.
The King of the Five Seas Nast nodded slightly:
"That is my guess as well."