The reason Ebner had set "seeing Arrodes" as one of his memory recovery triggers was because he believed that by the time he encountered this mirror, the situation would have likely settled, and there would be no further need for him to keep certain things sealed away.
Moreover, he was also worried that if he forgot about Arrodes' notoriously bad personality, he might, out of curiosity, end up recklessly asking it a question—something that would undoubtedly be a terrible idea.
At this moment, however, as his memories returned, a flicker of disappointment and regret flashed through Ebner's eyes.
After all, the reason he had compelled himself to forget certain things was to ensure that he could eliminate the Desire Apostle in an unexpected strike, thereby completely removing the threat to his teacher.
Yet, in the end, he had merely driven the man away, deterred by the presence of the demigod witch backing him… This outcome somewhat contradicted his original intent.
As for that witch, she was most likely Despair Nightingale Panatiya. In the original timeline, it was probably her who had lured away His Grace the Spellsinger of God, giving the Desire Apostle the opportunity to assassinate Duke Negan.
While Ebner was lost in thought, Detective Isengard had already begun conversing with the members of the Machinery Hivemind.
He was clearly acquainted with Ikonse, as he took the initiative to greet him, "Ikonse, long time no see. Your hairstyle is still as… distinctive as ever."
Ikonse instinctively ran a hand over his stubbornly upright brown hair, trying to smooth it down, but the moment his hand left, the strands bounced right back up.
Realizing the futility of resisting, he sighed in resignation. "Isengard, that's not exactly a pleasant topic."
As he spoke, he casually placed the silver mirror on the table and gestured for one of his subordinates to take notes. Then, turning back to Isengard, he said, "Tell me, what exactly happened?"
It didn't feel like an interrogation—more like a conversation between old friends.
While Bishop Linton helped dress his wounds, Isengard organized his thoughts and began recounting the events, starting from when he took on the investigation of the demon hound and leading up to the attack by the Desire Apostle earlier that night.
However, he deliberately omitted Ebner's speculation about a demigod witch supporting the assailant. After all, not only did he lack concrete evidence, but he also had no reasonable explanation for how he had managed to escape alive.
—He certainly couldn't expose Ebner's involvement.
After asking a few more clarifying questions, Ikonse hesitated for a moment before finally picking up the silver mirror from the table.
Detective Isengard's gaze followed the movement of the mirror, and his expression stiffened slightly.
He had used this silver mirror once before. And it was during that very experience that Eliza had learned the names of all the women she had just listed earlier.
Taking a deep breath, Ikonse gently brushed his right hand over the mirror's surface three times, then spoke solemnly:
"Respected Arrodes, my question is—who attacked Detective Isengard Stanton?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the gas lamps in the room flickered, their glow becoming hazy. The surface of the silver mirror rippled with strange, watery light, gradually forming a vivid scene:
A figure, shrouded in thick, viscous black liquid, stood by a window, overlooking the street.
Then, the image shifted—the same black liquid-covered figure now lay crouched on a bed.
Yet, through the obscuring darkness, faint features of a woman could still be discerned…
That silhouette… and the details of her face… I'm certain now—the witch who was working with the Desire Apostle was indeed Despair Nightingale!
Staring at the image reflected in the silver mirror, Ebner's expression turned pensive:
"I once saw Panatiya in the Roselle scene on the sixth level of the 'Dream Labyrinth Tower.' At that time, she was trying to seduce Roselle with an air of holy purity…
"Hmm, that must have been her appearance at Sequence 7… Considering she was likely the first woman to introduce the Emperor to the 'taste of a Witch,' her image and aura in the 'Dream Labyrinth Tower' should have been highly accurate.
"So, I shouldn't be mistaken—the woman in the vision Arrodes just showed us is definitely Panatiya…
"Tsk, Arrodes is being lazy. Although the scene it displayed is already at the limits of what divination can achieve, compared to the full-color projection with sound it once provided to The Fool in the original timeline, this is clearly cutting corners."
As these thoughts swirled in Ebner's mind, the vision within the silver mirror quickly faded away.
Next, as usual, blood-red words appeared on the mirror's surface, one after another:
"By the principle of equivalence, it is now my turn to ask a question. If you lie or fail to answer, you will have to accept a task or punishment of my choosing…
"Now, listen carefully:"Do you prefer the dashing appearance of the rogue 'Black Emperor,' or do you admire his mysterious strength?"
…Arrodes… your bootlicking technique is all wrong… Ebner thought to himself. Ikonse's preferences lean toward a more niche category… If The Fool found out about this question, he'd probably smash you on the spot.
Honestly, I have a feeling this mirror is just laying a trap. Sooner or later, it's going to use this setup for a grand-scale public humiliation… As this thought crossed Ebner's mind, he suddenly had the urge to spread this scene to the Tarot Club.
Meanwhile, the other members of Machinery Hivemind stole discreet glances at their deacon before collectively exhaling in relief.
"Steam above… So Deacon Ikonse is into the rogue type…" That was the common sentiment among them. Ever since learning about their deacon's particular preferences last time, they hadn't felt this relaxed in ages.
"If only Stewart were here…" Ikonse's throat moved slightly as he recalled the fearless Church of Storms deacon.
After a brief silence, he finally spoke in a solemn tone:
"Mysterious strength."
"Correct." The blood-red words on the mirror shifted. "Congratulations, you are spared from punishment this time."
Ikonse's expression visibly relaxed, but he didn't allow the conversation to linger. Instead, he quickly changed the subject: "The Desire Apostle had a female accomplice whose strength didn't seem inferior to his… Also, can any of you determine where that house might be located?"
Detective Isengard pondered for a moment as he recalled the vision before answering, "The composition of the image doesn't clearly show street details… but the style of the street-facing windows is typical of properties found in Cherwood Borough and Hillston Borough."
"That range is still too broad, and both boroughs fall under the jurisdiction of the Church of Storms… We can't possibly search them one by one." Ikonse frowned.
"I'll try to find some leads tomorrow," Isengard said, glancing at Ebner as he spoke.
"That's too dangerous… Isengard, that demon could launch another ambush on you at any time!" Before Ikonse could respond, Bishop Linton had already rejected the idea. She then suggested, "Why not ask the mirror for more information? Wouldn't that reduce the risks significantly?"
No, ma'am. Rather than asking the mirror, I'd rather investigate personally! Isengard and Ikonse had the same thought at the same time. The latter even hesitated before adding, "Based on my years of 'quiz-taking' experience, if I ask another question now, the next one is bound to be absurd."
"What are you afraid of? If you won't ask, I will!"
With that, Bishop Linton picked up the mirror and asked, "What is the full name of the demon that attacked Isengard?"
"Jason Beria." The silver mirror flashed with this response before swiftly displaying another blood-red question:
"Who was responsible for orchestrating the transfers of Brittany from the Church of the Night and Mia from the Church of the Earth Mother out of Backlund?"
At that moment, everyone's gaze shifted toward Bishop Linton.