"I see you still have quite a few doubts," Merka said.

"Since you want to know all of this, I will tell you," the shadow replied.

The shadow flickered and shimmered, gently tracing its slender fingers on the table, pointing to the first question on the blueprint.

"Do you think the chef back then was an informant planted by the Tide Witch in the kitchen to monitor you and Turing?"

"That is not wrong."

"However, you guessed wrong about his identity; he was not human, but an angel."

"It was Tide Witch's own angel."

"Tide Witch used aside's power to fabricate memories for him, making him work at the Xismāni Hotel."

"And because he was an angel, altering your perception required magic, so he always wore a cloak, trying not to reveal his true form."

The shadow's tone rose and fell, narrating slowly.

"But! How could an angel show up without consciousness... Oh!"

"Are you saying this was also done by Bishop Maria to help Tide Witch?" Merka asked, sounding a bit deflated.

"You catch on quick," the shadow nodded approvingly at Merka.

“That's the nature of intrigue."

"If you don't do it, someone else will."

"No need to feel too guilty, even if Maria didn't send you then, she would have sent someone even more handsome."

"No one could have done it better than you."

The shadow glanced at Merka, casually drawing circles with their fingers on the table.

"Actually, since then, you've been taking all the blame for Red Port on yourself, haven't you?"

"You see the tortured people of Red Port, those you couldn't save, as haunting you like nightmares."

"You fear that Joan in heaven may look upon you with disappointment."

"Because you view your relationship with her, the deceased, as that of a mother and son. You are eager to do things she might have liked in her lifetime to fill the void of maternal love in your heart."

"So, you see every suffering soul as someone who must be redeemed."

"But you are mistaken; there are truly irredeemable people in this world."

"Tide Witch valued this about you, using you to keep Turing in check."

"Otherwise, when she released the bridal bouquet magic, Turing actually had some time to escape Red Port."

"But Turing chose to come find you."

The shadow spoke in a soft tone.

"What does the bridal bouquet magic mean...?"

"Are you referring to the magic that banned all magic in Red Port and released the angels?"

"How can that terrifying magic be compared to bridal bouquet magic?"

Merka's forehead beaded with cold sweat, a hint of skepticism in his voice as he questioned the shadow.

"Banning magic was a front, fundamentally it was that Red Port's angels no longer obeyed commands, so magic naturally couldn't be used."

"I told you, bridal bouquet is not as holy as you imagine."

"Curses used on angels can reshape them."

"If used on codecheckers, it can reshape the entire world."

"The wedding bouquet is a curse placed upon the codechecker. It is a process demanded by the people of Acadia from their host Kagtua."

"The Tide Witch relied on the words of the people of Red Port, using small gears as carriers, to make a relatively smaller wish compared to the wedding bouquet."

"That wish was to kill Turing."

"To kill Turing, a powerful semi-angel, backdrophad to mobilize all the local angels to pursue Turing."

"This also created the illusion that the people of Red Port were unable to use magic."

The voice of the shadow showed no emotion, as it stated a brutal fact in a calm manner.

"Have you accepted it? If you have, then I will continue."

After saying that, the shadow paused and placed its finger on the second question.