Chapter 46: The Mad Hatter’s Omen

That evening, Alice, in her room, took out the magic mirror Isola had given her. She prepared for her first divination since her recent advancement.

Following the Duchess’s earlier instructions, she diligently cast aside all distractions, focusing intently on the question she wished to divine.

“Magic mirror, magic mirror, tell me, what will be the outcome of my revenge against Camilla?”

Her eagerness to glimpse the future wasn’t solely for peace of mind; she desperately wanted to know Camilla’s fate in advance.

Mist swirled within the mirror. At the same time, Alice felt her fingers grow icy cold, as if the mirror were siphoning away her body’s warmth.

Her breathing quickened, and a profound weariness swiftly gripped her.

As the Duchess had warned, actively peering into the future and divining truths was an immensely draining skill. Alice felt as though she were scaling a sheer, vertical rock face, her strength on the verge of depletion.

Enduring this arduous strain, she persevered for approximately three minutes. Just as she began to doubt her success, the mist in the mirror finally started to dissipate.

She immediately riveted her gaze upon the magic mirror.

Behind the gradually thinning mist, the figure of a man Alice recognized appeared. He wore a tall top hat and a flamboyant tailcoat, smiling towards the mirror.

Mad Hatter!

Alice’s eyes widened in astonishment. Why would the Mad Hatter appear in the mirror when she was divining the outcome of her revenge against Camilla?

Overwhelmed by the incomprehensible situation, her thoughts stalled.

The Mad Hatter in the mirror picked up a coin-shaped, off-white crystal. He held it up, scrutinizing it carefully, much like an archaeologist diligently examining an ancient coin.

Finally, a satisfied smile spread across his face. He spoke towards the mirror’s direction, “Excellent, you’ve passed. A task completed in exchange for a new companion—what a fine bargain!”

“What does that mean?” Alice instinctively questioned.

It took her a second to realize her action was futile; the Mad Hatter in the mirror was merely an image from her glimpse into the future and would not answer her.

The Mad Hatter’s figure in the mirror blurred at this point, rapidly fading until it vanished without a trace.

The magic mirror reverted to an ordinary reflection, showing Alice’s face etched with bewilderment.

After calming herself, Alice couldn’t help but press a hand to her forehead.

‘Why is it always you?’

This was Alice’s immediate thought.

The Mad Hatter, appearing once again in her premonition, was so persistently present that Alice suddenly felt a sense of being cursed.

‘No, how can I think that about my benefactor?’

Alice quickly regained her composure.

A premonition could only offer insights related to the future. The Mad Hatter’s appearance in her vision simply indicated a potential future encounter with him.

Yet, she still couldn’t fathom why the Mad Hatter would appear when she was divining about Camilla. This truly seemed to require expert interpretation.

Given that the Duchess had opted to be an amused bystander and refused to help, it appeared Alice’s only recourse was to contact Isola, as the Duchess had suggested.

The recent divination had left her somewhat drained, so she decided to rest and recover before taking any further action.

No sooner had she made this decision than the magic mirror suddenly vibrated violently. Concurrently, swirling mist appeared across its surface.

Alice stared, dumbfounded, for a long moment before realizing that Isola was using her own magic mirror to attempt to divine images from this side.

At this very moment, Isola had actually taken the initiative to contact her!

Alice quickly extended her hand and placed it on the mirror’s surface, cooperating with the divination.

Fortunately, responding to a communication divination seemed far less strenuous. Within mere seconds, the mist in the mirror dispersed.

Alice saw Isola’s exquisitely beautiful face reflected in the mirror.

“Isola,” she managed, forcing a smile as she greeted the other woman.

However, Isola’s face was stern. “It’s been days. Why haven’t you contacted me?”

“Uh…” Alice was momentarily speechless, eventually managing a dry, “Because there hasn’t been anything particularly noteworthy to report these past few days.”

She could distinctly sense that Isola seemed rather displeased.

“You don’t contact me unless there’s something special? It seems you didn’t take what I told you before we departed to heart,” Isola remarked, turning her face slightly away.

“I’m sorry…” Alice could only apologize.

“Good that you know,” Isola sighed, a long breath escaping her nostrils.

‘Am I coaxing an ignored girlfriend?’ Alice mused.

“Actually, I was just about to contact you,” Alice said.

“I’m not angry. Don’t force yourself to lie,” Isola frowned instantly. She disliked being smoothly deceived even more than she disliked the prolonged silence.

“No, it’s true, actually…” Alice then recounted her recent divination and her intention to contact Isola for advice.

“So that’s it, you tried divination,” Isola nodded thoughtfully after listening. “Since the divination yielded a result, that result must inherently be related to your question.”

“But I can’t figure out the connection. The Mad Hatter and Camilla have no common ground whatsoever,” Alice stated.

“That common ground might be created by you,” Isola reminded her. “This is an omen, revealing that your revenge might intersect with the Mad Hatter.”

Alice considered this, and suddenly, it seemed to make sense.

“I believe the key point in the image you saw isn’t the man himself, but the information he conveyed. He said you ‘passed,’ and you also mentioned he was holding a strange object. I think this information is highly relevant to your revenge,” Isola added, posing another question. “When you divined this outcome, did you feel any discomfort? Like the feeling of foreseeing your own death?”

“No, I didn’t,” Alice shook her head.

“Then this divined future should be safe for you,” Isola said. She pondered for a moment before offering advice, “I recall you mentioning that the man called ‘Mad Hatter’ is also active in that city, correct? Perhaps, before executing your revenge, you could try to make contact with him.”

“But I… I only know he lives in the slums, and I never heard of him when I was there,” Alice replied, shaking her head.

“Let Patra help you inquire; gathering intelligence is her specialty,” Isola suggested. “When you advanced to the Eighth Order, you saw that you might encounter another pathway. That man should be a key figure for you, however…”

“However?”

“If the risk is too great, I personally don’t highly recommend pursuing more pathways. While dual-pathway cases exist, advancing through two pathways incurs double the risk. Moreover, one cannot simultaneously utilize the powers of both pathways; one can only switch between them,” Isola explained earnestly. “Your own life is paramount; you must understand how to weigh the pros and cons. A divined future is merely a possibility; you don’t necessarily have to choose that future.”

“I understand,” Alice said, smiling and nodding. “I’ll give it a try.”

“Then…” Isola realized the conversation was nearing its end, and her eyes dropped with a hint of melancholy. “How have you been lately?”

“Very well, everything’s going smoothly.”

“Don’t push yourself too hard in anything,” Isola said softly. “You’ve divined twice today, so get some rest soon.”

“Alright.”

“And!” Isola suddenly locked eyes with Alice.

“What?” Alice was startled by her intense gaze.

“From now on, don’t forget to contact me,” Isola averted her gaze slightly.

Blinking twice, Alice couldn’t help but smile. “I know.”