"4th April. I just returned from Countess Wawrinka's masquerade party when I suddenly felt an emptiness in my heart.
"One woman, one woman, one woman after another. The monotonous and mechanical movements, the indistinguishable smell of perfume, and the warmth from the entanglement of their limbs; all these in exchange for a few seconds of pleasure, followed by endless boredom, disgust, emptiness, and numbness.
"What pleasure is there in such a life? Is the meaning of life to just do this every single day?
"I can't go on like this. I have to get out of this sorry state.
"Also, I need to remind myself that I shouldn't habitually write Arabic numerals."
... Emperor, there are actually times when you reflect on yourself and act like a hipster? This doesn't fit with my image of you! Klein almost pricked his brows up.
He looked down at the second entry of the diary.
"4th April, Countess Wawrinka invited me to a private salon, and she told me that Ma'am Julia would be there, too.
"Ha, will this conservative blonde girl who had come to Loen because of her marriage participate as well?
"I really look forward to it!
"I've been imagining her in bed for a long time. I hope her husband, Viscount Dellien, doesn't mine."
Emperor, have you forgotten what you wrote a few days ago in your diary. Tsk, how nice, isn't it? Also, you have a typo. Mind! Klein couldn't help but lampoon.
"14th April. I've been attending too many events recently, and the flesh is weak even though the spirit is willing...
"But that's nothing!
"Although I'm still young, I should be careful about the risk of retrograding. Temperance! Temperance!
"The Archaeologist Sequence has improved my physique and effectively enhanced a certain degree of my powers. However, this isn't its area of expertise, but just something that comes with it.
"As I continue raising my Sequence, the changes from the previous potions will also intensify. This is my motivation.
"Apparently, Apothecaries can concoct medicine that lack side effects. Perhaps, I should ask a few of them.
"Also, I really have to control myself. Unrestrained behavior will only lead to continuous increases in the threshold, and the degree of satisfaction wouldn't be like how it would normally be.
"After calming down and thinking about it carefully, there are many things that can be done. Humans are always like this, bound by desire, unable to see what's of value. Why did I transmigrate over here? What secrets lie hidden in the depths of the stars above my head? Where did the original consciousness come from, and if self-cognition purely comes from one's consciousness, then who was I before I had the identity of Huang Tao? Who does the essential part belong to..."
Emperor, are you describing to me what it means to be a pervert and philosopher before and after the deed? Hehe, so you do have worries about such matters. I thought you were already fixed in certain traits... Thankfully, you didn't teach Chinese to your children. Yes, you likely didn't teach them. Otherwise, what would they think after seeing such content? Zaratul prophesied that your eldest daughter, Bernadette, would be at odds with you and betray you. It's not without reason... Of course, not teaching them is more of a form of protection... Klein was successfully amused by Roselle's diary entries, but he didn't show it on his face.
To him, the diary of Emperor Roselle was both a book of knowledge and a collection of jokes.
With this thought, Klein turned to the next page of the diary.
"2nd October, Zaratul came to visit me again.
"Now that I've become a demigod, he wishes that I can honor a promise. He wishes to steal that dangerous Sealed Artifact from the Church.
"That is a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact, the Antigonus family's notebook from the Fourth Epoch!"
At this point, Klein's pupils contracted uncontrollably.
This was likely the notebook that the Secret Order lost later on.
This was likely the notebook that led to Klein Moretti's death and how he, Zhou Mingrui, had used Klein Moretti's corpse to successfully awaken in this world!
This was the source of everything!
It turns out that it didn't fall into the hands of the Secret Order from the very beginning. Instead, it was sealed within the Church of the God of Craftsmanship which later turned into the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery. Zaratul successfully obtained it through Emperor Roselle.
Right, the Secret Order member inside Creeping Hunger was very fearful of Zaratul. He believed that Zaratul is an undying and abnormal monster. Does this mean that Zaratul gained benefits through the notebook, but an accident happened? He turned from a person who could communicate normally with Roselle into a monster. Therefore, this eventually led to the loss of the Antigonus family's notebook?
Of course, it cannot be ruled out that Zaratul deliberately allowed it to be lost...
Yes... As Zaratul became a monster, the Secret Order lost all the mermaids, causing subsequent Faceless Beyonders to risk their lives out at sea? Rosago succeeded because he attempted to enter that sea which is a ruin of a battle between gods?
All of these thoughts flashed through Klein's mind, causing his heart to feel abnormally heavy.
He didn't assume that the Antigonus notebook that he had encountered was closely related to Roselle, because the theory he always had had stemmed from the law of convergence of Beyonder characteristics, and that some of the details that followed were in line with similar logic.
Are they all involved with the upper echelons of the Seer pathway? Klein glanced over the palace and took in the endless gray fog.
Could it be the cause? he asked himself this question once more from the bottom of his heart.
Steadying his emotions, Klein went on to read the subsequent diary pages.
"Heh, I'll have to do it depending on the situation. If it's easy to steal and there's no risk of exposure, I'll try to do it. Otherwise, I'll pretend as though none of this ever happened.
"It doesn't matter even if Zaratul were to expose me. With my present identity, status, Sequence, and influence, as long as I'm willing to repent, the Church won't do anything to me."
The other two diary pages recorded Roselle's train of thought towards constructing his plans to steal the notebook, but none of them seemed likely to succeed. However, Klein knew that Roselle eventually obtained the notebook and handed it over to the head of the Secret Order, Zaratul.
After a moment's thought, Klein turned the page.
"10th December. I once again attended that ancient and secret gathering.
"At the gathering, I discovered that they were unanimous in being extremely hostile to the Solomon Empire of the Fourth Epoch.
"I raised the question which Mr. Hermes quickly answered. In the Fourth Epoch, the ally and supporter of the Solomon Empire was the True Creator.
"This is very real.
"I resisted the urge to ask what exactly our organization had done in the history of the Fourth Epoch, but as I left the palace and returned from my dreams, I found that Mr. Hermes's route this time coincided with mine to a certain extent.
"This ancient man who lived since the Cataclysm definitely knew more. I build up a rapport with him and earnestly asked him the question—is that why the organization hates the True Creator? Is it solely because 'He' had used the Creator's holy name in 'His' name?
"Mr. Hermes chuckled and said that they weren't such superficial creatures.
"He asked me in return if I knew what the actual abilities of the Shepherd were. @@novelbin@@
"'Of course' was my answer.
"He asked again in a profoundly meaningful manner, 'Who do you think would be most likely to develop in the direction of being omniscient and omnipotent among all the present gods?'
"This... The first thought that came to me was the Shepherd pathway which could engage in Devouring and Grazing, so as to control the souls and characteristics of other Beyonders.
"So that's the reason..."
This page only had this diary entry, but it contains a lot of information... The Solomon Empire originally came under the True Creator's camp... Yes, in the Tudor family's underground ruins, there are humanoid statues of the six true gods. Although it isn't certain whether they were worshiping or desecrating the gods, one thing is certain. The six gods were involved in the affairs of the three empires, and they later had a close relationship with the Trunsoest dynasty... Did the three great empires represent three different camps of gods? Klein tried to use his "archaeological" discovery and historical knowledge to decipher the hidden truth of the previous epoch, but he was still shrouded in fog.
Towards Hermes, the oldest master of mysticism, Klein's answer came close to Roselle's.
As a Beyonder's Sequence was raised, the saints and angels of the Shepherd pathway were able to engage in the Grazing of more souls, gaining more and more Beyonder powers. In the end, if the True Creator had finished Grazing the other twenty-one Beyonder pathways, he would be, to some extent, the omnipotent and omniscient Creator.
There are still a lot of secrets hidden in the Sequence pathways... Klein turned to the fourth page.
This diary page recorded the actions Roselle took after he consumed the Savant potion. He read a lot, studied a lot, tamped down on his foundation very firmly, and increased the scope and depth of his knowledge to a whole new level.
In this period of time, he had almost no entertainment. Learning was his greatest form of entertainment.
In one of the diary entries, he wrote: "... When a person knows with certainty how much he will gain after putting in the effort, and is able to directly tell how much he gains, then he will certainly work as hard as I am now."
Isn't this the fundamental attraction of many games? Klein turned over the last diary page and read the legend of the ancient gods provided by Little Sun.
During the entire process, the majestic palace was completely silent. Be it Justice or The Moon, they were both considering what to trade and communicate later on.
It was the first time that The Hermit Cattleya had encountered such a situation, but she didn't feel uneasy or uncomfortable at all. Instead, she carefully analyzed the information that the scene revealed.
This isn't the first time this is happening... Mr. Fool has the habit of reading Roselle's diary at the Tarot Gathering... The members will proactively or passively search for the pages for "Him." However, it can't be confirmed if there were any advance payments...
"He" really can read Roselle's diary... He's searching for secrets that have sunken in the river of history?
Just now, that Sun mentioned that the information he handed in was about legends of ancient gods... This is roughly in line with my previous speculations...
At this point in time, Klein had roughly finished reading the new piece of information regarding ancient gods.
In the Second Epoch, in those dark years, every ancient god had a "god" attached to them, just like the Dragon of Imagination Ankewelt and "His" child, the Dragon of Nightmare, Alzuhod.
-x-X-x-
In the information provided by The Sun, there were detailed examples of some typical subsidiary gods, but most of the information didn't provide their true names, only their titles. These included the God of Beauty and the Goddess of Life who were subsidiaries to Vampire Ancestor, Lilith; the Goddess of Misfortune and the God of the Dead who were subsidiaries to Annihilation Demonic Wolf, Flegrea; the God of Luck and the Queen of Calamity who were subsidiaries to Elf King, Soniathrym, and so on and so forth.
Queen of Calamity... Klein suddenly thought of the Book of Calamity and the golden wine cup he had taken from the ruins of the high elf. The name Cohinem and the word "Calamity" was engraved on it in Elvish.
This caused him to make the connection that Cohinem was the Elf King's subsidiary—Queen of Calamity!
Unfortunately, I can't directly seek confirmation with Little Sun. I'll have to wait for further information from him... Klein sighed silently.
At the same time, he made some theories about the fact that these titles didn't correspond with their true names.
The City of Silver was originally the Kingdom of Silver that came under the Giant King's Court's rule. Other than having sufficient understanding of its own forces and enemies, the information regarding the other ancient gods will only come from legends and rumors, and they aren't that detailed. Compared to the simple and easy to understand titles, a god's true name can consist of complicated and difficult words to remember which can make it harder for them to be spread.
The information provided to Klein when he turned over the page confirmed his theory. However, it gave him new doubts.
The dragons also had a Dragon of Wisdom which was the equivalent of a god in the City of Silver, called Herabergen, and under Giant King Aurmir, there was also "His" eldest son, the God of Dawn, Badheilbrunn, and "His" queen, the Goddess of Harvest.
Why doesn't the Goddess of Harvest have a real name? Isn't "She" the queen of the Giant King's Court? The City of Silver should have records of it... These so-called subsidiary gods are equal to the angels or King of Angels of later times? Yes, the Sequence 2 of their pathway, and Sequence 1's of the other pathways? Klein suppressed his perplexion and inferred the truth from the information recorded in the Card of Blasphemy—within the same pathway, if there was a Sequence 0, then there wouldn't be a Sequence 1, and if there was no Sequence 0, then there would be at most three Sequence 1's.
However, Klein didn't dare to base his judgment on this. After all, his knowledge was partial, and he didn't even know if there were any preconditions for the Sequence 0 and Sequence 1, which was derived from the Law of Beyonder Characteristics Conservation and Indestructibility.
I'll assume this for the time being... Klein leaned back, letting the information in his hands disappear, smiling as he said, "You may begin."
At this point, Alger was still seriously examining himself.
After considering how to communicate properly, he used the technique of being in the other person's shoes. He started from the point of view of The Hermit, who was suspected of being Admiral of Stars, to see what exactly he had exposed.
Mr. Fool's protects every member's true identity with a blurred and distorted image, but this method doesn't affect the representation of colors. Dark brown colors can be difficult to distinguish, but bright colors are easily grasped. At the very least, I can tell that Miss Justice is blonde with bright green eyes...
And for me, the most obvious thing I can't hide is my dark blue hair. But this doesn't say anything. It's not a problem to say that dark blue hair is a common mutation in Beyonders within the Sailor pathway, but the converse isn't true. This is because such traits are hereditary. On Sonia Island and in the Berserk Sea around Desi Bay, they were places where elves originally gathered. Many humans with traces of elvish blood will also have dark blue hair. Heh, it's the same for districts where there are a certain number of Church of Storms Beyonders...
Ignoring any other trait, it's difficult for The Hermit to determine any further information based on the situation.
Just as Alger heaved a sigh of relief, he caught sight of the Storm robe he was wearing.
After returning to the Blue Avenger, not only was he the captain of the ship, but he was also the bishop of the sailors. He often needed to wear the corresponding clothes to celebrate Mass.
If he didn't show his devotion in his daily actions, there might come a day when he would be reported by his subordinates.
The Church of Storms has always been wary of those members who had been drifting out at sea for a long time, as prolonged acting as pirates might one day turn them into real pirates. In any case, the Lord of Storms has never given a revelation to exclude pirates from "His" followers.
Under the cover of that blurred distortion, it's hard to see the details of one's clothing clearly. This isn't a problem... However, I still have to pay attention in the future. During Tarot Gatherings, I should change into a set of ordinary clothes... Although I can't be sure, I still have to treat her as a pirate admiral. I can't afford to be careless... Alger thought cautiously.
At this moment, he heard the seemingly suppressed voice of The Moon Emlyn, which was a result of him being unable to hide his emotions.
"Mr. Hanged Man, I've done the preparations. When can you obtain the inheritance of that Sanguine baron? You mentioned before that it's in the hands of some powerful pirate?"
You didn't have to say the last sentence... Alger's body instantly stiffened.
Powerful pirate... The Hermit's eyes swept over The Hanged Man once again.
Alger's expression didn't change as he turned his head to The Moon and asked, "Have you obtained the funds?"
"Of course!" Emlyn raised his neck.
He originally wanted to wait until the three-month maturity was up before he went to the bank to withdraw the money, but he soon discovered that he was in a completely different mood after deciding to buy the Sanguine baron's inheritance.
He no longer had any qualms or hesitation. He was filled with expectation and desire, wishing that he could get his hands on it immediately. It was just like how he felt in the past when he was about to buy a beloved doll!
He had held back for more than a week before finally giving up by selling the acceptance draft. Although he had lost some money, it was still acceptable.
In many situations, an acceptance draft could be used as a currency.
"I'll get it for you within the week. Finally, let's confirm the price: 4,500 pounds. Is that alright?" Seeing that a deal was about to be struck, Alger didn't pursue The Moon's act of exposing him.
Emlyn thought about the dolls in his room, cleared his throat, and said with his eyes furtively darting around.
"Can it be cheaper?"
"It's not up to me to decide, but I can try to acquire it for you at a lower price. Also, don't forget my commission. Let's lower it. How about 300 pounds?" Alger's tone didn't change at all.
"Alright." Emlyn exhaled quietly.
Not a very powerful vampire, an underaged or a recently matured one... Cattleya silently watched from the sidelines and made her judgment.
Seeing that the deal between Mr. Hanged Man and Mr. Moon had been concluded in a few sentences, Audrey habitually felt that she should buy something.
In a week or two, I'll contact the members of the Psychology Alchemists in East Chester County and tell them that I've become a Psychology Alchemists member. I'll exchange my contribution points for the subsequent potion formula. There's no need to make a request to purchase it here for the time being... Once I find out what ingredients are needed, I can ask for everyone's help... There's no need to buy any mystical items for now. I've already had one of them reimbursed... Being able to obtain such rare items with too great a frequency might imply many problems... Audrey's thoughts raced, and she came up with an idea. @@novelbin@@
She turned halfway and looked at the gloomy man at the end of the table.
"Mr. World, you mentioned that you have clues to the characteristic left behind by a Psychiatrist. Have you successfully acquired it?"
I plan on buying it for Susie... she silently added in her heart.
In fact, when she was considering this matter, she had another slightly mischievous idea, which was to find an excuse for Mr. Fool to turn over the Dark Emperor card which sat beside him.
From her point of view, Ma'am Hermit was particularly affected by the matter regarding Roselle's diary. And from how her reaction was extraordinarily excessive before she quickly hid it, it was quite possible that she knew about the Cards of Blasphemy; therefore, the moment she saw it, she would expose a lot of problems and express the truest thoughts in her heart.
But she dismissed the idea in the end, not because she thought it would be bad to sound out Ma'am Hermit, but that this was a way of showing responsibility to both herself and the Tarot Club, and that she shouldn't make decisions for Mr. Fool.
If "He" wanted Ma'am Hermit to recognize the Card of Blasphemy, "He" definitely would've flipped it open himself. If "He" didn't want to do so, then any attempts would be against his will... Audrey nodded solemnly but almost imperceptibly.
At this moment, The World replied hoarsely, "If you're certain that you want it, then I will give it to you as soon as possible.
"The price is 1,800 pounds."
Normally, it would be more appropriate to charge 1,200 to 1,500 pounds for a Psychiatrist's Beyonder characteristic, but Klein had raised the premium slightly to see how much Miss Justice could pay.
"Alright," Audrey agreed with a light tone.
She had paid off the money owed to Viscount Glaint. She had received many gifts for having reached adulthood after returning to her family's fief. It was a time when her finances were in a rather good condition. She had even arranged for the money to be returned to Mr. Fool's Blessed next month.
In the future, her monthly income would be above 3,000 pounds, and a substantial portion of her normal expenses wasn't going to be borne by her, due to the love of her parents and the results of her previous meritorious exploits.
While the two were discussing, The Hanged Man was somewhat surprised. The World had just sold the Faceless Beyonder characteristic the previous time, and he had recently acquired Steel Maveti's Beyonder characteristic. Yet, he appeared to have a Psychiatrist characteristic in his collection, and all of this happened in less than a month!
On second thought, Alger quickly came to an understanding.
The World represented a group of Blessed of Mr. Fool. That might be the harvest from the other Blessed!
As he imagined this, The World, who was Klein, was in a state of shock towards Miss Justice's opulence.
He had thought that Miss Justice, who had just spent 5,500 pounds on a mystical item, wouldn't be as well-off as before. It was just like last year, so he had reserved space for her to haggle. Who knew that she would still agree to the deal without hesitation.
Has she dug up a gold mine? Klein couldn't help but silently lampoon.
Seeing that they had finished their discussion, Derrick hurriedly raised his hand, having learned from Miss Justice.
"Which one of you has the fruit of the Radiance Spirit Pact Tree?"
He had rather successfully collected the other ingredients of the Solar High Priest potion.
Just as Cattleya had initially figured out that Miss Justice was a yet-to-advance Psychiatrist, she heard this request. After a few seconds of silence, she said, "I do.
"What can you provide in exchange?"
After observing for a long time, she decided to intervene in a small transaction to gain a deeper understanding of how the Tarot Club operated.
"Uh... I can use the history of the City of Silver or the history of dragons, elves, and other dark creatures to barter," Derrick said sincerely. "Ma'am Hermit, this is a list of commonly seen monsters around the City of Silver. You can choose any ingredients you need from it."
How honest... Klein almost looked up at the dome of the magnificent palace.
What is he talking about... Cattleya frowned slightly, momentarily failing to understand a single word from The Sun.
-x-X-x-
After a brief moment of consideration, The Hermit Cattleya made the choice that benefited her the most. She said without betraying her emotions, "I'll make a decision after seeing what the commonly seen monsters are around the City of Silver."
Another person who gains something without risking anything of her own... Are the people who spend too much time at sea good at fleecing others? Or is Little Sun in such a state that makes it impossible to resist fleecing him... Klein instinctively excluded himself from the group of seafarers.
"Alright." Under Justice and company's scrutiny, Derrick didn't hesitate to agree to Ma'am Hermit's request.
He recalled the content and conjured it, recording the most commonly seen monsters around the City of Silver into a list. However, it wasn't as detailed as before, and there were quite a few missing. After all, the Sun pathway's improvement in regards to his memory was rather limited. A few days had passed.
Cattleya received the piece of information and read through it in a serious manner.
The more she scanned through it, the more alarmed she became. This was because the types of monsters had far exceeded her expectations by nearly a hundred times!
Most of the names used were ancient names. If not for her being a Moses Ascetic Order member who had been pursued by knowledge, and having reached Sequence 5, making her experienced and knowledgeable, there was no way she could've known what these names would really be referring to.
But even so, there were still a few monsters she had never heard of. They were like shadows who would never reveal themselves in dreams or imaginations, forever lurking in the depths of the darkness.
Where exactly is the City of Silver? Why are there so many monsters? Ten seconds later, Cattleya raised her head without a change in expression. She said with a staid tone, "Use the history of your City of Silver in exchange."
"Alright." Derrick's eyes lit up as he seemed to see hope in advancing.
He soon conjured the historical materials of the City of Silver with the help of Mr. Fool. Having had ample experience, he knew that even more complete and detailed information was worth more than the fruit of a Radiance Spirit Pact Tree; hence, he retained some of what he knew.
Cattleya knew that she wasn't Mr. Fool, so it was impossible for her to let the members patiently wait for her to finish reading. Therefore, she casually flipped through it. After confirming its value, she deliberated and asked, "How should I hand over the fruit of the Radiance Spirit Pact Tree to you?"
Just as she said that, she suddenly thought of something. With a guess, she looked to the end of the long bronze table.
"Mr. Fool, is it done by a sacrificial ritual?"
This left Audrey, who had prepared the answer, to be clearly stunned. She swallowed the words that she was about to say.
Ma'am Hermit is very impressive and knowledgeable. She directly guessed that it's done via a sacrificial and bestowment ritual! Audrey controlled her minute facial expressions as she clicked her tongue and sighed inwardly.
"Yes." Klein gently nodded without going into detail.
He believed that it was impossible for a pirate admiral, a Sequence 5 powerhouse of the Mystery Pryer pathway, to not know how a sacrifice was made. This was even something they were good at. Furthermore, she knew The Fool's honorific name, so she didn't lack any of the necessary conditions.
Indeed, with a godlike existence bearing witness to a gathering, a sacrificial and bestowment method is the safest and most convenient way of trading... And a conversation through the Soul Body can result in direct knowledge transfer... Cattleya thanked him before saying to The Sun, "I'll do it as soon as possible."
Although she didn't show any abnormalities, her heart was in no way calm. From her casual flipping of the information provided by The Sun, she discovered that the City of Silver was truly filled with oddities.
It included matters about being forsaken by the Lord, how it didn't have a sun, resulting in a state of eternal darkness and high- and low-frequency lightning. Matters like how strange and terrifying monsters hid in the darkness when there was no light, and how they survived thanks to Black-Faced Grass. It mentioned that they had survived for more than two thousand years since the Dark Ages. All of this exceeded Cattleya's expectations.
As a powerhouse at sea who was knowledgeable and had acquired many secrets, she instantly connected the time and descriptions to a famous concept in history—the Cataclysm!
Following that, she followed this line of thought and made a further inference.
The Forsaken Land of the Gods!
Suddenly, the figure she looked up to surfaced in Cattleya's mind once again. A sentence filled with an emotive sigh surfaced.
"He had always been searching for the Forsaken Land of the Gods back when he was alive. He said that the ultimate answer towards everything is hidden there."
The Sun comes from the Forsaken Land of the Gods which Emperor Roselle couldn't find despite all his efforts? Mr. Fool can connect to that place directly? No, perhaps, "He" awoke from that place... Cattleya thought in alarm and solemnity.
She had previously belittled the Tarot Club because The Moon, Justice, and The Sun were of low Sequences. She believed that with Mr. Fool having awoken only recently, he was obviously unable to pull members of significant strength. However, she now had to reevaluate matters.
It involves the Forsaken Land of the Gods, the Church of Storms, the Church of Mother Earth, the Loen aristocrats... Perhaps, it's precisely because they're low Sequences that these members can be nurtured to be able to reach higher ranks in their respective circles without being suspected. This will allow them to play a more important role... As for me, is it because of the Moses Ascetic Order or Her Majesty? Cattleya seriously analyzed the motives of Mr. Fool.
At this moment, the transactions were nearly coming to an end. The Moon, The Sun, and Justice had all confirmed their respective transactions. As for The Hermit Cattleya, she was still observing. Out of caution, she didn't rashly open her mouth to expose more information about herself.
Alger had originally planned on making a request to buy the Sequence 5 Ocean Songster's potion formula so that he could make the subsequent preparations, but with the addition of The Hermit, he became especially wary. He gave up on his decision at the last minute and prepared to push it back until he had really advanced to Wind-blessed. Only with him being stronger would he have the room to breathe.
As Fors would be able to obtain the Astrologer potion formula and a certain amount of ingredients from her teacher soon, she hadn't prioritized her purchases yet, so all she did was watch silently.
She actually curbed her desire to buy a mystical item to make up for her relatively showy Trickmaster powers that were lacking in strength, as well as how her Apprentice powers were only good for passing through walls and opening doors. However, her real life circumstances restricted her desires.
Up to this day, her savings had exceeded 400 pounds. For a member of the middle-class, that was rather good, but she clearly remembered how Miss Justice had bought a mystical item for 5,500 pounds previously.
Even if it was a relatively average mystical item without significant negative side effects, it will still require one to two thousand pounds... Fors languidly sat there, unable to open her mouth to make a purchase.
Klein controlled The World to scan his surroundings before hoarsely saying, "I need a pair of eyes from a six-winged gargoyle."
The supplementary ingredients of a Nimblewright Master—drago bark and the spring water from Sonia Island's Golden Spring—were commonly seen items in the mysterious world. As long as he purchased them at different occasions, he wouldn't garner suspicion from anyone. Therefore, Klein only requested for the eyes of a six-winged gargoyle.
The Hermit glanced at The World and said without rushing, "300 pounds, or the equivalent cost in gold coins."
She had noticed that the previous transactions were all made in Loen's gold pound.
As expected of the Admiral of Stars who has a pirate crew with an ancient faction backing her. She is very resourceful, and her prices are cheaper than usual... If not for Little Sun's imminent advancement, and how he would soon obtain the method for removing the mental corruption of a Beyonder characteristic, I would've even consulted her on this problem... Klein thought as he made The World smiled deeply.
"Okay."
With the transaction completed, the palace that resembled a giant's residence fell silent for more than ten seconds.
Without Mr. Fool's reminder, Justice, The Sun, and company knew that they had entered the free exchange segment.
The Hanged Man Alger deliberately looked at Miss Justice and Miss Magician without looking at Ma'am Hermit.
"Something major recently happened in the Rorsted Archipelago."
He didn't plan on divulging The World's involvement since it was very likely that Mr. Fool was in possession of the Sea God's identity. If he were to rashly confirm this matter, it might spoil Mr. Fool's plans and throw himself into danger.
He planned on using a normal tone to mention the happenings on the surface while emphasizing the Moses Ascetic Order member—archaeologist and adventurer, Leticia. He planned on using this to sound out The Hermit to figure out if she was Admiral of Stars, Cattleya. This was because this pirate admiral was rumored to also be a member of the Moses Ascetic Order.
"What happened?" Justice asked with piqued interest.
Alger said calmly, "A disguised archaeologist, Leticia, discovered an ancient elvish ruin in Symeem Island and took out an item from it. This pushed the deity the locals believed in, Sea God Kalvetua, to be on the brink of collapse.
"This fake god wished to create tsunamis to drown the island so that everyone could accompany it in its death, but it was stopped by the Church of Storms's Sea King.
"Finally, Leticia was found and Kalvetua had died. The threat of the tsunamis was leveled, but strangely, the devout believers of the Sea God would still occasionally receive responses."
Leticia is dead? For an ancient elvish ruin... Cattleya had heard of this archaeologist, who was part of the same organization, before, but she wasn't too familiar with her. This was because formal members of the Moses Ascetic Order had to spend a certain amount of time in silent ascetic training. When fully paying attention, she was able to control her powers in a way that significantly exceeded the average person. Therefore, she only seemed slightly stirred as she listened seriously to The Hanged Man's description without showing any obvious abnormalities.
When The Hanged Man said that Kalvetua was dead and how the "Sea God" still responded to its believers, Cattleya first frowned in puzzlement before using her spiritual intuition to recall a certain scene.
Yesterday, she had seen Mr. Fool hold a milky-white scepter when "He" pulled her above the gray fog.
At the tip of the scepter were many tiny blue "gems" which were swirling with countless points of holy light.
And more importantly, it emanated an aura of godhood, one that seemed like the corporeal aura of the ocean and storm!
This... Cattleya instinctively turned her head to the end of the long bronze table, where Mr. Fool was shrouded in the grayish-white fog.
-x-X-x-
Eh, why is she looking at Mr. Fool... Audrey sharply noticed The Hermit's subtle motion. This left her somewhat suspicious.
From her point of view, this was an atypical response. Mr. Hanged Man was clearly mentioning something that had little to do with everyone. He was talking about the so-called Sea God Kalvetua's ability to occasionally reply to its believers despite its apparent death, so why would Ma'am Hermit look towards Mr. Fool?
Kalvetua's death... Occasionally replying to its believers... Ma'am Hermit is looking at Mr. Fool... Could it be... Audrey's eyes lit up as she came to a conclusion.
Could it be that Mr. Fool is the one replying to Kalvetua's believers?
Ma'am Hermit knows about this, so?
As thoughts whizzed through her mind, Audrey had turned her body halfway to look expectantly at Mr. Fool, who was seated leisurely at the end of the long bronze table.
Meanwhile, Alger was also surprised and alarmed about The Hermit's unexpected reaction.
I was only trying to sound her out about what connection she has with the Moses Ascetic Order member, Leticia. Why would she suddenly turn to look at Mr. Fool?
Could it be that she knows that the current "Sea God" is a manifestation of Mr. Fool?
Her reaction implies this is highly likely!
Before she was recruited into the Tarot Club, did she have a lot of secret exchanges with Mr. Fool, and was already secretly working for him?
The more Alger thought, the more he paid attention to The Hermit. Then, he subconsciously joined her in looking towards Mr. Fool, who was shrouded in the grayish-white fog.
He, The Hermit, and Justice turned around at different times, but their nearly unanimous actions made The Magician Fors and company notice something amiss.
Why are they looking at Mr. Fool? Does Sea God Kalvetua's death have to do with Mr. Fool? Believing they were smart, Fors and Emlyn began guessing at the reason as they cast their gaze to the end of the long bronze table.
Derrick didn't know who Sea God Kalvetua was, nor did he understand what it meant for it to respond to its believers even after its death. However, since everyone was looking at Mr. Fool, he naturally looked over as well.
The World was late by a second, as though he was deliberating over something.
He first scanned The Hanged Man, making him shudder in fear. Then, he changed the direction of his gaze.
At this point, Klein had already come to realize which detail Ma'am Hermit had used to guess that he was the one replying to Sea God Kalvetua's believers in its stead. He was still stumped over what stance to use.
Should I pretend that it's a trivial matter and that I didn't take it to heart, but since you mentioned it, I'll just admit it in passing? Or should I take the stance that since I'm a god, there's no need for me to explain myself to you, so there's no need for me to admit or deny anything... Klein recalled The Fool's persona and quickly made a decision.
The choice was to neither admit or deny anything, so as to prevent him from losing his standing as a god. However, he would add a single sentence on a particular point, making those who had failed to guess it become more puzzled, while the suspicious ones would be enlightened but would still be left shrouded in confusion as they realized, deep down, how unfathomable Mr. Fool was.
With this in mind, Klein, who had leaned back, chuckled. He said leisurely and indifferently, "Kalvetua became a demigod by relying on a relic left behind by Calamity Cohinem."
So they're consulting Mr. Fool about the situation with the "Sea God"... But that doesn't convince me. It feels like there's a deeper truth hidden behind this matter... Could it be... No way, right? Fors frowned as she began coming up with all sorts of thoughts.
As expected!
Cattleya believed Mr. Fool was giving a straightforward answer while also informing them of some secrets.
That demigod scepter is Kalvetua's characteristic or Calamity Cohinem's relic, or is it something that covers both definitions? Who is Calamity Cohinem? The name sounds elvish. Yes, The Hanged Man mentioned that Leticia found an ancient elven ruin... It's the residence of a high elf?
How did Mr. Fool get that scepter? Did he rely on The Hanged Man or someone else? No, it doesn't seem like The Hanged Man; otherwise, he wouldn't have proactively mentioned this matter... What motive does Mr. Fool have behind responding to the Sea God's believers? Is this required for "His" awakening, something that can truly affect reality?
The more Cattleya thought, the more she found Mr. Fool unfathomable. It was just like how "His" body was being concealed by the thick gray fog. The clearer she could see him, the more puzzled, horrified, and apprehensive she became.
This might be a tussle between gods... Cattleya sighed inwardly as the emotions got the better of her.
I guessed right! Alger finally verified that the present "Sea God" was a manifestation of The Fool. His worries and indecision from before were instantly rewarded.
On certain occasions, as a fake Sea God believer, I can openly pray... I wonder how much Mr. Fool has recovered. How much of his power can he release from the seal? It's at least at the demigod level. He will be able to provide tremendous protection at sea...
The Hermit's unsurprised reaction implies that she had long interacted with Mr. Fool and had learned of certain things ahead of time. This implies that her Sequence isn't low. She might really be a powerhouse at the pirate admiral level... This is both good and bad news for me.
The good news is that I have an additional powerful faction at sea supporting me. At times, we can tacitly cooperate and complete matters that were previously deemed unimaginable. The bad news is that a lot of my news and resource channels will be overshadowed by hers. My purpose in the Tarot Club will drastically decline. Of course, that's under the premise that she really is Admiral of Stars.
Yes, I have to adjust my focus from gathering news and resources and align it towards the Church. This is something she can't supplant me, Alger thought with joy and wariness.
That Sea God is really Mr. Fool! No, no, no, it should be said that the present Sea God is Mr. Fool's manifestation! "He" has truly begun interfering with the real world? This is great! In the future, I can pray to Sea God directly and receive a response when I'm out traveling at sea? Audrey felt surprised, overjoyed, and proud.
According to what she knew, the Churches didn't do fixed ritualistic magic internally. The ones who received responses by solely praying to the deities were mainly priests or a chance occurrence; otherwise, they were Blessed who just numbered at a handful.
As for receiving a response from every prayer, they would be an extreme exception, even among Blessed.
But I can! Mr. Fool is returning to his throne, one step at a time. Replacing Sea God is one of those steps... Audrey didn't hide the changes in her emotions as she smiled, sitting straight and elegantly.
Cohinem? That's an elf's name. I think I've heard someone mention it before... Emlyn attempted to recall, but it was in vain.
As for Kalvetua's death and how the "Sea God" still replied to its believers, as well as the reason why The Hermit, Justice, The Hanged Man had looked towards Mr. Fool, he had made a slight guess without thinking too deeply about the matter.
What has this got to do with me? It doesn't affect my saving of the Sanguine, nor is it anything of interest! Anyway, I can just pray to Mr. Fool if there are any problems! Emlyn mumbled to himself, showing disdain towards the emotional changes the others had.
Calamity? Queen of Calamity? But there are no records that say that her name is Cohinem... Derrick turned his head to the left very slightly, a common tick he did when he recalled things.
From the looks of it, Little Sun isn't sure if Cohinem is the Queen of Calamity; otherwise, he wouldn't have such a reaction... Klein retracted his gaze in disappointment.
He controlled The World to cough, pulling everyone back from their thoughts.
Following that, The World conjured a picture with The Fool's help. He showed it to both sides of the table and asked, "Does anyone know her?"
It was a picture of the red-haired Helene. Klein mainly wanted to know if Admiral of Stars Cattleya or The Hanged Man Alger knew her. After all, they were well-informed people out at sea.
Alger glanced at it and just as he was about to say that he didn't know her, he heard Ma'am Hermit say with a deep voice, "Red-haired Helene. She's from a fallen noble family and has the bloodline from the Intis's Sauron family." @@novelbin@@
Cattleya paused before adding, "She was once a trader out at sea, but she was later said to have been abducted by Ailment Maiden Tracy."
Abducted by Ailment Maiden Tracy? I thought it would be some contrived story about a domineering pirate and a noble lady... However, Tracy can be considered a domineering pirate. Heh heh... Klein instantly made some connections.
Fors was still lost in her thoughts over the connection between Sea God and The Fool when she suddenly snapped to her senses. She acutely noticed that great opportunities lay in red-haired Helene and Vice Admiral Ailment's story as she began to daydream.
To her regret, Ma'am Hermit had only said a few sentences without continuing.
The Hermit knows Vice Admiral Ailment... However, that doesn't imply anything. Beyonders of a certain Sequence or knowledgeable people will know who the seven pirate admirals are. Their bounty posters are everywhere... Hmm, The Hermit is rather aware of matters over at Intis. This is something that can be determined for now... The Hanged Man wasn't interested in red-haired Helene, only The Hermit's real identity.
With red-haired Helene's matter coming to a close, Audrey began considering if she should consult the others about the mind dragon.
Unlike before, there was now the addition of Ma'am Hermit, who was of unknown character and dubious allegiances. This left her hesitant.
After a brief deliberation, she said, "I recently sought out the traces of a mind dragon and went to a place which has the tradition of worshiping dragons."
She had concealed the exact location as the details might implicate her.
-x-X-x-
Audrey simply mentioned the ancient folk song, but she didn't describe the content in detail. She was afraid that the knowledgeable Ma'am Hermit would be able to guess at the exact location.
She only mentioned the inspiration she had, and how she used a Psychological Cue to retain her lucidity in her dream before beginning a magical journey.
Psychological Cue? She knows how to plant a psychological cue? She's likely a Sequence 7 Psychiatrist... Cattleya habitually made a judgment, but she immediately felt even more perplexed.
Then why would she be buying the Beyonder characteristic of a Psychiatrist?
Taking the same potion gives a limited increase in strength while being prone to losing control. Furthermore, it will be an obstacle towards the digestion of the potion...
To create a mystical item? But this will overlap with her own Beyonder powers. There's no value to that.
To give it to someone else?
Amidst Cattleya's guesses, Audrey had already mentioned her chaotic dream and how she came to the edge of her conscious. Then, she used the conjuring method she learned from Mr. Fool to create a staircase that led downwards. She then slowly delved deep into her conscious.
She didn't describe in detail the various points of light in her subconscious, as it involved embarrassing secrets she didn't wish to share.
She focused on her lonely and long journey with no end in sight. She also expressed how there were various monsters hiding in the surrounding grayness that placed immense pressure on her. She mentioned how she nearly broke down several times and barely managed to endure it thanks to her Beyonder powers. Then, she reached the point of her finally arriving at the illusory sea of collective subconscious.
The memory imprints of the human pioneers and the spread and reflection of the consciousness of the surrounding creatures were presented under Audrey's coherent and unhurried descriptions. Then, it was fixed onto the dragon with grayish stone scales that had flown out from the sea of collective subconscious.
There's a dragon that lives in the sea of collective subconscious? What a magical and beautiful journey! Although Miss Justice didn't encounter any enemies or danger, it still leaves me a little surreal... Fors suddenly thought of a title of a book: "Miss Justice's Dream Tour."
While rounding things up, Audrey scanned the area and asked, "Ladies and gentlemen, do you have any suggestions? Do you think that the dragon's City of Miracles, Liveseyd, is also hidden in the sea of collective subconscious?
"If I wish to continue searching, what should I take note of? What advanced preparations do I need to make?"
The Hanged Man Alger glanced at The Hermit and said in a serious tone, "I don't think you should continue exploring.
"It's a very dangerous act.
"According to the records, most dragons are creatures with flesh and blood; this includes the mind dragon. By allowing itself to survive and swim through the so-called sea of collective subconscious, it means that the dragon you saw was a sufficiently high Sequence. At the very least, it's at the level of a demigod.
"Before you reach Sequence 5, it's best that you don't consider this."
Cattleya nodded and said, "There are many other dangerous things in the sea of collective subconscious—the accumulated maleficent thoughts of humanity, the desires that can corrupt Soul Bodies, the terrifying memories since ancient times that resemble storms and waves at sea—all of these will deal severe psychological harm to you. It might prevent you from ever waking up.
"Besides that's the sea of collective subconscious of all creatures, which isn't only limited to humans. There might be evil spirits, evil gods, or the consciousness of some terrifying existence hidden in there. They're like gigantic maelstroms that can devour ships.
"Before you truly acquire Beyonder powers that allow you to travel through the sea of collective subconscious, it's best not to rashly explore too deeply."
Audrey, who was filled with expectations, felt disappointed. However, she couldn't help but admit that Mr. Hanged Man and Ma'am Hermit had spoken very logically and sincerely.
She silently inhaled and said to herself, Audrey, don't be headstrong. Wait till you're Sequence 5 before making the attempt again!
She totally didn't consider how difficult it was to become a Sequence 5. At that level, one could even compete to become one of the seven pirate admirals, or even make the seven become eight.
From Audrey's point of view, with Mr. Fool and the Tarot Club, as long as she was careful and calm, she would definitely be able to successfully attain that level in a year or two if she didn't take unnecessary risks.
Only the gate to being a demigod was hard to push open!
Ma'am Hermit knows a lot and is very knowledgeable... Audrey clung onto the last sliver of hope and looked towards Mr. Fool at the end of the table, hoping that this godlike existence would provide a suggestion that was different from Mr. Hanged Man or Ma'am Hermit.
Don't look at me... I have no idea! Klein tried his best not to blink.
His understanding of the conscious, subconscious, and the collective subconscious was still stuck at a theoretical level that Spirit Medium Daly had described. He didn't understand anything more. Despite having his dreams intruded frequently, he had never thought of exploring the world outside the dream despite retaining his lucidity. Therefore, how was he to provide any suggestions to Miss Justice?
In fact, he had a natural idea regarding this. However, he wasn't sure if it would work without having done any verification.
In the past, even if he lacked the confidence, he could vaguely make a comment, but now, with Admiral of Stars Cattleya sitting at the side, watching, it only made it easier for him to make mistakes the more he spoke. The less he spoke, the fewer mistakes he would commit. And there was no chance of making mistakes by keeping silent.
What a pressure-inducing new member... Klein sighed inwardly. He didn't say a word and maintained his faint smile.
If not for him being above the gray fog and how he existed in the form of a Spirit Body, he suspected that such highly difficult acting would make the muscles around his eyes spasm.
Mr. Fool doesn't have any suggestions... Audrey retracted her gaze in depression. She stopped fantasizing about exploring the sea of collective subconscious so soon.
At this moment, The Moon Emlyn, who was already turning impatient, cleared his throat.
"I've seriously researched the history handed down by us Sanguine..."
Sanguine... He really is a vampire... Nurturing vampires and pulling vampires into the Church is really a tradition of the Church of Mother Earth... Cattleya nodded as she looked like she was listening seriously.
Meanwhile, she felt that some of her conclusions needed adjustments.
The Moon directly expressed his identity... Does this mean that Mr. Fool has a potent deterrence, even in the outside world, that the members aren't afraid of information being leaked?
It seems like I don't have to completely hide my circumstances...
Emlyn paused and looked at The Sun before tipping his chin.
"Before the Cataclysm, there was no City of Silver, only the Kingdom of Silver!"
If it were anyone else who had thrown such doubt on him, Derrick would've hastened to retort, expressing the fact that the people of the City of Silver were descendants of the Kingdom of Silver and that he hadn't lied. However, after glancing at Mr. Moon and sensing his smugness, Derrick turned his head to the side, feeling that an explanation was beneath him.
Why must I let an arrogant vampire who doesn't acknowledge the City of Silver's history believe me? he thought silently to himself.
From his reaction, Emlyn could tell that the City of Silver was indeed related to the Kingdom of Silver. He tsked and said, "The faith of the Kingdom of Silver wasn't originally Giant King Aurmir, but 'His' queen, Omebella."
Omebella? Derrick turned his head and blurted out, "Our City of Silver has no records of this matter, nor are there any records of a queen named Omebella."
Emlyn chuckled and spread out his hands.
"That's why, there's nothing wrong with me saying that your City of Silver's history is flawed and incomplete, right?
"Clearly, there are mistakes in your records of Sanguine history."
... You took such a roundabout way to prove this... Should I say that a vampire like you has clear logic, or that you're someone who bears grudges? Klein held back his laughter and stopped himself from sizing up Emlyn White.
The Moon and The Sun's debate benefited him greatly, allowing him to know that the Giant Queen, the Goddess of Harvest, was named Omebella.
The Sun Derrick was just about to give a retort to Mr. Moon when he heard Ma'am Hermit speak.
"Omebella is the Goddess of Harvest from the Second Epoch. She's also the queen of the Giant King's Court.
"Legend has it that she perished at the end of the Second Epoch, but it's impossible to verify since no one has seen her corpse or relics."
The Goddess of Harvest is really named Omebella... Derrick was stunned. He wished to retort, but he was unable to say a word as this matter proved that the history of the City of Silver had several holes. He instantly felt somewhat aggrieved.
When Emlyn saw this, he felt good. Pleasure rose from the depths of his heart.
After another round of exchanges, the Tarot Gathering came to an end. Klein smiled and said, "Everyone, we shall meet next week."
"By your will." Audrey immediately got up to bow.
The others weren't any slower, including The Hermit Cattleya.
...
Upon returning to reality, Admiral of Stars Cattleya looked at the shattered celestial globe on her desk. She then seriously recalled what had happened at the gathering.
A few details made her believe that the Tarot Club involved itself in many matters that made it nothing to scoff at. And hidden deep in the gray fog was Mr. Fool. Like The World, who was hidden behind thick shadows, "He" was unreadable and unfathomable. It was unknown what he was planning.
After more than ten seconds of silence, Cattleya retrieved a pen and some paper and wrote while deliberating: "Someone has been deliberately collecting the Emperor's diary pages."
She didn't dare to expose any information that involved the Tarot Club, as she was afraid of being punished by Mr. Fool. All she could do was give a heads-up on things that could be discovered under ordinary circumstances.
After she was done writing and folding the letter, she took out a golden, exquisite harmonica she carried with her. Putting it to her lips, she blew it.
In the blink of an eye, she saw the letter strangely vanish.
Even though she wasn't wearing her glasses, she was unable to discover the arrival of the messenger.
Phew... Cattleya sighed and reached for her forehead and said silently, The pressure is really huge when participating in a gathering while under the supervision of a god."
...
With Admiral of Stars joining, the pressure on me as The Fool has greatly increased... Klein rubbed his temples above the gray fog and directly returned to the real world.
He wanted to attempt the inspiration Miss Justice had received from exploring her dreams.
-x-X-x-
After a series of chores, Klein opened his locked bedroom door and looked into the living room. He saw Danitz sleeping soundly on a reclining chair.
Although he had long heard it, Klein couldn't help but lampoon.
It's not even four in the afternoon!
Has this guy completely let his hair down now that he doesn't need to monitor the radio transceiver?
With a thought, he gradually smiled, feeling that this was exactly what he needed.
The premise of him maintaining his lucidity in dreams had involved someone invading his consciousness. Typically, his dreams were a turbid mess, which meant that he alone wasn't able to complete the experiment. After all, he couldn't plant a psychological cue on himself.
Therefore, he planned on using external forces to enter the dreams of others. This way, he could maintain his lucidity like a Nightmare.
He originally planned on heading out to find a suitable target, but Danitz's posture was in such a perfect state that he could hardly stop himself from kicking him.
No, I should be experimenting... Klein corrected his thoughts.
He contemplated for a moment and didn't use a Dream Charm. As a Sequence 7 Pyromaniac, with the ancient name being Fire Mage, Danitz's spiritual perception wasn't to be written off. Once he softly chanted an incantation that could stir the powers of nature, Danitz would definitely be awoken.
As such, it would be a question of whether he could evade the matter in a timely fashion.
After some deliberation, Klein took out another thing he had prepared. It was a gem-like object that seemed dark and deep; it was the Beyonder characteristic left behind by a Nightmare.
It could be used to a certain extent, just like Nimblewright Master Rosago's All-Black Eye. However, the effects were inferior to one that was from a mystical item. For example, this Nightmare Beyonder characteristic didn't allow Klein to pass through the dreams of someone across the city from his inn's suite, nor was he able to forcefully pull people into a dream. However, it was still simple enough to perform the most basic form of intruding into someone's dream at a close distance.
Klein held the dark "gem" and spread out his spirituality.
The illusory darkness rapidly spread before his eyes, filling his vision. Everything before his eyes were blanketed over, including Danitz.
There was no longer a humanoid figure but an ellipsoidal blob of light.
Klein immediately extended his spirituality out and made contact with it.
Without any warning, various scenes flooded his surroundings as they flashed rapidly. Finally, it came to stop on a ship that was dozens of meters long. It had a smoke-churning chimney and large sails that were fully raised. The deck was polished abnormally bright, shimmering with the glimmer of a gold coin when sunlight hit it.
Danitz stood under the main cannon as he had his arms crossed. He was leisurely rushing the sailors, shouting from time to time, "Scrub that area again!
"Dogsh*t, do you wish to copy down the ancient Feysac dictionary?"
This fellow is quite impressive on the Golden Dream... Klein ignored the owner of the dream and flew to the other end of the ship. He found a hidden spot and landed on the deck before preparing to test his spiritual perception.
What he planned on experimenting on was simple. He wanted to know if chanting The Fool's honorific name in a dream was effective. He wanted to know if he could sense someone praying!
This way, if Miss Justice encounters danger in the sea of collective subconscious, she can use this method to seek help... After stretching his back, Klein's expression gradually turned solemn as he softly said, "The Fool that doesn't belong to this era.
"The mysterious ruler above the gray fog.
"The King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck."
...
With the words in Hermes being spoken, he very quickly finished reciting The Fool's honorific name. However, Klein didn't hear the series of illusory pleas.
It doesn't work? Klein frowned in thought. He analyzed whether it was really impossible, or if he had made a mistake somewhere.
Yes... Chanting in the dream doesn't actually produce any noise. Relying on Hermes alone isn't sufficient... To achieve the effects of praying, I'll have to use a language like ancient Hermes that can stir the powers of nature. This is the same state as me copying the account password of my anonymous account... Klein nodded slightly and began to chant his honorific name in ancient Hermes.
He wasn't afraid that there would be an accident, but that his stirring of the powers of nature would wake Blazing Danitz from his sleep.
He recited each word, quickly finishing the three sentences. Following that, Klein heard the stacked series of irritable and illusory pleas.
At that moment, Danitz's dream quivered as the Golden Dream quickly disintegrated.
Klein didn't stay any longer and immediately left. He returned back to his bedroom before Danitz woke up.
After seven to eight seconds, Danitz sat up in a daze as he muttered to himself in fear, Why did I dream of that madman Gehrman Sparrow causing trouble on the Golden Dream...
What a terrifying matter!
Dogsh*t! It must be the result of me worrying over this matter all this time!
Inside the bedroom, Klein had already taken four steps counterclockwise and gone above the gray fog. Without any surprises, he saw a rippling light by The Fool's high-back chair. In it was the scene of him in the dream.
It really works. One can still receive a response when chanting The Fool's honorific name in languages such as ancient Hermes or Jotun! It's no wonder some people might suddenly die in their sleep despite not doing a thing. They might be reading some materials or had memorized certain symbols in the day and accidentally replicated them in the dream? The danger in this world really cannot be prevented... Klein dispelled the rippling light and considered if he should inform Miss Justice of the results of the experiment.
To only inform her later instead of saying it on the spot is a little damaging to The Fool's image... But Miss Justice is the kind of girl with a huge sense of curiosity. Although she has been warned by Mr. Hanged Man and Admiral of Stars, and even if she's a little more mature now, there's still the chance of her taking risks... Of course, if anything were to happen, it's on herself and it has nothing to do with me... Klein couldn't help but recall Miss Justice's adoration of The Fool and the thought of her optimism and cheerfulness that brought him happiness, as well as her contributions towards the Tarot Club all this time.
Finally, he sighed and said in a self-deprecating manner, "I still need to inform her and give a warning.
"This is the treatment a VIP gets..."
After making the decision, Klein didn't hesitate to spread out his spirituality to touch the crimson star representing Miss Justice.
...
In a room of the huge manor in East Chester County.
Audrey had her legs leaning sideways as she sat before her dressing table. She was recalling the words Mr. Hanged Man and Ma'am Hermit had said.
After being warned by two senior Beyonders, she suddenly realized something. It wasn't that the mid- and upper-echelons of the Psychology Alchemists wasn't aware that one could explore dreams, the icy mountain of the subconscious, and the sea of collective subconscious by using a self-induced psychological cue.
The reason why they didn't tell me anything is because it's too dangerous for a Psychiatrist. Many people have already died in such explorations... But they should warn me... Ah, right. From their point of view, I'm only a Sequence 8 Telepathist. I'm not equipped with the powers of a Psychological Cue, so there was no need to warn me...
Audrey finally understood the perplexing matter.
Just as she was about to let Susie enter the room to calm the disappointment in her heart, she suddenly saw thick gray fog spew out, instantly flooding her vision.
In the middle of the endless grayish-white, a figure sat in a high-back chair. Looking down at her, it said, "Do not make attempts without careful consideration."
Before Audrey realized what was happening, she heard the deep and majestic voice sound out again.
"If you encounter dangers in your dreams, you can recite my name."
Recite your name? Audrey's eyes widened as she became overjoyed.
"Yes, Mr. Fool."
Seeing that Miss Justice was excited instead of showing any doubts, Klein secretly heaved a sigh of relief and chuckled.
"Use ancient Hermes."
With that said, his figure faded away and the gray fog vanished.
Audrey sat there stunned for two seconds before hurriedly pursing her lips, afraid that she wasn't on her best behavior.
Mr. Fool actually specially warned me! He even permitted me to recite "His" name in my dream! Audrey excitedly took a few steps on the spot, believing that she had really become a Blessed of God.
Of course, she also remembered Mr. Fool's warning. She planned to understand more from the Psychology Alchemists and make another attempt only when she was sufficiently prepared.
The corners of her mouth curled up slightly as she randomly tapped her chest, saying silently, "May Mr. Fool watch over me~"
...
Above the gray fog, Klein began to consider another matter.
Red-haired Helene, who had a reward worth 1,000 pounds, was actually related to Vice Admiral Ailment Tracy!
Tracy took over Qilangos's crew and changed his flagship to the Black Death. As for Qilangos, he previously plundered a tycoon named Jimmy Necker... That tycoon had previously obtained parts of Death's chronicles. It came from a Balam royal family's mausoleum... This information came from that Nightmare inside Creeping Hunger. It should benefit Mr. Azik to a certain extent. I can also investigate the matter in passing... Klein found another reason to look forward to finding red-haired Helene.
He originally planned on using the magic mirror, Arrodes, to find her, but now, he planned on mobilizing Sea God believers to perform a search.
In the past, it's quite demeaning to send a revelation for just 1,000 pounds. But now that it involves a pirate admiral, it can barely make people guess that there are secret motives behind it... Klein conjured red-haired Helene's photo and summoned the Sea God Scepter.
He had never done a mass revelation, so it was possible that it would be a burden that he couldn't withstand.
He chose higher-ups like Kalat and Edmonton. With waves reaching high into the sky as a background, he said in a deep voice, "Find her and protect her.
"Be careful of Tracy's forces."
Klein didn't provide further explanations as he broke down this scene along with red-haired Helene's photo into many sets before projecting them into the corresponding dots of light.
-x-X-x-
In a forest in Blue Mountain Island where the Resistance base was located.
Sitting in a wheelchair, Kalat raised his bald head and looked towards the sunlight that was scattering at the cave's entrance. His eyes couldn't hide his joy.
He acutely sensed that ever since God reappeared over the land and stated "His" ten commandments, the previous bloodshed and chaos had changed. From time to time, "He" would provide them with guidance which was filled with wisdom. Furthermore, "He" would observe all creatures and proactively interfere with the situation at sea in a bid to help the Resistance and everyone in Rorsted, allowing them to pass through a difficult, thorny path while still being able to see some hope.
Perhaps this is the true meaning behind "His" reappearance over the land... Kalat recalled the revelation he had just received and guessed that the red-haired woman named Helene was like a fulcrum for Vice Admiral Ailment Tracy and the forces out at sea. She was the key to spoiling the balance between the countries, and only by making the world's situation more chaotic would the people of Rorsted receive the opportunity of being liberated!
Kalat drew in a breath and quickly set up a ritual to pray to Sea God, conjuring Helene's picture.
After doing all of this, he instinctively turned his head to the side and wore a somewhat mixed expression.
Living in that direction was the high priest of the Church of Sea God, a priest who was a high-ranking member of the Resistance.
Although they don't dare go against the revelations and have made tremendous changes, in many ways, they're still immersed in the past. They're obstinate, conservative, backward, and savage. They refuse to embrace a more civilized Church... If this goes on, they'll one day be abandoned by God... Kalat couldn't hide the smile in his heart while he felt a strong sense of anguish.
...
After scanning through all the believers' prayers and picking a few to respond to, Klein returned to the real world. He planned on heading out to search for a chance to enact true acting.
When his right hand gripped the door handle, a ridiculous but possible thought came to his mind.
My true goal is not to find red-haired Helene, but to use this opportunity to get to Vice Admiral Ailment Tracy and figure out what happened to tycoon Jimmy Necker, so as to get to know the location of the ancient chronicles of Death.
That is to say, I only need to lure Vice Admiral Ailment Tracy out with red-haired Helene. As for whether she's the real person or not, that doesn't matter.
I can make myself red-haired Helene and let Danitz send me to Strongman Ozil, get the reward, and easily meet Vice Admiral Ailment Tracy.
What an impressive sequence of actions...
Klein suddenly shook his head as he found a reason to reject the idea.
Although I'm a Faceless, I can't accept wearing drag!
... Could it be that overcoming my inner resistance is also one of the principles for acting?
Furthermore, I don't know red-haired Helene. Acting as her wouldn't work. I would just be like her on the surface, and I wouldn't be able to fool people who are familiar with her. That way, I won't be able to meet Vice Admiral Ailment Tracy.
Yes. The person searching for red-haired Helene might not be Tracy, but an enemy of hers.
I don't know Vice Admiral Ailment Tracy's background. Rashly doing such an act would result in immeasurable danger.
It's best to be safe and abide by my wishes. I'll first search for red-haired Helene, and after determining the details, I can consider the subsequent actions.
At that moment, Klein suddenly felt that something was amiss in the living room. Danitz's snoring had softened, and the time between each snore shortened.
Vice Admiral Iceberg is here? Klein turned the handle and opened the door to the bedroom.
While making this silent action, Danitz sat up with his eyes open.
He tried hard to hide his smile as he said, "Captain came.
"She said that Admiral of Blood's crew was sighted at Longtail Island and is continuing south. His destination seems to be the Berserk Sea.
"The source of the news is trustworthy!"
Longtail Island? The island at the southern end of the Rorsted Sea? From the looks of it, Admiral of Blood previously planned on coming to Bayam, but the fight between Kalvetua and Sea King Jahn Kottman scared him away. He circled around the area and headed straight for the Berserk Sea... Yes, it's probably because his intelligence officer, Old Quinn, didn't send a telegram to inform him... Klein felt pangs of regret and could only lament how reality changed faster than his plans.
He had planned to make his hunt of Admiral of Blood become the crowning battle of the crazy adventurer and bounty hunter, Gehrman Sparrow.
Killing a single Steel Maveti ultimately lacks that shock and awe effect... Klein didn't say a word as he calmly looked at Danitz.
Danitz felt a little uneasy from the intent stare as he gave a hollow chuckle.
"Admiral of Blood has fled. Your cooperation with Captain has come to an end, right?
"I can now return to the Golden Dream, right?
"Further developments can be done via your messenger!"
Klein pondered for a moment and took out a piece of paper from his pocket. He scribbled the method to summon his messenger.
Following that, he flicked his wrist, sending the piece of paper out like a metallic plate.
Danitz was a Hunter at Sequence 9, so he easily reached out and caught the piece of paper.
He scanned it before a scarlet flame rose in his palms, burning the paper to ashes.
"Haha, even if I forget it, Captain will have a way of making me recall it."
He paused and squeezed out a smile before asking again, "I can now return to the Golden Dream, right?"
Klein nodded slightly and said, "Yes."
I... I can! Danitz held back his urge to pump his fist in celebration, afraid that he would end up antagonizing the madman, Gehrman Sparrow.
He smiled cautiously and said, "I'll first pay off the room for this period of time and buy a ship ticket. As you know, Bayam hasn't been calm recently. Captain doesn't wish for the Golden Dream to dock at the harbor here."
At least you know how to settle the room's payment... Klein didn't say a word as he maintained his austere attitude. He draped himself with a coat and took his hat before walking towards his luxurious suite.
When his back disappeared into the corner of a staircase and vanished from Danitz's sight, Danitz shrank back into his room and clenched his fist, pumping them into the air.
"Wonderful! Wonderful!
"I'm finally free!"
He didn't delay in wearing his cap and heading to the front desk of the Wind of Azure Inn to settle the bill. He informed them that this didn't mean that he was checking out.
Danitz quickly hit the streets and ran straight for a place known as the Seaweed Bar. He found the air fresh and invigorating.
After he took a few steps, he suddenly noticed bounty posters pasted along the walls around a bend.
"... Blazing Danitz, 5,500 pounds!"
The posters were just two steps away from Danitz—that familiar face allowed for a clear comparison with his cap-wearing face.
"..."
Danitz clenched his teeth and revealed a sorrowful smile.
He hurriedly pressed down his cap, nearly concealing his normal line of sight.
But even so, he still felt uneasy. He went to a recent department store and bought a gray scarf. He wrapped it around his neck and hid his nose and mouth in it.
At this point in time, Danitz relaxed somewhat as he sped up his pace and rushed for his destination.
The Seaweed Bar was a place where gangs gathered. It was common for infamous pirates to appear there.
Although this place wasn't like the Swordfish Bar or Amyris Leaf Bar that allowed access to a lot of information and resources, it had its own unique niche—it had many resourceful secret channels!
What Danitz wanted to do was buy a scalped ticket to Galagos, as this wouldn't need him to provide any identification.
He knew very well that be it in the past or present, his bounty poster would be plastered across all the ticket booths. He had bought the first-class tickets to the White Agate via the same method as well.
After entering the bar, Danitz didn't take off his cap and scarf. He carefully surveyed the area and found Deniel who sold scalped tickets.
He didn't directly approach him and instead retracted his gaze from the thin and somewhat swarthy man who was in his thirties. He began searching for someone unfamiliar.
After a round of choices, Danitz squeezed through the crowd and arrived beside a lad who was drinking at the bar counter. He tapped him on the shoulder and suppressed his voice.
"Do me a favor."
"What?" The lad turned his head warily and ended up seeing a suspicious man. The lower half of his face was covered in a gray scarf and the cap on his head nearly hid his eyes. He revealed almost nothing about his face.
Such a dress-up simply meant that he was suspicious!
This was because the Rorsted Archipelago's lowest temperature during the winter was about 10°C!
Danitz pointed at Deniel.
"See that guy over there?
"Buy me a ticket for Galagos tomorrow."
He handed over three one-pound notes and chuckled.
"The rest is yours."
Although a scalped ticket was much more expensive than a retail ticket, Galagos wasn't too far, making three pounds more than sufficient. Of course, this was also because the journey was relatively shorter, and there was no need for him to buy a first-class ticket.
The reason why Danitz didn't buy it himself was because he was worried that Deniel would recognize him, bringing him unwanted trouble.
Back when his bounty was only 3,000 pounds, pirates and adventurers at his level or lower had to consider how many people were needed to take him down. The bounty received wasn't something that could make them forget about their fear towards Vice Admiral Iceberg and the risk of losing their lives. Hence, very few people would take the initiative to attack him. As such, his safety was pretty much guaranteed in such black markets.
But now, his bounty reward had already reached 5,500 pounds. Even if several people joined forces, the amount of money each of them could get was a sizable sum. Furthermore, there were many people out at sea who were desperadoes!
Apart from that, there would be people who found their own bounties too low and wished to prove their strength. These people would definitely challenge a target like Danitz, who was infamous but was of little risk.
It was precisely because of this that Danitz was afraid that Deniel would betray him. Therefore, he hired a random person to buy it on his behalf.
The lad held the cash and gave Danitz another look before getting up from his seat. He then walked towards Deniel.
He deliberately slowed down his footsteps when he walked past some drunkards as he whispered to them.
When Danitz saw this scene, he suddenly became guarded. He thought of a problem—with him acting suspiciously, it was very obvious that there was a problem with him. He was a perfect target for being betrayed.
Heh, do you think my reputation as Blazing was bought? Danitz planned on teaching the lad a lesson after he obtained the ticket.
At this point, he discovered that a familiar figure had walked in. He was an infamous pirate, Blue Eyes Meath, with a bounty of 2,800 pounds. @@novelbin@@
And this pirate clearly knew this group of people were planning to betray him.
Blue Eyes Meath still has a few rather powerful subordinates... Danitz didn't hesitate to get up and head for the bar's back door.
His speed increased as he agilely forced himself through the drunkards and escaped from the bar. Then, with his rich anti-tracking skills, he completely escaped from the group of people.
Danitz didn't dare to stay on the streets since it was already dark. The patrolling police and soldiers would begin increasing.
He went straight back to the Wind of Azure Inn and opened the door to the luxurious suite. Inside, he saw Gehrman Sparrow admiring the dusk.
Danitz had a thought as he forced a smile.
"There's something. I forgot to mention it just now.
"Captain wishes to ask if you have any interest in meeting her at Galagos?"
This was a question he had previously kept secret. He had planned on returning and telling his captain that Gehrman Sparrow wasn't interested. But now, he realized that he had a low chance of surviving in Bayam once he was separated from the crazy adventurer.