1011 - 1018

Chapter 1011 Roselle"s Other Warning

It was late at night with the thick clouds concealing the moon. It was dark across the Backlund Bridge.

Just as Klein "Teleported" here, he saw green pea vines descend from the sky like a storm that enveloped his surroundings before he could look around.

They intertwined and quickly formed a forest. They stacked upwards in layers, making it impossible to see its peak.

Klein released his right hand's grip on his top hat and familiarly followed up the path paved by the vines.

It didn't take long before he saw a naturally-formed swing made out of green plants. He also saw Queen Mystic Bernadette who stood beside the swing.

This eldest daughter of Emperor Roselle had a head of long chestnut hair. She wore a blouse with laced flowers that formed a bow tie. She matched it with a gray dress that went past her knees and a pair of Wellington leather boots. She also wore a bonnet with a hanging black fishnet.

"You've grown faster than I had imagined." Bernadette's blue eyes behind the black fishnet reflected Gehrman Sparrow's figure.

Klein replied without any change in expression, "Praise Mr. Fool."

As he said that, he inwardly lampooned, This is what it means to strive to be stronger, relying on oneself rather than on others!

Queen Mystic nodded slightly as she said with a gentle but emotionless voice, "I know why you want to see me."

Without waiting for Klein to say a word, she tilted her head slightly and looked at the vine swing beside her. She said in a tone as calm as a lake that had countless undercurrents beneath it, "I feel that he hasn't really perished completely."

…Does that mean you believe that Emperor Roselle hasn't died completely? He lives somewhere in this world, with a chance for him to return? Klein didn't expect to hear such a straightforward and sensational words right at the beginning of their conversation. Although he easily controlled his expression, he was somewhat at a loss for a reply.

At the same time, he noticed that Bernadette referred to Emperor Roselle as "he" instead of "He." Regardless if they were using ancient Feysac to speak or the normal daily language used in Loen or Intis, they were completely different words.

This means that deep down in Queen Mystic's heart, Emperor Roselle isn't an angel, but a father… Klein calmed down his emotions and deliberated before asking, "Why do you have such thoughts?"

Bernadette retracted her gaze from the vine swing and said with the same gentle voice, "Towards the final stages of his life, although he was crazy and radical, everything he did had preparations in place. I believe that he must've prepared something for himself.

You should know that he attempted to switch pathways in his later years and tried for the vacant Black Emperor throne. This required him to build nine secret mausoleums in the form of pyramids.

"After he died in the White Maple Palace, the Churches of the Eternal Blazing Sun and Steam jointly found eight mausoleums and destroyed each one of them. However, the ninth mausoleum remains to be discovered. No one knows where it's hidden.

"If he had already become Black Emperor, he can definitely awaken inside that mausoleum. If he fails, I believe that there's a possibility of using it for his resurrection…"

Bernadette's voice softened as she spoke. Towards the end, her voice was ethereal and nearly indiscernible.

You aren't that confident either… It's mostly a kind of hope and expectation… Klein sighed.

Suddenly, he recalled the words by King of the Five Seas Nast.

Emperor Roselle liked to stand in front of a particular floor-to-ceiling window and look to the west.

From Roselle's diary, Klein knew that "He" had discovered the Abyss's entrance in the Fog Sea west of Intis. There, he had found a primitive island and believed that it was filled with oddities and was worth exploring.

Could it be that… Emperor Roselle built the last secret mausoleum in the Abyss or on that primitive island? Klein thought for a moment before smiling.

You seem to understand the Black Emperor pathway very well."

He suspected that Emperor Roselle had left the Black Emperor card as a bookmark and had used Bernadette's name in ancient Feysac as the activation incantation because he partially wanted to inform his daughter of the corresponding ritual. In the end, Bernadette had seemingly grasped the information via other means.

The lips behind Queen Mystic's fishnet veil produced a slight curl.

"I've already investigated this matter for more than a century. And to figure out the details, I've suffered the infusion of knowledge from the Hidden Sage.

"I can tell that you, and Mr. Fool who's backing you, have a deep understanding of this… I've always been curious why you're so interested in his matters."

From the current situation, and in terms of seniority, you could call me uncle… The emperor and I might very well be "roommates" who had been hung up for many years… Klein lampooned to relieve his emotional upheavals. However, he replied in a calm tone, "You can raise this question to Mr. Fool."

He didn't plan on telling Bernadette that the ninth secret mausoleum might be somewhere in the Fog Sea, very likely to be on the primitive island, or in the Abyss. It was more suitable for The Fool to answer the question.

Queen Mystic wasn't surprised by Gehrman Sparrow's response. She cast her gaze west to a certain spot far away.

Although he couldn't see Bernadette's gaze, Klein could vaguely sense that this lady was looking at the place where she had her childhood. She was looking at her spiritual home, the home where she could no longer return to.

At that moment, in the green vines and deep darkness, there were a lot of subtle emotions and dreams that hid deep in the heart, fermenting.

In just a matter of seconds, Queen Mystic retracted her gaze and gently said, "After my matters in Backlund ends, I'll pass a few pages to Cattleya and get her to ask the question on my behalf."

"Why don't you ask next week?" Klein didn't hide his puzzlement.

Bernadette calmly replied, "I feel that the answer will affect my mood, and a bad mood will result in my failure."

A failure because of a bad mood? What sort of matter has such strict requirements? A clash with a demigod of the mind domain? Or perhaps, after she resolves the knots in her heart, will she have the confidence to attempt to become an angel? Klein nodded in thought without pressing.

This was a secret of hers, something that it was best not to ask about unless necessary.

Queen Mystic then said, "When he wrote those few diary pages, I was sitting opposite him. I wanted him to teach me how to interpret and write those symbols. He didn't agree to it and only ruffled my hair. Back then, I was already of age…

"I can tell that he was worried, apprehensive, and in a difficult position when he wrote those pages. Finally, he told me that if I can really become an important figure of the mysterious world as Zaratul predicted, I must make sure to remember—be careful of the 'Spectator.'"

Be careful of the "Spectator"… Klein couldn't help but inwardly repeat Roselle's warning.

He believed that the emperor wouldn't be broadly referring to the Beyonders of the Spectator pathway. He was definitely pointing to a particular special existence, some special matter, or both.

Emperor Roselle was a member of that ancient secret organization… That ancient secret organization's founder and leader is… Klein's eyelids twitched as he didn't dare to think any further, afraid that a particular existence would hear his thoughts.

"Perhaps there are detailed descriptions on that diary page," he said, hoping to see that diary page as soon as possible.

"I know." Bernadette nodded.

She didn't continue on the topic. After two seconds of silence, she said, "I should thank Mr. Fool and you on Cattleya's behalf. Obtaining the blood of a Snake of Fate is very helpful towards her future.

"Although the advancement ritual of a Mysticologist doesn't have any requirements on the Mythical Creature's pathway, the best choice is still the Fate pathway. This will make it a lot easier for her when she advances to Sequence 3."

"Why?" Klein asked with the mindset of learning new knowledge.

After all, it was impossible for a Blessed to know everything. Even a true god was incapable of that!

Bernadette's eyes turned slightly vacant.

"Another way to call 'prying into the secrets of fate' is 'clairvoyance.' The Mystery Pryer's Sequence 3 is called Clairvoyant. This also why I'm in Backlund."

Due to a particular future prediction? Klein mused, having a guess and some level of enlightenment, "Many pathways seem to have the ability of clairvoyance."

The corners of Queen Mystic's mouth curled up slightly as she sighed and said, "In ancient times, many Beyonder creatures believe that gathering similar powers would lead to a qualitative change and breakthrough, but all of them went mad without exception or lost control. Only after the first Blasphemy Slate appeared did all creatures realize that balance—the kind of balance needed to walk on t;he edge of a cliff—was key to the path of extraordinariness."

Therefore, a domain's powers can be scattered across many pathways, concentrating on a few main pathways while the other pathways share the remnants? Hmm, a negative example is the King of the North from Groselle's Travels, Ulyssan… Klein fell into a deep thought without pressing.

After a while, Queen Mystic broke the silence.

"If you have nothing else, let's end it here today."

Klein thought for a moment before saying, "Alright, if you need any help, you can find me through Admiral of Stars."

Bernadette nodded gently as her figure suddenly turned transparent before turning into a cluster of bubbles.

The bubbles scattered and flew off before vanishing immediately. The dark green pea vines retracted and vanished into the night.

Klein seemed to be held by an invisible hand as he landed gently on the Backlund Bridge.

He reached out his hand to press his top hat and surveyed his surroundings. There were rows of houses lining the banks, emitting faint yellow lights. Amidst the gushing sound of the surging river and the darkness of the night, everything appeared serene, silent, warm, and peaceful.

I hope none of this will be destroyed… Klein sighed as his figure quickly turned transparent and faded away.

Chapter 1012 First Day of September

"Dear Mr. Azik,

"Ever since September was ushered in, Backlund's temperature has been dropping day after day. Recently, the elderly can already be seen wearing gloves when outdoors.

"Just like last year, the smog has begun to envelop the city. This would happen one to two days a week, or even more. Clearly, the environmental measures governing air pollution aren't something that can be resolved in a year or two. It will take at least five years. Something that should be worth being happy about is that the pungent smell in the air has already lessened significantly. My Sanguine friend is very pleased with such weather.

"Another delightful change is that more and more students, postmen, and technical workers have bought bikes. The number of carriages on the streets has decreased, implying that the smell of horse feces and the stench it brings is no longer the main pollutant in Backlund's air. Of course, they still occupy a rather important position. As you know, those ladies and gentlemen who think highly of their standing wouldn't casually lower their own standards of 1泠邮 However, based on my observations, their kids are gradually having a growing interest in bikes.

"I've been leading a normal life during this period of time. I go to Saint Samuel Cathedral and the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation a few times a week, participating in their activities and continuously donating cash. I occasionally visit the turf club, watch plays and orchestras, or play cards or golf at the club. During weekends, I either participate in balls, banquets, or saloons.

"I forgot to mention that I've already bought a manor. It formerly belonged to Duke Negan and is called 'Maygur.' It has its own excellent vineyard and brewery, as well as a huge forest and plantation on it. It can be used for farming and hunting. Its main building has a huge rectangular shape with four stories. It has a large number of rooms, and a casual tour of the place without walking out the door would take me more than ten thousand steps. At the same time, it also has a large number of sculptures, oil paintings, decorations, and exquisite cutlery. It's simply palatial.

"Perhaps my description is a little exaggerated. After all, I've never seen a real palace. This is also the first manor that I own. I still remember my time in Tingen. I lived in a rental apartment with only two bedrooms with my brother and sister. Every day, we slept to the smell of coal.

"This was introduced to me by Brigadier General Qonas Kilgor. It cost me 20,000 pounds. You don't have to worry about my financial situation. I made a huge sum of money from the Southern Continent, and I also sold some mystical items. Currently, I still have more than 17,000 pounds in cash and 15,000 pounds worth of gold bars, including various gold coins, soli, and pence.

"I'm rather satisfied with Maygur and have sent my former valet, Richardson, to be the land steward. It's now autumn, and I'm going to invite guests to enjoy a pleasant weekend there. I hope Richardson can make adequate preparations.

"The mysterious world in Backlund hasn't changed for now. I hope it will continue like this.

"The magic mirror I previously mentioned to you has been restored to normal. However, it seems to still suffer from post-traumatic stress due to the damage Amon had dealt it. As long as I question it about what happened, it will automatically change the color of its text and give an erroneous answer and repeatedly request me to compliment it.

"It also has different views on leaving the Church of Steam. It seems to have decided to stay a little longer, believing that it would be safer that way. It has even thought of showcasing its danger and become a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact. I have to say that I'm always surprised with the way it thinks.

"Thanks to some of its answers, I've found a way to create pure darkness. It is to create it with a charm of the Evernight domain that has dreamworld properties. It's considered a response of the Evemight Goddess and is categorized under pure darkness. In addition, after repeated tests, I've finally figured out the way to carve the godhood symbols through Cogitation and create the item I want."

Upon writing this, Klein, who was sitting on the sofa while using his thigh as his table, stopped writing and rubbed his temples.

Repeated failures implied the repeated loss of Worms of Spirit, and every separation was a damaging blow to his Spirit Body. It took him a long time to recover.

Therefore, in order to have redundancies to prevent any accidents, Klein never pushed himself to the limit. After separating three or four Worms of Spirit, he would choose to rest for a few days before beginning the engraving process. Such breaks took him this long to master the method and create a finished product.

Glancing at the rectangular "diamond" beside him, he saw layers of complicated symbols that extended into the void from the constantly refracting light. His head felt a little dizzy as though he was witnessing a part of history.

I'll call it the Yesterday Once More charm… Klein retracted his gaze and continued writing:

"The coastal regions have had another storm brewing. The two Houses of the kingdom have entered the traditional phase of debating over bills. With the footsteps of the new year approaching and getting louder, it makes me worried for some baffling reason.

"May you recover quickly and wake up soon.

Your eternal student, Klein Moretti."

Putting away the pen and folding the letter, Klein blew Azik's copper whistle and summoned the skeleton messenger that stood nearly four meters tall.

Unlike before, this messenger had only shown its head and one arm. The rest were beneath the floorboards on the second floor.

This made it appear significantly shorter than Klein.

After all, I'm now barely considered a Blessed of Death… Klein handed the letter to the messenger as he watched it crumble into bones, gushing down into the ground like a waterfall.

After doing this, he picked up the Yesterday Once More charm on the armrest.

This was his first successful product, and he planned on using it first. After all, making it again was easy now that he had the experience.

As for whether borrowing strength from his historical self posed any dangers, Klein had already performed a divination above the gray fog ahead of time. He believed that if it involved the real Fool or the owner of the door of light, then he would have the mysterious space above the gray fog to block it for him.

And the result of the divination was that it was very safe.

After staring at the diamond-like charm for a few seconds, Klein no longer hesitated. He opened his mouth and said a single word in ancient Hermes, "History!"

He had attempted it in the real world and not above the gray fog because he was worried that the mysterious world would sever the connection to the past.

Amidst the echoing of the jarring word, Klein injected his spirituality into the Yesterday Once More charm.

Light that appeared like scattered fur lit up, illuminating the surroundings with bright and pure light.

Vaguely, a scene flashed past Klein's eyes:

It was him dancing leisurely with Daly Simone beside Ince Zangwill's corpse;

It was the gray-sideburned and exceedingly handsome Dwayne Dantes;

It was Gehrman Sparrow pressing down on his top hat while landing on the Black Tulip thanks to the blessings of the wind;

It was the Sherlock Moriarty who struggled during the descent of the meteor;

It was Klein Moretti who summoned sunlight when he heard the baby's cry in the Blackthorn Security Company;

It was the pale university graduate who raised the revolver and aimed it at his temple.

Beyond this, all the scenes vanished. All that was left was the grayish-white fog.

And only when the powers of the charm were exhausted did Klein find himself at the end of that fog.

Indeed, my transmigration is related to the gray fog, that mysterious space, and that strange door of light… This basically verifies it. I was sleeping in a cocoon in the past, hanging above the door of light. I've no idea how long I was in that state… Compared to his first time seeing the door of light, Klein, who had made the confirmation, remained calm as though he had long expected it.

Phew. Next, I'll make two Yesterday Once More charms for Will. This charm isn't of much use to me… I won't be visiting him this week. It will incur suspicion if I feed him ice-cream every week. Their maid is already looking at me in an odd way… Also, since I've mastered the Cogitation engraving method of the godhood symbol, I can bring forward the creation of the extraordinary bullets made with the Worms of Time. Yes, Leonard said that he will be visiting Tingen in the next few days. Let's see if the power of the Mutated Sun Sacred Emblem can be stolen… Klein rubbed his forehead and left the sofa.

At a previous Tarot Gathering, Leonard had already informed him of the four types of godhood symbols and magical labels he learned from Pallez Zoroast. They came from the Marauder domain, and it was said that one of them was capable of misdirecting the enemy, making them make errors in judgment. Another was to steal three Beyonder powers that the target had formerly used, beginning with the most recent power. The third would cause the enemy to lose plenty of vitality if the enemy could be affected by it, making them enter an aged state. Finally, one of them could create Worms of Time that didn't live long. They would secretly Parasitize the target's body and allow the charm-user to control them.

Among the seven remaining Worms of Time that Klein had, he had already made three into Fate Siphon charms and had given Miss Justice one and kept two. This also meant that he still had four Worms of Time, allowing him to try out each of the four effects. Of course, his intuition told him that the chances of a successful product weren't guaranteed.

As for Leonard's two Worms of Time, one had been made into a Fate Siphon charm. He had followed The World Gehrman Sparrow's instructions to pray to Mr. Fool and had received a reply. The other relied on Pallez Zoroast's help to create a Parasite charm.

After busying himself with a series of tasks, it was evening. Klein had five successes and one failure. He obtained two Yesterday Once More charms, one Parasite bullet, a Deceit bullet, and a Deprivation bullet.

The only failure was the Aging bullet, seemingly due to the inability to use sufficient powers from the mysterious space above the gray fog.

Looking at the three similar-looking bullets that were a mix of transparency or translucency, Klein heaved a sigh of relief. He took out Death Knell and loaded the bullet. In the revolver were three of his Control Spirit Bullets.

After clearing the altar, he walked out of the room and headed for the second floor. Upon entering the dining hall, he said to Butler Walter who was waiting for him, "Invite the guests to a hunting trip over the weekend in the city outskirts using the name list."

"Yes, sir." Walter was already prepared for this, remaining stem and serious.

Tingen City, 36 Zouteland Street.

Leonard got off the carriage as he looked at a newly built building with a mixed expression. He momentarily forgot to enter.

Chapter 1013: Individual Growth

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The 36 Zouteland Street of the past was just filled with a cement foundation, with each floor's two windows forming the shape of an arch with their covers being shut. It had the architectural traits of post-1300s of the Fifth Epoch, and the natural lighting wasn't very good.

After its reconstruction, the bottom floor had a small sheltered porch with two oriel windows that extended to the second floor. The thinner portion of the window frames had a wall and a decorative column that supported a thin stone beam. Above the oriel window was a parapet that connected straight to the third floor.

This was a three-story architectural style that had been made popular in recent years.

His thoughts seemingly going adrift, Leonard had a feeling that he had come to the wrong place.

After falling into a daze for about ten seconds, he stepped into 36 Zouteland Street with a silver inlaid cane. Following that, he walked up the stairs, turned around a bend, and saw the black door and vertical signboard:

"Blackthorn Security Company."

When he arrived, he seemed to gradually find a sense of familiarity. He sped up his pace and pushed open the ajar door.

A brown-haired girl who held the Tingen City Honest Paper up vertically on the desk moved the papers to the side when she heard the unconcealed footsteps, revealing a smooth forehead, light-brown eyes, and a pretty face.

"…Good afternoon, Rozanne," Leonard greeted somewhat hesitantly.

Rozanne first wore a look of surprise before her expression fell. She said in an abnormally cold tone, "Good afternoon.

"Congratulations on avenging Captain and Klein."

Leonard widened his mouth, at a loss for a response. He didn't even press down on his top hat despite his dislike of wearing hats.

He forced a smile and nodded slightly. Then, he went forward in silence, passing Rozanne, planning to enter the door beyond the partition.

Just as he was about to enter the office, he suddenly heard Rozanne say rather softly behind him, "Live well…"

Leonard slowed down his pace slightly before nodding his head heavily.

When he entered the interior, he instantly saw Frye standing by the captain's office.

This Corpse Collector still had a paleness that resulted from not being under the sun for a long while. He had black hair and blue eyes, a high nose bridge, and very thin lips. He had a cold and dark demeanor.

Leonard solemnly looked at him for a few seconds before exhaling, trying hard to coolly smile.

"Long time no see."

"Good afternoon, long time no see." Frye pointed to the captain's office. "I've already received the telegram and know of your request. I'll get two team members to carry out the operation with you. Also, you need to fill in a Sealed Artifact request form."

Slightly surprised, Leonard said with a smile, "You're the captain now? You aren't as silent as before…"

Leonard had actually finished digesting his Soul Assurer potion and could advance to Sequence 5 Spirit Warlock, but to obtain the power of that drop of the Eternal Blazing Sun's blood, he deliberately kept it a secret. He continued placating the souls around Backlund and finally, through his hard work, found an opportunity to come to Tingen.

"Yes," Frye said with a gentle nod. "Actually, I don't like to speak much, but I have to do so as the captain."

Leonard nodded slightly.

"When did you become a captain? Why haven't I heard of it…"

"Recently," Frye succinctly replied before giving an explanation. "Shortly after you left, I became a Sequence 8 Gravedigger. I finally advanced to Spirit Medium last month. And it just so happened that the previous captain was transferred away."

"That's fast…" Before Leonard could finish his sentence, he had punched himself in the head. "Look at my memory. I forgot that Klein had already shared some experiences with everyone."

He lowered his right hand and said to Frye with a smile, "In that case, you still have room and time to make further progress. Perhaps you might become a deacon."

Frye shot a look at him and retracted his gaze.

"I'll likely not choose to continue advancing."

"Why?" Leonard took a few steps out and came to Frye's side, asking in puzzlement.

Frye looked up at the ceiling and said in a calm and heavy voice, "I wish to stay here.

"Protecting this place, always."

Leonard fell silent and didn't give a response.

He observed his surroundings and felt that there were quite significant changes, but there were also many things that remained immutable.

Frye fell silent for a while before saying, "I'll dispatch two members to follow you."

As he spoke, he headed for the basement. Leonard then subconsciously followed by the side.

The office right at the bottom had its door open. A few Nighthawks were in there playing cards—Fighting Evil.

When they sensed their captain approaching, they hurriedly put down their poker cards and stood up.

Leonard swept his gaze across them and saw two familiar faces. They were Royale, with her smooth black hair, and the white-haired, black-eyed Seeka.

At the same time, he also saw a few unfamiliar faces. He saw the pence, soli, and poker cards on the table.

For a moment, he felt his mind adrift as his vision blurred up.

…

In the Rorsted Archipelago waters, in a small harbor neighboring a fishing village, at the bottom of the Future.

Frank Lee rolled up his sleeves and crossed his arms, seriously looking at the mushroom in front of him.

The mushroom, together with its cap, stood at a height of 1.8 meters tall. Its white surface had a few bright red spots that resembled eyes, a nose, and a mouth.

Apart from that, its stem had protruding spores. They had thick and strong-looking white hypha that resembled tentacles.

Frank sized up this gigantic mushroom and surveyed the area, looking at the wooden walls, floorboards, and the mushrooms of different shapes and sizes before saying to Artisan Cielf, "Not bad. This experiment has made progress again. This mushroom has a strong inclination to reproduce, and this will make it hungry, making it eager to replenish itself with monster flesh and blood.

"Be it roasting or boiling, these can cease its activity, making it not as dangerous.

"Hmm, how does it taste? Didn't you try it? The offspring that it produces have random flavors: beef, fish, and malt. Some are even filled with milk. One of them is enough to satisfy any requirements for breakfast. See, the crew no longer enjoy drinking anymore. There are mushrooms that can be plucked everywhere… I believe that when out in the wilderness, to fill one's stomach, one has to carry dry rations and hunt wild beasts. That's just too troublesome. If we can let our bodies grow mushrooms, wouldn't it save the hassle?"

Artisan Cielf was a lot thinner than back when he was in Bayam. His eye sockets were deep and his eyes vacant. They were lacking in life.

Upon hearing Frank's words, he seemed to recall something as his body trembled. He silently crouched down and opened his mouth, producing retching noises.

"Are you okay? I know it was tough on you. I'm really grateful for all you've done recently," Frank said sincerely to the Artisan. "If it wasn't for you, the mushrooms wouldn't have such a strong inclination towards reproduction. Also, they have obtained abnormally strong vitality under the moonlight, allowing themselves to purify themselves. This effectively eliminated the poison that accumulates from devouring monsters. The only problem is that there's no moonlight in pure darkness. This is the next problem that we need to resolve."

Cielf didn't say a word. After he finished vomiting, he immediately stood up and turned to rush outside. However, a thick and strong white hypha reached out and pulled him back.

"R-return my mystical items to me! I want to die with these mushrooms!" he yelled frantically, his voice softening as his mouth was covered.

At this moment, green vines rapidly retreated from a certain spot of the fishing village, as though it was growing in reverse.

Cattleya walked out of it, her eyes dark purple with some silver hints to them.

Her ears continued resounding with the illusory ravings of the Hidden Sage; however, she no longer found it terrifying. She didn't find it unacceptable like before. Wherever she looked, there were countless indescribable figures looking as if they were shadows stacked upon each other, like an invisible gaze that was cast over from an unknown location.

Compared to the past, she could already see the unknown existence hidden behind the curtains. She could see the moons high up in the sky that were of different colors. They were either blood-red, silver, dark brown, or ghostly-blue, resembling eyes that looked down upon the land.

Cattleya's mind hummed as she hurriedly retracted her gaze, afraid to look further.

She had already dissected the Snake of Fate's blood and completed the ritual. Through that, she had obtained godhood, becoming a Sequence 4 Mysticologist of the Mystery Pryer pathway!

However, she remembered the Queen's warning:

Among all the Sequence 4 Beyonders of the twenty-two pathways, Mysticologist was the "job" that encountered danger the easiest. It was because they often saw things that they shouldn't see, hear things they shouldn't hear, and be aware of secrets they shouldn't be aware of.

Therefore, a Mysticologist needed to know how to curb their curiosity and control their respective actions in order to live long.

Removing the heavy glasses she hung on her clothes, Cattleya wore it, but all the various things she saw in the real world didn't vanish.

She curled her lips in satisfaction in a self-deprecating manner. She knew that the item could no longer seal her ability of prying into secrets.

She closed her eyes before opening them. Her eyes had turned black, no longer having the mysterious dark purple and silver hues.

Phew… Cattleya heaved a sigh of relief and slowly walked to the Future as though she had simply gone out for a stroll.

She didn't wish to announce her becoming a demigod, and she had no intention of quickly becoming the fifth royal over the seas. To her, this was a trump card in this dangerous world, one that she had to keep close to her chest.

…

South of the Bridge, Rose Street.

The carriage that Emlyn was on drove down the street when he saw the blurry figure in a white shirt and black vest with slightly messy hair appear opposite him. It was that wraith-like young man.

"Long time no see, Mr. Maric," Emlyn said with an unsurprised smile.

Maric nodded slightly.

"I'm here to tell you that we've already made the preparations. We can discuss the actual operation."

1014 The Growing Group

"Alright," Emlyn replied very calmly.

Marie didn't speak further as his figure vanished.

He knew that it was impossible to come up with a specific plan in an instant. Emlyn White had to first seek the opinion of the upper echelons of the Sanguine; therefore, he didn't stay.

This might be a chance for me to obtain godhood and become an Earl… Emlyn smiled as he watched the Wraith, Marie, leave silently.

He had yet to digest the Scarlet Scholar Beyonder characteristic. The so-called opportunity to become an Earl referred to the promise of obtaining a free ritual and the corresponding potion formula.

The carriage continued forward and stopped at the entrance of the Harvest Church. Emlyn looked at the grayish-white fog in the sky with a look of satisfaction, pressed down on his silk top hat, and unhurriedly alighted the carriage before entering the cathedral's door.

After changing into his brown priest robe, he picked up a cloth and a pail of water and began seriously wiping the surface of the candle stands.

After Father Utravsky, who appeared taller, finished his morning sermon, Emlyn stopped working and grumbled, "Why was Ernes allowed to return?"

"He only requested to do a month of volunteer work." Father Utravsky wasn't annoyed by Emlyn's repeated question from time to time, appearing extremely patient.

Upon thinking of his encounter, Emlyn immediately felt indignant. He couldn't help but mumble, "He was forced to do volunteer work, not out of his own accord. He can't be allowed to decide on the period. He needs to serve at least half a year!"

Father Utravsky replied with a smile, "He did well. He worked hard the entire month, guiding the devotees and copying the bible. I could clearly sense that he had already realized the value of life and the joy of the harvest."

Emlyn's facial muscles twitched slightly.

"Is he also—no, is he soon going to become a believer of Earth Mother?"

"No, I didn't force him to change his faith," Father Utravsky said gently. "I only taught him the teachings of Earth Mother and to sense the traces and fragments that life brings. I hope that he will recall the home for the soul, the mother's embrace, whenever he feels lost."

Emlyn's lips quivered, but he ultimately didn't say a word. He lowered his head and continued wiping.

In an apartment in Cherwood Borough.

Fors sat on a high-back chair, her gaze focused on an empty glass bottle on the desk in front of her.

She had finally digested the Astrologer potion some time ago. Today, under Xio's watch, she had concocted the Asmann's brain and the ancient wraith's cursed item into the Scribe potion. She mustered her courage and drank it.

At this moment, she felt her brain rapidly expanding. The grand folds and white matter rapidly increased as her body gradually blurred, separating into individual cells.

Those cells formed a haloed "door" that circled her brain.

Fors subtly heard the familiar ravings, but they were indistinct and blurry, preventing her from identifying the exact words at all. To the experienced her, it didn't affect her in any way.

After an unknown period of time, Fors finally regained control over her brain and cells and could sense her body's existence.

Almost at the same time, a large amount of knowledge resonated in her mind, making her understand how to use the powers of a Scribe.

The mutated "brain" reproduced the Beyonder powers used by the target before driving a portion of the vitalized cells to form corresponding symbols, patterns, and labels for complete storage.

This was "I came, I saw, I record," which used one's soul as a pen and one's Spirit Body as the paper!

At present, I can only record one Beyonder power that has the influence of godhood. The higher the target's Sequence, the higher the chances of my failure. Even targeted at Sequence 4,1 might not be able to succeed even once in ten attempts… I can record eight Sequence 5 and 6 Beyonder powers, and the effects are half of the original. I can record twenty Sequence 7 to Sequence 9 Beyonder powers with their effects being almost like the original… When the potion is digested further, I'll enjoy an enhancement in all these aspects… Fors concluded the knowledge and her experiences before silently muttering to herself.

This appeared to overlap with Leymano's Travels, but Fors felt that no one would ever find having too many Beyonder powers being excessive. Besides, the two were complementary. After all, she could rent Leymano's Travels to other Tarot Club members and be paid with Beyonder powers. However, she was unable to rent herself out.

At Sequence 6, an Apprentice finally has sufficient combat strength! Fors reined in her thoughts as she sighed to Xio.

She then took a pen and paper and began writing a letter:

"Dear Teacher, "I'm very pleased to inform you that I've finally become a Scribe. I'm just one step away from my dreams of 'Traveling'…"

After writing a few sentences, she saw Xio stand up and walk towards the door from the corner of her eye. She hurriedly shouted at her, "Hey, shouldn't we head to a restaurant to celebrate?"

Xio replied in a stern manner, "Your overflowing spirituality is rather serious. You'll need several days of Cogitation to keep it under control. Uh, you aren't allowed to smoke or drink. Don't overly indulge yourself in your emotions."

After the advice, she added, "I still have commissions to do. I almost have enough to exchange for the Judge formula."

"…Alright." Fors threw up her hands.

After leaving the house, Xio unlocked the chains and got onto a bicycle specially created for youths. She then rode towards Hillston Borough.

According to the intelligence she had previously obtained, Viscount Stratford had reserved lunch at a luxurious restaurant.

Upon reaching the restaurant, Xio secured the bike to a street lamp and found a secluded comer to observe the people passing by.

After an unknown period of time, a carriage drove through the thin fog. There was a coat of arms with a flower and two rings engraved on it.

Xio's focus intensified as she watched the carriage stop at the restaurant's entrance. She then saw the grizzled Viscount Stratford, who was in his forties, get off first. He then extended his hand to the passenger behind him like a gentleman.

It was a lady draped in a dark red cloak.

Xio couldn't see the lady's face and only noticed that the lady's jaw was soft and her skin fair.

On the Blue Avenger at the Northern Sonia Sea.

Alger Wilson's feet left the ground as he floated behind the window of the captain's cabin. He stared at the deck and distant waves outside.

Having already digested a portion of the Ocean Songster potion, he had reported to the Church of Storms two weeks ago and had accumulated enough contribution points to obtain a Wind-blessed potion and successfully consumed it. This also meant that he was officially a Sequence 6. Of course, he had to redigest the Wind-blessed potion, but that wasn't too difficult.

The biggest problem is that the commotion created from digesting the Ocean Songster is too obvious… I should've bought that Word of the Sea and blamed the singing on it every time… Alger sighed silently, but he didn't feel too much regret. This was because even if he wanted to buy it back then, he didn't have the money for it.

Furthermore, he had figured out the way to digest the Ocean Songster potion.

I should be able to get the information soon and confirm who that Feysac navy officer that Mr. Fool wishes to investigate is… Alger retracted his gaze and floated back to the desk where there was a brass sextant.

At this moment, two sailors passed by the deck while belching.

"There seem to be sirens in these waters. I always hear their singing at night…" one of the sailors said in uncertainty.

His companion sneered.

"How is that possible? How can a siren sound so bad?

"It must be some noise produced by some sea monster!"

City of Silver, in the training field which wasn't as crowded compared to during "daytime."

A pile of blue ice was stacked there like a small mountain.

Derrick didn't bring his weapon with him as he stood empty-handed in front of the mountain of ice, piously praying, "The Fool that doesn't belong to this era…"

After chanting the honorific name and making his request, he looked at the Chief of the six-member council, Colin Iliad, walk towards the ice blocks from afar.

Colin, with two swords on his back, carried a bottle of light-emitting and hot golden liquid. He watched as Derrick exerted his strength to enter the ice block and bury himself inside completely without leaving a single crack.

A deep and hazy darkness descended. Even with the lightning streaking across the sky, it was unable to illuminate the interior.

In the blink of an eye, an indescribable surge appeared as though pairs of eyes were cast over from the depths of the darkness.

Colin Iliad could clearly sense that Derrick was in a deep slumber. Even though Derrick was being frozen in ice that normally didn't melt and his body was trembling, he didn't wake up.

Without any hesitation, he threw the potion bottle ahead of him. A wraith-like transparent figure floated above and enveloped it.

This figure passed through the blue ice and came to the cramped space where Derrick was. It took out the potion and placed it by Derrick's mouth.

Just as this action was done, it immediately retreated and left the ice blocks.

Whoosh!

Colin Iliad suddenly drew his sword and cleaved behind him to his right. A monster, whose rotting body was covered in eyes, burst out into yellow pus.

It wasn't known where it came from!

At this moment, Colin saw a radiant light emerge from the pile of blue ice. They scattered pure light, with a burning intensity, warmth, brightness, and vitality that was different from the surrounding lightning.

This filled Colin's eyes as if the light had come from the Dark Ages.

This City of Silver Chief watched intently and was motionless for a long time until another monster emerged from the darkness.

In the ancient palace above the fog.

Little Sun is at Sequence 5 too… Klein heaved a sigh of relief as he cast his eyes at the crimson star representing The Sun and cast it to another star.

That signified Miss Justice. Over the past month or so, she had completed many of the Psychology Alchemists' missions and had exchanged her contribution for the Dreamwalker's potion formula.

This also meant that she was about to meet Hvin Rambis again.

1015 March of War

Backlund, at the residence of the furniture merchant, Hampres.

Audrey once again met the councilor of the Psychology Alchemists, Hvin Rambis.

This old gentleman remained warm and elegant, his white but lush hair was neatly combed. His blue, deep eyes seemed to contain infinite knowledge.

Upon seeing him, Audrey's eyes wore a vacant look before she came to a realization. It was as though she had finally awoken from a long dream and recovered her lost memories.

She wasn't surprised or puzzled by this at all, accepting this fact without any resistance as if it was something very normal.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Rambis," Audrey greeted with the etiquette that was flawless.

Rambis nodded slightly and replied with a smile, "Good afternoon, our girl."

Over the past month or so, he had gradually adopted the idea that she was the "pride of the Psychology Alchemists" and the "most important girl."

Audrey glanced at the diamond brooch at her chest and sat down with a smile, waiting for Hvin Rambis to speak.

In regard to the cue and guidance, she hadn't been affected at all due to her preparations. At that moment, when she heard Hvin Rambis call her that, she wished to ignore everything, etiquette or whatnot, rolling her eyes without being afraid of being exposed. However, she ultimately held back without exposing any problems.

Hvin Rambis looked at Audrey for a few seconds before saying with the same smile, "You've done well during this period of time. As a reward, we've decided to give you the potion formula for Dreamwalker."

As he spoke, he took out a folded piece of paper from his shirt pocket and placed it on the coffee table. He then pushed it towards the noble lady.

Audrey pressed down on her skirt and got up slightly. She picked up the piece of paper and unfolded it in front of Hvin Rambis.

Her gaze first fell on the main ingredients before she quickly skimmed the ritual.

"Main ingredients: One Dreamcatcher's heart, one mind illusion crystal or a mature mind dragon's complete brain." "Ritual: Seek out a harpy in the spirit world and sign a contract with it. Then, holding one tail feather, consume the potion amidst intense feelings of either joy or anger."

As though sensing Audrey's puzzlement, Hvin Rambis explained with a smile, "A harpy has the ability to give nightmares. It can snap people awake from their dreams, so the entire ritual's essence is to be immersed in a dream and be unwilling to wake up from it. Get pulled out of the dream via an external force, or else you might sleep forever or lose control and turn into a monster."

Audrey nodded in thought.

"The requirement to consume the potion amidst intense feelings is to prevent myself from sleeping too soundly and deeply?"

Yes, you've already grasped the crux of the matter," Hvin Rambis said with a smile. "If you don't know much about the spirit world and can't find a harpy, we can provide some help."

If the ritual's essence is for me to wake up from a dream, that means that the harpy isn't necessary. The blessings of Mr. Fool's angel can allow me to remain lucid in dreams. I can wake up whenever I want… Audrey's green eyes darted about and said with looks of anticipation, "I can try it myself first."

"Alright," Hvin didn't mind the girl's desire to take risks.

He paused and said, "I have another matter for you. If you do it well, we will provide you with all the ingredients of the Dreamwalker potion."

"What is it?" Audrey asked without any resistance, just like before.

Hvin Rambis said with a slightly solemn expression, "Find out the attitudes of your father, Earl Hall, the present Duke Negan, Admiral Amyrius, and the other nobles about a relatively major war."

"War…" Audrey repeated the word that she had often heard but found somewhat unfamiliar. She had a vague feeling that ripples had suddenly formed under the surface of a seemingly calm lake.

War… Above the gray fog, Klein listened to Miss Justice's prayer and fell into deep thought.

He was unable to determine whether the Psychology Alchemists; Hermes, or maybe even Adam—who was lurking behind them—welcomed or objected to a war.

As for whether the Loen king, the prime minister, and a number of nobles and the Members of Parliaments wanted war, the answer was relatively clear.

Last year, The Hanged Man had once asked Miss Justice a similar question. Her answer was that the king and prime minister had the tendencies of being war-mongers, but they had chosen to first focus on internal reforms and settle the connections over various matters.

Now, about a year had passed, and all the policies that had been implemented were on track.

In other words, it was time to start a war to snatch back the interests which Loen had lost in East Balam!

It's a revolutionary era. The strife between countries are intense, and once war begins, it's unlikely that it can be controlled… Furthermore, Adam, Amon, and the other Kings of Angels have appeared one after another, have already retrieved key items, or are seeking breakthroughs. A storm is about to descend on the mysterious world, and danger is lurking… Klein sighed and returned to the real world.

The next day, he first went to Saint Samuel Cathedral to pray according to his schedule and donated tens of pounds. Following that, he went to 22 Phelps Street, planning to participate in some of the business of the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation.

The moment he stepped inside, Klein saw Miss Audrey Hall and a few of the foundation's staff coming down the stairs and walking towards the door.

This noble lady was dressed very simply today. Her hair was tied up into a simple bun, and she wore no other accessories. Her dress was light green in color, and her sleeves had a circle of frills. There were no laces or tassels.

"Good morning, Miss Audrey." Klein took off his hat as usual and bowed. He then nodded at the staff and greeted them.

After Audrey responded, Klein casually asked, "Where are you going?"

He knew that Miss Justice's main role in the foundation was to seek donations from the various ladies and gentlemen in high society.

Audrey replied with a faint smile, "Visit the various universities and show some concern to the students we helped previously."

Having said that, she blinked her eyes as her smile widened.

"Mr. Dantes, do you want to go together? Take a look at the children who had the chance of changing their fates due to your ideas and kindness. Oh, some of them are already young adults."

Although Klein had never thought of obtaining anything in return from the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation, he truly wished that these actions could help the target group. Therefore, he was rather concerned about the progress and the actual situation. He nodded with a smile after some hesitation.

"I have no way of rejecting such an invitation."

The group went out the door, and under Miss Audrey's suggestion, they chose an untracked public carriage.

After getting into the carriage, Klein, in a gentlemanly-like manner, let Miss Audrey sit down first. Then, he sat opposite her and asked with a smile, "You seem to be very used to it?"

Audrey looked at the foundation's staff beside her and said with a smile, "It's not the first time. It's impossible for us to take my own carriage every time we head out. They have to use public transportation."

Upon saying that, she blushed in embarrassment and said, "The first time I was on a public carriage, I took out notes with one-pound face value. The lady who collected the money got me to buy a few copies of newspapers before going back to her.

"Oh, it's cleaner than I imagined. The smell of the air isn't that unbearable either."

Klein nodded slightly and said, "This is because the truly poor are unable to take public transport like this. They'd rather walk. Under normal circumstances, they don't have to head out, nor do they go somewhere too far."

"Mr. Dantes, you seem to be familiar with such matters?" Although Audrey had guessed the reason, she still asked in front of others.

Klein smiled.

"Although I've never experienced it directly, I've seen too much of it."

Audrey didn't continue on the topic. Instead, she mentioned to the beneficiaries that they were visiting to confirm their education and living conditions.

Amidst their idle chat, they arrived at their first destination—Backlund University of Technology.

Based on Audrey's identity and Dwayne Dantes's social relations, they met the chancellor of the newly established university directly. He was a resident of 100 Boklund Street, Mr. Portland Moment.

This elder had a large build, a ruddy complexion, and a loud voice. Whenever he talked to his neighbor, Dwayne Dantes, and the distinguished Miss Audrey about the university's establishment, he would complain about the Higher Education Commission from time to time.

Audrey and Klein listened with a decent smile and occasionally echoed his words.

Finally, they found an opportunity to raise the need to begin work.

Portland was just about to get his secretary when he suddenly heard someone knock on his office door.

"Please come in," the chancellor said loudly.

The door opened without a sound. A black-haired, brown-eyed girl entered. She didn't doll herself up and was rather thin. She had nice facial features, and she looked to be seventeen or eighteen.

Klein's gaze suddenly deepened before he reined it in.

The girl hadn't expected the chancellor's office to have guests. In her anxiety, she hurriedly lowered her head and said, "I'm sorry."

"It's fine. They were about to leave anyway," Portland said without minding it. "Have you finished the item I got you to make last week?"

,fYes." The girl walked through the door and stood to the side.

Portland Moment then smiled at Dwayne Dantes and Audrey.

"Her name is Melissa Moretti. She's very talented with machinery. I happened to chance upon her and got her to help in my laboratory. Of course, she can only do some miscellaneous chores for now."

"Not bad." The corners of Klein's mouth curled up as he commended her with an obvious smile.

Audrey glanced at him and smiled.

There are always arrogant people who say that women have no talent in machinery, and this lady has proven them wrong."

Portland laughed and shook his head.

"There's no need to bother about such comments. Alright, I'll get my secretary to help you in understanding the conditions of those beneficiaries."

Audrey and Klein didn't stay any longer as they left the office.

Once they were out the door, Audrey stole a glance at Dwayne Dantes, but she didn't say a word.

1016 News from the Numinous Episcopate

160 Boklund Street, inside Dwayne Dantes's mansion.

Klein stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, watching as the rain began to descend along with the wind. The rain hit the ground and the glass, intersecting to form a mesh.

Ever since autumn, Backlund had started to rain again. It brought with it a lingering coldness and humidity.

Klein stood there motionless for a long time, watching silently into the distance through the blurry rainy scene, his eyes unfocused.

Only when his spiritual perception was triggered did he stop his wandering thoughts and turned his head to the side. Reinette, with the four blonde, red-eyed heads in her hand, had a letter as she walked out of the void.

"Who is it from this time?" Klein asked Miss Messenger out of habit.

The last letter he received came from Sharron. The lady had told him that she had successfully completed the ritual and advanced to Sequence 4 Puppet of the Prisoner pathway.

Klein first sincerely congratulated her and apologetically informed her that he had already obtained what he needed and didn't need to visit Calderon City in the spirit world anytime soon.

Of course, he also indicated that there was a huge secret there that might have something to do with him. He would probably head there one day, and when that time came, if Miss Sharron had the time or was willing, he wished to obtain her support.

For Klein, on the one hand, he might have to head there to find the future ingredients he needed for his advancement. On the other hand, he believed that the magical city that involved ancient Death, Phoenix Ancestor Gregrace, also might contain the method to heal Mr. Azik's incomplete Spirit Body's. Even if this Death Consul didn't have the means to advance, he hoped that by doing so, the former didn't need to repeatedly suffer the torment of losing his memories.

Of course, Klein had prepared a plan for that. It was to wait until he advanced to Sequence 3 Scholar of Yore. He could prepare more Yesterday Once More charms for Mr. Azik, or he could imbue him with the corresponding Beyonder powers to speed up the recovery of his memories each time.

At that moment, Klein had already received a letter. Reinette Tinekerr's four heads replied one after another, "From…" "That…""Undying…""Idiot…"

…Patrick Bryan of the Numinous Episcopate's Artificial Death faction… Klein easily understood who Miss Messenger was referring to. This was because Patrick was the one who wrote the most to him over the past two months. He reported almost anything of slight importance and asked for instructions.

After a few times, Reinette Tinekerr gave him a nickname.

Miss Messenger never showed interest in such matters before. I wonder when it began… Most of the people who write to me have been given nicknames except Miss Sharron… As Klein silently mumbled, he unfurled the letter and gave it a quick scan.

In the letter, Patrick Bryan said that the Southern Continent's orders were no longer about getting him to make various attempts to awaken "Death." Instead, they got him to prepare a special ritual and help the Death domain angel inside the mausoleum, Artificial Death faction's leader, Haiter, recover. It was to allow "Him" to have the means to temporarily leave the "land in which 'He' sealed 'Himself.'"

Such an order didn't seem problematic on the surface, but it was a little sudden. However, Klein still sensed something amiss.

The Artificial Death faction of the Numinous Episcopate in the Southern Continent had previously made Patrick continue the strange but dangerous rituals to awaken Death. I managed to trick them by instructing him to use excuses such as the inability to gather the materials or the ultimate failure of the experiment. Now, they've finally suspected that there's something wrong with Patrick? Klein nodded in thought.

He suspected that this was a test directed at Patrick Bryan, a test that pointed towards an angel!

An angel's response to rituals covered the entire world.

Yes, it's good as long as they don't suspect there's a problem with Artificial Death. After all, they've inherited a huge inheritance from the ancient Balam Empire. Who knows if they have a way to affect the Goddess's progress in controlling the Death pathway's Uniqueness. It could be a bane for both sides… Klein analyzed for a moment before heaving a sigh of relief.

As for the test by the Death domain angel, he didn't think much of it. This was because The Fool could also direct power at the same level. With Angel's Embrace, a disruption effect could be made. As long as the High Priest named Haiter didn't descend in person and only exerted influence remotely, he could carry out misdirections in an ingenious manner.

After figuring this out, Klein flicked his wrist, igniting Patrick Bryan's letter with scarlet flames. As he returned to his desk, he took out a pen and paper and wrote:

"…You may proceed according to your teacher's instructions, but before the actual ritual, you must report this to me and gain my permission…"

As the interval between the receiving and sending of letters were short, Patrick Bryan likely remained in his original spot. Klein didn't summon Patrick's messenger and instead blew the adventurer's harmonica and handed the folded letter to Reinette Tinekerr.

Amidst the drizzle, Xio draped a simple raincoat lined with tree sap over her and hid in the shadows, staring at the side door of Viscount Stratford's residence.

It wasn't even evening, but the street lamps were already lit up. They emitted a faint glow in the rain.

After a while, a rental carriage drove over from afar and stopped in front of the side door in a remote area.

The viscount's valet that had been hiding immediately ran out, opening an umbrella.

He sheltered the cloaked woman down the carriage and quickly passed through the side door. As for the rental carriage, it remained in its spot without leaving. It had apparently been paid a sufficient amount of money.

Xio still failed to see the woman's appearance, but she wasn't disheartened by it. She patiently waited in the cold rain as though she had turned into a motionless statue.

She planned on attempting to tail the woman once she came out to confirm her identity.

This was both an opportunity for her to obtain the Judge potion formula, and it was also the reason why she came to Backlund—to investigate the truth of her father's death!

And it was because she was spurred by such motives that Xio had persisted in monitoring Viscount Stratford to this day. MI9's other intelligence officers had already ended the mission due to the lack of any developments over the previous few months. Even the golden-masked man who had designated the mission hadn't asked about this in weeks. Clearly, he didn't place any importance on it.

Inside Viscount Stratford's bedroom, a beautiful brown-haired girl wore a silk gown and sat in front of a dressing table. She was fiddling with the skincare and makeup products as if she had discovered a treasure trove.

Viscount Stratford, who was already middle-aged, wore a male nightgown and walked to the beautiful girl with his hair still moist. He smiled at her reflection in the mirror and said, "Shermane, you no longer need those to add to your beauty."

"It's just a type of female instinct." The young girl named Shermane raised her hand with a smile, pressing down on the viscount's palm that had been placed on her shoulder.

Viscount Stratford smiled gently and said, "When you touch them, you have a pure and innocent air to you. Heh heh, you make me discover my youth, like the days when I was only eighteen."

Without waiting for Shermane's reply, he continued, "My wife had already passed away for years. I always imagined I would live until the Lord beckons for me, but who knew that I would meet you. In a while, when the pressure accumulated in Backlund is relieved, I will find a chance to walk down the wedding aisle to the altar with you."

"Wedding… You want to marry me?" Shermane was taken aback as she asked in disbelief.

Viscount Stratford smiled and said, "Meeting you is a gift from the Lord. Although you aren't of noble birth, I've already married once. I don't have to consider such matters anymore. Of course, I'll think of means to raise your standing in society. Yes, I'll first find a merchant to recognize you as his illegitimate daughter…"

He droned on about his plan until he saw Shermane's eyes filled with tears in the mirror's reflection.

"The most precious thing about you is that you treat me ten times better than how well I treat you, and you don't hide it." Viscount Stratford smiled as he lowered his head and kissed the top of Shermane's head.

Shermane opened her mouth, seemingly crying and laughing.

Only when the drizzle stopped and night fell did Xio finally wait for the woman in a dark red cloak walk out and board the carriage.

After memorizing the carriage's traits, Xio tailed it from afar, using her Beyonder powers as a Sheriff and the empty streets at night to follow the target simply by walking or running.

She went all the way from Empress Borough to the Backlund Bridge area. Even with her stamina, she was almost at her limit, but thankfully, the carriage finally came to a stop.

Xio brightened up as she switched her target from the carriage to the cloaked woman and continued tailing her.

During this process, she was surprised that the woman had very good anti-tracking abilities. She would occasionally take detours and pause using obstacles.

However, this didn't stump Xio, since she was already an experienced Sheriff. She patiently tailed from afar without coming too close.

Just as she sensed that the woman wasn't too far from her final destination and that she was finally about to catch up to her, she suddenly caught the scent of a sweet, ethereal fragrance.

Xio's mind went into a daze amidst the fragrance before she completely lost track of her target.

As for the fragrance, it had vanished as though it had never appeared.

Xio's pupils widened slightly. She didn't dare to search her surroundings for any traces.

Inside a rental apartment, Trissy, with a gentle and sweet face that made one unable to resist looking at her, looked at the mirror reflecting Shermane and said, "You seem to be in a good mood.

"How was it? This final mission isn't too unacceptable, right?

"Once you complete it, you can leave Backlund and start your own life."

Shermane was taken aback as her expression turned complicated as though she was disheartened. It was as though she had suddenly snapped out of her dreams.

She didn't turn her head as her lips quivered while replying, "He said that he wishes to marry me…"

Trissy immediately pricked up her brows.

You mustn't believe a man's words during those times. You and I should know this very well.

"If he really wishes to marry you, he wouldn't be wary of you. He will wish to have a child with you. Heh heh, did he do so?"

Upon hearing her question, Shermane's mood turned sullen.

Trissy stood up and said with a smile, "I'm not stopping you from pursuing your love. If you wish to turn this temporary mission into a permanent one, you should think about what needs to be done."

After ethereally finishing her sentence, she walked to the door and left the rented apartment.

While heading down the staircase, Trissy suddenly noticed her shoes. She chuckled and said in a seemingly self- deprecating manner, "Love…"

1017 Maygur Manor

Backlund, Empress Borough, in the outskirts towards the northwest. This was a place that needed more than an hour via horse carriage. Maygur Manor was built by the side of the Tussock River, so it had beautiful scenery around it with flourishing vegetation within its confines.

Strangely enough, Backlund's city areas had perennial rain with relatively few sunny days. However, in the outskirts, the clouds tended to be thin, and the sun was always bright. Despite the short distance, the two places had completely different weather. It was most obvious within the northwestern outskirts. It was even a rather famous grape plantation in the Northern Continent. And by following the Tussock River from this region northwest for another fifty kilometers, one would again encounter weather similar to Backlund's city area.

Such situations left meteorologists puzzled. They couldn't find any suitable theories to explain the reason. However, Klein had a vague guess.

In the Fourth Epoch, this was the capital of the Tudor-Trunsoest United Empire. It was also here that Blood Emperor Alista abandoned "His" humanity and became a crazy deity. Therefore, it was normal that the weather and terrain had changed forever in those very small confines. Leonard Mitchell had once mentioned information about this during one of the free exchanges.

Furthermore as an area with a long history and signs of early human activity, this "Land of Hope" buried countless ancient ruins. It was very possible that they could have an influence on the weather.

The carriage drove into Maygur Manor, passing by the fountain pond and small garden that was surrounded by the main building. Finally, it stopped outside the main door.

Just as Klein got off the carriage with Butler Walter, he saw the land steward, Richardson, lead two rows of male and female servants by the door, awaiting their employer.

Compared to 160 Boklund Street, there were more servants here, but they were mainly lower-class servants.

Looking at Richardson wearing a spanking new suit, Klein nodded with a smile.

"Well done."

Without waiting for Richardson to reply, he took off his hat and handed it along with his cane to his valet, Enuni, while asking, "Have you prepared the activity room for the ladies to chat and for men to play cards in?"

丨Yes, sir. IVe placed poker cards, tarot cards, and some board games. The piano, violins' and other common musical instruments have also been moved inside," Richardson answered eloquently.

Klein passed through the door and nodded.

"Where's the smoking room for the gentlemen?"

"Like the ladies, it's all on the second floor. They're separated by five rooms." Richardson didn't need the servants in the manor to remind him. He didn't even need to recall to give an answer.

To ensure that his employer's first hunting excursion was flawless, he had taken note of every nitty-gritty detail. Although it exhausted him physically, he was excited mentally.

Klein asked about dinner and the guest rooms and confirmed that everything was in place.

Before long, he received the first batch of guests after Maygur Manor had a change of name—now known as Dantes Manor.

Member of Parliament Macht and his family!

"This place is much bigger than my Moose Manor." Macht took off his coat with a smile and handed it to a servant while praising, "I've always heard of Maygur's wine being of excellent quality, but I've never had the chance of tasting it. I can finally have my curiosity satisfied today."

"I hope you won't be disappointed." Klein smiled modestly.

As a famous area for grape plantations in the Northern Continent, champagne, red wine, and white wine were considered the finest in Backlund's northwestern outskirts. But with the manor here mainly owned by the nobles, self- brewed alcoholic beverages were typically not sold to the public. Therefore, it was almost unheard of. Only people from high society or those related to them would know of this.

Maygur was one of the most iconic manors. The wine that it brewed was widely praised by people in the know. Red wine of certain years was even offered at more than a hundred pounds a bottle by collectors.

However, for Klein to be able to buy this manor for 20,000 pounds, he naturally had to agree to certain conditions. All the wine from certain years were to be taken away by Duke Negan's servants.

Macht was rather clear about this and didn't expect to drink famous wine commodities. He said with a laugh, "You can open a few bottles and pour a small glass of each for me. Let me decide which of the remaining wine is most spectacular."

As a member of high society, he had never tasted the wine of Maygur Manor. The reason was simple: he was a member of the New Party, and the previous owner, Duke Negan, was the main sponsor of the Conservative Party.

"No problem," Klein immediately agreed as his gaze swept across Hazel's face.

Compared to July and August, this girl had clearly cheered up. She no longer felt apprehensive when facing strangers. Previously, it was as bad as not willing to participate in any banquets or balls. This made those familiar with her think she was sick.

And this was all thanks to Audrey. Whenever she met Dwayne Dantes at the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation, she had mentioned that she had recently met Miss Hazel Macht twice.

Such communication didn't seem problematic at first glance since Hazel was a common acquaintance of Audrey and Dantes. Finding a topic about a common friend was common in idle chatter. However, Klein could read Miss Justice's hints and understood that she had met Hazel twice at different balls and banquets and had treated her twice.

After getting Macht's family settled in, Klein welcomed the second batch of guests for the weekend hunting trip:

Brigadier General Qonas Kilgor who had come with a friend that he had previously mentioned.

Klein knew this friend, but he didn't know Dwayne Dantes. He was a steam car mogul, Framis Cage. He was one of the main investors of the bicycle project. He had relied on a lawyer suspected to be a Beyonder with the Lawyer Sequence and had bought the 10% shares from Sherlock Moriarty at a cheap price.

Since he's related to a Lawyer, it can be explained how he's an Earl of The Fallen's friend… Klein went forward with a smile and hugged Brigadier General Qonas and Framis Cage.

"Welcome."

He then stepped back and said to the portly, light-blue-eyed Framis who was a quarter Feysac, "I heard your steam car is very famous. Why didn't you drive it over?"

Before Framis could answer, the manly Qonas Kilgor said with a smile, "No, you don't understand him. He will never give up the chance to showcase his steam car.

"However, the car's too heavy. On the way here, it fell into a ditch and couldn't be pulled out. Thankfully, I never believed his claims and rode on a carriage myself, following behind him. Otherwise, he would've had to cover the remaining distance on foot."

"The main problem is that our roads are terrible. They need to be renovated and rebuilt. They need metal tracks to be paved, just like steam locomotives!" Framis retorted and threw his hands up. "I was planning on seeking some investments from you. Haha, we can talk about it later."

You were the one who invested in us previously, but now you're asking me for an investment… Only then did Klein realize that he was a rather famous tycoon in the upper class of the kingdom!

He had donated shares worth more than 10,000 pounds and had purchased an expensive manor. He had also established connections with the military, so it was obvious he was rich!

But in fact, my current net worth is only fifty to sixty thousand gold pounds, perhaps a tenth of Miss Justice's wealth… I wonder when I can really become a tycoon with a net worth of a million pounds… Klein thought in a self-deprecating manner. After some thought, he said, "It's fine. I'm very interested in the fusion of machinery and steam. When I'm free, I can take a look at your steam car."

"Spectacular," Framis immediately said with a smile. "If I didn't know that you had donated a large sum to the Church of Evernight, I might even think of you as a believer of the God of Steam."

I've drawn the triangular Sacred Emblem on my chest in the past after all… Klein didn't continue on this topic, afraid that Qonas would discover his intentions.

He pointed to the staircase and said, "Why don't you head to the smoking room to try some of the prized cigar collections here?

"It wasn't until I bought this manor that I learned that there was a room specially for storing cigars. Its temperature and humidity are maintained, but as you know, I can smoke, but I don't like it."

"Not bad. Do you have Chieftain?" Qonas Kilgor's face suffused a smile.

"Of course." Klein gave a positive answer.

There was only one goal in organizing this hunting trip. It was to hunt this brigadier general, deputy director of MI9. Therefore, he had taken into consideration all his preferences.

However, Klein wasn't in a hurry to take action for this hunting trip. This was because he still lacked an understanding of Qonas Kilgor's actual strength as a hidden demigod. He needed more gatherings and hunts to figure out his preferences, level of alertness, and the items he brought with him.

As a Magician, Klein didn't perform unprepared!

In an apartment in Cherwood Borough.

Fors put down the book in her hand and looked at Xio who was pacing around the activity room. She couldn't help but ask, "What are you troubled about?"

Xio shot her a glance and said, "I'm frustrated over whether to inform MI9 about Viscount Stratford's close relationship with an unknown woman, or to keep it from them until there's further development."

"Why are you keeping it from them?" Fors first asked in return before giving her answer. "Viscount Stratford is related to your father's death, but you normally lack the opportunity or strength to confront him, afraid of being exposed and affecting your mother and brother. And now, he might encounter an accident because of that unknown woman. He's in a relatively easy to deal with state. This is your opportunity, so you're being hesitant, right?"

Xio fell silent for a moment before saying, "Yes."

Fors closed the book, stared at her friend, and said in a serious manner, "Since you're hesitating, it means you're already inclined towards one option."

Xio slowly nodded and said, "Yes."

Fors fondled her slightly long curly hair and stood up, extending her right hand, and said, "I already know your decision. Well, do you need help?"

Seeing Xio hesitant to give an answer, she laughed and said, "I'm a Sequence 6 Beyonder!"

Without waiting for Xio to answer, she looked around.

"If you're worried, we can still seek additional help."

She was implying that they could get help from the members of the Tarot Club.

Xio thought about it and exhaled.

"Not for now. Let's try it first. Uh, let's head out now and continue monitoring Viscount Stratford."

"Now?" Fors was taken aback. "Alright. But before that, let me use the crystal ball to do some astromancy to confirm the level of danger."

After some work, she held the pure crystal ball in one hand and said, "There's a certain level of danger."

1018 Unexpected

Empress Borough, by the side of Viscount Stratford's mansion.

Fors and Xio, who were dressed in black dresses, hid in a dark corner. They stared intently at the tightly closed metal gates as they patiently waited for their target to appear.

It wasn't raining tonight, so they didn't have to face harsh weather conditions. The carriage that remained parked by the side of the street lamps made it clear to them that their patience would be rewarded. It was only a matter of time.

After an unknown period of time, the gates produced a heavy metal groan as they slowly opened.

A figure in a black cloak appeared with its head bowed. The figure walked to the side of the carriage and nimbly boarded the carriage.

"Is that her?" Fors lowered her voice and asked Xio.

She didn't have Beyonder powers that could restore a target's characteristics from a mere description, and she had never seen her before. Therefore, she couldn't rely on her spiritual intuition or astromancy to make a judgment.

Xio nodded in affirmation and said, "Yes!"

As they quietly conversed, the rental carriage sped up and left the side gates.

Xio immediately left her hiding spot, prepared to use her Sheriffs Beyonder powers and the physical enhancement that being an Interrogator gave her to lock onto her target while jogging.

"What are you doing?" At that moment, Fors pressed down on her shoulder, foiling her plans.

"Track her!" Xio looked back at her friend in puzzlement.

Fors looked at the rental carriage that hadn't completely pulled away from them and asked thoughtfully,

"Why are you tracking her for?

"Also, didn't you say that the target has a rather powerful Beyonder protecting her once you enter the Backlund Bridge area?"

"That's right." Xio first answered the second question before saying, "Your question is very odd. The reason you track someone is to determine the target's appearance, identity, and motives."

Fors retracted her left hand from Xio's shoulder and revealed a smile.

"Since the target is protected by a rather powerful Beyonder, it will be difficult for us to complete the tracking in the Backlund Bridge area. We won't be able to find her residence and figure out her true identity. Do you wish to directly fight her guardian? Although you have me to help, are you certain about that person's strength? How certain are you? Will it be very dangerous?

"Besides, once the battle begins, it will definitely alarm the target. This is the same as stopping the carriage midway and confronting her directly. It will foil your primary objective. It will alarm Viscount Stratford and prevent him from falling into a predicament that will offer you a chance to take action."

"If we do it, then there's a possibility of failure, but failure is certain if we do nothing," Xio emphasized that she knew the situation well. All she wanted was to make an attempt and find an opportunity midway.

At this moment, the rental carriage had already turned into another street at the end of the road. Fors watched the back of it gradually disappear as she shook her head and smiled.

"No, no, no. We need to change our way of thinking!

"We should first attempt to figure out the target's appearance. After daybreak, we can use her appearance to perform normal investigations in the Backlund Bridge area and then obtain information from other channels."

"Your choice of words is very professional," Xio said in thought.

"Of course. I've written detective novels before!" Fors answered without any sense of modesty.

"But how do I figure out what the target looks like without alerting her?" Xio raised the most critical question.

Prepared, Fors took out Leymano's Travels and said with a smile, "Elementary. Using the Psychological Invisibility Miss Justice recorded!"

Although Audrey didn't encounter any situations that required her to use Leymano's Travels, she had rented it thrice out of curiosity. She studied the uses and traits of the Beyonder powers recorded, and she recorded her own Beyonder powers into it. This included the rather useful Psychological Invisibility.

As for her true identity, Xio and Fors were increasingly certain of it, but they didn't directly ask or do any further investigations. That was the most basic form of respect towards other Tarot Club members.

After hearing her friend's answer, Xio came to a realization and was instantly inspired.

Fors continued, "By using the Beyonder powers on this page, you will be placed in the sensory blind spots of all surrounding creatures. They wouldn't be able to see you even if you were to jump around in front of them. That way, you can directly board the carriage and stand in front of the target, openly taking in her appearance and remember all her traits.

"Heh heh, I sometimes think that people who use Psychological Invisibility might end up being squashed to death by huge creatures that happen to walk past if they're unlucky.

"Uh, don't make too much noise later. Don't speak to any nearby creatures, or else you will garner attention. Let Psychological Invisibility be dispelled automatically."

Yeah!" Xio nodded, then she raised another issue: "How do I prevent the target from discovering the sudden opening of the carriage door while it's driving?"

Without waiting for Fors's reply, she immediately pressed, "Did you record the Door Opening Beyonder power?"

"Guess?" Fors smiled as she handed Leymano's Travels to her friend, telling her which pages Psychological Invisibility and Door Opening were on.

With this in mind, Xio immediately ran amidst the shadows, chasing after the rental carriage.

Before long, she saw her target. Her right hand immediately trembled as she made the bronze-green notebook reveal a yellowish-brown goatskin page.

She slid her fingers gently, and Xio seemed to see countless rippling light appear on the surface of a deep lake spread outwards.

When her vision returned to normal, she sped up and rushed to the side of the carriage.

To ensure nothing went wrong, Xio didn't immediately take action. With a few wide strides, she overtook the horse.

She then turned around as though she was crossing the road. However, the carriage driver didn't notice her, nor did he shout out to her or rein in the horse.

After confirming the effects of Psychological Invisibility, she sped up and dodged the horse's galloping and came to the side of the carriage.

After a brief observation, she flipped through Leymano's Travels and revealed a white page covered with strange patterns and symbols. Then, she reached out her right hand and pressed it on the surface of the carriage.

Her figure instantly turned transparent as she appeared inside.

The woman in a black cloak was sitting diagonally opposite her as if she was in thought, staring at the glass window where Xio stood. However, she didn't notice the bounty hunter who had suddenly infiltrated.

At such a close distance, even with her cloak lowered, Xio was able to see her face clearly. Furthermore, the woman wasn't as careful as she was while walking outside. Her every action appeared rather casual as the hood was only at her eyes.

Instantly, her appearance was reflected in Xio's eyes, overlapping with a face that still had some male characteristics. This was a Beyonder power of a Sheriff.

Xio's eyes widened as she couldn't help but shout, "Sherman?"

She could foresee that the woman who often entered Viscount Stratford's residence was rather beautiful, but she never expected the woman to be her friend, Sherman. He was once a young man!

A man who wasn't considered androgynous now looked beautiful. He had the charm of a woman!

At that moment, Xio couldn't help but size up Sherman. She couldn't associate her figure with the young man she used to know with each other.

If it wasn't for her Sheriff Beyonder powers that allowed her to confirm that the person opposite her was Sherman, Xio definitely would've imagined that she had made a mistake. And even so, she still suspected whether the person wasn't Sherman and was instead Sherman's twin sister.

Upon hearing the surprised question, Sherman realized that there was another person in the carriage at some point in time—someone familiar.

Bounty hunter, Xio Derecha!

Having already changed her name to Shermane, she was first alarmed, but the words Trissy often mentioned instinctively appeared in her mind:

"You cannot meet people you used to know.

"Do you want your husband, your beloved to know of your former state?

"Only by completely severing your connections can you be reborn, doing so in order to save yourself!"

Such words quickly flashed across Shermane's mind as a terrifying thought emerged in her thoughts:

"Kill her!"

This thought seemed to come from a demon in the abyss as it constantly whispered in Shermane's ear as it resonated in her heart.

"Kill her!

"Kill this person who recognized you!

"Only by doing so can you truly escape the past and not lose the present!

"Kill her!"

Shermane didn't answer Xio.s question. Her left hand slowly clenched up while slightly trembling.

Xio sensed the intense emotions running through the person opposite her and confirmed that it was Sherman. Immediately, she asked in concern, "How did you become like this?

"Where have you been all this time? Did you encounter something? Were you hurt?"

Shermane's lips quivered as her left fist relaxed a little. She said with a sobbing tone, "I've already begun a new life.

Don't disturb me again, alright?

"I-I don't want to lose everything I have now. I don't want to see people that I knew in the past!"

The more she spoke, the faster it became. It became obvious that it was a plea.

Xio was taken aback for a few seconds before staring at Sherman. Pursing her lips, she said, "Okay…"

She didn't stay any longer and reached out to open the carriage window and jumped out.

Shermane silently watched this entire process and finally exhaled before she slumped into her seat like she had lost all her strength.

It wasn't easy for her to control the demon in her heart.

At this moment, she saw a figure rapidly outline itself out of thin air beside her.

The figure wore a black, old-fashioned dress, but it didn't diminish her beauty and disposition. She sat there silently without a word, but it was impossible to not look at her.

Demoness Trissy!

"Why didn't you kill her?" Trissy asked with a smile, not revealing any gloominess. It was as like an idle chat where she would ask what she had drunk the previous night.

"S-she's one of the few people who didn't ostracized me. She even helped me…" Shermane replied in shock before frowning. "Why are you here?"

Trissy smiled and said, "I'm protecting you."

Without waiting for Shermane's answer, she said, "You seemed to be in a good mood when you came out."

Shermane recalled what had happened and bashfully said, "Maybe, perhaps, I have a chance of becoming a mother…" As she spoke, she touched her stomach with her right hand, the corner of her lips couldn't help but curl.

"I feel him k-kicking me…" Shermane suddenly froze and blurted, "How could it be so fast?"

She wasn't sure if she could get pregnant today!

Upon seeing her reaction, Trissy smiled even more charmingly.