156 LOTM

Boom! Boom!

In the building at Cherwood Borough's 17 Minsk Street, the female owner of the building, Stelyn Sammer, and her maidservants heard a loud explosion from afar. She fearfully hid in a corner of the room, feeling as though the ground beneath her feet was trembling.

Only after the constant, terrifying commotion started to fade away did she straighten her body and look left and right with an unusually strained mind.

"What exactly happened?"

The two maidservants simultaneously shook their heads. They were both at a loss and also afraid.

As soon as she left the comer of the room, she instinctively wanted to walk out of the room and talk to her neighbors to figure out what had just happened. However, she was worried that another attack would happen again, so she had no choice but to pace around in the living room.

After a few minutes, she suddenly heard the sound of the door opening. She quickly turned her head and realized that her husband, Luke Sammer, had returned with his valet.

"Aren't you working?" Stelyn asked subconsciously.

The stout Luke replied solemnly, "I happened to pass by the vicinity and came back immediately.

"Quick, put on your coat. Let's go to the cathedral now!"

"What happened? What happened?" Stelyn asked again.

Luke took two steps forward and said, "Feysac's airships are bombarding Backlund!"

"How... How could this be?" Stelyn's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Now is not the time to discuss this. Whatever it is, it has already happened. We have to go to the cathedral immediately!" Luke gave his wife a hug. "Don't worry too much. I think those airships aren't heading over."

"Alright, alright!" Stelyn replied in a panic.

As she wore the coat the maidservant had brought over, she instinctively said with concern, "What about the children?"

"They're at the Church's school, so there will be people who will arrange for them to take shelter. We don't have the time to reach them," Luke said calmly.

"Alright." Stelyn made a prayer gesture, hoping that the deity she believed in would provide them with protection.

The two of them, along with their male and female servants, quickly exited their house and walked towards the other end of the street.

As she passed by Unit 58, Stelyn took a glance and whispered, "Previously, I had laughed at Lawyer Jurgen, saying that he gave up a lot of opportunities in Backlund from moving to the south just because of Mrs. Doris's ailments. Now, I'm starting to envy him..."

Luke shot her a look and said, "Don't worry too much. It'll be fine."

While walking quickly, Stelyn couldn't help but ask, "Luke, are we fleeing Backlund?"

"No, there's no need!" Luke Sammer answered firmly. "This was just an accident."

Seeing that his wife was clearly confused, he added, "Backlund is the capital of the kingdom, so it has to be the most well-defended area. This time, it was just an oversight that no one expected. The next time, the Feysacians won't have another chance!

"The kingdom has the strongest military in the Northern and Southern continents. The Feysacians will definitely be taught a lesson. There's no way they can invade Backlund again. After this, Backlund will definitely be the safest place to be!"

"I see..." Stelyn felt that her husband's words made sense, and she was willing to believe him.

After the explanation, Luke fell silent for a few seconds.

"However, we still have to make some preparations. Once the Church announces that we can move freely, we'll immediately fetch the children back and buy more food. We'll buy as much as we can!"

Inside a public school in the Backlund Bridge area.

Due to the distance, Daisy and her classmates didn't realize what had happened in the North and West Boroughs, nor did they sense the chaos that had spread from Hillston Borough to Cherwood Borough.

However, teachers still came to their classrooms and arranged for them to line up to head to the nearest cathedral.

This made Daisy recall the Great Smog of Backlund last year. Back then, they had also been asked to hide in the cathedral beside the school.

D-did something similar happen again... The trauma in Daisy's heart made her tremble slightly as she felt intense sadness and anger.

When she passed by the door, she couldn't help but turn her head to look at the teacher in charge and ask, "Is it another disaster?"

"Maybe..." The teacher didn't know the details and had only followed the orders sent by a telegram.

"Is there a disaster like this every year, or maybe even more than one?" Daisy asked with a slightly ethereal voice with a tinge of innocence.

The teacher looked at her with pity and shook his head.

"All difficulties will pass. God will protect everyone."

Daisy didn't waste his time and followed the crowd to the nearest cathedral in a somewhat blank manner.

North Borough, 22 Phelps Street.

After hearing the explosion inside the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation, the first thing Audrey did was to conceal her dragon scales before rushing to the window.

Seeing the airships with the Feysac flag appearing in the air and the bombs being carried away by a hurricane and being thrown into the distance, either landing on the ground and exploding or disappearing as though they had entered the spirit world, a thought flashed across her mind—the words that The World Mr. Gehrman Sparrow had said, as well as the mission of the Psychology Alchemists. She came to a realization:

War had truly erupted!

She immediately turned her head and said to the huge golden retriever, Susie; her personal lady's maid, Annie; and the others, "Quick, hide in Saint Samuel Cathedral!"

Although Audrey didn't know how to deal with an air raid, the education she received from a young age told her to go to a cathedral as soon as possible if she ever encountered danger.

In fact, she instinctively wanted to rush back to Empress Borough to protect her mother. However, considering that Annie, the other servants, and staff were ordinary people who lacked experience and the ability to deal with su^ crisis, she had no choice but to take care of them and accompany them to Saint Samuel Cathedral.

In order to resolve any dangers that she might encounter along the way, she planned to put on Hand of Horror and Lie. On the one hand, she could "Distort" the trajectory of bullets, while on the other hand, she could control flames and trigger the bombs in advance.

In the face of long-range attacks, the Beyonder powers of the Spectator pathway were indeed not effective.

While secretly protecting her servants and the foundation's staff, she successfully entered Saint Samuel Cathedral and saw a few bishops and priests approaching her.

"Miss Audrey, you don't have to worry about the Earl and his wife, as well as Lord Hibbert. They have people to protect them. An air raid like this won't harm them. Besides, you also know how grand your family basement is and how strong it is." One of the bishops quickly brought her to the side to console her.

After taking off her fishnet gloves, she nodded and acknowledged the words of the bishop. She was no longer in a hurry to return home and instead asked, "What's the current situation like?"

The Feysacians have lost two airships and have moved towards West Borough. Don't worry, all the defenses have been mustered. They won't cause any further damage." After a simple exchange of words, the bishop led Audrey's group towards the underground area of the cathedral. And further below was where the Nighthawks were active.

160 Boklund Street. Butler Walter and a group of servants hid in an underground area which was used as a wine cellar.

This was done under Dwayne Dantes's orders, and this gentleman had headed out to find Bishop Elektra with his valet.

After an unknown period of time, Walter and company heard a knock on the door. Through the peephole, they confirmed that their employer had returned.

"There aren't any more raids now, but it's best you hide at Saint Samuel Cathedral for a while," Klein said as he surveyed the area.

"Yes, sir," Walter replied on behalf of the servants before asking, "And after that?"

As a qualified butler, he often read the papers and understood that the situation was tense. It wasn't difficult to guess that a war would break out after the explosions.

Klein thought for a moment before saying, "Once the Church has verified the situation, we'll head to Maygur Manor. You can bring your family along.

"No matter what, the capital of the kingdom is definitely a relatively safe place. And the manor at the periphery of the capital definitely wouldn't be a target of air raids, as it's of no value. Yes, there's enough food in Maygur Manor, and there's a large supply of wine. Even if the war were to be extended for a long time, we won't have to worry about starving to death."

Upon hearing the employer's words, the servants who had already formed a family immediately revealed looks of delight, wiping away their pale looks of fear. Walter expressed his gratitude directly.

He said with some deliberation, "You can buy more food. Under such circumstances, no one will find it excessive.

"Also, there might not be any more attacks near Backlund, but I can't say the same for security. The manor outside the city must be on guard."

Klein nodded.

"I've also considered this. I'll discuss this with Member of Parliament Macht and military personnel about purchasing a batch of 'decommissioned' weapons and bullets. You must practice more.

"Anyway, during this period of time, Enuni and I will return to Backlund to handle certain matters according to the situation. If there's anything I haven't considered, I'll make up for it later."

As for the food, he didn't forbid Butler Walter from buying it. This way, if a famine really happened, he would have the ability to save them.

After discussing the follow-up procedures, everyone in the residence of Dwayne Dantes packed up their luggage and brought their valuables. They followed their employer into Saint Samuel Cathedral and arrived underground. @@novelbin@@

With a single glance, he saw Audrey walking amidst the people, Placating their moods. He smiled and nodded at her.

Upon seeing Dwayne Dantes, Audrey smiled back and confirmed that nothing major had happened from his attitude.

Fors and Xio had moved again, but they were still at the borders of East Borough, and they were even closer to the Backlund Bridge area.

After waking up naturally, Fors rubbed her hair and walked out of the bedroom to prepare lunch.

As she looked around, she saw Xio, who had gone out early, sitting on a chair and flipping through the newspapers. "What's wrong?" Fors asked blankly.

Xio frowned and said, "The Feysacians air raids bombed North and West Borough..."

"What?" Fors first blurted out before recalling the matters that had been discussed at the Tarot Club.

At that moment, a paperboy's voice came from outside.

"Extra! Extra! The kingdom declares war on Feysac!"

"Extra! Extra! The kingdom declares war on Feysac!"

-x-X-x-

"Extra! Extra! The kingdom declares war on Feysac!"

On the way from Maygur Manor to Backlund, Klein heard the paperboy shouting on the streets with brisk steps while on a horse carriage. @@novelbin@@

Although he had already made preparations, he still sighed after confirming that the war had truly erupted. He couldn't help but feel depressed again.

The grudge from having Sonia Island, a key territory, taken away... The conflict over the rights of the colonies... The defeat from the previous war... The political corruption leading to a recession... Ever since the repeal of the Grain Act, many farmers of the kingdom have gone bankrupt due to the importing of foreign food products... The lower-class live in abject conditions... The rich-poor divide only grew deeper...

The middle class's blind confidence in the Loen Kingdom's might, and the eager desire to raise their own positions... The intensifying conflict between different political factions in high society leading to a fracture... The king and his faction wish for a large-scale war... With all these factors combined, just from an objective standpoint, and considering this from the angle of materialism, it's almost inevitable for Loen to start a war... Reality is the best author... Jumping out from his experience from the past, Klein scrutinized the Loen Kingdom's situation from a fresh point of view. He realized that the tides of the times had already formed and were surging over. Without a true deity's descent, it was completely unstoppable.

In comparison, what puzzled him more was why the Feysac Empire would be willing to initiate a war.

Even if the members of an ancient secret organization were indeed members of the upper echelons of Feysac or the Church of the God of Combat—key figures who had the right to make the decision—there was no way they could be alone in deciding such an important matter. How could the others agree to a world war?

Could it be that the conflict between the various classes in the Feysac Empire has also completely escalated to the point that it urgently needs a war? With his lack of understanding of the empire of the north, it was difficult for Klein to make an accurate judgment. But they just won the East Balam war and reaped more of the rights to the colonies. There's no reason for its situation to be more serious than Loen's... Yes, the royal family—the Einhorn family—is in control of the Red Priest pathway. It's understandable that they crave war, but the Church of the God of Combat has no reason not to stop it. As a member of the orthodox deity alliance, they lacked the motivation to help Amon's brother advance to Sequence 0.

Thinking of this, Klein suddenly came up with a theory.

Did that brother of Amon realize that the Goddess has already acquired the Uniqueness of the Death pathway and is in a critical stage, so "He" revealed this information to the Church of the God of Combat? And the God of Combat is in a neighboring pathway with the Goddess, so there's no way "He" can ignore this matter; "He" will definitely make an intense response...

Of course, it might not be done by the brother of Amon. It might also be because of the Numinous Episcopate's Artificial Death faction's angel, Haiter. After being warned by Einhom Sauron Medici, this Conspirer expert, "He" discovered the abnormalities ahead of time. On the one hand, "He" pretends not to notice anything and continues to set up a probe. On the other hand, "He" pulled in the Church of the God of Combat to worsen the situation and make it more chaotic... The Red Angel evil spirit is truly a symbol of war...

If this is really the case, then it's inevitable for Feysac to wage this war. Furthermore, the matter regarding the Uniqueness of the Death pathway has no room for compromise. At the critical moment, the God of Combat might descend, causing a battle of gods that hasn't happened since the end of the Fourth Epoch to happen...

This time, for the airship fleet from Feysac could stealthily to travel from the coast for nearly a hundred kilometers without being detected, it would definitely have a Weather Warlock providing protection. Otherwise, even if they were to take a detour across places with few people, they'll still be seen ahead of time and definitely be stopped by the Loen airships... A Weather Warlock is an angel. Since the Fifth Epoch, the number of wars that have Beyonders at this level are few and far between... After Emperor Roselle's death, most soldiers don't even know of Beyonders, even in the colonial wars... To have a Weather Warlock be involved in this means...

This is really a battle that will sweep through the entire world. It involves battles at all levels. Is this what Amon's brother wants?

When the time comes, the Lord of Storms, the Eternal Blazing Sun, the Earth Mother, the God of Steam and Machinery, the God of Knowledge and Wisdom will have to take their respective stances. Would the conflicts that "They" have temporarily suppressed for almost two thousand years be escalated...

Earth Mother likes the giants, and even amongst "Her" Blessed, they are Feysacians. And because of the splitting of Lenburg, Masin, and Segar, these made the Feynapotter Kingdom bear a bone-deep grudge with the Loen Kingdom and Intis. The king's powers and the divine powers are highly likely to be unified, and they might form an alliance with Feysac. From the south to the north, they will attack Loen and Intis. Of course, countries like Lenburg and the Church of Knowledge, who are in the crossfire, will definitely try to stop it. Uh... As for Desi Bay, Feynapotter, and the Loen Kingdom are directly connected, the south wouldn't be peaceful either...

The more Klein thought about it, the more he felt that the situation in the Northern Continent would become abnormally chaotic. And no matter what direction it developed into, he couldn't stop it.

Even if he were a Sequence 4 demigod, under the tide of the times, there was no way for him to cause any major impact in this battle of gods, or exert any key influence. It would be pretty good if he could protect himself and the people he cared about.

Previously, when the Feysac air fleet attacked, the first thing he did was arrange for Butler Walter and company to hide in the underground area that was used as a wine cellar. Then, he "Teleported" to Backlund University of Technology. At that time, a bomb had already hit the ground. Some had died, and others were injured. The only thing he was thankful for was that his sister, Melissa, wasn't within the vicinity of the explosion.

By the time Melissa and Benson met, the airships from Feysac didn't stay for long and quickly retreated from Backlund. Only then did he return to Dwayne Dantes's residence.

Phew...Klein let out a slow sigh of relief. He turned his head to look out the window and saw that, after hearing that the kingdom was declaring war on Feysac, a small number of pedestrians on the street wore a look of horror as though they had recalled the air raid in the morning. Most of them wore blank expressions with a look of panic. They had no idea what they could do even if they wanted to.

They might not have truly understood what this war would bring, but they instinctively felt that peace had been broken. The future was a chaotic mess, fraught with danger.

Klein retracted his gaze and looked at his valet, Enuni, who was sitting opposite him. From his eyes, he realized that he was somewhat at a loss.

He gave a half-smile and sighed. He raised his hand to rub his temples and wiped away his depressed and helpless feelings. He thought about what he could do and what he needed to take note of.

No matter what, with this experience and lesson, the king's faction has had a war spark out as they wished. Before all of Loen collapses, it's nearly impossible for Feysac to invade Backlund again. It would be safer for Benson and Melissa to stay here...

What's most worrisome is the lack of food and various assassinations. The latter is nothing. The place where Melissa and Benson live in is decided by their own levels. They aren't anywhere close to coming into contact with someone important who is a target for assassination, so they won't be implicated. Fortunately, Portland Moment's research laboratory has just been established, and there are no results from it yet. It won't become a target that must be destroyed. As for the former, I can provide some "help" through Miss Audrey...

The Winter County at the Holy Cathedral is located in the far north reaches of the kingdom, next to Feysac. It's always the front line of every war. Ma'am Arianna might've returned to help the military. Oh, "She" might also be sent elsewhere to protect the coast. After all, the defenses of Backlund are sufficient. The royal family definitely has Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts and also angels. The three Churches most likely have hidden tricks up their sleeves... In that case, my greatest pillar of support is gone. At most, I can get some help from the Church and use some Sealed Artifacts...

In the past, I wasn't too worried about the effects the Red Angel evil spirit's return has on me. Now, I have to raise my guard for this matter.

Patrick Bryan knows very well that Dwayne Dantes is equivalent to Gehrman Sparrow, who is equivalent to the Blessed of Death. I had intentionally revealed this information, hoping that it would direct the points of suspicion to Mr. Azik, the Death Consul. And now, this also means that the Red Angel evil spirit would be able to grasp this information in no time...

The Red Angel evil spirit currently only has a high level, but "His" actual standard shouldn't have recovered to the level of an angel. There's no irreconcilable feud between "Him" and me, nor do I have what "He" wants. Even if "He" knows that Dantes is equivalent to Gehrman Sparrow, it would be very unlikely for him to deal with me directly...

Other than attacking me directly, what harm will it bring after "He" grasps this situation?

Is he using this to set up a conspiracy or sell the intelligence to someone who needs it?

What conspiracy... Who would want it...

Many thoughts and names surfaced in his mind, but they were quickly eliminated by him. This included Amon's brother and the Angel of Fate Ouroboros. From the Red Angel evil spirit's past actions, for the time being, "He" wouldn't make contact with Rose Redemption, and Amon's brother is a sworn enemy of Medici and company.

Suddenly, a name appeared in his mind:

Zaratul!

The leader of the Secret Order, the Sequence 1 Seer pathway angel, Zaratul, who had returned to normalcy after becoming mad!

According to Arrodes's feedback, this powerful and concealed existence had already left "His" original location, and "His" whereabouts were unknown.

Previously, Klein had been wondering if "He" would come to Backlund due to the law of Beyonder characteristic convergence.

Medici and the Zaratul and Zoroast families were serving under the Solomon Empire. Even if they weren't friendly with each other, they must be very familiar with each other... In the foggy town, Zaratul had met Gehrman Sparrow. If he really wants to pursue something, he would definitely chase after the crazy adventurer... With a thought in his mind, Klein instinctively began to assume that Zaratul was in Backlund in search of Gehrman Sparrow, and with that, he began to analyze the situation for other abnormalities.

At almost the same instant that he thought of something, Klein recalled the failure of the joint operation between Sharron and the Sanguine.

The Rose School of Thought is also looking for Gehrman Sparrow, so would Zaratul, who received the corresponding news, work with them?

Back then, the operation was on the brink of success. The Rose School of Thought's person-in-charge in Backlund had left in a hurry. Clearly, he had only noticed the problem at the last moment. With the Sanguine preparing the corresponding Sealed Artifact, it's rather impossible for such a failure to happen. Even the Sanguine Duke was puzzled and confused, but what if—what if it was thanks to the perceptive intuition of a Sequence 1 angel of the Seer pathway?

This would explain it perfectly!

Back then, Zaratul was sitting opposite the Rose School of Thought's Backlund person-in-charge?

The Rose School of Thought retreated in a panic and had even deliberately left behind a doll to create moonlight and cleanse everything so as to cover up the existence of Zaratul?

Also, the fact that Gehrman Sparrow has a certain relationship with the Death Consul isn't a secret. Will Zaratul spread out all his marionettes and sense if there's the power of Death in Backlund? Previously, when Patrick Bryan was holding rituals, there was actually Zaratul's marionette watching him?

If the Red Angel evil spirit has already sold the intelligence to Zaratul, then wouldn't my returning to Boklund Street in such a chaotic situation be giving myself up?

His pupils constricted, and he immediately said to the coachman in front, "Just stop here. I suddenly thought of something else I need to settle."

After he said that, he felt extremely tense, afraid that the coachman wouldn't answer him and continue driving.

Fortunately, none of this happened. The horse carriage stopped by the side of the road, and with his valet, Enuni, Klein walked towards a small alley nearby.

Immediately following that, he snapped his fingers and allowed the scarlet flames to emerge from his pocket, covering both himself and his marionette.

He had to rush to Saint Samuel Cathedral as soon as possible in a concealed manner!

With a flash of flames, their two figures disappeared.

However, after completing a leap, the flames within his senses suddenly disappeared—all of them.

A spacious living room appeared in front of him. On an ordinary reclining chair was a tall and thin man. He was young and had Southern Continent blood in him. He looked rather handsome and appeared a little anemic.

The Red Angel evil spirit, Sauron Einhom Medici!

This Red Angel played with a ball of scarlet-red flames in "His" hand as the corners of "His" mouth curled up.

You actually sensed it earlier than I expected.

"Heh, using Flaming Jump in front of me..."

-x-X-x-

The moment he saw the Red Angel evil spirit, Klein's pupils dilated. The human-skinned glove on his left hand suddenly turned transparent.

He didn't listen to what the other party had to say. His instinctive reaction was to immediately "Teleport" away, but at this moment, the spirit world that entered his eyes was different from usual.

Countless transparent creatures in indescribable forms were all dyed in a color that was a mixture of iron and blood. The surrounding area was filled with thick smoke, and there were seven rays of light that contained infinite knowledge hidden above them. It was almost impossible to see them.

Klein's heart skipped a beat. He didn't rashly "Teleport."

Upon seeing this, the Red Angel evil spirit chuckled.

"What are you afraid of? Zaratul?"

Upon hearing this, Klein subconsciously looked around, but he didn't discover anything unusual.

The Red Angel evil spirit maintained that annoying smile and pointed to the sofa opposite the reclining chair.

"If I had already informed him that Dwayne Dantes is Gehrman Sparrow, and that you will return to 160 Boklund Street in the morning, then the person waiting in the wine cellar wouldn't be a living person. Instead, it would be your hungup butler and servants, looking as though they were ham left to dry-age. Of course, they would similarly welcome you warmly.

"Sit. Under such circumstances, listening to my thoughts and intentions first isn't a bad thing."

He imagined the scene described by the Red Angel evil spirit. Although Klein had done similar things himself, his hair stood on end, and he was horrified.

He kept his guard up, allowing the marionette, Qonas Kilgor, in the form of Dwayne Dantes to sit on the sofa while he waited by the side as though he was his personal servant, Enuni.

He had unknowingly swapped places with his marionette and instantly changed their appearances.

"Perhaps it's because you just learned of this information from Patrick Bryan, and you haven't even informed Zaratul yet?" Klein retorted through his marionette.

At the same time, he determined from the words of the Red Angel evil spirit that Zaratul had really come to Backlund!

This was a complete and unrestricted, terrifying, and bizarre Sequence 1 angel. It was enough to be called a hidden existence!

The Red Angel evil spirit's gaze swept across the valet and his master before smiling.

"I'll be able to get something I want to know in 15 minutes from a fool like Patrick Bryan. Furthermore, an entire night and a morning has passed since the ritual."

...You and Miss Messenger might have something in common... Klein made the marionette raise his eyebrows.

"And so?"

The Red Angel evil spirit gently rocked the reclining chair it was in. @@novelbin@@

"I'm not sure if you've heard of such a saying. When you choose a Beyonder pathway, your corresponding friends and enemies will be determined. As for us, we aren't friends, but we aren't enemies either.

"Of course, you did have some conflicts with me, but no one suffered any great losses. The matter has passed. To me, your growth will bring great trouble to a few people I hate, so I don't want to kill you in advance. I'm happy to see you continue your advancement."

The emperor had said similar words... A few people "He" hates... Klein deliberated and asked, "Blasphemer Amon?"

"Not that ignorant and not that stupid either." The Red Angel evil spirit laughed and stroked "His" chin.

Be it "His" words or actions, "He" gave people the urge to hit "Him."

After some thought, Klein calmly pointed out a question:

"Then you can definitely choose Zaratul. If 'He* can rise up because of this, 'He' will similarly bring about extreme trouble for Blasphemer Amon. Compared to 'Him,' I'm still too weak. I'll still need a long time to grow. There are too many possible accidents from this point forth."

The Red Angel evil spirit nodded seriously.

"Indeed, that's what I thought in the beginning as well. A fellow like you, who isn't much stronger than a wild dog, what are you going to use to compete with the already Sequence 1 Zaratul? Die faster than anyone else?"

At this point, the Red Angel evil spirit changed the topic and sighed.

"However, if one can choose the most ideal proposal in this world, that would be too wonderful..."

Before "He" could finish "His" sentence, a bloody gash appeared on "His" left bloody cheek.

The wound opened up in a wide manner, opening and closing like a mouth, and revealed two rows of illusory white teeth.

"I've investigated. The collapse of the Sauron family was caused by Zaratul and Roselle!"

Is this the spirit left behind by the ancestor of the Sauron family? The dissociation of the Red Angel is worse than I imagined. No, this isn't considered a normal split personality, but three people being stuffed into one body. No matter what they do, they have to first come to a unanimous decision, or there will be internal strife... Klein believed that the Red Angel evil spirit wasn't setting up a trap, but that "He" had no way of informing Zaratul of the relevant information.

This is 'His' weakness. I can use it in the future... Klein muttered silently before asking, "Then why did you come to me? Just to say those words?"

The Red Angel evil spirit raised its hand to rub "His" left cheek, causing the mouth that appeared to slowly disappear.

At the same time, "He" smiled and said, "Aren't you investigating the Loen royal family?

"It seems to involve a high-ranking Demoness named Katarina. If you have any tracks from her, inform me before you carry out any operation."

Saintess of White Katarina... Why is the Red Angel evil spirit looking for her? Hmm, the Hunter pathway's Sequence 4 can cause women to become men. The Sequence 7 of the Demoness pathway can make men into women. This should be two separate Beyonder pathways that can be interchanged... The Red Angel evil spirit can't find a suitable Hunter pathway Beyonder characteristic, so it plans to jump to the Demoness pathway? That's right. As an evil spirit, as long as "He" resolves his issue of survival, "He" can still advance using potions and characteristics... Klein was first taken aback before he used the secrets he knew of to come up with a guess.

He suddenly had a strange idea:

When there are both High-Sequence Beyonder characteristics of the Hunter and Demoness pathways within a body, would the Red Angel evil spirit display a male form or a female form? Whoever has a higher level and is in charge decides?

At that moment, the Red Angel evil spirit looked at Dwayne Dantes and his valet and scoffed.

You have a great talent for provoking others."

I haven't said anything... Klein inwardly replied in a daze.

The Red Angel evil spirit curled his lips and said, "I can guess what you're thinking, unless you admit that you're ignorant.

"However, this might be a good thing for 'Them.'"

"Shut up!" A bloody mouth appeared on both sides of the Red Angel evil spirit's cheeks.

Looking at the dissociative identity disorder happening before him, Klein rationally gave up on the idea of going deeper into the topic and said, "It's not impossible to inform you in advance, but the problem is how should I inform you?"

From his point of view, the Demoness of Unaging, Katarina, was a vile person. It was the same with the Red Angel evil spirit. It wasn't a bad thing to have them clash.

The Red Angel evil spirit smiled and said, "Of course it's by reciting my honorific name:

The great God of War, the symbol of iron and blood, the ruler of chaos and strife."

"Pui!" The mouth on both sides of the Red Angel evil spirit's cheeks let out a disdainful sound, as though they didn't approve of it.

This is a standard deity's honorific name... After gaining control of the Uniqueness, to a certain extent, Medici had already become a quasi-god? And as long as no one can accommodate the Uniqueness of the Red Priest pathway, this evil spirit's level will not drop? The honorific name will always point towards "Him"? Klein nodded thoughtfully and probed, "What do you know about the secret ruins of Blood Emperor Alista Tudor?"

Upon hearing this name, the Red Angel's facial muscles twitched slightly before sneering.

"Are you asking what the secret of the Loen royal family is?"

"You might not know this, but you might be familiar with the Blood Emperor's secret ruins," Klein said deliberately.

The Red Angel evil spirit suddenly laughed out loud and slapped the armrest of the reclining chair.

"Your tricks are so childish that they look like a three-year-old's!

"Haha, the secret hidden by the Loen royal family is very simple. I could guess it just by reading the newspapers. Tsk, you only have a smart-looking face. Your brain is filled with squirming worms."

"You can guess it just by reading the newspapers?" Klein frowned and asked.

The Red Angel evil spirit finished laughing and curled "His" lips.

"Of course, it needs some basic knowledge. I believe you should have it.

"How about this? I'll ask you a few questions, and you'll understand how simple the answer is.

"Is that Blood Emperor secret ruins the kind known by the Churches?"

"No." Klein shook his head firmly.

The Red Angel evil spirit smiled and continued asking, "Do you know which Sequence the Blood Emperor, Alista Tudor, was in before he advanced to Sequence 0?"

"The Black Emperor pathway, Sequence 1 Prince of Abolition," Klein calmly replied.

The Red Angel evil spirit nodded slightly.

"Did you know that before Alista Trunsoest became Blood Emperor, 'He' was one of the two consuls of the Tudor- Trunsoest United Empire and that the ones supporting him were six of the seven present deities, including Evernight and Storm?"

Klein nodded and gave an affirmative answer.

The half-slumped Red Angel evil spirit crossed one leg over the other.

"Then do you know that, after Alista became Blood Emperor, 'He' had truly gone mad and even died during the battle of the gods?"

"Kind of." Klein didn't dare to be too sure, because this was something he had read from Roselle's diary, and the Emperor had learned it from Mr. Door.

The Red Angel evil spirit chuckled and said, "Then do you think that Alista Tudor would have the rationality and opportunity to leave behind secret ruins after 'He' became Blood Emperor?"

"No." Klein slowly shook his head.

The Red Angel evil spirit spread its hands and said, "Since it's a ruin left behind by Alista before 'He' became Blood Emperor, and if the six deities who supported 'Him' aren't aware of it, what could it be? If you had a choice, would you take a path destined to go mad?"

This... Klein instantly thought of the nine mausoleums that the Black Emperor needed in the ritual needed to become a god.

To a Prince of Abolition, before the return of the former Black Emperor, secretly seeking out a way to advance to Black Emperor was something "He" wanted to do!

"Is that ruin related to the Black Emperor?" Klein asked in a deep voice.

The Red Angel evil spirit rubbed "His" chin and chuckled.

You seem to know the Black Emperor's ritual.

"Isn't that simple? What has the King of Loen been doing in the past two to three years? The Grain Act was abolished; there's the Civil Servant Unified Examination, a restructuring of the military, the House of Lords and nobles are struck down a notch, strengthening the authority of the House of Commons... Isn't this something that was published in the newspapers?

"Besides, isn't it common knowledge that the Justiciar pathway can be switched to the Black Emperor pathway?"

As many of these things were the trends of the times to Klein, with one of them being pushed by him, he had never considered them from a mysticism perspective in the past. Now that they were connected, he immediately understood.

Soon, he recalled something else:

The last person who wanted to become Black Emperor was Roselle. He happened to be related to Amon's brother!

-x-X-x-

The Grain Act was abolished... The Civil Servant Unified Examination... A concession was made, bringing the Church's forces into the military... These seem to be in line with the trends of the times, but in essence, they're oppressive, weakening the nobles, and supporting a new class. Compared to the previous thousand-year rule, this can really be considered to be against the norm. It's the order needed to become Black Emperor...

In the past decade or so, the changes in architecture style have been very drastic as well...

For Roselle to be able to obtain the Uniqueness and obtain the corresponding Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristic, that ancient secret organization must've put in quite a bit of effort. It might've even provided part of it directly. When this emperor perished, who took away those characteristics?

Also, Bernadette has been in Backlund for the past few months and has been coming here frequently...

Sigh, the main issue is that the asymmetrical aesthetics of the empires in the Fourth Epoch had affected my understanding, making me believe that rules that violate normal circumstances are odd and against the order that humans would strive for. Now that I think about it again, what does it mean by normal circumstances? Isn't it just something that everyone has already gotten used to and therefore, won't have an instinctive sense of resistance towards it? From the tribes to the countries, from feudalism to republicanism, don't they all violate the normal circumstances of the period they were in, with countless people wishing to return to the past?

The phrase "old fogies and left-overs from the old dynasties" encompasses this problem...

From the looks of it, as long as a deity doesn't intervene, the revolution that the Black Emperor needs will definitely happen. It's just a matter of time... With the tides of the times surging over, it's really hard to stop it. That brother of Amon is indeed a powerful and terrifying Author...

In the depths of the Blood Emperor's ruins, there should be a mausoleum similar to a pyramid. And according to the ritual requirements, one has to drive one's citizens to build it. Therefore, there are cases of people going missing in the East Borough and overseas slave trade...

When the war develops to a certain stage, using the excuse of praying for victory, or the nation's mourning for soldiers, a huge gathering with a large number of citizens can be convened to participate in the sacrificial ritual in the various cities in the royal capital...

Yes. Many years ago, the Loen royal family obtained the crown of the Balam Empire, and they connected the king's name to the title of "Emperor."

What a great plan!

When he was alerted by the Red Angel evil spirit's questions, Klein's mind tensed up. Many thoughts flashed through his mind, and at the same time, he had another question.

He looked at the tall, thin, young Gatekeeper who didn't look rosy. He said after some deliberation, "George III wishes to directly become Black Emperor?

"But he isn't even at Sequence 4..."

Even if George III could act ahead of time to make himself "more talented" and reduce the impact caused by the mental imprint in the potion, Klein didn't believe that a Sequence 5 Beyonder could become a god directly. Unless he was lucky enough with that very slim chance of success.

And such luck wasn't something that could be described simply as being "sufficient." The Snake of Mercury who represents fate, Will Auceptin, didn't even dare to directly devour the Die of Probability, and he had to seriously find a way to accommodate it.

The Red Angel evil spirit scoffed when "He" heard that.

"How do you know that George III is only Sequence 5?

"How are you so sure that the George III under investigation is the real George III? Could it be that he was 'imagined' into existence, or could it be a Faceless at the angel level?

"These are truly very difficult things to accomplish, but to a certain zealot, these are all within the scope of one's ability and the resources in one's grasp.

"I suspect that George III is an official member of the secret organization that was created to mimic our Rose Redemption. His true level might already be at the angel level. Heh heh, I wouldn't be surprised if "He" is already at Sequence 1."

... This, Emperor Roselle once said that the members of that ancient secret organization are all important figures that he couldn't imagine. When they combine forces, other than dealing with the seven Churches, there's nothing that can't be done... This actually includes the king of a country? That's right, later on, the emperor also became the ruler of Intis... Zealot... Is this what the Red Angel evil spirit thinks of Amon's brother? Although this is clearly a little extreme, with a strong bias, there's a certain reason for it. A nickname isn't given randomly... Klein made his marionette frown slightly.

"You seem to be able to see through the truth of this matter easily, but why hasn't the Church of Evernight, Storm, and Steam realized this problem?

"Their understanding of the Black Emperor is no less than yours..."

After all, the two Churches of the Evernight and the Storm had supported the Tudor-Trunsoest United Empire!

The Red Angel evil spirit wore an amused expression again as "He" sized up Dwayne Dantès and his valet.

"How old are you?

"Why are you still so naive and childish?

"The six deities and the six Churches are not necessarily equivalent at times. The things the six deities know might not be told to the angels and saints beneath 'Them."

The Red Angel evil spirit let out a chortle again when "He" saw that Dwayne Dantès was still frowning in confusion.

"Trust me, what I said, and what I'll be saying next, is undoubtedly a form of provocation to ruin the image of the six deities, but you can consider whether it's the truth.

"Let's put it this way. In regards to someone wanting to become the Black Emperor, the attitude of the six deities—uh, the seven deities is rather ambiguous. They' often have conflicts of 'Their' own. More precisely, 'They' are happy to see a mentally-sound Black Emperor be born, but they also wish that it's one 'They' support. Therefore, 'They' will not give any detailed revelations to the various Churches. 'They' will only follow the normal procedure and deliver punishment if there are results to the investigation. Otherwise, they will tacitly approve of its development.

"Of course, during this process, we cannot eliminate the possibility that a certain existence might want to do some damage, but it will not be so direct and obvious, because it will definitely be stopped by the other deities.

"If it wasn't because he knew of 'Them' taking such attitudes, how could George III dare take the risk?

"Alright, now that the war has broken out, he has overcome the crisis. He can wait for the next opportunity."

At that moment, Klein thought of the news that had been leaked out during the operation launched at the Blood Emperor ruins. He was momentarily unsure if he should suspect that the upper echelons of the three Churches had a member of the ancient secret organization, or that a certain deity had personally reminded Amon's brother. And if it were the latter, the suspect was undoubtedly not the Lord of Storms.

After a moment of silence, Klein hesitantly asked, "So, as long as nothing goes wrong, George III will carry out the ritual to become a god, despite everything that he has done? And if everything goes smoothly and he survives the backlash from the potion, will he ascend to the throne of Black Emperor?"

The Red Angel evil spirit replied in a relaxed tone, "Is there a problem?"

"Why would the seven deities..." Klein couldn't help but ask.

The Red Angel evil spirit tsked and said, "Do you want to know? If you want to know, I can tell you now."

Just as he was about to say "of course," Klein suddenly recalled the warning that Ma'am Arianna had given him. @@novelbin@@

"There are some things that make it easier to be 'infected' the more you know. Both your body and soul will be infected. Once you become an angel, you can seek out the exact answer."

As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Klein made his marionette smile.

"Forget it then."

"Very good. You nearly died out of curiosity and foolishness." The Red Angel evil spirit shook "His" head regretfully.

"He" then looked out the window and said, "If there's nothing else, you may leave."

"Alright." Klein made the marionette stand up and raise his right hand.

At this moment, the half-slumped Red Angel evil spirit suddenly asked, "I have this nagging feeling that if I had attacked you just now, you wouldn't be completely helpless, am I right?"

Of course, why do you think I chose Flaming Jump instead of "Teleporting"? That was to hide the burning of the paper crane in my wallet! This way, Snake of Fate Will Auceptin's gaze would silently land on me. If anything happens, "He" would use the Yesterday Once More charm... To "deal" with an existence at your level, one can't be too careful. How could one not be careful and keep a trump card hidden? Klein didn't directly answer the Red Angel evil spirit's question. He smiled and expressed his tacit agreement.

Pa!

He snapped his fingers, causing scarlet flames to surge out of his pocket and envelop him.

As the scarlet streams dispersed, Klein's figure disappeared in front of the Red Angel evil spirit.

Backlund, at Dr. Aaron Ceres's home, in a black pram.

The chubby baby rubbed his eyes and muttered silently, "Backlund really isn't suitable for children to live in!"

39 Böklund Street. Having done a divination, Klein saw Member of Parliament Macht who was about to head to West Borough.

"Didn't you go to Maygur Manor? I'm planning on letting Riana and Hazel hide in Moose Manor." Macht pinched the sockets of his eyes.

I wonder when this side effect will disappear... Klein retracted his gaze from this action and sighed.

"I have to prepare some weapons for the manor, so I came to seek your help.

"Also, if you have the means to get food, you can help me buy some."

In his opinion, the low-level citizens weren't able to stock up on food because they didn't have any money at all. At most, they would stock up a few days' worths of food. Therefore, his purchase wouldn't affect them for the time being. Once the food situation worsened, he could donate more of it through Miss Audrey. Before food rationing was implemented, if Klein didn't stockpile, other rich people would do so. Furthermore, they might not donate it.

"No problem," Macht agreed without any hesitation.

Klein didn't ask about the price, because he had given Housekeeper Taneja a total of 5,000 pounds for such matters.

Of course, after confirming that Zaratul was in Backlund and that Dwayne Dantès being equivalent to Gehrman Sparrow was known to the Red Angel evil spirit, he decided not to return to Maygur Manor. He planned on changing his identity so as not to affect the innocent.

As for the excuse, it had been arranged by the Church of Evernight that he would perform certain tasks and that he was unable to return for a long period of time. If there was a charity event that required his help, he gave Miss Audrey the authority to stand in his place.

-x-X-x-

On the way to Saint Samuel Cathedral from Boklund Street, Klein passed by the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation at 22 Phelps Street. He was surprised to find that the door was still open.

As the initiator and current director, he placed quite a bit of concern over this matter. He temporarily slowed down and walked over.

Just as he entered the door, he saw Miss Audrey walking down from the second floor with her personal maidservant, a big golden retriever, and a few staff members beside her.

"Good afternoon. In this situation, there doesn't seem to be a need to insist on doing anything." Klein went forward and voiced out his doubts.

Audrey held the newspaper in her hand as she looked at Dwayne Dantes.

"Some of our beneficiaries were injured in the air raid. I just went to visit them and arranged for follow-up treatment." The noble lady's eyes were slightly red, as though she had seen all sorts of heart-wrenching scenes in the hospital.

"May the Goddess bless them." Klein came to a realization and drew a crimson moon on his chest.

He took the opportunity to say the idea that he had come up with long ago.

"I plan to donate some more money to buy food, medicine, and medical equipment for the foundation. In this manmade disaster, we can do more things."

"A brilliant idea. Those who are suffering will be grateful to you from the bottom of their hearts, Mr. Dantes." Audrey tapped her chest four times in a fluid motion. There was obvious joy and pity in her eyes. "I will do my best as well."

She didn't want to just donate money, but to spearhead certain matters.

Klein nodded.

"You don't have to praise me. At times like these, I only did what I should do.

"Apart from donating funds, I will also donate food. All of you can discuss this directly with my butler, Walter. Yes, Miss Audrey, I can write a letter of authorization to you now so that you can use my name to transfer the resources of Maygur Manor."

"What about you, Mr. Dantes?" Audrey asked with a vague guess.

This was the most normal response in such a conversation.

"I received a notice from the Church that I need to help them perform certain tasks. As for what they are, I haven't gone to Saint Samuel Cathedral yet, so I'm not sure either. The only thing I can confirm is that I have to travel around. I won't be able to return to Maygur Manor for a long time." Klein gave the reason he had come up with previously. "Miss Audrey, during this period of time at the foundation, I have come to understand your character and ability. Your background and standing also determine your visions and style. Handing these matters to you is the best solution I can come up with."

Klein didn't expect his lies to fool a senior Spectator. He only wanted to deceive the people around Justice—oh, these people didn't include the dog.

Does Mr. World want to temporarily give up on his identity as Dwayne Dantes so that he can perform certain matters in secret? Feeling enlightened, Audrey pretended to think. After a few seconds of silence, she said, "With the current situation, I can't refuse such a request."

Klein secretly heaved a sigh of relief. He immediately got his personal servant, Enuni, to go upstairs to get a piece of paper and a pen. Then, while being witnessed by the staff, he personally drafted a letter of authorization, signed his name, printed his thumbprint, and stamped the seal.

After doing all of this, Klein cast his gaze at the newspaper in Audrey's hand.

"Is there anything else? I just came back from outside the city. I only heard the paperboy shout that the kingdom has declared war on Feysac."

Audrey pursed her lips and said with a slightly gloomy expression, "Not long after the airship fleet from Feysac attacked Backlund, their Sonia Sea fleet took advantage of the thick fog to attack the Imperial Navy's base at Pritz Harbor's Oak Island and the shipyards in the surrounding area. Fortunately, the Church of the Lord of Storms received a warning beforehand and sent a telegram in advance. Pritz Harbor wasn't lost, but it lost quite a number of ships and factories. It's said that many people died and were seriously injured..."

"This is war..." Klein sighed. "Can I see how the king declared war?"

Audrey knew that there was something wrong with King George III, so she could tell that Mr. World was hiding his contempt. She didn't refuse and handed the newspaper over.

It was the Tussock Times.

Without needing to spread it open, he directly saw the king's declaration on the headlines:

"...708 years ago, the Feysacians took away Sonia Island from us.

"A year ago, the Feysacians stole half of our interests in East Balam.

"Today, they bombarded Backlund and attacked Pritz Harbor. Many Loenese were killed and injured, and their blood has stained the ground.

"There's no way for us to back down any further. We can only be bullied again and again by the Feysacians if we back off. If we continue retreating, we will lose all our interests overseas. Large amounts of our products will not be sold. Countless workers will lose their jobs, and even more peasants will go bankrupt!

"Everything from the past and now states that justice is in our hands, and we have enough strength to seize complete victory.

"Everyone, I, your emperor, George III, represent the parliament and the kingdom's government to declare war on Feysac. Unless they raise the white flag and surrender, we will never stop advancing!

"Advance, we shall take back Sonia Island! Advance, we shall conquer St. Millom!

"Victory will definitely belong to us. The gods will be with us!"

Klein quickly browsed through it and used his Clown ability to stop his lips from curling up.

He then returned the Tussock Times to Audrey. He took off his hat and bowed.

"I'll leave the rest to you."

"I will, please rest assured." Audrey held the letter of authorization and newspapers and bowed.

Without any further delay, Klein left the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation with his valet, Enuni, and arrived at Saint Samuel Cathedral.

At that moment, the church no longer had many believers present. Most of them had returned to their homes, busy preparing for their life with war having been declared.

In the dark and quiet environment, Klein found a seat and sat down. He took off his hat, clasped his hands, and placed them in front of his mouth and nose. He softly recited the honorific name of the Evernight Goddess, then said, "...I received news from the Red Angel evil spirit that it's very likely that Zaratul has already arrived in Backlund. As for the secret ruins of the Blood Emperor, there's a high chance that it's the mausoleum needed for the Black Emperor ritual ..."

After the prayer, Klein waited patiently for a while. He saw the archbishop, Anthony Stevenson, enter from the side door and walk towards him.

This saint was clean-shaven. He wore a black robe that had the crimson moon's emblem on it. He walked without making a sound, as though he was the night that slowly descended.

Anthony didn't say a word after he approached Dwayne Dantes. He only signaled with his eyes before turning towards the library.

With that, Klein got up, put on his hat, and followed silently behind.

As for his personal servant, Enuni, he held his cane and walked to the entrance of the cathedral to wait. @@novelbin@@

Outside the library, Archbishop Anthony turned around and revealed a smile. He said to Dwayne Dantes, "War has erupted. There are too many things that need to be done. As a devout believer of the Goddess, are you willing to provide some help?"

Indeed... From the looks of it, Ma'am Arianna has left Backlund... As Klein sighed, he drew the crimson moon on his chest.

"It's my honor. Praise the Lady."

After responding, he immediately asked, "What do you need me to do?"

"I'll inform you when needed. Try not to go home during this period of time," Saint Anthony said in an illogical tone.

And in an instant, he understood what the other party meant. He had to hide for now. They had no time to deal with Zaratul. At most, they could provide him protection within a certain range.

Just as I thought, the Goddess is digesting the Uniqueness of the Death pathway. "She will not be able to do a divine descent for a long period of time. The upper echelons of the Church have to deal with the war, while the negative effects of Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts are more terrifying than the last... Klein nodded gently.

"Yes, Your Grace."

"May the Goddess bless you." Saint Anthony drew the crimson moon.

"Praise the Lady. The only escape is tranquility." Klein responded with a familiar gesture.

Then, he left Saint Samuel Cathedral and headed to another street with his valet.

After walking for a while, both of them disappeared at some point in time.

East Borough, in a two-bedroom rental apartment.

Wearing an ordinary face, Klein took out the adventurer's harmonica and blew at it.

Soon, Reinette Tinekerr walked out of the void with four blonde, red-eyed heads in hand. She wasn't surprised by her contractor's appearance.

Without giving a letter, he directly said, "Tell Miss Sharron and Marie that Zaratul has come to Backlund and is very likely to be in contact with the Rose School of Thought. They must be careful. It's best not to go to the Bravehearts Bar in the near future."

"Zaratul..." This time, Reinette Tinekerr's four heads spoke at the same time, as though they had spent a great deal of effort to recall who it was.

"Leader of the Secret Order, a Sequence 1 angel who once lost his mind before becoming normal again." Klein took out a gold coin and handed it to Miss Messenger.

He didn't mention that Zaratul was very interested in Gehrman Sparrow. He believed that, as a high-level spirit world creature, Miss Messenger would be able to sense his uniqueness to a certain extent. Otherwise, there was no need for this angel to lower "Her" status to be his messenger. If it was for Yesterday Once More charms, "She" could provide him help in a more decent manner.

As for why Zaratul didn't discover the gray fog's aura in the foggy town but now shows interest in Gehrman Sparrow, Klein believed that there were three reasons. The first reason was that the gray fog's Beyonder convergence had compelled this powerful Seer to come to Backlund, and "He" predicted something. The second reason was that Gehrman Sparrow was able to leave the foggy town despite receiving the wrong symbol and return to the real world. The third reason was that Gehrman Sparrow was likely related to the organization that believed in The Fool.

By the time Zaratul came into contact with the Rose School of Thought and realized that the Mother Tree of Desire was somewhat interested in Gehrman Sparrow, even if he didn't have a guess, the importance he placed on Gehrman Sparrow would still rise exponentially.

Reinette Tinekerr didn't say anything else. One of the heads tilted forward and bit the gold coin.

After watching Miss Messenger leave, he pulled a chair and sat down. He sized up the sky outside the window across a wooden desk.

The layout of the rental apartment was the same as the one he used to live in Tingen City. There was a bedroom inside, and outside of it was a living room, dining room, and study room. There was also a bunk bed.

At that moment, in the room, other than him, there were only his marionettes—Qonas and Enuni.

-x-X-x-

After sitting for a while, Klein raised his hand to rub his temples. He then stood up, took four steps counterclockwise, and went above the gray fog.

He then conjured Gehrman Sparrow. By praying to Mr. Fool, he sent messages to Danitz and The Hermit Cattleya.

The message for the former was to remind him to be careful of the Secret Order. Although he didn't believe that Zaratul would directly seek out Danitz, a person who had crossed paths with Gehrman Sparrow on the surface, there was nothing wrong with reminding him regardless. As a Bizarro Sorcerer, Klein had a certain level of understanding of the Beyonders of the Seer pathway. He believed that those who could truly advance to such a state were sufficiently cautious and careful. This didn't exclude certain oddities and exceptions, but it definitely didn't exclude Zaratul who was at Sequence 1.

And in this situation, in the eyes of an angel who was in control of enough secrets, Danitz was more like bait that was deliberately thrown out to fish for certain targets. Therefore, it was highly likely that Zaratul would very carefully and cautiously avoid him. At most, he would send members of the Secret Order to do some direct or indirect investigations.

By the same logic, the message that Klein gave The Hermit Cattleya had the same content. However, this wasn't the main point. The main point was for her to immediately contact Queen Mystic Bernadette, saying that Gehrman Sparrow wanted to meet her as soon as possible. In addition, he also informed the Admiral of Stars—something he wanted to delay till the next Tarot Gathering—that she was to decide if she wanted to purchase the Sequence 5 Druid and Sequence 4 Classical Metallurgist of the Planter pathway.

West of the Berserk Sea, Theros Island.

Danitz, who was gathering clues about Vice Admiral Ailment, held a cup filled with golden beer when his expression suddenly became extremely complicated.

"What's wrong? You saw someone and recalled an indescribable encounter?" Anderson shook the Lanti Proof distilled liquor in his hand as he teased the abnormal Danitz.

Danitz gulped down a mouthful of beer and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before saying with a somewhat depressed expression, "We have to be careful of Secret Order members from now on..."

Ever since he met Gehrman Sparrow, such words were a common occurrence for him. His initial reaction had gone from the point of panic to numbness and depression.

He suspected that one day, he would be listed as being wanted by all organizations of different sizes, except Mr. Fool's organization.

Anderson sized up Danitz when he heard that as he chuckled.

"Sometimes, I feel that Gehrman Sparrow is more like a hunter than me.

"Heh, so the two of you have a special method of communication. You don't even need to summon a messenger."

Danitz was just about to say a few perfunctory words when a person from Intis rushed into the tavern. He held a telegram and shouted, "Feysac launched an air raid on Backlund, Loen has officially declared war!"

Declared war? Anderson and Danitz looked at each other. By relying on their pathway's characteristics, they acutely caught the scent of a large-scale war.

Feysac attacked Backlund and Pritz Harbor, and in return, Loen has officially declared war... The three ironclad warship fleets weren't at the harbor, so there wasn't many losses. They're heading back to the Loen coast...Cattleya's crew happened to pass through Oravi Island, and they had gathered all sorts of information from the telegrams.

Just as she was thinking about how the pirate crew would react in this situation, she suddenly saw an endless gray fog and heard The World Gehrman Sparrow.

"Be careful of the Secret Order members. Be careful of Zaratul..." As someone from Intis to a certain extent, what caught Cattleya's attention was something that with the least importance.

And it was precisely because of this that she had no doubts about The World Gehrman Sparrow's request to meet the Queen as soon as possible. She believed that this was related to the Secret Order and Zaratul.

Finally, she said the two potion names softly, "Druid... Classical Metallurgist...

"This Sequence 4's modern name should be the Ancient Metallurgist. It was previously called Human Metallurgist..."

Cattleya subconsciously walked to the window and cast her gaze down. On these seas which had a time difference between it and Backlund, Frank Lee and Artisan Cielf were leaning on the side of the ship' sunbathing. The former ^ a relaxed expression and looked very pleased, but there was a pensive look in his eyes. It was as though there were still some problems that couldn't be resolved. The latter's face was pale, and his lips were quivering. Scattered over his clothes were mushrooms.

Druid... Ancient Metallurgist... Admiral of Stars Cattleya repeated the two terms again, feeling as though something was pressing down on her.

After about ten seconds, Cattleya adjusted the heavy glasses on her nose bridge and consoled herself.

Mr. Fool didn't give any warnings. It means it's not a big deal...

With this thought in mind, specks of bright light floated down, forming a staircase of light between the captain's cabin window and the deck.

Cattleya went down the stairs and walked to Frank Lee and Cielf s side.

After a few seconds of silence, Cattleya asked, "Frank, what are your dreams?"

Only then did Frank Lee realize that his captain had arrived. With a push of his palm, he flipped to his feet.

"Dreams?"

This Biologist thought about it seriously and said, "I wish to be able to study the soil, the creation of objects, and crossbreeding techniques without restrictions, so as to ensure that humans will no longer be hungry anymore. Equality between people will be achieved. What you can do, I can do. What you can grow, I can also grow..."

Upon hearing this, Artisan Cielf slowly got up and silently crouched to the side, opening his mouth and vomiting.

Frank Lee continued without being affected, "In order to have such a world, one has to have sufficient food and resources, so I hope to create all kinds of creatures that can deal with different environments and conditions. Heh heh, everyone has their own tendencies. I prefer fish, beef, and spores..."

Cattleya finished listening to Frank's description with a deadpan expression. However, during this process, she repeatedly nudged the thick glasses on her nose thrice.

After a moment of silence, Cattleya asked, "There's only one step left to your research now?"

"That's right. I'm just short of a Dmid's ability for catalyzing it. If I can_t get the formula, I_m 伽 help me make the Druid Beyonder characteristic I have into a mystical item," Frank answered frankly.

"No, I won't help you! You devil!" the silently vomiting Artisan Cielf raised his head and shouted anxiously.

Cattleya watched this scene quietly. With a flip of her hand, she produced a gold coin.

Ding!

The gold coin flipped up before landing in Cattleya's palm, heads facing up.

"I have the Druid potion formula. It's from Gehrman Sparrow, 5,000 pounds," Cattleya explained in detail, as though she was deliberately telling Artisan Cielf, informing him who the true "murderer" was.

A look of pure joy immediately appeared in Frank Lee's eyes.

"He really is a swell guy!

"Uh, Captain, I've only saved up to 3,000 pounds. Can you lend me 2,000 pounds?"

Most of his previous savings had been used to buy the Druid Beyonder characteristic, and he had even sold some of his items.

Cattleya fell silent once again. A few seconds later, she nodded while Frank Lee's expectant eyes were on her. "Okay."

North Borough, Backlund Medical University's affiliated hospital.

Eudora lay on the bed with a blank expression, lacking the vibrancy a young girl should have.

She had woken up from her coma some time ago, but she hadn't opened her eyes. Thus, she heard the doctor tell her parents that the injury she received to her right leg from the air raid likely couldn't be saved. They had to be prepared for an amputation procedure. @@novelbin@@

After that, she lay down in a daze, feeling as though there were many people coming and going one after another. Among them, the person who had originally only visited the student next door, the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation director, Audrey, indicated that she was willing to pay for the subsequent treatments after hearing about her. The school's chancellor, Mr. Portland Moment, had promised to create the most advanced and most convenient robotic limb for her to walk like a normal person.

However, none of this dispelled the gloominess, heaviness, sorrow, and despair in Eudora's heart.

She wasn't even 18, and she had yet to enjoy the beauty of life, but now, she was about to lose a leg and lose her dreams.

Her family wasn't considered wealthy. Her father was the owner of a grocery store that believed in the Lord of Storms. He was violent, barbaric, and unwilling to reason with women. Her mother was timid and weak, and she relied on her father to survive. If not for the fact that her family didn't have a second child at home, Eudora wouldn't have been able to study at all. But even so, her father had chosen a place like the Backlund Technical School where results could be quickly seen.

Previously, she had commented on how lucky she was that the Backlund Technical School had been turned into the Backlund University of Technology; furthermore, she had passed the examinations and become a real university student. This made her smile every day as she passed the joy to the people around her while having the time to indulge in her hobby for poetry.

Eudora's dream was to remain in the university and be a university teacher, finding a husband who loved her as she loved him. At the same time, she could constantly keep true to her pursuit of poetry, hoping that they would one day be published in magazines and newspapers.

Now, all of this had been destroyed by a bomb that fell from the sky. It had been mercilessly and cruelly destroyed.

After an unknown period of time, Eudora silently pulled up the blanket and covered her face. She let out a soft whimper that sounded like a baby beast.

The crying didn't stop for a while. After a while, Eudora suddenly lifted the blanket and saw a black figure standing by her bed.

Half of the black figure's face was covered by mushrooms, while the other half was covered in weeds. In the black figure's hand was a wooden cane.

Eudora couldn't even scream. She felt like her heart was about to burst out of her chest.

The black figure touched her with the tip of the cane.

Eudora felt her heart return to normal while her right leg felt cold, as though she could feel her leg again.

When she looked at the bedside again, the black figure wasn't there anymore.

In her daze, Eudora moved her right leg and realized that it wasn't painful at all. It was if she had never been hurt before.

She pulled up the blanket again and covered her face.

A few seconds later, there was a sound of disbelief under the blanket. It was filled with fear, but it was also mixed with crying that were tears of joy.

-x-X-x-

Nighttime, Pritz Harbor, in a cemetery in the suburbs.

The people who died in the airship bombings had been brought here. The priests and bishops of the three Churches were busy comforting the souls of the dead to prevent any anomalies from happening.

In that short day, many wives lost their husbands, many children lost their mothers, and many families were down to a single person. Some of them loitered in the cemetery—some silent, others sobbing. Some even wept until they fainted.

Wearing an ordinary-looking face, Klein stood among them and watched everything without saying a word. It was as if he had recalled the funeral he had attended before.

While it was dark, he had just used Life's Cane to treat the injured in Backlund and Pritz Harbor's various hospitals— victims of the air raid. He had also left behind a strange and horrifying urban myth to help him further digest the Bizarro Sorcerer potion.

And he knew that, once such haunted tales spread like wildfire, Zaratul, who was in Backlund, would immediately be able to understand what was going on. "He" would send his marionettes to monitor the corresponding areas. Hence, before the news spread, he relied on "Teleporting" to travel to all the hospitals in Backlund and Pritz Harbor, leaving behind all sorts of horror stories to treat patients with severe illnesses.

When this matter spread, he believed that he would receive a great deal of feedback, allowing him to take a firm and huge step in the direction of completely digesting the potion.

However, Klein didn't stop there. The existence of a conspiracy created by the Red Angel evil spirit, and the fact that Zaratul was in Backlund, was like a guillotine hanging above his head, urging him to continue searching for opportunities.

Hence, he came here to witness the grief of the ordinary citizens.

After a moment of silence, Klein retracted his gaze and turned to leave the cemetery.

After arriving at an empty spot, his left glove quickly turned dark blue, and slippery fish scales grew out.

With a whoosh, the wind swept over, and Klein flew up into the air towards the harbor.

In the sea beyond the land, the Sonia Sea fleet from the Feysac Empire was quietly waiting. It was as if they were prepared to launch another bombardment after daybreak, destroying the rest of the shipyards.

Soon, Klein arrived above the harbor ruins and looked at the faint flames in the dark night.

At the same time, his two marionettes had used Flaming Jump to rush over from the ground, splitting up into different hidden locations.

From what he had heard and seen, Klein didn't have any doubts or feelings towards what he was about to do. However, he was still confused.

Taking revenge on the invaders was a legitimate matter, but if he were to seriously injure the Feysac fleet, the happiest person would be the Loen King, George III—the true mastermind behind all of this, one of the culprits who had pushed for war!

There are too many principles in this world, but only those who have truly experienced it will realize that there are times when doing nothing is the correct path. It will fill one's heart with conflict... With a sigh, Klein turned his attention to the information he had received from The Hanged Man.

The commander of the Sonia Sea fleet from the Feysac Empire was Admiral Egor Einhorn. He was a demigod from the royal family, currently a Sequence 4 Iron-blooded Knight of the Red Priest pathway! @@novelbin@@

Through this information, together with the contents of the Red Priest card, more key points surfaced in Klein's mind.

Iron-blooded Knight can make women turn into men, and also make them have courage that is comparable to steel. Not only can they control multiple types of flames, but they're also masters in this domain. They can even turn their own flames into steel...

On the Nepos, the flagship of the Feysac Empire's Sonia Sea fleet.

A burly man with a thick beard more than two meters tall, Egor Einhorn, was sitting behind a desk. As he drank Sonia blood wine, he pondered over what to do next.

After daybreak, Loen's airship crew will definitely attack. Their Pritz ironclad warship and the corresponding fleet will return soon. If they continue staying here, I'll be left in a passive situation.

Although I'm a Iron-blooded Knight, allowing the entire fleet's power to gather onto me while distributing the damage, the commanding officer of the ironclad warship is most likely a demigod of the Arbiter pathway, or they have the corresponding Grade 1 Sealed Artifact, so it won't be easy to deal with them... If I'm not careful, they might be able to make use of the advantage of their fleet's speed and armaments...

Retreating is the best option. After that, we'll continue attacking the coastal ports while the Loen navy is damaged... Heh heh, this war is indeed a good opportunity to digest potions.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to become a War Bishop before this. Otherwise, I might have a chance to advance to the level of an angel after the war. Sigh, only a War Bishop can truly unleash the strength of an army. It's not like how I am right now, only able to focus power on myself...

In the midst of Egor Einhom's thoughts, he planned on using the hidden connection between an Iron-blooded Knight and the soldiers that were under his command to inform his adjutant to pay him a visit, so that he could give the orders of performing a retreat overnight.

Suddenly, he looked up at the door.

Thump!

There was a knock on the door, and it instantly reverberated in the quiet room.

An advance warning before an attack... This thought flashed across Egor's mind and he became extremely tense.

In a battle between demigods, setting up an environment, sudden attacks, and catching enemies by surprise was a good way to seize the initiative. It was a combination that could effectively defeat or even kill an enemy of the same level. On the contrary, it was very difficult to accomplish it successfully. Therefore, giving an advance notice before an attack was either a warning without any follow-ups, or it meant that the attacker's level and strength far exceeded the target.

As a senior Iron-blooded Knight, Egor instinctively considered the worst situation. He immediately woke up every sailor and soldier on the Nepos to establish a connection with him.

At that moment, the noise sounded again.

Boom!

This time, the knocking sound on the door was comparable to the loud boom of a salvo. It made Egor feel like a bomb had exploded in his ears.

Under his high-strung nerves, he carefully listened to the commotion. This wasn't much different from the roar of a Cataclysmic Interrer!

In an instant, Egor's ears buzzed and he felt dizzy.

He quickly spread out the damage and let every member of the Nepos hear a faint buzz.

Then, Egor grabbed the fountain pen on the table and threw it at the door.

This dark red fountain pen left afterimages along the way, like a cannonball that had been fired.

To an Iron-blooded Knight, no matter how ordinary it was, it could become a terrifying murderous weapon through his augmentation!

Boom!

The door that was hit by the fountain pen cracked open, revealing the person in the corridor who had knocked on the door.

It was a man in a black trench coat. His body was as thin as paper, and his face had no facial features.

At that moment, the fountain pen had already exploded. The tiny fragments were like storms brought about by the sweeping of a machine gun. It embroiled the person who knocked on the door, tearing him into pieces of flesh and blood.

Egor didn't relax. Instead, he stood up and looked around warily.

He clearly knew that the person who had knocked on the door hadn't appeared!

At this moment, the adjutant, whose bunk was diagonally across from him, opened the door and ran out. When he saw the flesh and blood on the ground, he said in surprise, "Admiral, what happened?"

"There's an intruder..." Before Egor could finish his sentence, his gaze suddenly froze on the adjutant.

The adjutant retracted his gaze from the flesh and blood on the ground and slowly raised his head.

There were no eyebrows, eyes, nose, or mouth on his face. It was the same as the person who had knocked just now—a featureless surface.

Egor's heart palpitated, and his entire body ignited, transforming into flames that shot out in all directions.

After the scarlet flames dispersed, they swept forward and surrounded the adjutant.

The fire quickly spread, revealing the already charred adjutant.

When the cold wind blew past, the adjutant collapsed into a pile of ashes.

The flames didn't stop as they flew out of the room, one after another, forming a tall and burly Egor in midair.

At that moment, he saw seagulls flying around him. All of them had a human head without any facial features—their heads bare!

Egor let out a secret grunt as a blazing flame surrounded him before he sent towards the strange seagulls at high speeds.

At that moment, he heard the sound of metal rubbing against each other and immediately looked over with the help of the soldiers.

When he saw this, his body suddenly turned cold. He couldn't help but feel a sense of horror.

On one of the ships on the other sail-powered battleship of the Sonia Sea fleet, the cannons seemed to come alive and had a life of their own!

They turned around and aimed into the air.

As for the cannonballs, they actively leaped into the cannons.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The moment these shells were fired, they were struck by fireballs that followed different trajectories, exploding prematurely mid-flight.

Seizing this opportunity, Egor quickly recited the honorific name of the highest commander in the Sonia Sea theater—a Weather Warlock from the royal family.

"The ruler of the fog of the battlefield, the symbol of weather flux, the totem of the storm and lightning, the great Awatoma Einhorn..."

This was also the reason why it was difficult to kill a demigod of the same level when an advanced warning was given. They could always find an opportunity to seek help.

Of course, the main goal of the attacker, Klein, was to create a bizarre scene to scare a demigod and help him digest his potion. He had no intention of completing the hunt.

Upon seeing this, he hid beneath the water. Having achieved his goal, he immediately got Qonas and Enuni to swap locations over to him and "Teleport" away with them.

As for Egor, he didn't let his guard down. He remained extremely tense and guarded against any possible attacks.

Only when the angel responded did he truly heave a sigh of relief.

Following that, Egor didn't let the fleet stay any longer. He abandoned the sail-powered battleship that had turned into an urban myth, and he left those waters.

After a while, a seagull flew over and landed on the sail-powered battleship that had regained its silence.

The seagull had obvious dark eye circles. It looked around and said in the language of humans, "I can smell the aura of a Seer demigod..."