was past six o'clock in the evening. Jin Hui clung precariously to the edge of the horizon. Under the rusty, imitation gas lamps, a blackened, dilapidated cart guarded a long stretch of abandoned stone, extending into the desert covered with weeds and broken wood, bordering the blue and white church in the distance.
A solitary highway connects the two halves of Blue Mountain Island, one side civilized, the other savage.
Cement and brick buildings are becoming increasingly rare at the end of the road, replaced by semi-suspended houses made of stacked logs with hollow cavities underneath. This structure effectively prevents moisture erosion, allowing the residents to enjoy a relatively comfortable summer.
The streets in the residential area are not wide and the road conditions are not good, but they are complex. The alleys of all sizes intersect with each other, connecting various houses like a spider web, making the scattered residential area a whole.
The gentleman in black and his servant stopped in a narrow gap between the chaotic buildings, their gazes passing through the only opening, just enough to admire the sunset in the distance.
The sun eventually set, leaving no trace of warmth on the church dedicated to the storm, just as the silent demonstrations of the local indigenous people gathered on both sides of the main road had no effect.
"Andro, what happened up ahead?"
The servant, called "Andro" by his master, strained to see in the darkness of the night; his dry voice sounded unpleasant.
"The natives surrounded the church, and the Storm's priest was confronting them, as if the party was about to end."
A gentleman dressed in black also stepped forward, looking around and sighing.
"Steam above, how strange! The followers of the storm are so patient, and the island natives dare to surround the church."
"Those with sea serpent tattoos on their backs, are they followers of the sea god?"
To answer his master's question, the servant risked taking a few more steps forward.
"Yes, sir."
"They must be followers of the sea god, members of the Rosd Islands resistance."
What exactly happened...? The gentleman in black, Klein, stopped his one-man show with no one watching. In the darkness, with the help of his spiritual vision, which offered the widest field of vision, he carefully observed the silent demonstration that was slowly spreading outwards and about to dissipate.
Hundreds of densely packed, intertwined threads of spirit finally separated, and the threads swayed away with the people below.
Among them were ordinary cart drivers, farmers who made a living by working on plantations, extremist sea god believers with distinct characteristics, and physically strong rebels...
After some analysis, Klein realized that it was impossible to determine the nature of this illegal assembly based on the group of demonstrators.
He could only wait patiently until most of the demonstrators left, and only one or two stubborn farmers remained scattered around the church, ignoring the priests' loud scolding and reprimands, standing like stones on the road in front of the church. Only then did he take a step and hurry toward the church, which was now completely shrouded in darkness.
The rusty streetlights remained silent. These imitations of the gas lighting facilities commonly found on the mainland were not considered in much of the original design. They were more theoretical, intended by the Ruen government to allow its citizens who went to sea to make a living to feel the light of civilization on an island far from the mainland and occupied by barbarians.
So when Klein got closer to the church, without activating his spiritual vision, he still couldn't see the notice posted on the church's exterior wall, nor could he see the expressions of the protesters around him.
With doubts in his mind, Klein took a few more steps, almost touching the outer wall of the church.
Neatly arranged black Rune characters on a white background announce the new decisions of the government and church to nearby residents and passersby.
"The Third Development Plan?"
Klein read it aloud in surprise, attracting the attention of several stubborn protesters.
No wonder so many locals surrounded Storm Church. Once this announcement is made, who wouldn't object, except for those who hold Rune citizenship?
Klein continued browsing the announcements, his expression growing increasingly somber on Gehrman Sparrow's usually stern face.
The announcement in front of him was filled with arrogance in almost every word, and greed filled the blank spaces between the black characters. Klein couldn't imagine how the person who drafted the announcement could have written such shameless content.
They're practically leaving the natives no way to survive... Klein shook his head silently and turned to leave.
The history of overseas colonial development is also an indispensable part of history teaching.
In history classes at the University of Tingen, lecturers dedicate two to three weeks to meticulously explaining the detailed process by which the Kingdom's navy conquered and subjugated each colony.
The lesson on the Rothschild Islands mentioned the first and second development plans.
The so-called development plan is to develop special areas in the colony to serve the citizens of Rune and expand the interests of the Rune government and its citizens.
Today's "Generous City" of Bayam is the result of the combined efforts of the first and second development plans.
The current third development plan is for the Ruen government to redevelop the other half of Blue Mountain Island, the part that was originally designated as a concentrated residential area for indigenous people in the second plan, and to take half of the land area as the new urban area of Bayam.
Klein easily guessed the origin and development of this plan, as well as the fundamental reason for its creation.
Within days, the army of Terensust crossed the border and deployed its troops on the edge of the Star Plateau. The unprecedentedly large offensive terrified the officials of the Rune colony, as well as the many Rune people of all backgrounds who depended on the colony for their livelihood.
Although the Second Empire of Trensost's attack was not limited to the country of Rune, some of Rune's colonies in the southern continent had already fallen. Although the area was small, the actual property losses caused by the war were only superficial to the interest groups rooted in the southern continent. However, this still shook their confidence and let panic drive out their composure.
Everywhere ships could reach was planted with the flags of various countries long ago. Rune and Fusak had just signed a peace treaty and were facing the same enemy. They could not attack their allies now, so they planned to squeeze the living space of the natives in their existing colonies. After all, the natives were not citizens of their country and could not protest in parliament or newspapers.
As he deduced the reasoning step by step, Klein almost laughed out of exasperation.
It wasn't that he was ashamed of his shameless words, which he openly shared with the world in the announcement, but rather that he remembered what he had done.
Because of his personality and being an earthling educated in modern civilization, his values endowed him with a greater capacity for compassion and empathy for the poor.
Upon arriving in the Rothschild Islands and witnessing firsthand the plight of the local indigenous people, he sincerely hoped that the indigenous people living there would not be harmed again because of his actions.
So he was persuaded by Zarathustra and Tristan to postpone the mission of taking back the "Cataclysm" and focus on dealing with the pirate general.
But... the stark reality before him told him that things would not get better because of his good deeds. Even without taking away the "natural disaster," the Rosd people, who had received the Sea God's response, maintained considerable resistance. When Rune's interests were damaged and he needed to find other ways to make up for it, these natives, whose firepower was at most only steam rifles, were still difficult to resist.
If I had taken back the "natural disaster" back then, the war in the Southern Continent would have been unavoidable, but the outbreak time would have been earlier. At that time, the countries of the Northern Continent had not yet signed a treaty or reached a consensus. Perhaps I could have disrupted them and diverted their attention through a sudden war... Klein fantasized about the possible developments that he had buried with his own hands. In the end, his emotions could not overcome his reason.
impossible.
If he removes the "natural disaster" and fulfills the will of the "mysterious god," the resistance forces of the Rothschild Islands will still collapse in an instant.
He didn't know what the "natural disaster" meant to the "mystery," but he was certain that the return of the "natural disaster" was definitely more beneficial than harmful; otherwise, His angels wouldn't have gone to such lengths to protect and hide it, and He Himself wouldn't have specifically assigned such a task.
The return of "natural disasters" signifies the growing strength of the true creators and is a harbinger of an increase in the intensity and scale of the war.
Klein didn't know what the other churches and countries of the Northern Continent thought, but he was certain that the Storm Church would never sit idly by and watch as a part of the "tyrant's" power was stolen by others.
At that time, the war at sea will likely proceed in parallel with the war on the mainland, and the Rothschilds, having lost their resistance and the support of their faith, will only lose more.
We must strengthen our communication with the elves… Klein looked up one last time at the people and things around the church, and considered it seriously.
...
A deadly mist, existing only in the eyes of extremely high beings, enveloped Klein's physical body. His spirit sat upright in the hall, before whom stood the "God of Mystery," whom he had not seen for a long time.
Behind the chair belonging to the "Magician," the symbols composed of deep red remained uncertain, much like the "mysterious god" whose thick, shadowy outline churned and reformed beneath his robes amidst swirling mist around him, seemingly caught in some kind of contradiction.
What state of "natural disaster" are you trying to recover?
"At the very top," Klein said, speaking rather quickly.
"state?"
The shadow beneath the feet of the "God of Mystery" was slowly spreading out, as if it were stretching and relaxing, or as if it were dispelling the lethargy that had accumulated in the body due to prolonged drowsiness.
"He is just an ordinary sealed artifact, like many sealed artifacts you have seen, except that he has a mechanical, living nature."
"The living one, Him, can I regard the 'natural disaster' you are looking for as an independent angel?"
The answer from the "God of Mysteries" matched the descriptions Klein had heard from Zarathustra and Tristan, but he was still not sure. After all, Zarathustra and Tristan could not guarantee that what they had was the correct answer, and there was a possibility that they had been misled or deceived.
"If you only look at appearances, you will easily misunderstand His true nature." The "God of Mystery" rested his chin on one hand, his eyes, which he had hastily opened after being woken up, were half-closed, and his dark, lifeless pupils were hidden behind his eyelashes. "The reason I call 'Calamity' Him is because I set up a fixed ritual in His sleeping tomb, which can attach the shadow of my past self in history to that sealed object. So in the eyes of others, He is a replica of me, a past version of myself."
The past… Klein bit his tongue, his "mysterious" tone obscuring the focus of his words, but some adjectives still stood out.
A few days ago, I wouldn't have realized how important those three words were... Klein thought to himself.
The holy book only records events after the glorious era. Before that, the "mysterious god" was not an ancient god who ruled over a region. He hid in the edges of the continent and in the wilderness where no one paid attention. The compilers of the holy book intentionally obscured the less glorious history of the god.
According to "The Hound of Fugen", "Mystery" lost "Calamity" after challenging the Phoenix Ancestor Greygardy, ending the torment of mixed non-adjacent path characteristics.
According to Klein's understanding of the extraordinary, "mystery" probably only recovered from madness after this incident, and resembled the image He later displayed.
In the past... that is to say, the "natural disaster" beneath the Rothschild Islands can be seen as a "mystery" before the challenge against Greygardy?
That madman who accommodated non-adjacent paths?
"Note that I am referring to the shadow of history, which has a very low degree of activity and is similar to a machine in terms of subjective ability."
The "God of Mysteries" tapped the table lightly, seemingly seeing through Klein's thoughts, serving as both a reminder and a rebuttal.
His subtle movements are numerous and mostly human-like, making it hard to believe that hidden beneath the robe is a mythical creature of complex composition.
He let out a slow sigh, rubbing his temples as if fighting a headache, and spoke slowly.
"Ancient scholars can summon people, things, and even scenes they once owned or were familiar with from the mists of history. But the living shadows they summon have no will of their own unless the shadow's owner is still alive and capable of responding to the summons, projecting his will onto the historical projection, and descending from elsewhere."
"The 'natural disaster' underground in the Rothschild Islands uses rituals to solidify historical projections for security purposes, not because I want to use it for anything."
"Moreover, even if I wanted to project my will now, I couldn't do it by using that historical projection and the sealed artifact."
Because the gray fog has imprisoned you... Even though the "God of Mysteries" remained silent on the crucial answer, Klein could imagine His reply.
This guy keeps emphasizing his lack of freedom, but in reality, every action he takes, every goal he achieves through himself, is an effort towards complete freedom.
Perhaps the reason for taking back "natural disaster" is to solidify the ritual along with "natural disaster," so that the "mysterious god" can obtain a body that allows Him to temporarily move in the outside world.
Klein didn't want to dwell on things he couldn't control, so he pretended not to hear and asked again.
"Leaving aside historical projections, what was that sealed artifact itself like?"
A scrutinizing gaze swept across Klein's eyes. The "God of Mystery" was hidden under his hood, his face obscured by mist, but the complex amusement in his eyes was clearly conveyed to Klein.
He remained in a languid posture, resting his chin on his hand, and spoke in a tone as if he were talking about some commonplace ornament, not caring much.
"A scepter."
"A scepter tainted with bad luck,"