The eyes shone darkly on the back of the elderly man who was at the end of the corridor, moving at the same moment as if he was sinking into distorted space and disappeared entirely from Klein's vision.
Klein was stunned and couldn't help but ask in a daze:
— What were those eyes on your back?
Neil seemed to stop for a moment, as if he had frozen, and then gave an awkward smile.
— It's just the result of ritualistic magic, it's nothing big. Well, as expected of a Seer, you could tell right away. — he said. His reddish-white eyes were cloudy, but they had a solemn air.
Stirring the tea he was holding with a spoon, he laughed.
— Since they gave you a little insight into the Beyonder world, I just have to explain a few things. Just be careful not to get lost in the corridors.
I'd rather not court death and keep walking around this place. — Klein replied mentally.
Neil entered a door full of mysterious symbols carved on it, leaving Klein confused, but he just followed him. From what Dunn Smith had said, it was two hallways away, not just one.
— Mr. Dunn got confused? — he muttered as he looked around.
There were a few bookshelves with various yellowed papers and thick hardback books. A small table sat in the corner with documents full of words in other languages.
The candlelight illuminated everything with a yellowish glow.
— Hehe. Dunn tends to forget a lot and that means he's our usual captain. If he started remembering everything, it would be a problem. — Neil spoke in a relaxed tone, placing the cup on the table.
A problem? — Klein thought internally. It was probably related to madness, however he could be wrong.
— Why? — he decided to ask.
Old Neil explained skillfully:
— Dunn's path is that of the Sleepless. In Nightmare Sequence 7, they enter dreams, but they confuse dreams with reality and forgetfulness is normal, this is because they still remember that dreams are not real. But when this line between thoughts breaks, they are no longer the same people.
It's a form of loss of control. Fortunately, the captain is still forgetful... — Klein thought silently in his heart.
He even thought that Dunn Smith had some kind of illness or something, but there was really nothing to worry about.
After that, Neil ended up explaining about the Sealed Artifacts and their different degrees of danger. It was from three to zero, with the last one being the most dangerous, and they should not be investigated, disseminated, described or spied on.
A Sealed Artifact of degree one must be kept sealed, being a latent danger to anyone who approaches it.
Degree two was a more reasonable danger, as was degree three.
Klein remembered the strange watch that the man from the Secret Order was carrying with him.
What degree was that Artifact?
— They are kept behind the Gates of Chanis. — old Neil finished his explanation.
— Chanis Gate? — Klein narrowed his eyes.
Neil laughed.
After that, he picked up one of the papers that was on the table. It was a document that seemed to have some names of organizations.
— Chanis Gate was named by the Archbishop who set up the current church system. — The gate has the necessary seals so that no Sealed Artifact can escape or exert its influence on us. — he handed the papers to Klein and continued simply — You are involved in a lot of trouble so you need to learn about the different organizations for now. Just read this and you can go home. I'm sure you're dying of sleep after all that mess, after all, we are not Sleepless.
It was a multi-page document specifically about underground and secret organizations in the Beyonder world. It was actually quite impressive that there were so many.
Could I find more information about those nameless organizations? — Klein thought as he glanced at the first page.
There was a lot of information about organizations that had their origins in the Fourth Epoch.
"The Order of the Silver Court. Its origins were in an unknown era, speculated to be the Fourth Epoch. Its members believe in an eternal and absolute Lord among all things that exist."
"There are some connections to ancient aristocracy."
"Pathway of the Bard, the Spectator, and the Warrior."
The Demon Sect that was vaguely mentioned and possessed the pathway of the Assassin.
The Blood Sanctify Sect that were followers of the Devil.
Moses Ascetic Order who follow a deity they call the Hidden Sage, but there wasn't much about it.
"Order Blood of Redemption. An organization that appeared during the Fourth Epoch, however the approximate date of its foundation is unknown. Its members believe in an Evil Deity. For them, He is indecipherable. What is known is that for the members, madness is just an event, but not the definitive end. They don't usually act very often."
"I suspect they are connected to some fallen families from past times."
What a strange organization, as bizarre as the others... — Klein was confused and just read the rest of the information about the organization.
In Order Of Blood Redemption, there are Beyonders of the Pathway of the Hunter, the Apprentice and the Assassin. Others may be of other paths such as some who were Marauders and Prisoners.
— Mr. Neil. Why isn't there much information about the Order Blood of Redemption? — Klein asked, looking up from the documents.
Old Neil sighed.
— I don't know much about them, they're weird. Sometimes scholars of this organization show up, and other times a lunatic. I've had to deal with one of them before, she was a Beyonder in Sequence 7 or 6, she disappeared under everyone's noses after setting a trap for us on our own plane for some reason we never discovered. I'd rather not have to deal with them, they're very bizarre like many members of secret organizations.
— She ended up saying something about the deity she believes in. But Sekka, who heard everything, doesn't remember anything, not even about the case itself. None of us saw or could see her face.
Don't you remember? — Klein frowned slightly.
—They're lunatic devotees of the deity they believe in. From what I've heard, 'He was born from a part of the Creator of all that exists, in the chaos of endless darkness, He rose above the heavens.' Even though they're crazy, they don't go around saying anything like the Aurora Order, so there's not much information. — Old Neil spoke in a deep tone.
That doesn't make much sense... — Klein thought before focusing his attention on the paper in his hands.
"Knowledge Pursuers. They appeared in the Fourth Epoch. They believe that knowledge and history are completely indecipherable, and therefore, madness is just one result among many. They also use different means to conduct studies, such as astrology, archaeology, machinery, and other means mainly from the mysterious world."
"They once had ties with the Moses Ascetic Order and the Church of Knowledge and Wisdom, however the connection was severed when the Hidden Sage began to be worshipped among the researchers of the Moses Ascetic Order. The organization's current main connection is with the Life School of Thougth."
Below, the paths of the Reader, the Savant, and the Mystery Pryer appeared.
The next few pages talked about the Secret Order, mainly about its origins, which could be linked to the Zaratul family. The order had several connections to ancient families.
There was also the name of Sequence 8 of the Seer Pathway, Clown!
Clown? Uh... Cunning and agile... What would a Clown be? Is the Seer Pathway a circus performance? — Klein satirized as he moved on to the next words.
It talked about Sequence 7.
In Sequence 7 are natural-born deceivers... Cunning and strange with mysterious powers... That's what this pathway must look like! — He finally felt that something made sense and continued reading.
"Order of Mysteries. The true name of the organization is not known, so another one was given by the official organizations. Their purposes are unknown, as are their principles or what they believe in."
"Some sources point to a connection with an ancient Dynasty and its origin is connected to an important aristocratic family of the Fourth Epoch, among several others."
— Mr. Neil, which dynasty is the Order of Mysteries linked to? — Klein asked, even though he thought he might not receive an actual answer, it could be confidential.
— From what Dunn said, the Tudor Dynasty. — Neil replied, equally curious.
In the lines below appeared Sequence 9 Apprentice, Sequence 8 Trickmaster. Sequence 9 Seer and Sequence 8 Clown.
There is not much information here... Which important family could it be? From what you say, it is probably one of the Tudor Empire... But they did not even mention the name...
Maybe I could ask at the Tarot Club.
No, like the imposing Fool, that would ruin my performance!
Well, maybe there is a different way to ask about different subjects. I can ask in a way that doesn't ruin my mysterious image, but in the future it wouldn't be possible… Maybe I can create some kind of puppet? I'll have to climb above the mist to test that… — Klein turned back to Neil who was silently drinking tea and remembered that he hadn't asked him one of his biggest questions.
— What is the pay that an official Nighthawk gets?
Old Neil choked.
Coughing a little, his surprised gaze fell on Klein and explained:
— It depends, Nighthawks who start now get six pounds and sometimes, you can get more for certain cases you're involved in. As time goes by, your salary will increase, don't worry.
Old Neil turned to the table excitedly and showed Klein some more papers and handed them to him.
— We really needed a history student, do you know what these papers are? Direct copies of Emperor Roselle's diary, codes he created long ago, but no one has ever been able to translate a single word.
Klein finally turned his attention to the other papers with familiarity in his eyes, his eyes widening at the same time.
Those calligraphy written in a way that no one in that world could tell, even though they were written in an almost indistinguishable and grotesque way.
That was simplified Chinese!
Damn!
"December 18th. I looked up at the sky, remembering that pathetic guy who was trapped in the darkness and yet magically disappeared from the eyes of the world. I suspect he is a little crazy, is he really? Or maybe not... Could that lunatic be lying? It wouldn't be a surprise."
"December 19th. Why are my diplomats so dumb?"
"December 21st. Miss Florence is truly mesmerizing, but today I saw an even more stunning lady, Miss Ithac."
"September 2nd. I lost communication with my ship that was searching for the Forsaken Land of the Gods. Maybe I should send a search ship or invent wireless telegraphs."
"September 9th, An alliance opposing me has been established. Feysac from the North, Loen from the East, Feynapotter from the South. The long-awaited day has finally arrived, my enemies are joining forces. Hehe, maybe they've forgotten who I am. As if steam weapons will make up for the outnumbered low-sequence ones! And the high-sequence ones… Haha, it's not like I can't handle them, I'm Roselle!"
"January 4th. Why are people so stupid? I've tried to explain a million times! The most important thing about potions is not controlling them, but digesting them! It's not about using powers, but about acting! And the name of a potion is not only symbolic in its essence, but a concrete image and the 'key' to digestion!"
"February 1st. Even with Zaratul's warnings about these Pathways, I regret that when I was inexperienced, it was a mistake not to have chosen the Marauder, the Apprentice, or the Seer."
"December 10th."
"That despicable madman! He must be right..."
"Haha, all my thoughts were wrong this whole time, I was a fool to have considered that ridiculous possibility!"
"I should have realized it before! It was before my eyes!"
"Hahaha, the Abrahams lied!"So Emperor Roselle really was a compatriot of mine! — Klein felt a wave of relief and horror hit him at the same time.
Who were the Abrahams?
Where was the Forsaken Land of the Gods?
What did "act" and "digest" mean?
With his thoughts in chaos, he noticed a specific term:
Zaratul!
Zaratul refers to the family of the Fourth Epoch that is linked to the origin of the Secret Order! That means this Zaratul might be from the organization... My compatriot was not on the right path.
He gave negative warnings about the pathway of the Seer. Why? There doesn't seem to be anything wrong... But my compatriot regretted not choosing that path for some reason... It's not like I had any choice.
As for the Forsaken Land of the Gods, I have no idea what it could be...
Who could the guy the Emperor referred to at the beginning be? Even more so, wondering if he was really him...
Also, the emperor seemed very upset in his last writing. He must have discovered something that shook him deeply... What could "The Abrahams lied" mean? Abrams must be referring to an ancient family? From the looks of it, perhaps....
This diary could serve as a guide for my life as a Beyonder in this new world!
Klein sighed inwardly, feeling as if he had met an old friend from many years ago.
There was another transmigrator besides him!
Since the emperor is my compatriot, then there is a high chance that the creator of the tarot system is a transmigrator too!
— Are there no other pages? — Klein asked, managing to come out of his deep reverie.
— Did you think there would be many? — Old Neil gave a nostalgic laugh — For starters, there aren't many cases involving Beyonders or mysteries, and as the centuries go by, extraordinary creatures are becoming extinct in our world, so the potions disappeared completely at some point.
Klein thought for a moment and replied:
— We should open a Dragon and Elf Protection Association.
Old Neil paused for a moment, confused, and it took him a while to figure out the meaning of those words. He laughed and slammed his hand on the table.
— Haha, why only protect dragons and elves? Fantastic Creatures Protection Association.
Klein smiled.
— No, no. How could we forget about the poor plants?
They both looked at each other and said in unison:
— Fantastic Organism Protection Association!
They laughed together. With the awkwardness completely gone, they were no longer complete strangers to each other.
— There are no young people as good-natured as you these days. — Neil took two bullet cartridges and a holster from the shelf and handed them to him. — Here, the ones on the right are anti-demon bullets and the ones on the left are normal ones, you'll need them for protection. —
Old Neil probably knew he had a pistol, Dunn didn't forget to tell him that at least.
— Tomorrow you'll have to go practice your aim with the gun. — Neil mentioned simply as he left.
— The captain didn't mention that. — Klein turned around again.
Neil stifled a laugh and looked at him with amusement.
— He forgot that too.
Oh, that's right… — Klein remembered Dunn's forgetfulness and left the room, looking around and making sure he wouldn't get lost.
On the way, he unfortunately saw a certain poet with deep green eyes leaning on the railing of the stairs. He seemed to be humming some poetry and then nodded to Klein.
— You'll be a great Nighthawk, we have our differences and secrets, don't we? Besides, you're special.
You look so gay... — The corners of Klein's mouth curled up indiscernibly.
...
East Borough, Iron Cross headquarters.
The walls of the vast and spacious underground corridors were all painted with dozens of murals, each depicting different mythical moments that came from ancient tales.
There were candles hanging above the ceiling in an unearthly manner.
The width and height of the corridors were so great that they could make anyone feel like an ant in a giant's lair.
The walls were perfectly made with an architecture that did not belong to the Iron Age or any of the Empires of the Age of the Gods, looking even older.
Staring fixedly, Medici remembered a heavy feeling in his mind, it seemed more like nostalgia or something similar.
I should review the internal files and look for more information wherever I can...
Yes, at least in the Order Hunters, there is more information available about the ancient eras than what the Churches spread, we didn't even have a God of Steam and Machinery until the end of the Fourth Age, so how could he have been born suddenly?
The meaning of blasphemy was in front of all the Beyonders the whole time.
Thinking like that, maybe The Fool is an ancient deity from the Third Epoch!
It wouldn't be surprising, the churches basically burned everything about the ancient eras and one can only get information from the outside as separate official organizations or with secret organizations. — he thought silently, the corners of his mouth curving into a cheeky smile.
In one of the curves of the several spacious corridors, he saw a dark-haired man with short black hair with some parts tied in braids. His very light brown eyes that more resembled a shade of white had an unprecedented calmness.
He wore only a white shirt and a double-breasted suit with other layers in shades of white, black and dark blue. In his hands, there were some books stacked up.
That was Lionel, the captain of the fourth division of the Order Hunters in Backlund.
He greeted him so lost in his thoughts that it didn't even seem like everyone had been called to a meeting at the last minute and then asked absentmindedly:
— Have you had any other cases? My last case about those strange movements of someone with characteristics similar to the Arbiter's pathway didn't lead to much.
— There have been cases of disappearances along the coast and in colonies, and the search was initiated by the Mandated Punishers. For some reason, they still think I should be the one dealing with those rude people who don't even have the diction to say a full sentence before starting a fight. Hehe, maybe that would be interesting. — Medici spoke in a relaxed tone.
Lionel just stared with a questioning look, almost imagining what could happen in a few weeks.
It wouldn't be surprising if they received a complaint the next day claiming that a bar fight between two pirates ended in an armed conflict with some deaths and, coincidentally, one of the investigated people turned up dead shortly after the fight.
— The Mandated Punishers don't like you very much, especially that bishop, Chogo. — He seemed a little thoughtful — The people he treated with such contempt were the clandestines, especially pirates. But the temperament of many bishops of the Church of the Tyrant has always been horrible with anyone and you are a former Provoker, a perfect combination for disaster. I'm glad he doesn't know about our methods.
There was a reason why the higher-ups of the churches had some power over the investigations carried out by the Order's Hunters or over the organization itself.
Even though the investigations were always very thorough, they were always looking for information so they didn't mind dealing with pirates, some members of secret organizations and clandestine Beyonders.
— They have their own secrets and blasphemies to sweep under the rug, yet they wouldn't deliberately be such blatant hypocrites. — Medici replied simply.
In his own thoughts, he knew that it wasn't just the fact that they were of the Hunter's pathway that deeply irritated some of those life-weary bishops. It probably had something to do with their name or something.
However, it's not like there had been any progress in finding out who it was in the first place.
Lionel finally glanced back and turned to Medici.
— Do you know why we're meeting today? There didn't seem to be anything wrong before… Don't tell me it's because of that case three years ago where that bishop from the Midnight Church stole the 0-08 artifact?
Medici smiled.
— It must be because of the increase in cases involving secret organizations, and the high-ranking ones also seem more active than before. Something is happening in Loen.
He took one last look at the murals before entering a hall with even more paintings everywhere.
There were twenty bronze and iron chairs, but the room only had seven people in total at a close distance.
This was the meeting hall of Backlund's headquarters.
Medici simply sat down casually in one of the chairs next to Lionel, depending on the case, he could even rest his feet on the table.
The captain of one of the main squadrons who had recently been transferred from Bayam, Emery Bellden, gave a nod.
With a tense air spreading throughout the room, no one said a single word even after a deep sigh came from one of the last chairs.
Yvaine Callas had a thoughtful expression weighing on her face.
— Let the meeting begin.
...
City of Generosity, Bayam.
With a dark look covering his face, Alger headed towards a narrow alley and soon disappeared from the sight of anyone who might be watching.
He passed through the door hidden behind some bricks and began to think deeply.
Even if he didn't want to, he had to agree that that Hunter who sometimes appears by sea is quite trustworthy, he has never given him any information that was not true in his negotiations.
Medici is certainly supported by an organization since he appeared in the last pirate confederation even though he is not a sailor, but his strength is at least equal to a Vice Admiral or an Admiral... He never does anything without a reason, he must have gained something from this deal... — Alger guessed without showing any trace of doubt on his face.
At that moment, he could not seem too curious so he hid his own feelings.
When he looked ahead, he saw a woman sitting on a chair, her expression impassive.
She looked more like a teacher than a pirate, with a simple beige coat that fit tightly at the waist and a dark colored skirt that reached her knees. The pleats of the skirt were connected. On her feet were brown leather boots.
Her long brown hair was parted in the middle, tied in a simple knot and she had light blue eyes.
— An old friend told me that he would accept the trade. So, will you help me get the artifact? I must warn you that it will not be a safe journey. — The woman said in a deep tone.
He recognized her immediately, having seen her once in the past.
Vice Admiral Iceberg, Edwina Edwards.