There doesn't seem to be much information about the peak of the Hornacis mountain range… At least I can confirm that the Half-Fool has some minimal connection with the Mother of the Sky, but I don't have enough information about the others… — Klein thought uncertainly.
— Hornacis is not a place where just anyone should go. In that palace lies a lunatic sunk in meaningless dreams. — The World spoke in a calm tone.
Alger seemed to be thinking deeply.
How does The World know so much? Did he go to the peak of the Hornacis mountain range to check? Neither the Church of Midnight nor the others dared to try to climb Hornacis and The World just went there as if it were something normal?
Is he a Demigod? Doesn't he look too young? He must be at least twenty years old, but he has a lot of information about Hornacis and even has knowledge about the City of Silver and ancient organizations…
At this moment, The Hanged Man had a bold idea.
It could be that The World is a powerful member of a secret organization! He might even be part of the Order of Mysteries from the information he has! In fact... He might even be something like a Saint or higher... Terrifying... I'm glad I didn't rush to any conclusions about him...
After that, they talked for a while longer. They shared information until the palace of gray mist was covered in silence.
With dozens of thoughts, Medici had an expression
— Young Sun, I'm going to ask you a question and you can ask for other information or more in return if you want to answer. In your City of Silver, do you live like you do now? Your... Creator doesn't answer any of your prayers? — Medici's gaze seemed nostalgic, but he was still hiding part of his interest.
Creator... Creator? — Alger and Solveig sat up straight in their bronze seats, listening intently to the conversation.
— Are you referring to the Creator who created everything in the Age of Chaos, falling into a deep sleep? — Audrey asked with curiosity on her face. She snapped out of her spectator state at the same time.
Derrick's eyes lit up in recognition. He didn't hesitate to begin explaining:
— In the City of Silver, we believed in the Creator. The Omniscient and Omnipotent Lord illuminated everything with His Glory. But 2678 years ago, at the beginning of the Dark Ages, He abandoned us. He stopped answering all prayers.
— Some have tried to pray to hidden beings and recite the honorable names that were in ruins, but there is no answer.
— A land abandoned by the gods? — Alger tried to suppress the disbelief in his voice.
When he was promoted to his current sequence, he ended up reading some secret files from the Church of Storms and ended up coming across a specific one that talked about a place at the end of the sea Sonia:
Forsaken Land of the Gods!
Solveig followed a similar line of thought. She narrowed her eyes almost in disbelief.
The Sun explained about the early years of the City of Silver, told about the Moon City that worshiped an existence of the gray mist. He also talked about the present day, the expeditions and the curse.
The Medici leaned back from his seat, looking somewhat thoughtful. Audrey seemed curious as she listened to the whole story, recording every detail in her mind without missing a single word.
Paying full attention, Solveig didn't even blink. Her mind had dozens of thoughts at every moment.
Alger hid part of his interest, but his indirect betrayal and The Klein World didn't react much in surprise, just listening calmly.
In the end, Alger and Solveig came to the same conclusion.
Even the Seven Orthodox Gods were unknown in the City of Silver, and no hidden existence could hear the prayers of the inhabitants, but The Fool could hear the prayers of the City of Silver.
Furthermore, He was worshipped as a deity! There was even an honorific name that the inhabitants of the Moon City prayed to.
This was indisputable proof of the Fool's existence.
So The Fool really was something close to a debt of… No wonder he could hear the City of Solver, He was worshipped in the place where the Sun lives, probably in the Third Epoch, the Epoch of Calamity… The Fool lived more than two Epochs ago! No, He probably lived even longer… He even knows about the Second Epoch… The Hanged Man was too reckless, a single breath and He could kill him! — Medici was numb, then continued to think deeply.
The Force narrowed its eyes indiscernibly.
That makes sense… I was right… Could it be that Mr. Fool participated in the history of the Third Epoch? If He was in the Land Abandoned by the Gods, he might have even fought in the Cataclysm… — she gradually began to have several guesses.
It's a good thing I didn't overstep my bounds with Him… It's really possible that He's a one god… — The Hanged Man shivered from the bottom of his heart.
Mr. Fool was once worshipped in a region of the Forsaken Land of the Gods... I wonder if He was also present in the Second Epoch... — Audrey was both excited and apprehensive, and completely shocked.
— I read some... Documents about a place that is at the eastern end of the Sonia Sea that not even the Churches have reached. It only mentioned its name and no other information. Forsaken Land of the Gods . — The Hanged Man continued unhurriedly. — There is a Listener of the Aurora Order trying to reach the Creator's sacred residence, he is trying to reach the end of the Sonia Sea.
— That place is very difficult to reach. — Solveig remembered what she had heard when she was looking at some documents.
— Mr. Chariot, could you explain about how the Beyonders of the place where you live are? Uh... I was just curious to know what the organizations you mentioned before were. Also, what do they feed on? Is there black-faced grass in this Northern Continent and the Southern Continent? — The Sun was still wondering if it was really possible for there to be another kind of food.
He had once read about a different type of meat and plant in some textbooks. He couldn't imagine what it could be like. Could it possibly taste the same as monster meat?
The young Sun really lives in a horror book... They don't even feed the boy properly... I wonder if they'll get anything better when they reach the Giant King's Court... — Medici was a little surprised before he started talking:
— There are things like beef, chicken and even chocolate... You must know what a beef or a chicken is from the textbooks. There are also many different delicacies in the sea...
He continued explaining in detail, when it came time to explain about the Orthodox Churches and the secret organizations, he gave some secret information.
After some time, The Sun ended up getting the formula for Sequence 9, Bardo with The World in exchange for future help. Justice traded some information about the Psychology Alchemists with The Force, The Chariot and The Hanged Man for a few hundred pounds and The Hanged Man exchanged information about the Aurora Order with The Chariot.
In the end, The Fool asked them to do a simple task. He told them to recite an incantation:
— The Fool that doesn't belong to this Era.
— You are The Mysterious Ruler above the Gray Gog.
— You are The King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck.
...
Anna ran all the way home. She leaned against the door, panting, and threw it open with all her strength, making a loud bang.
The first thing she saw was a young blond man who looked haggard.
— Anna, I didn't think I'd meet you today. — Joyce said with a smile. Her eyes seemed a little teary, shining with happiness and relief.
— Holy Storm! You really are fine! — Anna's eyes were wet with joy.
They hugged, gradually calming each other down before Joyce's father asked what had happened.
Joyce immediately remembered the bodies strewn across the rotting ship, the air filled with a fresh smell of blood.
— Five days after we left the Pier Caesar, we came across some terrifying pirates. Fortunately, their captain's name was Nast.
Joyce's father gave a grave, almost terrified look.
— Nast? The one who proclaimed himself the King of the Five Seas?
— Because of his claim to be a descendant of the Solomon Empire, he doesn't kill captives. We were lucky that he was the one who plundered us. They even offered us enough water and food. — Joyce began to tremble with the horror etched into her memories.
— After that... There was a riot in Alfalfa... Captain Tris helped those who had their wits about them and led us into a fight against those who were thirsty for blood...
...
As he and Neil passed by a street, Klein couldn't help but notice a roar of shouting inside the Brave Bar, as if they were cheering for someone.
Even with the heavy gates, the sound of things being broken and dragged could still be heard.
For some reason, Klein turned his head.
Hidden above a warehouse roof was a man holding a metal box and a huge steam rifle.
— Steam rifle? — Klein looked at Old Neil in confusion.
— Can this bar really have that kind of weapon?
He looked a little further into the bar, where more men armed with firearms appeared.
— Did something happen? — Old Neil asked the tall, sturdy man behind the counter.
— It seems that a man was recognized when he tried to buy something, and these men ended up appearing here one after another. Well, I think his name was Tris. Lord of Storms, what did this guy do to get treated like this?!
The man pointed with his chin to the roof.
— He ran away that way. I've never seen anyone run as fast as him!
Fast... He was probably a Beyonder... Fortunately, he didn't see that Beyonder's powers, otherwise he would be taken to some indescribable place. — Klein thought in his heart before looking to the side of the wall.
There was a young man with disheveled black hair. His eyes half covered by his hair had a crazy glow, as if nothing made sense to the boy.
The young man raised his head tremblingly, looking at Klein.
— Ah!
A tragic scream rang out loudly, the boy fell as if he were a puppet that had lost its strings. His loud screams echoed through the place in horror, his body trembling as if he could lose consciousness at any moment.
Blood began to flow non-stop like a waterfall from his nose and both of his eyes were cloudy and wide. A grotesque and viscous liquid in a red hue came out of his ears and mouth.
The young man covered his eyes and hugged his head with unimaginable horror corroding his mind and body as he screamed full of terror.
Bloody tears rolled down his face full of insanity. He struggled on the ground, thrashing and shaking madly and only calmed down after a while. He then lay there panting.
He began to writhe uncontrollably, collapsing more and more amidst his screams.
— Smell of death... You... You... Death...
— I'm going to die... I won't peek... I won't look directly... Sorry... Ah! — The young man leaned his forehead against the ground, barely supporting himself with his limp arms that were shaking madly, as if he was honestly asking for forgiveness for all his sins.
— I won't peek... Ah!
The owner of the Evil Dragon Bar, Swain, suddenly pulled the trembling young man by the arm, lifting him up, even so he still squeezed his bloodshot eyes as hard as he could so as not to open them at all and refused to even move a single finger.
His head remained lowered, and the young man didn't dare to lift himself even an inch.
Hey, I'm not a demon... — Klein avoided frowning, just looking at Old Neil with a questioning look.
— Sorry Neil, he doesn't usually have such violent outbursts... — Swain led the young man to the back of the bar.
Before Klein could ask, Neil explained after noticing his confused expression:
— He's a half-Beyonder. Swain adopted him a few years ago when he found him alone on the streets, almost dead. He has a special Pathway, but as a half-Beyonder, he can't control his inspiration.
— Why didn't the Nighthawks or the Mandatory Punishers take him? — Knowing the strict rules, it was likely that one of the officials would take the young man to join the Church.
— The Church doesn't have its own Pathway. In fact, the one in control of the Monster Pathway is the Life School of Thought. — Old Neil sighed.
The Monster Pathway? — Klein remembered that he had the formulas for Sequence 3 of this pathway!
Did that strange man he saw at the divinations have anything to do with the Life School of Thought?As soon as Klein left the Midnight Church underground, he ended up thinking that he still had to go to the Divination Club, so he didn't even go near the break room where Leonard and Rozanne were.
Klein knew he probably wouldn't be able to leave the headquarters today if the two started insisting that he had to play cards with them or divine some other gossip.
Besides, he would still be back later. When he arrived, the first person he saw was Glacis, who immediately greeted him.
— Mr. Moretti, I regret not having listened to you when you said that I should see a doctor. Luckily, there's a miracle apothecary on the street where I live, it's on. — Glasis said enthusiastically.
— It was a miracle medicine! If it weren't for that, I might have lost my life! — He emphasized.
More miraculous than normal methods? I think this Apothecary might get a friendly visit from a Beyonder squad in a while if you keeps talking about this... — Klein satirized in his mind calmly.
— I'm glad you're feeling better. — he smiled gently.
After exchanging information about this Apothecary and where he was selling his products, Glacis seemed to remember something.
— Mr. Moretti, I want a divination. — he didn't miss the opportunity to ask.
Since they were already close to the Topaz Room, they quickly reached the place where Klein had left his pendulum next to some tarot cards.
The moment Glacis sat down, he began to explain:
— I've managed to get a valuable business opportunity from a man named Lanevus. He was generous enough to offer a good deal that I couldn't refuse. But if this doesn't turn out well, my family and I will take a considerable hit.
— Mr. Glacis, could you give me a little more detail? — Klein asked calmly.
Seemingly thinking about the deal, Glacis rearranged his words and spoke about the gold mine Lanevus had found in Hornacis Mountain.
Hornacis? Not exactly the best place to go...
Did this man consider the pile of worms in the peak of the Hornacis Mountain Range?
The Hanged Man said that even Churches don't go near that place... I'm sure this Lanevus is a charlatan. — Klein sneered in his mind.
...
After the astrolabe pointed out that this business would be extremely harmful, Angelica thoughtfully approached Klein who was drinking tea.
— Mr. Moretti, there is someone here who wants your divination.
She looked at the entrance hall and added:
— He didn't read the album or listen to the recommendations.
What? In less than a day? — Klein turned his gaze to the person who was entering.
It was a blond-haired man holding a gold-encrusted cane. His nose was aquiline and his face very familiar.
It's Joyce Meyer... The one who went through a great ordeal... — Klein thought silently. He smiled, greeting him:
— Good afternoon, Mr. Meyer.
— Good afternoon, Mr. Moretti. — Joyce sat across from Klein in the topaz room. — Thank you for the advice you gave Anna. She can't stop saying how magical you are.
— There's no need to thank me. I haven't changed at all. If it weren't for your heart, you wouldn't have been able to survive your ordeal. — Klein laughed.
For a moment, he satirized in his mind:
Does that count as mutual professional praise?
Joyce Meyer sighed deeply, leaning her golden cane on the table.
— Even now, I can't forget what I saw at the Alfalfa massacre. The scattered bodies of my former comrades who suddenly went mad…
He began to speak sincerely about everything that had happened, how he almost died, until at one point, his voice faltered:
— I spent some time reminiscing about our time with Nast's pirates. But at some point on that trip back, everything turned into a sea of blood... I can only dream about it...
— I can't explain it, people started killing each other until everything turned into a bloodbath... At some point Younis Kim almost fell into that sea of battle and I held his hand and almost fell with him, but there was someone holding my hand...
— I couldn't pull Younis Kim, so I let go of his hand and soon after I fell... I tried to hold on to something, but the person holding me had let go.
— Dreams can be a reflection of your subconscious psychological state. But they can also be warnings. — Klein spoke in an enigmatic tone.
— I have no remorse for having let go of Younis Kim's hand. — Joyce spoke with certainty in her trembling tone — I read in the newspapers, he was a murderer and brutally raped several men and women, I couldn't even finish talking to him without vomiting from what he said about his crimes. A horrible person in every sense... Even if I had another chance, I would let go of his hand again.
— I understand that you feel no remorse, but those people on Alfalfa's ship once offered you help and saved you, and they suddenly became bloodthirsty and treacherous. It could be that you are unsure about the person who let go of your hand and whose face you don't remember. — Klein pointed to the question.
Joyce fell back into his chair looking confused, his eyes widened in fear and horror.
He took a deep breath, his voice barely coming out of his throat:
— Mr. Tris…
Tris…?! — Klein immediately remembered the person the Mandatory Punishers were looking for at the Evil Dragon Bar.
It was a young man named Tris who had been recognized by an informant from the Order Hunters who was talking to Swain!
— He was a kind young man, he even helped me escape from…
As he listened to Joyce finish speaking in his reverie, Klein couldn't help but think of the incident of the Alfalfa massacre.
I'm sure something extraordinary happened... Tris was involved in this... — he judged, looking at Joyce who had already stood up.
With a calmer face, the blond-haired man thanked her honestly:
— Thank you very much, Master Moretti.
Master? — Klein laughed in his heart as he picked up his pendulum from the table.
..
Just as he was ready to get up and leave for the Church of Saint Selena to tell the captain what he had discovered, Klein heard the door being opened by Angelica who seemed somewhat a little more cheerful.
— Mr. Moretti, there is a one person who wants your divination. He is a young man of at least twenty years old, it seems he wants to find something that was lost. It must probably be some advice from what you said— she smiled.
— Alright. — Klein nodded politely.
There are too many people coming here today... — he thought with a bit of confusion.
He had divined for Anna, Joyce, and Glacis, sowho could it be?
When Angelica went to call the boy, Klein started to fiddle with some tarot cards that were beside him before placing them on the table again.
When the young man entered, Klein's heart almost sank.
One eye was a crimson color while the other was a dark blue, they seemed as empty as they were shiny.
His skin was tanned and his dark brown hair with lighter tips reached his shoulders. This time, he wore a cape more like a cloak in black and dark red and shades of blue like an ancient wizard.
His clothes were shades of black and the same colors as his eyes. In one of his ears was an exotic feather earring.
The bizarre boy from the World card! What is he doing here...? — Klein held back his urge to frown..
— It really was you, sir. — the young man gave a gentle smile — good evening, Mr. Klein.
I would like a divination. This guy is not normal at all... Speaking of which, why me? The title "The King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck." only brings me more bad luck… — Klein thought in a deprecating tone.
He remembered the terrifying vision he had seen when he touched the boy's tarot card and couldn't help but feel apprehensive.
It could have been a child carrying some kind of artifact without knowing it back then, but it was equally likely to be something else disconcerting.
Now, this boy had appeared at an older age in just a few weeks.
The air seemed calmer, as if it had been covered by a thick veil of mist.
— Good evening, what kind of divination do you want? —Klein spoke as if there was nothing wrong.
The young man gave a brief laugh before looking at him with a somewhat serene and somewhat indiscernible gaze.
— My old friend is very paranoid. He's always reading stories in various books like a fanatic. There's also another one who's traveling as usual and I was just coming to Tingen to check something out.
— When I arrived at your door that day, it was because I had some things to do in this city and I thought of an old acquaintance, my... Master, who guided me. My fanatical friend reads many stories that we heard in some meetings with him.
the way the young man's eyes stared at Klein and the entire room seemed creepy and normal at the same time.
The man smiled, his voice seemed to sound ancient as if he was remembering something from a long time ago:
— One of the ancient myths that I was most interested in was the myth of creation. The Creator divided himself into everything that exists. He divided himself into all-powerful deities, extraordinary beings and humans...
— The Creator was nothingness, and at the same time everything. He was the pure sky and the vile underworld, the history of everything and the immemorial times to come, reason and madness, chaos and order... He fell into a deep sleep.
— However, the story that interested me most was a very specific one, that spoke about those who lived in the Second Epoch, The Dark Ages.
What a strange description… — Klein felt his mind ache a little, as if those words seemed to make too much sense.
— The last time I saw my master, a friend pointed out something important about destiny. I was wondering if you could just check my future with tarot cards. — The young man spoke, looking directly at him.
His face gave the impression that he was some kind of ancient magican or mage of past ages, he seemed to have an imperturbable calm and mystery covered him completely.
Why don't you go find your teacher to check it out yourself? — Klein retorted internally as he reached out to grab the deck of tarot cards.
— Are you sure? I may not be the best fit for the job. I'm just a fortune teller. — he replied, hoping that the young man would give up.
— Well, just a fortune teller? Mr. Klein, we can say that perhaps you are just a fortune teller who can divine complicated matters. If this is how the story goes, then I am just a young man begging you to perform a simple divination. — The young man laughed heartily, his gentle tone always seeming calm.
This... — Klein shivered from the bottom of his heart.
This guy knew there was something wrong with him!
— I will pay you back with a good sum. — The young man did not hesitate to put a few pounds on the table at the same time.
Are you trying to bribe me? Who are you? I have never seen you in my life… — The corners of Klein's mouth rose indiscernibly, almost in disbelief at the absurdity in front of him.
As if reading his mind, the young man replied with an innocent smile:
— I am just a child. And you… A fortune teller who can glimpse the stars in the sky.
— Okay. — Klein replied calmly, sighing internally.
He began to shuffle the cards before placing them in front of the young man.
When the boy took out the cards and spoke unhurriedly:
— The Tower and The Moon.
— In the second deck came, The World and...
— Card number 0, The Fool.
A shiver ran down Klein's spine.
That card was appearing again!
The Fool... Why is this appearing again...? — he wondered in horror.
Klein forced himself to discard all the terrified thoughts and began to explain to the boy with all the little calm he had left:
— The meaning of the Tower and the Moon together can be a calamity for you or some ordeal where illusions and uncertainties are increased. But trusting yourself is necessary to get through periods of confusion.
— You must know the meaning of the other two.
— Of course, it makes sense. In these times my fanatic friend has been telling me about some stories. It's a shame that everything can naturally be a madness full of disorder in this world. — the young man nodded slightly, looking completely enigmatic.
— I hope you can get through your troubles. — Klein spoke simply.
— Thank you very much. I hope your dreams are more peaceful than the complete chaos last time. — The young man stood up, but did not leave the room.
Dreams...? — Klein's smile froze.
— That man was lucky that someone else realized how bad it would be to try to invade his mind with normal methods. Well, she certainly expected it. — The young man sat down again, seeming to notice Klein's apprehension. — Don't worry. No one but us can hear the conversation.
So he was the one who entered my dreams and looked at the Captain, expelling him from the dream...?
It was no coincidence that the letter ended up inside the dreams... But he said that it was someone else who realized that there was something wrong with me...
If he came to me on the day of my transmigration, then he must have noticed something unusual since I arrived, but he waited patiently until something happened... — Klein turned his gaze to the young man who still had a serene expression on his face.
— The Priest of Light has completely lost his sanity. Looking directly at a mythical form and then looking directly at a bunch of corruption in the sky can be harmful. — The young man looked as serene as a lake.
What? Corruption… What would a mythical form be? — Klein almost frowned in confusion and suspicion.
— This won't happen again with your dreams, but you must be careful. — The corners of the young man's mouth curved into a smile.
— Why are you here? — Klein asked carefully.
— There's no point in trying to delay the inevitable. Besides, I felt by intuition that it was time to see you and I thought it would be better to come directly to you than to play games so that this conversation could happen. — The young man admitted with a somewhat cloudy and calm look.
He stood up again, this time heading towards the door while playing with an ancient-looking coin that had appeared in his hands at some point.
— Unfortunately, I don't have much time to stay here. Consider that letter from before a gift in case something goes wrong with your plans. We'll meet again in the near future.
Stopping again, he turned around. The young man's face had a calm expression, his thoughts a mystery.
— Now I remember that I didn't even say my name. How rude of me. My name is Aeron, just a wandering miracle worker.