"Disguise yourself as me. That works too." Leonard paused, then nodded in agreement.
Klein used to be a Nighthawk, and he's familiar enough with me. There won't be any issues with him disguising himself as me to complete those tasks. Moreover, I usually carry out missions alone, so no one will discover the difference in Beyonder abilities.
"You can write a letter to Klein first, then make the necessary preparations. I'll come find you again at noon."
As soon as he finished speaking, Leyton's body instantly dematerialized, breaking down into streams of information that surged out of the room.
Leonard glanced in the direction Leyton had left, let out a long breath, and sat directly on a nearby sofa, whispering:
"Old man, is there something wrong with his identity?"
"Under normal circumstances, even for a low-sequence Beyonder, directly accommodating a Characteristic for advancement is no different from suicide, let alone for someone who is already an Angel."
"A bit smarter now." Pallez praised him with a lack of sincerity, then sighed:
"He is very likely the personalized incarnation of the Hidden Sage, or perhaps an consciousness projection from the Western Continent. But no matter which identity, he is not someone an old man like me, weak and aged, can refuse."
"Western Continent? Where is that? The Forsaken Land of the Gods?"
Leonard keenly caught the words "Western Continent." He frowned slightly, only able to connect it to the Forsaken Land of the Gods where "The Sun" from the Tarot Club resided.
Pallez's aged voice immediately echoed in Leonard's ears:
"No. To think of the Forsaken Land of the Gods so quickly, have you recently come into contact with people from there?"
"Why people, and not items from that place?" Leonard asked subconsciously.
Pallez chuckled, saying with a hint of mockery:
"You're not a Seer. A dead object can't speak in your hands, and you won't be able to unearth much information."
Leonard retorted, "When I become a 'Spirit Warlock,' I'll also get some improvement in the field of divination, and I can also find and command Natural Spirits with such abilities."
Pallez smiled, "But you're not yet."
Leonard stopped arguing, leaned forward, pulled out a piece of paper from the coffee table in front of him, and began writing a letter to Klein, hoping he could help impersonate him for a few days.
By the Tussock Riverbank, Leyton's figure quietly appeared. As soon as he materialized, several emerald green pea vines descended from mid-air, covering the surrounding area like a waterfall.
The verdant vines intertwined, quickly forming a forest that layered upwards, its peak nowhere in sight.
Bernadette's figure swiftly outlined itself on a swing woven from verdant vines. She leaned against the green vines, with a golden teapot-shaped lamp placed beside her.
Bernadette gazed into the distance, her voice calm as she narrated:
"I found the several mausoleums used for the Black Emperor ritual. They require specific incantations or marks as keys to enter. I haven't been inside."
"However, I found that there seem to be others around also investigating the royal family's secrets. The other party is very well hidden; I couldn't see who it was. They are very good at concealing themselves, most likely someone from the Church of the Evernight Goddess. She should have discovered the hints I left."
"Oh, and I also found traces of Amon in the Dock District. It should be him, wearing a monocle made of crystal. My Eyes of Mystery Prying couldn't see any abnormalities, but that in itself is the biggest abnormality."
"Amon..." Leyton murmured, then chuckled, "'The Night' will be watching him, no need to worry too much."
He paused, then continued:
"I plan to go to Trier with Pallez. When that happens, I'll need your help to stall Bornova again."
Bernadette nodded gently, "Okay."
As she spoke, she handed the golden teapot-shaped lamp from beside her to Leyton.
"Thank you. I should go to Zaratul to claim a wish."
After taking the wishing lamp, he nodded slightly in response. Leyton's body instantly dematerialized, breaking down into vast and pure knowledge, transforming into a pure information flow creature. He penetrated the forest of green vines and surged like a torrent into the Spirit World.
Relying on the connection from the previous contract and the information exchanged in the Spirit World, Leyton grasped Zaratul's approximate location.
"He's in Backlund so quickly. This metropolis is really lively."
Murmuring in appreciation, Leyton, maintaining his information creature form, instinctively approached the Hillston Borough.
In the Hillston Borough, near King's Avenue in the West Borough, inside a red three-story house, Zaratul, wearing a hooded black robe that heavily concealed him, sat opposite a middle-aged man dressed in a suit, a large cloak, and extremely long-tipped shoes, whose attire seemed out of sync with the current era.
The two silently gazed at each other for a moment, then Zaratul suddenly chuckled:
"Your Royal Highness Sonia, what have you decided, or rather, what has your Augustus Family decided?"
After a moment of silence, the middle-aged man, referred to as Prince Grove, asked with a serious and dignified expression:
"Why do you want to help us, and what do you hope to gain from it?"
"I've already said, this is a revelation of fate. I also don't know what I will gain, but this is an opportunity. As long as I seize it, it will definitely be what I need."
Zaratul maintained his usual gentle smile, yet it carried a mysterious undertone.
Prince Grove gazed at Zaratul, who had half his head hidden in his hood, and said with a heavy, authoritative tone:
"You Seers are all so insincere when you speak. It's very difficult for us to fully trust you."
Zaratul sighed, his tone quite helpless:
"This is a revelation of fate. Before the actual outcome appears, I myself cannot know more information."
"As an Angel who has grasped a certain authority over fate, though not as good as the Snake of Fate of the 'Fate' pathway, with my participation, you can still gain some good fortune and increase the probability of your plans succeeding, can't you?"
A faint glimmer flickered in Prince Grove's deep blue eyes, but it quickly receded. He said calmly:
"Your 'Miracles' cannot yet influence a true god."
Zaratul smiled, his expression unchanged:
"'Miracles' can also appear in a roundabout way, starting from subtle points, exerting force little by little, to leverage greater power."
"At certain crucial moments, perhaps it is precisely this insignificant power that happens to change the situation?"
Prince Grove's extremely authoritative deep blue eyes met Zaratul's gaze for a while. He could not discern any emotions or will from those deep, dark eyes, like a lightless water surface. This leader of the Secret Order, who had recovered from madness, seemed to have become even more inscrutable.
Taking a deep breath, and then exhaling slowly, Prince Grove rose from the sofa, extended his right hand forward, and said in a deep voice:
"I do not understand your 'Miracles,' but if you wish to join this grand ceremony, our Augustus Family will not refuse. As long as that opportunity you speak of does not affect our plans, we welcome any friend. You will all gain the friendship of Augustus."
"Then, a pleasant cooperation!"
Zaratul also rose from the sofa and shook hands with Prince Grove.
A few minutes later, only Zaratul remained in the room. He leaned back on the dark red single sofa, holding a cup of steaming black tea.
Streams of complex and pure information flowed from various corners of the room, converging on the sofa to Zaratul's left, reassembling Leyton's figure.
He glanced at the sofa where Prince Grove had just been sitting, a profound color flashing in his eyes, then turned his head to Zaratul, chuckling:
"I didn't expect the leader of the Secret Order to have so many friends in Backlund. Unfortunately, I got lost in the Spirit World just now, otherwise I should have been able to meet your friend."
"What a pity. If there's an opportunity next time, I'll introduce him to you."
Zaratul responded calmly, a timely hint of regret in his eyes.
What a sly fox. He 'tampered' with the Spirit World coordinates several times, making me run around Backlund a few times... Leyton narrowed his eyes. He now had an urge to dunk Zaratul in the Tussock River a few times. Even Amon hadn't been able to trick him like this since he became an Angel.
Zaratul seemed not to notice the malice in Leyton's eyes, and his tone remained calm:
"The 'wish' you need has not yet accumulated. It has not reached the level of a 'Miracle' yet."
"'Miracles' of transferring and grafting positions should not be too difficult for you. You can pay me these two 'Miracles' first."
As he spoke, Leyton calmly gazed at Zaratul. A suitable delay did not constitute a breach of contract. Although this couldn't change anything, it could be annoying. He couldn't be sure if Zaratul would do this. After the 'Attendant of Mysteries' ritual, it wouldn't be too strange for him to become schizophrenic.
After a brief silence, Zaratul smiled and reached into his black robe, pulling out two grayish-white talismans engraved with distorted lines and a half-eyeless symbol. He casually handed them to Leyton, saying at the same time:
"The talismans can only last for three months. Your eyes should be able to easily see their specific effects. The activation method is to infuse a certain amount of spirituality and speak your wish using language that can leverage natural forces."
Leyton's gaze swept over the two grayish-white talismans. After a slight nod, he put them into his pocket.
Then he looked again at the sofa where Prince Grove had just been sitting, and a deep blue, almost violet, glow emanated from his eyes, outlining one mysterious symbol after another within them.
Gradually, faint blue starlight appeared on the sofa, quickly moving and intertwining, outlining a somewhat blurred figure.