"You don't get it. We're going for uniqueness. If we pick names that are too conventional, how can we highlight the charm of our group?" Alaric, clearly picking up on Klein's thoughts, patted his shoulder with a matter-of-fact tone.
"Isn't 'Greatest Adventurer' conventional enough?" Klein shot Alaric a glance, posing a pointed question.
"What, do you want to change it to 'Greatest Kitty'? I'm fine with that," Alaric asked earnestly.
Klein paused for a second before replying, "No, 'Greatest Adventurer' is good."
Though Klein was quite fond of cats and even had plenty of experience as one, "Greatest Kitty" was a step too far.
With that, the trio's titles were settled. Alaric's gaze then shifted to Danitz, who was trying to blend into the background. "Danitz, aren't you going to pick a title for yourself?" He asked enthusiastically.
"Huh?" Danitz froze, visibly caught off guard. He pointed at himself, eyes widening as realization dawned. "Wait, I have to go into this so-called book world too?"
"What else?" Alaric looked at him, puzzled.
"But, but I'm only Sequence 7. I'm pretty useless... I'll just hold you back," Danitz said, making a feeble attempt to protest.
Alaric had already sidled up to him, clapping a hand on his shoulder with a bright smile. "No worries, we'll protect you. Besides, it's exactly because you're Sequence 7 that you need to broaden your horizons! How else will you become a man worthy of your captain?"
"Y-you…" Danitz's face flushed red. He nervously glanced at Edwina, and seeing no particular reaction from her, he let out a relieved breath, though a hint of disappointment lingered.
Alaric pressed on. "Aren't you collecting materials for the Conspirer potion? As it happens, I have a main ingredient for Conspirer. If you come adventuring with us, considering our life-and-death bond, I can sell it to you at a discount."
This wasn't a lie. Alaric genuinely had a Conspirer's main ingredient. Even setting aside the extra Hunter Pathway characteristics Medici might have, the Rose School of Thought's treasury, seized after their defeat, contained such items.
Danitz visibly wavered. He glanced at Alaric, then at Edwina, before asking in a low voice, "Do you really have a Conspirer potion's main ingredient?"
"Hold on, let me check." Alaric rummaged through his pockets for a moment before pulling out a pendant, dangling it in front of Danitz. "This is a mystical item crafted from a Conspirer characteristic. You can hold onto it as collateral for now. I'll swap it for the actual characteristic later. If you're not sure, you can have your captain verify it."
To ensure his alias "Jack Jones" could navigate the seas smoothly, Alaric had brought along plenty of valuable items.
Danitz's eyes widened. He swallowed hard, staring at the pendant but not daring to take it. Instead, he shook his head quickly. "No, no need. I trust you."
He then took a deep breath, as if steeling himself, and said, "I'll go with you to the book world."
"Excellent! Then you'll be 'Red Maid'!" Alaric said, giving Danitz's shoulder a satisfied pat.
Just then, new visitors arrived. Two figures materialized on The Future, accompanied by a ripple in the Spirit World... Pallez and Leonard.
"Klein… ahem, Gehrman! Jack, Lil' Amon, good evening!" Leonard, true to his reputation as a self-sabotaging expert, blurted out Klein's real name upon seeing him. Realizing his mistake, he quickly corrected himself, remembering Klein's alias.
"Good evening, Leonard," Klein replied, long accustomed to his former colleague's unreliability. Though a bit exasperated, he wasn't upset.
Turning to Pallez, Klein removed his top hat, placed it over his chest, and bowed slightly. "Good evening, Mr. Pallez."
"Good evening, Gehrman," Pallez responded with a nod and a warm smile. His gaze then fell on Lil' Amon, and though he'd long known of this peculiar Amon's existence, his expression still flickered with momentary strangeness.
"Good evening! You're Pallez, right? I'm Lil' Amon. I'm not like my main body, so don't hold his actions against me!" Lil' Amon greeted Pallez enthusiastically.
"Good evening, Mr. Pallez," Alaric said with a nod. His "Jack" alias had little prior interaction with Pallez.
After the greetings, they got down to business.
"Teacher has probably already filled you in. Mobet Zoroast is inside this book," Alaric said, handing Groselle's Travels to Pallez. He glanced at Edwina and continued, "It originates from the Dragon of Imagination, likely a remnant of that ancient god's divine kingdom. It probably contains a contingency for its resurrection."
Edwina's eyes widened slightly, clearly stunned that such a small book could have such a grand origin.
Pallez, far more composed, took the book and examined it. Even with his vast experience, he couldn't help but feel a touch of awe. "An ancient god… none of them were ever simple."
Though he hadn't lived through that era, Pallez had read countless records of it and knew well the glory of the ancient gods in the Second Epoch.
"They were the overlords of an entire era, after all. None of them were ever simple," Alaric said with a smile. "But that's not what matters. The important thing is that Mobet Zoroast and several others in the book have lingered there too long, their lifespans long since depleted. Thanks to the Dragon of Imagination's power, they can maintain their forms inside the book, but the moment they leave, they'll turn to dust."
In the original story, Klein completed the adventure with the book's inhabitants, ending the tale and returning to reality. Once outside, Mobet Zoroast and the others turned to bones for this very reason.
"…I understand. I'll handle it, but it'll take some time. Give me one night," Pallez said, clearly having anticipated this.
Aside from exceptions like the Sanguines, most mid- and low-sequence Beyonders had short lifespans, and the Error Pathway was no different. If Mobet Zoroast hadn't advanced to demigod, he should've died of old age long ago. His survival, even under special circumstances, clearly came at a cost.
In this mad world, nothing good came without a price.
"Of course," Alaric nodded. He could guess what Pallez planned to do. As an angel of the Error Pathway, Pallez could steal lifespans... and if he could steal them, he could likely grant them too. "Just don't target the innocent. That's the line."
As for those guilty of heinous crimes, Alaric didn't care.
"Don't worry, this old man isn't that tasteless. I'm not Amon," Pallez said, clearly aware of his limits. After all, he wasn't the type to harm the innocent recklessly... otherwise, he wouldn't be known as the conscience of the Error Pathway.
***
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