The Angel of Gamble? Who is that supposed to be? Could he be some powerful figure? Lumian quietly considered the name that had just been mentioned.
The name itself carried an odd weight. For a moment, the white kingdom fell into silence.
Finally, Lumian smiled faintly and asked in a calm tone, "Mr. Revenger, could you explain? I don't believe I've ever heard of such a person."
"You've never heard of the Angel of Gamble?" Mr. Revenger asked, slightly surprised.
But he quickly recovered and continued. "The Angel of Gamble… Abel. According to St. Mary's texts, he is described as a being who brings chaos and unpredictability wherever he goes. A strange existence — one that was once stunted, yet eventually awakened and ascended as an angel."
Before he could continue further, Mrs. Venerable suddenly spoke. "Mr. Revenger, you mentioned chaos just now…" she said with her brows slightly furrowed.
"Is he somehow related to the Primordial Lord of Chaos?"
...
Mr. Revenger straightened slightly and slowly shook his head. Just as he was about to speak, Mr. Plunderer sighed inwardly. Here we go again.
Mr. Revenger began calmly, "No, no, no. Don't you remember the creation myth? The world was once completely dark, illuminated only by a crimson sun. Then the Creator awakened and fused with the world, as 'He' was fading out of existence." The Revenger, Benson, explained patiently.
Lumian nodded slowly. He had heard this myth before from Captain Zayn.
Mr. Revenger continued, "You should also remember that His fragments later became the God of Beginnings and the God of Wisdom, who then birthed humankind and granted them knowledge."
Mrs. Venerable chuckled lightly. "And how does that creation myth relate to the question?"
"I'm getting to that," Mr. Revenger said with a small nod.
After that, he continued. "The core of the Creator became the Sea of Creation, while 'His' mind and thoughts formed the Laby. After that, still in the Age of Beginnings, the God of Beginnings split himself into two beings—the Mystic King and the Primordial Lord of Chaos."
As Mr. Revenger spoke, Lumian listened attentively, waiting for him to finish so he could ask a few questions of his own.
Mr. Revenger went on, "Later, during the Age of Stone, the Primordial Lord of Chaos began spreading corruption, what people now call 'sins.' Seeing this, the God of Beginnings sealed him away, reducing the spread of that corruption."
Turning to Mrs. Venerable, he added with a small smile, "You see, there is no way Abel could be related to the Primordial Lord of Chaos."
...
Hearing that, Lumian immediately remembered the question he had wanted to ask Mr. Zayn. The Crimson Sun existed before the fusion… could it have a connection to the Creator?
Crossing his legs, he spoke in a calm, measured tone.
"Mr. Revenger, thank you for your explanation. I have a question—The Crimson Sun existed before the fusion. Could it, by any chance, have a connection to the Creator?"
Unexpectedly, Mr. Plunderer spoke up.
"According to the myth just shared, I wouldn't think so. But… since the Crimson Sun appears every century, what causes it to vanish and be replaced by the Yellow Sun?"
Lumian lifted his eyes up, startled. He hadn't considered that event!
Mr. Revenger hummed thoughtfully, rubbing his philtrum. He muttered to himself before finally speaking. "This question… the answer appears in many forms across texts, but the most coherent account comes from the Church of Retribution. While it doesn't explain what causes the Crimson Sun to disappear, it does mention that before the Creator's fusion, there existed beings who governed the world."
Lumian steadied himself, clearly intrigued—as he had never heard of this before.
"They call themselves the Celestials," Mr. Revenger continued. "The primary ones are the Crimson Sun, Darkness, and the Earth King…"
...
Mr. Plunderer nodded. "So… they're beings that existed before the Creator fused with the world?"
Mr. Revenger nodded his head slowly in the positive.
Lumian tapped his fingers thoughtfully against the table.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
The sound echoed through the hall, drawing everyone's attention back to him.
Turning to Mr. Revenger, he said calmly, "Thank you for your information, Mr. Revenger. We're truly grateful."
"I'm grateful as well," Mr. Revenger replied.
Lumian then shifted his gaze to Mrs. Venerable. "You informed the king about the alignment, correct? What did he say?"
She chuckled lightly. "Oh! I almost forgot. He actually wanted to ask about our proposition."
"Tell him," Lumian said, "that our proposition is for royal passes—so we can investigate matters without any interference from bureaucracy."
Mrs. Venerable hummed thoughtfully. "Is that all?"
Lumian nodded.
Mr. Revenger steepled his hands under his chin and asked thoughtfully, "Mr. Beyond, remember when we were still part of the Organization of the Vieled? Back when Mrs. V1 claimed there was nothing wrong with the Lad River?"
Lumian rubbed his chin, curious. "What happened with the Lad River?"
Mr. Revenger chuckled lightly. "Well... we fought a giant tentacled monster."
Giant tentacle monster… isn't that the same river Mrs. Hathway mentioned being attacked on the way to Betyl? Could Mr. Revenger already be in the faculty.
Outwardly, he smiled faintly. "You see how incapable she is, hehe."
Mr. Plunderer chuckled. "Exactly why building a new organization is far better."
...
Changing the subject, Mr. Plunderer continued. "But Mr. Revenger, there's something I've been meaning to ask you… You know how the Church of the Pale Moon Goddess and the Church of Retribution are in constant conflict with each other?"
Mr. Plunderer, Carl, asked this question because of the information he had gathered during his most recent 'heist,' as he himself was a follower of the Yellow Sun God.
Mr. Revenger glanced briefly at Mr. Beyond, who had leaned forward slightly, clearly waiting for his response.
He answered calmly, "If I explain this, I'm afraid the discussion might become rather dull, hehe."
Lumian waved his hand dismissively. "No… go on. I'm actually quite interested."
Mr. Revenger leaned back in his chair before continuing. "I don't believe the hostility existed from the very beginning. If you recall, before the descent of the Crimson Sun, most churches and cults remained hidden from the public eye. They only began appearing openly about six years ago."
He paused briefly before continuing. "In the past—specifically in the texts of the Church of Retribution, Chapter One—it was stated that their church supports and does not discriminate against any action, so long as it does not contradict the will of their god."
After a moment of silence, he added, "Personally, I believe the conflict stems from the newer generation of believers. During that era—particularly in the Age of Steampunk—a new secret organization emerged. One with considerable influence and resources."
"They were even willing to propose cooperation with several churches. In the end, only the Church of the Pale Moon Goddess and the Church of Retribution showed interest."
He gave a small shrug. "But unfortunately, that secret organization ultimately chose the Church of the Pale Moon Goddess."
Hearing this, Mr. Plunderer suddenly burst into laughter. The sound was almost manical.
"You're so wrong!" he said between chuckles. "So wrong!"
...
Mr. Plunderer slammed a hand on the table and stood abruptly. "You're so wrong! I've asked many people before—everyone thinks the Church of the Pale Moon Goddess played it safe and cooperated with the organization!"
As a devoted follower of the church, he poured his frustration into the words.
"Mr. Plunderer, please… sit down. Let's speak calmly," Lumian said, motioning him back.
He sighed and slowly lowered himself into his chair, still fuming.
Lumian leaned forward slightly. "What was the name of this so-called organization?"
Mr. Revenger answered quickly. "The Obstaque Order."
Though he committed the name to memory, Mr. Plunderer's words had left a deep impression.
"But there is still something that troubles me," Mrs. Venerable said. "If the Yellow Sun vanishes when the Crimson Sun returns, is it actually sleeping, or just dormant?"
This was also Lumian's confusion!
...
Without realizing it, everyone's blurred gazes subtly shifted toward Mr. Revenger, making him slightly uncomfortable. He let out a small cough and closed his eyes, thinking inwardly, I'm a detective… what's so wrong with having information? Skywalker, I really need to know when to stay silent.
Outwardly, he spoke calmly, masking his nervousness. "The Yellow Sun still exists, though it may not be visible, hehe. Think of it like the God of Beginnings—who isn't present, yet is always watching. Unlike the Yellow Sun, however, the God of Beginnings only appears at the first chapter of every life."
He paused briefly, then added, "There's a famous quote in one of St. Mary's texts: I shall be with you in your beginnings and your first choices."
The God of Beginnings only comes during the first chapters…. Lumian repeated the words softly.
Leaning back into his chair, clearly exhausted, Lumian turned to Mrs. Venerable. "Mrs. Venerable, remember to deliver the proposition to the king… and you can also ask him to support us with the other families."
"Okay, Mr. Beyond~" she replied brightly.
Lumian straightened, signaling the meeting's end.
"With that, the meeting is concluded."
Immediately, the three blurred figures rose and, in unison, spoke,
"Have a good day, Mr. Beyond."
...
Their figures quickly blurred further and disappeared. The silence that followed was almost oppressive—so much so that Lumian could faintly hear the steady beat of his own heart.
He looked around the white kingdom, crossing his legs and resting his hands beneath his chin as he tried to process all the information he had just received. Despite the heaviness of the revelations, he couldn't help but feel a quiet satisfaction. Establishing this organization was proving its worth—it would serve him well in the long run.
So many events were unfolding in the world that even the Church of Skywalker Exorcism Faculty in Betyl, seemed unaware of... The Book of Revelation is missing, the Holy Communion seek to awaken the Lord of Chaos, and Selene had returned from the dead. What is really happening? Lumian wondered. Could it all be connected?
He let out a deep sigh before straightening abruptly. At least Mrs. Venerable will deliver the proposition to the king, and I'll finally be able to access Kelly's files.
Focusing his mind, he envisioned himself away from the kingdom. In the next instant, the pillars and chairs began collapsing with heavy, echoing crashes as his blurred figure disappeared.