Chapter 3: Abundant Information

Chapter 3: Abundant Information

Hermes?

That was a powerhouse from antiquity… Klein’s brow moved almost imperceptibly as he read.

With his solid foundation in mysticism, he knew very well just what era the old gentleman who had created ancient Hermes had been active in.

That was the Second Epoch, when giants ruled the earth and dragons soared through the skies. In a certain sense, he appeared in human history even earlier than the God of Combat or the Earth Mother. To put it another way, before joining the Tarot Club, Little Sun might not have known the seven deities, but he had most likely heard the name Hermes. Mm, I should find an opportunity later to have The World confirm that…

That old gentleman personally experienced the thorny path taken by humanity’s ancestors as they tested potions on themselves, step by step seeking Beyonder power. Taking Giant and Dragonese as his foundation, and standing on the shoulders of one pioneer after another, he invented an entire transcendental language system that belonged to humanity. There is a high probability that he has seen the first Blasphemy Slate!

He actually lived all the way to Emperor Roselle’s era, and may even still be alive today! He is practically a living fossil of human mysticism! Klein sighed with emotion, and from another angle gained a deeper sense of how terrifying the Twilight Hermit Order was.

Even Hermes was one of its members!

Meanwhile, other secret organizations—even the seven Churches themselves—often used ancient Hermes when conducting sacrifices and rituals!

The Twilight Hermit Order really is high-end, grand, and classy… Klein could not help but sigh inwardly.

What he envied most was not that the Twilight Hermit Order had a legendary figure like Hermes, who had lived alongside human history, but that it controlled the second Blasphemy Slate.

That was simply cheating! Thinking of how the Tarot Club possessed only one twenty-second of the Cards of Blasphemy, Klein could not help but feel somewhat wistful.

He refocused his gaze on the paper and continued reading the remainder of that diary entry.

“My God! The old man sitting beside me, who looked perfectly ordinary and unremarkable, was actually Hermes. He lived from the dark Second Epoch all the way to the Fifth Epoch, when the extraordinary has waned!

“I joined the right organization!

“I can see my bright future ahead. Three exclamation marks are not enough to describe how I feel right now!!!

“These great figures, these undying old monsters, have gathered together purely because they believe in the idea that twilight draws near, an idea that has been passed down to this day? No, absolutely not. At the very least, I am not like that!

“Among them, there must be some who fanatically believe in those ideals, who purely wish to wait for the original Creator to awaken and want the progress of history to advance as predicted toward that node. Heh, in my understanding, that probably isn’t awakening, but resurrection.

“But such people cannot make up more than half of the organization. The rest all have their own purposes. Some are ambitious people like me, while others are undercover traitors. Wait, I just thought of a problem. After accepting that secret invitation, I very quickly attended the gathering. I did not undergo any review at all. Although the convener said that, for the sake of my joining, the members had disagreements and had to hold a vote, and that only by receiving more than two-thirds approval was I barely allowed in, that is not the key point. The key point is that they do not care at all whether I believe in the idea that twilight draws near, nor do they mind whatever thoughts I may harbor.

“What do they rely on to confirm that I will not endanger this organization? Could there be a high-Sequence Beyonder of the Spectator pathway here—one at the angelic level—who, without my realizing it, planted a hidden psychological suggestion through my verbal promise and has enough confidence to detect the malice hidden by members?

“That is truly possible. But thinking about it makes my hair stand on end.

“In addition, without permission, the moment one mentions the name of that organization to the outside world, it will immediately be detected. They even gave me examples of several former members who were eliminated… Even writing it on paper, even using a newly invented language, will not work!

“Let me think, let me think. Sequence 2 of the Spectator pathway is Discerner, and Sequence 1 is Author. Who here fits those characteristics? (Note 1)

“Mm, I have a preliminary suspect. It is the convener of the gathering.

“Oh, and Sequence 0 of the Spectator pathway is called: Visionary!

“But I do not believe anyone here has reached the level of a true god. Otherwise, there would be no need to hide behind the curtain. Of course, they may possess a divine item at the Sequence 0 level, such as the Uniqueness of a particular pathway. Perhaps it is precisely that which created this true dream connecting the eastern and western coasts of the continent, and possesses the ability to react the moment the organization’s name is mentioned.

“At the time, I did not think that far. While still shocked, I asked about other matters, such as why descriptions of deities include the term ‘authority.’ Old Mr. Hermes gave a brilliant answer.”

Upon reaching this point, Klein discovered that the diary page had already come to an end.

He hurriedly turned to the next page, only to quickly turn back again, because the following entry did not connect with the previous one at all.

Where is the answer? Is it on the original diary’s next page, or did Roselle simply find it too long and not bother writing it down, or think it unnecessary to record in his diary? Klein grew so agitated that he wanted to travel back into the past, grab Roselle by the neck, and force him to tell him Hermes’s answer!

Of course, outwardly, he showed no fluctuations of emotion and made no unnecessary bodily movements.

“So Sequence 0 of the Spectator pathway is called Visionary. That corresponds quite well with the Dragon of Imagination. I thought it would be ‘Dragon’… Visionary is closer to human cognition, which means that after consuming the corresponding Sequence 0 potion, one would not necessarily transform into a dragon…

“Sequence 1, Author. Judging only from the name of the potion, I feel it resembles the characteristics of that quill, 0-08…

“The way the Twilight Hermit Order summons members relies on a true dream connecting the eastern and western coasts of the continent? The description of a ‘divine miracle’ at the beginning of the diary gave me quite a fright. I had thought they also possessed gray fog and a mysterious space above it…” Klein calmed his emotions and realized that this diary page had provided a great deal of useful and important information.

First, he now knew that Hermes, the ancient sage, had lived at least until Roselle’s era, one or two centuries ago, and that he was a member of that mysterious organization.

Second, judging by Roselle’s description of the organization’s name being unspeakable, he could basically confirm that the mysterious organization was the Twilight Hermit Order.

Finally, he now knew the Sequence 0, Sequence 1, and Sequence 2 names of the Spectator pathway. Although he would not be able to use that information for the time being, it had genuinely enriched his mysticism knowledge.

Perhaps one day Miss Justice will ask about something related to this… Her curiosity has always been strong… Klein forced himself to forget the missing answer and turned to the last page of the diary.

As he read, Justice Audrey, out of habit, observed the various details around her. She keenly noticed that the “Black Emperor” card Mr. Fool had once placed on the mottled long table was gone!

Has He bestowed it upon His Blessed to provide corresponding assistance, or exchanged it with some existence for an item? Audrey’s eyes flickered as she tried to guess the reason.

She was more inclined toward the first possibility, because without Mr. Fool’s assistance, His Blessed might not have been able to sabotage the True Creator’s descent ritual.

What a pity that Father cannot see the detailed records of the case. Otherwise, I would be able to know who Mr. Fool’s Blessed is. Mm… He is of average height, male, and wore the double-breasted long frock coat most popular in Loen. At the time, he was near Red Rose Manor. If I investigate using those clues, I might be able to lock onto the target… But that might anger Mr. Fool. He has not asked me to expose His Blessed’s identity… Audrey, do not overthink this. Do not be curious. Perhaps you will meet and come to know each other in the future… Justice Audrey withdrew her gaze.

At this moment, Klein almost wanted to laugh because of the contents of the final diary page.

“March 16th. My first time attending a noble ball in this world, in this country.

“The young ladies and madams were much better than I had imagined. In the novels I read, worlds resembling the Middle Ages were always described as places where people did not bathe, covered disgusting body odor with perfume, often stepped in filth when they went outside, and smeared their faces with things that easily caused heavy-metal poisoning.

“But it is different here. They love bathing, their perfume is enchanting, their skin is fair and tender, their waists are tightly corseted, and most of them have rather nice figures.

“I overcame my nervousness and had a pleasant conversation with the youngest daughter of Viscount Delirosey. We spoke of the merits my ancestors established, my family’s manor, and our present title. Then she very politely said she wished to go eat something.

“At the time, I did not mind. I thought that wooing a girl required gradual progress. However, when I went downstairs to take a stroll in the garden, I discovered that she was in an empty study with the eldest son of Earl Frays, doing that… Damn! They had only just met too! Is Huang Tao Roselle not handsome enough, or am I not humorous and witty enough?

“How realistic! Fortunately, the madams treated me quite well. I could sense the passion they were hiding. Heh heh.”

Roselle truly did not adapt to Intis’s style at first… According to historical records, the Gustav family had declined for several generations, leaving only a baronial title and not much land or property, until Roselle rose to prominence… I never imagined the Emperor had also suffered the experience of having a woman snatched away. Wait, I remember Roselle mentioning in one diary entry that he slept with Earl Frays’s wife… Impressive. Truly impressive… Klein’s gaze moved downward as he read the two remaining diary entries.

Neither had any value. They were Roselle’s notes about manor life. The whole contents consisted of wanting to hunt, missing good food, hoping to obtain Beyonder powers, and wanting beautiful maidservants.

Klein leaned back slightly. As he made the diary disappear from his hand, he smiled and said, “You may begin.”

Justice Audrey immediately looked toward The Sun across the table.

“Have you escaped that cycle?”

The Sun Derrick first nodded honestly, then saluted the seat of honor at the end of the long bronze table.

“Great Mr. Fool, thank you very much for your guidance. It allowed me to find the crucial point of the ‘Angel of Fate’ from the mural bearing the words ‘Redemption Rose,’ and helped the Chief break the cycle of fate.”

What “Angel of Fate”… I know nothing about that… The equally bewildered Fool, Klein, smiled and replied, “Good.”

Author’s Note 1: Do not be too quick to mention the Dragon of Imagination and the Dragon of Nightmare. There is an important setting hidden here.