Chapter 81: The Fool’s “Blessing”

Chapter 81: The Fool’s “Blessing”

“As long as we confirm her whereabouts, we can obtain one thousand pounds! This is the first time I have encountered a commission like this!” Outside the Fragrant Tree Leaf Bar, Danitz rubbed his hands together with visible excitement. Then he clenched a fist and struck the man-height iron-black gas lamp pole beside him, as though he wished he could immediately roam the entire city and find that red-haired woman named Elaine.

To him, one thousand pounds was no small sum. It was enough to add another property to his holdings in Bayam, though not one in the busiest and most expensive districts.

The flying carpet he had previously obtained from the elves was valued at only two or three thousand pounds, and that had been a spoil of fighting dangerous fellows like Steel Maviti and Bloodthorn Huntley. It could not be compared with such an easy, simple task of finding someone.

Walking slightly ahead of him, Klein carried the charm-making materials wrapped in newspaper—materials that had cost him a full fifteen pounds. He slowed his steps a little, swept a glance at Danitz, and said without much expression, “Five thousand five hundred pounds.”

…Danitz’s excitement instantly froze on his face.

Only then did he remember an important problem. In the eyes of other pirates and adventurers, he himself was just as “tempting” as the red-haired Elaine.

They did not need to fight him. As long as they recognized his identity and reported him directly to the military, the Church, or the police department, they might obtain a bounty exceeding one thousand pounds. After all, he was already a great pirate worth 5,500 pounds.

For him to go searching for the red-haired Elaine was no different from a graceful, beautiful lady going to the Red Theater for amusement.

“Dog… shit…” Danitz snarled the word with a face twisted in frustration, drawing the middle sound out for an especially long time.

At the same time, he automatically and consciously raised a hand to pull down his flat cap, lowering the brim even further.

After pouring a bucket of cold water over Danitz, Klein resumed his normal walking pace and began thinking about how to find the red-haired Elaine.

Lacking a medium and necessary information made it difficult for him to use divination. He could only consider other methods.

“Mobilize subordinates and conduct a full-city search? That is something only the Churches, military, and police can accomplish. Even the local gangs would find it difficult… Wait. It seems I can do something like that as well…

“I am now Sea God Kalvetua. My believers are spread throughout Bayam and all of Blue Mountain Island. If I make a broadcast—no, issue an oracle to all believers—I can have them help me search for the red-haired Elaine… But would that appear too beneath my status? Doing such a thing for a thousand pounds… Even a god needs face.

“If I were the true Sea God, I would not care about such things, but I am acting as Kalvetua. I must do my best to maintain a deity’s dignity.

“When Kalvetua was on the verge of collapse and urgently needed to find Leticia and her subordinates, he did not broadcast an oracle either. He only gave commands to some middle- and high-level believers… I can alter his commandments as part of reshaping his image, but I must not appear too low-level… Mm. This should also be a requirement of true acting.

“If I only give oracles to Kalat, Edmonton, and the others, it will still be difficult to organize a search quickly. Besides, they will inevitably magnify the seriousness of the matter and make a huge fuss, which will be troublesome to handle afterward.

“There is one more method. I can throw the wireless telegraph receiver above the gray fog again, wait a few days, and try to contact the magic mirror Arrodes to ask about red-haired Elaine’s whereabouts. I have to be careful with this. Preparations must be made beforehand, and I need divination to confirm it. I cannot receive some bizarre telegram from the True Creator or the Primordial Demoness. If I so much as glance at one, I will probably truly go insane.”

Klein quickly formed a plan and stepped into a hired carriage waiting at the street corner. Danitz held down his flat cap and followed closely behind.

After they returned to the Azure Wind Inn, Klein removed his hat and coat while saying to Danitz, “If your captain enters your dreams, ask her about red-haired Elaine.”

“She probably does not know. Otherwise, I would not fail to recognize this red-haired Elaine.” Danitz chuckled. “I wonder who is looking for her. To think they are willing to pay one thousand pounds.”

His thoughts drifted, imagining a love story comparable to one of Emperor Roselle’s novels.

Klein glanced at him and mentioned as if by accident, “Tonight, I will listen in.”

“You will listen in?” Danitz immediately snapped back to himself, suspecting he had heard wrong.

“Yes.” Klein nodded.

Has Gehrman Sparrow noticed I am too tired? Although this fellow is a little mad, in essence, he is still a decent person. Back in Bansy Harbor, for reasons that did not even count as reasons, he actually decided to risk danger to save people… Danitz secretly sighed with emotion.

Carrying the wireless telegraph receiver and the corresponding items, Klein entered the bedroom, locked the door, and used a sacrificial ritual to send them above the gray fog.

After doing all this, he was in no hurry to leave the towering palace. He raised a hand, making the Sea God Scepter fly out from the pile of miscellaneous items, then browsed the prayers of different people, accumulating experience of a thousand faces for a thousand people.

During the process, he occasionally responded, like a child still extremely fascinated by a new toy.

Just as Klein’s browsing neared its end, beside The Fool’s seat, a halo of light suddenly appeared, rippling outward without end.

Someone is praying to me—praying to The Fool, not Sea God… Klein raised a brow slightly. He extended his spirituality and browsed the scene contained within the halo.

…

Enmat Harbor, inside a room with closed curtains.

Adchilan, wearing a black classical robe, suppressed the impulse in his heart and said to the sweet, youthful girl before him, Denise, “The gift of the deity lies within us. But to obtain it, we must have a mentor’s guidance.

“Your soul is pure and favored by the deity. I shall personally guide you. During this process, no matter what happens, you must believe me and obey me.

“Before that, is there anything you wish to ask?”

Adchilan was a swindler. What he was best at was establishing cults to cheat people of money and women of their bodies, then decisively fleeing before the cult grew large enough to draw the attention of the police.

This time, he had come from Backlund, pretending to be a Blessed of The Fool—the one whom many gang members in the capital region had been searching for—and had preliminarily developed a group of believers among his target audience.

He falsely claimed that The Fool was an incarnation of the Lord of Storms, and would descend at the apocalypse to save believers. This was a secret that could not be spread widely and could only be passed on in the shadows; otherwise, it would draw the attention of other Churches and other gods. Only those chosen could believe in The Fool ahead of time and be among the first to obtain salvation.

To make himself more convincing, he had spent quite a bit of money back in Backlund to purchase sheets of paper written with The Fool’s honorific name.

His evaluation of the content on those sheets had been:

“It looks exactly like the real thing.”

Denise, a little frightened and a little expectant, asked, “Lord Blessed, why have we never received a response when we recite the deity’s honorific name? Are we not the chosen ones who will be bathed in divine grace?”

I am about to give you “divine grace”… Adchilan inhaled, suppressing the suggestive images in his mind.

“There are two reasons. First, you have yet to unearth the deity’s gift hidden within you. I will help you complete that shortly.

“Second, you are not devout enough. Do not argue. I can see through your heart.

“Once you accomplish all of this, you will be able to recite the true honorific name of the deity and receive a response, just like me.”

Under Denise’s worshipful and curious gaze, Adchilan picked up the fountain pen on the nearby table and swiftly wrote a line of words.

They were in Hermes, the language used for sacrifices.

In order to make his scam succeed, Adchilan had learned quite a bit of religious knowledge and had even attended university courses in history and archaeology as an unaudited listener.

Holding the paper, he proudly recited the Hermes words he had just written in front of Denise:

“The Fool that does not belong to this era;

“The mysterious ruler above the gray fog;

“The King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck.”

Then Adchilan half closed his eyes, spread his arms, and said in a dreamlike voice, “I have felt the deity’s blessing.”

At that moment, a bolt of silver-white lightning descended from nowhere and struck Adchilan on the head.

With a sizzling sound, tiny electric serpents crawled over his body. Amid the “blessing of the deity,” he fell to the ground. His skin rapidly turned charred black, and his muscles convulsed violently.

A few seconds later, while Denise exclaimed, “Lord Adchilan really is a Blessed of the deity,” all his movements stopped, including his breathing.

Only then did Denise notice that something was wrong. She cautiously stepped forward, lifted her skirt, crouched, and placed a finger under Adchilan’s nose.

He—he is dead… He is dead! Denise suddenly retreated and fell to the floor in terror.

Frightened into tears, she stumbled out of the room and ran straight toward the nearby police station.

…

Above the gray fog, Klein silently withdrew the Sea God Scepter.

To think he dared use my name to cheat people of money and defile women… The corner of his mouth twitched. He wished he could strike that fellow named Adchilan with another bolt of lightning.

That would be called flogging the corpse.

That girl should report it to the police, right? This kind of case will inevitably be transferred to the corresponding Beyonder team. I wonder whether it will be the Nighthawks, the Mandated Punishers, or the Machinery Hivemind… After Mr. A’s incident, my reputation as The Fool is not small in Backlund. Perhaps there is already a file in the official organizations. Mm. They may gather all information together and hand it to the Red Gloves, or a team similar to the Red Gloves, for specialized handling… Klein considered the possible follow-up using his former identity and knowledge as a Nighthawk.

However, he soon threw the matter to the back of his mind, because no matter what happened, they would not be able to trace it to him.

Klein tossed the Sea God Scepter back into the pile of miscellaneous items, preparing to return to the real world.

Suddenly, among the crimson stars quietly suspended within the boundless gray fog, one lit up and spread out a watery radiance.

It expanded and contracted, contracted and expanded, unusually conspicuous.

And this was a crimson “star” that did not belong to any current member of the Tarot Club.

Today really is busy… Who could it be? Someone who, like Miss Justice, Mr. Hanged Man, and Little Sun, has formed a connection with the gray fog through some object? Klein extended his spirituality thoughtfully. He made no response and merely browsed.