Chapter 189: Prayer and Response

Chapter One Hundred Eighty-Nine
Prayer and Response

Tingen City, Daffodil Street.

Klein was discussing the recently popular play with his elder brother Benson and younger sister Melissa, sincerely inviting them to go to the Grand Theater next Sunday evening to watch it.

“I believe the newspapers have already said enough. The Return of the Count is definitely a play worth seeing in person. It has already been performed dozens of times in Backlund, each show completely sold out. I do not think we should miss this opportunity.”

The scarcity of entertainment projects made Klein unwilling to give up. After all, in his previous life, he too had once followed trends and watched stage plays.

Of course, if I did not have an image to maintain, I would much rather go to a tavern and play billiards… Mm, renting a court for tennis also sounds good. That is a middle-class leisure activity. With my current physical condition, so long as no other Beyonder barges in, I should be able to handle most opponents with ease… Forget it. For now, I can only think about it. In the morning, I have to investigate people and objects related to Lanevus again. In the afternoon, there is combat practice. Before going home in the evening, I still need to check another batch of red-chimney houses…

I truly am a very busy man…

Klein amused himself with that bit of bitterness.

Seeing that Benson was already tempted, while Melissa was still somewhat hesitant, he smiled and added, “It is said that the most popular supporting character in The Return of the Count is a genius mechanic.”

“All right. No matter what, one must go to the Grand Theater to watch a play at least once.”

Melissa pressed her lips together and nodded with great reluctance, though her eyes were noticeably brighter than before.

Klein was just about to respond when buzzing whispers suddenly rang beside his ears. His head grew dizzy for several seconds.

Someone is praying to me…

He hid his right hand behind his back and said with a soft laugh, “Then I will patiently wait for ticket sales to open.

“All right. I will go to my bedroom and work on a report.”

“We must also throw ourselves into the sea of knowledge. Hopefully we do not drown in it.”

Benson laughed self-mockingly and returned to the dining room with Melissa.

Klein went to the second floor, locked his bedroom door, sealed the entire room with a wall of spirituality, then walked four steps counterclockwise and recited the incantation, arriving above the gray fog.

Inside the towering palace like a giant’s residence, his figure abruptly appeared at the very head of the bronze long table. Reflected in his eyes was a crimson star that was continuously contracting and expanding.

Klein raised his right hand, spread out his spirituality, and touched the star that symbolized Justice.

With a boom, he saw distorted, blurry images. He saw Miss Justice wearing an ivory court-style gown, sitting on a chair in a dim corner, her hands clasped and pressed against her lowered forehead.

At the same time, a sweet voice that sounded slightly young and tense overlapped illusorily, echoing layer upon layer:

“The Fool that does not belong to this era;

“You are the mysterious ruler above the gray fog;

“You are the King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck.

“I pray for Your gaze;

“I pray for Your hearing;

“…”

“At Duke Negan’s ball, I encountered a person who may be Qilangos.

“He is disguised as Baron Gramir. His purpose is unknown.

“From certain details, I discovered that today’s Baron Gramir is different from before. This made me think of the Beyonder ability of Qilangos’s magical item that allows changes of appearance.”

…

Klein listened carefully and distinguished the details. At last, he understood what Miss Justice had described:

Qilangos had actually used the special ability of Creeping Hunger to transform into Baron Gramir and infiltrate Duke Negan’s ball!

What he had not expected was that a certain noble young lady was a Spectator—a Spectator who remembered Baron Gramir’s past traits. Thus, without realizing it, he had exposed himself.

What does that fellow want to do? And what should I do? Over the past two days, I have tested sacrificial rituals without spiritual materials and discovered that I can create something similar to a summoning door, but cannot open it. I had been planning to find time to visit the underground market and buy some spiritual materials for a second experiment… Miss Justice is attending a ball, so she definitely does not have spiritual materials on her…

Klein pondered for more than ten seconds, then began responding to Justice’s prayer.

…

Inside the small prayer room of Duke Negan’s residence.

Audrey had repeated her prayers several times. Finally, she stopped, arranged her clothing, and quickly walked toward the door.

She knew she could not disappear for too long, or her father and mother might worry, misjudge the situation, and make incorrect responses.

Standing behind the door, Audrey drew a deep breath. Carrying tension and unease, she extended her right hand, clad in a thin white gauze glove, and unlocked the door.

After leaving the small prayer room, she followed the corridor back toward the dining hall. Seeing the guests holding wineglasses and plates growing nearer, her vision suddenly blurred, and she discovered illusory fog spreading around her.

At the center of the dense gray-white fog was an ancient high-backed chair. Seated upon it was a mysterious existence whose appearance and figure could not be seen clearly—a mysterious existence looking down upon everything.

Mr. Fool!

Audrey almost cried out in delighted surprise.

Immediately afterward, she heard that familiar low voice.

“I know.”

The voice was still echoing when the gray fog vanished. Before Audrey’s eyes were still the long tables laden with food and wine, still the lively scene of clinking glasses and crossing conversations.

The unease and anxiety inside her heart vanished in an instant. She instinctively straightened her back, looked around calmly, and stepped lightly into the dining hall, walking toward the lounge.

…

Above the gray fog, inside the towering palace.

After responding to Miss Justice, Klein began considering how to relay this matter to the Hanged Man.

“It definitely will not work if I repeat it myself. That would damage my status… What mysterious existence personally plays messenger?”

He deliberated for dozens of seconds. Suddenly, he had an idea. He manifested the image and sound of Miss Justice’s prayer just now, turning it into a mosaic-covered movie scene.

With one point of his finger, Klein sent that repeatedly playing screen of light into the crimson star symbolizing the Hanged Man.

…

Backlund, Cherwood Borough. Holy Wind Cathedral.

Inside a simple, unadorned room, the Hanged Man, Alger Wilson, was studying the investigation reports from the past few days, trying to find traces of Vice Admiral Hurricane Qilangos within them.

At his upper right sat a stack of paper covered in twisted “symbols.”

Just as Alger leaned back and rubbed his eyes, he suddenly discovered that everything before him had turned illusory, revealing dense gray-white fog.

In the depths of that endless fog stood a high-backed chair that seemed as though it had always existed there, and seated on it was a faint, indistinct figure.

Mr. Fool…

The thought had just emerged in Alger’s mind when he saw another hazy figure appear inside the gray-white fog, dressed in a court-style gown.

She maintained a posture of prayer and repeatedly described:

“At Duke Negan’s ball, I encountered a person who may be Qilangos.

“He is disguised as Baron Gramir. His purpose is unknown.

“From certain details, I discovered that today’s Baron Gramir is different from before. This made me think of the Beyonder ability of Qilangos’s magical item that allows changes of appearance.”

…

Alger was first shocked, then revealed an expression of delight. Pressing a hand to his chest, he lowered his head.

“Praise You, Mr. Fool!”

Before his voice had fully faded, everything he had seen and heard disappeared, as though it had never occurred.

After gazing at the desk holding Roselle’s diary pages and the investigation reports, Alger’s pupils contracted slightly. Once again, he sensed the Fool’s power.

This was Holy Wind Cathedral, the former headquarters of the Church of Storms. Although that had been more than a thousand years ago, it did not stop believers from continuing to regard this place as one of their sacred lands. Yet Mr. Fool had still silently “descended” and provided a response…

After more than ten seconds of silence, Alger picked up the items and turned toward the door.

He was going to find one of the Cardinals of the Church of Storms, the Archbishop of Backlund Diocese, the God Singer Ace Snake!

To Alger Wilson, killing Vice Admiral Hurricane Qilangos personally would be the best outcome. But if that could not be accomplished, confirming the man’s death was also acceptable.

…

After “transferring” Miss Justice’s description to the Hanged Man, Klein left the mysterious space above the gray fog and returned to his bedroom.

He did not hurry to remove the wall of spirituality. Instead, he sat at the desk, spread out a sheet of paper, picked up a fountain pen, and began writing a letter:

“…According to urgent intelligence I received, Qilangos has used the Shepherd ability to change into Baron Gramir and infiltrate Duke Negan’s ball. His purpose remains temporarily unknown.”

Klein did not worry that Mr. Azik would suspect him and wonder how someone in Tingen City could quickly know about something that had just happened in Backlund. After all, this world possessed telegrams.

“I do not know whether this matter will interest you, but I believe it is necessary for you to know.”

Klein soon concluded the letter and folded the paper.

Then he found the ancient copper whistle, brought it to his lips, puffed out his cheeks, and blew fiercely.

The enormous, terrifying, illusory white-bone messenger appeared again, standing there as before, caring nothing that its head had pierced into the ceiling.

Klein suppressed the urge to use his Clown ability and turn the letter paper into a flying knife. Instead, he honestly tossed it to the messenger.

Blowing the copper whistle again to end the summoning, Klein calmed his mind and went through the matter once more in his head.

What he could currently do was limited to what he had just done.

Although Klein could also use the summoning ritual, carry a Sunflame Charm, and personally travel to Backlund, first, it was far too dangerous: Qilangos was a Sequence 6 Wind-blessed, and he also possessed the magical item Creeping Hunger. Second, it was too troublesome, since Klein would first have to bring the Sunflame Charm above the gray fog. Third, it would damage his image too easily. Thus, rationally, he gave up that plan.

“In truth, the problem should not be too large. Duke Negan is the greatest noble outside the royal family and a major figure behind the Conservative Party. Among the people attending tonight’s ball, there must be no shortage of high-ranking officials and nobles. If you tell me there are no powerful Beyonders protecting them, I would be the first not to believe it, and Qilangos would be the second. Mm, if not for that consideration, he would not need to disguise himself to sneak in… Since Miss Justice discovered him in advance and gave the nobles preparation, things should not become too serious or spiral out of control…

“I wonder exactly how fast Mr. Azik’s messenger is. If it can travel through the spirit world, he may still have a chance to catch the ‘main course.’ If it is as slow as Madam Daly’s messenger, then I can only read the news afterward and guess at the truth…”

Klein nodded almost imperceptibly and cast the matter to the back of his mind. There was nothing more he could do.