Chapter 93: A New Diary

Chapter Ninety-Three
A New Diary

Above the gray fog, enormous stone pillars supported a grand and majestic temple.

Beside the ancient, mottled bronze long table, two masses of crimson suddenly appeared, stretching in a blur into illusory human figures.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Fool.”

Audrey, who was covered in an added hazy effect, curtsied and smiled lightly.

“What a pity that there is no fine wine here. Otherwise, we could raise a toast to your successful experiment.”

She was referring to the ritual magic.

“Your power far exceeds our imagination,” Alger Wilson added in praise.

Klein remained shrouded in an extremely dense gray fog. His right hand pressed faintly downward as he spoke, as though answering a perfectly ordinary matter.

“Very good. This shows that we are walking an effective path. In the future, if you have matters to attend to and cannot free yourselves on Monday afternoon, you may perform the ritual in advance and inform me. Mm, you only need to alter the portions of the incantation such as ‘I pray that you allow me to have a good dream’ into the specific reason.”

“All right.”

Audrey nodded in a light, cheerful tone.

“Mr. Fool, I have obtained another page of Emperor Roselle’s diary. I believe I still owe one page.”

“This week, I was far from land and could not find any new pages,” Alger said, pressing his right hand to his chest and bowing forward to express apology.

“No need to mind it. This matter is destined to take a long time.”

Leaning against the chair back, Klein lightly tapped the armrest with his index finger and looked toward Miss Justice.

“You may ‘express’ the diary now.”

Audrey dipped slightly in a curtsy.

“I shall follow your will.”

She picked up the fountain pen that had suddenly appeared on the table, carefully recalled the symbols she had forced herself to memorize, and gave the will to express them.

In only a few seconds, she saw the parchment before her covered with writing, dense, neat, and orderly.

After checking once, she set down the fountain pen.

“It is done.”

Klein lifted his hand slightly, and the parchment abruptly appeared in his grasp.

His gaze lowered. Without any emotional fluctuation, he began to read.

“July 9th. I suddenly thought of an interesting question. Since the Sequence pathways are also called the grace of the divine and pathways of divinity, why is the slate that records all twenty-two complete Sequence pathways called the Blasphemy Slate? ‘Blasphemy’—what a meaningful word… Exactly who was blasphemed?

“And who created the Blasphemy Slate? Why could it grasp all Sequence pathways? What else was recorded upon it? I truly want to take a look…

“July 12th. Today I learned a fact: Sealed Artifacts form an important part of a Church’s strength, even though some of them are very, very dangerous. Among the seven great Churches, the Church of the God of Craftsmanship possesses the fewest Sealed Artifacts, and their relative danger is also the lowest… Did I join an organization with no future? No. I should think of it this way: only a blank sheet is easy to draw on. A weak organization is more favorable for me to make my mark!

“July 14th. I met that mysterious Mr. Zaratul again. He is actually the leader of the ancient organization, the Secret Order!”

Seeing that line, Klein’s pupils contracted, and he nearly revealed an abnormal reaction.

In the information held by the Church of the Evernight Goddess, the Zaratul family merely had some connection to the Secret Order. But in Emperor Roselle’s diary, the mysterious Mr. Zaratul had been further proven to be the leader of the Secret Order.

From this, there is no doubt that the Secret Order controls the Seer Sequence pathway…

While Klein read the diary, Audrey looked toward the seat of honor and began observing out of habit.

But her line of sight—her gaze—was completely blocked outside by the dense gray fog.

She froze for a moment, then abruptly came back to herself. Panicking, she turned her head away and looked toward the illusory crimson stars one after another.

I was far too reckless, far too daring, far too foolish. I actually tried to observe Mr. Fool… Fortunately—fortunately, he did not get angry.

Audrey quietly stuck out her tongue, pretending to admire the scenery with leisurely ease. Only a light, cheerful tune humming from her mouth was missing.

Alger sat there in silence, eyes fixed on the surface of the bronze long table, obedient as though facing a true deity.

Klein withdrew his thoughts and looked down at the final part of the diary in his hand.

“After learning that I had become a Savant, Mr. Zaratul said I had chosen a path destined to be difficult and dangerous, but relatively safe in the early stages. I asked why. He merely smiled and said that the secrets hidden within the Sequence pathways were far more numerous than I imagined. I could not help asking him which Sequence pathway he belonged to. He told me that his Sequence 9 was Seer.

“I deliberately mocked him, saying: Are all Seers like this? Saying half and hiding half, never explaining matters clearly? Besides, he is obviously a high-sequence powerhouse; there is no longer any need for him to act as a Seer!

“That Mr. Zaratul said this was a habit he had developed ever since he began as a Seer, and that only by acting this way could he stir my curiosity and make me cooperate with him. He hoped I could help him steal a dangerous Sealed Artifact from the Church of the God of Craftsmanship. It was a relic of the Antigonus family.

“Clearly, this matter would have to wait until I became a core member of the Church of the God of Craftsmanship before it was possible. I asked Mr. Zaratul another question: using the acting method, how long would it take to digest a potion, and by what standard would one measure it?

“He told me that at low Sequences, as long as one acts strictly enough, it should take no more than half a year to digest the potion. At the fastest, it might even require only one month. As for the standard of measurement, it is very simple. Once a Beyonder has thoroughly digested the potion, they will immediately be able to feel it themselves. It is either done or it is not. There is no ambiguity.

“I continued asking about the detailed, concrete circumstances. He smiled without speaking.

“Fuck his smiling without speaking. When I become a high-sequence powerhouse, every Seer I see is getting beaten!”

…Rest in peace, Emperor…

Klein reread it several times, then lifted his gaze once more toward Justice and the Hanged Man.

“My apologies for keeping you waiting.”

“It is our honor,” Audrey answered, still somewhat shaken. At that moment, she no longer remembered that she was supposed to be a Spectator.

She looked toward the Hanged Man, organized her words, and asked, “Where can I find the Psychology Alchemists?”

Psychology Alchemists…

Klein suddenly remembered the refined gentleman he had seen buying supplementary materials for the Spectator potion in Tingen City’s underground market.

Perhaps he is a member of the Psychology Alchemists?

While Klein considered how he might make contact with that person, the Hanged Man, Alger Wilson, shook his head.

“Miss Justice, first, I do not know any clues. Second, I believe there is no need for you to search for the Psychology Alchemists so urgently. Your current priority should be digesting the Spectator potion.”

Audrey quickly glanced toward the Fool. Seeing that he had no intention of adding anything, she nodded, rather disappointed.

“I only hope to have enough time to prepare, to approach them more naturally. All right. Then when can I digest the Spectator potion and end the acting? Is there any standard of judgment? I almost no longer feel irritable, and I barely hear whispers or other similar things.”

The Hanged Man, Alger, looked toward the Fool within the gray fog. Seeing that the other party gave no sign, he considered his words and answered, “If the acting method is not used, the usual principle is to wait at least three years, and after confirming that there is no mania, auditory hallucination, visual hallucination, or similar symptom, use a simple method to determine the result: exhaust yourself to the limit. In that condition, if you still do not hear mad whispers or see strange things, that indicates you may advance.

“As for the acting method, I have only just come into contact with it. It feels very effective. It should not require three years.”

That is the same as saying nothing… Three years is far too long…

Audrey complained silently in her heart.

The thought had just appeared when she suddenly heard the sound of light knocking.

Tap, tap, tap.

Audrey first froze, then was delighted. She turned her head and, as expected, saw the Fool lightly tapping the edge of the long table.

Alger sat even more upright, waiting for the Fool to speak.

In a tone as ordinary as ever, Klein said, “At low Sequences, as long as one acts strictly, the potion can be thoroughly digested within half a year. One month is not impossible.”

He looked toward Justice and added gently, “As for the signs of complete digestion, when the time comes, you will naturally understand. No one else needs to teach you.”

“One month… Wonderful! Thank you, Mr. Fool!”

Audrey’s joy nearly overflowed.

Miss Justice, do not think you are heaven’s chosen one. The important point is half a year…

Klein raised his right hand and placed it near his mouth.

“Half a year…”

Alger repeated in a low voice.

From his tone, Audrey keenly heard joy, relief, and intense doubt.

What is he doubting?

Audrey thought for a moment, then asked, “Mr. Fool, do you have any intention of adding new members?”

Klein relaxed back in his chair and gave the answer he had prepared.

“At the beginning, it was only an attempt. There were not so many extra considerations.

“But now, as a regular gathering, members must be strictly chosen. Secrecy is our principle.”

Audrey nodded slightly.

“In other words, there needs to be observation, recommendation, examination, and other procedures. Mm, procedures.”

“There is nothing wrong with understanding it that way,” Klein affirmed.

Inwardly, however, he was thinking about how he ought to ask questions regarding the Secret Order and the Clown potion.

How should I ask in a way that fits my “identity”?

Klein sank into difficulty.

At that moment, seeing that Justice had no further immediate matters, Alger took the initiative and spoke.

“I heard that one Listener from the Aurora Order is searching for traces of the True Creator—the ‘Sanctuary’ they preach of.”

“The True Creator?” Audrey asked in confusion.

“That is an ancient existence commonly worshipped by quite a few mysterious organizations and hidden cults. They believe the Creator has not completely died, and that His remaining core is the True Creator,” Alger explained roughly. “Since the Fifth Epoch, the True Creator has appeared in many images, such as the Hanged Giant, or the Eye Behind the Curtain of Shadows. Heh. Many people believe that when Emperor Roselle invented the tarot cards, he referred to the True Creator’s image, and thus created the Hanged Man card.”

At this point, he looked toward Klein.

“What I said is correct, is it not, Mr. Fool?”

Is he testing my view of the True Creator?

Klein thought of the blood-covered naked man nailed upside down to the cross whom the Captain had seen in Hynas Vincent’s dream. Immediately, an idea appeared in his heart.

Whether hanged or hidden in shadow, does that not carry an evil air?

Thus, he gave a light laugh and said, “I prefer to call Him the Fallen Creator.”