Chapter 108: Arrodes’s Bottom Line

Chapter 108: Arrodes’s Bottom Line

Early morning, above the gray fog.

Klein materialized paper and pen. After some deliberation, he wrote down the divination statement:

“Using the wireless telegraph receiver is dangerous.”

After checking it carefully twice, he removed the pendulum from inside his left cuff and began the divination.

During the process, he was highly alert and somewhat afraid, like a child who lights a firecracker while covering his ears. If the matter truly involved the True Creator, the Primordial Demoness, or existences of that level, then the divination itself might also encounter danger. For anyone else, this would only be another path to loss of control or death. But Klein had the gray fog as a barrier and would not end up so miserable. Triggering the danger here was obviously better than seeking death in the real world. What worried him was that after doing it repeatedly, the evil gods might lock onto his location and personally come visiting.

He soon entered a meditative state and silently recited the divination statement.

After seven repetitions, he knew the result even before opening his eyes, because he was still sitting there intact and had not suffered extreme pain.

When Klein looked at the citrine pendant, he discovered that it was, as expected, rotating counterclockwise.

Whew… Klein let out a breath of relief. He immediately returned to the real world and busied himself with the ritual preparations, bringing the wireless telegraph receiver out of the mysterious space above the gray fog.

After waiting roughly half an hour, he finally heard the wireless telegraph receiver make tapping sounds. A length of illusory white paper emerged from it, with lines of Loenese written upon it:

“I am here.

“Great Master, is it You?”

Why does this give me the feeling of someone poking their head out and looking around… Klein suddenly remembered an image from his previous life: a cute alpaca peeking forward.

He took two steps closer and gave a very reserved “Mm.”

Tap, tap, tap. The illusory white paper immediately spat out more text:

“Your humble and loyal servant Arrodes awaits the chance to serve You.”

Klein hid his discomfort in his heart and asked, “Arrodes, tell me: where is Roy King of the Life School of Thought?”

Based on the fat Apothecary’s description, he knew that their organization developed through master-disciple transmission. He also deduced that they controlled the Monster and Apothecary pathways. That matched the characteristics of the Life School of Thought.

At the same time, Klein had prepared Roy King’s photograph in a manner befitting someone who believed asking others was inferior to relying on oneself.

The tapping sound abruptly intensified. Through the wireless telegraph receiver, the magic mirror Arrodes actually drew a portrait—one showing Roy King with his hair neatly combed back and framed glasses on his nose.

“Is this him?” A line of Loenese followed closely afterward.

Klein nodded.

“Yes.”

The magic mirror Arrodes made the wireless telegraph receiver’s tapping sound grow unusually brisk:

“The person You seek, great Master, is imprisoned inside the Governor-General’s Office of the City of Generosity, Bayam.”

He has been imprisoned in the Governor-General’s Office? Klein’s brows furrowed slightly. He did not hurry to ask further. With great confidence and complete composure, he said, “Very well. According to your principles, it is now your turn to ask a question.”

Tap, tap, tap. Using the wireless telegraph receiver, Arrodes produced a simple smiling face along with a line of words:

“I have already asked, and You have already answered.”

When? Klein was stunned at first. Then he looked back at the earlier contents on the illusory white paper and saw the previous question: “Is this him?”

That counts? This counts too? At that moment, Klein thoroughly understood just how much freedom of interpretation existed in the magic mirror Arrodes’s rules. When facing ordinary people, it could be as strict as possible, as vile as possible, and even required witnesses. But once it came here, anything could be brushed past with a perfunctory excuse. It was blatantly letting the matter slide.

How did this fellow develop such a personality… After thinking for two seconds, Klein switched to another question.

“Arrodes, do you know the book Groselle’s Travels?”

Arrodes remained silent for two seconds, then once again made the wireless telegraph receiver tap, producing even more illusory white paper:

“Great Master, You have been far too considerate with this question. I would only need to answer with the single word ‘yes.’ I have slightly modified it for You into: ‘Tell me what you know about Groselle’s Travels.’

“It is a very magical book. Among its previous owners, many have disappeared.

“I cannot see who created it, but I can confirm that it first appeared among the dragon race after the City of Miracles, Liveseyd, vanished.”

It appeared after Liveseyd, the City of Miracles materialized by the Dragon of Imagination, Ankewelt, vanished? Perhaps I can market it to Miss Justice. She might be interested. If she really buys it, as the middleman, I can study it above the gray fog beforehand… If some serious problem occurs and the book is completely damaged, I can tell her the seller changed her mind and can only refund the money… Thinking this way, running a platform really has great prospects! Klein’s thoughts moved rapidly. Facing the wireless telegraph receiver, he said, “It is your turn.”

Let me see what bizarre question you can ask… Klein silently thought.

The magic mirror Arrodes did not pause. Tap, tap, tap. It typed out a line of Loenese:

“Great Master, I have already asked, and You have already answered.”

When did that happen… Klein found it both amusing and bewildering. He browsed backward along the illusory white paper and finally found the so-called question at the very beginning: “Great Master, is it You?”

It must be said that this magic mirror named Arrodes truly has no shame when it comes to pleasing me… Still, its question-answer pairs are quite satisfying to obsessive-compulsive tendencies. They are like the “{” and “}” braces from a programming language I studied on my own in my previous life… Klein cleared his throat and continued asking, “Why is Roy King imprisoned in the Governor-General’s Office?”

The wireless telegraph receiver tapped, producing illusory white paper:

“Ever since the Mercury Snake of the Life School of Thought disappeared, internal divisions emerged within the organization, and it encountered many dangers. Some members even died at the hands of the Rose School of Thought.

“The Life School of Thought secretly developed through master-disciple transmission, but its upper ranks possess a council of elders that coordinates disputes among different factions. Since the Fifth Epoch, the council’s name has gradually become more fashionable. It is now called the Council of Fate and has seven councilors. That Mercury Snake is its chairman.

“Roy King’s teacher is one of the Council of Fate’s members. After the Mercury Snake disappeared, his teacher also encountered trouble. Before that, he entrusted an important Sealed Artifact of the Life School of Thought to Roy King. That is the reason Roy King was secretly captured by the Loen military.”

The Mercury Snake disappeared? Klein immediately thought of Will Auceptin, who was hiding in Backlund, and of the other Mercury Snake who pursued him yet had never shown his face—the suspected Angel of Fate, Ouroboros.

The Life School of Thought’s Mercury Snake definitely was not the one searching for Will Auceptin, because that one had enough freedom to contact the organization and would not be treated as missing… Perhaps it is Will Auceptin, or perhaps a third one. There is no way to judge… Klein nodded lightly and said to the wireless telegraph receiver, “Ask your question.”

This time, I can be certain there were no previous questions. Heh, let us see what you ask… It must be said, people are a little perverse. Others fear the magic mirror Arrodes asking questions, but after it helped me cancel two questions in a row, I actually want it to ask a proper one… Klein waited with interest.

Tap, tap, tap. The wireless telegraph receiver’s sound suddenly became somewhat solemn, and the illusory white paper emerged with gradual difficulty:

“Well, great Master, how may I better serve as Your loyal and humble servant?”

…I underestimated your bottom line… Klein restrained his expression, which almost became a mixture of laughter and tears, and replied in a low voice, “Continue as you are.”

“Understood.” The tapping sound once again became brisk. “The aura is about to dissipate. Your loyal and humble Arrodes awaits the next chance to serve You.”

At the end, Arrodes even added a simple drawing of a waving hand.

It really is talented in many arts… Then again, a magic mirror that knows so much could hardly remain ignorant of such things… Klein watched as the wireless telegraph receiver returned to silence.

He paced a few steps, sat on the edge of the bed, and considered Roy King’s situation.

He had absolutely no intention of infiltrating Bayam’s Governor-General’s Office and rescuing Roy King under the military’s strict watch. After all, he did not know the other party at all and had never even met him. Their only connection was the fat Apothecary.

There must also be quite a few Beyonders imprisoned beneath the Church of Storms. What does that have to do with me? Klein shook his head with a low laugh.

The information Arrodes had just revealed made him discover one thing: the magical item that had made Admiral of Blood Senor sufficiently lucky might have come from the Life School of Thought. This pirate admiral was most likely backed by the Rose School of Thought, and they had taken advantage of the Mercury Snake’s disappearance to kill many members of the Life School of Thought.

“This also reminds me that when dealing with pirate admirals, I must be even more cautious than before. Vice Admiral Ailment Tracy casually found the Unaging Demoness Caterina Pelle after a disagreement. The other pirate admirals certainly will not be without supporters. They often represent a force or an organization… Behind Admiral of Blood is the Rose School of Thought. Behind Admiral of Stars is the Moses Ascetic Order, and our Tarot Club. Behind Admiral Hell is most likely the Numinous Episcopate plus the King of the Five Seas. Behind Vice Admiral Iceberg hides the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom…

“Vice Admiral Deep Sea and Vice Admiral Dusk are currently unknown, but anyone capable of dominating the seas for so many years absolutely does not rely only on themselves…

“Thinking this way, what force stood behind Vice Admiral Hurricane Qilangos back then—the one that gave him Creeping Hunger, or the unmentionable force that drove him to assassinate Duke Negan?

“Mm. In the future, if I hunt another pirate admiral, I must not reveal the slightest hint in advance. And I can only make one attempt. If it fails, I immediately leave.”

As Klein’s thoughts surged, he suddenly remembered something.

The paper crane that Will Auceptin, that Mercury Snake, had personally folded was still in his possession!