Chapter 78: The Hanged Man Gets Fleeced

Chapter 78: The Hanged Man Gets Fleeced

Above the gray fog, Klein sat down while removing the Black Emperor card that had fused with his spirit body, instantly returning to his original appearance.

This is what you call one-click outfit change… He mocked himself inwardly while savoring what had just happened.

He was almost certain that the “giant” wearing the spired crown was the King of the Five Seas, Nast, and that the hundred-meter sailing ship capable of navigating the spirit world was the ancient Solomon Empire’s ghost ship, the Black Emperor!

“I always thought ghost ship simply meant a ship that could sail on its own and would not sink, something closer to a strange creature. I did not expect that the most powerful and top-tier ghost ships could even make themselves illusory and wander through the spirit world…

“That is almost equivalent to being a demigod, right? As expected of the most famous ship on the five seas, the Black Emperor… Mm. I cannot exclude the possibility that a Traveler was sacrificed alive during its creation…

“And what about one of the most famous treasures, the Ghost Empire, the ship carrying the final legacy of the Trunsoest Empire? Does it possess similar abilities, and is that why no one can find it?”

Klein’s thoughts scattered bit by bit. He did not immediately think about the reason for his sudden encounter with the King of the Five Seas, Nast.

That matter was exceedingly obvious: the law of Beyonder characteristic convergence!

Although the Black Emperor card itself did not contain Beyonder characteristics, Roselle had added or engraved something unknown during its creation. This allowed anyone holding it after advancing to the High Sequences to use the Card of Blasphemy to develop a subtle sense toward the Beyonder materials they would need.

A similar sense was undoubtedly mutual. When one sensed someone else, one would naturally be sensed by that someone else as well. And before the holder crossed the threshold into demigodhood, it would manifest as an unconscious fate of drawing closer.

On this point, Klein had deep personal experience. He had always suspected that the gray fog’s existence caused certain Beyonders or supernatural incidents to gather around him.

“Wandering the spirit world with the Black Emperor card is more likely to lead to similar situations than using it in reality, because the real world must obey many rules. Even with the pull of fate, things have to conform to logic and unfold bit by bit. It is not as if I used the Black Emperor card in Backlund, and the King of the Five Seas, Nast, could instantly ride his ghost ship and appear before me…

“Even if he could sense that kind of pull, he would still need to confirm my location and travel through the spirit world. Several hours, perhaps even several days, would pass just like that. If he could not sense it, he would merely naturally think of sailing toward the Sonia Sea or approaching the borders of the Kingdom of Loen. In that case, we might not meet for months or years.

“But in the spirit world, things become simple. There is no distinction between near and far, high and low, up, down, left, or right. Position and distance are extremely chaotic. The King of the Five Seas, Nast, may have only been thinking of taking a spin through the spirit world, only to see me passing by the moment he entered. That does not need to obey the constraints and limits of real-world geography.” Klein thoughtfully bent his finger and lightly tapped the edge of the mottled long table.

In addition, he was certain of one thing: the reason he had uncontrollably thrown himself toward the Black Emperor and toward the King of the Five Seas, Nast, was not because of the law of Beyonder characteristic convergence. That effect manifested through fate, sensing, and craving. It would not be so exaggerated. Otherwise, High-Sequence powerhouses could not exist at all. They would all involuntarily be drawn toward their pathway’s Uniqueness.

Klein could sense that it was a kind of Beyonder power. It had distorted and strengthened his intention to move forward, causing him to be completely unable to stop.

This is a simple judgment. At the time, even if I had thrown away the Black Emperor card, I still would not have stopped… Is this the Beyonder power of the Lawyer pathway—that is, the Black Emperor pathway? Klein leaned back against the chair and decided that, for the near future, he would no longer use the Black Emperor card.

This also meant that he could not wander the spirit world and search for a messenger.

If he did not carry the Black Emperor card, and instead used his actual body to hold the Sea God Scepter while appearing in the spirit world—a place full of all kinds of information and revelations—he would inevitably leave behind many clues and could be divined at any moment. In terms of anti-divination and anti-prophecy, Azik’s copper whistle could not compare with the Black Emperor card.

If I really did that, perhaps when I went to a bar to buy a glass of beer, I would meet ten people who knew I took the Sea God Scepter… Of course, it was Klein Moretti who took it. What does that have to do with me, Gehrman Sparrow? Klein shook his head self-mockingly and decided to use the ritual method to obtain a messenger for emergencies, then search for a more suitable one later.

He covered the Black Emperor card, and his figure vanished from the mysterious space above the gray fog.

…

Bayam, early morning.

Alger was preparing to take a carriage out of the city, circling toward the private harbor behind the cliffs. His Blue Avenger was anchored there, waiting to set sail.

As a pirate captain in disguise, he could not directly dock his ship at the main harbor of the City of Generosity. That would fully expose his close connection with the authorities. Other pirates acted similarly. Before coming to Bayam to sell stolen goods or enjoy themselves, they had to consider in advance where to moor their ships. They either chose small harbors in the nearby waters, or private harbors controlled by people with powerful backgrounds or by the rebels.

At last, no more missions. I can leave port… First, I will obtain a mystical item, both to enhance my strength and to balance the accounts. Then I will head to that primitive island, hunt the Blue Shadow Falcon, and advance to Sequence 6 as soon as possible… Alger had just begun walking toward a hired carriage when, unexpectedly, he saw a familiar figure.

Former pirate and current trading merchant Raelph, face flushed red, stepped down from a carriage and glanced toward the Governor-General’s Office not far away. His whole being radiated an abnormal excitement.

What happened to him? Alger felt puzzled and took the initiative to approach, greeting him.

In his view, Raelph could, in a certain sense, be considered a colleague. Both were subordinates of Mr. Fool.

Only, one was a core member, while the other belonged to an outer organization… Alger calmly determined their respective identities and positions.

After exchanging greetings about the weather, Alger took the initiative to ask, “Has something happened worth celebrating?”

Raelph gave a loud laugh and winked.

“If I said that I have felt the favor of God, would you believe me?”

Believe you… Alger answered without hesitation in his heart.

He suppressed his curiosity and instead asked, “What are you doing here?”

Raelph was just about to answer when his eyes suddenly lit up.

He looked left and right. After confirming that no one was nearby, he lowered his voice and said, “Did you not say that you also believe in God?”

In order to deal with him earlier, Alger had lied that he possessed some degree of faith in Sea God. In any case, this was quite common among pirates and would not draw suspicion. On the sea, terrifying weather was often more frightening than enemies. Therefore, most pirates, adventurers, and sailors held great reverence toward deities controlling such domains and believed in them at least somewhat.

“Of course.” This time, Alger answered more firmly than ever before.

That was because he knew the “Sea God” the other party believed in was Mr. Fool’s incarnation.

Raelph nodded in satisfaction, revealed a smile, and said quietly, “Yesterday, I received an oracle. God ordered me to help His young lambs.

“I plan to establish a charitable fund for that purpose.

“This is God’s will. As His believer, I believe you will surely be willing to provide some help.”

He extended his right hand and began waiting for a donation.

Alger’s expression instantly stiffened. For a moment, he did not know how to respond.

Although his current wealth had reached 3,245 pounds, it was set aside to purchase a mystical item. Overall, his situation was not at all comfortable.

Of course, if he saved carefully, he could still donate a fair amount.

If Sea God were still Kalvetua, Alger, who had claimed to be half a believer, would certainly have found an excuse without hesitation and brushed the matter aside. But now, he had to seriously consider what profound intent Mr. Fool might have.

Noticing Alger’s reaction, Raelph’s eyes rolled slightly.

“The ones we intend to help are children who suffer unnecessary discrimination because of their bloodlines, live harsh lives, and can hardly see hope. That includes pure locals and mixed-bloods alike.”

Alger fell silent for several seconds, then took a stack of cash from his breast pocket.

“Here is one hundred pounds.”

Raelph accepted it and smiled faintly.

“Your kindness will surely be rewarded.

“God will protect you.”

…

Inside the warehouse whose entrance was covered by a tilted door panel.

Klein had prepared the ritual to summon spirit-world creatures. The surrounding area was filled with the heady scent of herbs and essential oils.

He was worried that an accident might occur if he performed it in the inn. It would pose no risk to himself, but might endanger other guests. Therefore, he had come again to the abandoned warehouse where he had previously made a sacrifice to Kalvetua.

As for Danitz, now that his bounty had risen to 5,500 pounds, he had been very proactive in requesting to stay behind in the suite and listen to the wireless telegraph receiver.

Next is lighting the candle that symbolizes myself and using verified incantations to summon a suitable spirit-world creature as a messenger… Klein’s mind ran through Daly Simone’s three-part description and the additional incantations Mr. Azik had provided.

When summoning spirit-world creatures, the first line had to include descriptions such as “the spirit that wanders the void” or “the creature that roams the upper realm.” Only then could it point toward the spirit world. The suffix also had to clearly specify whether what was being summoned was a spirit body or a creature possessing some degree of flesh. The second and third lines were relatively precise descriptions of the target. However, because of the format’s restrictions, one could not use more language to narrow things down. Therefore, what would eventually be summoned was something that the ritual host would find difficult to predict or divine in advance.

Under such circumstances, using incantations that others had already verified carried much lower risk.

After signing the contract, changing the third line of the description to “the messenger belonging exclusively to so-and-so,” or “the contracted companion of so-and-so,” would let the three-part description accurately summon the corresponding messenger.

“Mm. My messenger needs to run extremely fast. Otherwise, who knows when it might get killed by another malicious spirit-world creature, causing important letters to be lost…” Thoughts swiftly flashed through Klein’s mind, and he gained a definite idea.

He stepped back and said in ancient Hermes:

“I!

“I summon in my name:

“The spirit that wanders the void; the friendly creature that can be commanded; the speedster beyond imagination.”

Wooo!

The sound of wind suddenly rose. The candle became dyed with a dark green hue, and the surroundings turned cold and eerie.

Klein saw a blurry figure rush out, too fast for him to see its specific appearance.

Then he could no longer find that fellow anywhere.