Chapter 12: Prophecy

Chapter 12: Prophecy

Gehrman Sparrow has disappeared… When that exceptionally terrifying messenger returned, Bernadette had already sensed something and roughly understood what had happened. Therefore, after hearing the feedback, her expression merely darkened slightly, without showing any particularly obvious reaction.

The Queen of Mysteries’ eyes, blue as a condensed ocean, instantly deepened. For a brief moment, they lost focus, as if she were peering through Reinette Tinekerr into the torrent of fate.

Two or three seconds later, Bernadette abruptly shut her eyes, as though a blinding light had appeared in front of her.

A bloody liquid faintly flowed from the corners of her eyes, making her complexion seem somewhat pale.

The Queen of Mysteries kept her eyes tightly shut and spoke in a somewhat ethereal voice:

“Gehrman Sparrow has fallen into an immense crisis. Darkness is devouring light, leaving only a single thread of dawn.”

This was a prophecy.

Sequence 3 of the Mystery Pryer pathway was Prophet.

The four blond-haired, red-eyed heads carried by Reinette Tinekerr spoke in succession:

“What…” “does…” “that…” “darkness…”

“symbolize…”

Bernadette remained in the same posture as before and said, “Desolation, mutation, apocalypse, negativity, error.”

Reinette Tinekerr, dressed in the gloomy, complicated long gown, no longer made the heads in her hands speak. She dropped Bernadette’s letter and gold coin, turned, and walked into the void, vanishing from the room.

The Queen of Mysteries stood where she was, motionless for several seconds.

At last, she opened her eyes again. Her blue pupils were hazy and unfocused, as though her vision would need more time to recover.

After some thought, Bernadette extended her right hand and struck the air gently.

That tablecloth folded itself away, then unfolded again, replacing the objects it carried from ritual-related items into a fountain pen, paper, and an inkwell.

The fountain pen suddenly leaped up, as though held by an invisible spirit, and swiftly wrote down the matter of Gehrman Sparrow’s disappearance on the paper.

On the Sonia Sea, inside the captain’s cabin of the Future.

Admiral of Stars Cattleya looked at the mushrooms fried in mushroom oil on the plate before her and smelled the fatty aroma filling the room. For a long time, she did not pick up her knife and fork.

Suddenly, her spirituality stirred. She turned her head toward the place where the brass sextant was kept and discovered that a letter had appeared there at some unknown point.

Cattleya immediately revealed a smile. She reached over, picked up the letter, and eagerly unfolded it.

Gradually, her brows furrowed.

“Gehrman Sparrow has disappeared…” Cattleya repeated the key content of the letter in a low voice, keenly feeling that the matter was rather serious.

She easily understood the Queen’s reason for writing this letter to her. Without hesitation, she lowered her head, clasped her hands, and recited an honorific name in ancient Hermes:

“The Fool that doesn’t belong to this era…”

Above the gray fog, the crimson star representing The Hermit came alive with it, swelling and shrinking visibly, spreading rings of light containing the sound of prayer.

They intertwined with the ripples created by the crimson stars corresponding to The Magician and The Sun, surging in wave after wave toward the ancient, majestic palace.

…

“Another person is praying to Mr. Fool… The echo is stronger now, and the noise beside my ears is even more obvious… Mm, I can hear a bit more clearly now. The image is also a little clearer… This time, the one praying seems to be Miss Hermit. Only she likes wearing ancient wizard robes…

“The Queen of Mysteries discovered something had happened to Gehrman Sparrow? Although I was worried I might die this time and need some time to revive, and I hinted to the Tarot Club members in advance that next week’s gathering might be canceled, that was only a hint. There was no formal notice, and it wasn’t clear enough. Once Monday comes and there is still no response, they’ll certainly panic, pray, contact each other, and discover that Mr. Fool has also disappeared—no, that Mr. Fool ran off with The World.” Klein used self-mockery to ease the feelings in his heart.

He glanced at Amon walking beside him and, looking for something to say, lifted the leather lantern in his hand.

“It should have gone out long ago.”

Amon, wearing a pointed soft hat and black mage robe, nodded slightly.

“I placed it in a miraculous state where it can maintain light for a week without needing fuel.”

Klein considered this and said, “Is this deception against the laws of nature?”

Amon turned His head and looked at Klein for one second with the right eye behind His monocle. Then He said with a smile, “Smart.

“Sequence 3 of the Error pathway is the deepening of Swindler. It is called Mentor of Deceit.”

More or less what I guessed… However, it is not only the Error pathway that can achieve similar things. The Black Emperor can do it through Distorting laws and Exploiting rules… Klein compared the difference between the Marauder and Lawyer pathways in his heart.

At that moment, Amon stroked His chin and asked with great interest, “There are less than three days left. If you do not think of a way to escape soon, it will be too late.

“Do you plan to make another attempt today, or tomorrow?”

“…Guess.” Klein piled on a smile and responded to His question with the other party’s own favored routine.

To be honest, regarding the matter of escape, Klein did not believe the effect would improve simply because he attempted more often.

Frequent attempts could indeed probe the limits of Amon’s abilities, consume the “things” He had previously stolen, and lay a good foundation for the final fight. But on the other hand, they would also expose Klein’s own trump cards. After all, he was in a passive position and had no opportunity to prepare. If he wanted to force Amon to reveal more methods, he could only play the few good cards he had.

If Amon completely figured out Klein’s responses through repeated attempts, Klein could not imagine what opportunity to flee would remain.

Escape attempts were a double-edged sword. One careless move, and he would cut himself.

It was precisely because of this that Klein did not act blindly. Instead, he cautiously planned things in his heart.

While speaking, he and Amon walked out of the city-state that had first worshiped the King of Mutants and later believed in the ancient Sun God. Only bones and heavily weathered stone buildings remained there, showing how lively this place had once been.

Beyond the city-state was a barren wilderness whose edge could not be seen, even under lightning.

…

7 Pinster Street.

Leonard sat on the sofa, feet propped on the coffee table, leisurely flipping through that day’s newspaper.

George III’s death yesterday had brought extreme busyness, and after standing guard the whole night, Leonard had obtained five hours of leave today.

After sleeping for two hours, Leonard got out of bed in excellent spirits, trying to understand the current situation through official reports.

In truth, as a Red Gloves captain, he knew more than the reporters in some aspects. For example, in the suburbs of Backlund, the area where the Tudor ruin had been had collapsed into a fairly large lake and had nearly affected Dawn Dantès’s Rose Song Manor. Also, the George III who had self-destructed in Memorial Day Square had not actually been the real person, and the collected remains had disappeared into thin air that very night.

Of course, Leonard was absolutely certain that George III was dead, and that the crown prince was about to inherit both the Balam Crown and the Loen Crown.

At the time, Sefirah Castle showed an abnormal movement. That matter must be significantly connected to Mr. Fool… Klein had long warned that something would happen to George III… The reactions of the three Churches are strange. Even the Church of Storms, the easiest to be driven by impulse, is not especially furious… Leonard flipped through the newspaper while letting his thoughts wander casually.

At that moment, Pallez Zoroast’s slightly aged voice sounded in his mind:

“Gehrman Sparrow’s messenger has arrived.”

Leonard abruptly lifted his head and saw the angel-level messenger in the gloomy, complicated long dress had appeared before him at some unknown time.

The four blond-haired, red-eyed heads Reinette Tinekerr carried spoke one after another:

“Gehrman…” “Sparrow…” “has encountered…” “an immense…”

“crisis…” “and has…” “now…” “disappeared…”

Klein is in danger and missing? Leonard instantly pulled back his legs and stood.

Without waiting for Pallez Zoroast to provide a hint, his spirituality stirred, and he blurted, “Is it related to George III’s death?”

“Yes…” “He…” “destroyed…” “George…” “the Third’s…” “apotheosis…” “ritual…” Reinette Tinekerr’s four heads looked at Leonard at the same time with eight red eyes.

Apotheosis ritual? Although Leonard was extremely anxious, he was still startled by the phrase.

Someone who could hold an apotheosis ritual had to be at least a Sequence 1 angel, no matter how low. Klein was actually able to directly participate in a matter at such a level… Was it Mr. Fool’s plan? Light flickered in Leonard’s green eyes. Relying on his fairly rich experience, he went straight to the core of the issue and asked, “The last time you saw Klein, what state was he in?”

The four blond-haired, red-eyed heads Reinette Tinekerr carried bobbed up and down as they said:

“Possibly…” “being…” “pursued…” “by Zaratul…”

As Gehrman Sparrow’s messenger, this Ancient Evil had sensed that her employer had also escaped the Tudor ruin after she fled.

And the one who best understood a Scholar of Yore’s methods was undoubtedly a higher-Sequence Beyonder of the same pathway. Therefore, Zaratul would certainly intercept and pursue him.

Zaratul? The leader of the Secret Order, the Sequence 1 angel Zaratul? As Leonard worried about Klein, he felt fear and shock at the “rich and colorful” life of this former colleague.

At that moment, Pallez Zoroast spoke in a deep voice inside his mind:

“Ask Her if there are any other clues.”

Leonard immediately complied and posed the question.

Reinette Tinekerr seemed to know that Leonard was not simple. One head at a time, one word at a time, she repeated the Queen of Mysteries’ prophecy.

After listening, Pallez Zoroast fell silent for quite a while before sighing.

“Error…

“I roughly know your former colleague’s current situation.”

Leonard instinctively wanted to press further, but because an outsider was present, he ultimately held back the impulse.

Pallez paused, then continued, “Sefirah Castle’s abnormal movement attracted Zaratul. How could Amon not have sensed it as well?

“This should already involve the struggle for Sefirah Castle.”

Sefirah Castle… Leonard slowly inhaled, then said to Reinette Tinekerr, “He may have fallen into Amon’s hands.”

After Miss Messenger’s four heads nodded in unison and she turned to leave, Leonard immediately sat back down, clasped his hands, closed his eyes, and began to pray:

“The Fool that doesn’t belong to this era…”