Chapter 7: Poor Arrodes

Chapter 7: Poor Arrodes

Klein did not go to see Benson or Melissa. The level of matters he was involved in had already become far too high. Approaching his older brother and younger sister would only bring disaster upon them.

For existences who did not know Klein’s original identity, such behavior would help Them understand the relationship between Benson, Melissa, and Klein. For existences who knew what Klein had previously experienced, it would allow Them to confirm one thing: Klein still retained his humanity, and he still cared greatly about his family.

Therefore, staying away from Benson and Melissa was the best way to protect them.

Of course, Klein had already learned about his siblings’ situation through Miss Justice.

During the war, Benson had displayed his experience and tact in the Ministry of Finance. He had been promoted multiple times and was now the deputy director of the Fifth Division, with an annual salary of three hundred pounds.

Melissa had gained the favor of her mentor, Portland Moment, who had offered her an opportunity—the opportunity to become a Beyonder. The principal of Backlund University of Technology was a believer of the God of Steam and Machinery and had long since stepped onto a Beyonder pathway. He was presently a Sequence 7 Appraiser. He hoped Melissa would become a Sequence 9 Savant, so she could better learn knowledge, improve her memory, and lay a good foundation for future development in the field of machinery.

This was Melissa’s secret, but it could not be hidden from a demigod-level Spectator. Moreover, Audrey had told Klein with certainty that Melissa was inclined to accept and would make her decision within the next few days.

As for this matter, Klein’s attitude was tacit approval. On one hand, the Savant pathway did not greatly enhance spirituality, so Melissa was unlikely to hear voices she should not hear or see scenes she should not see. On the other hand, as the apocalypse approached, the probability of madness caused by lower-Sequence potions would be further reduced. Besides, Klein, now a Miracle Invoker, could help lower the risk of losing control.

“For a machinery enthusiast, Sequence 9 Savant is enough… Moment’s attitude is the same. He does not wish to let a believer of the Evernight Goddess obtain too many portions of potion from the Church of Steam…

“Mm. As the apocalypse draws closer day by day and the invisible barrier grows increasingly fragile, the corrosion of this world by Outer Deities will become more and more obvious. The probability of ordinary people encountering supernatural incidents will definitely rise step by step. From this angle, Melissa becoming a Beyonder is also a good thing. If she can smoothly advance to Sequence 6 Artisan, also known as Mechanic, she can both fulfill her dream and protect herself and Benson…

“I’ll have Miss Justice find an opportunity to tell Melissa about the acting method without leaving any trace. After that, how far she can grow will depend on herself. At most, I can give her some good luck—uh, formulas and ingredients… I really am like an older brother who worries himself to death. Heh, that’s what I am to begin with… Does this count, in a certain sense, as fulfilling a wish?

“Wait. Melissa must have the wish that Klein would come back to life. If I walk directly in front of her now, would I receive enough feedback?

“…Forget it. That would bring catastrophic disaster upon her and Benson…” Klein shook his head, stopping himself from finding excuses.

He then pressed down on the top hat on his head, turned into a nearby hotel, took out a gold pound, and opened a room.

That gold pound was real—an item Klein had brought back into reality some time ago.

During the previous war, through Miss Justice, Klein had donated, in succession, 14,800 pounds in banknotes, gold bars worth 14,200 pounds before the war, and nearly twenty high-quality gemstones. At present, aside from the strange miscellaneous objects placed in the junk pile, he only had thirty-nine Loen gold coins and ten high-quality gemstones left on him.

After glancing at the soli and pennies the innkeeper returned to him, Klein casually put them away, entered the room, and walked to the full-length mirror.

Then he took out paper and pen and drew the incantation for summoning Arrodes the Magic Mirror.

Time passed second by second, but no abnormality appeared in the room.

The full-length mirror remained silent.

Several more seconds passed. Klein chuckled softly, raised a brow, and took a coin from the pocket of his clothes.

…

Clang! Clang! Clang!

A steam train spewing thick smoke raced along the tracks toward the west of the continent.

Ikanser, his hair in disorder, stood in one of the carriages with a member of the Machinery Hivemind, both focused intently on the metal cage before them.

From the cage, metal spikes stretched outward in a threatening fashion, flickering with a somewhat dim light.

“Deacon, once you go to Intis this time, do you still plan to return to Loen?” The Machinery Hivemind member, who had the typical appearance of a Loenese, glanced at the plains sweeping backward outside the window and could not help asking.

After the war ended, the Church of Steam, which had chosen the wrong side, had no choice but to swallow the bitter fruit of defeat. Within the time limit set by the Evernight and Storm Churches, they had to transfer all Beyonders above the demigod level and all Sealed Artifacts above Grade 2 out of Loen.

In other words, they had lost their former status. In the future, they could only preach in Loen like the Church of Earth Mother, maintaining only a small number of churches.

If not for the fact that there were too many believers of the God of Steam and Machinery, with some of them being key figures in postwar reconstruction, the Church of Steam might not even have been able to retain such treatment.

Similarly, a small number of churches required only a small number of Machinery Hivemind members. Most of the Church of Steam’s Beyonders in Loen would have to migrate to Intis.

Ikanser fell silent for several seconds before saying with a bitter smile,

“I have to obey the archbishops’ arrangements, but I will apply to return to Loen. My childhood, my youth, and my young adulthood are here. There are too many memories I cannot let go of…”

As he spoke, his gaze drifted into the distance, as though he once again saw that city of all cities.

At that moment, the metal cage covered in spikes suddenly trembled.

Streaks of silver-white lightning appeared out of thin air and fell one after another. They were all absorbed by the metal cage, then conducted through several rubber-wrapped wires to the ground outside the steam train, dragging out showers of sparks.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

It was as if invisible hands were beating against the metal cage, yet no matter what, they could not break open that barrier.

“The Magic Mirror is reacting very violently… It was always quiet before.” The Machinery Hivemind member who had spoken earlier said this with considerable puzzlement.

Amid the banging, Ikanser subconsciously touched his hair.

“That isn’t the case. Sometimes it also displays a mad side. If not for those incidents, we would still be treating it as a Grade 2 Sealed Artifact.”

“So that’s how it is. Heh, I’ve never dealt with it before. I thought the Magic Mirror didn’t want to leave Backlund,” the Machinery Hivemind member joked.

Pa!

Lightning struck down again and was once more drawn away by the metal cage.

Bang! Bang! Bang! The knocking sounds gradually grew longer, as if making a final, powerless wail.

Ikanser took out a rather old-fashioned, exquisite pocket watch and clicked it open.

“It lasted only two minutes. Much better than this morning.”

The Machinery Hivemind member recently transferred here was about to ask a question when he suddenly heard the banging stop abruptly, as though affected by some irresistible factor.

“Is this the Magic Mirror’s usual style?” he asked instead.

Ikanser frowned slightly.

“No.

“Normally, it would continue struggling weakly for another twenty or thirty seconds.

“There seems to be a problem…”

“Deacon, there’s no need to worry. There is a true important person aboard this train, someone above the archbishops,” the Machinery Hivemind member beside him comforted him carelessly.

There were too many dangerous Sealed Artifacts aboard this steam train. Without powerful individuals guarding them, something would certainly go wrong.

Ikanser nodded, indicating that he was not worried.

More than ten kilometers away from the steam train, on a country road, Klein sat inside a summoned carriage. Before him was a mirror.

He had just finished sketching a symbol that mixed Concealment and Prying when ripples appeared on the mirror, and golden Loenese words surfaced one after another.

“Supreme, great, exalted Master, you have finally come! Your humble, loyal, pitiful servant Arrodes has missed you so much!”

Eh… Klein was somewhat unable to accept such enthusiasm and imperceptibly leaned back.

If the Magic Mirror Arrodes’ previous flattery had still preserved a trace of dignity, then now it was complete and utter fawning. Klein even felt a hint of sobbing from it.

“The rate of romantic scandals in Trier is far higher than in Backlund. It should be a place you like.” Klein smiled and teased Arrodes.

“Because you, Master, do not wish to go to Trier.” The golden words on the mirror surface faded one after another, becoming pale silver.

Klein inwardly clicked his tongue.

“I have some matters I wish to ask you.”

“Please ask as you please.” Arrodes replied with great humility.

“Do you know who the Earth Mother really is?” Klein went straight to the point.

The mirror instantly became profound. The pale silver words were all tinged ghastly white.

“I do not know… But during the divine war, I heard a voice from within the Dark Heaven. It was calling a name… That was the true name of the progenitor of the Sanguine.”

The Magic Mirror did not dare directly display the name Lilith.

Lilith? It’s actually Lilith… Klein was both astonished and felt many of his questions receive explanations.

Then he thought of The Moon, Emlyn.

This vampire had gone in circles, convinced himself step by step, and in the end had actually never changed his faith.

If Emlyn had Anderson’s personality, he would definitely be saying to the Sanguine dukes and marquises right now, “Yo, so you’ve come to believe in Mother too?” While imagining that amusing scene, Klein said to the Magic Mirror Arrodes,

“It’s your turn to ask.”

“Supreme Master, please continue asking. I will ask all at once at the end.” The ghastly-white words regained their pale silver luster.

Klein thought for a moment and asked,

“What is the situation now? For example, the situation inside Feysac.”