Backlund, Cherwood Borough.
Fors, who was having an afternoon nap, jolted awake from her dreams. She saw an endless grayish-white fog and Mr. Moon who had his head bowed in prayer, clearly hearing his voice:
"... In the southeast outskirts of Backlund, in the middle of Delaire Forest, there is an abandoned ancient castle. In it are at least two ancient wraiths, and other dead spirits. The possibility of other Beyonders living there cannot be eliminated. The coordinates are..."
I finally have information on the main ingredient of Scribe. Information worth 300 pounds... Fors was instantly delighted as she immediately thanked Mr. Fool and sought "Him" to pass her message to The Moon that she would make payment shortly.
After completing this, she got out of bed and went to the first floor. She planned on pouring herself some wine to drink and consider when she would explore the abandoned castle, as well as the necessary preparations.
For the meantime, Leymano's Travels cannot be rented out... Xio needs to come along... That abandoned castle has several dead spirits and is rather dangerous. I have to consider the combination of spells. If there's anything lacking or not specialized, I'll hire Mr. World, Mr. Hanged Man, and The Sun to record the corresponding Beyonder powers... Although Fors lacked actual combat experience, she had been mixing with Beyonder circles for years. Later, she had joined the Tarot Club, and having heard and seen much, she naturally knew the need for preparations before any adventures.
As for directly hiring Mr. World to do it, she had long struck it off her list of options. She believed that giving all the spoils and her savings to him wasn't enough to hire him.
Of course, if her attempts at exploration proved that the abandoned castle was extremely dangerous, something that a Beyonder at her Sequence couldn't enter, she would have no choice but to shoulder an enormous debt. After all, there was only hope and a future from being alive.
In theory, I shouldn't reach that stage. There are still two demigod-level Beyonder powers left on Leymano's Travels from Mr. World. At most, I'll use it first and think of means to make up for it in the future... The only problem is that the two demigod-level Beyonder powers might not be suitable against wraiths and dead spirits... Fors sipped some Black Rand as her various thoughts took form.
At this point, she heard a key latching into the keyhole as she instinctively looked towards the door.
The door suddenly opened as Xio walked in, carrying two paper bags that emitted a rich fragrance.
"Desi pies?" Fors asked immediately before frowning in puzzlement. "Haven't you had lots of commissions recently? Why are you back so early?"
Xio threw a bag of Desi pies over and said without hiding her smile, "I happened to walk past it. I also hadn't had lunch, so I planned on taking a break."
Without waiting for Fors to ask further, she said, "I've accumulated enough points! I can soon exchange them for the Interrogator potion formula!"
Although her monitoring of royal guard captain, Viscount Stratford, hadn't had any significant progress, it was the kind that accumulated points on a daily basis. All she needed to do was submit a passable report every week to receive the corresponding "bounty." Therefore, together with the other commissions and their varying levels of success, Xio had already earned enough to obtain the Interrogator potion formula.
"Finally..." Fors sincerely felt happy for her friend. Then, she shook the wine cup in her hand. "Shall we celebrate with a drink?"
At the same time, she also thought of something pertaining to herself.
This is great. After becoming a Sequence 7, Xio should've experienced a qualitative change. It will make exploring that ancient castle a sure thing!
Xio looked at the transparent liquid in the cup before shaking her head incessantly.
"Drinking is bad!"
With that said, she frowned.
"Besides, I abhor the smell."
Before Fors could speak, she suddenly recalled something. She stood up and walked to the door.
"I saw the mailbox filled with things. Haven't you opened it today?"
"I didn't have the time." Fors wore a look as though she was busy rushing out her drafts.
Xio was a person of action. Ignoring her explanation, she had already headed out to clear the mailbox.
About ten seconds later, she walked back in with a stack of newspapers and a few envelopes. As she looked at the addressee, she said, "It's all yours! Two letters from the publisher. One's an invitation letter from a surgery forum. One letter is from Pritz Harbor."
Pritz Harbor... Fors's mind stirred as she put down her cup, and caught the letter Xio threw at her.
She seemed to openly tear open all the letters in front of her friend, discovering that one of the letters was indeed from her teacher, Dorian Gray Abraham.
"...Calderón City is in a rather special spot deep in the spirit world. I'm not sure of its origins other than it's very dangerous. A demigod had once stepped in without ever coming out... When selling the actual spirit world coordinates to that gathering's member, there's a need for you to warn him..."
Mr. World's target is such a dangerous spirit world city? Fors stared at the letter in her hand as her eyes widened.
The Red Gloves team which had arrived at the next East Balam city had rendezvoused with the local Nighthawks, taking up an office of theirs.
"Everyone shall have half the day off. We will start tomorrow morning." Soest took out his pocket watch and opened it.
They were about to strike a secret gathering location of the Numinous Episcopate to find more information of the Artificial Death Project and dig out another batch of enemies that hid in Backlund.
As for the information obtained from Ulika, they had already sent it back to Backlund via telegram. They didn't need to worry about the subsequent work. After all, they weren't the only Red Gloves team. Backlund's local Nighthawks were aplenty and powerful.
Leonard and Daly were just about to seek out their lodgings to rest when a Nighthawk with some East Balam blood walked in with a piece of paper.
"A new telegram from Backlund."
Soest reached out to take it, and after opening it for a few seconds, he said with a grave expression, "Gehrman Sparrow has appeared again. Using divination methods, it has been confirmed that it's him."
Gehrman Sparrow... Leonard wasn't surprised by this outcome. He already knew from Dwayne Dantès that his former colleague, Klein Moretti, was still alive.
He curiously asked, "What did Gehrman Sparrow do again?"
Soest surveyed the area and sternly said, "He boarded the Black Tulip and turned Admiral Hell Ludwell into his marionette."
"Admiral Hell?"
"Ludwell?"
"Marionette?"
The Red Gloves could hardly hide their astonishment as they exclaimed one after another. Even Leonard Mitchell was extremely surprised.
One had to know that Admiral Hell Ludwell, who wore the ring left by Death, had the highest bounty among the Seven Pirate Admirals. He was publicly recognized to be the strongest beneath the Four Kings. He was definitely not someone an ordinary Sequence 5 could compare to. As for Gehrman Sparrow, he had actually boarded his ship, turning Admiral Hell into his marionette despite being surrounded by his, the latter's, undead army and subordinates!
Although they didn't know much about a Faceless and a Marionettist, just the term marionette was enough to let them know that Admiral Hell Ludwell's outcome was worse than death.
He's already this strong? He infiltrated Saint Samuel Cathedral's Chanis Gate to meet the requirements for a demigod ritual? Leonard gradually fell silent as he didn't ask more.
At this moment, Soest offered more information:
"According to the crew that escaped from the Black Tulip, there wasn't a fight back then. Gehrman Sparrow and another man boarded the ship. The moment Admiral Hell Ludwell saw them, he gave up any resistance and prostrated himself onto the deck, calling the man ‘Death Consul.' Later, he allowed Gehrman Sparrow to turn him into his marionette."
"Death Consul..." Leonard subconsciously turned to look at Daly Simone.
He believed that this Sequence 5 Beyonder of the Corpse Collector pathway likely knew what Death Consul meant.
Daly scoffed and shook her head.
"I only know that the former Balam Empire, a blood descendant of Death that ruled the real world was known as Death Consul."
"However, the Numinous Episcopate's royal faction's leader has never called himself Death Consul," another Red Glove, Cindy, mentioned in puzzlement.
This was rather open knowledge amongst the Nighthawks. Those that reached Sequence 7 and above, or those who joined the Red Gloves, had the right to be privy to this information.
As for the Artificial Death faction, it was even more unlikely for any of them to call themselves Death Consul.
"Who knows? Perhaps the Numinous Episcopate has fractured again. Now, there's an additional Death Consul faction." Daly first made a casual comment before she thought and said, "Gehrman Sparrow has a mysterious origin. His motives for infiltrating Chanis Gate is unknown. Perhaps, it's really related to the Numinous Episcopate."
The Numinous Episcopate had always been a main target that the Church of Evernight had been trying to take down. The conflict between the two ran deep.
Her statement reminded Leonard Mitchell of something because he knew that Gehrman Sparrow was Klein Moretti. Furthermore, he had joined a secret organization that worshiped The Fool and represented itself with tarot cards and had a working relationship with the Numinous Episcopate.
In the few factions of the Numinous Episcopate, there's no Death Consul... Admiral Hell Ludwell can almost be confirmed to be an "arm" of the Numinous Episcopate. Dealing with him is equivalent to dealing with the Numinous Episcopate...
Dwayne Dantès once said that the members of that secret organization come from different places with different goals... Klein's goal is revenge. Could the goal of one of the members be to strike the Numinous Episcopate, to gradually absorb them to revive or recreate Death in their own image?
Since there's an undying monster like Dwayne Dantès who lived since the Fourth Epoch, it's normal for that secret organization to have an additional ancient Death Consul. Perhaps, his corresponding tarot card is Death! As his mind raced, Leonard began believing that he had obtained the truth.
Then, he made a connection with certain details.
Dwayne Dantès is an undying creature who had lived since the Fourth Epoch.
He knows the Southern Continent very well.
He recently left Backlund and has gone missing!
Leonard was alarmed. Taking the opportunity while his teammates were in discussion, he lifted his teacup and covered his mouth, softly muttering to himself, "Old Man, could Dwayne Dantès be the Death Consul?"
Pallez Zoroast's slightly-aged voice said with a smiling tone, "No.
"Balam Empire's Death Consul is both a rank and a title. It's also the name of the Death pathway's Sequence 2."
Sequence 2... That secret organization even has a Sequence 2 angel... Leonard's pupils constricted as he muttered once again, "How are you so certain that Dwayne Dantès isn't the Death Consul? Because he's not an angel?"
Pallez immediately chuckled.
"No. The reason is very simple. You've seen the real Death Consul's portrait before. Back when you Nighthawks were investigating Welch's suicide. You might have even met him personally.
"He's a teacher at Khoy University's Department of History, Azik Eggers."
Azik Eggers... Leonard was taken aback before he came to a realization.
He finally understood how Klein Moretti was able to resurrect from the dead, why he was fine suffering curses, or why he could join the secret organization symbolized by tarot cards, doing all of that while usually not showing anything special about himself!
The reason was that behind Klein was a member of the secret organization with the corresponding tarot card: Death!
