Bayam, the slums.
Hooded with a mask underneath it, The Hanged Man Alger once again met with Admiral of Stars Cattleya.
At a table, the two of them sat across each other, facing each other without saying a word.
Finally, Cattleya said, "Have you heard the news?"
Alger didn't directly answer as he returned with a question:
"The one about Gehrman Sparrow?"
Cattleya fell silent for a few seconds and nodded.
"He has turned Admiral Hell into his marionette."
Be it Admiral of Blood from before or the present Admiral Hell, they were both pirates who had a higher bounty than her. No matter how confident she was of herself, she didn't believe that the two Sequence 5 elites were weaker than her!
"You learned of it earlier than I expected." Alger confirmed the authenticity of the news in a tactful manner.
Being a member of the Church of Storms which controlled a large region of the sea, he could directly obtain the latest news from the official channels.
Cattleya curled her lips and said, "If the Future were at sea, I might have to take days or even weeks to receive it. But I've been in Bayam recently."
She didn't divulge her intel source.
After a pause, Admiral of Stars asked frankly, "What else do you know about this matter?"
Alger shook his head.
"I was trying to figure out the exact situation when I saw your signal, so I rushed here to meet you."
Cattleya nodded slightly.
"Gehrman Sparrow and Admiral Hell didn't engage in a battle. Ludwell didn't resist, because Gehrman Sparrow had boarded the Black Tulip with a man who was addressed as Death Consul."
Death Consul... Alger's pupils dilated as he felt an indescribable pressure.
Such a term wasn't something any random demigod could undertake!
Furthermore, that wasn't something the man flaunted himself, but an honorific term that Admiral Hell Ludwell had used. Furthermore, he gave up resistance and was willing to lose his life!
With The Hanged Man not saying a word, Cattleya added, "In the Death pathway, Death Consul is the name of the Sequence 2. Of course, every emperor of the Balam Empire was also given this title."
Indeed, an angel, an angel from the Death domain... Alger automatically ignored the latter possibility. After all, based on the "acting method," the position of emperor was definitely held by a Sequence 2 angel before the Balam Empire fell. And for someone who could make Admiral Hell become Gehrman Sparrow's marionette without putting up any resistance, they were definitely not something a mere title could accomplish.
At this moment, Alger suddenly thought of something, something that left a deep impression on
him.
After Vice Admiral Hurricane Qilangos successfully fled, he was found standing by the side of an artificial lake. His face had rapidly rotted with pieces of flesh falling off. Even his eyeballs had rolled out of their sockets.
It was undoubtedly the damage dealt by a potent force from the Death domain. And Alger later confirmed that it was done by Mr. Fool's Blessed.
To rapidly cause the death of a pirate admiral without him putting up any resistance, especially one who carried such a powerful Sealed Artifact, the assailant's level was obvious!
The Church of Storms's Spellsinger of God Archbishop Snake had determined at the scene that it was done by a High-Sequence Beyonder from the Death pathway and that it was not the person he knew.
Alger had no doubts about that. He believed that it was done by a Sequence 4 or Sequence 3 demigod, in other words, a saint. He also felt horrified that Mr. Fool's Blessed was a High-Sequence Beyonder.
Now, he secretly gulped his saliva with great difficulty, believing that he had underestimated Mr. Fool back then as well as that Blessed.
That person wasn't a saint but a Grounded Angel, one that shared the same level as the three crowns of the various orthodox Churches!
When it came to religion, the three crowns represented the various Churches' pope, pontiff, or chief shepherd.
A Death Consul as a Blessed... Although Mr. Fool is still recovering, the amount of strength at his disposal is quite sizable... Alger's thoughts churned as his eyes shimmered. He was momentarily at a loss for words.
Cattleya sensed his gloom as she asked, "You seem to have recalled something."
Alger deliberated for two seconds before vaguely replying, "Based on what I know, Mr. Fool has a Death angel amongst his Blessed."
That matches... Cattleya said as though she was muttering to herself, "Then why did The World promise me Mythical Creature blood that's not from that Death angel? Is it due to having closer ties with the other one, making it easier to obtain?"
"Perhaps." Although Alger felt that Admiral of Stars's inference wasn't wrong, he habitually gave a noncommittal answer.
Cattleya didn't continue on the topic as she said, "We will start the operation tonight from half-past seven to eight.
"If you can participate in it, head over there with me."
She has finally figured out the situation with the Artisan? Alger secretly heaved a sigh of relief and asked in puzzlement, "Why that time?"
This wasn't the most suitable period for any covert operation. Once any mistake was made, the official Beyonders would quickly detect it and rush over.
Cattleya nudged the heavy glasses on her nose and said with a complicated smile, "It's because it's dinnertime for them.
"And they will be having mushrooms for dinner."
What's the connection... The experienced Alger realized that he couldn't read the subcontext of Admiral of Stars's words.
East Balam, in the lush and humid forest.
Klein deliberately avoided the main path and came to an uninhabited area. He planned on getting Ludwell to take off his silver mask.
This wasn't only to satisfy his curiosity but for a genuine reason. The silver mask was too striking. If he didn't deal with it, there was no amount of disguising that could direct the attention of others away from it.
The biggest problem for a Marionettist is the marionette's identity... The more powerful the marionette, the more famous they were while alive. Bringing one along with me has the risk of being exposed... If it wasn't because I didn't have the time to finish off the pirates on the Black Tulip, I would have had the means to keep it under wraps. For example, I could continue letting Ludwell be the captain while I pretend to be his subordinate. To a Faceless, that's very simple... Klein sighed as he passed through the forest.
There were many mosquitoes around him, but none of them came for him. All of them were circling Admiral Hell Ludwell, trying to suck his blood in vain.
Klein had given his new marionette the Green Essence ring which attracted mosquitoes. This was because its effects were completely overshadowed by Flower of Blood. Wearing the two rings was rather meaningless for Winner Enzo. In addition, Klein had confirmed that Ludwell's situation was special. He wasn't too afraid of being bitten by mosquitoes.
After walking a distance, Klein casually tossed a coin and stopped.
After a few minutes of contemplation, he decided to finish something else before removing the new marionette's mask. This was because, through this process, he could confirm the severity of the latent danger beneath the mask.
Taking out the corresponding items, Klein quickly set up a ritual and moved the radio transceiver from above the gray fog to the real world.
He wanted to contact Arrodes!
Before he left Kolain City, he had paid Miss Magician 350 pounds for the spirit world coordinates to Calderón City. He had also been warned about the extreme dangers associated with it. Therefore, he planned on obtaining more information from two channels in order to prepare for his hunting mission.
The two channels involved asking the magic mirror and Red Light. With Mr. Azik being in prolonged slumber, Klein decided not to hesitate further. He planned on expanding his social circle, and not just stubbornly and inflexibly stick to the Evernight Goddess. He needed to find powers to balance things out. And the relatively friendly Seven Lights of the spirit world were the best choice!
With the appearance of the radio transceiver, the surrounding woods suddenly turned gloomy. It was as though the spirit world had overlapped with the real world.
In about ten seconds, tapping sounds sounded. Illusory white paper began being spat out:
"Exalted Great Master, your puny, loyal and humble servant, Arrodes, is here to answer your summoning.
"There's temporarily no danger here. What say you?"
Seeing this coquettish manner of speech, Klein sighed silently and finally confirmed that he had connected to the magic mirror, Arrodes.
He had previously been afraid that the white piece of paper would have the words: "I want to have a child with you."
Of course, he had divined the level of danger of contacting Arrodes above the gray fog, and he obtained an answer that it was fine. However, with the Mother Tree of Desire having a precedent of interfering with divination, as well as his misinterpretation of infiltrating Saint Samuel Cathedral's Chanis Gate, he wasn't too certain.
"Indeed." Klein nodded in a reserved manner before asking. "What do you know of Calderón City in the spirit world?"
Amidst clicking sounds, a piece of illusory white paper exited the radio transceiver in a hesitant manner:
"I can't see that city too clearly. I do not know its exact state, but I can confirm that a saint had perished in there before. There were also certain angels, Travelers, and spirit world creatures who had once entered to explore it and left it alive in a relatively smooth manner. However, none of them got much out of it.
"Also, I know the origins of that city."
Without waiting for Klein to press, more illusory white paper spat out amidst clicking sounds:
"Its former name was the City of the Dead. It was a grounded divine kingdom of the ancient goddess, Phoenix Ancestor Gregrace.
"Ever since that ancient goddess opened up the Underworld, ‘Her' divine kingdom was moved there. The City of the Dead gradually became the holy grounds of ‘Her' descendants and believers.
"Before Gregrace was heavily injured by the ancient sun god and had the city uprooted and thrown deep into the spirit world, none of its citizens ever came out again. The name ‘Calderón' originates from the Abraham family's angel, the first person who stepped in. In the Language of the Dead, it means ‘Unknown Soul.'"
