Cultists who believe in the Evernight... Upon hearing Snowman's words, the three present were more or less thrown into an awkward situation.
Klein, Audrey, and Leonard all had a certain relationship with the Evernight Goddess. One was a standard cultist who believed in the Evernight. The other wasn't only a cultist, but a quasi-high-ranking member of the cult, an elite team leader. The other was even worse—a Blessed of the evil goddess.
"Ahem... From the looks of it, the Church of Evernight appeared earlier than what the historical records stated. They can be traced back to a long time before the Cataclysm; however, it existed in the form of a secret organization." Klein cleared his throat and did a simple analysis, breaking the sudden silent mood.
Audrey pursed her lips and nodded. She continued guiding Snowman's dreams, letting him reveal the information related to the King of Angels in his subconscious.
Unfortunately, Snowman was only a Sequence 5 ascetic. He would be considered a quasi-High-Ranking member in the Fifth Epoch and would be able to come into contact with several important figures and historical secrets. However, before the Cataclysm, a Sequence 5 didn't enjoy such a status. He wasn't even able to enter the divine kingdom, so he naturally knew little about the Kings of Angels and the ancient sun god. What he knew was limited to what was written in the various religious canons.
However, Klein keenly noticed that he had mentioned something.
There were traces of the remnant giants in the Northern Ridge mountain range.
This mountain range's present name was Antares, and it was located within Feysac. It made it easy for him to associate this information with the people of Feysac claiming to be descendants of giants, how the God of Combat was a giant, and other information.
Seeing that there was no connection to the Kings of Angels, Audrey switched to guiding Snowman's dream into presenting what was most important and influential to him.
The majestic cathedral they were standing in began to shake as changes silently happened.
In just a few seconds, the cathedral's scale shrank. Outside was a square that had been renovated.
Snowman knelt in front of the cross and divine statue, his body bathed in pure sunlight.
A blurry figure in simple priest robes appeared beside him, speaking with a loud and solemn tone: "Are you willing to choose the path of an ascetic, to give up love, to distance yourself from indulgence, to not wield power, to train your mind, and to temper your mind, allowing you to approach our Lord by entering Heaven one step at a time?"
Snowman devotedly kissed the ground and said, "I'm willing to choose the path of the ascetic. I'll give up love, distance myself from indulgence, not wield power, train my mind, and to serve the Lord. It will be so forever and ever from this day forth.
"It will be so forever and ever from this day forth!"
The more Snowman spoke, the more resolute he became. In the end, he solemnly repeated his promise.
"...This is the one thing that left the deepest impression on him and has resulted in the deepest effects on him." Audrey turned her head and said to The World and The Star.
Thinking back on Snowman's past performance and recalling how he never gave up on his beliefs, nor stop his ascetic training despite being stuck in the book world, Klein nodded gently and sighed.
"He is a true ascetic."
Audrey retracted her gaze, and after guiding Snowman to present something that was more important to him, she returned to The World and The Star and said in a gentle voice, "There shouldn't be much left."
Klein glanced at Snowman and said, "Let's go to the next spot."
Inside a house in Pessote City.
Mobet, with his brownish-yellow hair, dark brown eyes, high nose bridge, and thin lips, was wearing slightly furry pajamas. He laid on a bed that was half high and half low, as he stared at the ceiling, muttering to himself, "Winter year is much colder than usual. It's starting to snow...
"Although it's almost noon, I don't want to get up at all...
"Siatas, why does an elf like you insist on sleeping in? You even pressed your hands and feet on me...
"I really miss being single. I could roll around freely in bed. Every comer will be mine, unlike now, sigh..."
On the bed, Elven Songster Siatas leaned her body sideways while sleeping comfortably. Not only did she occupy nearly half of the bed, but she also left a large amount of space on her side as her body clung close to Mobet. She left one arm and leg on him, squeezing Mobet to a corner of the bed, almost to the point of falling off.
After pulling up the blanket that was pinned down, Mobet sighed and closed his eyes, preparing to sleep again.
Then, he really fell asleep.
In his dream, he sat at the bar counter, alternating between sipping hard liquor and gulping down beers. He didn't return home as he claimed he would wait for Siatas to come begging him to return.
"Is this the aristocrat from the Fourth Epoch?" At the entrance of the tavern, Leonard glanced at Klein.
Klein gave a clear answer:
"That's right."
Hmm, Mr. Star's tone and actions suggest that he's more nervous than before... He seems to care a lot about this aristocrat from the Fourth Epoch... According to the information given by Mr. World, a certain person that Mr. Star knows might've seen the second Blasphemy Slate, and that's an extremely ancient divine artifact... Although I can't eliminate the possibility of seeing it in the Fifth Epoch, powerhouses of the Fourth Epoch are more likely to have a chance of coming into contact with such matters...So, this aristocrat from the Fourth Epoch is related to the person Mr. Star knows? Audrey grasped certain matters through fine observation and interpretation.
With this as a premise, she quickly came to a conclusion:
Mr. Star would step forward and suggest that he would guide the dream.
"As expected, the Fourth Epoch revered asymmetrical beauty, but such attire really made me uncomfortable." Leonard teased before looking at Miss Justice and The World Klein Moretti, "Let me do it this time."
"Alright," Audrey replied with a brisk tone and smile.
This was a development that Klein was happy to see. He naturally wouldn't stop it.
"That wouldn't be an issue."
Leonard then tugged at his collar and walked to the bar counter in a few steps. He sat beside Mobet and ordered a local Sangen beer.
He gulped and suddenly said, "You look like a member of the Zoroast family."
"Everyone here knows that. No, not just humans." Mobet took a sip of his alcohol and continued looking forward. Leonard smiled and shook his head.
"Let me introduce myself. I'm a student of Pallez Zoroast."
He planned to use this identity to pull strings and reduce any sense of reluctance Mobet would have, making it easier for him to continue guiding him.
Indeed, the person Mr. Star knows is also a Fourth Epoch aristocrat, a member of the Zoroast family... I wonder what level that person is... So Mr. Star is secretly a student of a certain important figure. No... He said that without complete confidence... A self-assumed student? Audrey validated her guess as her smile became more obvious.
After hearing Leonard's self-introduction, Mobet finally turned his head and sized him up. He scoffed and said, "Student?"
"More like the target of Parasitizing, right?"
Leonard's expression froze.
Target of Parasitizing... Uh... Although Audrey was mentally prepared, she couldn't help but twitch her eyebrows.
As for Klein, he had a hard time holding back his laughter.
Of course, he didn't believe that there was anything wrong with Leonard's identity as a student of Pallez Zoroast. If it were him, he would've said the same thing. It just wasn't right to directly mention that he was a Parasite's victim, right? And being friends appeared too distant, a disadvantage for any subsequent attempts to learn more.
The problem this time was that nobody expected Mobet to guess the truth.
After laughing twice, Mobet looked at Leonard's slightly stiff face and said, "You aren't a member of our Zoroast family, so how can you become Old Man's student? You can only be a target of Parasitizing!"
Having said that, he slowed down and said, "Don't worry. Old Man isn't too bad. He wouldn't really take over your body. After the Parasitizing is done, he will at most take away a few years of your life. You're still young anyway, so raising your Sequence would make up for it. Heh heh. Actually, most Beyonders can't live till the end of their natural lifespan."
"Why must he take a few years of my life?" Leonard subconsciously asked.
Mobet raised his glass and gulped down a mouthful. He replied in a daze, "Since you've already been Parasitized, something must be stolen, right..."
Leonard snapped out of his daze and asked in surprise, "You also call ‘Him' Old Man?"
"Of course, we all call him ‘Old Man.' Heh Heh. ‘He' doesn't seem to object to it." Mobet suddenly sighed. "‘He' is my great-grandfather, and I haven't seen him for a thousand years—no, 2,000 years..."
So the reason why Old Man tolerates me calling him Old Man is because it can remind "Him" of the beautiful past... I wonder if "His" direct descendants are still alive... Leonard suddenly felt wistful.
As for Justice Audrey, while she was finding the words "something must be stolen" funny, she was surprised at the word "He."
This represented that Old Man, Mr. Pallez Zoroast, was an angel!
Indeed... Audrey had expected this.
At this moment, Mobet sharply noticed a keyword and asked, "Also? Why did you say ‘also'? Do you also call ‘Him' Old Man?"
Leonard nodded seriously.
Mobet was instantly puzzled as he sized up Leonard again.
"Don't tell me you have the bloodline of the Zoroast family?"
"I don't know..." Leonard answered honestly.
Mobet shook his head.
"No, it doesn't look like that's the case. It might be that Old Man suffered a terrible blow and has changed to a certain degree."
That I know... Leonard pondered and said, "He was nearly killed by Blasphemer Amon. He hasn't recovered yet."
Groselle's Travels was currently above the gray fog. It didn't matter which deity's true name was mentioned in it, since it wouldn't be sensed; therefore. Klein, Leonard, and Audrey were free to talk about Amon and Adam.
"The powerful and terrifying ancestor of the Amon family..." Mobet's voice unconsciously lowered.
Leonard finally gained the initiative and asked, "The aristocrats of the Solomon empire are all very cold and evil. Why isn't the Zoroast family like that?"
