Lord of the Mysteries

Inside the Lightning Cathedral, the high and spacious dome arched continuously. There wasn’t any blank space, with gold and blue as the main colors. It made anyone who walked beneath it subconsciously feel that the place was sacred and solemn; thus, making them bow their heads.

Alger Wilson often made contact with a secret existence, and he often gathered in the palace of a deity’s residence. As a result, he no longer had a longing for this. He wasn’t as respectful as before, but he still had to put on an act. Like the other sailors around him, he kept his head down as he lightened his footsteps without even daring to breathe clearly.

In the silent atmosphere, they were led by the priest all the way to the clergymen’s quarters at the back of the cathedral, with each of them getting a room.

After closing the door, Alger saw the sanguine moonlight shine into the window. It made the environment turn cold and sinister, as though countless wraiths seemed to be observing the real world through a thin curtain.

Every time the Blood Moon appeared, one’s spirituality would be enhanced. Powers that stemmed from spirituality and hell would receive a significant boost, while the negative emotions of living beings reached an explosive state. The higher the Sequence, the more obvious it would be.

Faintly, Alger heard sobbing, low shouts, and whispering. This was completely different from the solemnity he previously felt in the Lightning Cathedral.

Illusory arms appeared before his eyes as they reached outwards from the walls, floor, and ceiling, like a three-dimensional pale forest.

Alger knew of the abnormalities of the Blood Moon, so he removed his captain’s hat without panicking at all. He entered the bathroom and washed his face.

During this process, he suddenly heard a distant singing voice.

The singing voice was indistinct, as though it came from the middle of the island. It kept echoing endlessly as though it was right beside Alger. It didn’t make him feel horrified, for it was akin to a woman who was away from her family and loved ones, singing slowly and sadly as she looked at the surging tides.

Alger pulled at a towel and wiped his face before cocking his head to listen.

He gradually frowned as he took out a small iron box from his priest robe’s inner robe and placed it close to his ear.

In it was the Ocean Songster Beyonder characteristic he had purchased from The World. He suspected that the residual mental imprint on it was temporarily enhanced by the Blood Moon.

As the metal box came close, the singing by Alger’s ears instantly became partially clear, melancholic, sorrowful, wistful, and painful.

But apart from that, there was still the ethereal and ancient voice sounding from it, forming a clear boundary with the clear singing as though they were in a duet!

Whose voice is that? It sounds like an elf’s… An item in the Church that stems from the elves? This Ocean Songster Beyonder characteristic on me comes from an elf? Alger nodded as he came up with a theory.

Due to them sharing the same Sailor pathway, the Church of Storms had always been in search of elvish relics. They were used to concoct potions, made into Sealed Artifacts, or isolated underground. Those with relatively fewer negative effects were rewarded to clergymen; therefore, it wasn’t odd that something similar would be stimulated on the night of the Blood Moon.

If it’s a mystical item, there wouldn’t be a problem. If it’s a Sealed Artifact, it means it’s definitely not simple if the voice can penetrate the isolation barrier… Alger reined in his thoughts, brushed his teeth, and went to bed.

He soon fell asleep and had a dream.

After an unknown period of time, Alger suddenly felt a little lucid, vaguely aware that he was having a dream, but he automatically sized up his surroundings.

He discovered that above him was rippling dark blue seawater which was stacked up layer after layer and blocked the view of the sky. Ahead of him was a beautiful palace made of coral. It was tall, spectacular, dark, and gloomy.

Alger subconsciously walked towards the palace, walking into the open doors.

Inside were columns of coral that held up an exaggerated dome. The walls and dome were filled with murals depicting the terror of a storm.

Over a hundred meters away, there was a throne embedded with sapphires, emeralds, and lustrous pearls above a nine-stepped staircase that was extremely striking.

Alger looked over and saw a woman in a complicated ancient dress sitting on it. Her hair was black and held up into a bun. Her facial outline was soft, and her features were exquisite. She had a beauty that seemed timeless.

The woman’s expression was core and her ears sharp. Her deep brown eyes looked down at Alger from a commanding position.

In her hand was a golden wine cup with complicated patterns.

Alger was just about to say something when her eyes emitted silver light resembling the bright flash of lightning, tearing through the dream.

Phew… Alger sat up and subconsciously gasped for breath. He found the dream both blurry and clear at the same time.

The woman’s appearance was blurry, as well as the details of the murals and coral palace, but her eyes that contained lightning and her sharp ears were clear.

A high-ranking elf? Under the effects of the Blood Moon, her relics resonated with the Ocean Songster Beyonder characteristic I have, resulting in it influencing my dream? As Alger guessed, he wondered which item it would be.

Due to his limited standing, the number of Sealed Artifacts and mystical items he knew were limited. However, he knew certain knowledge that others didn’t know, so he quickly thought of a possible target.

Calamity Cohinem?

The Book of Calamity “She” left behind has likely been sent to Pasu Island…

After making the report and departing, I’ll seek Mr. Fool’s advice and see if there will be any unexpected influences regarding this matter…

Alger didn’t dare recite The Fool’s honorific name in the Church of Storms’s headquarters.

After daybreak, he didn’t show any signs of abnormality. Under the servant’s lead, he entered a room with a long table, and he was questioned by three Mandated Punisher deacons.

Among these three deacons, only one of them possessed dark blue hair. This was because this wasn’t a necessary change that would happen from consuming the Sailor pathway potion. However, this trait would quite stubbornly be passed down, just like the elves. Many of them with black hair would end up with blue hair. Nowadays, mixed-bloods with elvish blood mostly had blue hair.

Alger sat at the end of the long table as he systematically answered the deacons’ questions. He mentioned what he had done at sea, what he had planned to do, and what he had succeeded, as well as his failures.

And this would be compared to the description from his crew to prevent anyone from lying.

Towards the end of his report, the deacon with dark blue hair glanced at Alger. He asked with a hoarse voice, “Do you know Admiral of Stars Cattleya?”

Not only do I know her… Alger was nearly taken aback as he answered after some thought, “I met her at the pirate convention.”

The deacon didn’t harp on the question as he directly said, “Think of means to get to know her. Try to investigate Gehrman Sparrow’s situation from her.”

So that’s how it is… It’s because Gehrman hunted Admiral of Blood? Alger deliberately asked, feigning his ignorance, “What did Gehrman Sparrow do again?”

The dark blue-haired deacon said in a peeved manner, “He nearly destroyed Bayam! Alright, this isn’t something you should know. In summary, remember. Gehrman Sparrow is a very dangerous person. There’s a secret cult backing him. That organization has a demigod that’s at odds with the Rose School of Thought!”

Nearly destroyed Bayam? A demigod in the organization? At odds with the Rose School of Thought? Alger deliberately didn’t hide his shock.

He originally imagined that a focus was placed on Gehrman because of his hunting of Admiral of Blood Senor, but who knew that the reason was far more complicated and ludicrous than he had imagined!

What did Gehrman Sparrow do? When I pass by Bayam, I should find the actual spot to take a look… Also, isn’t our Tarot Club’s archenemy the Aurora Order? Isn’t Mr. Fool always targeting the True Creator? Why did it change, no—why is there the additional Rose School of Thought? Alger muttered to himself inwardly.

As for the Tarot Club having a demigod, he wasn’t surprised. He even found it logical. How could an ancient existence not have a demigod under “Him?”

Besides, back when Vice Admiral Hurricane Qilangos died silently in a strange manner, he was already convinced that Mr. Fool had a High-Sequence Blessed!

Thankfully, my meeting with Gehrman was very secretive; otherwise, things would be troublesome… Alger listened in silence without asking any questions. Like before, he accepted the missions and got up to leave the room.

…

Backlund’s North Borough, outside 160 Böklund Street. Servants stood in two rows to welcome their master’s arrival.

With white hair at his temples and deep blue eyes, Dwayne Dantès wore a tailcoat and a top hat with an inlaid gold cane. Together with Butler Walter and Valet Richardson, he walked in between his servants and arrived at the entrance of the three-story building.

Waiting there was Housekeeper Taneja who he had long selected.

She was in her early forties, and her hair was tied neatly. She had ordinary looks but wore an experienced demeanor. She wore gold-rimmed glasses and a black-and-white dress which was different from the other maidservants.

From the information received and the interview, Klein knew that this lady was born in East Borough. She was a believer of the Evernight Goddess, and she had chosen to be trained by a charitable organization by the Church at the age of fifteen, making her become a qualified maidservant.

After more than ten years of hard work, as well as the free lessons from the night schools, she was promoted from the lowest-ranking maidservant in a tycoon’s household to a lady’s maid. She later followed the tycoon’s daughter when she got married, and she became a housekeeper until the family met with a financial crisis, forcing her to leave. She was extremely experienced when it came to managing a household.

After this lady signed the contract, she received 1,000 pounds from Dwayne Dantès as petty cash for the month before entering an argument with Butler Walter on whether they should purchase or rent a carriage.

From her point of view, since Mr. Dantès’s goal was to enter high society and move into West Borough, or even Empress Borough, a carriage needed to be custom made to not appear inadequate. Before that, they could rent a high-end carriage for a year and wait until there was hope of him becoming a noble before they had one custom made. It was a more reasonable choice that didn’t waste money or appear inadequate.

She convinced Walter, and of course Klein. This was because renting a high-end carriage with the horse costs only 88 pounds, and a two-wheeled carriage costs only 42 pounds.

Of course, someone who controls the household’s expenditures needs to be someone who’s good at accounting… Klein felt poignant as he smiled at Taneja before stepping through the three-story house’s door.

This was the stage for which the tycoon, Dwayne Dantès, would be acting on.