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Chapter 19 - The Sun 

A tide of illusory murmurs in a tone of pure faith invaded Klein's mind, leaving him confused. 

There was no pain in hearing these murmurs.

 Turning his gaze, he noticed that a crimson star in a sea of thousands of others began to pulse with a deep glow. 

In front of him, there was a vision that seemed to be reflected in something that resembled a floating mirror made of gray mist. 

It showed a very tall young man. He had wavy yellowish-brown hair. His brown eyes seemed filled with pure sincerity.

 Your attire certainly doesn't belong in the Northern Continent nor anywhere in the Southern Continent or even the colonies...

 — I beg for Your eternal blessings.

— I beg You to look upon...

— Open the doors of Your kingdom hidden in secrets...

 Uh… Wait, doesn't that sound like a prayer? From what I remember, that's how they pray to the Goddess… Is that Jottun? Ancient Jottun? How can I understand this?

Who is this boy? His clothes don't look like they're from anywhere... Where does he come from? He also mentioned in the prayer "a land fallen into chaos and darkness."... What kind of place would that be?

And why am I hearing this? Gray mist... This prayer points to a Being above the gray mist! Currently, it seems to point directly at me... But it has to do with time and something else... From the looks of it, isn't he a Beyonder? I don't know... It's like Miss Justice, she didn't have the same spirituality as the other members...

It's okay to bring him here, if he tries to do anything, I can kick him out or throw the dangerous book from the trash pile at him.

...

Derrick sighed, when he raised his head again, he saw a crimson glow explode around him.

A sea of mist spread in all directions, leaving him utterly horrified and paralyzed in the same position he was in.

He was in a palace covered in a hazy fog with a colossal dome that covered everything above his head while being supported by foggy stone pillars, it was as if he had come out of one of the ancient tales from before the Dark Age, when the Creator had not left them.

In front of him was a long bronze table and in the seat of honor, was a Being covered in a black robe with a symbol of a pupilless eye with partially distorted lines, His black hair appeared as well as His face covered in a thick gray fog.

He was sitting calmly as he watched him.

Derrick widened his eyes in confusion. Hope sprouted in his heart. He finally found his voice, which came out in a weak, puzzled tone:

— You... You're God?

That Being laughed.

— I'm not God, i am The Fool who is interested in the long history of everything that exists.

The Fool… — Derrick sighed internally before remembering a statement he'd read in one of the City of Silver books:

— Don't look directly at God!

He immediately lowered his head, looking at his own boots.

History… — Derrick remembered part of the honorific name he'd said before entering the gray mist.

It pointed to Him! A Being above the gray mist who was bound to time and reality!

— I don't care if it's not God. I hope at least the sunlight shines as described in the books. Besides, I want the City of Silver to be able to see the endless sea and for us to be free from our curse. — Derrick spoke with difficulty, but he was still firm.

City of Silver? Hey, isn't this a lot like the Kingdom of Silver? And that description is exactly what I saw in that vision! Furthermore… It looks so much like the place I saw in my dreams… If I had never managed to steal that silver-haired man's information, I would have thought that the City of Silver was from another world… God… Is it The Creator of All That Exists? God Alm… No, I can't put it that way. Does this kid come from the fallen Kingdom of Silver? Furthermore, does he think I'm this Mystery? I'm no Mystery, much less a walking wishing well. — Klein sneered in his heart, but his expression remained calm and mysterious.

The Fool just kept looking at him imposingly.

— Why should I help you?

Derrick froze. He thought of something and said:

— I can offer you my soul and my blood.

He laughed.

— I am not interested in the soul or blood of a mortal. But as I said, I am The Fool who is interested in all history, so what I ask is that you tell the story of your City of Silver, everything you know even if I know it.

Derrick began to describe:

— Okay, I will tell everything faithfully.

— The City of Silver has existed since The Creator who created everything, Omniscient and Omnipotent, abandoned us at the beginning of the Dark Ages. Before that, we were the Silver Kingdom.

Omniscient and Omnipotent Creator of the Kingdom of Silver? It sounds a lot like the description I got from stealing information from that strange man... 

Derrick told about how the days of the Dark Age began, how plants didn't grow in the first decades, the darkness that covered everything that existed, and the thousands of years afterward when the City of Silver resisted in the Dark Age for 2582 years.

He also mentioned all the Sequences up to 4 of the Warrior Pathway, explained the current structure of the City of Silver, and the ancient era when the Kingdom of Silver was ruled by a Giant King.

— I want to become the Sun so that we can see the heavens again... So that the City of Silver can be freed. — Derrick spoke with pain in his tone.

Doesn't this seem to have a connection with the Calamity of the Third Epoch? In the "Midnight Revelations," it is said that the Goddess and the other gods descended together with the Lord of Storms, the Eternal Burning Sun, and the God of Knowledge and Wisdom to guide humanity… — Klein recalled one of the old memories he had buried deep in his mind:

"The world was painted in chaos, in those days the heavens and the earth were covered by a long veil of calamity as the tides broke in deep disorder."

The "Midnight Revelations" and the "Book of Storms" also mentioned an Omniscient and Omnipotent God, The Creator of all that exists as well as a few other two ancient deities.

When The Creator fell into a deep sleep, the gods were born.

So that clock comes from the Dark Ages of the City of Silver… No wonder it's so strange. — he thought to himself.

— The calamity that has befallen the Kingdom of Silver has been cruel. I hope that you will grow stronger so that you can find some light in the heavens. — The Fool spoke in a mysterious tone.

Derrick seemed relieved, almost with a feeling of nervousness spreading through his heart.

He saw tarot cards appearing in his vision all at once with some missing, they were: The Fool, Justice, Chariot, Hanged Man, Strength and The World.

Klein knew that Derrick probably knew about the existence of tarot cards since they had existed since some time before the Fourth Epoch.

The Fool leaned back in His seat of honor.

— Choose one of these to become your codename. This choice will follow you for the rest of your life.

Derrick announced without hesitation:

— The Sun. I choose the Sun.

...

After some time writing down what he had discovered, Klein also remembered a strange phrase that he had managed to steal from the strange man.

 Giant King's Court.

This must refer to some place held by the former ruler of the fallen Kingdom of Silver that the young Sun mentioned... Where could the Giant King's Court be?

Klein pensively wrote down the next line.

"Bard Pathway: Sequence 9."

"Formula..."

"Sequence 5: Priest of Light..."

"Monster Pathway: Sequence 9..."

"Sequence 8, Robot."

"Sequence 7..."

"Sequence 6..."

"Sequence..."

"Sequence 3, Chaoswalker..."

"Warrior Pathway..."

"Secrets Supplicant..."

"Angel of Fate."

"Who did the prayer that the Sun recited point to in the past? Was it a deity? Does it have a connection to the City of Silver? The young Sun mentioned that he came from an ancient city that worshiped a deity connected to the gray mist... It certainly has a connection to this space of mist."

"Almighty God, however I feel like I shouldn't call him that so I'll just refer to Him as The Creator or the Omniscient and Omnipotent God... Why does it always feel like something's wrong when I think of it? I think he might be The Creator of the City of Silver."

"Snake of Mercury or Snake of Destiny... What is a Snake of Mercury?"

"Where exactly is the City of Silver? Could it be the Forsaken Land of the Gods that Roselle described in her diaries?"

"I saw the architecture of the City of Silver in my dreams... How did this happen? Why did I dream of the City of Silver? The corruption that had affected me was so terrifying that it was not only connected to the delusions of the Hornacis Mountain Range, but also to the City of Silver! Could this be because of the former owner of this space above the mist?"

"Why did The Creator abandon them? Is this really connected to the Calamity of the Third Epoch?"

"Who was the strange man with wings in those visions? Was he an Angel? What is an Angel?"

...

Klein looked at the huge Khoy University, and couldn't help but remember that it wasn't for nothing that they called it one of the largest universities in Awwa.

He quickly noticed two figures who were talking, sitting on a wooden bench, Azik and Cohen.

From the memories of the original Klein, he clearly remembered Cohen, the associate professor and his mentor.

He was an elderly man with gray hair. His intense blue eyes were deeply sunken into his face and he had few wrinkles. The man was wearing a black tuxedo.

 He had some documents in one hand with symbols and notes all over the paper.

— Klein, are you here to pick up a book? — Azik noticed him approaching. He gave a calm look with his golden eyes at the vicissitudes of life.

— Good morning, Mentor. Mr. Azik. Yes, I was just going to read it quickly before I went back. — Klein nodded politely — What are you doing here? 

Cohen smiled enthusiastically:

— We were discussing Emperor Roselle again. As you know, he truly left his mark on the world with his inventions, however, his deeds were what caused his death in the end. He was assassinated by the combined forces of the Church of the Eternal Burning Sun, the former Intis royal family, the Sauron family, and other aristocrats, and yet his deeds are indisputable. If Emperor Roselle had followed a different path and not become the "Son of Steam" and later the Emperor, would the world have been able to reach the Age of Steam and Machinery? 

Klein finally glanced at the "symbols" that were on Mr. Cohen's papers. 

"February 1st. I regret choosing the Pathway I'm on... Haha, I made a mistake in becoming a Savant. However, it terrifies me to think that when I was inexperienced and foolish, I could have chosen to be a Marauder, Apprentice, or a Seer."

Notes:Chapter 20 - Rays without light

Klein's face almost froze at the same moment.

Forcing himself to continue with a polite smile on his face, his thoughts were thrown into chaos.

What does he mean? What made Emperor Roselle's opinion change so drastically? Is there something wrong with these three Pathways? Does it have to do with the warnings of that member of the Zaratul family?

He had been alive for over 200 years... What did he discover about these three paths... Does it still have an influence even after hundreds of years? Could I be affected by it? Or maybe I already was and didn't even realize it...

Couldn't the Emperor have written down what he discovered?! — Klein felt an overwhelming urge to grab Roselle by the shoulders and shake him until he said everything perfectly explained without leaving out a single detail.

There might be more information in his diaries... How could I get the pages of the Emperor's diary? From the Tarot Club? — Klein had an idea.

He could ask this question as The Fool.

 Not wanting to interfere any further in Mr. Azik and Mr. Cohen's conversation, he said goodbye after a brief conversation and left towards the Midnight Church with a few thoughts in mind.

There really was nothing he could do about belonging to the Seer Pathway, and apparently there was still nothing wrong with him, and even if there was, he had no options, so he could only continue being a Seer and perhaps at some point a Sequence 8, Clown.

He could figure out how to advance once he knew exactly what Emperor Roselle's words about digesting meant, and for now he would act as a Seer even if he didn't know exactly how to do it. A Divination Club would be the best option, and perhaps even at normal times.

As soon as he stepped out of the carriage, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.

He was sure that someone had been watching him since he was at Khoy University!

This… — Klein's heart began to pound heavily in his chest.

 In his mind, a thin and slender silhouette appeared, calmly observing him with cold eyes amidst the trees, piercing into his soul.

This person has been following me for some time now... He's been monitoring me... What should I do? Should I go to the cathedral? — he narrowed his eyes, his perception continually warning him of that gaze on his back.

Klein began to imagine several possibilities at once as guesses bubbled in his mind, but he pushed them away as he approached the cathedral with the pointed roof.

That Sequence 5 member suspected of being from the Secret Order died, so why would they send someone else? Could it be another Sequence 5? No, no. They must not value the notebook that much and if they did, I would have disappeared as soon as I got home. — he thought internally as he entered the Cathedral of Saint Selena.

The best thing to do was to inform the Nighthawks!

With the windows in shades of the darkest blue and the crimson of the moon above the sky, he did not look back as he walked to the prayer hall.

The gaze that had previously been fixed on him was gone.

In several seats there were some believers with their eyes closed, they prayed in unison with the calm of the night covering the place along with the voice of the bishop:

— Without clothes and food, they have no cover in the cold.

— They are soaked by the rains and huddled on the rocks for lack of shelter.

 — They are orphans torn from their breasts, hope lost in them...

Klein went straight to the back of the cathedral where there was a serene darkness everywhere, the sensation of the starry sky covering everyone.

There was a middle-aged woman standing near the gates that led directly to the underground, reading a blue-covered book as she seemed to be walking back to the confessional.

She had some gray hair showing at the dark roots and wore a dark robe.

— Madam, there is someone following me. I want to see Dunn Smith. — He showed the badge Rosanne had given him the day before.

— The first door after three corridors on the left. — She spoke calmly. Her light brown eyes seemed like a silent sea.

— May the Goddess bless you. — Klein gestured the sign of the crimson moon on his chest.

— Praise be to the Lady. — She also drew the crimson moon.

 Klein passed through the hidden gates and went down underground, hoping he wouldn't find anything strange along the way.

When he finally arrived, he began explaining what had happened:

— Someone followed me from Khoy University to here, but they didn't enter the cathedral.

Dunn looked at Klein without seeming the least bit surprised.

— Maybe it's some private detective. Welch's family must have their doubts about you or the results of the investigation into the notebook. It could be someone from another organization looking for this artifact. Did you see his appearance? — he asked simply.

Klein remembered the image he saw in his mind, there wasn't much to say when the man was in the shadows.

— Not exactly, he was tall and thin. Probably with dark hair. — he described without much confidence.

— There's nothing to worry about. Practice your aim with the gun and do whatever you want later. — Dunn Smith spoke calmly.

— Whatever I want? — Klein asked in confusion.

— Whatever you want. — The captain declared again. — Sure, just don't scare them or break the law. Oh, and don't try to guess at them to say weird things and traumatize them. Also, don't perform any rituals on them either.

Captain, what kind of opinion do you have of me? — Klein thought in surprise.

Even if he had information about some rituals in his mind, that's not why he would end up doing any. Besides, they were just basic rituals and others that were more complicated. Besides, even the original Klein always had this information and never performed any rituals.

Still, Dunn Smith was half right. It would be completely terrifying if suddenly someone was investigating another person normally, a Seer, and the same knew basically several things about the detective's life, as well as extremely personal things and maybe even about the future.

Possibly this detective could even develop mental problems if he felt persecuted and would reach a point where he wouldn't trust anyone anymore, at some point, maybe he would end up in an asylum.

 Thinking about it, a Beyonder chasing a normal person must be horrifying… — Klein mused inwardly, but pushed those thoughts aside.

There was something strange about the person chasing him.

Why did he avoid entering the cathedral? If he was just a private detective, he would have gone in… Could it be that he was afraid of a strong Beyonder?

In that case, there's little chance that he's a detective…

...

After training his aim a bit, which seemed strangely too good, Klein ended up signing up at the Fortune-telling Club on Howes Street and buying some ingredients. After that, he calmly walked home under a crimson moon, feeling the sensation of being watched disappearing without a trace.

As soon as he opened the door, he found a man with short, receding hair who looked to be at least thirty years old.

— Good evening, Klein. How was the job interview?

— Terrible. — Klein replied with an expressionless face.

Before the stunned Benson could say anything, he continued:

— I didn't even go to the interview. But I got a job at a relic company that pays five pounds.

Benson's face calmed down and he said:

— It's like watching a child grow up... Well, the job is good.

Klein ended up calmly preparing dinner while chatting with Benson and Melissa.

When dinner was ready, they served themselves.

 — Sometimes it seems like Mr. Franky has some kind of power. As soon as we enter the bathroom to use water, he appears, as if he had thought exactly how much each drop costs. — Melissa added another insult.

— We're not even sure if Mr. Franky really thinks. — Klein retorted with his vast experience.

Benson started to laugh.

— Good! That was very good! — he caught his breath — If they replaced him with a stone, we probably wouldn't notice.

— No, no. Stones are not noisy.

They talked until the end of dinner and returned to their rooms.

When Klein lay down, he entered a world of flashy and meaningless dreams.

Where... — Klein opened his eyes, finding himself in a place completely different from anything in the Fifth Epoch.

Before his vision, a sky stretched out entirely covered in the darkness of night that didn't even show a single star amid silvery rays that tore through the ground frequently, giving a little light to that vast valley below the cliff.

 I don't remember lightning striking so many times... And why is everything so dark all of a sudden? What a strange dream... — he looked down from the cliff where he was, in that place there was an endless void. It looked like a ravine, the deepest he had ever seen.

A pure and strange light came out of that crack, but sometimes it would disappear and appear again, as if it were pulsating. 

In a place behind him, there seemed to be a different sky, covered in an eternal twilight glow that gave off the feeling of antiquity beneath an era of ruins. 

Every now and then, he could hear some low murmurs and roars coming from the darkness. They seemed to be going further away. 

— At least there's some light in this place… I wonder when I'll be able to have a normal night's sleep. Technically, I'm awake, right? I can still "see" the darkness from when I closed my eyes, but at the same time I see this place… — Klein sat on the edge of the abyss, and suddenly a thought came to his mind. 

Could he summon The World here? 

According to his thoughts, The World appeared sitting beside him calmly with black threads that went to infinity, however, he could see just like The World, it was like a second vision. 

 After a few seconds, he summoned a lantern so that he wouldn't be completely in the dark.

— I have the same feeling of splitting my consciousness when I control The World… — Klein felt dazed. For some baffling reason, this didn't seem entirely strange and bizarre to him.

— Hey, could this be a sign of losing control? — The World wondered in confusion. He moved his arms stiffly until he finally looked like a normal human being.

— No. Otherwise I would have become more prone to delusions or something like that. — Klein answered simply.

The World nodded slightly.

— That makes sense, so what is this? Where did this dream take me this time? — He put his hand to his face, almost giving a loud deprecating laugh.

— A place covered in darkness with lightning falling down on the world… — Klein described the surroundings perfectly.

Suddenly, both Klein and The World began to look at each other, deep disbelief on their faces.

— Forsaken Land of the Gods. — they said in unison. 

Klein touched the glowing lantern, but soon pulled his hand away. 

— There's no reason for me to dream about this, so it could only be some external influence like the gray mist or the Antigonus family's notebook… Or it could be me too. Is there something else I came into contact with during my transmigration? — His tone began to deepen with each word. 

— No, the notebook, the gray mist… Or I don't remember… Yes, it's possible. However, this could be something from the Seer pathway, something that happens because of an unknown reason... It could be a mystery about the Forsaken Land of the Gods. Or it has nothing to do with anything at all. — The World sighed, casting his gaze up at the dark skies. — I'll ponder this another time. I must think about other things. Why did The Creator of the City of Silver abandon them in the first place? What happened to make Him do this? Where is He currently? 

 — From the description of the young Sun, He simply disappeared… There are no records of Him among the normal Nighthawks or in the beliefs of secret organizations, not that I know of. — Klein mused even more confusedly.

— Apparently, there were more ancient gods even before the historical records… — The World spoke thoughtfully, silently observing his surroundings.

There was no crimson moon to illuminate the ruined land, only those furious thunders falling.

— Speaking of which, why did that strange man...

Klein suddenly froze in place, just like The World. It seemed like he had simply stopped in time.

In front of his desk, there was a thin figure silently searching for something.

Notes: