Lord of Mysteries: Starting As A Reader

In the blurry vision, Klein saw Mr. Tower seated in a small space, cradling a silver bottle in both hands and murmuring a prayer:

"The Fool that doesn't belong to this era;

The Mysterious Ruler above the Gray Fog;

The King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck;

I pray for Your gaze;

I pray for Your attention;

Today, at the pirate conference on Tuin Island in the Sonia Sea, a duel occurred…

…I ask that You reveal the origin of this item…"

Listening to Mr. Tower's plea, Klein furrowed his brows, refraining from immediately approving the "sacrifice" as he pondered:

Mr. Tower's attending a pirate conference? And there was a duel between mid-sequence Beyonders… with a demigod's direct intervention? How is this linked to divining the item? Perhaps he's evaluating potential dangers, sensing something suspicious?

With that, Klein held his topaz pendant vertically and repeated an incantation:

"The item Mr. Tower intends to sacrifice holds danger for me."

After seven repetitions, he opened his eyes, receiving a negative response.

With his doubt eased, he promptly summoned the "door of summoning" to accept Mr. Tower's sacrifice.

After all, Mr. Tower had submitted three pages of Roselle's diary during the last Tarot Meeting, opting to accumulate contributions, and as The Fool, Klein felt obligated to uphold the principle of equivalent exchange.

Soon, a silver bottle with a roughly crafted design appeared in Klein's hands. He scrutinized it for a moment before attempting to divine its abilities.

"The effects of the liquid in this bottle rely entirely on luck… Doesn't seem ideal for a 'King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck' like me…"

After seeing some bizarre effects within the "dreamscape," Klein muttered, then moved on to Mr. Tower's request. He conjured paper and pen, writing the divination statement:

"The origin of the silver bottle in my hand."

After seven repetitions, he leaned back with the sheepskin parchment and bottle in hand, entering a dreamlike state.

In the gray and hazy world, he saw a gigantic spider being hunted and killed by several half-giants, each towering over two meters. The half-giants carefully stored the spider's eyes and other parts, while its mouth glands were cut out and handed to an elderly man accompanying them.

The scene shifted to a steampunk-inspired workshop, where the old man used the spider's glands and other Beyonder materials to forge a silver bottle, though his expression was less than pleased, even slightly disappointed.

The scene changed again to an abandoned dock hosting a black-market auction, where the old man, as the auctioneer, sold the silver bottle to an even taller half-giant.

In the antechamber of a church bearing the symbol of the God of Combat, the half-giant handed the bottle to a young man standing just over six feet, giving him a firm pat on the shoulder and saying something.

The young man soon took the bottle and set sail, quickly gathering a fleet and making a name for himself… refusing Admiral Hurricane's recruitment… and ultimately perishing beneath the sword of Admiral Pale…

The dreamscape faded as the scene reached this point, and Klein awoke.

That massive spider was certainly a Beyonder creature, though unfamiliar to me… Its primary eye might be a potion ingredient, hence why the half-giants valued it…

Meanwhile, the glands from its mouth probably held relative rarity as an extraordinary material, leading the craftsman to fashion it into a Beyonder item…

Judging by the craftsman's expression, this bottle was a failed product… even unwanted by the hunters, so it was auctioned off.

And the young man who took it to sea is likely the one involved in the recent duel at the pirate conference, "The Bonebreaker" Darvak... Ha, had Mr. Tower not briefed me on the duel's backstory, I might not have glimpsed that part.

As for the half-giant who bought the bottle and later gave it to Darvak, his attire suggested he was a senior deacon of the Church of the God of Combat...

Although there was no sound, a rough interpretation of his lip movements hinted he called Darvak "son"!

So Darvak is actually a "pirate" endorsed by the Church of the God of Combat? His behavior certainly doesn't reflect that…

Or does the Church of the God of Combat encourage unbridled slaughter?

At this point, Klein's impression of the Church of the God of Combat plummeted further, especially after recalling Mr. Tower's recount of Darvak killing numerous innocents to complete a demon-summoning ritual.

It was only one side of the story, but Klein trusted Mr. Tower's words, and as a devoted follower of the Goddess, hostility toward the War God was only natural.

"But since this bottle was given to Darvak by a senior deacon, possessing it will likely draw attention… Which is probably why Mr. Tower asked me to divine its origin."

Muttering to himself, Klein promptly transferred the scenes from his divination to the crimson star symbolizing Mr. Tower, then signaled him to perform the "Receiving Grace" ritual.

---

In a cabin aboard the Aarenheim, Ebner received a response from The Fool and conducted the ritual to retrieve the silver bottle.

Replaying the images shown to him, Ebner mused:

"I see… Agalito must've known about Darvak's background, which is why he either 'manipulated' or 'controlled' him to send him to his death…

"So, his leverage against the King of the Five Seas lies with that senior deacon of the God of Combat?

"This fits perfectly with my earlier speculations…"

After his conversation with Vice Admiral Iceberg, Ebner deduced that since Agalito hadn't abandoned the attack despite Nast's evident favoring of Admiral Pale, there had to be an unknown power backing him.

To gain deeper insight into his opponent, Ebner had carefully considered all potential demigod-level entities who might intervene, ultimately directing his attention toward the silver bottle.

Though occasionally risky, the bottle was powerful; if Darvak had stolen it, the news would have leaked out.

But no one seemed aware of it before Mr. Gaston's "appraisal," leading Ebner to conclude that Darvak highly valued it and rarely used it.

Most likely, this stemmed from his background!

With that hunch in mind, Ebner had borrowed the bottle from Terrance, seeking The Fool's insight into its origins.

"Praise the Fool," Ebner whispered with a smirk before using "meditation" to reenter his "Learning Space" and perform the "Polymath Exchange" to knock on Edwina's "door" through shared "knowledge."

This technique required two polymaths to be within 500 meters of each other. Fortunately, the Golden Dream wasn't docked far.

"What is it?" Edwina asked coolly when Ebner entered her domain. "I'm making the final preparations."

"Just a bit of intel." Ebner dove right in, sharing his deductions from the divination vision.

Edwina listened carefully, nodding once he finished. "So, a senior deacon of the God of Combat… In that case…"

She walked to an orange display case, retrieving a star before conjuring a few portraits and offering them to Ebner. "These are the God of Combat Church's senior deacons and archbishops I'm aware of. Let's see if the one you mentioned is among them."

Impressive… I should consider organizing my "space" like this…

After examining the portraits closely, Ebner pointed to a bald, broad-shouldered man on the far right. "It's him."

"That's Nyango Ezima Panin, a senior deacon contracted with a holy artifact. He oversees the Fusac colony… Although, there are rumors he's recently advanced to a demigod." Edwina explained.

"Should we inform Count Nast in advance?" Ebner considered before proposing.

"I'll dispatch a messenger… Though we don't have time for a divination ritual, my intuition says it will bring about some favorable changes," she replied, a hint of joy in her pale blue eyes.

Pleased by her approval of his suggestion, Ebner bid her farewell, promptly leaving the "Learning Space" to release the spiritual seal on his quarters.

His first order of business was to locate Mr. Gaston, whom he discreetly warned about the potential dangers ahead. He didn't delve into specifics, but Mr. Gaston's experience was more than sufficient to draw some conclusions.

Trusting Ebner's assessment after their shared experience in the Dream Labyrinth Tower, Mr. Gaston didn't hesitate. He immediately directed Miss Gwyn to sail away from the island without delay.

During this time, Ebner returned the silver bottle to Terrance, advising him that it might be connected to a demigod and to use it sparingly.

Terrance, now visibly anxious, looked as though he'd toss the bottle into the sea if not for its price.

Oddly enough, Lydia appeared unbothered, suggesting she had ample ways to block the War God senior deacon's "divination."

Fair enough—since the Warrior pathway isn't particularly skilled in divination, it's not much of a worry.

---

Ignoring Terrance and Lydia's private concerns, Ebner returned to his cabin once the Aarenheim set sail, using his spiritual power to seal the room once more. He had one last task: changing into his "Doctor Strange" attire.

Unfortunately, he hadn't anticipated needing the disguise for the pirate conference, so he hadn't brought his outfit… Meaning he'd have to…

---

In Backlund, Xio woke abruptly, sensing a spiritual disturbance. Before her, within the endless gray fog, Ebner appeared in a prayerful stance, reciting:

"The Fool that doesn't belong to this era;

The Mysterious Ruler above the Gray Fog;

The King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck;

I pray that You inform Ms. Judgment to help me acquire a set of attire as soon as possible…"

"Here are the requirements for the outfit…"