Lord of Mysteries: Starting As A Reader

"Name: Unstoppable Fear

—Whether it's directed at enemies or oneself.

Appearance: A pair of crystal glasses with a metal frame.

Function:

The wearer of these glasses gains a convincing charisma and sufficient authority, capable of detecting abnormal factors within a certain range and identifying subtle traces.

When close enough, it can sense unshielded things related to evil, chaos, or madness.

Pressing the button on the right side of the frame releases a 'Whip of Pain,' causing extreme and uncontrollable mental agony to the target reflected in the wearer's pupils.

Pressing the button on the left side of the frame unleashes a 'Psychic Piercing' that strikes the target's spirit body, directly attacking their mind.

Negative Effects:

The wearer will develop an irrational fear of toxins and violent explosions. This fear grows more severe the longer the glasses are worn.

If worn for over half an hour, even the sound of a popping balloon or the faint smell of gas will render the wearer paralyzed by fear, leaving them trembling and unable to act.

If the glasses are simply worn, the above effects will gradually fade after removal. However, if the wearer uses the 'Psychic Piercing' or 'Whip of Pain' abilities, the fear persists even after removal and requires supplemental psychological treatment or 'Fear Immunity' to recover.

Usage: Apply the 'Fear Immunity' ability of a Sun Priest to oneself while wearing the glasses to mitigate the negative effects.

Sealing Method: Place the glasses in a metal container and seal it with spirituality."

Sitting at his desk, Ebner fiddled with the pair of glasses in his hands while listening to Helene, who was seated on the sofa opposite, deliver her report.

It was already Wednesday afternoon, with less than six hours until the Beyonder gathering at the Amyris Leaf Bar that evening. Meanwhile, the puppet "Sea Serpent" Welf, whom Ebner had fostered, had also delivered the latest updates.

Welf, being quite clever, ensured that the connection between him and Ebner wasn't exposed. He sent every invited faction a list of items likely to appear at the gathering. However, the version sent to Ebner included an additional document written in cipher.

The cipher had been agreed upon by Welf and Helene during his last visit. Having previously helped Vice Admiral Ailment Tracy with similar work on the Black Death, Helene was quite familiar with it.

"Welf reported that there might be three kinds of troublemakers at tonight's gathering.

"First are the uninvited pirates or adventurers who happen to stumble upon the event. They might cause disruptions due to their unwillingness to follow the gathering's rules or simply to test the waters. Welf mentioned he's already made arrangements to handle such individuals.

"Second are agitators sent by competitors. These people often present challenges to the organizers, aiming to undermine the gathering's reputation. Welf isn't entirely confident he can resolve such situations.

"Third, and the most unpredictable, are those who lost to Welf in the past and have returned seeking revenge. If they come back, they'll surely have backing, possibly bringing dangerous items or dangerous people with them."

After finishing her explanation, Helene placed the translated document onto Ebner's desk.

Without picking up the document, Ebner tapped the edge of his desk lightly with his finger in a manner reminiscent of the Fool. He then said, "I'll personally handle the latter two categories of troublemakers. Write a coded message for Welf's courier, telling him not to worry."

"Yes, sir." Helene nodded and wrote a reply in cipher on the spot before leaving the office to deliver it to the courier waiting in the first-floor drawing room.

At this moment, Ebner's newly hired butler in Bayam, Winter, knocked and entered the room. Bowing respectfully, he reported, "Sir, a gentleman named Leonard Mitchell has come to visit. He claims to be here on behalf of your friend, Crestet Cesimir, to convey his greetings."

Leonard? Why is he visiting me? And on behalf of Cesimir? Are Cesimir and I even close enough for that?

Ebner mentally grumbled but quickly guessed the reason behind Cesimir sending Leonard.

So they're a little suspicious of me now… Fair enough. After all, the appearance locations of the "Hero Detective" and "Doctor Strange" have overlapped nearly every time. Even if it's only twice, it's enough to warrant some investigation.

While pondering, Ebner smiled faintly and nodded.

"Cesimir is indeed a friend of mine… Hmm, it's about time for afternoon tea. Let's start a bit early."

"Understood, sir. I'll escort Mr. Leonard to the second-floor lounge," Winter replied, easily understanding his employer's intentions.

Ebner gave a slight nod and didn't say much more. After Winter went downstairs to make arrangements, he changed into a slightly more formal outfit and leisurely descended to the living room.

Leonard, with his black hair and green eyes, dressed in action-ready slim-fit trousers and a black trench coat, exuded a distinct poetic romanticism. He was originally sitting on the sofa in the living room, seemingly lost in thought. Noticing Ebner enter, he quickly came to his senses, stood up, and greeted him:

"You must be the 'Hero Detective' Mr. Ebner Bryan. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Leonard, an assistant to Deacon Cesimir."

"Welcome, Mr. Mitchell." Ebner warmly shook hands with the future "Star" Leonard, and they began enjoying afternoon tea together while engaging in the customary polite exchange of compliments.

After breaking the ice with casual discussions about local customs and culture, Ebner found an opportunity to praise Leonard's poetic demeanor and, in an expectant tone, asked him to compose a few impromptu verses.

Leonard, however, was so embarrassed that he wished he could dig a hole and bury himself in it. He had no idea why Cesimir had sent him to visit Ebner, and they had no prior rapport. The conversation was already awkward, and now being asked to compose poetry only made it worse.

As much as Leonard admired the desserts at the Fragrance Manor, he quickly used official duties as an excuse to take his leave.

After the butler personally escorted Leonard out of the manor gates, Ebner's previously earnest expression gave way to a faint smirk.

Returning from her earlier errand, Helene noticed this subtle change and involuntarily shivered. She couldn't help but wonder who her employer was scheming against now. After all, Ebner had worn a similar expression when he had strong-armed her into his service and later when recruiting Welf.

.....

Elsewhere, Leonard, who had just boarded a carriage and was preparing to send a telegram to Deacon Cesimir at the Winter County Cathedral, suddenly heard an aged voice in his mind:

"This 'Hero Detective' reminds me of an acquaintance from the Solomon era..."

"You mean... the 'Hero Detective' is some ancient monster from the Fourth Epoch pretending to be human?!" Leonard was startled and instinctively ducked his head, lowering his voice as he asked.

"I only said he reminds me of an acquaintance. I didn't say he is that acquaintance..." replied the aged voice, belonging to Pales Zoroast, in a tone tinged with exasperation.

"Phew… Old man, you nearly scared me to death..." Leonard let out a sigh of relief and returned to his usual slightly languid posture.

"Still, he might have some connection to my acquaintance. His demeanor bears a fifty-to-sixty percent resemblance, and his way of speaking—aside from differences in language—shares a seventy-to-eighty percent similarity.

"What's more intriguing is that I couldn't steal anything from him except external objects. That's the same feeling my acquaintance gave me..." As Pales Zoroast spoke, his tone seemed to drift into reminiscing, perhaps recalling memories that weren't particularly pleasant.

"External objects aside, what else could be stolen?" Leonard asked in confusion.

"Many things… like memories, abilities, or even… fate," Pales Zoroast sighed and continued, "He might have inherited something from my acquaintance, which is why he possesses such characteristics."

Leonard took a deep breath, barely stopping himself from blurting out, "You can steal fate?" After a moment of thought, his curiosity got the better of him, and he asked, "Old man, what was your acquaintance's name? Maybe I can help investigate if this 'Hero Detective' has any connection to him."

"His name was Rhine Carneldia, a duke of the Blood Clan."

(End of Chapter)