Lord of Mysteries: Starting As A Reader

"Why was the Tamara family divided?"

Xio pondered for a moment, piecing together fragments of information from her vision and the scattered details Ebner had shared before. Tentatively, she said,

"Was it because they followed different paths? Some chose the Apprentice route, while others remained loyal to the family's original Arbiter pathway?"

As she spoke, Xio suddenly realized the coincidence—she and Fors were in the same situation. One was an Arbiter, the other an Apprentice.

Vera nodded, then shook her head. Gazing out at the bustling harbor, she sighed,

"Pathway divergence was part of it, but it wasn't enough to tear apart a once-united family and lead them into mutual slaughter…"

"Then what was the real reason?" Xio asked curiously.

"It was because, at that time, the Tamara family had lost their ancestral protection. Faced with a harsh environment, a desperate need for power, and their deep hatred for the Six Gods, members of both pathways ended up forming connections with the Outer Deities…

"The final split within Tamara was essentially a life-or-death battle between different Outer Deity followers."

Vera, clad in her naval officer's uniform, picked up the transparent dagger she had retrieved and continued,

"That's why, even though this was turned into a Beyonder artifact, the characteristic within it still carries the lingering influence of an Outer Deity. When exposed to a blood moon, it causes hallucinations—driving people to commit irreparable acts…

"When I gave it to you, I didn't anticipate a blood moon appearing. That was my oversight… Fortunately, you were lucky."

When Vera uttered the word lucky, there was a deeper meaning to her tone.

Xio also felt that the conveniently broken faucet in the washroom was too much of a coincidence. She had discussed it with Ebner afterward, but even after analyzing it together, they couldn't pinpoint the cause.

In the end, Ebner could only attribute it to Xio's good fortune—perhaps even the blessing of The King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck. After all, at the time, she was within The Fool's divine kingdom…

Of course, that last thought was something Ebner had only kept to himself.

As Xio was trying to come up with a reasonable excuse to explain her "luck," Vera moved on without dwelling on the topic. The weariness in her demeanor vanished, replaced by sharp focus. She lifted her strong, confident brows and handed the dagger of starlight back to Xio.

"Our next mission might be extremely dangerous. Keep this 'Starfang' with you for protection.

"If we encounter an enemy you can't fight, and I can't reach you in time, use its random teleportation ability to escape immediately."

"So it's called 'Starfang'…" Xio muttered as she carefully took back the transparent dagger. Then, she asked with a serious expression, "Did Baron Larry really defect? And… is he truly dangerous?"

"It's not him that's dangerous," Vera explained, her tone carrying a deeper implication. "It's what he might be carrying… and the Beyonders drawn to that object."

Then, she gave Xio a meaningful look and asked,

"As for whether he has really defected… Does it matter?"

Xio blinked, feeling like her brain was struggling to keep up. She had no idea what Vera was hinting at…

.....

Somewhere in an Unknown Underground Chamber

A man dressed in an old-fashioned suit and cloak, with pointed shoes and attire reminiscent of a past century, walked along a stone-paved corridor. He reached the door of a small room, knocked lightly, and soon received a response.

Opening the door, he stepped inside.

Behind a large wooden desk, an elderly man with an air of arrogance sat waiting. His black hair was streaked with silver, and he had no beard. As the man entered, the elder nodded slightly and asked,

"Grover, how did it go?"

The man named Grover let out a bitter chuckle and replied,

"Your Grace, everything has been arranged. Even Georgina and Testert have been kept in the dark…

"Sigh, what a pity about Prince Montbatten…"

"The only way to deceive those organizations that have infiltrated MI9 is to ensure that even Georgina and Testert remain unaware of the truth," the elder nodded slightly, his tone indifferent. "As for Prince Montbatten—he privately leaked our Southern Continent operation to the Church of the Lord of Storms. The evidence is irrefutable. He brought this upon himself… And it's not even our hands doing the dirty work. If he's smart enough, he might survive—but his status as a prince will be gone."

"Sigh… Who would've thought that what Daniel left deep in the labyrinth wasn't some 'Ghost Empire' ticket, but rather the coordinates of the Blood Emperor's secret tomb—right where we are now…

"Yet, other factions believe we obtained clues to the 'Ghost Empire' and are desperately trying to investigate… Meanwhile, we can't openly explain what we actually found.

"At least I was able to silence Myron in time, disguising it as Prince Montbatten's doing before he could leak what he saw.

"And Baron Larry… he thought he was so clever, setting up contingencies before Myron opened the treasure chest. But if he had actually seen what was inside, if he didn't still have some use, do you think he could have escaped with just those pitiful arrangements?

"Now, as long as someone else captures Baron Larry, we can pin everything on Montbatten…

"If that kid is smart, he'll immediately run to the Church of the Lord of Storms for protection. But if he isn't… well, with Bayam's three demigods being conveniently drawn away, some faction—or some individual—will likely strike at him…

"Heh… By then, we'll have the perfect scapegoat to deflect the blame that Daniel tried to pin on us."

Hearing this, the elder chuckled and handed over a letter. "Take a look. This is the latest update from Vera, transmitted through military channels. The one who arrived in Bayam with her isn't even the real prince. That kid must have fled long ago."

Grover picked up the letter, scanned its contents, then sighed, "As expected of someone from the Augustus bloodline… He really has some nerve. And Princess Vera… she's grown."

His gaze lingered on a strange note that Vera had specifically mentioned in her report. After a brief hesitation, he asked, "Your Grace… that black-eyed seagull that was always on the ship…?"

"Just as you suspect—it's most likely one of the Amon family's members," the elder chuckled. "I didn't expect those thieves to take an interest in this matter… but they do make an excellent scapegoat."

"But if an Amon has taken an interest, His Majesty's plans might face some complications," Grover frowned.

"Don't worry," the elder said with a faint smile. "If the Amons try to disrupt His Majesty's plans, someone will be there to stop them."

He didn't elaborate further, merely shaking his head as a warning. "Don't deliberately provoke an Amon. It's pointless… and far too dangerous."

...

Bayam – Fragrant Manor

Ebner set down the documents Closfia had given him and rubbed his temples in frustration.

Just what kind of novels has that 'Sloth' lady been reading?

How else could she have come up with such an embarrassingly exaggerated set of movements and overly dramatic lines for 'Doctor Strange'?

And to top it off—she insisted that "Doctor Strange" must carry a melancholic air…

A brooding figure dramatically shouting, 'My eyes can see through all things in this world…'—is that really a good combination?!

After muttering complaints to himself, Ebner snapped his fingers.

The suitcase at his feet immediately transformed into a red cloak, flew over, and swallowed the documents into itself. Then, it shapeshifted back into a suitcase and settled under the desk.

With that done, Ebner stood up and rang the bell. When Helene arrived in response, he instructed her to prepare a carriage.

Meanwhile, he headed for the underground chamber, retrieving a whip before returning upstairs.

Then, with Helene accompanying him, he boarded the carriage and set off toward the Red Theater… or more precisely, the folklore herbal shop in the alley opposite it.

(End of Chapter)