Secret: The years I served as a foreign aid for the Aurora Club

895
"Why, seeing that the family is nice, you are rushing to show your courtesy."

"It sounds so harsh, don't you think so?"

"But you even lost the 'Secret Server'..."

Pales couldn't help but let out a few weird laughs. "You have lost all your characteristics, yet you are still so serious. Are you pretending to be the air? Digesting the air? You clearly have a will to ascend, Zaratul. Just be thankful that The Fool is more magnanimous. Now no one wants to recruit an angel like you who is disloyal and not pious but still wants to ascend."

Nowadays, which angel or demigod did not grow up listening to the myths of the gods they believe in, and is completely loyal to and unconditionally obedient to them?

Such angels and such extraordinary people from the Church are God's best believers and armed forces. Angels like those from the Fourth Epoch, who still need God's investment to stand on the side, have no faith and only see profit, have been swept into a corner where no one cares, waiting to die quietly.

"To be honest, before The Fool came out, I was also a strong contender for that position."

"Although I think it is a negative idea to blame everything on fate, I have to admit that it was their inaction that brought fate to this point. When the Fool came, we all lost the chance to compete."

"Like the big fish eating the small fish, our destiny was swallowed up."

Zaratul poured himself another glass slowly, and muttered as he drank:

"But...how can I die from my desire to be promoted? I am not like you, Pales."

"I'm not talking about you, but if what I seek is not promotion, not a long life and power, but a family, descendants, love or clan... then I will close my eyes peacefully before everything starts to deteriorate and end my life as a human being. And, Antigonus's puppetization is the most comfortable and painless way for me to die."

"Didn't you just lose your temper because of what happened at Sefirah Castle? Didn't you start to doubt your efforts for most of your life?"

"I've had mental breakdowns many times, and Sefirah Castle is just one of them."

There are so many people in this world who are stronger, more talented, and luckier than me. There are even descendants who showed amazing talent but failed to grow up... It would be fine if they collapsed, but if one of them came and gave up on himself, I would rather not get promoted and not live.

After Zaratul finished speaking, he saw that Leonard was still staring outside, so he ignored his old acquaintance and asked kindly:

"Judging from your reaction, is there anyone you know inside? Do you want to go down and say hello to them?"

Their carriage was hidden at the edge of the real world and the spirit world. The people of the East Continent in the real world could not see them, but they could. They took the group to their destination and collectively prayed to the "Fool". Then a very high-ranking being in the spirit world responded to them.

At the moment when the aura appeared, Zaratul and Pales both kept silent subconsciously, waiting for the gaze of the master of the spirit world to leave.

Then, they saw clearly the whole process of a city being built out of thin air. Such a huge miracle had descended upon the earth just as described in the myth. Until now, Leonard still couldn't take his eyes off this brand new and huge city. He watched the backs of the people from the East Continent gradually disappearing in the city, and the shock reverberated in his heart for a long time.

Hearing Zaratul's words, he hesitated for a moment and shook his head.

He retracted his gaze: "Forget it... This is a moment that belongs to the people of the East Continent. I'd better not go over and join in."

He was still not very familiar with the other members of the Tarot Club. If they really met, both sides would probably feel a little awkward.

"Then I'm going down."

Zaratul unexpectedly stood up and gave them a very sincere smile:

“I’m sorry, you two. I’m afraid I can’t go to that city with you. By the way, do you still not know the name of that place? I learned from Mr. Fool’s mumbling that the name of that city is Utopia, which means “ideal country.” Don’t worry, even if I don’t continue to follow you, I will show you the way and arrange for you to get there.”

Zaratul pulled a card from his sleeve, took a look at it, and put it back.

"You will see a river, and following the river will lead you to Utopia."

No one expected this development. For a moment, the carriage fell silent. Leonard heard Pales's puzzled voice:

"why?"

"Ah, that's right. I suddenly felt inspired. I think this should be the revelation and hint that Mr. Fool gave me."

"Did you hear the oracle?" Pales' voice became even more puzzled. "I didn't feel anything at all."

Leonard was confused: "But weren't you brought here by us?"

"No, there is no oracle, nor any whispers." Zaratul said seriously, "I just feel that I should do this. Look: the survivors of the East Continent have come to this new and unfamiliar land. Don't they need an experienced and reliable guide and guidance?"

The cathedral inside is still empty!
As Zaratul spoke, he stretched out his hand and wiped his beard and face. His gray and messy beard immediately turned pure white, and it was smooth and clean as if it had just been washed. The clothes on his body, which were made of coarse cloth and scraps, had no aesthetic value and were a bit dirty, suddenly had wavy patterns on them, and turned into a set of classical robes embroidered with star maps, various mysterious symbols, and even rolled with gold thread lock edges.

Seven specially made pendulums of different colors corresponding to the seven lights of the spiritual world hang around the waist, like a row of glowing gems.

He stretched out his hand and pulled, and the wide hood fell down, covering his old face and the pair of smiling dark eyes, leaving only a chin with a long beard.

Clothes make the man. In just a few seconds, Zaratul went from being an old man on the street who didn't know where he came from to a high-ranking person who looked very wealthy.

In just a few blinks of an eye, Leonard once again saw an unfathomable fortune teller. The occasional glimpse from under the hood made him feel as if his thoughts and plans were seen through.

Although it was a bit strange to suddenly change his clothes, Leonard finally felt that "He is an angel" at this time.

"I felt that this was my destiny, and this was the guidance He gave me...I should stay here to help these new voters successfully establish the church and gain a firm foothold, and in the future also help them promote the name of 'The Fool'."

“…Mr. Fool, do you think so?”

Leonard understood a little, but was a little unconvinced: "Doesn't this mean that our finding you and everything that happened along the way were also within Mr. Fool's calculations?"

Zaratul looked at Leonard mysteriously and said in a riddle: "Young man, you have to remember one thing. Sometimes they themselves may not have the corresponding ideas, but their actions somehow push fate to produce such a result."

After saying that, Zaratul looked at Pales, clenched his fist, and made a Fourth Epoch encouragement gesture:
"It's time for you to show your stealing distance, Pales, come on!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zaratul's figure suddenly disappeared from the carriage. The carriage turned around and rushed in another direction with them.

……

“This city is so big.”

Derrick kept his head up, his eyes almost glued to the brand new houses and bright lights. He muttered to himself, "It's bigger than our residential area, or even Silver City combined..."

The half-giants were very fast, and luckily the city was designed according to their height. Even the doors of the small shops on the roadside were three meters high, and the roof of the first floor was raised to about six meters. It was completely a giant city belonging to the Feysac people.

Most people were resting in a spacious, sheltered area. They had begun to get used to the temperature here, but were reluctant to light a fire in this new city - fortunately, every room here was as warm as spring.

As his thoughts raced through the streets, he walked side by side with Colin and Nim as part of a pathfinder team and came to the street.

To them, it is truly another world.

Although they were somewhat frightened and uneasy, and not quite used to such scenes, everyone could clearly feel the vibrant vitality contained in such scenes.

This is like the sunshine in the soul. Even if the environment is cold and snowy, it cannot change the yearning and expectation in the heart.

Is this where we will live, fight, and reproduce in the future? Derrick, Liaval, Candice, and others subconsciously had similar thoughts, feeling a little uneasy, but not rejecting them at all.

“…How about we go to the church first?” Derrick suggested.

This city was too unfamiliar to them. There were some things that even he, who had lived in the outside world, didn't quite understand. If possible, Derrick really hoped that Mr. Fool could send Mr. Hanged Man here as well.

His proposal was naturally affirmed by the others, so they walked along the main road of the city towards the cathedral at the end.

From a distance, they saw the huge building with black as the main body and gold and white as embellishments. When they pushed open the door and entered, they found that a shadow on the bench in the church moved unnaturally.

Colin's hand instantly reached for the sword behind him, but thinking that this was the miracle city given by Mr. Fool, he endured it. He stopped the others behind him, exchanged glances with White Hillmon, and whispered:
"who is it?"

The shadow became taller, and it turned out that the person who was sitting with his back to them stood up.

——Although for the people in the God-forsaken Land, there is not much difference between standing up and not standing up.

Because the person who stood up was a short old man. Although his face could not be seen, everyone could see his unignorable white beard. The black robe modified his body shape, otherwise a man of his age would be thinner, hunched, or even dry.

The old man raised his head and his eyes met Colin's, who sensed no ill will in his gaze.

He lowered his head again and uttered an inarticulate laugh:

“…I am here to help you gain a foothold here.”

"He is also a person who serves Mr. Fool."

Hearing this, Derrick reflexively wanted to deny it: Because the oracle never contained any information about this strange old envoy of God, this was a lie! He took a few steps back, made eye contact with the Chief, and was ready to pray to Mr. Fool at any time under the Chief's cover, and asked cautiously:

"who are you?"

The old man's hooded face turned towards him:
"I know a friend of yours. Haha, don't be so nervous. We met once on the road. Have you forgotten it?"

Friend… Derrick immediately thought of the person in the huge carriage who seemed to be Mr. Star.

The Chief also told him that the spiritual creatures around the carriage were all at the demigod level, or even half Sequence Three, so the person sitting in the carriage must be an angel... At the time, he thought that Mr. "Xingxing" was also unfathomable, and actually knew an angel.

"As for who I am..." the old man muttered, "I don't expect you who have just arrived in the outside world to know everything, but, you should, perhaps, know this place called 'The Secret Society', right?"

The Secret Order - an ancient secret organization in the outside world.

Coming to the outside world, the people of the East Continent, who were already used to fighting, first began to understand the distribution of situations and the division of secret forces. Although the Secret Society had gradually turned into darkness in the mysterious world, it still had a great reputation. Hearing this, Colin's eyes widened slightly.

Could the angel of the secret society be the leader who was said to have disappeared a long time ago, or even possibly gone mad or died...

"It seems you have already guessed it... Yes, you can call me Zaratul."

Zaratul laughed twice and said to the guests in his fluent giant language:

"Haha, don't be so reserved. I have now joined Mr. Fool's team, and we are all family from now on."

He was very affectionate:

"It's getting dark soon. Let me help you settle down in this city."

“However, the city that Mr. Fool created for you is already very complete. There is no place for an old man like me to continue to contribute. Thank you, Mr. Fool.”

After saying that, Zaratul walked forward, and the rest of the people followed this short old man involuntarily. Next, Zaratul used divination to find the most suitable room, and he and Derrick and others demonstrated to them how to turn on and off the tap, how to use the toilet, and how to light the lights (Zaratul secretly divined), without any airs at all.

His identity as a "guide" and his meticulous work attitude quickly made most people feel good about him, and those who came to the outside world for the first time had the illusion that they had arrived in the kingdom of God.

A switch that releases water with just a twist, a machine that flushes away excrement without leaving any traces with just a press, and a lantern that keeps glowing with just a light, were all things they could not have imagined in the past.

And these things will constitute their new life.

By the time everyone had gotten used to the hotel, the sky had completely darkened and night began to rule the city.

Although Derrick and the others had long since determined that there was no danger of monster attacks in the darkness outside, they were still instinctively afraid, so they either illuminated themselves or turned on the wall lamps that provided softer light.

Snow flakes fell from the black sky, a beautiful sight that could never be seen enough. At this moment, they saw lights lighting up one after another in the houses near and far on the street outside the glass window, dispelling the darkness in their respective areas.

These bright or dim lights reflected in the eyes of everyone in Silver City, just like the Milky Way falling to the ground at night.

……

Fifteen minutes after Zaratul left.

Beside a frozen river.

Feeling the cold wind blowing in his face, Leonard, who was thrown out of the spirit world as soon as the carriage disappeared, rubbed his arms in confusion:

"He just abandoned us like this?"

Pales didn't say anything for a while, then he hummed in a low voice, "It seems so. Oh, I knew that guy had bad intentions."

Leonard rubbed his hands again. The sudden cold was something he had never experienced in Loen. The lowest temperature in Loen in winter was only around 0 degrees, but the temperature here was obviously more than ten degrees below zero. 0 degrees should be the daily maximum temperature in the north of Feysac... Leonard took out the prepared thick clothes from his small suitcase and put them on. He blew a few breaths into his palms and smelt a mouthful of cold wind.

At this moment, he was extremely grateful that he was an extraordinary person. With the physical improvement of extraordinary power, the cold was just cold and would not affect his physical fitness and mind.

Otherwise, due to the extreme cold and the unfamiliar climate, he might have suffered hypothermia and fainted within ten minutes.

"Did He say that we can reach that utopia by following this river?"

Leonard walked to the river and tried to summon a spirit to inquire about the situation, but found that the river was quite clean and there were no spirits living there.

It's incredible.

As long as the open water exists for a little longer, some life will be born, and then the initial spirituality will begin to gather. Generally, there will be spirits in water that has existed for more than 50 years. If someone commits suicide by jumping into the river, or if a certain number of animals lose their lives in the lake, the process of the birth of spirits will also be accelerated. The "fairy in the lake" that frequently appears in anecdotes and legends is a kind of friendly spirit.

The width of this river is more than 20 meters, and the length... Leonard looked back and forward, and found that he could not see the end at all. There must be a large body of water at the end and the source. If it was formed naturally on such a scale, there must be a spirit in it.

"...This river was just created..."

Leonard had this epiphany in an instant.

"This river is also part of Utopia. No wonder Zaratul said that as long as we continue to walk along this path, we will reach that city."

He tightened his clothes, walked along the river bank, stepping deep and shallow on the snow, and walked forward.

Pales suddenly spoke:
"What kind of person do you think Zaratul is?"

Leonard was stunned by the question. After a long while, he answered unconfidently: "...Probably, wolf?"

When He spoke of fate, He was like an old wolf with mottled hair and slow movements, living alone, dying, docile and harmless.

But when He mentioned promotion, those cloudy eyes suddenly became clear, revealing a flash of ambition and pride.

TBC
------

It gets dark very early in Feysac. In the evening, the travelers on the snowfield arrived at this city they had never seen before.

He did not stop for a moment to admire the city scenery and delicious food, but went straight to the "Fool" Church in the city and began to wait for his friend.