Mystery: When the Fool Meets the Masked Fool

Chapter 481 Little Lan Liang Bonova Gustav
Not long after Klein left, Padma cat climbed back through the open window and returned to the room.

She suddenly remembered something she had forgotten to do today.

On the bedside table, the surface of the silver mirror, Arodes, rippled like water, and suddenly bright red lettering appeared:

"What are you going to do!"

But Padma remained silent, instead nimbly leaping down from the windowsill with a few running starts and jumps, landing on the bedside table.

Then it stretched out its paw and scratched at the mirror a couple of times.

"What are you doing! What are you doing!! What are you doing!!!" Arodes kept questioning.

Snapped!
Arodes was pushed off the table and fell face-first to the ground.

Hey, that's right!

That's how it is when you're old and gray; you want to push everything off the table.

If the Earth were flat, then the elderly would have pushed everything on Earth down long ago.

Padma left satisfied.

…………

Klein felt like he was being crushed.

However, this claim of no pain, no discomfort, or even pain is not true.

It's simply a feeling, a psychological intuition.

Because human senses cannot comprehend the state of existence of concepts, they can only summarize them through more intuitive methods such as flattening.

Soon, this strange flatness disappeared.

Klein finds himself in a world full of symbolism.

Here, concepts such as thickness, size, quantity, up, down, left, and right are all manifested, making this world completely incomprehensible to human senses.

Klein raised his hand and wiped his face, revealing a clown mask covering his face.

His status rose rapidly in an instant.

Sequence four, sequence three, sequence two.

It wasn't until the second-order angels that things gradually calmed down.

Suddenly, the world returned to normal.

A scene virtually indistinguishable from the real world appeared before Klein's eyes: the tranquil Amanda Mountains, the deserted yet magnificent Golden Temple, the lush primeval forest covered with mushrooms and rice stalks under the red moonlight, and the Storm Valley where thunder constantly rumbled...

Because he has a way of perceiving things that is completely different from that of normal humans, he has a more complete perception and understanding of the world, so that he will not lose control due to being unable to handle too much information.

"What a pity, I thought I'd see the cat-like insects," Serres said with a hint of regret.

“Even if I lose control now, I won’t turn into a spirit worm.” Klein rolled his eyes under his mask. “Right now, I’d probably turn into a mask, a doll, a firework, or even an entire circus made up of countless worms.”

"Can I see Mr. Fool performing inside?" Serres asked with a smile.

"Probably." Klein actually thought about it seriously for a moment, then suddenly turned to look at Serris. "You can make a wish to me, wishing that even if I lose control, I won't hurt innocent people, right?"

While miracles are said to be the ability to fulfill wishes, they require accumulating small wishes little by little to gradually achieve larger ones.

However, if a wish is made by someone in a high position, then it becomes a symbol, like lighting a lighthouse in the darkness, which can help them better fulfill their wish.

“Ha.” Serres chuckled. “Don’t worry, everything you think and feel now will leave its mark on the path you take in life.”

"Besides, I don't have the status of your world. If you come to me to make a wish, you might as well go to Paddo. At least she drank the potion."

Klein nodded thoughtfully.

Then, he grabbed a corner of the mask and, imitating Serres, moved it to the side of his head.

After all, it's impolite to cover your face with a mask when visiting someone's home.

So this kind of outfit is quite impolite, but if he dressed up as a whole cat and bug circus to attend a party, he would probably be even more impolite.

As he passed by the divine kingdom of the Earth Mother Goddess, Klein glanced twice at the red moon high in the sky above.

Rice ears, mushrooms... this must be the divine realm of the Earth Mother Goddess, right? But why is there a red moon?
Klein muttered to himself.

Hmm... Could it be that the goddess and the earth mother have merged? Or...

Klein abruptly stopped thinking and didn't continue.

Serres pushed Klein, moving towards their destination at a seemingly slow pace, but in reality, each step covered hundreds of kilometers.

Soon, a magnificent, towering, pitch-black palace appeared before Klein's eyes, surrounded by deep and twisted darkness, both chaotic and filled with an indescribable sense of order.

Klein guessed that this was the Black Emperor's divine kingdom.

As expected, Serres slowed his pace and led him into this divine realm, bypassing the chaotic shadows, and arriving at the palace entrance.

“Look, we’ve arrived.” Serres pointed to the palace in front of them.

A "maid" stood at the palace gate, waiting for guests.

It was a "girl" with long chestnut hair, a slender and tall figure, soft features and a beautiful face. She was dressed in a proper maid outfit and was facing Klein and Serres.

In the azure eyes of this young "woman," the two people before her only appeared to be human, but were not human in essence.

One is a tiny circus troupe wearing silk hats and black trench coats, made up of stacks of transparent, twisted worms that come and go.

The other one is even stranger, constructed from bursts of laughter that seem joyful, mocking, gentle, and happy, mixed with mirrors, machinery, ears of rice, puzzle pieces, light arrows, amber, and a deep blackness.

"Good evening, Mr. Bruce. Good evening, Mr. Moretti."

The "maid" bowed slightly forward and called out the two people's names, clearly having done her homework beforehand.

"Let me introduce you. This is Bonova Gustav, the second son of Emperor Roselle," Serres introduced Klein.

“Hello, Mr. Bonova…?” Klein was about to return the greeting politely when he suddenly hesitated.

He turned to look at Serres, his eyes filled with doubt.

Second son?
Serres nodded.

This is indeed Bonova Gustav.

Some time ago, when Emperor Roselle had just returned, Bonova noticed that Stiano, the god of steam and machinery, had won Roselle's forgiveness by dressing as a woman, so he tried to do the same.

For some reason, Roselle suddenly became incredibly angry, almost out of character. Even his sister Bernadette, whom he hadn't done in a long time, scolded him.

He felt that he hadn't done enough, so he has maintained this similar attire to this day.

Bonova stepped aside to make way, and Serres and Klein entered the castle one after the other.

Klein turned his gaze away from Bonova, hesitating to speak.

Oh well, what if this is just someone's hobby?
…………

Backlund, St. Clyne Church.

A man wearing a top hat, gold-rimmed glasses, and a black leather coat, who looked like a university professor, arrived at the church entrance, hesitating whether he should go in.

On the back of his right hand, three bright red Command Seals were engraved. The man's name was Verdu Abraham.

Two days ago, when the war had just ended, he suddenly found these three Command Seals on the back of his hand. At that time, the Sequence 7 astrologer was a little frightened, but after a divination, the result told him that he should go to the Church of Joy for help.

No other churches are allowed; only the Church of Joy is permitted.

But he was, after all, a wild and extraordinary individual, and running into the church was tantamount to walking into a trap.

But to no avail. He tried every possible method over the past two days, but to no avail, he couldn't remove the three strange marks. He had no idea what they were, or if they were some kind of terrible curse.

Left with no other choice, he had to come to this church.

Only after arriving here did he realize that he was not the only one who had a similar experience.

There was also a person who was completely covered up, shrouded in a black robe, wearing a top hat, and with heavy makeup on his face, looking like a clown.

His intuition told him that this man in black robes had the same purpose for coming here.

Verdu frowned and moved away from him.

In contrast, his attire was quite normal; he looked like a believer who happened to be passing by the church and chose to come in to pray.

madness.

Verdu made his own assessment.

Once inside a church dedicated to God, escape is virtually impossible. So rather than disguising oneself in a mess and arousing suspicion, it's better to walk in openly and confidently. This is more likely to lower the pastor's guard and make him mistake him for an ordinary believer.

At this moment, the man in black robes glanced at Verdu, said nothing, and strode into the church.

Verdu followed behind, lagging behind by several half-body lengths.

Whether it was a misperception or not, Verdu immediately felt an indescribable gaze upon him as soon as he entered the church.

Walk through the long corridor decorated with colorful ribbons and enter the prayer hall, which is not at all solemnly decorated.

There were only a few scattered believers in the hall. Some were praying, some were resting with their eyes closed, some were reading some kind of book, and some were simply eating tasteless black bread in a corner of the church.

This doesn't look like a church at all.

Verdu made another mental assessment.

Da da da.

A dark-haired, dark-eyed man dressed as a priest walked up to Verdu and his companion.

"You two, please come with me."

The priest, holding the Book of Fools in one arm and adjusting his monocle with the other, stepped aside to guide the way to a room.

“…Okay.” Verdu’s gaze lingered on the slightly faded monocle for a moment, he swallowed hard, and nodded.

The two followed the priest into the room, which was a small, seemingly normal prayer room with a few chairs and a table.

The priest put down the Book of Fools and then sat down in one of the chairs.

"Please sit down, gentlemen." The priest gestured for them to sit.

After the two men were seated, the priest adjusted his monocle and said with a warm smile, "Good evening, gentlemen. I already know why you've come."

"As you can see, you are the chosen ones. The great Lord of Fools has bestowed divine grace upon you, opening a thorny path that is both a blessing and a challenge."

"This path is called the Holy Grail War."

Verdu clenched his hands nervously.

The priest glanced at him, a barely perceptible glint flashing across his monocle: "And in return, the final victor of this Holy Grail War will have the opportunity to have one wish granted, a promise from a god."

Verdu's eyes widened immediately, and he couldn't help but interrupt the priest, "Can I have any wish?"

"Any wish is welcome." The priest smiled and nodded.

“This…” Verdu’s breathing became a little rapid. “I understand. Please continue.”

“Very good.” The priest nodded.

"Next, I will explain the rules of the Holy Grail War to you. Of course, if you want to give up, you can quit now."

The priest's gaze swept over Verdu and the man in black. Verdu was breathing rapidly, while the man in black seemed unaffected, standing motionless with no change in his facial expression beneath his makeup.

"Heroes from all ages and nations awaken in this world to vie for supremacy. Their goal is the omnipotent wish-granting machine known as the Holy Grail, a machine promised by the true god that can grant any wish."

"This is the Holy Grail War."

Verdu's lips moved slightly, but he suppressed the urge to speak.

The priest looked at his expression, smiled, and added:
"Those who are already dead are also acceptable."

Then, the priest uttered several words in a language that Verdu and the others had never heard before.
“Saber, Lancer, Archer, Rider, Caster, Assassin, Berserker.” The priest paused for a moment. “These represent swordsmen, spearmen, archers, cavalry, mages, assassins, and berserkers, respectively. If nothing unexpected happens, the [Heroic Spirits] you summon will appear in this world in these seven classes.”

The man in black robes spoke at this moment, his voice low and hoarse:
"So, what if something unexpected happens?"

"If something unexpected happens, there might be some special job titles. For example: father, teacher, loser, joker, brother, ruler, avenger, alterego, coke... and so on."

What do all these mean?

The man in black robes asked again.

"Well," the priest said, stroking his chin, "you'll find out when they actually show up in the war."

Seeing that neither of them had any questions, the priest explained the detailed rules again.

He then extended his gloved right hand forward, palm open.

"The Command Seals on the back of your hands are the symbols of the participants, also called 'Heroic Spirits.' And those three Command Seals can help you command the 'Heroic Spirits' you summon."

"However, I must emphasize that this war is called a war, which means that it is a war in a real sense that people may die."

"So you have one more chance to quit. Now, if anyone wants to quit, just place your right hand, which is engraved with the Command Seal, on my hand."

The man in black nodded to the priest, said nothing, turned and left the room.

Meanwhile, a series of thoughts raced through Verdu's mind.

Death? That is indeed terrifying.

However, with such a great opportunity right in front of me, I will certainly do my best to prepare.

Our Abrahamic family's bloodline and glory come from our ancestor; without Him, there would be no us.

If this matter requires a sacrifice, then I will be the one to take it.

His gaze hardened, he shook his head, said goodbye to the priest, and turned to leave the room.

He was a member of the radical faction within the Abraham family, constantly studying various occult materials in hopes of finding a way to completely break the family curse. This persistence had long been ingrained in his blood and bones.

Joyful Amon watched the two people walk away, then raised his hand to push up his monocle.

"He really knows how to pick people..."

"Heh...interesting..."

(End of this chapter)