Lord of Mysteries

Chapter 1394 Where Dreams Begin

Back in the real world, Alger patiently awaited the task that Mr. Fool had mentioned.

On this day, dressed in papal robes and wearing a silver-black mask, he was discussing matters within the Church of the Sea God with the divine messenger Danitz when he suddenly saw a bishop enter.

"Your Holiness, the Church of Storms has sent two gifts to congratulate you on becoming God's agent," the bishop said respectfully, holding a white tin box.

Danitz, who had been secretly relieved that the Bayam telegraph line had malfunctioned, was surprised to hear this and blurted out:

"Where is the messenger?"

"He left a gift and left," the bishop at the door replied with considerable helplessness.

Although members of the Church of Storms often have moments of irritability and impulsiveness, such behavior is quite rare.

Alger nodded slightly and said:

"It is enough that they are not hostile to us and have sent messengers with gifts."

After saying that, he raised his right hand and gently grabbed it, causing the white tin box in the bishop's hand to be swept up by the wind and fly over.

After catching the small box, Alger's movements suddenly slowed down, as if he felt its heavy weight.

He slowly opened the container and saw a book bound in brown parchment inside.

On the cover of the book, a line of words was written in Elvish:

"The Book of Natural Disasters"

"The Book of Calamities"... After seeing this line of words clearly, Alger felt a sense of disorientation, as if he were dreaming.

But soon he realized it was true, and he understood what the task Mr. Fool had mentioned was.

Alger sighed silently and looked at the bishop at the door, saying:

"What is the second gift?"

"It's a ghost ship called 'Azure Avenger,' which is already docked in the harbor," the bishop replied without any sign of anything amiss.

"Azure Avenger"... Upon hearing this name, Danitz instinctively turned his gaze to Pope Alger beside him.

He remembered it clearly; it was the ship the other party used when they were pirates.

This means that the Church of Storms knows that the Pope of the Church of Sea God is their former cardinal!

Was this a congratulation or a challenge? Danitz's heart tightened, and he realized he was quite familiar with another gift:

That was the extremely sinister "Book of Calamities" that he had seen when he followed Gehrman Sparrow.

"Write a letter back to the Church of Storms for me, thanking them for their gift," Alger calmly instructed, having regained his composure.

After the bishop left the room, he turned to Danitz and said:

"Divine messenger, I have received a divine message from Mr. 'Fool'. I am about to embark on a mission and may not return for several years."

"An oracle?" Danitz blurted out in astonishment.

At that moment, only one thought echoed in his mind:

How come I didn't know?

Alger nodded:

"Mr. Fool is about to enter a deep sleep."

"However, this does not prevent your prayers from being answered."

"..." Danitz was so shocked that he couldn't speak.

Alger continued:

"German Sparrow also fell into slumber."

"After I leave, the affairs of the church will be handed over to Elder Derrick Berg of New Silver City. You need to cooperate with him to write the fact that the sea god is 'The Fool' from the scriptures so that all believers can accept it."

"Our faith is the key to Mr. Fool's awakening. You are His messenger and should set an example in this regard."

"Of course, He may give you new divine pronouncements or assign you other tasks at any time."

Danitz felt a little dizzy and confused, but he still understood the seriousness of the matter.

He hesitated for a moment, then nodded emphatically:

"it is good."

After explaining the matter, Alger stood up, took the "Book of Calamities," and returned to his room.

He looked at himself in the mirror, chuckled, and slowly removed the triple crown from his head and the silver-black mask from his face.

A few days later, at the port of Bayam, the docks were bustling with people.

Alger raised his head, looked at "The Sun" Derrick, who was much taller than him, and said with a smile:

"You've done a great job lately; the Church of Poseidon is functioning very well."

Derrick instinctively reached up to scratch the back of his head again, but ultimately refrained, saying with a touch of melancholy and reluctance:

"Oh, Your Excellency Wilson, when will you be back?"

Alger shook his head and said:

"Everything ahead is still unknown, and no one can say for sure."

Before Derrick Berger could respond, he turned and said:

"You are mature and steady enough, I have nothing more to tell you."

At this point, Alger paused for a moment, then continued:

"If the Roside Islands are struck by an insurmountable disaster, do not sacrifice yourself to protect it."

"Huh?" Derrick was stunned.

This is Mr. Fool's most important place of faith, the new home of Silver City. How can we just give it up like that?

Alger had anticipated Derrick's reaction and explained with a serious expression:

"For Mr. Fool, the most important thing is the believers here, not these islands; for Silver City, the most important thing is the people, not the city."

"As long as we can protect Mr. Fool's followers, protect the people of Silver City, and relocate them in time, even if we lose Bayam, lose New Silver City, and lose the Rosed Islands, we can rebuild a new city and a new home in another place at any time."

"Remember, don't sacrifice substance for form."

Derrick was deeply moved and immediately grasped the crux of the problem.

He responded sincerely:

"I understand, thank you. Your Majesty Wilson, I will protect Mr. Fool's followers and the people here."

Alger said nothing more, turned around, and walked toward the "Azure Avenger" docked at the pier.

This ghost ship is still an outdated three-masted sailing ship, unchanged from before.

Alger looked at it, then at the crew members on deck, and suddenly felt something. He looked down at himself.

He wore a linen shirt, a brown jacket, and wide-legged trousers in the local style, with a specially made leather belt around his waist, on which a short knife and a short staff made of white bone were inserted.

Alger's lips curled up slightly, and with a step, he rose into the air and landed on the deck of the "Azure Avenger".

He then turned to look at the boundless blue sea, raised his right hand, and said in a deep voice:

"Sail!"

…………

Backlund, Queens, inside the Hall family's luxurious villa.

Audrey sat on the comfortable sofa, watching her father, Earl Hall, and her brothers, Hilbert and Alfred, discuss the kingdom's recent situation and development trends, and watching her mother, Lady Catherine, constantly summoning the butlers and deacons to make final preparations for the upcoming ball.

She didn't speak, but with a faint smile, she quietly observed this rather common scene in daily life.

After an unknown amount of time, Earl Hall looked over with a smile:

"What is our little princess thinking?"

Audrey pursed her lips and responded with a slight smile:

"you guess."

"I bet you're thinking about which dress to wear to the ball today, and what hairstyle and makeup to go with it," Hippel said casually on behalf of his father.

Audrey smiled and said:

You answered correctly, but there's no reward.

She then slowly rose and said to her parents and two brothers:

"I'm going upstairs to change into my dress."

Earl Hall smiled and nodded:

"No need to rush, everyone agrees you're worth the wait."

Audrey bit her lip lightly, maintained her smile, and walked step by step toward the door.

As she was about to leave the room, she paused and looked back.

Her parents and her two brothers continued what they had just been doing, either discussing or making arrangements.

Audrey's blue eyes seemed to freeze, and she slowly withdrew her gaze.

She left the room, went upstairs, and returned to her bedroom.

Susie, the golden retriever, was already waiting there.

Audrey took a barely perceptible breath, raised her right hand, and used her index finger to trace shimmering lines in the air.

These are like dreams from the deepest depths.

A few seconds later, the shimmering light twisted and transformed into a beautiful, blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl—Audrey Hall.

Unlike Audrey, this girl still retained a touch of naivety and a romantic air.

"Good evening, Miss 'Justice'~" the girl greeted in a lighthearted tone.

Audrey smiled slightly and responded to the other person:

Good evening, Miss Audrey.

After that impromptu tarot gathering, she finally made up her mind to advance to the level of "Dream Weaver," preparing to carve out an identity to accompany her family while staying away from them to prevent them from being affected by the various dangerous things she had brought upon them.

She stared at herself for two seconds, then turned to the large golden retriever beside her and said:

"Susie, are you sure you want to come with me?"

"Yes, we're friends forever," Susie, the golden retriever, replied earnestly.

"Justice" Audrey didn't say anything more, and separated a "virtual personality" which entered Susie's mind body, which had been unleashed by her own restrictions.

Then, she raised her hand again, outlining another Susie in mid-air.

As soon as Susie took shape, she opened her mouth and barked.

Audrey then looked away and gazed at her other self.

After a moment of silence, although she knew that the two shared the same thoughts and feelings, she still couldn't help but say to the blonde girl in front of her:

"From now on, I'll be counting on you."

"Remember to be affectionate with your father more often and tell him not to be so busy. He is getting old and needs to take care of his health. Many things can be left to Hilbert and Alfred, and to the butlers."

"Also, gently guide your mother and tell her that she doesn't need to care too much about other people's opinions and doesn't need to be perfect in social situations, as that would be exhausting."

"Well, don't forget Hilbert. Make him laugh often, so he won't be so gloomy and won't always overcomplicate things. Alfred won't threaten his position."

"Alfred, Alfred, he needs a good wife to make him not want to take any more risks..."

"Hey, why are you crying? We're all grown up now, we can't act like little girls anymore."

Audrey lowered her eyelids slightly and smiled at herself, who was now shedding tears.

"I know, I know." After saying that, Audrey pursed her lips and nodded heavily with a sorrowful expression.

"Justice" Audrey withdrew her gaze, picked up the cloak lying beside her, and draped it over her shoulders.

Then, she led her golden retriever, Susie, out of the bedroom and into the hallway.

The lights in the hall below had come on, and the guests of the ball were arriving one after another. Earl Hall, Lady Catherine, Hilbert, and Alfred had left their previous rooms and walked to the door.

Audrey stood behind the railing and watched quietly for a long time.

Then, she lifted her skirt slightly and, from a great distance, solemnly and slowly bowed to her parents and brothers.

She held that position for two seconds, then straightened up, raised her hand, and pulled up the hood of her dark blue cloak to cover her face.

To her side and behind her, the lights were bright and the noise was deafening; in front of her, a sea of ​​collective subconsciousness composed of many dim lights emerged.

"Let's go," Audrey said to Susie in a slightly hoarse voice.

After saying that, she stepped into that dark and illusory ocean.

Audrey rushed out of the bedroom, her voice trembling with tears:

"You must come back!"

Audrey didn't turn around, but simply raised her right hand and waved it to indicate that she understood.

Her figure, draped in a blue cloak, gradually disappeared into the swaying, silent darkness.

(End of this chapter)