Lord of Mysteries

Chapter 406 "Cults"

"Fools?" The extraordinary individuals attending Mr. A's gathering either pondered the word to themselves or whispered among themselves, discussing whether they had ever met anyone with similar beliefs.

"When did such a cult appear?" someone whispered in confusion.

At this moment, Mr. A asked the waiter next to him to hold up a blackboard with a few lines of words written on it in Rune script:

"A fool who does not belong to this era;"

"The mysterious ruler above the gray fog;"

"The King of Yellow and Black, who holds the key to good fortune."

As everyone examined the blackboard, Mr. A spoke in a hoarse, rather unpleasant voice:

"Do not read the above in Hermes, and it is even more unacceptable to use Giants, Elvens, Dragons, or Ancient Hermes. You should not even write the corresponding descriptions in them, otherwise something terrible will likely happen."

"Help me find those who believe in 'The Fool.' Of course, they may also follow 'The Mysterious Ruler Above the Gray Fog,' 'The King of Yellow and Black Who Holds Good Fortune.' Tell me immediately if you get even the slightest clue, and the reward I give will be more generous than you can imagine!"

"This description... it sounds like an extraordinary being! I've only ever seen similar titles in the Seven Gods' annals!" one of the party members exclaimed in surprise.

His companion shook his head and said:

"Many cults also have similar descriptions of their followers."

"Is it really a cult?" another member of the gathering exclaimed in astonishment upon hearing their discussion.

"It should be. Generally speaking, the spirit creatures we summon might also have such three descriptions, but one of them must be 'the favor of so-and-so' or something like 'belonging exclusively to so-and-so,' not in this form!" A member of the gathering who was well-versed in mysticism gave his theoretical basis.

While they were exchanging ideas enthusiastically, Fors was practically dumbfounded.

Isn't this the name of "The Fool"? Although it's described in Rune, I can be absolutely certain of it! Why would Mr. A want to find followers of "The Fool"? Is this the intention of the Aurora Society? Fors's mind was a jumbled mess.

She knew Mr. A was a member of the Aurora Society because a certain "terrorist organization" had publicly claimed responsibility for the assassination of Ambassador Beckeron of Intis.

After a brief moment of surprise, Fors subconsciously examined herself, worried that people would find out that she was already a member of the Tarot Club, a follower of "The Fool" in a certain sense.

I simply read the name of "The Fool" in ancient Hermetic script on the paper, and I was pulled into the gray fog. No one knew about this, and they weren't afraid of an investigation... But the paper with the name of "The Fool" on it had a source; it was hidden in the books we borrowed from Viscount Grelint... Forl's thoughts flashed rapidly.

"A fool who doesn't belong to this era... Isn't this the description I saw on that piece of paper? I even dreamed of an evil spirit!" At the same time, Hugh also remembered the thing that still haunted her, but her long experience as a bounty hunter prevented her from revealing anything unusual.

Following this, she traced back further, pondering the origins of paper:

It was hidden in the interlayer of "The History of the Nobles of the Kingdom of Loen"... I borrowed "The History of the Nobles of the Kingdom of Loen" from Viscount Grelint's study...

Suddenly, a name flashed through Fors' and Hugh's minds at the same time:

"Viscount Grelint!"

At that moment, Viscount Grelint was gazing at the blackboard, muttering to himself with great interest:

"This name is quite rare."

"But it sounds really impressive!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he looked around in confusion and said to Fors and Hugh:

Why are you all looking at me like that?

"Nothing, nothing." Hugh and Fors shook their heads rapidly at the same time.

…………

After dinner, inside an elegantly decorated house.

Audrey, accompanied by her golden retriever Susie, entered the living room, led by her psychology teacher, Island. This was the "academic" gathering that had been arranged the previous week.

Her maids and bodyguards all stayed behind, while she and Susie walked toward the spacious living room.

In the living room, whether for the sake of atmosphere or for some other reason, none of the gas wall lamps were lit. The room's light came entirely from the candles held atop several gilded lamp stands on the coffee table and cabinets.

Before Audrey could take a good look around, she saw a gentleman in his thirties wearing a gray tailcoat walking towards her.

"This is the owner of this place, Mr. Stephen Hempress, a furniture merchant," introduced Island, whose hair reached her waist.

She was about to reveal Audrey's identity when Hampshire chuckled and said:

"Island, don't speak, give me a chance to guess."

He had a neatly trimmed mustache and a pair of captivating dark brown eyes, making him appear very refined, more like a university lecturer than a furniture dealer.

He carefully examined Audrey for a few moments, then smiled and said:

"Island only said you were her student, haha. I think you are a cultured noblewoman, and not the kind who's all show and no substance. You have absolutely no need to worry about your quality of life declining..."

"You're a little excited, you're curious, you're relatively innocent, and you're kind-hearted..."

"Of course, the most obvious thing is that you are very beautiful, like an angel!"

He made a final joke, then placed his hand on his chest, bowed deeply, and said:

"Welcome, beautiful angel."

"You're absolutely right, no wonder you're a member of the 'Psychological Alchemy Society.' But what you observed was me from a few months ago, a version of myself I deliberately presented..." Audrey said, both surprised and astonished.

"Mr. Hampshire, did you know me before?"

She didn't let the look of astonishment linger on her face for long, because such emotions are fleeting and cannot last for long.

If someone's surprise lasts for several seconds, it means their performance is likely feigned.

Audrey didn't notice this at first, but after observing others "acting" for a long time, she naturally summarized many patterns.

"No, I don't know you yet; that's just basic courtesy of a psychology enthusiast," Hanpres chuckled.

Before he finished speaking, Audrey had already completed her observation and, based on the surrounding environment, made a corresponding judgment:

"His clothes and the furnishings of his house all show that he is a person who cares a lot about his image..."

"The sapphire on his left-hand ring looks quite large, but its actual quality is rather ordinary, and it contains no symbolic or magical markings... His financial situation isn't as good as it seems... He's vain..."

"Although he was very enthusiastic just now, his posture, the direction his feet were pointing, and the changes in his expression all indicated that he still had many concerns and was quite wary..."

"He genuinely complimented my looks, but it didn't sound like a man looking at a woman. There were traces of skincare products on his face, and his eyebrows were definitely drawn on. His skills weren't as good as my makeup maid, Solia, but they were better than mine... The perfume he was wearing was 'Confusion,' which I've only ever seen women wear... Hmm, he probably likes men, and he was playing the relatively weaker one..."

At the same time, Audrey skillfully expressed her aspirations:

"Mr. Hampshire, I really wish I had your kind of observation skills."

As she spoke, a faint smile played on her lips, and led by Hampres and Islant, she introduced herself to the other seven or eight people in the living room.

These enthusiasts of both mysticism and psychology are descendants of fallen noble families, university associate professors, or children of wealthy individuals. For example, one young man's father is the owner of Philips Department Store, the most famous department store in Backlund.

In the ensuing conversation, Audrey mostly listened without speaking, and when she did speak, it was only by asking questions, fully demonstrating her curiosity and longing.

During this "academic" discussion, Islant, Hampshire, and others deliberately mentioned the etheric body and the mental body, the spirit world and the collective unconscious, and offered some relatively unique perspectives, which helped Audrey gradually clarify some of the doubts she had accumulated.

When it was all over and they were leaving the house, Audrey glanced at Islant beside her and asked with a slightly naive look:

"Professor Island, when will I be able to be as excellent as Mr. Hampshire in the field of psychology?"

Islant curled the corners of his lips, tilted his head slightly, and looked at her, saying:

"soon."

…………

At night, just as Klein was getting ready to get into bed, he once again came up above the gray fog.

He was feeling quite sleepy, but the news from the "magician" lady immediately jolted him awake.

"The Aurora Society knows about 'The Fool'? They know my name? The 'True Creator' has locked onto me?" Klein sat up abruptly, as if facing a formidable enemy.

He quickly dismissed the last guess. If the "true creator" had indeed locked onto him, Mr. A would have already come to collect the pennies from the gas meter, and there might even have been a saint with him.

In other words, all that was known was "The Fool" and the corresponding honorific title, and that the clues were in Backlund... Who leaked the information? Klein frowned, thinking carefully.

Soon, he discovered a possibility:

Recently, Little "Sun" chanted my name, and it happened when he interacted with members of the exploration team who had been corrupted by the "True Creator"... He performed a sacrificial ritual, and there should have been symbolic representations of the "Fool" at the scene, including an ancient palace appearing above the gray mist... Therefore, the "True Creator" noticed the existence of the "Fool" and confirmed that I was the one who had previously blasphemed, no, harassed, or rather, spied on Him...

Furthermore, the little "sun" possessed a "completely black eye" at the time, which contained the spiritual pollution of the "true creator"... Through this, He clearly identified that my followers or believers were present in Backlund?

I can't take the "All-Black Eyes" out anymore!

After roughly understanding the problem, Klein found himself in another predicament:

Mr. A offered a reward to find the "Fool" in a relatively open gathering of extraordinary people that was not very private. Was he really not smart enough, or was he deliberately "fishing" for the fool?

Sigh, the Aurora Society members are all fanatical lunatics, their brains are practically broken, it's impossible to guess their true intentions!

This is what they mean when they say, "If I go crazy, you'll never be able to guess what I'm thinking."

(End of this chapter)