Lord of Mysteries

Chapter 53 The Listener

On a storm-ravaged sea, an old three-masted sailing ship is bobbing up and down with the waves.

It was neither fast nor large enough, and in this disaster scene where the sky and the sea were one, it was like a withered leaf separated from a tree. However, no matter how fierce the hurricane was or how terrifying the waves were, it sailed safely without tilting.

Alger Wilson stood on the empty deck, gazing at the towering waves that surrounded him, seemingly lost in thought.

"It's Monday again..." he murmured silently.

That was a day belonging to the Earth Mother Goddess, the beginning of a new cycle of prosperity and decay.

But for Alger, it had another meaning: it belonged to a mysterious being forever shrouded in gray mist.

At least I haven't gone mad yet... He looked away and gave a self-deprecating laugh.

At this moment, one of his few crew members approached and asked respectfully:

"Your Excellency, what is the objective of our voyage this time?"

Alger looked around and answered in a flat tone:

"The hunt for an Aurora Society 'listener'."

……

The storm has passed, and fog has settled on a strange sailboat with cannon positions, but which is still out of step with the times.

An eight- or nine-year-old boy with soft, sleek blond hair watched in fear as the undisciplined pirates around him drank large kegs of beer, swung back and forth on ropes, mocked each other, and even punched one another.

He turned to look at the black-robed man standing in the shadows and lowered his voice:

"Father, where are we going?"

Five days ago, he met his father for the first time in his life, a father who called himself an adventurer.

If it weren't for the oil painting left by his mother proving the other party's identity, and if the orphanage hadn't opened its doors to him, he would never have wanted to leave his hometown and follow this almost complete stranger.

The man standing in the shadows lowered his head, looked at his son, and answered kindly:

"Jack, I'll take you to a sacred place, the 'Sanctuary' where the Creator once lived."

"Is that the kingdom of God? We mortals can only enter by receiving a gift..." Little Jack, well-educated by his mother, possessed enough common sense, and at this moment he was both surprised and afraid.

The man standing in the shadows had a face with such deep lines that it was unforgettable, like a stone sculpture by the most outstanding master.

He placed his hand to his ear, assuming a listening posture, and answered in an almost dreamlike tone:

"Jack, 'mortals' is a misconception. The Creator created this world. He is omnipresent and exists within every living being. Therefore, all things possess divinity. When divinity is abundant enough, one can become an angel. The seven false gods we see now are simply more powerful angels."

"Look, I can hear the Creator's teachings right now, ah, what an extraordinary revelation! Life is nothing but a spiritual journey, and when the spirit is strong and resilient enough, we can find our own divinity and become one with more divinities..."

Little Jack couldn't understand the complicated description, shook his head, and asked another question he hadn't had a chance to ask before:

"Father, I heard from Mother that after the Creator created this world, He differentiated into all things and did not actually exist. Then why is there still His 'sanctuary'?"

For a seven or eight-year-old child, his logic is clear enough.

The man with the sculpted features paused for a moment, tilting his head slightly as if he had heard more whispers.

Suddenly, he collapsed to his knees on the deck, his exposed skin revealing bluish-black lines.

He covered his head with both hands, his face contorted in agony, and cried out in extreme pain:

"They're lying!"

…………

After lunch, and with Old Neil's promise to take him along on the next trip to the underground trading market, Klein leisurely returned to Blackthorn Security Company. He considered whether to read documents and practice his skills in the clerical office, or to continue wandering around and play the role of "fortune teller" at the fortune-telling club while Captain Dunn had not yet forbidden it.

However, before he could make a decision, he saw Dunn Smith enter from the outer room, wearing a black trench coat and a top hat.

"Captain, how is it?" Klein asked with concern, thinking about the whereabouts of the Antigonus family notes.

Dunn's gray eyes showed no sign of fatigue as he said:

"Multiple sources have confirmed that the Antigonus family's notes were in the possession of Riel Bieber, however, he has completely disappeared."

"I have informed all the night watch squads of this matter by telegram, asking them to pay close attention to all ports and steam train stations. The first batch of printed portraits was also mailed out yesterday afternoon and will be published in major newspapers."

If only we had telephones, fax machines, surveillance cameras, and big data at this time... Unfortunately, I only know how to use them, and I only understand a little bit about the principles... Klein sighed silently.

"However, in any case, we have found the whereabouts of that notebook, and this is all your credit. Of course, further confirmation is still needed. I have sent a telegram to the Backlund Parish, requesting that they send someone to escort the sealed item 2-049 over. It is a dangerous item that once belonged to the Antigonus family. It can help us know whether Riel Bieber is a descendant of the Antigonus family."

"Level 2" sealed artifact... Dangerous... Use with caution and restraint... Klein wanted to ask curiously what this sealed artifact was, what special abilities it had, and where the danger lay, but he instantly remembered that he was not high enough in terms of secrecy and had no choice but to give up.

"May the goddess protect us." Klein tapped his chest four times and drew a full moon.

As Dunn opened his office door, he nodded slightly and said:

"The goddess has always been protecting us, Klein. If you hadn't chosen 'The Diviner' before, you should have been able to become a full member and select 'The Sleepless' once this matter was settled. It's a pity... To be honest, I've never understood why you chose 'The Diviner'. Although 'The Corpse Collector' is repulsive, you've met Daly and should understand how powerful 'The Psychic' is. 'The Seer' is also a good choice, at least with Old Neil as a role model, the risk of losing control will be very low."

Klein had prepared an answer to this question from the beginning, but Dunn never asked it until now, when he casually mentioned it.

He organized his thoughts and said:

"What I'm considering is that 'Diviners' and 'Hidden Seekers' are auxiliary extraordinary beings who don't always have to face enemies, which is too dangerous. You and Old Neil have also said that in the realm of mystery and extraordinary beings, curiosity and exploration often bring terrible consequences. The descriptions of 'Hidden Seekers' make me feel uneasy, so... well, you know, not long ago, I was just an ordinary college student. Cowardice is the only reason I made this choice."

"I must say, this is an answer that surprised me but also makes a lot of sense." Dunn rubbed his temples and chuckled.

He turned halfway around, his deep gray eyes giving Klein a thorough once-over:

"During this time, you continue to go out, no longer limiting yourself to the route from the Welch house to Iron Cross Street. Perhaps, just perhaps, you can sense that notebook and help us pinpoint Riel Bieber's whereabouts."

"Okay." Klein realized he no longer needed to worry about it.

He said goodbye and turned to leave, silently counting in his mind:

"Three, two..."

"Wait a minute," Dunn called out.

Klein turned around and smiled slightly:

"Captain, is there anything else?"

Dunn coughed and said:

"Yes, even support-type extraordinary individuals will have to face enemies sometimes. Although the term 'diviner' sounds like it can help us avoid these situations, we cannot be careless. You must continue practicing with firearms and systematically increase your strength."

"That's exactly what I've been trying to do." Klein pointed outside. "I'm going out."

"Okay, uh, wait a minute." Dunn called out to him again, thinking for a moment, "Perhaps I should consider hiring a combat coach for you, of course, on the premise that you become a formal member."

Klein hummed in agreement and asked cautiously:

"Captain, is there anything else?"

"That's all." Seeing Klein's disbelieving look, Dunn shook his head and smiled faintly, emphasizing again, "Really, that's all."

Klein then stepped out of the partition, said goodbye to Rosanne, Mrs. Orianna, and the others, went to the shooting club to practice, and then strolled around for a full hour, diligently completing the tasks assigned by the captain.

After doing all this, he went to the fortune-telling club and saw the beautiful Ms. Angelica leisurely reading a magazine.

"The Family"... Klein silently finished reciting the title, picked up his cane, walked over, and greeted him with a smile:

"Good afternoon, Ms. Angelica."

"Good afternoon, Mr. Moretti." Angelica calmly put down her magazine, stood up and said, "Not long after you left yesterday, Mr. Grassis came. He had just recovered from a serious illness."

Klein breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, saying:

"This is truly a joyful thing."

Upon hearing this, Angelica, who had been quietly observing him, couldn't help but lower her voice and ask curiously:

"Mr. Grassis said that you are a very, very, very amazing doctor, is that right?"

What? Klein stared in astonishment at the woman opposite him, wondering if he was hallucinating.

How can you tell that I am a doctor?

I don't even know myself...

(End of this chapter)