Lord of Mysteries

Chapter 94 The Hidden Sage (Second Update, Please Vote)

"The Fallen Creator... the Fallen..." Alger, the "Hanged Man," chewed on the Fool's words, as if lost in thought.

But what lingered in his heart was the other person's relaxed, natural, and nonchalant attitude.

That's an attitude of looking at people on equal terms!

If it weren't for the previous ritual experience, Alger might have thought the Fool was just bluffing, using self-aggrandizement to intimidate himself and "justice." But now, he's more inclined to believe that the Fool, even if not as powerful as the true creator, is close to that level.

It's danger... but also an opportunity... Alger murmured silently, then added with a hint of a smile:

"Mr. Fool, your description is indeed more accurate. According to our observations, the proportion of those extraordinary people who believe in the true Creator—no, the fallen Creator—who are out of control is far higher than normal, and most of the rest are also madmen."

This point was also mentioned in the Night Watchers' internal documents... Moreover, the so-called "madman" does not mean that he has lost his mind, but that his values ​​have become abnormally distorted... Klein remained seated and did not respond to the "Hanged Man's" words.

He was still considering how to properly inquire about the Secret Order and the "Clown" potion, but he couldn't find a way that suited his identity.

It's a pity that this is fundamentally different from online dating platforms, otherwise I could create a fake account and join, specifically to ask me questions I'm not comfortable asking... Maybe one day, I'll learn some kind of mirror magic and try it out, like having half the members be my fake accounts...

There are twenty-two chairs here, and twenty-two tarot cards, a perfect match, isn't it? But when I "wanted" a temple, I hadn't even called myself "The Fool," nor had I ever thought about establishing a tarot club. Hmm, this symbolizes the twenty-two sequential paths.

I wanted a temple, and a temple appeared. I want an "alt account," will an "alt account" appear...?

Seeing that the Fool, shrouded in thick gray fog, remained silent, "Justice" Audrey spoke, half with a sigh and half with curiosity:

"That sounds terrifying, um, Mr. 'The Hanged Man,' could you tell me more about the various mysterious organizations and secret cults? I rarely have access to these things in my daily life, so I can only learn about them through you. I'll pay you. What do you want?"

"Good question! Miss Justice, you've practically taken on the role of my alternate account in a way... This way, the Hanged Man will definitely bring up the Secret Order... You're the perfect straight man!" Klein perked up at the question, but didn't let his emotions show through his expression or actions.

Alger thought for a moment and said:

"I need a sum of money, £1000, preferably in non-consecutive serial numbers, or freshly mined gemstones, calculated at the average monthly price on the Backlunds Jewelry Exchange."

1000 pounds? That's a huge sum of cash, enough to buy a house in the upscale neighborhood of Tingen! Not everyone can come up with that much... That's about the captain's annual salary, right? Helle's "death compensation" was only 300 pounds... Although Miss "Justice" is a noblewoman, she clearly didn't inherit any family fortune and can only receive the corresponding annuity... Hmm, no wonder "The Hanged Man" said he could use gems to offset it... Klein is particularly sensitive to money, thankfully he was surrounded by a thick gray fog.

For a single lady, £2000 is enough for her to live a decent life for the rest of her life!

A stable annuity of £2000 yields around £100.

"1000 pounds?" Audrey blurted out in surprise, then replied in a light and cheerful tone, "No problem, shall it be delivered to the same address as before?"

Judging from Miss "Justice's" tone, she thinks it's cheap? Klein didn't let his gaze wander.

Alger remained silent for a full twenty seconds before speaking:

"Yes, the 'Warrior and the Sea' bar on Pelican Street in the White Rose District of Prids Harbor. It was given to the owner, Williams, who said it was for 'The Captain'."

"Okay." Audrey leaned back slightly, adopting the posture of an "audience member," and said, "Mr. Hanged Man, you may begin."

Alger glanced at the Fool, hesitated for a moment, and then slowly spoke:

"Let's start with the Morse Order, the earliest secret society. Of course, many people believe that the earliest secret societies were the Church of the Goddess of Night, the Church of the Earth Goddess, and the Church of the God of War."

"These people must be members of the Church of the Lord of Storms, the Church of the Eternal Sun, or the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom," Audrey retorted sullenly.

The Church of the Goddess was the earliest secret organization? This was the first time Klein had ever heard such a claim.

What exactly happened in the Quaternary or Tertiary period?

Alger smiled and said:

"These truths have long been buried in that ancient history. The only thing that can be certain is that no one has ever said that the Church of the Lord of Storms, the Church of the Eternal Sun, or the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom were ever secret organizations."

"Alright, let's save time and get back to the main topic. The Morse Penitentiary was originally formed by a few humans who had viewed the Profaned Tablets. They worshipped an impersonal deity called the Hidden Sage."

"This description is of deities, but it is closer to an idea, a natural law, such as the idea that all things are numbers and the Hidden Sage is the embodiment of numbers, or the idea that knowledge is supreme and the Hidden Sage is knowledge itself. Therefore, the early Morse Order was a highly respected organization with good relations with major churches."

"The members of this organization use asceticism to combat the loss of control and counteract the effects of the residual potion. They maintain strict secrecy, adhere to morality and precepts, and believe that people are constantly reincarnated after death..."

"The Sequence 9 they possess is called 'The Spy'... The word 'wizard' also originated from this organization."

Audrey, savoring the description of the "Hanged Man," astutely countered with a question:

"You said the early Morse Order was a highly respected organization, aren't they now?"

Alger nodded almost imperceptibly and said:

"Yes, they have degenerated into an evil organization."

"Why? I think their ideas are good and normal," Audrey expressed her doubts.

This was also Klein's question, as the information he could access under his classified level did not record the reason for the Morse Ascetic's fall from grace.

Alger glanced at the enigmatic Fool again, and hummed in agreement:

"I don't know the real reason, it may have been completely covered up by the dust of history, but I know a shocking explanation."

"In that explanation, the main reason for the Morse Ascetic's fall was that their deity, the 'Hidden Sage,' had come to life!"

"He has become a personified evil god!"

"Alive? How... how could it be alive?" Audrey asked in a tone of disbelief and incomprehension.

She unknowingly withdrew from the "spectator" mode.

Just like a ghost story... and the "ghost" is a deity... Klein's heart was also filled with a storm.

"I'm sorry, no one knows the answer." Alger wanted to casually say, "Perhaps Mr. Fool knows," but he forcibly suppressed the urge.

Because he has already tried to escape danger once today.

There is a sentence in Chapter 5, Section 7 of the Book of Storms that Alger remembers vividly:

"Do not put God to the test!"

Audrey composed herself, didn't press the matter further, and gestured for them to continue.

Klein remained seated and silent, verifying the "Hanged Man's" account with his own knowledge.

In the end, he realized there were four things he needed to pay attention to:

"First, the Witch Cult was also known as the Witch Family in the Fourth Epoch. At that time, they had few members and relied on bloodline reproduction to survive. Moreover, they would kill the fathers of their children and abandon male infants, so all members were female. Of course, this is all Alger's statement, and it is currently impossible to verify whether it is true or not."

"Secondly, the Spiritual Church, which believes in death, and the Rose School, which likes blood sacrifices, both originated in the Southern Continent. After the arrival of the colonial era, they were nearly wiped out by the Church of the Seven Gods, but they also spread to the Northern Continent as a result."

"Third, the Psychological Alchemy Society is similar to the early Morse Asceticism, believing in an impersonal existence and that the human spirit can evolve everything."

"Fourth, the Secret Order is the organization with the lowest activity frequency among all the secret organizations, and therefore the least understood by others. Every time they appear, it seems that they are only chasing something or searching for something."

What are we chasing? What are we searching for? Klein suddenly remembered the diary he had just read: Zarathustra, the leader of the secret order, was cooperating with Roselle in order to obtain a relic of the Antigonus family.

Their purpose in appearing this time was to retrieve the lost notes, the Antigonus family's notes... Klein's eyes narrowed slightly, feeling as if he had grasped the core element of the Secret Order's operation:

They are chasing after artifacts left behind by the Antigonus family!

Klein resisted the urge to tap the edge of the table, his mind racing with thoughts:

Hmm, are they looking for traces of the remaining Antigonus family?

To obtain the recipe for the "Clown" potion from the Secret Order, we need to start from this point.

After exchanging information for a while, Klein announced that the gathering was coming to an end.

"As you wish." Audrey and Alger stood up at the same time.

After severing the connection and watching their figures shatter and disappear, Klein rubbed his temples and tried to imagine a "smaller" version of them.

The moment the thought crossed his mind, he saw a figure appear at the bottom of the bronze table. The figure was dressed in a black tailcoat and a top silk hat, with a blank expression and wooden movements. Even though it was shrouded in illusory gray mist, it was clear that something was wrong with it.

No way... Klein tried several more times, sighed, and gave up the idea of ​​creating a new account.

He tried something else, and continued to sit above the gray fog, at the head of the bronze table, pondering Audrey's earlier words, and curiously casting his gaze upon the illusory, crimson stars.

After a moment of silence, Klein began to reach out to the stars by responding to their prayers rather than by establishing a connection.

In the stillness and deathly silence, he obtained no information from the dozen or so crimson stars nearby.

Only by establishing a connection and drawing people into the gray fog can a "response" be given? Klein nodded thoughtfully, slightly disappointed.

He did not want to go against the other person's wishes and forcibly pull them into this mysterious space.

Hmm... Klein began to prepare to leave, but inertia caused him to come into contact with a nearby illusory star.

Just then, he suddenly sensed a faint, indistinct "pleading" within that deep red!

PS: Second update, please vote!

(End of this chapter)