To be fair, the price of ten thousand gold pounds for the marionette "Admiral of Hell" was actually dirt cheap—it was practically giving it away.
After all, just Ludwell's bounty in Loen alone had already reached fifty-five thousand pounds! Klein could buy it for ten thousand, and flipping it would net him at least forty thousand gold pounds.
Yet he still hesitated. It wasn't because he couldn't afford it, but because he was pondering the purpose behind Cattleya's generosity.
Very quickly, from her emotional colors and subtle movements, he discerned her underlying worry.
She feared punishment from Mr. Fool, so she wanted to use me, His Blessed, as a channel to ease her sentence? Or perhaps, this was just a test? Hmm, this sort of trend can't be allowed to spread, otherwise where would Mr. Fool's dignity lie? This was a matter of principle, not about me lacking money.
With that thought, Klein looked into Cattleya's eyes, filled with mystery, and said with implied meaning, "I need to think about it. After all, some decisions must be made cautiously, or one may regret it."
Hearing this, Cattleya's lips trembled. After quite some time, she finally put away "Admiral of Hell," and said in a complicated tone, "You're right…"
Just as she was about to leave in disappointment, Klein called her back and added, "I hope we can complete this transaction after the Monday gathering."
So, was he saying he could survive until next Monday? He was confident of that… he just didn't want to take advantage? Cattleya's eyes lit up. She immediately grasped Klein's meaning and solemnly replied, "Alright."
After sending off Cattleya, whose steps had clearly become lighter, Klein was just about to return to the washroom when his gaze froze. A familiar figure was standing before the window without him noticing. With a well-proportioned figure and slightly eccentric attire, it was none other than the "Mystery Queen" Bernadette.
Lady, did your father not teach you proper manners? You shouldn't enter another man's room casually, especially when he's a stranger. As a noble lady with good upbringing, you should wait at the door and politely ask for permission to enter… Just like Cattleya did earlier…
Your Majesty, didn't you ever read books on etiquette?
Klein grumbled silently and quickly reviewed his conversation with Cattleya to see if he had said anything inappropriate.
Doesn't seem like it… probably? Your Excellency the Mystery Queen, believe me, I definitely did not "bully" her just now!
Before he could speak, Bernadette, still facing away from him, spoke first:
"This is an anonymous account at Suhit Bank. It contains fifteen thousand fels…
"Additionally, if you encounter trouble in the future, I can help you once."
As she finished, she casually tossed a banknote. The deposit slip landed precisely on the table before Klein.
So, this is about negotiating terms? Hmm, while Mr. Fool has His principles, He never actually intended to kill Cattleya… merely to give her a warning.
Klein thought about it. Taking the money would seem tacky, but refusing it might offend her. So he decided to speak frankly: "My Lord never intended to make things difficult for her."
"Her near future indeed holds no calamity." Bernadette nodded. "But you should still accept the deposit slip. In the future, I may ask Cattleya to inquire about certain matters… and my promise remains unchanged."
"Alright."
She had said as much—if he still refused, Bernadette might end up bargaining directly with Mr. Fool…
After weighing the pros and cons, Klein finally decided to reluctantly accept it.
…
Afternoon Town, within the nightmare.
After leaving "Morning Star City," Ebner stood at the stairway between the upper and lower levels. He thought for a moment, then activated the "Pure White Eye" and sent a "Wisdom Eye" into the "Unknown Land" behind it, establishing contact with the "Wheel of Fortune" quietly lying atop the illusory sun.
Since he couldn't be certain of the exact location of the dried-up "Sea of Chaos" entrance, Ebner decided to try his luck by using the "Wheel of Fortune" for a concrete operation.
Now that he was a demigod, Ebner could already make preliminary use of the uniqueness of the "Wheel of Fortune." As long as he didn't go overboard, the backlash was still controllable.
Previously, in the ruins of the "God of Luck," he had used this principle of uniqueness to play with a "simulator." Now, he was ready to test another direction.
Soon, lines of text appeared projected before his eyes:
"In Afternoon Town, there are many places where the entrance to the Sea of Chaos might be hidden. You decide to go to—
'1. The basement of the house you first entered.
'2. The church where Derrick and the Chief obtained crucial information in the original story.
'3. Return to Morning Star City.
'4. Ascend the stairs to the upper level of Afternoon Town and enter the Royal Court.'"
Because Ebner's system of concretized destiny wasn't yet complete, for now he could only see the options, not choose them—let alone force a switch into a "destiny branch."
But the options themselves revealed much information.
The uniqueness of the Wheel of Fortune won't offer meaningless choices… Like its predecessor, the Dice of Probability, the four options represent four different results, both good and bad… The entrance to the Sea of Chaos must be at one of these locations.
Pondering this, Ebner analyzed each option:
The first, the basement where I first appeared… it seems likely, but I already checked carefully back then—there were no traces of the Sea of Chaos. And because of the Sun's influence, many monsters may have gathered there. This option isn't the worst, but it's definitely not good.
The second, the abandoned church from the original story, should still have the fallen priest's spirit lingering there… it seems dangerous, but also the most probable. That priest most likely worshipped the Dark Angel… and the Dark Angel carried the pollution of the Sea of Chaos. The dried-up entrance is highly likely to be there.
The third, returning to Morning Star, should be safe for now, but it means I can't get back to Bayam… It's the neutral option.
The fourth… entering the giant's royal court within a nightmare? That's madness! If I run into a Great Old One's dream, I'm done for! Though it's true that the giant's court contains an entrance to the Sea of Chaos… but that's a place even the True Creator doesn't dare approach, leaving it for Klein to "open the door."
So overall… the abandoned church is most likely where the displaced entrance lies… and it's the lingering aura of the Sea of Chaos that kept that priest's spirit from dissipating all these years.
With that conclusion, Ebner didn't hesitate. He roughly judged the direction and headed toward the church.
…
In the real Afternoon Town, Derrick, Colin, and the others arrived at a church, half-collapsed.
The church had once had a tall spire, its architecture of classical stone columns and brick arches, heavy and dim.
Through doors wide enough for giants, Derrick and the others followed the Chief into the prayer hall. The statues had been destroyed, but candles on the altar had been mysteriously lit.
Before the altar, a figure in a simple white robe prostrated there, whispering inaudible prayers.
Meanwhile, the Silver City exploration team originally stationed here had vanished.
Haim, Joshua, and Derrick fell into silence. In this situation, the absence of the exploration team almost certainly meant things hadn't ended well.
Colin withdrew his gaze and said impassively, "Go to that clergyman first. Listen to what he's praying."
Derrick and the others nodded in silence and advanced toward the collapsed statue step by step.
After about ten steps, from the side, they clearly saw the white-robed figure—a middle-aged man with sharp features and tears streaming down his face.
His face pressed almost to the tiles, he muttered:
"Almighty Lord, I confess… Sasitiel was tempted, and the kings often gathered in the palace of dusk to conspire.
"The people of this town also changed at some point. They built secret altars, held strange rituals, and engaged in acts You forbade.
"I discovered all this, but it was already too late. Depravity, blood, darkness, rot, slaughter, filth, and shadow have flooded this land.
"A great catastrophe will begin here!"
Was this where the land was abandoned by the Creator? Who tempted the Dark Angel Sasitiel? He should have said it, but I didn't hear… Derrick thought, when suddenly the Chief, Colin, straightened up. Rays of dawn spread instantly in all directions.
Seeing this, Derrick's heart tightened. Together with Haim and Joshua, he formed a protective formation and looked in the same direction as the Chief.
There, a man in tight black clothes slowly appeared—it was Laroa, one of the missing exploration team members.
"Chief!" Laroa cried out excitedly upon seeing him. Yet he didn't dare rush forward. Instead, he glanced instinctively over his shoulder.
From the darkness, another man emerged—dressed utterly unlike the people of Silver City.
But Derrick and the Chief had seen such attire before. They knew that in the bright world outside this land, there was a large city called Backlund… and this style of clothing was common there.
"Huh?" Derrick first found the sudden newcomer strangely familiar. After thinking, he realized why. His eyes widened, and he exclaimed in shock:
"Mr. Tower? How are you here?!"
(End of Chapter)