A promise for the future?
And the Mechanical Emperor to be declared as a subordinate god of the God of Steam and Machinery?
The second point, at least, made some sense. After all, Roselle's "Industrial Revolution" had, in a way, helped the God of Steam and Machinery fully digest the Civilization Enlightener authority that He hadn't completely absorbed when He hastily ascended to godhood.
But the Mechanical Emperor's Steam Era in the Floating City clearly predated Roselle's. When Morning Star City returned to reality, it might even cause some degree of conflict within the God of Steam and Machinery's divine state…
From that angle, the fact that the God merely demanded the Mechanical Emperor be named His subordinate god — rather than interfering directly with Ebner's "Floating City relocation project" and burying Morning Star City forever in "Afternoon Town" — could already be seen as a concession.
So… was this part of the terms the Seal of Calamity had negotiated with Him ahead of time?
Hmm… after all, among all of "my" incarnations, besides me, only the Seal of Calamity and Giuseppe Castiya could recall the events of Morning Star City.
As for Giuseppe — he never did anything serious, so it was clear that both the dream of the Floating City in the divine war ruins and the guidance toward the "Alchemist" Claus were all the Seal of Calamity's handiwork. That alone showed how invested it was in retrieving Morning Star City from the Forsaken Land of the Gods.
Therefore, preemptively negotiating terms with the God of Steam and Machinery, to prevent Him from overreacting at a critical moment, was indeed necessary. That also explained how the God of Steam and Machinery came to know of the Mechanical Emperor's existence.
But the question remained — what exactly did that guy promise Him? Did he leave a trap for his future self? I have absolutely no clue!
And as for the first condition — this vague "promise for the future" — what even was that supposed to mean? How could I dare agree to something so undefined?
After all, from what the little snake said about the "Ring of Fate," I've already learned how good my previous selves were at painting pies for the future!
As for the "benefits" the God of Steam and Machinery offered, Ebner didn't particularly care. He didn't need favors from the Steam Church — as long as they didn't obstruct his plans, that was enough.
But… if I reject this deal, does that mean tearing apart the agreement between the Seal of Calamity and the God of Steam and Machinery — effectively turning the latter into an enemy?
At this juncture, antagonizing one of Intis's major churches would force me to scrap and rebuild every single plan!
After weighing his options for a long while, Ebner finally looked back at the expressionless Bornova and said carefully,
"I'll need some time to think about it… is that acceptable?"
He believed this was a deal worth negotiating carefully — the "Steam Maiden's" support might not be that impressive, but if relations soured, the damage She could inflict on his plans would be impossible to predict.
And since this was a negotiation, he couldn't just accept every term outright. He needed time to bargain — to consult with Lilith, the Goddess, and the two-headed dragon, and hopefully bring them along to the next round of talks to help him drive down the price.
While he was still considering this, Bornova nodded lightly.
"That's fine… but a deadline must be set."
After thinking briefly, Ebner replied,
"Next Monday. Would that be acceptable?"
Just in time — after the Tarot Club meeting, he could use "The Fool" as his figurative banner.
"Agreed." Bornova nodded again. "Once you've decided, come to Gustav Cathedral in the Liva District."
Gustav Cathedral — formerly known as St. Roselle Cathedral — had once served as the Steam Church's headquarters in Trier. But after Roselle's assassination in the White Maple Palace, it had been renamed, stripped of its prestige, and gradually declined.
Recently, however, thanks to the massive popularity of the film Roselle Gustav, the cathedral had found new life — becoming a fashionable sightseeing spot for affluent young men and women who'd seen the movie.
After saying that, Bornova turned as if to leave, but paused and added,
"The Delien family's ancestral treasury is extremely dangerous — even a divine vessel would avoid approaching it. Be cautious."
As his words faded, the three mechanical dolls — Penglai, Shanghai, and the third unnamed one — emitted countless glowing runes from their backs, forming a three-pointed sacred symbol in the air. Bornova stepped forward into the sigil and vanished.
Only after a long silence did Ebner finally let out a deep breath and relax his grip on the Spirit Worms in his palm.
— Having studied and used the Evernight Goddess's "Historical Projection" charm, he had about a 30% chance of crafting something similar on the spot using those Spirit Worms — potentially summoning Rhine Kalendia or Vicente Miranda, his former "big shot" selves.
As for Yaloran's avatar — while capable of bullying lesser demigods, it would hardly suffice against a true angel.
"This time, I was really caught off guard… Though, even if Bornova had intended to strike, I could still escape. And if things truly went south, I could always release what's sealed behind the Pure White Eye…
"If nothing else, just using the Wheel of Fate to drop a 'misfortune' on him would be enough to give that old Mech-Bro a headache."
After reflecting on his lack of preparation, Ebner decided against seeking out Fanny or Helene to discuss work — it was already past midnight, far too late to disturb them.
Instead, after regrouping with Daphne and reassuring her, he took her to his workshop on his countryside estate outside Trier — to "forge some iron"…
Name: Mirror of Radiance
Appearance: A seemingly ordinary full-length glass mirror.
Function:
Can record the appearance of anyone reflected within it, allowing its holder to transform into any stored visage.
Can also store various garments, letting the user see themselves wearing chosen outfits when gazing into the mirror — excellent for coordinating attire.
Negative Effects:
The mirror is alive and notoriously mischievous, occasionally manipulating the reflection to injure itself — with the harm transferring directly to the user's corresponding body part.
Excessive obsession with changing faces or outfits may lead to mental contamination, causing the user to lose their sense of self entirely.
Special Requirement: The mirror must be fed at least three new faces or three new outfits daily — failure to do so will trigger its negative effects.
Gazing at the mirror he'd crafted — designed specifically for Miss Temperance — Ebner felt reasonably satisfied. Though its living nature seemed troublesome, such an item from the Seer pathway would surely behave obediently in Klein's hands, and could even serve as Sharon's tool for playing "Shining Nikki" in real life.
After analyzing the Mirror of Radiance, Ebner turned to another creation — a sleek white belt with a card slot carved into it, etched with simplified ritual markings.
It wasn't inherently powerful; its true function was to activate two special cards made from Spirit Worms:
Yesterday Recast Card – Rhine Kalendia
Yesterday Recast Card – Vicente Miranda
When used, one could insert the desired card into the belt's slot and chant the activation incantation — invoking the Yesterday Recast effect to temporarily transform into one's previous "big-shot" self.
To make these two cards, Ebner had consumed over a dozen Spirit Worms. Without Daphne nearby, he might not have had enough…
In the end, he even prayed to The Fool and borrowed a portion of power from Sefirah Castle to succeed.
"Let's call you the Transformation Belt," Ebner said, caressing the flashy, chuuni-style white device with a grin.
(End of Chapter)