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*****
"It's time to pay Crestet a visit."
Glancing at the clock, George dissolved into a streak of fiery light, vanishing from his home. He reappeared moments later at the Church of the Evernight Goddess, located less than a hundred meters away.
"Good evening, Crestet."
"Good evening, George."
Upon seeing George materialize, the deep furrow in Crestet's brow softened slightly, though the tension remained in his shoulders.
"You don't look well. Is something weighing on your mind?" George asked. He didn't even need to employ his mental abilities; a simple glance at Crestet's expression was enough to reveal his troubled state.
Crestet let out a heavy sigh. Without a word, he handed George a potion bottle and a sealed document.
"This is the Bizarro Sorcerer potion for Sequence 4, along with clues regarding the subsequent potions and their required materials."
George took the items, his mind already racing with a likely theory. "Is this about the Royal Family?"
Crestet nodded grimly. "Based on the intelligence you provided, I captured those two descent vessels belonging to the Aurora Order and the Demoness Sect. I reported the matter directly to the Pope. He personally communicated with the Angels of the Royal Family, and the result... he has sanctioned George III's apotheosis ritual."
He paused, a flicker of frustration crossing his face. "The only conditions are that the Royal Family must treat the slaves building the mausoleums humanely and sever all ties with the Aurora Order and the Demoness Church."
George reached out and patted Crestet on the shoulder, offering a small gesture of comfort. "If the Pope made that decision, he surely has his reasons. If you need anything, don't hesitate to reach out." With that, George took his leave.
In truth, this outcome didn't entirely surprise him. In roughly twenty years, the barrier left by the Original Creator would vanish completely. Earth would then be forced to face the Outer Deities—beings whose power far exceeded that of True Gods—and their terrifying subordinates. If George III actually managed to become a Black Emperor, it would mean an additional pillar of strength for the coming apocalypse. As long as the Royal Family was willing to draw a line between themselves and the evil cults, the Seven Orthodox Gods would likely remain neutral.
Furthermore, there was another factor: the Goddess of Evernight seemed occupied with the task of accommodating the Death Uniqueness, leaving her little time to intervene in other affairs—or at least, that was the front she maintained.
For George, this wasn't necessarily a bad thing. If the Seven Gods had flatly refused to let George III ascend and moved to block him directly, George's own future plans would have been difficult to execute. With the Gods remaining neutral, he could wait for the moment George III held his ritual to let Roselle "replace the peach with a plum," utilizing the opportunity to return from the dead.
"Let's look at the leads for the high-sequence materials first," George muttered to himself. He had already obtained the formulas for the Seer pathway from Roselle, so he only needed to focus on the locations of the ingredients.
"So, they're in Hornacis," George noted, a look of realization dawning on him as he read the file.
According to the documents, both the formulas and the materials for the higher sequences of the Fool pathway were located within the Hornacis Mountain Range. However, the file contained a stern warning: the area was extremely perilous, and it was highly recommended to wait until after reaching Sequence 4, Bizarro Sorcerer, before attempting an entry.
The Hornacis Mountain Range was a place George knew well—at least by name. It was the very same range where Lanevus had once scammed his parents into building a steel plant. As a major geographical feature of the Northern Continent, it sat right on the border between Loen and Intis. Not only did it serve as a natural boundary between the two nations, but its peaks had once overlooked the capital of the Solomon Empire's first era.
George recalled hearing about Hornacis early on from Klein, specifically regarding the Antigonus family notebook that had triggered so many early events. At the time, he had been too focused on converting magic and spirituality to pay it much mind. He hadn't expected the range to hide the very materials he now sought. It seemed the Secret Order's obsession with the Antigonus notebook was likely driven by these same clues.
"Right, I can ask Roselle about this."
Roselle was intimately familiar with the history of the Fourth Epoch and had been the Emperor of Intis; he was bound to have some insight into the mountains.
With a flash, George entered Sefirah Castle. Inside, he found Roselle and Klein locked in a heated battle.
"Hahaha! Look at this combo! Zhou Mingrui, you're still not quite there yet!"
"I'm just not used to Iori Yagami yet," Klein countered, clearly unwilling to admit defeat. "Next round, I'm picking Mai Shiranui."
The two were playing on a game console George had materialized using Transformation Magic. Knowing Roselle was bored spending eternity in the castle, George had provided the entertainment. Now that Klein had settled matters in Tingen, he had finally found the time to accept Roselle's invitation to play.
"George is here! Come, have a round. Zhou Mingrui is a total scrub," Roselle challenged with a triumphant grin.
George waved him off. "I have serious business. Do you know anything about the Hornacis Mountain Range?" He gave a brief summary of the clues he had gathered from the Church.
Roselle stroked his beard, his expression turning thoughtful. "As far as I know, the Hornacis Mountains are deeply tied to the Antigonus family."
"The Antigonus family," George repeated, narrowing his eyes. He knew of them—once one of the most powerful families under Solomon. The notebook had come from them, as had the marionette that possessed the characteristic of a Puppet Master. If his hunch was right, this family had once held the keys to the Fool pathway.
"The head of the Antigonus family was reportedly a Sequence 1, Attendant of Mysteries," Roselle explained. "Back when I was advancing to demigod status, I helped that old fellow Zaratul steal a notebook from the Antigonus family. After he got it, Zaratul headed straight for the Hornacis Mountains. He was a Sequence 2, Miracle Invoker, at the time. Yet, I never saw him again, right up until the day I died."
Roselle looked at George seriously. "There is a very high probability that high-sequence Beyonder characteristics of the Fool pathway are left behind there. But it is undoubtedly dangerous. The Church of Evernight didn't lie to you."
If a Sequence 2 Miracle Invoker like Zaratul could vanish without a trace, the danger lurking in the mountains was at least at a Sequence 1 level. However, George had already gone toe-to-toe with the Depraved Mother Goddess; he felt confident he could handle whatever was there.
"I'm hoping I can gather all the remaining materials in one go. That would save a lot of trouble," George said, nodding. To him, unless the Original Creator himself was resurrected, nothing was truly a threat. His only concern was how many useful materials he could find.
Leaving Sefirah Castle, George didn't waste a second. He took to the sky and flew directly toward the Hornacis Mountain Range. If he could secure the materials and prepare the potions now, it would streamline everything later. With any luck, he would be back before dawn to begin his advancement to Bizarro Sorcerer.
(End of Chapter)