After that, Audrey expressed her wish to learn about secret organizations, and Alger asked her for 1,000 pounds.
In response to Miss Audrey's lighthearted tone of "That's so cheap", a poor little Klein-cat quietly shattered inside.
Alger spoke about the Moses Ascetic Order, saying they worshiped the Hidden Sage—an impersonal evil god, a symbol. But since the Hidden Sage had unexpectedly come alive, the Moss Ascetic Order had fallen from being a respected group of ascetics into a depraved cult almost overnight.
Then came the Witches, whose higher ranks were all women. At this point, everyone simultaneously recalled Sairuis's description of "witches" at the last meeting, and more or less guessed what was going on.
Next were the Spirit Cult, the Psychology Alchemists, and the Secret Order.
All of this was knowledge worth 1,000 pounds. The specifics? Well, those won't be spelled out in this free chapter.
After more conversation, Klein announced the end of the gathering.
Cutting the connection, Klein watched their figures shatter and fade away. He tried to imagine creating a "smurf" of himself.
Unfortunately, after several attempts, the clones all had dull expressions and wooden movements. Even with illusory gray fog cloaking them, the flaws were obvious.
No good. Klein tried again and again, sighed, and gave up on the idea of making small avatars. Then he experimented with other things, still seated atop the fog, at the head of the bronze table, reflecting on Audrey's earlier words. Curiously, he turned his gaze toward those illusory, crimson stars.
After a moment of silence, Klein decided to attempt communication not by establishing a link, but by responding to prayers. In the stillness and dead silence, he found no information from the nearest ten or so crimson stars.
No one had prayed to him, so naturally there was nothing to respond to.
And he wasn't about to violate others' will and forcibly drag them onto the gray fog.
As for Audrey, Alger, and Sairuis?
Sorry—Mister Fool "doesn't understand what you're saying."
Manual intervention unavailable.
Just then, Klein brushed against one of the stars, and faint, unclear prayers seeped through.
Focusing, Klein peered past the crimson haze. He vaguely made out a brown-haired youth, kneeling before a pure crystal ball.
The boy wore tight black clothing, utterly unlike the trends in the Loen Kingdom, and quite different as well from the traditional attire of Feysac, Intis, and other foreign nations Klein had seen in magazines.
The surroundings were dark, the tables and chairs old, lit occasionally by flashes of light. Yet Klein heard no thunder, no pattering of rain.
In the vision, the boy pressed his clasped hands against his forehead, body bowed forward, ceaselessly praying. His deep, resonant voice hummed in Klein's ears.
Klein strained to listen—but realized he couldn't understand.
If only I had Mister Devil's Synesthetic Beacon… Klein thought.
Unable to make sense of the words, Mister Fool withdrew his gaze.
The poor little supplicant would never guess that the great being's silence came simply because He didn't understand.
Forsaken Land of the Gods — Silver City.
Derrick Berg ended his prayer and lingered quietly in his room for a while. Seeing no response, he left the chamber and met Colin Iliad, the Chief of Silver City, waiting outside.
"Chief, still no reply." Derrick sounded disappointed. This had been the very first task given to him by the Chief.
"It doesn't matter." Colin patted Derrick's shoulder. "You've taken a risk on our behalf."
"For Silver City, this risk is nothing," Derrick's eyes were firm.
"Good child," Colin smiled. "Go rest."
"Alright." Derrick left, but not before glancing back at the room with the crystal ball. In his heart, he whispered an apology.
Sorry, O great existence. This was just the Chief's task.
A few days earlier, the "King of Amber" had dragged Colin's consciousness into the River of Fate and delivered an oracle: have a boy named Derrick Berg pray before a crystal ball.
Colin did not understand, but he obeyed. What baffled him even more was that, as he departed the River of Fate, he faintly glimpsed a massive amber-colored hammer descending from above, shattering the very top of the River of Fate.
Utterly incomprehensible.
(End of Chapter)