Above the boundless grayish-white, inside the magnificent palace.
Just as Leonard Mitchellâs figure appeared to the side of the long bronze table, he subconsciously stood up and wanted to bow to Mr. Fool.
However, when he looked over, he found the seat empty. No one was sitting there.
Doesnât Mr. Fool usually sit there? A thought flashed through Leonardâs mind as he cast his gaze to the other end of the long mottled table.
The World was sitting there silently as though he was fused with the gray fog in an indistinct blur.
â⊠Thereâs only the two of us. Thereâs no need to deliberately use Gehrman Sparrowâs appearance,â Leonard casually said to The World as he sat back down.
After discovering Mr. Foolâs absence, he instantly became relaxed. He wasnât as reserved as he was in the previous Tarot Gatheringâjust short of throwing his leg up on the table.
âItâs a habit,â Klein replied succinctly.
Leonard nodded in thought.
âI heard that Gehrman Sparrowâs persona at sea is a cold, reserved, refined, and polite person. Your current performance matches that description very well. However, you wasnât like this in the past, Klein. You have to remember that youâre only acting. Do not be affected by your persona as Gehrman Sparrow.â
Hey, I pulled you up here to discuss Amon, not to have a chat! Why do you show so little concern towards your grandpaâs matters? Klein had indeed made it a habit to use The Worldâs persona in such situations. But when this was pointed out by Leonard, he was a little embarrassed to change back into his original appearance. He tersely acknowledged that he would keep it in mind.
âDid Pallez Zoroast teach you about the part that âyouâre only acting?â
âYes,â Leonard answered frankly.
This grandpa seems pretty good. He mentioned such crucial information to Leonard⊠Compared to âHim,â the rat demigod from before was really up to no good. She didnât teach Hazel any of the most common knowledge. Even if she did, she distorted some of it. Heh heh, no matter how unaffiliated you are, how could they not know anything at the level of a demigod? Even that half-crazy sea serpent, Kalvetua, knew how to respond to rituals or obtain sacrificial items. It even knew some theurgy and how to perform bestowments⊠Klein established a first impression of Pallez Zoroast.
However, he wasnât hasty to make a judgment. After all, fishing was an activity that required bait. Just one instance didnât prove much. Seeing Klein being silent, Leonard cut the small talk and got down to business.
âWhere did you discover traces of Blasphemer Amon?â
Klein went straight to the point.
âI was pursuing a demigod of the Marauder pathway who was on the brink of losing control. However, I ended up encountering Amon in the outskirts of Backlund. All I could do was use Mr. Foolâs powers to directly escape.â
âAmonâs avatar really is still in BacklundâŠâ Leonard sighed before he asked in a rather curious and desultory manner, âWhy were you pursuing a Marauder pathway demigod whoâs on the brink of losing control?â
After he asked the question, he realized something and swiftly added, âIf it involves some plans of Mr. Fool, pretend as though I never asked.â
Why? Isnât dealing with Beyonders on the brink of losing control or those who have lost control the duty of a Nighthawk? Klein sighed when he heard Leonardâs question.
It stirred up memories of his time in Tingen City.
In that short two plus months, he had handled many similar matters. It included the Mandated Punisher of the Church of Storms who turned into a monster, Hood Eugenâs loss of control, and Old Neilâs corruption by the Hidden Sage. Although they were only a handful, they left a deep impression on him. It drilled certain actions deep to the bone.
Therefore, after taking into account everything that he knew, and coming to the conclusion that the Marauder pathway demigod was on the brink of losing control after rabidly biting someone, he didnât hesitate and used his illusion from downstairs. From that, he gained confirmation from Hazel and didnât even wait a day or two to make preparations. All he did was do a divination above the gray fog and came up with a rough plan before taking action.
Such matters were emergencies for him!
In addition, Klein had long had the intention of getting rid of the Marauder pathway demigod because the malintent she had shown when dealing with Hazel was obvious. Furthermore, she had tried to entice Miss Magician to seek out treasure that was in actual fact a trap. If he wasnât a demigod back then, which meant a great difference in strength, he wouldâve taken action back then. Besides, he was also afraid that he would trigger unnecessary accidents.
It was precisely because of this that he followed his predetermined plan to eliminate her once he confirmed the Marauder pathway demigodâs condition.
The first stage of his plan was to lure the enemy out of Moose Manor to prevent her from producing her incomplete Mythical Creature form before dying, as that wouldâve affected the ordinary people. The result was pretty satisfactory. With himself as the bait, he achieved his goal, but he failed to use the Air Cannon bombardment to finish the battle. This made the Marauder pathway demigod flee into the woods and parasitize a tree.
Klein actually had a second stage to his plan and had even prepared contingencies in the event he failed to eliminate her. To his surprise, Amon suddenly appeared, making him terminate all his plans and flee without any hesitation. Kleinâs contingency was to let a marionette escape the battlefield and write to the experimental demigod byproduct of the Numinous Episcopate, Patrick Bryan, to get his help. This Undying likely possessed the ability to traverse the spirit world after all. And if there were any additional unforeseen circumstances, he could summon Miss Messenger and make payment after the deed.
As his memories surfaced, Klein replied to Leonard with a sighing tone, âA secret.â
After pausing for a second, he asked, âWhy didnât you find an opportunity to inform the Church of Evernight about the arrival of Amonâs avatar in Backlund?â
Leonard hurriedly gave an explanation, indicating that if Amonâs actual body were to arrive, a deityâs descent was almost certain. He also explained that Amon could use the death of âHisâ avatar to see the corresponding changes in destiny; thus, finding the source of the stir and figuring out the activity range of the mastermind. It was also Amonâs style to circle about a superficial avatar but hide a dozen, dozens, or hundreds of avatars. Amonâs avatars could parasitize all kinds of creatures with spirituality. If one wasnât a demigod, they wouldnât even notice the parasite.
Towards the end, Leonard informed Klein in detail about the example Old Man had raised of how Amon would steal oneâs destiny.
This sent a chill running down Kleinâs back, thankful that he hadnât been rash in dealing with Amon. Otherwise, Mr. Fool mightâve been replaced.
Itâs no wonder Leonard didnât report the matter⊠For Amon to appear so openly, âHeâ is actually fishing. Furthermore, he has even more avatars hiding in secret, and âHeâ can parasitize the microbes in the air⊠This alone sends my scalp tingling. The creatures I can control at the moment canât even reach that state. The smaller the creature, the harder it is to see the Spirit Body Threads. Itâs quite a special case⊠Sigh, I canât use the Churchâs power, unless itâs done by someone who is without any problems in every aspect⊠Klein commiserated as he gained a deeper understanding of Amonâs terror. It left him a deeper impression.
From his point of view, Leonard was an excellent candidate to report the matter to the Church of Evernight, but with Pallez Zoroast parasitizing him, he didnât dare expose his existence to Amon.
In addition, The Hanged Man could also shoulder this responsibility, but he was unable to provide the source of the news. This meant problems that deserved deeper investigations into.
One choice after another flashed across Kleinâs mind. Finally, he paused on himself-his identities as Klein Moretti and Gehrman Sparrow!
As a Blessed of Evernight, itâs entirely reasonable for me to inform the Church about Amonâs appearance in Backlund. Amon wonât be able to pick faults with that.
And having involved myself with the battle with the Marauder pathway demigod tonight, as the Bizarro Sorcerer who witnessed Amon and is now in possession of the knowledge that the Angel of Timeâs avatar is here in Backlund, itâs also very normal and not something that will garner Amonâs suspicion. At the same time, as Iâm a Blessed of Evernight, just the loss of an avatar likely wonât incur âHisâ full wrath for revenge. After all, âHeâ might be facing a very possible trap-a deityâs descent! Having a backer really feels good⊠However, a price is always exacted for what fate bestows⊠Klein quickly came to a conclusion over the matter.
Then, he habitually changed his point of view and began considering this matter from Amonâs point of view.
Amon is definitely no stranger to Bizarro Sorcerers. âHeâ can determine my pathway from my control of the marionettes and my swapping of locations.
Since Amon allowed a Bizarro Sorcerer to flee, âHeâ mustâve made preparations to be exposed. âHeâ might even be hoping to attract the target âHeâ is looking for.
I was using Gehrman Sparrowâs face, but that doesnât imply anything. A Facelessâs appearance is the least of oneâs concern⊠Hmm, then how would Amon determine my identity? A powerhouse that lurks in the dark and a demigod of the Seer pathway⊠As the Church of Evernight and the Secret Order are in control of the formulas, ingredients, and a mermaid, there are almost no unaffiliated Bizarro Sorcerers. The descendants of the Antigonus family have all been wiped out. Therefore, a Bizarro Sorcerer is either from the Secret Order or a secret proxy that the Church of Evernight secretly nurturesâŠ
Together with me being in Backlund, the answer is almost obviousâŠ
Due to these reasons, Amon wouldnât find it difficult to determine that the Church of Evernight is aware of âHisâ whereabouts and will begin an operation to wipe âHimâ out. My reporting of âHimâ will be within expectations. Not doing so would be abnormalâŠ
Yes, âHeâ will definitely be hiding. Even if âHeâ replaces the identity of that Marauder pathway demigod, âHeâ wouldnât come to Böklund Street anytime soon!
Having made this judgment, Klein immediately felt a little more relieved because it meant that he would have plenty of time to prepare!
âWhat ideas do you have?â Seeing Kleinâs prolonged silence after he finished his description, Leonard couldnât help but ask.
Klein reined in his thoughts and asked without answering him, âWhat suggestions does Pallez Zoroast have regarding this?â
âHeâ said that if you wish to deal with Amonâs avatar in Backlund, you have to first obtain the blessings of Concealment,â Leonard replied truthfully.
Blessings of Concealment⊠Pallez Zoroast is openly trying to test me. Half the symbol behind The Foolâs seat represents concealment⊠Using Paper Angels and the Red Priest card, I can stir the powers of the mysterious space above the gray fog, making it possible for me to disrupt Amonâs avatar. However, itâs probably unable to prevent âHimâ from prying into fate itself⊠However, I still have another identity as Evernightâs Blessed, and another title of the Goddess is the Mother of Concealment⊠Is eliminating Amonâs avatar considered paying the price or receiving a bestowment? Seems like both⊠Klein thought before replying in a deep voice:
âTell Pallez Zoroast that Iâm a Blessed of Concealment. I will attempt to pray for help.â
He was referring to being the Blessed of the Mother of Concealment, but it was certain that Pallez Zoroast would understand it as being The Foolâs Blessed.