The main hall of the Harvest Church was as quiet as ever, with only a handful of believers listening to Bishop Utravsky's sermon.
After all, in Backlund, followers of the Earth Mother were few, and most had joined after being helped by Emlyn's potion during the Great Smog incident. Their families were poor and had to work during the day, so aside from coming at mealtimes to receive Holy Communion, they rarely visited the church.
Those who lived a bit farther away wouldn't even come for meals.
Thus, a truly devout believer like Mrs. Fasin—who came every day to hear the Earth Mother's doctrine—was one in a thousand. There were only three or four of her kind, and half of them were wealthy ladies who came mainly for Emlyn.
—Ever since he starred in the Backlund Impressions film series, he'd become famous in social circles, drawing plenty of unwanted attention.
When Ebner entered, the visibly harassed Emlyn looked as though he'd seen his savior and hurried over to sit beside him.
The lady who had been pestering him didn't dare continue in front of Ebner and turned her attention back to the Earth Mother's teachings.
—Anyone who came to the Harvest Church to chase after Emlyn, at least publicly, had converted to the worship of the Earth Mother.
"Hazel isn't here today?" Ebner looked around and asked.
Usually, Hazel helped Emlyn fend off such entanglements.
"She's been investigating Sherlock with her student lately. Right now, she's probably visiting his former neighbors," Emlyn replied casually.
So she actually took my offhand joke seriously… that "if you uncover Sherlock's secret, your Cryptologist potion will fully digest"…
Still, that's not a bad thing. Even if I can't divert her fate of encountering Amon, at least it delays when Amon discovers her.
While Ebner pondered this, Emlyn awkwardly asked in a low voice, "That 'Ice Queen' limited-edition doll series your company mentioned in the magazines—when will it be released? And how much will it cost?"
How should I know? I only mentioned the idea once; the actual work's being handled by the manager Hazel hired…
Still, Emlyn, you really have grown bolder after earning a few hundred pounds from me.
Ebner thought for a moment and didn't give a direct answer, merely telling him that the most perfect set of dolls would be sold through an auction.
"An auction?" Emlyn froze, realizing his savings might not be nearly enough…
After chatting idly for a while, Bishop Utravsky's sermon finally ended. Ebner deliberately approached, intending to ask whether Lilith would receive him.
But the bishop shook his head.
Seeing this, Ebner felt helpless but also understood—it was unlikely for a god to remain manifested in reality for long. So he settled for the next best thing, slipping into the church's washroom and stepping directly into the full-length mirror inside.
—It was the meeting place he had arranged with the "Angel of Spirits."
Once inside the mirrored world, Ebner looked around and saw that it hadn't been altered—merely a reflection of the washroom.
A small, crudely made puppet was sitting atop the sink, tilting its head to look at him.
"Good morning, Lady Tolzna," Ebner greeted first.
After their previous battle and shared meal, he had grown somewhat familiar with this angel.
The puppet that Tolzna inhabited slightly inclined its head in response, then asked in an ethereal voice, "What do you want with me?"
Knowing her temperament, Ebner didn't waste words. He immediately organized his thoughts and described the entire situation concerning the "Sonia Island Sea Monster Conflict," finally asking, "What do you think Adam's goal is in this?"
Tolzna was silent for a few seconds before carefully replying, "I don't know Him well enough to be sure what He wants… but most likely, there's no malice involved."
"Why?" Ebner asked in surprise.
"If He truly harbored malice, you wouldn't even be able to tell something was wrong… After all, you should be aware of the level of the powers standing behind you.
"Once you're on guard, what could He possibly use to support His malice?" Tolzna said simply.
True enough—if I count them, I have more angels to call upon than I can count on one hand, not to mention demigods… Adam hasn't ascended yet, and even if He wanted to scheme, He wouldn't dare with that lineup arrayed against Him.
Besides, Adam is likely guided by divinity and wouldn't act that foolishly.
Thinking that, Ebner relaxed a little. He had to admit that he was somewhat intimidated by Adam—the former "Creator."
"To be safe, I can go with you," Tolzna's puppet raised its right hand slightly, "but unless an angel takes action, I won't appear."
"What do I owe you for that?" Ebner asked, delighted but still cautious.
"Nothing. When I received protection from Lilith and the other One, I vowed to serve as your angel. It's only right that I help you."
She paused, then added, "Of course, if possible, please prepare a new puppet body for me… The one from the magazine—the 'Ice Queen'—looks quite nice."
My angel? Ebner couldn't help but be taken aback.
"So the Fool has five great angels—'the old, the young, the sick, the weak, and the pregnant'—does that mean I get the same treatment?"
He glanced at the crude puppet on the sink, then at the "Yaloran clone" in his eye, thinking half-amusedly:
Except my angels are either strange puppets or things like 'Monkey King's hair'… this lineup's even odder than Klein's 'five great misfortunes.'
Still, he gladly accepted having an angel under his command and promised to get her the latest limited-edition doll.
Speaking of which, Ice Queen hadn't yet premiered in Loen, so the merchandise wasn't ready either—but thanks to Elaine's efforts, the Intis branch had advanced production.
Thus, after leaving the Harvest Church, Ebner teleported straight to Trier. There, while retrieving the doll from the company, he also summoned the Scholar of Yore, Daphne.
As the Vice President of the Secret Order and one of his devoted believers, she was trustworthy.
As for the far more fanatical "Parasite" Flora—who had given her entire being to "Liu Bo"—Ebner did not bring her along.
First, he suspected that Adam's plan might involve "Liu Bo," and having a zealot of his around could be inconvenient.
Second, taking along a demigod of the "Error" pathway risked drawing Amon's attention.
Third, the enemy's lineup already included only two Sequence 4s, two Sequence 3s, and two Sequence 2s—his side had more than enough power; no need to expose extra cards.
…
At six that evening, Ebner took the Scholar of Yore Daphne by the hand and stepped through a "Teleportation Gate," arriving in a card room inside the Bravehearts Bar—the designated meeting place.
Disguised as Gehrman, Klein glanced at the unfamiliar lady beside "Professor" and muttered, "Another one I don't know," before asking in a deep voice, "Are you ready?"
As for Miss Sharon and the Messenger Lady, they were both already fused into his body—along with the "Admiral of Blood" puppet.
(End of Chapter )