Silver City, the Berg household.
Once again, Derrick Berg prayed to The Fool. His parents waited anxiously outside the room. Though both Mr. and Mrs. Berg were deeply worried, all this was done for one goal — so that Silver City could finally establish contact with the outside world.
Derrick's mother, Annis, couldn't bear to watch. She had tried to stop him.
"No, Derrick, if you go on like this, you'll be devoured by an evil god!"
But Derrick said nothing. He only kept praying.
As he prayed again and again — as he uttered words of devotion, even vowing to offer his life and blood — the sinister, mysterious existence finally agreed to meet him.
Within the pure crystal orb, a burst of crimson light erupted. The light flowed like liquid, engulfing Derrick in an instant.
When no sound came from inside the room anymore, Annis covered her mouth and began to cry silently. Mr. Berg clenched his fists tightly, tears streaming down his cheeks.
When Derrick gradually regained consciousness, he found himself standing within a grand palace supported by enormous stone pillars.
Before him stood an ancient bronze table, mottled and aged.
On the far side of that table sat a figure shrouded in dense gray fog.
All around was nothing but void — hazy, ethereal emptiness. When he looked down, the depths were filled with endless gray-white mist and countless unreal crimson lights.
This… this was the second great existence to ever respond to Silver City, after the King of the Amber!
Nervous, yet with a spark of hope igniting in his heart, Derrick looked blankly toward the indistinct figure seated above and stammered,
"Y–You… are you a god?"
The instant he spoke, a thought struck him — You must never gaze directly at a god! That was what they had been taught in the Silver City's general knowledge class!
He hastily lowered his head in panic.
The shadowy figure leaned back casually, fingers interlaced, appearing utterly relaxed — not at all like some deranged, perverted evil god with a fondness for young boys.
But… was that really true?
After all, the King of the Amber had clearly told the Chief: this was a perverted, ancient evil god who liked little boys.
[If you laugh, Amon Parasitizes you]
Derrick thought to himself, Next, he should say— "I am not a god…"
And indeed — Klein, speaking in the ancient Giant tongue, said:
"I am not a god. I am merely a Fool who is interested in the long history of the world."
It matched! It really matched!
Derrick felt both excited and terrified. Excited, because Silver City had received a response again; terrified, because… well, his backdoor might not be safe tonight.
He had heard this "deity" supposedly had the authority over Doors. That didn't sound reassuring at all...
Meanwhile, Klein, having lightly tapped his left molar twice, observed the boy's ethereal form. The colors of his astral body's surface were uneven — meaning he wasn't yet a Beyonder.
Derrick took a deep breath. After a long silence, he said with difficulty,
"Whether you are a god or a Fool, my wish remains unchanged. I hope everyone in Silver City can escape our fated curse… I hope the sun described in our books will appear in the sky once more."
The man — who in the future could grant all sorts of wishes for a single copper penny like a fully automated vending machine — smiled and asked,
"Then what will you offer as the price?"
Derrick froze. After a long pause, he said,
"I will offer my soul. I will please you with my blood."
"I have no interest in mortal souls or blood," Klein said with a gentle smile and shake of his head.
That's hardly a fair trade, Klein thought to himself, unless this were some third-rate web novel titled 'The Domineering Evil God Fell in Love with Me'.
Before Derrick could respond again, Klein continued leisurely,
"But I can give you an opportunity."
Derrick didn't dare to protest, though his body trembled ever so slightly.
Unaware of the boy's thoughts, Klein went on,
"I am a Fool who favors equivalent exchange. You may use whatever you can obtain to trade with me — or with others like you — for what you desire. Remember, it must be of equal value."
Recalling the way his old boss used to "paint big pies" of empty promises before his transmigration, Klein added smoothly,
"This will make you stronger. Perhaps one day, you can rely on your own power to free Silver City from its curse and bring back the sun."
It was a promise from the signpost of destiny itself.
From Derrick's earlier words, Klein now had a rough idea — Silver City must lie within the so-called Forsaken Land by the Gods. He wasn't yet 100% certain, of course. The "sunless sky" was something recorded even in myths of the First Epoch, during the Age of Chaos. Who could say if there weren't other strange places besides the Forsaken Land, hidden from the northern nations?
Or perhaps it was even on another planet. Still, since the boy spoke the Giant tongue, it likely wasn't that far away.
Derrick listened quietly, lowering his head. After a long moment, he said solemnly,
"I wish to become the Sun. I seek from you the formula for its initial Sequence."
Gehrman:Ding! You have a new 'Kill Order.' Please respond promptly.
From those few words, Klein deduced that the Forsaken Land must have become isolated from the continents near the end of the Second Epoch — likely tied to the great cataclysm that marked the beginning of the Third.
Ancient Feysac was directly derived from the Giant tongue, and Klein — being somewhat of an expert — had progressed rapidly in his mastery of it, enough not to embarrass himself.
Still, at that moment, he couldn't help but wish he had that "synesthetic beacon" Sairuis once mentioned.
Maintaining his composed, high-and-mighty demeanor, Klein replied evenly,
"This trade can be discussed later. For the next two days, you'd better not go out. Avoid staying in the same room as anyone else."
"Understood. I will obey your instruction." Derrick bowed his head respectfully.
Then, the despicable yet domineering Fool demanded a "protection fee" and "membership fee" from the poor little Sun — in the form of Silver City's historical information.
Silver City's plight weighed heavily on Klein's heart. For now, he was powerless — all he could do was keep drawing bigger pies of hope.
The naïve Derrick believed them wholeheartedly… and enjoyed every bite.
Before sending him back, Klein manifested a deck of tarot cards and told Derrick to choose a codename.
Derrick flipped through them and chose — "The Sun."
Gray mist surged, crimson light faded, and Derrick's consciousness returned to the real world.
He opened the door and stepped out to see his parents. The three of them embraced tightly, weeping in relief.
(End of Chapter)