Everything turned dark and blurry, as if the world was spinning for me, who had just been standing near Lenore, or whatever that woman's name was.
I realized my body was no longer standing but was strangely lying on a bed with a texture completely unfamiliar to my own.
Unconsciously, I rolled over and tried to sit up from the rather hard bed. I felt my whole body was damp and cold, covered in a cold sweat.
"Was that just a dream?" I mumbled once I had managed to sit up on the poor-quality bed. I touched my forehead and pressed it, trying to convince myself that this time it wasn't a dream.
"Wait? If it was a dream, could it have been entered by a Beyonder from the Sleepless Pathway?" The hairs on my neck stood up because I had unconsciously been entered by a Sleepless Pathway Beyonder, completely violating my privacy!
But this felt strange. How could I still think clearly and make calm decisions within my dream?
Could it be that all transmigrators gain the ability to become lucid in their dreams? Because I remember Klein could also become lucid in his dreams, which was very advantageous for him.
Hmm… if that's true, then the primary utility of the Sleepless Pathway is almost useless against transmigrators, and it feels like it violates the world's established system.
But I quickly dismissed that thought because the more I think I have certain advantages in this world, the easier I will die. After all, what can someone who wasn't even in the main novel script do? Get plot armor? That's impossible; I'm not Klein.
I lifted my body and sat upright on the bed, also observing the area in front of the bed. Then I felt a strange sensation on my right cheek; I felt someone touching it!
In less than a second, I immediately turned and found a woman with violet night hair, blue eyes, and great beauty touching my right cheek with one finger, her face smiling.
"You seemed to be having a sweet dream, Johnny," she uttered a moment after realizing I was staring at her. Her face was smiling, and her eyes seemed to be observing me.
I immediately moved back upon realizing it was Lenore touching me! Unconsciously, my face had also pulled away, and Lenore's finger was no longer on my cheek. But after that, I immediately observed her and the area behind her to try and figure out where I was.
It appeared to be a room containing several other beds around here, and the room had a chair and a table with a book on it. Then I noticed this room also had a window, and I could see two people in the glass who were watching us!
The two people in the glass wore Loen military uniforms, although I had difficulty guessing their exact faces because I was blocked by Lenore's rather long hair.
"Are you Lenore Adelaide?" After observing my surroundings with a mind still full of questions, I said this to the woman who was staring at me intently and full of 'attention'. Her blue eyes processed this after she realized I had spoken those words.
"Reintroducing myself, Lenore Adelaide, Law Enforcer," she said with a slight bow, answering my question, a mischievous smile visible on her face as she observed me again with her blue eyes.
This woman is annoying! She never explicitly tells me which organization she's actually from. But from all these signs, it's most likely she is indeed from the Evernight Church. At least that's good enough. Please, Goddess, bless me so your follower doesn't go crazy and try to kill me!
"Did... you enter my dream?" I tried to ask her so I could determine the best course of action going forward.
Suddenly, the woman immediately touched my chest again and moved closer to me until the distance between us was less than 5 cm. Then her blue eyes stared directly into mine for several seconds, causing me to pull my body and gaze away from the woman.
This is terrifying! As I thought that, the woman immediately said, "Yes. I was the one who entered your dream and provided the necessary guidance," she said in a nonchalant tone.
After that, the door to this room opened, and the two people who had been watching us earlier finally entered. I saw two men, one of whom was bald with a white mustache, and the other a man of average Loen height who looked younger than the bald man beside him.
"What are the results? Did you, as the church's representative, find any signs of abnormality in this person?" the bald man asked Lenore.
Lenore, who previously had a mischievous smile near me, immediately changed her expression to flat and professional, then looked at the bald man.
"No, this man shows no signs of abnormality, and everything confirms that he is not connected to the Aurora Order cult," she said with a neutral face, in a firm and serious tone, yet sounding more indifferent compared to when she was talking to me earlier.
"We will pay you a commensurate reward after we finish re-interrogating this man," the man with the upright posture next to the bald man said to Lenore.
Immediately after both men said that, Lenore promptly gave a polite bow and left the room, leaving me and the two men inside.
The two men immediately looked at me, trying to spot any abnormality just in case there was something strange about me, but I looked ordinary, so they decided to proceed with their original purpose.
"Were you involved with or have you met Baron Edmund Percival before?" the bald man said to me.
After the man said that to me, for some reason, I felt strangely compelled to answer as honestly as possible about my condition.
It felt as if I was under someone's command and couldn't refuse that person's order, and my subconscious was working on its own.
"No. I was never involved with or met him before. That party was the first time we met. I also don't know why he specifically targeted me, and I only know that he is from the Aurora Order cult," I answered the bald man's question with utterly unnecessary detail, and while saying it, I couldn't stop explaining everything meticulously, even the most trivial matters.
After I finished answering, the feeling of needing to answer the man with complete honesty and transparency disappeared suddenly, as if it had been external pressure directly influencing me.
With this, I could confirm that these two men were Beyonders. They were likely from the Arbiter pathway, because strangely, I could only obey the man's words and tended to trust him completely.
In less than a second after I answered his question, the bald man continued, "Have you ever used a sealed artifact before?"
The strange feeling to obey and answer the man's question immediately surfaced again. No! If this continues, he will know I bought some sealed artifacts from Mr. Hobert, because I'm sure I will automatically explain everything about the sealed artifacts too!
My heart beat fast, and sweat unconsciously started forming on my hands. But disregarding that, my mouth opened and began to say something.
"No, I have never used a sealed artifact before, although I am aware that such objects exist. However, up to this point, I have never actively used one," my mouth uttered.
After I became aware of what I had just said, the panic that had filled me earlier gradually faded, replaced by calmness.
Thank goodness! I didn't explain things like where I got this information or whether I possessed one or several sealed artifacts.
The two men narrowed their eyes, wrote on a piece of paper, and finally decided to speak again.
"Have you ever heard whispers from a creature or disturbing murmurs?" the bald man said it and stared at me intensely, perhaps because for him this was the most important question.
"No. I have never received whispers from any specific creature or entity so far. I have also never received any blessings or specific things that would make larger creatures notice me up to now," I looked back at the bald man's face.
After I said that, the atmosphere in the room became very quiet, with none of us speaking. Then the man next to the bald man promptly finished the notes he had been writing since my interrogation began.
He sighed before then looking at my face with a very serious expression. "With this, we believe that you are not involved with the Aurora Order's activities, and the incident at the party was entirely because you were merely their victim," he said.
"Even after cooperating with the Evernight Church, the results still show you were never involved with them," he added.
I immediately cut off the man's words. "Sir, does this mean I will be released?" I showed a worried expression as I said that.
If I'm released, I'll die! The Aurora Order is targeting me. With an organization full of madmen, it's certain they will target me until I'm truly dead, especially based on the words of the madman Baron Edmund Percival who strangled me; it seems I am liked or needed by the True Creator!
"No. After this, you will still receive expensive treatment from the royal psychologists, and you will receive temporary protection from the military or the Church of Steam and Machinery," he explained to me, which made my panic subside.
"Alright, sir...?" I tilted my head because I just remembered I hadn't yet learned the identities of the two men in front of me.
"I am William Grey," the man of average height who looked young explained. "And next to me is Thomas Clarke, who is my superior here," he continued, pointing to the bald man with the white mustache beside him.
"Thank you for the information, Mr. Grey," I bowed my head politely.
I breathed a sigh of relief after getting confirmation that I would be escorted by some Beyonders from the Steam Church or MI9 themselves. Perhaps this is a special privilege impossible for ordinary people attacked by Beyonders or insane cults in this world!
But after my sigh of relief, Mr. William looked at my face again, then he quickly said, "Although you will be escorted by the state or the Steam Church, you must still cooperate with us in an expensive investigation regarding the incident that happened to you."
"You are the person they targeted, so we need you to lure their members out to target you," he said.
I nodded after the man said that to me, but one thing nagged at my mind. "Sir, why didn't you or the other guards immediately help me at that party?" I asked this question because I was quite angry at the guards and how incompetent they were. And besides, why didn't they know there would be a madman at the party? Weren't most soldiers Beyonders... maybe.
"There were many complications, so we apologize for being late until you passed out at the party," Mr. William and Thomas showed sympathetic faces about the incident.
Do you know what it feels like to be strangled by a madman! My mind was screaming about this, but I tried to control myself. But seriously, what complications happened that made them move so slowly? Imagine if that madman had targeted everyone, not just me. The state truly can't be relied upon.
"But sir, what does the Aurora Order actually want from me?" I asked them anxiously.
"We are investigating this. We are also trying to cooperate with other official organizations to speed up the investigation," they answered my question casually, as if it wasn't a problem at all.
"How long will this investigation take, Sir?" I showed a worried face about this because the longer such things drag on, the more dangerous they become.
"We don't have a definite timeframe, but it might be faster than others because many organizations have decided to act against this threat together," he said with a strong sense of professionalism.
"Besides, you are the one truly connected to the True Creator and the Aurora Order's goal. So, whether we find out their purpose quickly or not ultimately depends on your level of cooperation," he added.
Depends on my cooperation...? Seriously, I think they will throw me to a group of Aurora Order members just to find out their goal! And hey, I'm not even a Beyonder; how could I possibly survive a group of superhumans when I myself am not super at all.
I absolutely must become a Beyonder. Otherwise, I will die very quickly. But I haven't really thought about this yet; after all, I just arrived in the LotM world a short while ago, and I don't want to alter the plot at all.
Of course, my goal of not altering the plot remains the same, and since my current safety isn't connected to the plot, this is the right choice. However... which pathway should I choose if I want to become a Beyonder? Should I ask MI9 or whoever for a potion? No... I'm not even sure about the Acting Method or how all Pathways work, and if I rush into deciding, it's tantamount to suicide, considering the risks of madness and corruption when becoming a Beyonder. Besides, I only truly know the general workings of three pathways: Fool, Sun, and Visionary. But of those three, the one I really know the ingredients for is only Fool and Visionary. It's really frustrating.
No, I think I should ask them first how I can stay safe if I follow their plan as the "bait" for the Aurora Order. "Sir, how can I be safe from the Aurora Order? They are worshippers of an evil god, while I am just an ordinary human. And even if a Beyonder constantly stays near me and tries to protect me, the result certainly won't be as good as me having my own protective abilities," I said that, hoping for a positive response from them.
"Correct. Of course, we won't just give you Beyonder escorts; we will lend you some talismans that can be useful against them," Thomas answered in a nonchalant tone.
"Is that so? I hope to receive any talismans or protections as soon as possible," I looked at Thomas.
"So... after this, am I allowed to go home?" I asked, looking at Thomas and William.
Seriously. I want to go back and immediately prepare a potion so I can become a Beyonder!
"Yes. You've been sleeping here all night, so you are free to go home until we call for you again. Also, when you go home, there will be a Beyonder from the Steam Church and MI9 who will accompany you there, ensuring your safety," Thomas answered.
"Wait? All night? So it's now June 27, 1349?" I asked them.
"Yes, June 27, 2 AM," Thomas and William answered briefly.
…
I was outside that room and saw a man with blonde hair and black eyes observing me carefully.
"Are you Mr. Lynch?" he asked and looked into my green eyes.
"Yes, I am John Lynch," I answered nonchalantly. "Who are you?" I asked him.
"I am Ruffles Moreau. Your guardian from the Steam Church for the case to be handled. Please cooperate from now on," said Ruffles.
"Yes, please guide me," I just nodded to Ruffles.
Then Ruffles and I immediately walked out of this place, and I saw the red moon with its dim red light stretching outside this place.
The red moonlight illuminated my face and Ruffles's, thundering and stretching across the city housing millions of people. Smoke was faintly smelled on the other side of the city; lights were on in the houses; the noisy sounds of horses were heard on every street.
Ruffles and I immediately boarded the carriage prepared by MI9 to take me home again, as it was already late at night.
Inside the carriage, I, who had previously just been gazing at the familiar-looking red moonlight, simultaneously decided to ask Ruffles about this issue, in case he could tell me more details.
"Ruffles, do you know why the True Creator and the Aurora Order are targeting me?" I asked Ruffles. His face, which looked dashing with his blonde hair, was illuminated by the red moonlight.
"No. But generally, I have some speculations about what they might actually want from you, based on some past issues related to the Aurora Order," he answered my question.
So he has speculations? Hmm… I actually have some too, though I'm not sure. Perhaps the original John in the novel was actually a vessel for the "True Creator," but in an unknown event, he was killed.
Wait! Could it be that when I transmigrated into John, he had actually already died in his sleep?
This is terrifying! Did I transmigrate into a living corpse like Klein? No… perhaps my guess is completely wrong. After all, I obtained all of John's memories, and there was never any sign that he was a god's vessel and died right when my transmigration occurred.
As I thought about that, I also listened to Ruffles's speculation about my condition. "From some cases we've handled before, it's possible that you are specific ritual material for them, like a sacrifice or something similar that fits the Aurora Order's vision," he said like that.
"However, it's not impossible that you are actually involved more deeply. You might be prepared as the actual ritual. Perhaps some people need you to obtain an artifact or whatever they require," he continued with a somewhat unusual smile.
"But there's a third possibility where we truly cannot predict what they want to do to you. After all, the Aurora Order followers are essentially madmen." After saying that, he paused for a moment. "But in the third possibility, the chance of you surviving after being targeted by them is very small. In several cases, they will continuously target someone until that person is truly dead," he added.
"That's just a possibility, right?" I asked with an uncomfortable expression and a slightly furrowed face.
"Yes," Ruffles answered very briefly and nonchalantly.
After passing various Victorian and Gothic-style buildings, we finally arrived back at my house, and we were currently in the front garden area.
A sense of relief and happiness suddenly arose in my heart because I had managed to survive the previous near-death situation. And I truly didn't leave my family here; at the very least, I didn't leave my family this time.
My face unconsciously formed a slight smile, but without hesitation, I entered the house, and there I saw Fritzh and other servants.
After that, I changed my clothes and everything because I really couldn't stand all the things that happened yesterday. Perhaps yesterday is something I will truly never forget for the rest of my life, even if I manage to return.
….
I was sitting on the sofa at home when Fritzh came to me and politely presented a letter addressed from Hobert.
"This is a letter from your business partner, Young Master," he said respectfully.
I immediately opened the letter and saw writing in Leonese:
"To John Lynch.
To John Lynch,I hope we can meet sometime in the coming week. I intend to provide you with many explanations about mysticism, the history of the Fourth Epoch, and Emperor Roselle. Your purchase of items for your client makes me want to share many of the items I've collected and the stories from my life.
The items you bought for your client are not ordinary, as they are mystical objects that require specific care and usage methods:
The Red Pistol you bought is named Crimson Red Revolver. This revolver can kill spiritual creatures and grant its user significantly better accuracy. It can also heal the person wielding it, within unlimited boundaries. However, if someone uses this revolver for too long (more than four hours), that person will become very foolish for 12 hours because the revolver saps a person's intelligence in exchange for the effects it provides. This revolver also requires the blood of a living creature as a means of maintenance. If it does not receive blood, it can make everyone nearby permanently foolish if not given blood once a week.
As for the featureless mask:
This mask can change a person's form into yours,with the limitation that the person must be of the same gender
and height. However, if someone wears this mask for too long (for a week without taking it off), that person will go insane and become dependent on the mask because the mask absorbs a person's sanity in exchange."