When we arrived in Backlund, it was around 1:30 pm on Monday.
Odis realized that she had to control the duration of the conversation so as not to delay the Tarot meeting.
Bernadette, dressed in an olive-green long dress, sat on the sofa in front of the fireplace and asked, "What's the urgent matter that you suddenly wanted to see me about?"
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As she spoke, she pointed to the single sofa opposite her.
After sitting down, Odis remarked, "I didn't expect that even in February, Backlund would still be so cold."
He had grown accustomed to the sun-drenched, raging sea, and was finding it somewhat disorienting to return to the cold, gloomy Backlund.
He then said, "It's like this, I met an old man named Kent today..."
Odis recounted her encounter with Kent and the general content of their conversation to Bernadette, omitting, of course, the part about Roselle.
He wasn't worried about anyone eavesdropping on their conversation, because Bernadette was one of the stronger "Saints," and Kent couldn't possibly be sitting quietly in a corner listening.
But if the person eavesdropping is Adam... well, let him listen, after all, it's his freedom.
Of course, the main question is, what methods are there to prevent Him from listening?
So Odis has always been very open-minded. Even though he has entered the story that Adam created, or Adam might be observing him, his attitude has always been: please do as you please.
When Odis was halfway through her sentence, Bernadette interrupted her: "They have 'blasphemy tablets'?"
Odis replied, "I don't think they would lie in a place like this."
He had originally intended to conceal the matter of the "Blasphemy Card," but then he thought that Bernadette must be very eager to obtain the card, so he did not hide the fact that it was for a reward.
Bernadette tried to conceal her emotions and gestured to Odice to continue.
After listening, she asked, "What organization is this old man a member of?"
She had heard of a very mysterious organization whose purpose was to manipulate "the trends of the times," but she didn't know exactly what kind of organization it was.
"I've heard it's an organization mainly composed of extraordinary individuals from the 'spectator' pathway," Odis said. "I don't know exactly what kind of organization it is."
He thought to himself, "This is a bit of a mouthful: it's not that I don't know, it's that as soon as I mention the name, I know it."
Bernadette hummed in agreement, then suddenly remembered her father's warning, and solemnly said to Odis, "Be careful of the 'audience'."
Odis paused for a moment, then said, "Thank you."
He was well aware of the weight of this reminder; it was the "Mysterious Queen" worrying about his situation and using what she considered to be secret words to warn Odis.
Bernadette thought for a moment and then asked, "Are you confident in assassinating Duke Negan?"
"Yes," Odis replied almost immediately. "In my opinion, this guy isn't difficult to kill."
He would think this way largely because he had killed Backlund's "Apostle of Desire" beforehand. At that time, the Church of Storms' Privy Councilor in Backlund was still Ace Snake, the "Dove of God".
As long as a plan is made in advance, the assassination can be carried out in a short time, and then the perpetrators can escape Backlund.
"Then you can take this commission," Bernadette said. "I don't think that secretive organization will renege on its promise."
"If you encounter any difficulties, I can help you, and the reward is to let me see that 'blasphemous card'."
Odis replied, "Even without your help, I will still show you that 'Blasphemy Card'."
Bernadette glanced at Odis: "You know?"
What she was actually asking was: Did you know that it was the "blasphemous card" made by Emperor Roselle?
"I've heard some rumors before that I can't be sure of," Odis said, half-jokingly. "But judging from your reaction just now, I know that some of those rumors are true."
Bernadette hummed in agreement, not continuing the topic: "The clue I can provide you about the main ingredient for the potion is 'Floater Phantom Hidden-Tailed Cockroach'."
She paused for a moment and said, "I will tell you the specific information after you have completed this transaction or obtained another main material."
"Alright," Odis smiled. "I'd like a better crystal ball. Can I buy one from you?"
"I'll give you one," Bernadette said. "Consider it a thank you for showing me the 'Blasphemy Card'."
As she spoke, she took out a whistle that she always carried with her, put it to her lips and blew it, but no sound came out. However, Odis sensed a spiritual fluctuation.
The next second, a hand with illusory scales reached out from the void and handed Bernadette a small but exquisite crystal ball.
After Bernadette took it, the illusory hand immediately disappeared.
Odis knew that it was a spirit creature that had made a pact with Bernadette. At the "wizard" level, potions contained knowledge on how to make pacts with spirit creatures.
However, Odis had a "wilderness of knowledge" and did not have much need for it, so he never made any efforts in this regard.
As soon as he got his hands on the crystal ball, he immediately felt the spiritual energy stirring within it. He guessed that it must be made of high-grade spiritual materials.
After finishing their business, Odis asked about the current situation in Backlund: "I've heard that Backlund is becoming increasingly turbulent?"
"That's right." Bernadette leaned back on the sofa. "More and more people are losing their jobs, making the streets of this city very unstable."
"But the top management of Backlund obviously did not pay enough attention to this matter, or rather, they did not have a good policy to curb such things in the short term."
Odis laughed, "They probably only know how to open more almshouses, don't they?"
"There seem to be more workhouses now," Bernadette asked. "Is there anything wrong with that?"
"I also thought of some ways to deal with these problems," Odis said, "but the worst thing that would be to build workhouses."
"Oh?" Bernadette became interested as well: "What's your idea?"
"For example, 'work relief'," Odis said. "The government takes the lead in starting large-scale public welfare projects such as building parks and repairing roads."
"This will not only solve the employment problems of many people, but also alleviate the problem of overcapacity to some extent."
Bernadette pressed further: "Overcapacity?"
This was a new word she had never heard before.
Odis said, "It means that the products produced exceed the needs of society."
As someone with memories of the Common Era, I am well aware that most of the problems currently facing Rune are basically caused by overproduction.
Bernadette looked Odis up and down again, and she realized that Odis's words had hit the nail on the head in the current state of the Kingdom of Rune: "You're wearing glasses, and you really do look like a professor."
"I'm not a professor anymore." Odis took the opportunity to bring up the issue of digestive potions: "Astrologers seem similar to 'diviners,' so could we consider 'astrologers' to some extent as 'diviners'?"
Bernadette thought for a moment: "That's a good idea, but there are still differences between the two."
"The astrologer peers into fate, yet reveres it."
"'Astrologers' are more mysterious and more knowledgeable, well... in my opinion, mystery is more important."
As Odis listened, he pondered for a dozen seconds before smiling and saying, "Thank you for reminding me; I almost missed the point."
Bernadette cautioned, "How you digest it depends on yourself; everyone digests potions differently."
Odis hummed in agreement, stretched, and said, "There's not much to do this afternoon. I'm going back to take a nap."
He stood up and smiled, saying, "You look great in a dress."
Bernadette replied, "But it's inconvenient for me to move around."
Odis summoned a phantom door: "Actually, you look quite good in neutral-toned clothes too; that's a different kind of beauty."
After saying this, Odis pushed open the door and entered the spirit world.
Bernadette watched Odis leave before she smiled and looked up at her dress.
...
Odis returned to the Argo. Since there were no combat missions recently, the Argo docked at the port of Cruz Island for rest.
The crew of the "Dawn Sword" pirate crew were also able to rest, but Bazel, Rupert, and Bivis still didn't have time to rest.
Bazel was handing over the responsibilities to Mandy while ensuring the safety of the ladies.
The company in Bayam has been officially established and is now operational.
Rupert is in charge of the coordination on Cruz Island. The teleportation array is currently activated once a day in the morning to transport goods and personnel.
The government on Cruz Island has also been organized under the discussion of Odis and Mandy. The reason it was organized under discussion is that Odis does not intend to set up a parliament.
In Mandy's mind, even a town government should have a council to delegate certain powers to the locals in order to win them over and tie their interests to her own.
However, Odis believed that such a power structure was preparing for the plunder of Crus Island and that it was not well-organized, or rather, he felt it was not effective.
Odis thus strengthened the functions of government departments, clarified the responsibilities of each department, and established only a government, not a parliament.
Third mate Bivis was sent to negotiate with the tribes in the mountains. Such negotiations were bound to drag on several times, and it was estimated that there would be no results until next week.
With three first mates and Mandy busy, Odis finally had time to lie back in her armchair and remark that the climate of the raging sea was much more comfortable.
It's only relatively comfortable; the area is too humid and hot, and it's not actually the most comfortable environment in Odis's mind.
At exactly three o'clock, Odis, lying in an armchair, found his vision obscured by a gray mist, and in the blink of an eye, he appeared in a grand hall that seemed to have been prepared for giants, on one side of a long bronze table.
The Hermit Odis was the first to notice that the previously inconspicuous, constantly rolling gray mist around him seemed to be outlining mystical symbols. He quickly lowered his head and lowered his eyes, not looking around aimlessly.
He wasn't afraid of offending the "Fool," but rather because he knew very well that this was the "Source Castle," and his "Peeping Eyes" were out of control, so he dared not look around recklessly.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Fool!" With Miss Justice's cheerful voice ringing out, this tarot session officially began.
Alger the Hanged Man and Cattleya the Priestess both looked at the Hermit during the greeting. They had both received astonishing news in the past day or two, so astonishing that they couldn't even determine its authenticity.
However, after the greetings, it was Mr. Fool's reading session.
Just yesterday, after playing Admiral Emilius, "The Fool" Klein also heard some news about "Captain Gal".
But as a "fool," he certainly couldn't verify such a "trivial matter."
So he pretended to read two pages of "The Magician" Fors's sacrificial diary at a leisurely pace before saying, "You may begin."
Odis spoke first: "'Fool' sir, I hope you can help me seal the 'Eye of Secrets'."
Klein paused for a moment, not quite understanding the meaning of "hermit".
Meanwhile, Cattleya, sitting opposite Odis, seemed to suddenly realize that she had attended so many parties without ever thinking of this.
Odis then explained, "'Fool,' after my advancement, my 'Eye of Secrets' will open uncontrollably."
"In the real world, I have glasses that seal the 'Eye of Secrets,' but I can't bring them to parties. I hope you can help me reseal them."
The reason he brought this up in front of everyone was to remind Cattleya not to look around carelessly when using the "Eye of Secrets".
Alger, the "Hanged Man," stood there dumbfounded: "The Hermit" has advanced again? This advancement... this advancement seems to be Sequence 5!
"Justice" Audrey also exclaimed: "When Mr. Hermit first joined the Tarot Club, he was lower in sequence than me, but now he is already a Sequence 5!"
Fors, the "magician" who had met Odis, was not particularly surprised by the "Hermit's" promotion. In her opinion, the "Hermit" was a capable and very reliable extraordinary person.
"Moon" Emlyn was somewhat envious: I didn't expect "Hermit" to already be Sequence 5, that level is a viscount even among vampires.
He then remarked that he didn't know when he would be able to reach that level.
"The Sun" Derrick thought "The Hermit" was amazing: to be able to advance so quickly and still be in such good condition, even knowing the method of acting, is nothing short of a miracle.
At this moment, Klein, who was the first to react, said to Odis in the tone of "The Fool": "You can materialize those glasses with the sealing effect. As you materialize them, I will help you to make the corresponding seal."
At the same time, he realized why the "priestess's" gaze was so penetrating; it turned out to be a power of this method.
However, the "Hermit" was much more cautious, knowing that one should not look around carelessly in such a high-level place. Therefore, after being promoted, he thought about sealing the "Eye of Peeping," while the "Priestess" obviously did not have such an idea before.
With Klein's manipulation of the gray mist's power, Odis materialized a pair of glasses. After putting them on, everything around him returned to the state it was in when he attended the party, and the "Eye of Secrets" was restored to its sealed state.
At this moment, Cattleya said, "'Fool,' I also ask you to help me seal the 'Eye of Secrets.'"
The other members then realized that the "Hermit" and the "Priestess" were the same path, and now they were in the same sequence.
Having resolved the issue of sealing the "Eye of Secrets," Alger, regaining his composure, glanced at the "Hermit," then at the "Priestess," before saying, "I heard some news yesterday."
The members who weren't on the sea, including "Justice" Audrey and "Magician" Fors, were all taken aback.
They immediately realized that this news must be quite important, which is why they disrupted the original transaction process and started with an information exchange.
Seeing that his words had attracted the attention of the other members, Alger continued, "'Argo' attacked the fleet of the Kingdom of Feneport, sinking three small cruisers, damaging one first-class battleship, and capturing one large cruiser."
Both Cattleya and Klein turned their gazes to the "Hermit," for they too had received such astonishing news.
Moreover, in Klein, Port Olavi, I saw the newspaper about this incident this morning.
The other members paused for a moment before realizing that the captain of the "Argo" was none other than "The Hermit."
Immediately, apart from "The Sun" Derrick, the other members understood why "The Hanged Man" had brought this up in advance.
Because pirate attacks on the navy are rare, attacks that cause significant damage to the navy are even rarer.
So everyone looked at the "hermit," hoping to verify the authenticity of the news.
Odis smiled and said, "That's right. I plan to convert that large cruiser into one of my own warships."
Cattleya immediately said, "This will definitely provoke Fennepot's furious retaliation."
She really wanted to ask if this was an order from the "Queen," but then she thought that the "Queen" probably wouldn't issue such an order that would cause a lot of trouble.
Odis, however, said rather casually, "Then their losses will only be greater."
Then Cattleya pressed further, "What's the point of this action?"
Alger and the other members discovered that the "priestess" was also very concerned about this matter.
Odis replied, "First of all, I want to clarify that they came to me, not the other way around."
Everyone was taken aback upon hearing this, realizing that there might be more to the story.
"The 'Deep Blue' pirate crew that I wiped out before was secretly supported by the Fennepot Navy," Odis explained.
Audrey thought she had misheard: "The Navy would support pirate groups?"
Fors, who was next to her, said, "That's not surprising. I've seen some notes from the Age of Exploration. When the new sea route to the Southern Continent was first opened, countries like Rune, which had relatively weak naval power, found many pirates and appointed them as captains of raiding ships to plunder and harass the merchant ships and cargo ships of the Kingdom of Intis."
"I remember that Mr. Hanged Man seemed to have shared similar information with us at a previous gathering."
Alger nodded: "As far as I know, many pirates nowadays also obey the orders of various countries' navies to attack other countries' ships."
He glanced at Audrey and then added, "Not only does the Fenneport Navy have such pirate power, but the Rune Navy does too."
Audrey opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end she said nothing.
At this point, she was no longer like she was when she first joined the Tarot Club, with a black-and-white way of thinking; she was now able to accept the facts relatively calmly.
Odis continued, "Fennepot approached me wanting to redeem the 'Ghost,' and just then, the Rune Navy also approached me."
Not a single mistake, not a single poem, not a single post, not a single piece of content, not a single look!
"After careful consideration, I decided to side with the Rune Navy and attack the Fenneport Navy."
As for the fact that he also swindled the Fenneport Navy out of Β£15,000, there's no need for everyone to know that.
The other members thought to themselves: So there's more to this story than meets the eye.
Knowing the Navy's recruitment methods, Alger also realized that the "Argo" should have become an unofficial force of the Ruen Navy, and perhaps even given the ranks of "Hermit" and other crew members.
Klein also understood why there was Captain Gal's information on Admiral Emilius's desk, and why Captain Gal reported to the Navy after learning about the "Rose School" clues.
Cattleya said, "You actually have a better option. Attacking Fenneport directly will cause a lot of trouble, and the Rune Navy may not help you after you run into trouble."
Audrey turned to look at the "priestess" sitting below her. From her observation, the "priestess" seemed to be very concerned about this matter.
At previous gatherings, the "priestess" had never expressed such a high level of concern about anything.
Alger also noticed this and wondered if their previous exploration had led to more contact outside of the party, or if something else had happened.
Only Klein, who knew the most about the other members, had guessed that the "Priestess" probably didn't want the "Hermit's" actions to cause trouble for the "Mysterious Queen."
"Of course I know," Odis smiled. "I think it's the best choice."
"Well, how should I put it? Actually, many times, trying to have it both ways often leads to self-destruction."
"Only by making certain choices and standing on one side can one gain more benefits."
Cattleya pressed further, "What if the Fenneport Navy retaliates?"
"Not if," Odis smiled. "They will definitely retaliate."
He then said, "I'll handle those below demigod level myself; for those above demigod level, I'll ask the Navy."
Alger joined the discussion: "Did the Navy make any promises?"
"Yes," Odis said. "If the Feneport Navy sends out demigods, they will send out demigods as well."
Alger opened his mouth, but for a moment he didn't know what to say, because if both countries sent demigods, it would be tantamount to declaring war.
So his first thought was that the Navy was probably just saying that, but then he realized that the "Hermit" wasn't someone who was easily fooled, so he didn't say anything to remind him.
At this moment, "The World" suddenly asked "The Hermit": "Did you predict that the Feneport Navy would be defeated by Rune?"
"No," Odis smiled slightly, "I'm guessing that the Rune Navy is incapable of defending the western part of the Roside Islands."
Cattleya immediately understood: The Hermits were trying to establish their own sphere of influence in the western part of the Roside Islands by taking advantage of the infiltration and counter-infiltration between the two countries' navies.
She has no problems anymore.
Alger also realized: No wonder the "Hermit" was so certain that the demigods of the Rune Navy would make a move; it turned out that the Rune Navy needed the "Hermit" as a pawn.
He smiled slightly at this, because he sometimes does this kind of "reverse blackmail" as well.
Klein, behind the gray fog, thought to himself: This doesn't seem like a pirate, he seems more like a politician.
Although the other members were not yet clear about the "Hermit's" plans, they realized that his actions, while seemingly impulsive and not the best choice, were actually quite prudent.
Odis said, "I haven't read the latest edition of the Roseside Daily. Should I be put on a bounty for this?"
Klein manipulated "The World" and said, "You have a bounty of Β£25,000 on your head by Fenneport, but no other country has a bounty on you."
Alger remarked, "For an attack on a naval warship, this bounty is actually quite low."
In his view, the loss of four cruisers and the humiliation suffered by the Fenneport Navy warranted a bounty of at least Β£50,000.
After all, the value of that large cruiser alone was over 40,000 pounds.
Odis thought to himself: Does the Navy of Fenneport mean that the Β£25,000 would rather go to the bounty hunters than to me?
He smiled and said, "I think I can be considered a 'pirate general' now."
The typical "pirate general" would first call himself a general, and then, after several battles, gain widespread recognition from pirates and the navy.
Of course, the pirates' approval stemmed from admiration and obedience to power.
The Navy's approval stems from their belief that the person is indeed a heinous criminal, and they will offer a high bounty.
Odis became a "pirate general" in a completely reversed way. The Feneport Navy offered a bounty first, and he first fought to defeat the "great pirates" and attack the Feneport Navy. Only then did he remember that he should call himself a "general".
Cattleya and Alger nodded slowly in unison. They also felt that after news of the attack on the Fenneport navy spread throughout the Raging Sea, "The Hermit" already possessed the strength and prestige of a pirate general.
Audrey's feelings were very complicated. She was happy for the "Hermit" to become a pirate general, but she was also afraid that the "Hermit" would forget his original intention and become a real pirate.
That topic has come to an end, and everyone has moved on to the trading. "Justice" Audrey cleared her throat first and said, "I need either the complete pituitary gland of a young dragon or the spinal fluid of a Black Hunting Lizard. I also need one fruit of a psychedelic bell tree."
Klein and the others instantly realized that "Justice" had obtained the Sequence 6 potion recipe and was now seeking to purchase the corresponding main ingredients.
This caused Alger another wave of anxiety. When "Justice" first joined the Tarot Club, he wasn't an Extraordinary, but now he's preparing to advance to Sequence 6 and is about to catch up with him.
The others didn't seem to care much, after all, "Justice" was also a "veteran member" of the Tarot Club, and it seemed like it was time for him to advance to Sequence 6.
At this moment, the "priestess" Cattleya said, "Dragons are almost extinct. I can inquire about the spinal fluid of the Black Hunting Giant Lizard for you."
Audrey immediately replied, "Okay!"
After waiting a few seconds, and since no one else had any clues about the "psychedelic wind chime tree," everyone promised to keep an eye out for Miss "Justice."
Then Alger asked, "Does anyone have any clues about the recipe for the 'Ocean Singer' potion?"
Odis estimated that he could buy it from "General Iceberg," but it would definitely be very expensive.
Moreover, he remembered that Alger later obtained the formula from the Tarot Club, or more precisely, from "The World," at a relatively favorable price, so he didn't intend to make money from it.
Seeing that no one had any relevant clues, Alger was somewhat disappointed.
He really wanted to ask, "Where did the Hermit get the potion recipe?"
Then "The World" said to Odis, "I want to trade with you information about the Zarathus and Antigonus families."
Odis nodded: "No problem, according to the price we agreed on before, the former is 800 pounds and the latter is 1200 pounds, for a total of 2000 pounds."
Before Klein could manipulate "the world" to agree, Odis added, "However, I recently obtained some information about Antigonus. This angel's situation is rather special. Do you intend to start the transaction before or after the 'Night Kingdom'?"
Klein paused for a moment, then manipulated the "world" to ask, "What's the difference between the two?"
"Trading from the 'Night Country' will incur an additional 1,000 pounds," Odis said.
It wasn't that Odis was greedy; the main reason was that to start from the beginning, one had to mention the people of Antigonus, which would lead to the introduction of a god and two other angels.
Klein thought for a moment before manipulating the "world" and said, "Trade from the 'Night Kingdom' before."
Odis nodded: "Alright, that'll be 3,000 pounds in total."
"Justice" Audrey immediately raised her hand slightly and said, "I'll offer Β£1,000 and join the deal!"
If we hold a "Tarot Meeting" now and don't exchange some high-level information with the "Hermit," everyone feels that it's like a Tarot Meeting without Miss "Justice" greeting usβit's incomplete.
So everyone participated in the transaction, and they eventually agreed that "World" and "Justice," who initiated the transaction, would each contribute 750 pounds, while the other members would each contribute 300 pounds.
"Little Sun" Derrick still pays with extraordinary materials.
After everyone agreed on how to pay the fee, the transaction began.
Odis said, "Let's start with the Zarathustra family. So far, there have been two leaders of the angelic level in this family. To distinguish them, we call them 'Old Zarathustra' and 'Young Zarathustra'."
"This family mainly controls the potions produced through the 'diviner' pathway and has established a secret organization called the 'Secret Order,' which is currently active primarily in the Republic of Intis."
Audrey recalled hearing information about the Secret Order from the Hanged Man a long time ago, and only now did she realize that the Secret Order was an organization founded by the Zarathustra family.
Klein and Gadriya were unaware of the difference between "Old Zarathustra" and "Young Zarathustra" until then.
The other members knew almost nothing about this family, so they didn't make any connections and were simply listening attentively.
Odis continued, "Old Zarathustra should have become an angel in the Third Age. In the Fourth Age, he first served the First Empire of Solomon, and later the Second Empire of Solomon."
"Among the great nobles who were previously loyal to the First Solomon Empire, only He and the Solomon family continued to support the Second Solomon Empire."
"In the 'Battle of the Four Emperors', Old Zarathustra encountered Antigonus and Mr. 'Gate' and was killed by them. His Sequence 1 trait was taken by Antigonus."
"This family has always been very mysterious. I don't know much about old Zarathustra, or rather, this family is still very mysterious to this day, and we rarely find any trace of them."
"However, it is said that they would actively collect and pursue the relics of the Antigonus family."
Klein thought to himself: I can attest to that. The first extraordinary event I encountered in this world was the "suicide" case triggered by the Secret Order's struggle for a notebook belonging to the Antigonus family. Even my arrival in this world might be related to that notebook.
Odis paused and then said, "I did learn some information about Little Zarathustra through some channels."
"It is said that when Little Zarathustra was promoted to Sequence 3, he returned to the 'Dark Age' for unknown reasons."
"To put it more directly, when he was advancing in the Fourth Epoch, he suddenly appeared in the Second Epoch for some reason."
Actually, they were chased all the way to the Second Age by the "Hound of Fugen".
Upon hearing this story, everyone was initially taken aback, and then they were all amazed by the wonders of the extraordinary world.
"The Magician" Fors wondered: Who exactly is Zarathustra the Younger? Who is Zarathustra the Older? Of course, the crucial question is: was the Older Zarathustra born in the Second Age? If not, would the Younger Zarathustra have witnessed his father's birth?
The more she thought about it, the more she felt: This seems like a great topic for writing.
Meanwhile, Emlyn the Moon thought to himself: Could Little Zarathustra have simply died of old age in the Second Age? After all, he doesn't live as long as the vampires.
Other members also had their own interpretations, and in general, they all felt that the experience was quite magical.
Odis gave everyone a few seconds to process the information, then continued, "By the time of the Fifth Age, Zarathustra the Younger..."
"What?" Emlyn blurted out, "He lived to the Fifth Age? From the Second Age to the Fifth Age?"
Klein was also thinking: I don't really think the 'diviner' path leads to a long life before angels?
"I've thought about that too," Odis replied to Emlyn's question. "I wonder if, after the Second Age, Zarathustra might have had a certain opportunity to become an angel?"
"That's why he was able to live from the Second Age to the Fifth Age."
Emlyn nodded: "I see."
Klein also thought this explanation made sense, since when Roselle first gained the support of the leader of the Secret Order, Zarathustra was already Sequence 2.
Fors couldn't help but ask, "Then...did Zarathustra see His father? I mean, when He returned to the Second Age, did He see His father?"
Everyone nodded slowly, sharing similar questions.
Audrey had even imagined a scene where an old man was calling a child's father, which seemed incredibly bizarre no matter how you looked at it.
"I don't know." Odis hadn't considered this question before. He smiled slightly and said, "Perhaps Little Zarathustra didn't see it on his own initiative. Perhaps he was afraid that his appearance would affect the future."
Klein thought to himself: This guess is quite logical; "fortune tellers" generally have a great reverence for fate.
After seeing that everyone had no further questions, Odis continued, "According to reliable sources, in the Fifth Age, Zarathustra the Younger secretly funded the then-weak Emperor Roselle..."
This description surprised everyone, giving them the feeling that a complete stranger actually knew one of their friends.
For the members other than Klein, the name Zarathustra was relatively unfamiliar. Gadria and Alger had heard of the name, but the other members had never heard of such an angel before trading information about the Fourth Age.
"...Later, it is said that after Emperor Roselle became powerful, Zarathustra's investment paid off, and he received something very important from the emperor." Odis deliberately spoke somewhat vaguely here.
Klein thought to himself: I know that. Actually, it wasn't obtained from Roselle, but rather Roselle helped us steal the Antigonus family's notes from the Church of the God of Steam and Machines... back then it was called the Craftsmen's Church. The two of them worked together to steal the notes from the Craftsmen's Church, and that was the beginning of everything.
He took a deep breath, feeling that he had gotten the best deal this time, or rather, that the information he had heard was the most useful to him.
Odis continued, "I don't know exactly what that thing is, but I have received accurate information that it contains clues to the Sequence 1 characteristic of the 'Diviner' pathway..."
Klein was stunned: What? There was such a clue in that book? Could it also contain clues about the demigod-level potion recipe through the "Diviner" pathway?
The other members all felt that, for an angel, only clues to higher sequence characteristics were truly important to them.
"...After that, Little Zarathustra disappeared. There are many speculations, some saying that while searching for a Sequence 1 property, He was killed by a more powerful being of the same path." Odis deliberately left things unclear here:
"Some say that when He was in the first rank of promotion, He failed to advance and died."
"Some say it has turned into a monster and is now hiding somewhere, trying to regain its sanity."
Odis said, "I dare not give a definite answer to this, but I think that He is most likely not dead."
Klein fell into a brief moment of contemplation, while the other members listened as if to a stranger's story, without much feeling.
Odis waited for a moment before continuing, "Antigonus's story begins in the Second Age. He had a relative named Amanises."