It's really unsettling; even if we win, we can't let our guard down."
Standing behind Klein, Tristan's sigh of regret forced the newly ascended demigod, whose mind and body were in complete disarray, to pull himself together and pay attention to the subsequent twists and turns.
"What inside information do you have?"
Klein turned his head and glanced at the count to his right rear, but his gaze remained fixed on the chain-linked artifacts moving through the ruins, observing how the creations of the giant cannon and the mechanical spider were putting their bodies, originally designed for slaughter, into the cleanup work.
He wasn't afraid of Tristan revealing any earth-shattering information for Rothschild at the moment; after all, it was bound to happen soon enough. He was simply curious.
Klein's consistently accurate intuition told him that what the "ancient scholar" was about to say was probably related to some trouble he couldn't escape.
"What inside information do I have?" Tristan scoffed. "If I had become an angel, a member of the High Council, perhaps I could have made some unfounded accusations and shared some not-too-dangerous secrets with you."
"But in fact, I am just an outdated old relic. You might as well ask Friedrich for advice instead of trying to learn anything from me."
Tristan's self-deprecating denial did not disappoint Klein. After spending some time together, Klein knew very well that the seemingly jealous and self-pitying remarks were just a little trick Tristan used to lay the groundwork for the real point. This old man was definitely still holding back a twist.
"I've just made a few guesses based on some orders issued by our country during the time you were in a 'coma'."
"For example?" Klein pressed.
"For example, after the 'natural disaster' returned, nearly a thousand years later, our Lord finally issued another divine oracle concerning you."
Looking into Tristan's deep blue eyes, Klein's fingers, hidden in the cuff of his trench coat, trembled slightly. He used almost all his strength to keep his gaze from wandering away.
"What...did the Lord say?"
Tristan did not answer immediately; he deliberately delayed, using silence as a means of exerting pressure, or perhaps it was simply a matter of being speechless, as mortal words are rarely able to distill the will of a deity.
In short, it took about ten seconds before the count finally spoke.
"Actually, when you sent 'The Dog of Fortune' to deliver the letter last time, its name almost scared me to death."
"call?"
Sending the message… This time, he didn't need intuition or memory; Klein realized almost immediately what Tristan was talking about.
At that time, he had just established contact with the "Hounds of Fugen". These "Guardians of the Source Castle" who lived in the mists of history mistook his identity for that of the "Mysterious God" and the "Lord of the Source Castle" who had been resurrected.
No, actually it's not entirely wrong...
I am indeed Zhou Mingrui, and can be considered part of the "Lord of Mysteries." After all, given the characteristics of the "Diviner" path, it's hard to say how much difference there is between the Mystic Puppet and the original body once one reaches the Sequence Zero level...
Klein let out a barely perceptible sigh of relief, but remained alert.
He had no idea how much of their relationship was revealed in the oracle.
"Yes, the title," Tristan continued. "It called you 'Master' back then. To be honest, even Friedrich would have been startled by this beautiful misunderstanding. After all, everyone knows that the 'Hound of Fortune' only has one master, just as the true 'gatekeeper' of the underworld would never mistake Death for your teacher."
"This oracle is strange. The Lord did not mention His return, but He mentioned you."
Tristan showed no surprise at the astonishing contents of the oracle, as if his previous misunderstandings had toughened him up so he would not panic in any situation.
"The Lord has acknowledged your status as a 'chosen one'."
They only acknowledged "those favored by the gods," and said nothing else.
Klein was somewhat surprised, but more so because the contents of the oracle issued by the "God of Mysteries" exceeded his expectations.
Is it because of the "mystery" that He was unwilling to reveal the details of His incarnation ceremony?
"I thought I was already a chosen one of the gods," Klein said, frowning. "Aren't all the Creator's messengers considered chosen ones?"
"Are you kidding me?" Tristan was both annoyed and amused. "I am the former Mr. V. Do you see even the slightest bit of the preferential treatment that a chosen one should enjoy in me?"
In fact, the treatment of those favored by the gods depends entirely on the attitude of the gods. It is rare, even among the descendants of the emperors of the Fourth Age, to have such a smooth life and receive the full support of the gods they believe in.
For most of those favored by the gods, their status as a chosen one is more of a political badge, a destiny that is already predetermined but has not yet arrived.
Accepting this title may lead to becoming a vessel for divine intervention in the future, or it may mean that one has already become part of a divine plan.
In short, most of the time, apart from true fanatics, becoming a chosen one of God is probably not a good thing for ordinary people.
"There are many differences between divine messengers and divinely favored ones," Tristan explained. "The concept of the Creator's messengers was initially very narrow, simply referring to 'shepherds' with great power and pure faith. It was not until the establishment of the Second Empire that the selection criteria were relaxed, allowing other means, and even believers of the Lord, to serve as divine messengers."
"After the establishment of the empire, the divine messenger was more of a special position with both religious and political significance, while the divine favorite was completely different. The favorite was often an extension of the will of the gods, and the weight of the favorite was second only to the pope."
At this point, Tristan glanced at Klein, his eyes filled with an ambiguous mix of jealousy and something else.
"The Lord has never chosen a pope; the work of the pope has been shared by several angels. Now that he has received the title of God's favorite, you could say that he is on par with Friedrich, and above me."
"Why hasn't a pope been chosen yet?"
Klein's doubts were also shared by many other churches and their subordinates in the Fourth Age. They could not understand the choice of the "Mysterious God," and as time went on, they could only attribute the reason to the close relationship between the "Mysterious God" and the Creator. They believed that this great being, who was willing to be a shadow in the Third Age, had become accustomed to being second, and finally even handed over the power of the Pope to the Pope and Envoy of the Creator.
"…There's a rumor," Tristan said, stroking his chin, "that the position of Pope was originally intended for the previous chosen one of God."
The previous one? Klein couldn't help but wonder.
He remembered that the Holy Scripture of the "God of Mysteries" never seemed to mention the existence of those favored by the gods. Even the most beloved angels only received titles such as "students."
Tristan's question was like a dangerous key that opened a forbidden door.
Klein couldn't stop his mind from wandering, after all, he had received many fragments of memories about the past of the "Mysterious God" in the tomb of the "Calamity".
For example, among the angels under the "mysterious" throne, the one who was closest to Him was not Roman, who had followed Him the longest, but someone with whom He had a closer relationship.
Fortunately, Tristan's patience didn't last long. After waiting for a while and seeing that he couldn't continue the conversation, he simply gave the answer himself, inadvertently preventing a tragedy of "the fastest death of a divinely favored person in history."
"I wonder if you remember, when we first met, I said you looked a lot like a duke who didn't have a good ending?"
The chosen one… the pre-elect pope… the duke whose fate wasn't good… Klein raised an eyebrow and asked tentatively.
"That ancestor of the Abrahamic family, 'Mr. Men'?"
Tristan snapped his fingers.
"When I was born, it was already the Second Solomon Empire. At that time, Bethel Abraham, also known as 'Mr. Men,' was supporting 'Blood Emperor' Tudor."
"But before this time, according to legend, in the Third Age, He was promoted by our Lord and was even once designated as one of the chosen ones, with the potential to become a candidate for Pope."
"To be honest, although I don't know what others, or angels like Friedrich, think, most of the demigods who know your status as a follower will probably think of your predecessor who was expelled and had a bad end."
"That's why I feel uneasy."
"No matter how you look at it, the identity of the chosen ones is too sensitive, especially during wartime."
Tristan stopped looking at the distant waves and the ruins that were being cleared away little by little, and lowered his voice.
"You should also realize that what awaits you is a series of troubles, and far more troublesome than the ones you encountered in Rothschild."
He said.
"You will become a new banner within the empire, whether you like it or not, you will be forced to become the public opinion of a certain group."
"This problem will manifest itself in many places and in all aspects, including the problems your teacher is facing now."
At this point, Klein finally understood what Tristan had been worried about.
Unlike his previous confusion, he suddenly remembered Byron and the Spirit Church, which he had almost forgotten about in his recent busy schedule.
Unlike the "Rose School," which had laid an ambush on Blue Mountain Island and unexpectedly caused trouble for Trenshorst and Loen, the "Spirit Order" seemed too quiet lately.
After we parted last time, Mr. Azik said he had some personal matters to attend to… Klein thought.
"Let's talk about some things you haven't paid much attention to before."
Tristan gave Klein another idea.
"Before the war, I said that the birth of the Second Reich was a gamble made by the Creator in the face of defeat. This was not a lie I made up for the sake of rhetoric, nor was it a provocation."
"Trensost, that 'Night King' has always been our enemy. The reason why Orsono I later converted to the Creator was, frankly, because he was coerced by us. It was his only choice when he was surrounded by enemies."
"Even though the Creator and Pope Urolius later united Orsono's mother clan and formed an alliance with the vampire angels and even the Blood Moon progenitor behind them through various means, the Emperor's faction remained a relatively independent and powerful group within the Empire."
"Although the empire has gradually stabilized and the Creator's condition has improved day by day, and now the return of the Lord is in sight, the empire has achieved good results in the highlands, and Orsono can no longer stir up trouble. It has few bargaining chips left to negotiate with the Creator."
"But that doesn't mean He will be content to be a clay or wooden statue on the throne. As long as He doesn't give up the idea of restoring the former glory of the 'Night Emperor' and avenging his father and relatives, He can't just be a puppet."
"Your teacher's appearance has threatened His position and undermined His determination to restore the old capital. Do you understand?"
Tristan pointed out one key point after another, which Klein certainly understood, but he still had some doubts.
"The 'Spirit Order' is not united." He looked at Tristan and spoke slowly, "The 'Royal Faction,' the 'Artificial Death God Faction,' and some other small, scattered factions."
"Besides the different leaders, there are also many ideological differences within the 'Order of Souls.' Why would Orsono I be wary of a disorganized group?"
As his and Mr. Azik's investigation on the Black Tulip had shown, years of internal strife had already drained the potential of the Spirit Order and squandered most of the legacy left by Death and the Byron Empire.
The restorationists, the moderates, and the surrender reformers were all unwilling to compromise and could not understand each other's ideas. In addition, the rise of the "Rose School" in the highlands later drew away some of the Byrons who were disappointed with the former leaders of the Death Cult. Even if Mr. Azik returned as the son of Death and the "Death Consul," it would be difficult to restore order to the situation.
However, Tristan offered another reason, one that Klein could not refute and even implicitly agreed with.
"Before Emperor Solomon was born, the Northern Continent was also a disorganized mess. After the news of the 'Black Emperor's' ascension to the throne spread, the speed of unification was beyond your imagination. Even the Six Gods could not stop it back then."
"What Orsono truly fears is that Azik Eggers, with the support of the Creator, might reclaim the Death Path Sequence One characteristic held by the 'Royal Faction' and become the 'Pale Emperor'."
"By then, Azik Eggers will be more deserving of the title of Emperor, both in terms of strength and prestige, and his contributions to the Empire alone will be enough to rival Orsono."
As the conversation drew to a close, Tristan stopped hiding his true intentions and revealed the most valuable information.
"Furthermore, I wonder if Friedrich ever hinted at the importance of you, Russell's daughter, Bernadette Gustave."
"Cattleya, whose relationship with her is complicated, is currently on Blue Mountain Island, seeking a reliable ally in the Empire, for her own sake, and perhaps also for Bernadette's..."
Tristan stared at Klein as if the truth were fleeting, passing before Klein's eyes, making him feel somewhat unreal.
"I have indeed wasted three hundred years of my life and have only a superficial understanding of what happened during that time. But even someone like me can glean some clues from Roselle's life story and Friedrich's attitude toward Bernadette."
"It was Roselle who led the army to end the dying Byron Empire, and Bernadette held the rich legacy Roselle left her. Can you be sure that it didn't include the Sequence One share that originally belonged to the Byron Emperor?"
Why do you think Cattleya would come at this time?