Reverend Celeste… what could he be doing here in Betyl? I thought the main branch of Skywalker was in Hiveland… Or could he be here for me…? Lumian thought inwardly as his chest tightened.
Hargreaves nodded and looked toward Lumian and Derrick before heading downstairs alongside Lury.
The room gradually fell silent.
A few moments later, footsteps echoed once more as Hargreaves returned.
This time, however, his expression was noticeably more serious.
He looked directly at Lumian before speaking. "Lumian, I had a brief talk with the Reverend." He paused slightly before continuing,
"He says he wants to speak with you."
...
Hearing that, Lumian became slightly frightened.
He knew that the title of Reverend was no ordinary position. They were special titles given to the assassins of the Church.
At that moment, countless bad thoughts flashed through his mind.
Could I be killed for advancing to early by the church? What would even happen to my family?
"What for, Captain?" Lumian asked cautiously.
Hargreaves finally smiled and waved a hand dismissively.
"Nothing for you to worry about," he said. "He recently came here alongside James Carrick from Montmartre and decided to inspect the faculty's condition, before James arrives."
"But it seems news of your advancement has already started spreading around, that he has already heard it upon stepping into the faculty."
"So he asked about you. Naturally, I told him it took you six months to advance."
Hargreaves chuckled as he looked at Lumian. "He said you were incredible and wanted to speak with you."
"He actually seems like a nice guy." Hargreaves continued with a smile.
...
Nice…? Lumian thought inwardly before saying aloud, "Is that so, Captain?"
Hargreaves nodded.
Lumian continued, "Where is he now?"
"Upstairs, in the guest room," Hargreaves replied.
Lumian didn't hesitate. He adjusted his coat, slipped his hands into his pockets, and said before heading out,
"Alright, Captain. I'll be back."
With that, he stepped outside and headed to the left corridor.
Very soon, he arrived before a door.
Taking a deep breath, the newly advanced Magician raised his hand and knocked.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
A few moments later, a deep voice sounded from within.
"You can come in."
...
Lumian breathed softly once more before stepping inside.
The moment he entered, he noticed how dark the room was. The only source of light came from the pale moon outside, its faint glow slipping through the windows and casting dim shadows across the interior.
He quietly closed the door behind him.
Not far away stood a man dressed in a long black coat. He had yellow hair and a well-kept moustache. Rather than muscular, his figure appeared somewhat weak, fragile, even slightly unhealthy.
Without thinking much about it, Lumian activated his newly advanced mystic eyes.
However, he gained almost nothing from it.
All he could see was the man's name and age.
Celeste Harris. Thirty years old.
At that moment, the man slowly turned away from the window and looked directly at Lumian.
"Hello, Lumian."
...
"Hello, Reverend," Lumian returned the greeting.
Celeste nodded with a faint smile.
"How are you feeling? I recently heard you took another potion and successfully advanced. Tell me, how did you do it?" He chuckled lightly before adding, "Hehe… I'm already a Phase 6 now, and even I took almost a year to break through to Phase 8."
Lumian also chuckled inwardly. Thank Skywalker the Captain didn't mention it was only two months.
Outwardly, he replied,
"Reverend, I think it's all about ambition and keeping yourself sane, combined with understanding the situation you're in… and also bravery."
The moment he finished speaking, Lumian almost felt like a complete charlatan. He couldn't help but let out a dry chuckle afterward.
Celeste nodded slowly before finally looking directly at him.
"Is that so?"
The instant Lumian met his gaze, everything around him suddenly turned pitch black.
It felt as though he were staring into endless nothingness.
Truly remarkable… It feels like I'm staring into a night that could swallow me whole. Just what is a Reverend truly capable of…?
After a few moments, the darkness gradually disappeared.
Celeste smiled faintly.
"But I've also been wondering…" he said calmly. "You've heard of spells before, right?"
He paused briefly.
"Have you, by any chance, obtained one?"
...
Hearing that, Lumian fell silent. He quickly thought of an answer before finally speaking. "Yes, Reverend. I recently got a spell from a close friend."
The instant those words left his mouth, Lumian became frightened.
Because that was not what he had intended to say.
At that moment, he suddenly realized one of the side effects of becoming a Magician.
He couldn't lie.
How… how am I supposed to live like this? I can't lie…
However, another thought quickly surfaced in his mind.
But when the Captain asked about Mr. Hayes, I also said 'a close friend.' That means… even if I can't lie directly, I can still trick the system.
Seeing Lumian suddenly grow quiet, Celeste merely shook his head lightly and smiled. "Lumian, you're truly remarkable. The Church is very happy to have you, and I'm sure you'll accomplish many things."
He placed a hand on Lumian's shoulder and continued with a chuckle, "The Captain has told me quite a lot about you. At this pace, you may even become an Operator someday."
Lumian let out an awkward chuckle.
The title of Operator was reserved for only ten individuals within the Church. They were the ones who handled nearly everything in the main branch, whether through leadership, administration, or direct authority.
To be honest, Lumian couldn't imagine himself in such a position.
Celeste slowly removed his hand before turning his gaze back toward the night sky outside the window.
After a moment of silence, he spoke softly. "Do you know what's up there?"
"No, Reverend. But based on my recent studies, I once read in a very… important book that what exists up, are beings that should have destroyed a particular item before reaching earth. However, they failed…"
Lumian replied calmly, though his words carried a faint trace of deception.
Reverend Celeste smiled faintly before letting out a slow sigh.
"What exists up there is far beyond human comprehension," he said softly.
"From certain studies, these beings have been referred to as Grey Matters. They are extremely dangerous entities. Sometimes, they descend upon the world in the form of shooting stars."
"And when they are seen… death often follows. In some cases, they even bring strange viruses with them."
"Beyond that, there are also cosmic entities that researchers have theorized about. One of them is known as the Entity. It embodies hollowness and emptiness."
"The concept it represents is the end of life itself… and the endless void surrounding it, what most people simply call space."
A brief silence followed, then Lumian finally spoke again. "But Reverend… I've also heard certain researchers talk about planets."
Celeste chuckled softly. "Yes, I've heard those theories as well. To be honest, I don't fully understand most of the research either. However, there's always been one question on my mind, which is; how could all those entities up there, have various authorities."
"As we know that the other Gods or Angels or any other mythic beings, are all granted mysticsm by the Creator, but what about them?"
"With that, led me to a conclusion. A conclusion that says they might be other beings like the creator up there as well."
The moment those words were spoken, Lumian's eyes widened slightly.
Noticing his reaction, Celeste turned toward him and chuckled.
"Of course, it's only a theory. Heh, But think about this statement carefully. The Creator was said to be dying… so he fused with the world itself."
"So the question becomes… what could possibly harm a being like that?"
A brief silence filled the room.
Then Celeste chuckled again and waved a hand casually. "Still, there's no need to look so stiff. It's merely speculation, heh."
...
He pulled up his collar slightly before turning toward Lumian. "I should get going now. I'll be returning to Hiveland. The faculty seems to be in good condition, so there's no reason for me to stay longer."
"Oh? Already?" Lumian asked, sounding genuinely surprised, though inwardly, he felt somewhat relieved.
Celeste nodded lightly. "Yes. I had a few matters to handle in Betyl. I was already preparing to return to Hiveland, but I decided to stop by and inspect the faculty first."
Lumian smiled politely. "Alright, Reverend. Feel free to visit again."
He placed a hand over his chest before raising it slightly toward the sky.
"May Skywalker bless your travels."
Celeste chuckled softly and mirrored the gesture.
"And you as well."
With that, he stepped out of the room.
Lumian quietly watched his retreating figure before the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
How is he always so cheerful…? Why does he keep chuckling at everything?
After a moment, Lumian's gaze shifted toward the chair near the table.
There, he noticed a set of tarot cards resting quietly.
The moment his eyes landed on them, he froze. He realized that he could no longer read them and get a divine message like before. He had lost his attribute as a Diviner.
Hmm… seems like my Diviner attributes are gone. But does that mean I can use playing cards instead?
Lumian thought as he picked up one of the tarot cards.
With a casual flick, he threw it forward.
The card floated briefly through the air before slowly losing momentum and dropping to the ground after moving only a short distance.
Seems I can't throw cards around like weapons… Here I was thinking I'd become like that guy I once watched in a film.
He chuckled lightly at the thought.
Picking up another card, Lumian stared at it for a moment before breathing softly and throwing it again.
Immediately, flames wrapped around the card as it shot toward the wall.
Shit, I'm going to make a mess.
Without hesitation, Lumian reacted quickly. With the agility of a Magician, he grabbed another card and flung it forward.
Swoo!
Water suddenly warped around the second card before it collided with the flaming one.
Steam instantly rose into the air as both cards fell to the ground.
Phew… Lumian sighed and picked up the steaming cards, disposing of them.
He glanced at the clock on the wall and smiled faintly.
I should get going now.
He adjusted his collar, then left the room.
Downstairs, he met Hargreaves and briefly informed him of his departure before heading out.
...
Outside, Lumian called a taxi and made his way toward Cornerstone.
When he arrived, he stepped inside without hesitation.
The familiar interior greeted him.
And there, in the kitchen, he saw a figure quietly arranging things.
Without thinking much of it, Lumian called out. "Kelvin, why are you in the kitchen this early? What's going on with you?"
He chuckled lightly, but there was no response. "Kelvin, I'm talking to you."
Still, the figure remained focused, carefully wiping the cups on the table.
Lumian frowned slightly and walked closer.
"Kelvin?"
The person suddenly stopped.
Slowly, he straightened up and turned to face Lumian.
The familiar face that appeared was not Kelvin's at all.
It was Abel, the Angel of Gamble.