Bernadette thought it over for a moment, then said, "It's strange — why would the Witch cult, whoever's controlling Stephen, and even the Church of the Evernight, all be paying this much attention to Klein? Is it because he's from outside this world?"
If Klein really were a "transmigrator," it wouldn't be that strange for him to attract this much attention — but he was just a leftover from a previous era. So whatever was truly drawing all this attention had to be Beyond the Grey Fog itself.
Vincent was still thinking of how to answer when the vanity mirror in the room suddenly began to glow faintly, a line of text surfacing on its surface.
He tensed immediately, saying in his mind, "Is this the Witch cult?"
"Doesn't seem like it. Be careful."
Vincent walked slowly closer, stopping a few meters from the mirror, close enough now to read the text glowing on its surface: "A great and powerful being — pitiful, helpless Arodes humbly begs for your aid."
Arodes?
Wasn't this that sycophantic mirror?
Something occurred to Vincent, and he said, "Help with what? Wait — shouldn't you introduce yourself first?"
The mirror's surface flickered, and the text changed: "Do you wish to know Arodes's origins?"
Seeing this obviously rhetorical question, Vincent recalled how this magic mirror "worked": to get it to answer a question, you had to answer one of its questions first.
"Yes."
The text on the mirror changed again: "Great being, I am Arodes, the most devoted servant of my most revered master. But out in the world, my true identity is Sealed Item 2-111, belonging to the Church of Steam and Machinery, usually kept by their steward Ikanser, used mainly to help locate suspects or answer questions for them."
Bernadette said quietly, "A sealed item with its own independent consciousness?"
A few seconds later, the text changed once more: "Great being, do you wish to know why Arodes seeks your aid?"
"Yes."
"It's like this: my great master is currently in grave danger, and urgently needs your help."
"Who is your master?"
This one, Bernadette had Vincent ask.
This time Arodes didn't answer immediately — the mirror flickered for a moment, as if thinking it over.
"My great master's name is Klein Moretti."
Vincent was a bit surprised — it had actually just told the truth?
"Aren't you a sealed item belonging to the Church of Steam and Machinery? Why would you recognize an outsider as your master?"
Arodes, once again, answered with a question first. "Do you wish to know why Arodes is my master's most devoted, most humble servant?"
"...Yes."
"Because I saw a Pillar in my master — a Dominion."
Bernadette, hearing this, was thoroughly puzzled. "What do 'Pillar' and 'Dominion' mean?"
Before she could have Vincent ask that, another line appeared on the mirror's surface: "Just as I see them in you as well." (Normally, the Pillars refer to God, the Lord of Mysteries, and the Fallen Mother Goddess, along with the fourth Pillar formed by the fusion of the Eternal Darkness and the Ruin Calamity.)
Pillar?
Why did that word feel so familiar to him, and yet he couldn't place it at all?
Vincent frowned. "Then why are you asking for my help?"
Arodes again asked a question before answering. "I don't know either."
"You don't know? Then how did you even find me?"
"Because the presence of the Pillar and the Dominion within you made me feel that you could be trusted — that you would be willing to help my great master."
Since he had no idea what "Pillar and Dominion" actually meant, Vincent couldn't draw any useful conclusions from it. He thought it over and asked, "What exactly is the danger Klein is facing?" He paused. "Is it Stephen? Or whoever's controlling him?"
The mirror's surface flickered again, pale white text surfacing in broken, halting fragments, as if it were lagging. "No... the real... danger... comes from... %&*¥%. Only... you... can help my... master..."
Crack!
The vanity mirror shattered abruptly.
Vincent stepped back half a pace, staring at the broken glass scattered across the floor, and asked in his mind, "Did you catch what it said, about where the real danger is coming from?"
"No. That name was blurred out — unreadable."
"Blurred?"
Since Arodes had been coming to them for help, it made no sense for it to deliberately obscure information. That meant it had been interfered with somehow just now — someone had wiped that name away.
Who could that have been?
Going by the original story, the only one explicitly established as being able to interfere with and alter Arodes was old Pallez, residing within Leonard — whenever Arodes's line of questioning had turned toward Pallez, it had immediately switched to a different question instead.
In other words, it took a Sequence 1 to have the ability to interfere with Arodes like this. But Arodes had specifically said it wasn't Stephen, and it wasn't whoever was controlling him — did that mean there was another Sequence 1 somewhere near Klein?
Tch. Poor kid really can't catch a break.
Truly proved the old saying — heavy is the head that wears the crown. Klein was still a hundred thousand miles from becoming the "Lord of Mysteries," and already the complications just kept piling up around him.
Still, what Vincent found most notable was Arodes's very last line: only I can help Klein?
Why?
Was that simply because Arodes could only find its way to him — or did it genuinely believe he was the only one who could?
The trouble was, he was only Sequence 5, and Bernadette only Sequence 3 — even throwing every trick and hidden card they had into it, taking down a Sequence 2 would already be a stretch.
Just then, Bernadette spoke up. "My guess is, whatever that sealed item meant by 'Pillar' and 'Dominion' probably refers to the Nation of Disorder."
"Mm."
That much wasn't hard to guess.
But what Bernadette really meant to get at was a different question entirely: "So then, what exactly did it see in Klein — this 'Pillar and Dominion'?"
"Could it be... the Fool?"
"Just from being a mere follower, could that really let a Sequence 2 sealed item see the Fool, through Klein?"
"That's..."
Bernadette's tone grew more thoughtful. "Unless the relationship between Klein and the Fool goes far deeper than just that."
"..."
Well. Bernadette figuring out Klein and the Fool are one and the same probably isn't too far off now.
Oh, Arodes, Arodes — do you have any idea you just about stripped your own great master bare?
"Let's go."
Bernadette spoke again. "We can leave Klein be for now. But Stephen — as long as we can guarantee our own safety, let's go take a look."
...
The god-forsaken land, Silver City.
Once the Tarot Club gathering ended, Derrick returned to reality, finding himself back in that dark, cramped room. He rolled over naturally on his bed, yawned, opened his eyes, and scanned the darkened room, finding nothing out of the ordinary — a quiet wave of relief washed over him.
Remembering Mr. Lovers's suggestion to draw more information out of the former exploration team leader, Derrick made his way to the metal wall separating them, curled a finger, and knocked once, firmly.
Knock, knock.
He'd finished the signal — but no response came from the other side, for a long while.
Asleep? Or had he been called away by the Council of Six? Derrick stared at the lightless metal wall, puzzled.
Then, from the direction of the bed behind him, a voice suddenly drifted in — old, wavering:
"Are you looking for me...?"
To be continued…
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