Lord of Mysteries: Starting As A Reader

Extraordinary individuals on the Arbiter pathway have an acute sense of any extraordinary activity within their "jurisdiction." As Xio's close friend, Ebner knew this better than anyone.

With Xio at Sequence 7, even her level of awareness made it hard to hide the use of extraordinary abilities in her territory. And now, in the Governor's Mansion, Ebner faced a true Arbiter-pathway demigod—Admiral Amyrius Rieveldt, an "Imperative Mage" capable of establishing and enforcing decrees within his domain.

That the admiral hadn't immediately detected Ebner, hidden under "Psychology Invisibility," was likely due to his lack of investigative expertise. But primarily, it was because Ebner had remained utterly still since Amyrius entered the mansion.

At this moment, Ebner found himself stuck—unable to advance or retreat. He dared not move, fearing that Amyrius might sense a subtle shift in his domain, deduce the use of "Psychology Invisibility," and launch a thorough investigation.

This won't do… Ebner thought, frowning. The Pure White Eye can stay active for a long time now, but at most two hours. What if the admiral stays here all night?

If not for a sliver of hope, Ebner might have already abandoned this dream scenario to try another section of the "Dream Labyrinth."

Just then, the door to a room on the second floor creaked open. A middle-aged man with black hair, blue eyes, and features somewhat resembling Amyrius—five or six points alike, though with a higher forehead, slight bags under his eyes, and less droop to his mouth—descended in a hastily donned coat.

From the surrounding servants' addresses, Ebner quickly identified him as Auston Rieveldt, the younger brother of Amyrius and the Governor of Oravi.

Auston walked directly into Amyrius' office, asking what urgent matter had prompted such a late visit.

Shortly after, the office was enveloped in a spiritual wall, sealing it off.

What an opportunity! Ebner's eyes lit up. A spiritual wall might block eavesdropping on the conversation inside, but it also dampened Amyrius' sensory reach outside the office.

Though Ebner still dared not use extraordinary abilities like "Dream Traversal" or "Open Gate," he figured simple movements could go unnoticed.

I should use this chance to hide somewhere Admiral Amyrius wouldn't bother monitoring, such as the restroom… or Auston's recently vacated bedroom.

After all, no matter how cautious Amyrius might be, he wasn't likely to pay constant attention to his brother's private affairs—especially when he didn't yet know an intruder had infiltrated the mansion.

With this plan, Ebner, concealed by "Psychology Invisibility," quickly reached the bedroom door. A glance revealed that Governor Auston had left it ajar.

Judging the gap to be wide enough for him to slip through, Ebner carefully squeezed into the room.

The layout suggested a guest room, modest in size but decorated with tasteful charm.

Inside, a woman with gray-green eyes, dressed in simple nightclothes, reclined against the bed's headboard. She was reading a book under the light of a gas lamp.

Oblivious to Ebner's presence, she took out a pen and began jotting notes or making excerpts as she read.

Who is she? Her skin isn't pale enough to be Auston's wife—likely weathered from outdoor exposure. Perhaps a lover?

After a brief glance, Ebner looked away. He wasn't here to peep; his hiding in this room was purely out of necessity.

But just then, the gray-green-eyed woman set down her pen and murmured with a smile, "I see… I know what kind of ruin this is!"

Hearing this, Ebner's head shot up. Apologizing silently in his mind, he took a few steps closer to the bed and leaned over to glance at her notes.

---

Backlund, 2 King's Avenue, Kingdom Museum

After receiving Miss Justice's report in the evening that the bookmark had reacted abnormally upon destruction, Klein decided to risk stealing the bookmark, which was highly likely to be a "Card of Blasphemy."

The card's divine secrets made it immensely valuable. Furthermore, the act of retrieving it was an opportunity for him to deepen his "Magician" role.

Using the "Universal Key," Klein entered an unoccupied building near the museum and held a ritual to summon a reinforced spiritual body from his Azik copper whistle.

At this moment, his spiritual form—nearly transparent and faintly humanoid—manifested on the ceiling of the museum's first-floor exhibition hall, just above a massive crystal chandelier.

Surveying the area with his spirit gaze, Klein noted that the hall was devoid of extraordinary individuals or security personnel. He murmured to himself and then phased through the ceiling, descending semi-float, semi-fall to land before the glass-encased Roselle desk.

Without hesitation, Klein extended both hands simultaneously toward the "Creative Manuscripts" bookmark and another childishly doodled bookmark.

After learning that Mr. Tower was a "Reader"-a pathway Extraordinary, Klein had deliberately studied this pathway's abilities. He knew that at Sequence 7, "Knowledge Keeper," practitioners gained access to "Scene Retrace," allowing them to review past events.

While the Church of Steam might not have a "Knowledge Keeper," there could very well be a Sealed Artifact with similar capabilities.

Thus, Klein needed to act as though he had no knowledge of which bookmark was abnormal. This way, no investigator could connect suspicion to Miss Justice, who had destroyed only one.

However, just as Klein's spiritual body grasped both bookmarks, the exhibition hall echoed with phantom-like infant cries:

"Wah! Wah! Wah!"

The cries felt distant yet surreal, as if coming from an impossibly far place.

Klein froze, his form stiffening like a lake struck by a sudden frost.

Even in his spiritual state, he felt as though he had been encased in ice.

Moments later, amid the infant cries and black fissures that severed the connection to the spirit world, a soft yet emotionless female voice echoed in his ears:

"Why are you only taking the bookmarks?"

Staring forward, Klein saw a towering two-story bookshelf reaching nearly to the ceiling. It was surrounded by ladders and passages, encased by countless books.

At the very top of the ladder sat a figure obscured in shadows.

Her legs, clad in black leather boots, dangled from the wooden steps, swaying slightly.

I didn't sense her presence at all… Is she from the Church of Machinery? No… These boots… I've seen them before. Right, they belonged to the woman with Miss Jane this morning!

I thought she was Admiral of Stars, but now it seems she's much more… She's likely a high-ranking existence!

Klein's thoughts raced, but he offered no verbal response. Instead, his face, painted with oil-like smears, suddenly twisted into a wide smile.

The next instant, his nearly transparent form vanished, leaving no trace.

The shadowed woman—Bernadette, the Queen of Mysteries—frowned. Her deep blue eyes gazed at where Klein had disappeared. For a moment, her eyes lost focus, becoming eerily profound. Then, with a muffled groan, she clutched her eyes in pain.

---

Elsewhere in Backlund

In a dark parlor of an unlit bar, two spectral women finalized plans to deal with the Indulgent faction of the "Rose School of Thought." Surrounded by an aura of icy dread and countless lingering spirits, Jane relayed the Queen of Mysteries' cryptic "prophecy" to Miss Sharon, who sat composed in a mirror.

"I understand," Sharon, wearing her petite black hat, said calmly, her expression unwavering.

"The Queen said you'd be able to interpret it. She wasn't wrong… but who is this detective?" Jane asked curiously.

"A friend," Sharon replied succinctly.

Just as Jane prepared to probe further, piercing cries suddenly reverberated through the night, cutting through the spatial barriers:

"Someone's been murdered!"

"Help!"

"Someone's been killed!"

"Help!"

Jane leapt to her feet, the spectral entities surrounding her scattering briefly. At the same time, she caught a fleeting emotion in Sharon's blue eyes—something subtle yet undeniable, quickly buried.

"What is it?" Jane asked in surprise. This was the first time she'd sensed any emotion from Sharon.

Sharon's lips parted slightly, then closed again before she finally spoke:

"It's him."

(End of Chapter)