Lord of Mysteries: Starting As A Reader

Inside the Holy Wind Cathedral, Cardinal Ace Snake stared coldly at McConner, the captain of the Mandated Punishers, his silver eyes devoid of emotion. "Who is Capim? Why did his villa have an underground prison?"

Having done his homework in advance, McConner immediately answered, "A wealthy man and a human trafficker who secretly dabbled in the slave trade. Rumor has it that he had close ties with several parliamentarians and officials."

"Why would a human trafficker be protected by several Beyonders? And their sequences aren't low either," Cardinal Snake pressed further.

"Your Eminence, that remains to be investigated. We attempted to use Beyonder methods to trace clues, but all efforts failed," McConner hesitated briefly before adding, "We even tried Stuart's newly developed ritual magic, but for some reason, it still yielded no results."

"Heh, even I failed. Although Stuart's ritual magic can secretly tap into the Steam Church's Sealed Artifact 2-111, that artifact has its limitations—it isn't omniscient." Snake glanced at McConner, paused briefly, and added, "I don't care about the little schemes you and Stuart are up to… But stop provoking Kuhn . His mental state is already unstable… A few days ago, someone heard him screaming in the underground chambers. Perhaps he's already on the verge of losing control."

McConner initially felt a chill down his spine, but when "Spellsinger of God" mentioned the last part, he couldn't help but suppress a laugh. That wasn't a sign of losing control… just backlash—or rather, punishment—from the ritual magic.

Before he could dwell on it, Snake asked, "What about the investigation into the priests involved with that woman and how they were manipulated by her?"

McConner composed himself and replied, "Your Eminence, we've already located the woman named Irene… However, Stuart suspects it might be a trap set by the Aurora Order. So he plans to lure some Secret Order members there first… Unfortunately, with the recent surge of Beyonder incidents in Backlund, the Secret Order seems hesitant and has temporarily halted all operations."

He meticulously reported their plans, carefully editing out Stuart's cross-dressing disguise but leaving everything else untouched. After all, "Spellsinger of God" was the highest-ranking bishop in Backlund; there was no way to lie to a demi-god.

"Heh, you're waiting for the enemy to make the first move, planning to counterattack? But perhaps the Secret Order and the Aurora Order are thinking the same thing!" Snake laughed lightly, then shook his head. "Stuart is far too cautious! We are Mandated Punishers, agents of divine retribution, and have no need to play mind games with rats hiding in the sewers. You should strike first, draw all the players into the open, and eliminate them in one sweep! Even if something unexpected happens, I can intervene in time… So go, act boldly!"

But… Captain Kuhn thought the same way back then… McConner swallowed his retort, nodding obediently.

"If there's any progress or if you need my intervention, don't hesitate to seek me out." Snake shifted back to the earlier topic. "And don't let the matter of the Hero Bandit Black Emperor drop. We must locate that Sequence 6 or Sequence 5 strange ghost as soon as possible."

Once McConner departed, Snake picked up a pen and wrote down several key points in his notebook: "Capim, human trafficking, Tarot ritual, wandering hero figures in Loen, strange but low-Sequence ghost, hidden schemes."

...

In the Cherwood Borough, Fors returned to her rented home just before noon. Upon opening the door, she was greeted by the sight of her friend Xio and a large trunk almost as tall as her waist.

"Xio, are you… moving out? Did you get into trouble and need to run?" Fors asked in surprise.

As she spoke, a scene from her new book came to mind—it was oddly similar to this moment.

Xio rolled her eyes and briefly explained how her investigation into Capim had drawn her into the Hero Bandit Black Emperor incident, and how she now had to accompany Her Highness Vera on a work trip to the Southern Continent—partly to avoid trouble.

Realizing that her friend was only going on a temporary assignment and not actually fleeing, Fors breathed a sigh of relief and instead focused on a particular detail in Xio's explanation. "Capim? That human trafficker who deserves to be burned at the stake? He was killed? By a heroic-looking Hero Bandit?"

Though she wasn't a bounty hunter, gathering material was an author's instinct, and Fors was quite familiar with Capim's story.

Xio nodded. "Exactly. That Hero Bandit not only killed four Beyonders protecting Capim, but also blew up his entire villa. In the end, they scattered Tarot cards over Capim's charred body, specifically the Judgment and Emperor cards."

"The Judgment card must represent the judgment and execution of Capim, but what does The Emperor card symbolize? The killer's—or rather, the hero's—identity?" Fors, the bestselling author, instinctively began interpreting the scene's symbolism.

She suddenly froze. Tarot cards? A body covered in Tarot cards? Could it be… someone from our Tarot Club? But there's no member with the codename Emperor… Could it be Mr. Tower or Mr. World? No, judging by the two cards, the most likely candidate is Miss Judgment!

Miss Judgment is likely a high-ranking officer in the Ninth Bureau of Military Intelligence, and the Beyonders protecting Capim might have been affiliated with them… Is this an internal military conflict? No wonder Xio wants to lay low. Otherwise, she might become a scapegoat.

Wait… Xio is leaving with Her Highness Vera… Could it be that Princess Vera Augustus is Miss Judgment? If that's true, it all makes sense. The Judgment card represents her Tarot Club identity, while the Emperor card symbolizes her royal heritage and claim to the throne… Is this her ambition?

Fors's thoughts swirled, and she began to consider whether she should discreetly ask Miss Judgment to take care of Xio at the next Tarot Club meeting. But doing so might expose my own identity… This is so tricky!

Seeing Fors's face shifting through a series of expressions, Xio frowned slightly, unable to guess what her friend was thinking.

...

At the edge of the Furious Sea, after tossing Ozil the Giant Strength Beyonder's corpse into the churning waves, Ebner turned and returned to the Golden Dream, walking back into the collection room.

Although Ozil had once been a pirate in his early years, his bounty had long been revoked; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to peacefully run a bar in Bayam. His corpse wasn't valuable, and due to the God of Combat Church's markings, it was a potential danger. This was precisely why Ebner had thrown it into these turbulent waters that once isolated the Northern and Southern continents, ensuring it wouldn't be easily found.

Using her mystical techniques, Vice Admiral Iceberg Edwina curiously observed Ebner's actions, but she ultimately didn't pay them much mind. "Ozil from the Amyris Leaf Bar?" she asked casually.

"Yes," Ebner nodded, not hiding the truth from Edwina. He explained the entire sequence of events and his deductions, omitting only the parts related to Mr. Fool's divination.

Edwina listened quietly, her pale blue eyes calm and focused. When he finished, she gently shook her head and said, "The underground cavern in your home might be extremely dangerous. Don't explore it recklessly."

I wasn't planning to dig around in there anytime soon… Even if I do in the future, I'll consult Mother Earth first. She's an Ancient Deity and might have ties to the Goddess of Fortune. After all, after Lilith faked her fall, Goddess Auernia became a subordinate deity of the Elven King.

With this thought, Ebner nodded. "Don't worry, I'm not that reckless."

Edwina gave a slight nod, her light blue eyes flashing with interest as she said, "If you ever decide to explore it… can I join you?"

"Of course." Ebner smiled without hesitation. After spending so much time together, he understood that Edwina didn't care about most matters, but she was passionate about exploring ruins and acquiring knowledge. Considering how much she had helped him in the past, this was an opportunity to return the favor.

Hearing his reply, Edwina's eyes sparkled. "I'm not looking for a free ride. When you go to the Southern Continent to hunt the Finks Lion, I can join you as an assistant. That'll increase the success rate."

She paused briefly, then asked, "Do you know the Laws of Beyonder Characteristics?"

"Yes. Indestructibility, Conservation, Aggregation…" Ebner thought for a moment and quickly realized what Edwina was implying.

"You do know," Edwina said after a brief silence, her voice carrying a faint smile. "Emperor Roselle once said:

'All that is separated will converge, and all that is converged will separate.'

If we go together, we'll have a higher chance of encountering the Finks Lion."

So that's her plan… Ebner nodded thoughtfully. Just as he was about to agree to her suggestion, he suddenly felt something through his spiritual perception. His eyes turned toward the rolling waves visible through the cabin's porthole, where a familiar presence seemed to flicker on the distant sea surface.

At the same time, Edwina also sensed something. Without hesitation, she opened the door and stepped onto the deck.

In moments like these, she had to stand in clear sight of her crew, sharing their presence and facing the unknown together.

"Captain! It's the former third mate of the Black Emperor, now famously known as the Witch of the Wind! She's fighting some kind of monster!" reported Danitz, rushing over.

"Witch of the Wind? Could it be that Mr. Gaston's Transformation Wand has finally found an owner?" Hearing this, Ebner's mind immediately recalled the familiar aura he had sensed earlier, and his thoughts began to drift.

(End of Chapter)