994 Prelude (1/2)
At 7 Pinster Street, Leonard, who had specially returned home to participate in the Tarot Gathering, was just about to head to Saint Samuel Cathedral's basement to read the dossiers so as to make preparations for his placating of souls at night when his vision suddenly went into a blur. He saw the messenger in a dark, full dress holding four blonde, redeyed heads.
As a Soul Assurer, he could already see such creatures with Spirit Bodies.
After taking Klein's letter, Leonard didn't even have the chance to say thank you when Reinette Tinekerr turned around and walked into the void. She didn't even stay for long.
”...Old Man, why does Klein have a messenger of this level? Is this a perk of being a Blessed?” Leonard couldn't help but ask Pallez Zoroast with a suppressed voice.
He originally fantasized that it was standard for every Tarot Club member, but he later realized that he had been imagining things.
Pallez Zoroast's slightly-aged voice chuckled immediately.
”It is likely to solely belong to Klein Moretti. Everyone receives some special fortuitous encounter, isn't that the case? Isn't it the same even for a fellow like you?
”Heh heh, I thought you would use 'incomplete angel* to describe 'Her,' but you ended up using 'messenger of this level.' Not bad, you still remember my warning.”
Leonard curled the corners of his lips, spread open the piece of paper, and read the content on it.
”He's indeed the Blessed of Concealment and Fate...” Pallez Zoroast quickly scanned the heading through Leonard's eyes.
Leonard didn't look at the ground. Instead, he took a few steps back and threw himself into the embrace of the sofa before saying, ”Klein can see through the theft and replacement of destiny... Then, we don't need to rush to seek out items at the Marauder pathway demigod level.”
”Even if you were in a hurry, you have no idea where to seek them out,” Pallez scoffed.
Even for the gathering of the Hermits of Fate, similar items needed years to appear even once. And the next gathering was to happen at the end of the year.
Leonard was momentarily at a loss for words and could only cast his gaze at the last two paragraphs.
After a brief silence, he chuckled.
”I've always been curious as to where Klein received the high-level charm of the Sun domain when facing Megose. I thought it was provided to him by that Death Consul, but I couldn’t understand why a Death domain angel would be gathering high-level charms of the Sun domain. Wouldn't that be suicide? Now, I finally understand.
”Old Man, I wielded 3-0782 before as well. Why didn't you notice that there was a drop of the Eternal Blazing Sun's divine blood hidden in that? If you could've stolen some of its power back then, things wouldn't have...”
Leonard originally wanted to mock Old Man, but as he went on, he fell silent.
Pallez Zoroast sighed in his mind.
”If that drop of divine blood could be so easily discovered, that Mutated Sun Sacred Emblem wouldn't have been in Tingen.”
Leonard fell silent for a few seconds before asking, ”Then how am I to create an opportunity to get that Sacred Emblem to create the Flaring Sun Charm?”
Although Klein made it sound simple in his letter, Leonard knew that it wasn't an easy task. This was because he wasn't a Nighthawk of Tingen City. Even if he returned to visit his former colleagues and teammates, he had no authority to enter Chanis Gate.
Upon hearing his question, Pallez Zoroast replied in a peeved manner, ”Why are you asking me something as trivial as this? Can't you think for yourself?”
Leonard coughed uncomfortably as he began thinking seriously to seek out a solution.
”I'm currently working alone, but the archbishop has given me the authority to get the help of the local Nighthawks in the region of question.
”Hmm, if all the souls in Backlund have been placated, and if I haven't finished digesting my potion, wouldn't I have to do it at other dioceses?
”When that happens, if Tingen happens to have a paranormal accident, it will be very reasonable for me to return and get two Nighthawks and use 3-0782...”
After Leonard finished muttering to himself, Pallez Zoroast chuckled.
”Not bad. You came up with an idea so quickly.
”But have you thought about it? You are placating them, not purifying them. This is contradictory with obtaining 3-0782. It will easily incur suspicion.”
Leonard, who had been praised, immediately laughed.
”Old Man, that's because you aren't aware. Back when I joined the Nighthawks team, there was one line in the education I received: Only under the premise of having the ability to purify can placating achieve the best results.
”Emperor Roselle had also once said that to solve problems, you need a stick in one hand and a carrot in the other.” Pallez Zoroast immediately tsked.
”Then follow your plan. Of course, that's assuming that you can finish Anthony Stevenson's missions in a week or two. If you haven't obtained the Sun Flare Bullets before the actual operation of eliminating Amon begins, then it would no longer be necessary.”
Leonard recalled the list of missions written on the pieces of paper as his forehead twitched.
He then forced himself to forget about his worries and mumbled, ”I wonder when the mission to punish the Sanguine will begin...
”I wonder if the Sanguine has a Sealed Artifact at the Marauder pathway's demigod level.
”Temporary dreamworld... I can create it myself. I'll find a chance to make some charms, but can power at this level be able to resist the corrosion of the darkness in the Forsaken Land of the Gods?”
In an apartment in Cherwood Borough.
Fors took out a novel, sat on the sofa, and watched Xio walk towards the lobby as she wore her boots to head out.
Finally, Fors couldn't hold back her puzzlement as she said, ”There's no rush. That gentleman said that he wouldn't assign the mission that quickly.”