Klein had been thinking a lot before holding today's tarot gathering.
In the sacred texts and in the holy tales told throughout the vast empire of the Second Ternsault, the "Red Angel" Medici is often associated with solitude and arrogance.
In every chapter featuring Him, even the most devout believers in the Creator would carefully choose slightly derogatory words to describe the King of Angels' unkind words and deeds.
Loyalty does not mean blind loyalty.
The "Angel of War" is indeed great; His sword and banner symbolize glorious victory, and His name is the embodiment of the essence of the truth promoted by the Creator.
His existence represents absolute justice.
But He is, after all, a living being. Even though He is different from the masses, He has weaknesses and shortcomings, just like the most humble human beings.
After the two defeats at the end of the Fourth Age, which no one wants to recall, the believers of the Creator realized that they should not over-mythologize their Lord and angels.
Even though in the eyes of mortals, judged by worldly standards, the Lord and angels are great deities who possess the power to move mountains and fill seas, and are capable of defying nature.
The failure revealed a fact to people—no matter how terrible and fearsome their authority may be, their core is still not far from their believers.
Their laughter, anger, sorrow, and reunion have always governed these powerful mythical creatures.
They too can be driven by hatred, blinded by grand visions, and blindly charge toward an ideal goal, even at an immeasurable cost, even if that cost is life, or something more precious.
This is a policy set by the Creator during a rare moment of lucidity.
By downplaying the omnipotence of God, we can make mortals directly aware of the vulnerability and baseness of mythology, and give mortals the same right to reflection as angels.
This may not be a perfect idea. After all, the power granted equally blurs the line between humans and gods to some extent. While it may not suppress the authority of angels and gods, it does bring them closer to the dust, and their magnificent robes inevitably become stained with the filth of the world.
In light of this, the critiques of the "Red Angels" and the reflections on other angels by the hermit scholars in the church responsible for compiling scriptures and history arose.
The children of fire should bow to the children of earth at the appropriate time... This is the teaching of the Creator, so even if the angels see the mortals' evaluation of them, they will not say anything openly.
As the church has developed, this set of tacit agreements has matured to this day. Klein, who has joined the Second Empire's family, is a newcomer, but he has also heard many similar stories.
The death of the "Angel of War," the "Red of War's" impulsive and violent actions during his conquest of the Far East's Bairan region, and the "Angel of War's" unforgiving attitude towards his colleagues and subordinates, all contributed to the complex reputation and public perception of the "Angel of War" among the upper echelons of the Empire.
In short, when he first received this information, Klein could only piece together an image of an arrogant rogue in his mind based on what others had told him, and he thought that this image was too far removed from him, so he naturally assumed that the two could not be the same kind of people.
This was also a major reason why he hesitated in front of the temporary military headquarters this morning.
But once you actually meet the "Red Angel" in person, this false filter and impression will quickly shatter.
Medici is not as difficult to get along with as rumored. Perhaps this is because Medici mistook him for part of the "God of Mysteries", or perhaps his identity as a divine messenger helped.
But if the so-called records are true, then Klein's biggest takeaway from the morning's conversation was not the "hunter's" hunting wisdom, but rather his discovery that the "Red Angel" seemed to deviate from the image recorded thousands of years ago.
What changed Him?
Looking around, Klein couldn't find anyone who could answer him.
I just got onto the Gray Fog today, and "Mysterious" did meet with him once. He gave me a few simple instructions, something like "You're in charge of your party," without mentioning Medici at all.
He would see many more angels in the future, but he couldn't just label them based on hearsay... Klein realized that the angels he would encounter in the future would be living, breathing beings, not just silhouettes in history book illustrations.
If things continue like they did today, I'm afraid it will lead to a lot of embarrassing situations.
In fact, not only should we change our mindset when interacting with them, but I myself should also reflect... The more Klein thinks about the profound will behind the Creator's actions, the more he understands the greatness of the Creator.
Indeed, even if we attain divinity and become so-called mythical beings, we are still ultimately ascending from humanity step by step. Just like ordinary extraordinary beings, if we lose ourselves in the process of role-playing, we will also go out of control and become monsters. If I cannot adjust my mindset when I reach the level of demigod, I will only fall into depravity even faster...
This is Klein's biggest enemy right now.
Deep red shimmered on both sides of the antique long table. Klein absentmindedly lowered his hand that had been touching the starry dome, his gaze wandering.
"Mystery" is worse than continuing to deceive me, letting me cling to my fantasies and dream a little longer, preferably dying happily in my dreams... He was annoyed.
Ever since the "God of Mystery" revealed the truth to him, every time he ascends into the gray fog, the thorns of memory inevitably cause him to relive that day's conversation, recalling once again that he was nothing more than an accidental creation, an empty shell completely filled with falsehood.
His identity is fake, his experiences are fake, and the things he cares about are also fake. Even if they were real, he couldn't find them again... In other words, he is more likely to lose control than other demigods, more likely to fall into the trap of powerful disguises, lose himself, and be deceived by inexplicable arrogance, step by step detach from the earth, fly into the illusory sky, and then fall to his death.
As expected of the creator who once unified the earth and went the furthest on the extraordinary path, granting the angels and demigods the right to discuss matters not only narrowed the distance between the two sides but also helped the angels stabilize their spirits. At no cost, he provided himself and his subordinates with a group of high-quality anchors... Klein sighed silently, breathed a sigh of relief, and waved to the front.
His gaze swept over the two new members who had appeared on his left, taking in their reactions. A fake smile played on his lips, and he transformed, donning the mask of "The Fool" once more. Just as he had steadfastly played the role of "Zhou Mingrui" in the past, he perfectly mimicked the mannerisms of a god. He casually skipped over the greetings.
"These two are new members."
"'The Moon' and 'Chariot'."
Alger, the "Hanged Man," turned his neck slightly, scrutinizing the two unfamiliar figures to the left of Derrick, the "Sun," and raised his eyebrows in surprise.
The seat where the new member "Chariot" sat was the one that had previously caught his attention, a seat that was already occupied and had not appeared at the meeting.
He glanced quickly, scrutinizing the figure hidden in the mist and covered by a hooded robe several times in a very short time, but failed to find any useful information.
He was of medium height and not particularly robust; in fact, he was rather thin, and his overall demeanor was rather gloomy… "The Magician" Fors was also observing the new member.
She saw through "the moon" at a glance and guessed that the young man was most likely a vampire, so she focused all her remaining energy on "the chariot".
Most of the members of the Tarot Club sensed that this gathering was unusual, except for "The Sun" and "The Moon," who were still somewhat bewildered. The two new members, who had never met before, even reached a kind of hard-won consensus.
As expected, the "Fool" arranged the seating at the gathering according to the rule of men on the left and women on the right!
Unable to discern anything at the moment, and knowing that continuing to look would be impolite, Alger withdrew his gaze and turned to the person at the head of the table, offering a respectful bow.
"'Fool', Count Eugen has asked me to give you his regards."
"After discussions among the Count, Colonel Franz, and High Priestess Trislana, they are unsure how to handle the mausoleum left behind by your alter ego and would like to receive your instructions."
One by one, the names of important figures came out of the "Hanged Man's" mouth. On both sides of the long table, "Justice," who came from an aristocratic family, and "The Magician," who had been working in the intelligence department for many years, reacted immediately and turned their heads.
Does this mean that the "Hanged Man" has already infiltrated a relatively core circle of the Second Reich?
This is an invisible display of power and pressure.
However, "Justice" and "Magician" also understood that this pressure was probably not directed at them, the old members, but at "Chariot" and "Moon," whose backgrounds were unknown.
The mausoleum left behind by the "natural disaster"... Klein's fingers tapped rhythmically on the table, forcing him to gather his thoughts and seriously confront this problem that had caught him somewhat off guard.
That place should have been destroyed by me and Amon. All that's left are ruins with a few stones. Tristan and the others are undecided about whether to preserve it or not. Why is that?
He considered several possibilities, the most relaxed being that High Priestess Trislana believed that although the mausoleum itself was destroyed, it was still an important holy site for the elves, the place where the "God of Miracles" had once rested.
If we're talking about something more serious... could there be some secrets hidden in the mausoleum that I don't know about? What did Tristan and the others discover in the ruins?
Klein seemed unsure and spoke ambiguously.
"The ruins after the destruction of the mausoleum are no longer important to me; let them make their own decisions."
"I will convey your will as it is." Alger bowed again and sat back down.
It seemed that no one had collected Russell's diary today, and the reading session reserved for "Fools" slipped by silently. So "Justice" Audrey paid attention for two seconds before raising her hand to ask a question.
"'Fool', gentlemen, I have heard that a war of independence has taken place in the Rothschild Islands."
Due to political considerations, the Ruen authorities did not immediately announce the change of ownership of the Rosde Islands. Moreover, unusually, neighboring countries of the northern continent such as Intis and Fusak, which had previously coveted the Rosde Islands, tacitly cooperated with Ruen's information blockade.
Even Audrey only learned of this information because her pet dog Susie accidentally saw Earl Hall's report spread out on his desk in the study.
She couldn't believe that while the world's attention was focused on the Southern Continent, a revolution had quietly taken place in the equally important "City of Generosity," overturning the almost solidified order of the archipelago region over the past century.
Fors sighed softly, and Alger, who had experienced it firsthand, also fell silent for a moment.
This time, he didn't ask for any reward and simply nodded.
"With the Lord's call and help, the Rothschilds achieved independence."
As he spoke, he glanced at the "magician," who was in a closed-off position, deliberately revealing more.
"During the battle, under the leadership of His Highness Jason, the 'Angel of Recall', and Mr. V, the Divine Messenger, the former Archbishop Morgan of the Church of Storms and the former head of the Rothschild region, 'Sea King' Cortman, were both defeated."
"The Central Sonia Fleet of Rune was damaged and has withdrawn from the surrounding waters. Its commander, 'The Weaver' Emilius, may face dismissal."
Two archbishops, high-ranking members of the Storm Church… Audrey couldn't imagine what had happened to make the Storm Church choose silence after the deaths of these two high-ranking members.
Just now, Mr. Hanged Man asked Mr. Fool whether to preserve the tomb left by Mr. Fool's alter ego... He has been staying on the Rosed Isles recently, and it is very likely that he has also joined the battle...
So, the tomb of Mr. Fool's alter ego is also near the Rosede Islands? Audrey suddenly realized.
She guessed that something terrible must have happened during that little-known war of independence, something that was extremely terrifying to most of the high-ranking officials of the Northern Continent, forcing the governments and churches of various countries to suppress the news of the fall of the "City of Generosity".
Could it be that Mr. Fool made his move?
Audrey felt both delighted and apprehensive upon thinking about this.
She was fascinated by the myths and their extraordinary charm, yet she couldn't imagine what kind of disasters the divine power could unleash.
With the tragedy of the Backlund smog still fresh in her mind, and the New Year approaching, she silently prayed that no more terrible disasters would occur on New Year's Eve.
Fors also realized the subtext in Alger's words, and she was not surprised.
Earlier, the Backlund branch had received a briefing from colleagues at sea. Although Fors was not of a high enough rank to read it, he had heard about it.
In truth, she didn't care about anything that happened in the Rothschild Islands; she only cared about the small circle around her.
For example... the accident that Hugh encountered not long ago when he was on an operation with members of MI9.
Seeing the somber atmosphere around the long table, with no one willing to continue discussing how much blood was buried beneath the Rothschild Revolution, Fors quickly glanced at "Moon," who appeared to be a new vampire, and said.
"There have been signs of 'Rose School' activity in Backlund recently, and the confirmed cult members may include artificial vampires. Does anyone know anything about this?"
After listening for a long time, Emlyn, who was feeling confused, suddenly perked up. The keyword "artificial vampire" awakened his brain. After thinking for a moment, he eagerly responded.
"I can share information with you."
"But I need you to exchange it for something of equal value."
"For example?" Fors moved his fingers, as if playing with an invisible pen.
"Help me find items that can help vampires increase their strength?"
Emlyn tentatively asked, and as soon as he finished speaking, he felt a barrage of gazes directed at him, as if they were observing some rare animal.
"Vampires"? Those humanoid monsters covered in pus?
Derrick, the "Sun" sitting next to Emlyn, subtly moved closer to the "Hanged Man".
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