Lord of the Mysteries: Yao Guang

Chapter 644 The Messenger’s Path

Banabé stepped out of the Church of St. Samuel.

He entered filled with fear and anxiety, and now he leaves with life and a secret that could crush any life. This "diviner" had never been so grateful for his disrespect for the gods. He was not a devout believer, had no faith whatsoever, so he could still maintain his crackling sanity and not lose control into a monster.

Perhaps there are other reasons... such as the protection of the "Fool," even if Banabé really had no piety to speak of.

He never even considered himself a believer, but around that long table, he had no real say; the "Fools" never invited them to make any decisions. Leaving aside the rules of the "transaction," the esoteric knowledge in Russell's diary was largely a form of sharing.

From an objective standpoint, what that person said wasn't wrong; all members of the Tarot Club are "messengers of the Fool."

And what about others? How did those messengers of storms and nights feel after learning that extraordinary powers were out of balance?
Banabé made no attempt to hide his probing gaze, so Daly responded with a smile. Only after the two had entered the special carriage bearing the church emblem and set off for the port under the cover of night did the lady nod.
"I won't talk to you about anything, firstly because of the confidentiality agreement, and thirdly for my own mental and physical health."

The curtains were drawn inside the carriage, and Banabé made no attempt to lift them. He simply looked towards that spot, as if trying to see outside through the obstruction: "Did you miss two?"

"You asked me if there's a second one, and that's a confirmation that your mind is very clear and stronger than I imagined."

Banabé recalled those earlier words, and it was clear that the fact that he hadn't been struck by lightning or disappeared into the night when he stepped out of the church proved that those messages were not blasphemous, but rather warnings that were being spread "with the permission of the true God."

If this warning were to be made public, everyone would panic. The quiet streets would be filled with screams. Those who felt they couldn't go on living would unleash their malice, while those struggling to survive would be more easily overwhelmed by this malice...

Many, many people will die, far more than those who perished in the previous wars, not for any king or country, but purely, meaningless deaths.

Turning his gaze to the other side, Banabé saw Deli’s natural smile again. Her smile often carried a mysterious quality that seemed to see through others’ thoughts, which made Banabé subconsciously feel irritated. Of course, he could control the expression on his face, but this feeling of resistance could not be easily forgotten.

“We also know that once you arrive in that new Bayam, there will be many loopholes in your ‘agreement’ with the church.”

Daly spoke first, her tone as relaxed and casual as before: "But we don't care that much anymore. We're just responsible for extending our hands to express our wishes. Madness, mad apocalyptic theories are never directed at anyone, but the extraordinary ones are the first to be affected."

Banabé's lips moved slightly, but in the end he only uttered a soft "hmm".

Daly leaned forward and whispered, "I can tell you don't care about this mission and don't realize its importance, but my job is just to get you onto the ship. I hope we can 'work well together' until then."

After a pause, Daly's eyes dimmed: "Because Backlund simply cannot withstand any more shocks. Whether it's war or extraordinary power, it could detonate the shadows lurking here."

"So this is your real purpose, isn't it? To send me away, lest I, this 'messenger,' cause a crisis here..."

Daly smiled again: "That's just one of the purposes. Of course, I personally look forward to seeing what you can do in Bayam."

Isn't it because we don't need to send our own people to lead the charge? In case of any contamination or something, it won't harm the believers in the night, making it easier to protect the church's current night watchmen.

Thinking of this, Banabé couldn't help but roll her eyes at Daly: "I'm also curious, why can you still... be so calm right now?"

Daly's reaction was completely different from what Banabé had expected. She lowered her head and gently stroked the ring on her ring finger, feeling its texture against her finger:
"At first, I also found it absurd and terrifying, because as extraordinary beings within the church, we even directly felt the gaze of the goddess. What happened afterward was more like a dream, or rather, a moment in a dream. The specific details were also hidden, but I only remember a sense of tranquility that calmed my mind and made me want to fall asleep again in the dream."

"When we awoke from that wondrous dream, all we remembered were the goddess's gentle comfort and the advice she wanted to convey to everyone..."

"Your god even went out of his way to comfort you? How thoughtful of you." Banabé's words sounded anything but respectful.

Daly didn't seem to care. She simply kissed her ring and whispered, "'Live on.' That's the most lasting impression we got from that dream."

Banabé stared at Daly for a few seconds, until the carriage jolted slightly, breaking his tangled thoughts: "I thought the oracle would be a more formulaic command, but now that I see it, yours... well, it's quite thoughtful, who doesn't want to live?"

“Unfortunately, I was closer to ‘death’…” Daly smiled, making it difficult to discern the emotions hidden behind her words, “and not just a little. I also almost lost someone very important to me, but fortunately, we held on to each other in the end.”

Banabé rolled her eyes again: "I guess it's your husband."

"Yes, so we will live on, live on together, and do everything we can to survive—just as our goddess desires."

Daly made the crimson moon gesture on her chest, mouthing the words "Praise the goddess."

Banabé had only a vague understanding of the "anchor" until now, when he began to sense that at least those who were pulled into the dream had an invisible connection with the gods.

That's true, just like the relationship between Tarot Club members and "The Fool"...

Since the two met, Banabé's wariness had only eased at this moment. After Daly showed her openness, he felt that since she could still calmly look at the future, there was no reason for him to lose his composure.

Similarly, he also needs to communicate and listen to other people's ideas in order to drown out the chaotic voices in his own head:
"Well, let's talk about something else, Ms. Daly. Have you ever imagined... the end of the world?"

-

“Crimson crimson descended from the sky.”

"The sun burns its own bones, and the crimson moon falls into a foreign land; "
"The storm is sinking into the abyss, and intellect and reason are becoming increasingly blind."
"That which is hidden, that which is open, that which is dying, that which is crawling;

Everyone is waiting, waiting for crimson to fall from the sky.

"The thread of fate, the eye of fate, the net of fate,"
"The birds that herald spring, again and again, announce death."
"What causes blood and flesh, spirit and bone to grow?"
The shadows of the old linger behind the new.
"So that even he who has closed his eyes may know fear and be terrified."

"He, they, struggled to awaken from the nightmare again, and offered admonitions to those who practice them."
"Let out that roar that will inevitably fall to the dust:"
"The end of the world has come, and crimson is falling from the sky."

Amon sat on the right side of the bench. By simply turning his neck to the left, he could see Adam, who was a meter away, and the words on the parchment stained with ink.

However, He didn't need to do that. Another white-rimmed raven was affectionately perched beside Adam's ear, conveying the words, which were far more poetic than narrative, to Adam's vision in their entirety.

This is very different from Adam's past habits as a "writer," and even completely different from the father that Amon remembers.

In fact, Amon sent a clone to the Church of the Bones, not expecting to see Adam or any of his other personalities there, and was prepared to leave empty-handed.

But Adam was there, and when Amon came in, he did not pray toward the cross as usual. He simply looked peacefully at the visitor who had not given prior notice, and then sat down with Amon on the bench after Amon took his seat.

Amon blinked. "I didn't even know you became a poet... if there's any sequence with that name." At this, the raven on Adam's shoulder tilted its head and cawed in inquiry.

“This is not a prophecy or a story. I did not use any extraordinary powers. This is just a record.” After pausing for two seconds, Adam smiled and looked at Amon instead of the raven that was closer to him. “I sometimes want to relax.”

Amon seemed genuinely taken aback by those words, a look of genuine yet feigned distress on his face: "This is even less like something you would say."

Adam did not speak, and so did Ammon; they simply looked at each other.

The crow flapped its wings and flew towards the cross standing at the very front of the church, circling it again and again.

“I thought you would have a lot of questions to ask me,” Adam said softly.

Amon simply shook his head, staring at the freely spinning clone, and remained silent.

"There are many things involved here, many changes, and we are still exploring. We cannot determine which path can break away from the established trajectory. We can only carefully find a balance within this. We cannot act too hastily, lest He awakens and shatters the new world, nor can we deviate too much from the world's original 'history,' as that would allow the erosion of the old world to spread and disrupt the order redefined by the new world."

“That’s quite a big plan,” Amon muttered in response.

If He hadn't discovered "another Amon," Adam, or rather, the Father, He would have kept it from Him for a long time, until the time when "this secret should be revealed"—so that everything could proceed as it had in the old world.

In fact, Amon already knew a little too much for Adam.

Actually, that time wasn't too far from now, but Amon still acted like a sulking child, subtly expressing his dissatisfaction to Adam.

Adam reached out and caught the raven that flew back towards him: "I owe you an explanation. I'm sorry."

The crow cawed twice more, and Amon gently touched the edge of his monocle: "It's okay, I don't really need it now."

Another moment of silence followed.

Adam rose from the bench, walked to the cross, and looked up at the sunlight streaming through the stained glass: "You are also an important part of the old world's 'end,' and the 'history' that follows still needs your participation."

"And what about Esther?" the raven suddenly asked.

Adam turned away from the cross and looked into the dark eyes behind his monocle: "She is our 'backup plan'."

A hint of curiosity appeared on Amon's face, and he relaxed from his previous slightly tense state: "So what is your first plan?"

"The mystery of the new world has been successfully born, the source of the new world has stabilized, and the remnants of the old world are enough to support the new barrier, until enough ancient beings take the stage to drive out those greedy ones who want to tear us apart, and the Western Continent... also needs their willingness to cooperate with this plan."

The crow clicked its tongue: "Oh, then Esther is useless."

"The backup plan was initially prepared to appease the 'old world,' to weave new historical moments, maintain the status quo of the participants, and even anchor new mysteries to ensure that their humanity is always on our side—she did far more than I expected; she accomplished all of these things exceptionally well."

But there were also some things that weren't done well enough, Amon thought.

"Yes, the mysteries of the old world have awakened, which will further strengthen the connection between the two worlds. This is what I, we, have been worried about for a long time."

The raven on Adam's shoulder took flight and landed on Amon's head, in a similar spot to where the lark had sat. However, the raven was heavier, pressing down on the soft-brimmed hat and casting a shadow on Amon's pensive black eyes.

"So, the next step is the formal activation of the backup plan?"

Adam actually sighed, and Amon could detect a hint of helplessness in his voice:
“It was Esther who was supposed to travel on that ship to the ruins of the old world.”

"Oh, it shouldn't be me."

Amon suddenly seemed much happier. He stood up and slowly turned around, looking around at the unchanging decorations in the church: "But I see another Amon. What you left for 'Est' is no longer there."

Adam knew Amon well and could see that the "Angel of Time" was genuinely excited: "Yes, there is a clone there, and you... and another clone successfully entered the Old World."

"Is He also Ammon?"

"The destruction of the old world did not stop your curiosity. Because of His special path and some 'inevitable' good fortune, His attempts led to today's result, and in the end, you also saw yourself."

Amon stopped his pleasant stroll and stared intently at Adam. Just as Adam understood Amon, Amon could also see the slight ripples hidden beneath the calm: "I have reached an agreement with that part of myself on certain decisions."

“You won’t give up becoming a mystery,” Adam nodded, needing no further explanation from Amondo. “I’ve always known that.”

Amon looked at Adam and saw the corners of Adam's mouth, covered by a beard, curving upwards with a smile, which made him feel uneasy.

The crow perched on Adam's arm suddenly spread its wings and flapped them vigorously. Only when Adam looked at it did the black bird speak in a hoarse voice: "We think this is unfair."

"I see..." Adam didn't say anything more, but simply stretched out his finger and gently ran it through the crow's feathers, feeling it biting his finger hard.

“I still owe you an apology,” Adam said to the raven.

Amon shook his head: "Not this time."

Adam didn't try to persuade him further—fate has its own inertia, cause and effect are intertwined, and no matter which way it rushes, the main channel of that long river only has one side.

What Amon wanted to change might ultimately turn out much the same. But Adam respected that wish, and understood the decision when Amon said He "didn't need" His apology. Precisely because Amon didn't intend to follow Adam's script, they remained even.

Amon was still waiting for Adam to say something, but he only saw the other man approach, gently pat him on the shoulder, and then sit back down on the bench, calmly bowing his head in prayer.

“By the way, I noticed that when you asked about her before, you used the name ‘Esther’,” Adam said with a gentle smile, without looking up as he rubbed the cross with an olive branch hanging between his fingers, just as he always did. “It seems you two get along quite well.”

Amon shook his head again, and amidst the hoarse, cawing of the crow, turned and walked toward the church door.

Okay... updated...