Mystery: Good Witch

Chapter 1383 All Angels?

When she opened her eyes, the apocalyptic scene before her and the low murmurs in her ears had all vanished without a trace.

She got up and went to the captain's cabin. Looking at the room filled with various decorations and different nautical charts, her thoughts slowly drifted away from the dream she had just had and returned to reality.

The "Prophet" potion, which had been largely digested, told Cattleya that what she had just seen was likely the terrifying apocalypse that was about to happen to this world.

Was it the unease of leaving the Queen again, or the anxiety about not being able to quickly digest the potion and ascend to angelhood...? I've never had such a clear precognitive dream before, even about the future that would definitely happen; I only had a vague perception and ambiguous interpretations...

She muttered to herself, walked to the window, pulled back the curtain, and looked out onto the deck of the "Future".

Several sailors on duty were carrying out routine cleaning under the urging of Captain Nina. Frank Lee, who had lost his experimental subject because Sharf had been sent to the Queen Anne's Revenge, was fiddling with something beside a wooden barrel full of soil, looking somewhat listless. In the distance, the blue sky and white clouds, the gentle breeze, and the calm sea were a rare sight on the turbulent sea.

None of this looks like the end of the world.

Of course, during the two years of digesting the "Prophet's" potion, Gadriya experienced many things that were calm one second and then suddenly turned into various crises the next, but she did not let her guard down because of this.

However, the strange behavior of the "Mysterious Queen" a few days ago, the delay of the secret meeting, and the lack of response to prayers for help from the "Fool" and the "Goddess of Calamity" all made this Tarot Club member, codenamed "The Hermit," somewhat anxious.

Wait, I prayed to the gods, and then I had a premonition of a great disaster... I digested the magic potion and had another chance to experience and prevent a disaster?
Cattleya suddenly froze, and a reasonable guess came to her mind.

"Could this be my only chance? Although the Queen said I might not be able to advance in the short term, she gave me the extraordinary characteristics of a 'sage' before she left. And after seeking help from the two gods, 'disaster' struck again..."

"Believe in the power of the gods, but do not believe in their mercy..."

With a deep sigh, Cattleya made her decision. She placed her hands on the window frame, letting her voice carry throughout the entire ship:
"Raise the sails, set sail, and head to the East Sunia Sea."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The alarm clock rang, and Benson Moretti returned from his dream to his soft bed.

He grabbed the small, ringing mechanical device on the bedside table, fiddled with it for a few moments but couldn't stop it. He could only squint and get up, instinctively reaching to his side, only to find that Lily was already up.

She's been getting up earlier and earlier lately... Benson muttered to himself, finishing his morning routine in a half-asleep state. He went down to the living room on the first floor and immediately smelled the oily aroma of fried eggs and the wheaty scent of bread.

"Tromi, fry me an extra egg, make it soft-boiled."

He spoke to the maid who had followed him from Tingen to Backlund and whose cooking skills were already quite good, then sat down at the table to enjoy breakfast.

Just then, the sound of a child crying came from the living room next to the sunroom. Benson smiled, put down the knife and fork he had just picked up, and got up to go into the room next to the dining room.

Lily Moretti was holding her one-year-old daughter, gently rocking her body while soothing the child who couldn't stop crying for some reason. The maid in charge of taking care of the child stood by, somewhat at a loss.

"Darling, leave it to me."

Benson took the child from Lily's arms, looked into the eyes that were the same color as his own, and comforted her with a few words, making her chubby face stop crying and start smiling, calling out "Daddy" repeatedly.

After handing their daughter over to the maid, the couple returned to the dining room, where Lily said with some disappointment:
"She only stops crying when you hold her... Am I not doing a good job?"

"Actually, it's my words that are more persuasive," Benson joked with a wink. "From 3-year-olds to 60-year-olds, they're all within my scope of work."

"Really? I didn't feel anything last night."

As the two were chuckling softly, the study door opened, and Melissa, her hair a little disheveled, strode out. To Benson and Lily's surprise, she sat down at the dining table, picked up her coffee, and gulped it down without even adding sugar.

"Melissa, you didn't sleep all night?"

Lily asked with some concern.

"Yes, I'm organizing the materials I need for today, and I'll hand them over to Professor Momont later."

Melissa nodded in reply, her expression not showing any signs of exhaustion from staying up all night, but rather radiant. She snatched the freshly baked fried egg and bread from Benson, quickly made a sandwich, swallowed it in a few bites, and then finished the rest of her coffee in one gulp.

"Is this the 'difference engine' you were researching a while ago?"

Benson, whose breakfast had been stolen, asked curiously.

“That’s outdated, Benson,” Melissa replied seriously. “The mainstream research now is the ‘analytic engine’ model proposed by Professor Charles.”

"But the prototype design of the Analytical Engine is too enormous; it's simply impossible to manufacture in reality... Professor Momont has found a solution?"

Lily and Melissa, both mechanical engineering students at Backlund University of Technology, immediately picked up where the latter left off and asked a question in return.

"Well, a real 'analytical machine' would probably be bigger than this house and wouldn't be able to function properly. So we plan to replace some of the mechanical parts with circuits, similar in principle to a telegraph, but much faster and more precise..."

"How can electrical motion and mechanical motion be converted..."

The two college students immediately got into a discussion, leaving Benson somewhat unable to get a word in edgewise. He could only enjoy Tromi’s freshly fried eggs, his gaze occasionally lingering on his lover and sister.

He could see that Melissa, who hadn't yet graduated, was significantly superior to Lily in terms of knowledge and thinking speed. This wasn't because the latter had just given birth and entered the "three-year" stage of pregnancy, but rather...

...Melissa is already an extraordinary being, and most likely a "generalist" of the "Steam Church" who has mastered the potion formula.

"Lawyer" Benson made an accurate judgment.

While Lily was pregnant, Benson, who had been promoted to an important position in the Special Affairs Division of the Ministry of Finance, unexpectedly came into contact with an extraordinary person and obtained a potion recipe.

Even before that, Benson had already learned some secrets of the occult world from Leonard Mitchell, Klein's colleague who had informed him of his brother and Angel's deaths, and was no stranger to potions and supernatural abilities.

After questioning Leonard and confirming that the potion called "Lawyer" wouldn't pose much danger, he traded becoming an informant for the Church of the Night's "Night Watchers" for the opportunity to become an Extraordinary.

After becoming a "lawyer," his already good eloquence transformed into a kind of "persuasion" in an extraordinary sense, allowing him to deliberately distort other people's thoughts and give himself a special kind of affability.

Only then did he realize that there were extremely rare people in the world with extraordinary abilities, and he understood the truth of what had happened back then, knowing that Klein and Angel had sacrificed themselves in the battle against the out-of-control supernatural power.

Benson didn't tell Melissa about this, but through daily observation, he discovered that his sister had also become a "Generalist," possessing extraordinary abilities, though currently it seemed to be limited to improvements in memory, comprehension, and learning abilities, as well as abundant energy.

The “coincidence” that the three siblings successively became extraordinary made Benson instinctively feel that something was strange.

Moreover, there seems to be something special about our neighborhood… He pondered, taking his coffee and strolling to the door, away from Lily and Melissa, whose discussion was growing increasingly heated, and pushed open the door to enter the garden.

The streets were quiet in the early morning, but Benson noticed that two people, one tall and one short, were standing in front of his neighbor's house. The taller one was Leonard Mitchell, who had introduced him to the extraordinary world. His shirt was casually buttoned up, and his hair seemed unkempt. He was talking to a girl who was almost two heads shorter than him.

Benson stared at the girl for a moment, then paused, realizing he knew her.

Unlike her petite figure, Ms. Hugh Deercha was already an adult and held a high position as the head of a special department in the military. Benson guessed that she was also an Extraordinary, and of a high rank.

She had submitted documents to various departments of the Kingdom's government in an effort to exonerate her father, Earl Mason Deer, who had been unjustly executed and stripped of his title. This led her to meet Benson, and she bluntly pointed out his extraordinary status, almost making Benson think he would be arrested by the military.

Fortunately, the woman did not report him. Instead, she shared some insights into "digesting" the potion and "playing" the role, which Benson found very helpful.

This is what I find strange; the mystical energy around Melissa and me seems a bit too strong… He muttered to himself, and when he saw Leonard and Hugh turning to look at him, he quickly smiled amicably and turned to look at the other side of the garden.

In another house next to Moretti's, a couple left home with a boy who looked to be only about four years old, and were about to get into a carriage.

It was Dr. Allen and his family… Benson’s smile widened.

Benson held a certain fondness for the doctor who had helped Lily during her pregnancy. However, he always felt that the doctor's young child, Will Chris, was a bit too precocious. He heard that the Allen family's decision to sell their detached house in Hillston and move to the North Side was influenced by Will.

Benson's gaze lingered on the somewhat bouncy child, who seemed to notice, turned around to look at Benson, and gave him a bright smile.

Maybe I'm just overthinking it... Since becoming an Extraordinary, I've become a bit paranoid... Mr. Mitchell is an Extraordinary, so is his pregnant wife one too? And Dr. Allen's four-year-old child? How could that be...?

Benson glanced up at the sun-dappled spire of St. Samuel's Church in the distance, shook his head, and went home.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Seeing Benson return home with a strange look on his face, Leonard and Hugh tacitly looked away and continued their conversation.

Although Leonard, as a saint of the "dark" path, could easily conceal their presence, he felt that doing so in front of Benson was somewhat superfluous and disrespectful.

Disrespecting a god's brother... Leonard's thoughts wandered and then returned to focus. He looked down at Miss "Judgment" and continued:
"The church has arranged for me to return to the sanctuary, the Quiet Church in Wintershire, to complete a mission, and I'm afraid I'll have to leave for a while."

"I hope you can keep an eye on the Moretti family and make sure they don't get hurt or approached by anyone with malicious intent... Of course, it would be best if you could also take care of Sherman, my love."

Such matters could have been discussed above the gray fog, but with the Tarot meeting postponed and prayers to "The Fool" going unanswered, a direct meeting might be a better option.

“No problem,” Hugh, already a “Chaos Hunter” who had arrested and killed more than one Saint on the underground front of the Kingdom of Rune, immediately nodded in agreement. “The Moretti family is also at the very top of the military’s protection list… Of course, it is done in the most secretive way, and many members of MI9 themselves don’t even know they are protecting their family.”

"That's why I moved next door to them..." Leonard muttered to himself. He wasn't prepared for his sudden departure from Backlund, so he had to temporarily ask "Judgment," who worked in the military and dealt with supernatural events, to look after Sherman.

According to the old man, my trip to the Sanctuary this time was likely because I was granted early approval to advance to Sequence 2, but how could that be...? The number of Sequence 3 Saints in the Church should far exceed the number of Sequence 2 traits available for allocation, even considering adjacent pathways, so how could it be my turn...? Could it be because of Klein and Angel...? Seeing Hugh's quick agreement, Leonard hesitated, and asked in a low voice:
"Is there any possibility that you will be promoted to Sequence 2 recently?"
"I mean, are there any promotion opportunities that are offered to you on their own initiative?"

He was met with a pair of green eyes that widened in shock:

"how do you know?"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

As the crimson light faded, the palace shrouded in gray mist and the bronze table came into view, and "Justice" Audrey finally felt relieved.

A month later, the Tarot Club finally convened again... She straightened up and looked around, immediately noticing the difference in this gathering.

Not only was Mr. Fool and His "world" absent from the twenty-two high-backed chairs surrounding the long table, but even Miss "Queen" and Miss "Chariot" were nowhere to be seen.

She counted again, somewhat incredulously, and confirmed that, including herself, there were only eight members of the Tarot Club who participated in the gathering.

The other seven people also noticed this, their faces, somewhat blurred by the gray fog, filled with astonishment and surprise.

They had attended tarot meetings before without the "Fool" or the "Queen" presiding, but those were temporary gatherings of a few people, necessary for joint actions or private exchanges. They believed that although Mr. "Fool" was not present, he was always watching the situation.

Now, it is a formal gathering that has been rescheduled and postponed, and even when the Fool has just fallen asleep, the Queen is presiding over the formal gathering!
Could it be that Miss "Queen" has also fallen asleep? Is this related to the strange events that occurred late at night a month ago? The postponement of the Tarot meeting and the lack of response to the prayers to "The Fool" also happened around that time... The group looked at each other, and for a moment no one dared to speak. An uneasy atmosphere filled the air.

Just as the gray fog seemed to solidify, "Justice" Audrey slowly stood up and bowed to "The Fool's" high-backed chair amidst the gazes of the crowd.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Fool, Miss Queen."

After a brief silence, the remaining seven people stood up and, as they had done countless times before at the start of a tarot reading, greeted the person at the head of the long table.

At this moment, Audrey, who had sat down first, also noticed subtle differences between the other people and those from a month ago.

Although their appearances remained unchanged, some figures became more blurred, as if blending into the surrounding shadows; some had bright eyes that seemed to reflect sunlight; some moved with a steady demeanor, no longer as frivolous as before; and some, though still only 1.5 meters tall, gave off the imposing aura of someone 5.1 meters tall...

Suddenly, Audrey had a sudden realization.

After everyone was seated, she spoke carefully:

"Everyone, a month ago, with the help of Miss 'Magician', I killed the mind dragon 'Erdfana', which had lived since the Second Era and was now nearly dead, and thus became a Sequence 2 'Insightful One'."

As she expected, while the others were somewhat surprised, their reaction was within reasonable limits, unlike the exaggerated reaction she had when the "magician" suddenly announced that he had become an angel.

“I think you have all gained something in the past month,” she continued. “I hope everyone can share their experiences. Perhaps the great Mr. Fool and Miss Queen are listening.”

After speaking, she looked at the "Hanged Man" opposite her. The latter understood and said in a somewhat deep voice, as if every word carried power:
"Two weeks ago, with the help of the mirror world created by the 'Goddess of Calamity', I jumped from the Storm Path to Sequence 2 of the 'Hanged Man' and became the 'Elder of Foul Words'."

Sure enough, Mr. Hanged Man, a veteran member of the Tarot Society, also became an angel. Although he jumped to an adjacent pathway, it was understandable. The Lord of Storms had not been dead for long, and most of the extraordinary characteristics he left behind should have been acquired by the Church of Storms. It was unknown when they would have the opportunity to obtain them... Audrey pondered and nodded to Mr. Sun, who joined later.

“Not long ago, Silver City traded a level 0 sealed artifact for a Sequence 2 trait from the Church of the Eternal Sun, and I used it as an ingredient to advance to the rank of 'Light Chaser',” said Derrick, a tall man with eyes that seemed to shine. “In the process, the Church of Steam borrowed a level 0 sealed artifact of the solar path to assist my ritual.”

After him, skipping over Fors, who had become a "Planetary Planeswalker," Emlyn "The Moon" introduced him in a no-longer-arrogant tone:
“A month ago, the progenitor granted me the extraordinary trait of Sequence 2 'Creator,' which is equivalent to 'Duke' within the vampire clan. With the other three dukes as witnesses, I took the potion and became an angel… During the final digestion of the Sequence 3 'Summoning Master' potion, Miss 'Queen' provided much assistance.”

His tone lacked the joy of a successful promotion; instead, it carried an invisible burden. His gaze was somewhat somber as he looked at the "Hermit" lady sitting opposite him.

The latter adjusted his thick glasses, glanced subconsciously at the empty seat belonging to the "Fool," and then spoke:

“Shortly after the strange phenomenon a month ago, I had a premonition that a huge disaster might occur in the East Sunia Sea near the ‘Forsaken Land,’ affecting the archipelago and the northern and southern continents.”

"Ten days ago, I finally arrived there. Under the guidance of the gods, I entered the ruins left by the war between the gods alone, found the source of the disaster, and prevented it from happening."

"The prophecy about this event allowed me to digest the Sequence 3 potion, and preventing the disaster became the ritual for my ascension to 'Sage'."

Her tone was rather strange, not like the joy and relief of preventing a real disaster, but rather a sense of helplessness at having everything arranged for her.

The way to stop that apocalyptic disaster is to find the "Queen" hidden in the ruins of the divine war and make the goddess who controls "disaster" smile.

Of course, this was not a risk-free journey. The divine power left behind by the ruins of the divine war and the delirious murmurs that caused extraordinary beings with divinity to lose control were all threats to Cattleya. Fortunately, the "Mysterious Queen" had entered that sea area many times and gave her a lot of help with her own experience, allowing her to open a path in danger and find the traces of the gods.

But I always felt this was an arrangement... In the end, I actually had to rely on the jokes of Emperor Roselle to amuse this god and stop the terrible disaster that was approaching this planet... She sighed and looked at the "Judgment" lady beside her.

The latter briefly described his promotion process:

"Through the mediation of His Majesty King Edsak II of Rune and a certain archbishop of the 'Church of the End,' the Church returned a long-lost Level 0 sealed artifact and disassembled it on the spot to restore its extraordinary characteristics as a 'Balancer.'"

"The condition attached to the return was that it could not be used by members of the royal family or military personnel who served during the reign of George III."

"Aside from a few princes who don't meet the requirements and the military's saints, I'm the only one left with a chance of promotion..."

This... has been arranged so clearly... After hearing the words of this "balancer", Gadriya felt a little more at ease, and then looked at Mr. "Star" who had joined the Tarot Club with "Judgment".

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Leonard cleared his throat and slowly said:
"Last month, I was suddenly notified by the church that I was to carry out a secret mission, but it wasn't until I returned to the church headquarters that I learned that I had been granted special permission to advance to Sequence 2, earlier than the senior archbishops and senior deacons within the church."

"The ascension ceremony required me to sever all social ties, neither affecting nor being affected by others, and to live alone in darkness and silence for three years... I originally thought I wouldn't be able to attend this tarot gathering, nor would I be able to see my family, but after only three weeks in the darkness, I realized that the conditions for ascension had been met..."

"It's as if time has been fooled."

Leonard's tone was full of doubt. He had tried to ask Pales inside him, but the latter firmly stated that he had not stolen time, nor could he steal the three years required for the ritual without affecting the ascendant, unless a higher-ranking being intervened.

A higher position... Thinking of this, he looked at the seat at the very end of the long table that belonged to "the world," and then glanced at the empty "Fool's" chair.

It seems that all the "angels" present had ascended to higher levels at an astonishing speed with the help of Klein and Angel?
The questions in his mind also filled the minds of all the members who had been promoted in the past month. Unconsciously, they all looked at the "Magician" Miss, who had become an angel first and seemed to know many secrets that they should not know.

(End of this chapter)