abnabooks Chapter 131 Information at Sea
Chapter 131 Information at Sea
Chapter 131 Information at Sea
After a moment of silence, the tarot reading session began with a free discussion, with everyone understanding the importance of the discussion.
Under Klein's manipulation, "The World" spoke first:
"Heh... Recently, or rather just yesterday, the Aurora Society's 'Secret Saint' Butis appeared at the Workers' Association in the Backlund docks district."
"This involves some arrangements by the 'True Creator,' where a vessel for His descent into reality is hidden."
"The problem there has now been resolved by the Church of the Night and a mysterious entity. Lanius, who served as the vessel for the 'True Creator's' descent, is dead, and the 'Saint of Mystery' has vanished."
Cyril: —（_；）—·
You've said everything I wanted to say, so what am I supposed to share next?
He glanced intently at the somber and reserved "world" at the far end of the weathered long table, then added, following the other person's words:
"The 'Mysterious Saint' Butis suffered misfortune and encountered Horamik Hayden, the head of the Steam Church's Backlund diocese. He has now fled Backlund."
"As for the Aurora Society, after losing several low- to mid-level followers and a vessel for the 'True Creator' to descend, they have gone into hiding."
"Justice" Audrey's curious gaze swept back and forth between Sirion and "The World," and she suspected that Mr. "The World" and Mr. "Fate" might know each other in reality, and even be very familiar with each other.
However... Lanius is actually the vessel through which the "True Creator" descended. Hugh and Fors's expedition is not as simple as it seems on the surface. As expected of Mr. Fool, every move he makes has unexpected profound meaning.
I wonder if Mr. Fool is satisfied with Hugh and Fors's performance in completing the mission...
Who is the mysterious being mentioned by Mr. World? It certainly doesn't refer to Mr. Fool. Could it be one of Mr. Fool's followers, like that Mr. Death Archon?
Lost in thought, Audrey, the "Justice," asked thoughtfully:
"Why Backlund? Why the docks?"
Upon hearing Miss Justice's question, Klein immediately manipulated the "world" to say some things he had always wanted to say:
"In such times, in such a Backlund, the East End, the Docklands, and the Factory District are the breeding ground for evil gods."
"I have seen and heard of many child laborers who died young, and I have encountered many workers who lost their jobs due to old age and overwork."
They could only wander the streets, dying silently in hunger and cold.
"In places like the East District, the dock area, and the factory area, there are many such people. They come from all over the country, in batches, but the vast majority of them will not live past the age of thirty, let alone have marriage and offspring."
"This..." Audrey opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.
As a member of the kingdom's upper nobility, any words that flashed through her mind seemed pale and powerless at this moment.
Cyril leaned back in his chair and sighed deeply:
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, in every sense of the word."
"Sometimes, living in ignorance is a kind of happiness."
"Justice," Audrey suddenly shook her head and said in an unusually serious tone:
"I believe everyone has the right to know the truth."
Cyril glanced at her, knowing the noble lady had misunderstood, but instead of explaining, he said leisurely:
"This is an inevitable trend of the times. The original structure and order of society are overthrown. Some people lose their original status or even their lives, while others ride the wave of the times to go higher and farther."
"There are two ways to solve this problem: let civilization regress. The more primitive the society, the more important human resources are. More jobs will naturally allow more people at the bottom to survive."
After a slight pause, he chuckled and, seeing the disapproving looks in everyone's eyes despite their silence, offered his second suggestion:
"Or, accelerate this process, allowing civilization to move to the next stage more quickly, with a large number of mechanical creations liberating labor and enabling more people to shift from pursuing material satisfaction to pursuing spiritual enrichment."
"Justice" Audrey instinctively nodded in agreement, but then felt something was amiss, until "The Hanged Man" Alger raised his own questions:
"This is too idealistic. Liberating labor means mass unemployment, which often leads to riots and wars."
Klein, manipulating the dummy "World," added:
"Unless there is another Russell who, with extraordinary means, leads the world to complete the Second Industrial Revolution in a very short period of time."
...But this is difficult. Even if a second transmigrator chooses the "General Knowledge" path in the future, what the Great Emperor couldn't achieve before...
Those who come after may not be able to do it.
Regardless of strength or status, the Great Emperor of that time must have been among the very top few in this world, yet he still failed.
Cyril glanced at the "Fool" at the head of the table, then muttered to himself:
"The process of innovation is always accompanied by bloodshed and sacrifice; this is a necessary price to pay."
...I think I'm starting to understand Adam better now, whether it's the influence of one's surroundings or the influence of one's surroundings.
As thoughts drifted, Alger, the "Hanged Man," ended this heavy topic by sharing his own observations:
"Recently, the fleet of 'Hurricane Admiral' Zilingus has been subdued, and a new pirate general calling himself 'Disease Admiral' has been born."
"'General of Disease'? Why that title? It sounds a bit strange." Audrey asked curiously.
"The Hanged Man," Alger explained, "she used to be a very famous pirate, 'The Diseased Girl' Tracy, you should have heard of her, right?"
"Justice," Audrey shook her head slightly. "No, I don't know much about that."
The Hanged Man paused for two seconds, offering no further explanation, and then said directly:
"In short, after subduing the Qilingus fleet, she proved her strength with concrete actions, renamed the Qilingus flagship the 'Black Death,' and proclaimed herself 'Vice Admiral of Disease.'"
"She is skilled in using curses, black fire, and frost. Those who oppose her always suffer from various diseases. No one knows which pathway she belongs to yet, but it is certain that she has reached the Sequence 5 level."
"It sounds a bit scary, like an evil witch from a storybook," Audrey exclaimed.
Cyril continued, "The 'Witch' pathway, Sequence 5 'Pain,' if she didn't use a magical artifact to conceal her true abilities."
"Furthermore, the seventh sequence of this pathway is called 'Witch'."
Audrey's expression turned strange for a moment. She remembered the occult knowledge she had received from Mr. World, and knew that men who ingested "witch potions" would be forcibly turned into women.
Could this "disease-stricken lieutenant general" have been a man before?
The Fool, Klein, who was at the very top, also thought about this question and fell silent for a moment. This was reflected in the fact that the World sat motionless in his seat, making it difficult to tell whether he was listening too attentively or was daydreaming.
After letting her thoughts wander a little, "Justice" Audrey looked at "The Hanged Man" Alger and asked curiously:
"Mr. 'The Hanged Man,' could you please give a detailed introduction to the four pirate kings and the other six pirate generals at sea?"
Alger, the "Hanged Man," looked around and, seeing that everyone was listening attentively, did not refuse.
"no problem."
"The most powerful pirate king at sea, as universally acknowledged, is Nast, the 'King of the Five Seas,' who claims to be a descendant of the Solomon Empire of the Fourth Age."
Not only is he a high-ranking powerhouse, but he also possesses the ghost ship "Black Emperor," a remnant of the Solomon Empire.
"He was also the oldest pirate, and it is said that he was already active at sea more than a hundred years ago in the post-Roselle era. No one knows exactly how old he was."
"He is adept at manipulating or distorting order and rules, and can create all sorts of unbelievable effects..."
At this point, he glanced at Sirion, curious to see what this Tarot Club member, who had an exceptional understanding of extraordinary pathways, would add.
Noticing the Hanged Man's gaze, Cyril thought for a moment and then said:
"The 'Black Emperor' approach, also known as the 'Lawyer' approach, represents the shadow of order and the dark side of rules, characterized by the exploitation of those rules."
Is the "Black Emperor" route really that coincidental?
Klein, the Fool at the very top, let his thoughts wander a little. The last page of Roselle's diary provided by Mr. Hanged Man today happened to mention the "Black Emperor" card in the blasphemy deck.
While he was lost in thought, Alger the Hanged Man had already begun introducing another pirate king:
"There isn't much information circulating at sea about the owner of the 'Dawn,' except that she was a beautiful woman known as the 'Mysterious Queen.'"
"And then there's the 'King of Black Seat.' Information about him is equally scarce; no one even knows what he looked like or what his gender was. Almost no one has witnessed him, and very few people mention this pirate king."
Cyril suddenly interjected, "He is a demigod of the 'Audience' pathway, capable of traversing the mental world, exerting a wide-ranging influence, and even altering people's perceptions of him."
"That is precisely why he became the most mysterious pirate king on the five seas. No one would actively think of him or be curious to explore his existence."