Once the two were inside, Klein showed Kiyotaka around. At first, there were a lot of snakes with triangular heads and red floral patterns on their heads. Klein kept talking and boasted his knowledge that he gained as a university graduate.
Meanwhile, on the other hand, Kiyotaka's brain was working overtime. It was a lot of information dump for him. However, there were a few things he realized about Klein.
'Sherlock, he is not inherently a cautious person. It seems like something in the past changed him drastically. From a preliminary judgement, he felt like a person capable of really cold logic, and someone who wrapped himself in layers upon layers of deceit and lies, however, he is really warm.
Especially when he feels some kind of connection to the person. His inclination to help me is stemming from the fact that he and I are from the same world and that alone is making him treat me much differently and in a much better manner than others.
He also talks quite a lot when he gets into the rhythm.'
As Klein was talking, Kiyotaka raised the lantern and cautiously walked through the stone door into the wide hall. The style there was identical to the passageway outside and had eight circular columns of the same color erected here.
Metal poles hung from the high dome, and at the bottom were candlesticks carved into different creatures. Klein explained that the upside-down candle was an indication of the structure being of Fourth Epoch.
The history circles of the Northern Continent countries all recognized that the Fourth Epoch was shrouded in thick mystery. It was impossible to tell what it truly was. The historical records had too many missing pieces and ambiguities for this period of history. There were too few tombs, ancient cities, and literature, that had been unearthed to create an effective confirmation.
However, this didn't mean that no one had done the relevant research. Its rarity implied that there were still some relics and information left behind. Whether it was the Solomon Empire, Tudor Empire, or Trunsoest Empire, they all had similar architectural styles, architectural styles that went against common sense—they were disorderly, asymmetrical, and they stood out for their frequent use of black.
The most typical characteristic were the candlesticks hanging from the ceiling and the chopped floral pattern marks on black walls.
"So, Antigonus and Zaratul were the aristocratic families of the Fourth Epoch, right?"
"Yep. Do you have any questions?"
"The candles. There are quite a lot of them. Does that mean something significant?"
Klein made an impressed look. "You are quite spot on. The exaggerated use does hint at nobility. Do you notice anything else?" As if asking a child, Klein lead him deep into the structure.
Kiyotaka gave a brief glance around until it landed somewhere. "Is it the two seats?"
"Yeah. What does that tell you?"
"Uhh—I am not a history student, but does that mean that this place was once a part of the Tudor-Trunsoest Empire?"
"Quite right. You learning freakishly quickly, my young padawan." Klein patted his back playfully, while swinging his cane around.
Kiyotaka who had the sword-cane in one hand and gas-lamp in the other, sighed. "I am older than you, just so you know."
"Oh, come on, I am your senior in this world. You should respect me a little. Age is but a number."
"Tell that to the authorities."
Klein looked at the man with the bored look on his face and chuckled softly. "Ease up a little." He patted his stiff shoulders and then stepped forward. "Make haste now, we don't have much time. Mr. Carter will be here soon."
Klein led him deeper into the structure while Kiyotaka followed him, taking in the scenery around himself. He was not particularly worried about anything in particular. As long as he did not face anyone above Sequence 5, he was quite confident in himself.
The raw firepower that he now wielded by having a Pyromaniac's fire spells gave him a lot of confidence. Coupling that with his understanding of "social" situations, taking advantage of people's weaknesses, and even more enhanced danger intuition, he was quite confident in himself.
As he was lost in thought, his eyes fell a few meters ahead where Klein was waiting for him.
With the help of the lantern's glow, he saw seven large, heavy, black stone doors at the base of the hall. They were lined up, two on the left, one in the middle, four on the right, perfectly in line with the Fourth Epoch's pursuit of asymmetry.
"Which one do you want to see first?"
"Uhh, the left one?"
"Have a look."
Klein was showing Kiyotaka everything like a parent who had brought their child to a museum for the very first time.
As Kiyotaka raised the lamp once more, the light illuminated his features. There was slightly more flesh on his face now, and due to increase in calories and having a much better lifestyle for the past few weeks, his face did not look as long and horse-y and bottle-y as before.
His pale eyes narrowed a little as he saw the symbol engraved on the left-most entrance. It had a deep-black background with a crimson half-moon that was surrounded by radiant points of light.
"Symbol of Church of Evernight Goddess. Does that mean "She" was in support of the Tudor Dynasty?" Kiyotaka made sure to refer to "Her" as "Her" and not "her."
Klein did not confirm out loud and instead placed his hand on the stone door. The black stone door slowly opened amidst rough and heavy grinding sounds. As the light from the lantern shone into the room, he began to see the interior, bit by bit.
There was a few meters of open space at the entrance—also paved with dark stone tiles—and a platform nearly a meter high. On the high platform, Kiyotaka saw an extremely beautiful lady with a hazy face, her right hand supported her head as she laid down on the platform. She wore a layered black classical dress that wasn't overly complex. There was a circle of radiating rays at the bottom of her head.
"Isn't the Evernight Goddess represented via "Her" symbol of half crimson moon and stars? Is this an attempt at sacrilege from the Tudor Dynasty?" Kiyotaka thought out loud.
'This is strange. Since the Gods in this world are like higher beings, restricting them and envisioning them to lesser lifeforms—humans—should be tantamount to sacrilege.'
"In the past, one of my seniors once told me that the core difference between an Evil God and a True God. The former was said to have an image that resembled that of an intelligent lifeform, but the latter only had Sacred Emblems formed by symbols.
And since Evernight Goddess is a True God, you are correct."
Kiyotaka mused. 'True God, but not a good one. Naturally, to be a God and be completely good do not fit well in a single sentence. Since Sequence 0 represents a True God, it means that Evernight Goddess was once a human too. To ascend to that level, it is impossible that she has not committed inconceivable crimes.
History, good and bad and evil is written by the victors anyways. If she has persisted as a Sequence 0 for so long, it is highly possible that she has just framed herself as "good." Of course, it is highly probable that I am just overthinking.'
"I am guessing the other doors have statues of other gods?"
"Do you still want to see or are you no longer interested? Honestly, I was expecting more of a reaction from your side, but I am quite disappointed."
"No, I am equally parts surprised as I am confused."
Klein looked at the man with the deadpan look. "Right... Ok, do you still want to see the other statues or...?"
"Sure, let's have a look."
The two of them then visited the other rooms.
The second one had an emblem with a simple drawing of a baby surrounded by the symbols of wheat, flowers, and spring water—the sacred emblem of Mother Earth. On the platform was a white stone sculpture about four or five meters tall which was a plump and beautiful lady, with ears of wheat growing from her feet, and she was surrounded by spring water.
Her dress seemed to flutter, and embedded in it, there were different herbs and flowers, as well as the depiction of different animals. The lady's chest was raised high, and in her arms was an adorable infant in swaddling clothes. She stood there, tall and sacred.
"So, all of these the statues of Orthodox Gods. From what little you've told me about the rich history of...this world and your own discoveries, weren't the Orthodox Gods in support of Tudor? Or at least the Evernight Goddess was? Then why have they attempted to do this?
Is it because of the alliance with Trunsoest Empire?"
Klein rubbed his forehead. "I am trying to work that out myself."
Kiyotaka hummed. 'Or it could be that the Evil Gods killed the good ones and took their place.'
The duo then opened the four stone doors on the right, in succession.
They separately saw the Storm Sacred Emblem, which was made up of the symbol of gales and stormy waves; the Sacred Emblem of the Sun, which was surrounded by lines; the Sacred Emblems of the God of Combat, which was made from the combination of the symbol for dusk and a sword-shaped symbol; as well as the Sacred Emblem of Knowledge and Wisdom, which was represented by an open book and an omniscient Eye.
In contrast, there were four statues of deities in the room.
First was a dignified middle-aged man in black armor, standing over churning waves, surrounded by stormy winds, with lightning flashing behind him and a trident in his hand.
Second was a young man in a pure white robe, holding a book of deeds in one hand and a golden sphere which resembled the sun in the other. He was handsome and spirited.
Third was a warrior sitting on a throne high above, holding a sword in front of him. His face was hidden behind his helmet's visor, his entire body covered with an indescribable sense of decay.
Fourth was a hooded elder holding a book and the omniscient eye, with only his mouth, wrinkles, and long white beard exposed.
Kiyotaka was about to walk a little further when Klein suddenly pulled him back by grabbing his shoulder. He was alerted when Klein held his shoulder by there was no strange movement or intent behind it so Kiyotaka did not fight it.
Instead, he looked at Klein and waited patiently for a response.
Klein who was visibly rattled cleared his throat. "There is an evil spirit on the other side. In the field of mysticism, evil spirits were extremely terrifying monsters and the best of them could even be said to be on the same level as High-Sequence Beyonders."
"High-Sequence Beyonders? So at the level of Demigod and even Angels?"
"Yeah..."
"I see. Thanks for the heads-up. I believe we should go back now."
"Let's do that."
Klein turned to leave. However, Kiyotaka did not move. Instead he stood there, staring blankly at the structure where the supposed "evil spirit" was. His eyes were growing increasingly blank, as if a strong force of convergence to the place was heavily impacting him as a sliver of heat shot up from his bracelet towards his whole arm.
At that instant, the light returned to his eyes and he blinked a few times before turning away and leaving after Klein. Not letting the sensation overwhelm him, Kiyotaka followed Klein outside.
Once they were out, Kiyotaka saw Sharron who was setting up the explosives. Kiyotaka helped her out and added a few points. The goal here was to block the entrance and scare Millet Carter away from the place for Klein to later come and do investigations of his own. Since there was an Evil Spirit involved, Klein did not wanted an innocent person to get hurt.
The plan went well and the entrance was blocked successfully. The ever-stoic Miss Sharron also showed some reaction when Kiyotaka helped her.
She was doing a flawless job herself and there was almost nothing to point in her work, but there were some minor alterations that could've resulted in a tragedy that had a non-zero chance of happening.
Kiyotaka felt like he had bonded to a little extent with the doll-like expressionless woman. In a way, she was just like him. They had the same hair and eye color, they both wore black and were expressionless for the most part. The most noticeable difference between the two was that one was way more powerful and beautiful than the other.
Once they were done there, Millet Carter paid Klein 5 Gold Coins. Klein asked if Kiyotaka wanted one of the coins out of modesty, and Kiyotaka who was now well versed in the euphemism of this era, humbly declined.
After that, the two went to a nearby café and had a cup of coffee each before departing their own separate ways. On the way back, Kiyotaka passed by a church. Remembering how he had repeatedly doubted the Goddess and thought of her as "evil," he shivered and walked over to the Church of Evernight Goddess.
Once inside, he saw the same emblem as the one he had seen in the underground ruin. Not letting the same thoughts resurface back into his mind, he sat on one of the pews and clasped his hands together before closing his eyes and resting his forehead on his clasped hands.
He stayed like that for a long moment, and somewhere along the way, he felt his consciousness drift away. It was just like the time that he was pulled into a dream by Soest. However, he did not suffer from anything nor did he feel anyone trying to pry into his memories and such.
As he removed his forehead from his hands, an enchanting smell invaded his nose. It smelled of vanilla and incense. At the same time, heavy fabric of velvet shifted as a woman sat beside him. She smelled great and was even more beautiful with a long complicated purple dress, black colored lipstick, some dark circles and soft, cushy cheeks.
"It is a pleasure to see you again, Miss Daly."
The woman smiled and kept her head low and eyes closed as she prayed. Kiyotaka kept his eye on her and his other hand on his cane as people began to walk towards the donation box and then leaving.
Only when everyone was gone did Daly open her eyes. Her soft lips puckered before turning into a half-smile. "It is good to see you again as well, Williams."
Kiyotaka looked up at the half-crimson moon and the stars around it through which natural light from outside filtered inside. "How have you been, Miss?"
"You can call me Daly. I am not that older than you." She chuckled dryly. "Besides, I am not your superior anymore, or well, I won't be your superior ever again."
"You don't have to rub it in my face that you won't hire me again."
Daly smiled in a humorous manner and then turned to face Kiyotaka completely. Her hand rested on his thigh as her expressions stiffened a little. "No, I mean, who would become senior of a rogue Beyonder."
Kiyotaka's expression did not falter, nor did he feel confused internally. If anything, this confirmed a few theories of his own. "So, you really are a part of the Nighthawks."
On the other hand, Daly herself was not that shocked when she heard those words coming out of his mouth. Nighthawks was a secret organization, yes, but the police and MI9 were in cahoots with them. It was natural for some leaks to happen over the years.
What she didn't know was that the name of Nighthawks was preached to Williams in detail by their own former member who was now presumed to be dead.
"Whether I am or not a part of some organization is beyond the reason of my visit." Daly explained, her hand still resting on his thigh as she looked deep into his eyes. "You are being followed and targeted. By multiple people, all belonging to different organizations."
"How do you know that?"
Kiyotaka wanted to test the waters a little.
"When the Police heard that you were seen around the murder site of Rafter Pound, the higher officer informed us. After that, we began to follow you and investigate into matters related to you. Surprisingly, you don't seem to be going around doing what you used to do before.
However, what we did discover was traces of a Devil around your house. A few days ago, do you remember encountering something like that?" Daly tilted her head.
'Devil? Devil Dog? I did encounter that. From how she is talking, it seems like they are not actively hunting me. Should I show some form of sincerity as well?'
"I did. I was coming back from a pub when I saw a giant black dog with red eyes feasting on a woman's entrails while she was half-alive. I do not know if it had followed me, but I did have the premonition of it doing so. I had to change scents multiple times before retreating into my home."
"You have quite the experience in shedding your skin then."
Kiyotaka looked back at her. "Being an orphan in the streets while everyone is trying to rip away your flesh or take advantage of you teaches one a lot of things."
Daly felt a little bad. Clearing her throat, she continued. "That is valuable intel. I will pass it on. That said, if you wish to do so, you can stay in the Church until the danger is totally over. It has been advised by the uppermost cardinals. However, we are not obligated to stop you. If you wish to leave, that is up to you as well."
Kiyotaka ruminated over his choices. "Should the danger be too much, can I return any time?"
"The Goddess' doors are never close to anyone, no matter when and who."
"I see." Kiyotaka tapped his chest three times in a counterclockwise manner as Daly repeated the same. "I shall take my leave then."
He stood up and picked his cane and cap. Daly stood up as well and her heavy dress rustled loudly. "Would you like to have coffee some time later?"
A queer smile graced Daly's lips. "Sure, but simple a cup of coffee would not suffice in bedding me, so do not get your hopes up."
"That's a shame then." Kiyotaka joked in passing as Daly chuckled. Once the farewells were said, Kiyotaka made his way out and put his hat on.
His eyes were hyper-focused as he looked around nonchalantly. He had always felt that there was someone following him, but he could not put his finger on it. Daly's tailing method using a creature was a little obvious, however, this one had gone fully under Kiyotaka's RADAR. Mostly it would just come as a premonition.
Pressing his hat tightly on his head, Kiyotaka took a carriage to his home. It was still early afternoon, so that meant that after brainstorming for his safety, he would still have time in the evening to go and meet the special person that Glaint had talked about.
He opened the door to his house and walked inside. First, he poured himself a glass of water, and then another. Once that was done, he walked over the bedside table where his indulgences were present.
He was a little surprised as he did not remember his pack of cigarettes being open or the lid on his whiskey bottle being undone. He had not smoked or drank in the past 3 days, at all. And even now, he had kept it here because he had just came to like to smoke every now and then.
So seeing his pack of cigarettes open and being 2 less suddenly alerted all of his senses.
From the corner of his eyes, Kiyotaka saw a man sitting on the far end of the bed silently, blending seamlessly with the shadows. It was a man who wasn't particularly muscular but was nearly two meters tall in height was wearing a black priest robe. His light yellow hair was slightly curled, and his dark brown eyes were cold with malice and madness.
It was visible even in the dark. The corners of his mouth drooped slightly, making him look like a ferocious wolf. He sat there menacingly and stared at him angrily.
"Who told you to look for Lanevus? Was it Xio Derecha? Are you his informant?" the dark figure asked in a low, slow voice.
Kiyotaka lightly clicked his sword-cane. "I am not looking for him myself."
"But you are looking for him. Why?"
"Would you leave if I tell you why?"
"Yes."
"Hmm, why are you protecting a Swindler though? Are you one of his cronies that helped him? No, that can't be, you would be in hiding as well if that was the case. Then, does that mean that your organization is behind Lanevus?
Something tells me that is not the exact reason either. You are a mass murderer, I can see the blood on your hands." Kiyotaka kept rambling as his hands got hot. "Then that means you are from a secret organization and Lanevus has something that you want, so you are protecting him, correct?"
"Why did he suddenly start looking for Lanevus? This is a bounty that was offered a long time ago." The black figure slowly stood up and began to take leisure steps towards Kiyotaka. It looked like whatever Kiyotaka was saying was going right over his head.
'This person is extremely unreasonable. Good... I can use that against him.'
Kiyotaka ruminated as the man suddenly lunged at him. At the same time, flames erupted from all over Kiyotaka's body.