Within the ancient, unchanging castle, thick gray fog flowed silently.
At the bronze long table, two blurred figures looked at each other.
"World, you're Klein, aren't you?"
Without any preamble, Silas asked bluntly.
"...Silas, you're still as direct as ever when you speak."
At the end of the bronze long table, the gloomy figure belonging to World said with a sigh.
His originally low, hoarse voice suddenly became clearer, and Silas vaguely recognized the tone of his former colleague.
"Klein, so it really is you."
Silas wasn't surprised, though he did feel somewhat emotional. "By my count, this is already the second time I've recognized you."
The first time, he had stripped away his former colleague's "Sherlock Moriarty" disguise and, along the way, discovered that he was a fellow transmigrator.
"Yes."
Klein said.
Although he had guessed this day would come when he sent Silas the warning, now that the moment had truly arrived, he still felt somewhat awkward.
Hopefully there won't be a third time... please, no third time.
At the same time, he sincerely prayed in his heart.
He didn't have many disguises left. If Silas stripped away another one, he'd discover his relationship with The Fool.
"So, when did you join here?"
Silas asked.
"After coming to Backlund."
Klein recalled for a moment.
World had only been able to appear thanks to the "All-Black Eye" contributed by Rosago.
"What was the opportunity for joining?"
"...Guidance from a certain powerful being."
Klein answered with an excuse he'd prepared long ago.
"So when I received that divine oracle from the True Creator, you looked upset because of this?"
Silas seemed to understand something.
"...Right."
At this point, Klein felt a bit guilty, because the real reason he'd lost his composure at the time was that he himself was The Fool.
"Sorry, I didn't tell you about The Fool-related intelligence back then."
"It's fine, understandable."
Silas waved his hand dismissively. "If it were me, I'd probably have done the same thing."
The atmosphere above the gray fog quieted for a moment.
"Let's get reacquainted then. Hello, Mr. World. I'm Temperance."
Silas smiled and said to him.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Temperance."
Klein also nodded in acknowledgment.
"We don't need to tell the other members that we know each other, right?"
"Right, no need."
After briefly confirming their mode of interaction above the gray fog, they decided to still treat each other as strangers.
At this point, they both relaxed somewhat.
Silas leaned back slightly, adjusting his posture.
"How have you been?"
He asked Klein. "When you sent me that message before, your situation seemed pretty dire too."
"Yeah, I also got caught up in a case related to the royal family at the time."
Recalling his experience then, Klein's tone became somewhat heavy.
He shared his experiences with Silas, including Prince Edessak and the Witch Trissy, being silenced by a meteor strike after issuing the warning, being saved by Mr. Azik, but then being intercepted by Ince Zangwill...
"Ince Zangwill..."
Hearing that damned name, Silas's eyes suddenly contracted. "That bastard cooperated with the royal family too?"
That guy was directly related to Cecilia's death.
Silas had long ago resolved to get brutal revenge on him.
He just hadn't expected that he was also tangled up with the royal family and the Demoness Sect. Now, new grievances and old hatreds would be settled together.
"Yes, he's in the ruins occupied by the royal family."
Klein said. When mentioning this enemy, his eyes also blazed with angry fire.
"What about you? What did you go through at the time?"
He asked in turn.
"..."
Silas was silent for a moment, then said, "All my lambs died.
After killing and channeling that culprit Witch, I figured out the mastermind behind it all was that piece-of-shit emperor, and I started preparing to avenge my lambs and the people of the East Borough... Those bastards deserve to die."
Klein instinctively sat up straighter. The cold tone in his words made him feel uneasy.
"So you launched your attack on New Year's Eve..."
He asked hesitantly, "How did a Sequence 5 manage to resist so many high-sequence powerhouses?"
To be honest, Klein was truly curious.
Silas's strength at the time had far exceeded that of an ordinary Sequence 5. Even if he was a powerful Shepherd, it defied understanding.
"To rapidly increase my strength, I grazed a new lamb."
"What lamb was that powerful?"
"Oh, you know him too."
Silas answered casually, "It's that Red Angel evil spirit."
"...Huh?"
Klein first froze for a moment, as if it took him some effort to process this information, then asked incredulously, "Are you... serious?"
"Yeah. Without Him, I never could have broken into the palace."
Silas said.
"Are you okay now?"
Others might not know, but Klein understood very clearly.
That evil spirit had been an angel in life and possessed powerful strength even in death.
Moreover, He harbored pure malice toward the living.
Even a brief encounter would have put Silas in grave danger.
"I'm fine… just barely keeping my mind intact," Silas said.
"The slightest slip, and He'll try to take over my body."
That sounds really bad...
Klein thought, then quickly came up with a solution. "Mr. Azik specializes in the domain of death. I can write to him and ask if he has any solutions."
Mr. Azik, another mysterious high-sequence Beyonder.
Silas nodded.
"Mm, I'd appreciate you asking for me.
However, I do have another solution right now, which is to advance to Sequence 4 as quickly as possible.
That evil spirit only has Sequence 4 characteristics. As long as my sequence advances, I should have stronger control over Him."
"I've already left Backlund and arrived at the Sonia Sea. It might take some time to search for the main ingredients for the potion."
"You've gone to sea too?"
Klein said in surprise. "Perfect timing. I'm about to go to sea myself. Maybe we can travel together..."
"Too late. I'm already deep in the Sonia Sea at Toscart Island."
Silas smiled. "When I'm on my way back, maybe we'll run into each other."
That fast?
What ship is he on? How did he reach Toscart Island in just a few days?
"Uh, okay then."
Klein felt somewhat regretful. "Remember to keep an eye out and see if there are any mermaid sightings anywhere."
"Is that a main ingredient for your potion?"
"No, I need them to complete my advancement ritual."
Klein told the truth.
"Alright, I'll remember."
Silas nodded.
He recalled that the Queen had once summoned an illusory mermaid. Perhaps she knew where mermaids could be found, or she could directly lend him that mermaid.
"That's it then. I wish you success with your advancement."
Klein said.
"Same to you. I wish you success with your advancement as well."
Silas returned the sentiment word for word.
The two smiled at each other, stood up to express their thanks to Mr. Fool, and requested to end the meeting.
Crimson light quickly enveloped them.