Chapter 43: Scaring Pallez is an Indispensable Experience
"Tell me, why is the Church of the Evernight so persistent in investigating this notebook?"
Leonard leaned against the window, watching the pedestrians passing by on the street, his voice carrying a hint of confusion.
"I can understand why the Secret Order is targeting it; after all, their Pathways are adjacent. But our Church... it seems we have absolutely nothing to do with the 'Seer', 'Apprentice', or 'Marauder' Pathways, right?"
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In his mind, an aged and lazy voice rang out.
"Heh, you're still young; you don't understand the feuds and entanglements involved here."
Pallez Zoroast's voice carried a sense of distant reminiscence.
"Back in the fourth epoch, although we 'three families' had adjacent Pathways and occasional friction, this old man and that lord from the Antigonus Family had a bit of a friendship. I dealt with them from time to time; back then, you little fellow's ancestors weren't even born yet."
"The Church of the Evernight, since that era, hasn't been on good terms with the Antigonus Family. Or rather... from beginning to end, they have been the mortal enemies of the Antigonus Family."
"As for why..." Pallez's voice suddenly became serious, "Don't ask. If you must know, it's a taboo at the level of deities. Knowing it won't do you any good."
Through a series of ancient secrets mixed with bragging and memories, Leonard had long since become accustomed to Pallez's posture of acting on his seniority.
Wasn't it natural for an old Monster who had lived for an unknown number of years to be well-informed?
And didn't the fact that he had obtained such a fortuitous encounter further prove his own specialness?
As expected of me, Leonard Mitchell, the person chosen by fate in this era!
My legendary journey is about to begin!
I am the 'protagonist' described by Emperor Roselle!
"Heh."
Pallez seemed to sense Leonard's uncontrollable little joy and let out an ambiguous chuckle, as if lamenting what a 'worry-free' parasitic host he had chosen.
Leonard automatically blocked out the old man's mockery and turned his attention back to the other person in the room.
Klein Moretti.
This new colleague seemed a bit unusual today.
After the Nighthawks' work ended, he had mysteriously asked to meet alone at the Divination Club, saying there were important matters to discuss, yet he hesitated to speak.
What on earth did he want to say?
Could it be about that notebook, or new intelligence regarding the Secret Order?
In the interval of waiting, Leonard was still complaining to the old man in his mind:
"This Klein is really getting stranger and stranger today... Look, he actually slowly took out a Monocle from his pocket..."
There was a hint of oddity in Leonard's voice.
He saw Klein pull something out from his breast—a Monocle polished from crystal, with a thin silver chain hanging from the edge.
This kind of thing wasn't common in a small place like Tingen; it carried an air of the gentility and... pretentiousness of the Backlund metropolis.
What was Klein doing? Imitating those noble lords?
"Eh?"
Just as Leonard was criticizing him internally, his gaze suddenly froze, attracted by the scene outside the window.
Through the polished glass window of the Divination Club, he saw a figure walking unhurriedly across the street.
The person had black hair and black eyes, wore a set of classical and complex black robes, a matching top hat, and on his face... on his face he also wore a very distinctive crystal Monocle!
The handsome and refined face, combined with this eerie and retro outfit, exuded an indescribable classical charm, as well as an evil sense that made one's spine chill.
This outfit... why does it look so familiar?
At the moment Leonard felt a strange sense of familiarity, the spirit body within him, Pallez Zoroast, which had been so lazy it was almost melting, suddenly jolted as if struck by an invisible thunderbolt!
It was a shudder originating from the depths of the soul, spanning across the river of epochs!
"!"
"Wait!"
Pallez didn't even have time to greet Leonard before he forcibly borrowed Leonard's vision with unprecedented intensity, pinning his gaze dead onto the scene outside the window!
Leonard's field of vision jerked violently, as if someone had forcibly twisted his head.
In his view, inside the club, Klein Moretti was smiling, bringing that Monocle to his lips and gently breathing on it.
White mist flashed across the lens and vanished.
He wiped it unhurriedly with a piece of flannel, seemingly preparing to put it on.
Every movement was full of a sense of ritual.
And outside the window, the figure that was identical to the most terrifying Nightmare in Pallez's memory happened to walk to the main entrance of the club.
He stopped and looked up slightly.
The afternoon sunlight fell on him, but it seemed to be swallowed by those black robes, leaving not a trace of warmth.
As if sensing something, he raised his hand and, with the tip of his finger clad in a pristine white glove, gently and elegantly adjusted the Monocle on the bridge of his nose.
A smile played at the corners of his mouth, one that seemed to see through everything and toy with all living beings.
In the next second, his gaze pierced through the thin glass and accurately, eerily met the eyes of Klein, who was about to put on his glasses inside the club.
One inside.
One outside.
One about to put on a Monocle.
One already wearing a Monocle.
One with a smile carrying a hint of tension and determination.
One with a smile full of mockery and playfulness.
Separated by a layer of transparent window, they completed a silent, extremely eerie gaze that spanned space.
Time seemed to be completely frozen at this moment.
Space also seemed to be distorted and folded by this eerie gaze.
The hissing of the gas lamps inside the club, the noise of pedestrians on the street—everything receded in an instant.
In Leonard's world, only those two eerily overlapping figures remained.
Immediately following that, a heart-wrenching scream, mixed with boundless fear and horror, rang out in his mind, nearly shattering his soul!
The voice was no longer the lazy, aged tone of usual, but was filled with the most primitive trembling and despair, as if held by the throat by a natural predator!
"Holy shit! Amon!!!"
This roar contained not anger, but pure, extreme fear!
Pallez Zoroast, this ancient angel who had lived for unknown ages and witnessed the end of the fourth epoch, completely lost his composure at this moment!
His spirit body trembled and curled up frantically inside Leonard, as if trying to hide in the deepest corner to escape that gaze which, with a mere look, was enough to bring 'Deception' and 'Theft'!
Leonard was left dizzy and lightheaded by this scream. Before he could even react to what the name 'Amon' represented, Pallez's incredibly urgent roar exploded again!
"Stupid child! Run!!!"
"Run! Don't look back! Run!!!"