Chapter 122 Stone & Outer Deities

Even after conversing with thin air so many times, Odis still wasn’t quite used to it. He glanced left and right, but still found nothing.

At that moment, Bernadette’s voice echoed in the air: “Did you just find out what the Moses Ascetic Order was trying to seize from the Nighthawks?”

“Yes.” Odis didn’t hide anything, giving a general overview of what he had just experienced.

He placed special emphasis on the two sentences inscribed on that stone.

Bernadette was also somewhat surprised at his words.

“You can actually read the mystical symbols of the Dragon race?” She asked.

Odis hadn’t flaunted it, but as an expert in mysticism, she could deduce what they were merely from his simple description of the script.

“Only that, nothing more,” Odis smiled wryly, “You should know that I once studied mystical symbols. During one of my research projects, I inadvertently pieced together how the Dragons’ mystical symbols were written and read.”

Bernadette turned over the word he had just spoken: “Inadvertently…” But she didn’t pursue the topic, instead saying, “I’ve heard a legend that after the Original Creator fell into slumber, He rose high into the sky, turning into a barrier that protects us all. I’ve also heard a legend that certain evil gods were banished to the Cosmos by the Creator, rendering them unable to harm humanity ever since. Yet, every waking moment, They seek a way to return to the mortal realm.”

After a brief pause, she continued, “Although these are all legends, it’s very likely they are stories adapted from real events. The more ancient the legend, the more its narrative conveys obscure, hidden information.” She concluded, “The ‘barrier’ in the legends is very likely real.”

Bernadette’s understanding of Outer Deities and related lore was extremely limited; or rather, at her level, she was not yet qualified to touch knowledge pertaining to ‘Above the Sequences’…

Odis, on the other hand, felt as if he knew something, yet whenever he tried to recall it, his spirituality immediately sounded an alarm.

He knew this knowledge was very likely dangerous.

So he said, “It’s enough for us to know why the Moses Ascetic Order tried to seize this Sealed Artifact. As for its origins, it would be best not to ponder that.” He then provided a reasonable justification: “I don’t believe the Church of the Evernight Goddess is completely ignorant of the origin and function of that stone, yet the Nighthawks tasked with setting the trap were completely kept in the dark about it. It’s very likely that such knowledge is dangerous.”

“Your train of thought is correct.” Bernadette hummed in agreement, “In the Beyonder world, certain knowledge itself is a form of corruption.” Then she added, “Still, I have a question regarding your translation. While the Dragons and the Sanguines were opposing factions throughout the entire Second Epoch, the greatest enemy of the Dragons should have been the Giants. So instead of the Giants, why did it say it must not fall into the hands of the Sanguines?”

Odis couldn’t answer this question either.

“Perhaps the Sanguines could use it to obtain even greater power?” He ventured, “After all, they’ve always worshipped the Moon. Perhaps they could use this stone to tap into the power of the Moon outside the barrier.”

“Perhaps.” Bernadette said, though she felt that this wasn’t the real answer.

“What are your plans next?” Odis asked.

“To watch the Moses Ascetic Order walk into the trap set by the Nighthawks and the Machinery Hivemind.” The Queen Mystic said calmly, “If the timing is right, I wouldn’t mind lending the official Beyonders a hand.”

She has always harbored a degree of hostility toward the Moses Ascetic Order, and the feeling was entirely mutual.

Odis nodded, “If there’s any new information, remember to let me know.”

“Mm.” Bernadette hummed in agreement, then changed the topic, “I noticed just now that you framed the painting the Invisible Servant made earlier?”

Odis had once invited Bernadette over for a meal. Seeing that he had a penchant for photography, she had gifted him a painting of the two of them dining together.

The painting was very realistic, looking remarkably like a color photograph from Odis’s memories.

From what Bernadette said, it seemed that while he was away earlier, she had her Invisible Servant wander around the house while waiting.

He smiled and said, “Yeah, it has great sentimental value. I’ve already come up with a title for it: Dinner with Queen Mystic. When I brag to my friends about it later, they’ll die of envy!”

Bernadette chuckled, “I should remind you that nearly every nation in the Northern Continent has a bounty on my head. My bounty is somewhere around 650,000 pounds, so most people dread anyone finding out that they know me, or that they’ve ever met me.”

Yet Odis had displayed the evidence of their meeting right out in the living room! Only after this reminder did he recall that fact.

A bounty that high was enough to tempt even some Demigods to risk attacking Bernadette…

However, she bore the title ‘Queen Mystic’, and her whereabouts were exceedingly elusive, so no one could track her down. Odis’s painting could easily become a crucial clue in locating her.

He replied, “Once I’m done bragging, I’ll put it away.”

Odis decided that he would put the painting away after she left, after all, his life was more important than bragging.

Bernadette had only mentioned it in passing and didn’t pursue the matter further.

Then, speaking almost as though delivering a prophecy, she said, “This coming weekend, you will face a trial.”

“What kind of trial?” Odis asked.

“I don’t know.” Bernadette chuckled, “I’m a Clairvoyant, not a rehearsal master…” Her voice turned ethereal, bringing their conversation to an end.

Odis quickly said, “Leaving halfway through a conversation, just like that? Did you really leave? I’m taking off my clothes for bed!”

Receiving no response, he ran into the living room, picked up the picture, and hurried down to the basement to store it away in the Knowledge Moor using the spatial array. Only then did he heave a sigh of relief.

Right then, an ethereal chuckle drifted into his ear: “Hehehe~”

It turned out Bernadette hadn’t left at all; she stayed just to see how he would react.

Odis, however, was quite thick-skinned. Showing no hint of embarrassment, he smiled and said, “I knew you were waiting to see me undress.”

“Hah, what’s there to see?” Bernadette replied, “Don’t worry, I have other things to attend to. I don’t have the time to keep staring at you.”

Hearing her say that only made Odis feel even more unsettled. When he changed into his pajamas afterward, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was putting on a striptease, and even when he used the bathroom, he felt as though a pair of eyes were watching him from behind.

Fortunately, Odis had been surveilled for quite a while before, so he was essentially accustomed to the sensation; otherwise, the excessive psychological stress might well have driven him into depression…

…

Lying in bed, Odis didn’t fall asleep immediately. Instead, he used Cogitation to enter the Knowledge Moor.

Today, he had far too many questions that required answers from the Sefirah…

In his Cogitation, he traversed the illusory wilderness composed of light and arrived inside the spire formed of glowing spheres.

Without needing to search, Odis instantly recovered all his memories, regaining knowledge concerning Outer Deities, the Great Old Ones, and the like.

His first recollection was that the Inextinguishable Ravings mentioned in Roselle’s diary was an Outer Deity!

“To think this Outer Deity has infiltrated the Moses Ascetic Order! The probability that the Hidden Sage hadn’t noticed is exceedingly low, but why would He turn a blind eye and ignore it?”

A terrifying conjecture surfaced in Odis’s mind: ‘Could the Hidden Sage have already fallen, becoming a lackey of an Outer Deity?’

But he immediately dismissed the idea, ‘If that were the case, the Moses Ascetic Order would’ve probably become utterly frenzied and universally condemned, like the Rose School of Thought.’

He stopped dwelling on this question. After all, that was an issue for deities, and he still had a mountain of immediate concerns to attend to, so there was no need to ponder such distant issues…

After that, Odis gained a deeper understanding of the stone he had seen that night.

First, regarding the relationship between the barrier and the Cosmos… he knew more than Bernadette. The barrier was established specifically to block out the Outer Deities.

That stone had actually breached the barrier to reach Earth, bearing the trait of a springboard for power. It was no wonder the Rose School of Thought would take such risks to seize it.

With this stone, the Mother Tree of Desire would likely be able to unleash even more terrifying power onto Earth.

As for why Ankewelt, the Dragon of Imagination, had been unwilling to let the stone fall into the hands of the Sanguines, it was likely because He had already sensed back then that the Sanguine Ancestor, Lilith, was being influenced by an Outer Deity.

Hence, this stone could never be allowed to fall into Sanguine hands!

Having obtained answers to these questions, Odis spent some time studying several ritual arrays once used by the Dragons before finally exiting the Knowledge Moor and using the power of Cogitation to fall asleep…

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The next morning, Odis bought a piece of toast for breakfast along with a copy of the Backlund Morning Post. He ate while reading the paper aboard a public carriage.

Today’s paper featured even more coverage on Lelouch. The reporters pieced together the entire process of how Lelouch had slipped into the fighting arena from the attendants at the arena and his past opponents

Though the descriptions were somewhat exaggerated, Lelouch’s heroic image was steadily taking shape.

Seeing these reports, the corners of Odis’s mouth curled slightly.

‘Being praised by the newspapers feels rather nice.’ He thought.

Arriving at Gale’s Herbal Shop, Odis did not linger. He went straight down to the basement, changed into Mr. Gale’s attire, and traveled to the Rosewood Pavilion via the teleportation array.

He went to Klein and Mike’s room and told them, “Viscount Verde won’t have time to cause trouble for you over the next few days.”

“Was the fire that serious?” Klein asked.

“Not really.” Odis sat down across from the two men, “Viscount Verde subsequently suffered other misfortunes, such as having laxatives slipped into his food. In short, he has his hands full and won’t be bothering with you anytime soon.”

“Poor Viscount Verde.” Klein sighed with emotion.

Odis took out a portrait, “Detective Sherlock, I have a commission for you. Please help me locate this person.”

The person in the portrait was none other than Bernie, the man who had once come to Gale’s Herbal Shop to buy sun flowers and tipped Odis off about the Werewolf’s tracks.

Odis had always felt that finding whoever used Bernie to warn him about the Rose School of Thought was a matter of utmost importance. With his perpetually high spirituality, he knew very well that this was an intuition from his spiritual perception, something he had to take seriously.

Yet over the past few days, his subordinates had failed to find the man, and the Machinery Hivemind turned up nothing either.

Only today did he suddenly recall that right by his side was Sherlock the detective, an expert at finding people. So, early that morning, he brought the portrait to offer Klein the commission…