Hearing Ebner's words, Anderson was genuinely surprised. "How do you know that?" he asked.
Ebner mimicked Anderson's earlier smile. "Not telling you."
Anderson's expression froze for a moment, and he sighed in defeat. "When did people like you start having Hunter instincts, too?"
Sensing there was more to Anderson's comment, Ebner raised an eyebrow and asked, "People like us?" Is he actually here because of me? And isn't he also an agent for the Church of Knowledge? Wait... why did I say 'also'?
"Yeah, people like you. You're as mysterious as an old 'Prophet' I met," Anderson emphasized the word "Prophet."
"If you've got something to say, just say it," Ebner replied, growing tired of the cryptic hints. Frankly, Anderson's approach was more suspicious than direct communication.
Anderson shot him a look that seemed to say, "Calm down," then glanced around and told the others, "I need to discuss something private with this gentleman here."
Seeing this, Aetris shrugged and gave Ebner a friendly nod. "My employer needs me. I'll catch up with you later," he said, turning to leave but keeping Ebner within sight, ready to step in if something happened.
Xio looked to Ebner, and after a nod of reassurance from him, she said, "I'll go and greet the captain."
Once they had both gone, Anderson turned back to Ebner. "Come with me."
Ebner hesitated, recalling the abilities of a Sequence 5 Hunter. Though he doubted he could defeat Anderson, he felt confident he could use his items to escape if needed. With this thought in mind, he followed Anderson into the upper-class cabin he had rented.
Inside, Anderson finally said, "Relax. I was passing through West Balam and ran into an old man who asked me to deliver something to you—a message and a package."
Contemplating Anderson's words, Ebner discreetly glanced around the cabin, noting the location of the windows and potential escape routes. "West Balam? What kind of package and message?"
Based on the clues, he had a faint guess about the old man Anderson had mentioned.
"Here's the invitation." Anderson pulled a set of papers from his bag and handed them over.
Ebner accepted the papers cautiously, scanning through them quickly. As he read, his brows furrowed. The letter essentially invited him to West Balam in the future, once he became a Mysticism Magister, for an exchange of knowledge. It even included a specific address.
"That old man may be a bit strange, but he's harmless. He only wants you if you're an exceptional learner... You are a fast learner, right? If you're not, you might want to avoid the trouble," Anderson added. Apparently, the invitation wasn't very private, as Anderson seemed well aware of its contents.
But Anderson had misunderstood. Ebner wasn't worried about the invitation itself but rather the implications behind it.
If my guess is correct, he thought, the old man Anderson is talking about is probably the Church of Knowledge's representative stationed in West Balam—most likely the demigod supporting the resistance in the original novel. And if I truly do advance to Mysticism Magister, I'll indeed need a significant amount of mysticism and magic knowledge, making an exchange beneficial...
Ebner's mind whirred through his thoughts. It seems like the God of Knowledge and Wisdom has a rather strong presence in my life. My teacher initially set me up with a foundational knowledge of mysticism, and my prayers have consistently received top-quality responses, even if restrained... And now there's this invitation from a colonial mystic... It seems the God wishes to avoid overt attention on our connection!
Yes, my teacher was pleased with my progress and tried a few times to report it to Lenburg, hoping to send me for further studies. But the cold response from Lenburg... In hindsight, God likely prefers that my growth doesn't have any overly apparent ties to Him.
Having pieced this together, Ebner forced himself to stop overthinking. Trying to infer the intentions of a god was futile at his level; he lacked both the insight and the context. Over-analysis would only lead to greater confusion.
Steadying himself, Ebner turned back to Anderson and asked, "I've received the package. Now, what's the message?"
Anderson gave him an odd look before blurting out, "More like a news report than a message, if you ask me!"
"News report?" Ebner echoed, now intrigued. "Let's hear it."
"First, 'The Listener seeks a sanctuary for himself and his child.' Then, 'An Einhorn family member masquerades as Vice Admiral Dusk, misleading people into thinking the Key is in Damir.' Lastly, 'Vice Admiral Iceberg killed an Aurora Order Oracle.'"
Anderson listed the three messages one by one. He'd been puzzling over their meaning for days without any clear insight.
However, as Ebner listened, the seemingly unrelated pieces slotted neatly into his prior theories, finally allowing him to understand the underlying connections in Damir's recent turmoil:
"So, the Listener of the Aurora Order, taking his child along, set sail for the Forsaken Land to seek the True Creator's sanctuary. This event will eventually lead to the outcasts of Silver City opening the path to the Dark Angel's slumber. That can't be thwarted, which is why someone from the Psychology Alchemists—or that unnameable organization—spread false information to lure an Aurora Order Saint into Damir, triggering the release of the seal."
"This diversion drew the Mandated Punishers to the Damir creature incident, allowing the Listener's ship to safely reach the Forsaken Land. At that point, the red-haired Einhorn family member must have given the true location of the key to the Aurora Order... So, that sunken ship did indeed contain the black iron key from the original novel! And I didn't encounter the Oracle of the Aurora Order because Vice Admiral Iceberg had killed him."
"Now the black iron key is likely in Vice Admiral Iceberg's possession, just as it was in the original story."
"This is the handiwork of gods and angels! Even knowing the novel's plot and the insider secrets, I needed these 'news reports' to finally piece together the whole picture..."
Just as he realized this, Ebner felt a shift within himself as something melted and integrated with his spirit. He didn't need anyone to tell him: his "Student of Ratiocination" potion had been fully digested!
But instead of joy, Ebner felt only a slight bitterness as he looked at Anderson, thinking, Even this was part of a divine plan, wasn't it? How terrifying...
---
In West Balam, in the headquarters of the Rebel Army, an elderly man dressed in a plain white robe with brass-threaded embellishments rose to his feet.
His hair, fully white, was meticulously combed, and his deep gray-green eyes seemed to hold infinite depths.
Sensing something, he whispered a few devout praises to his god before chuckling. "Anderson did quite well with that task…"
---
He then retrieved an old notebook, where he made a small mark with a pen.
Back on the White Agate, Anderson had been on the verge of asking Ebner about the messages when he suddenly paused, dazed for a moment or two. Coming to his senses, he looked at Ebner, still lingering in his cabin, and asked, "Why are you still here?"