"However..." Antigonus seemed to have thought of something. After a moment of hesitation, he looked at Lynn and said, "Since that's the case, if I give you my Characteristic now, can I go find my sister?"
Cutting Characteristics for the Fool pathway wasn't particularly difficult, or rather, the Mysteries Families had an advantage in this regard.
'Good question!' Lynn blinked, looked at Antigonus, and after thinking for a while, said, "But you know, the time-space you're in right now is actually in the past, so I was just joking earlier. Once I leave, for you, it'll be just the blink of an eye, and you'll already be in the future."
Lynn was being truthful. Just like how the history he changed didn't create a butterfly effect, the people whose fates he altered during his journey couldn't really experience those moments without him again. They would, like Medici and others, directly face changes in their destinies by the Fifth Epoch.
The reason Lynn altered young Amon in the Third Epoch wasn't that he hoped the young Amon would cause less trouble in later history but rather to affect the Amon of the Fifth Epoch.
After all, compared to adult Amon's rigid worldview, young Amon was much easier to deceive.
Once young Amon's worldview wavered, the memories and emotions that the adult Amon would receive could impact him to some extent. This was like breaking through a fortress from the inside—far more efficient than trying to directly change adult Amon.
Hearing this, Antigonus seemed to understand something, but he merely looked hopeful and said, "So, when the future me opens my eyes after you leave, I'll get to see my sister?"
"More or less, though you might have to wait a few days. After all, your sister has to travel to see you," Lynn said with a smile.
"That's great," Antigonus laughed like a joyful puppy.
He suddenly looked at Klein and said, "So, you're the future Lord of Mysteries?"
"Uh, yeah, you could say that's me," Klein paused for a moment, then nodded, not denying it.
"Aren't you afraid the previous Lord of Mysteries might awaken within you?" Antigonus asked seriously, his eyes filled with pure curiosity, not malice.
Klein was silent for a few seconds before saying, "I used to be afraid, but I'm not anymore."
In the past—or in the original timeline of his fate—Klein had indeed been afraid, something he had no issue admitting.
But now Klein was no longer afraid. It wasn't just because he had a cheat-like friend like Lynn. It was because Klein knew there were many people counting on him to become the Lord of Mysteries. They would support him, and they would be his strongest anchors.
"That's good..." Antigonus sighed and muttered, "I was scared too. After accommodating the Uniqueness, I became very afraid."
"I could feel it gradually awakening within me. Sometimes, I couldn't even tell if I was still Antigonus or... It."
Antigonus held an old puppet in his hand, a gift from his sister, the Mother of the Sky.
With his gaze lowered, Antigonus continued, "I was even more afraid that if one day It fully awakened within me, what would It do to my sister? What would It do to the people of the Nation of Evernight?"
"But I couldn't... at least not until now, give up on advancing. This world is too dangerous. I had to protect them," Antigonus said, then suddenly smiled. He looked up at Klein and said, "But now, I can finally give it up."
"I'm no longer afraid."
Klein pressed his lips together. He remembered the fragmented memories of Antigonus during the Apotheosis Ritual and, imitating Lynn, patted Antigonus on the head, saying, "Don't worry. What you want to protect will definitely have a bright future. In this regard, Lynn does have a good track record."
Antigonus was momentarily dumbfounded, clearly not expecting the Miracle Invoker in front of him to suddenly "attack."
And then, he heard the Miracle Invoker ask, "By the way, would you like to work for the Church of the Fool in the future?"
Lynn, who overheard this, pushed up imaginary glasses, his eyes becoming sharp.
...
Fifth Epoch, Nation of Evernight—
After what seemed like a long dream, the worms of spirit sitting on the right seat in the Foggy Town's cathedral suddenly gathered together, finally condensing into a young man with furry ears on his head and a tail behind them.
Antigonus blinked in confusion, as if he hadn't fully grasped the situation. After a while, he touched his ears. Without doing much, the wolf ears became even furrier, looking irresistibly soft to the touch.
"So, you're a true tsundere, aren't you? You say you don't want to be Lynn's pet, but in every way, you're becoming just that."
A familiar yet strange voice echoed, causing Antigonus's fur to stand on end. However, he quickly remembered something and calmly said, "I'll be working for Lynn in the future..."
"Heh!" The Evernight Goddess couldn't help but laugh upon hearing this. She finally appeared in the cathedral, not using 0-17 as her descent vessel, but another Grade 0 Sealed Artifact.
Beside her stood the Mother of the Sky, looking no different than she had a thousand years ago, now free from the state of being a sealed artifact.
However, the Mother of the Sky seemed utterly confused. She could understand what had happened, but had no idea how something so absurd could have occurred.
"Sister!" Antigonus's eyes lit up when he saw the Mother of the Sky. He couldn't help but think, 'Lynn hadn't lied!' He really saw his sister the moment he opened his eyes.
...
While the sibling reunion was happening in the Fifth Epoch, Lynn and Klein set off once again, embarking on a new journey.
This time, their destination was much closer to their own time—the Roselle era.
More precisely, it was the later stage of Roselle's era when Lynn's third identity had descended.
So, this time, they were greeted by the enthusiastic welcome of Lynn's third persona, who had been well-prepared.
"We're here to attend the renaming ceremony of the Church of Steam and Machinery," Lynn explained cheerfully before Klein could ask.
"Renaming ceremony?" Klein's expression became subtly odd. He glanced at the other Lynn and whispered, "So, you've already fully remodeled the Church of Steam and Machinery?"
(End of Chapter)