"I... I understand."
George responded quietly, staring at the bankbook in his hands, embossed with the emblem of the Sword of Judgment and the royal seal.
No matter how much he regretted it now, it was useless. Time could not be reversed to the moment when he still had the chance to change things.
Throwing the Extraordinary characteristic of the "Harvest Priest" into an independent space he had created, Ael turned to George and asked,
"Tell me, what kind of coffin would you like to choose for them? There are all kinds available.
For example, there's the common ebony coffin plated with gold and silver.
Or, if you prefer, there are royal coffins made entirely of gold, engraved with totems—exclusively for descendants of the Byron royal family.
Which one would you like for them?"
George opened his mouth but found himself at a loss for words. After a moment of thought, he asked,
"I want a coffin with floral patterns on the surface. Winona loved flowers the most..."
"The pain... it's unbearable..."
Seeing George's expression, a sudden, agonized groan echoed in Ael's mind—it was the cry of the Lord Buddha.
"Huh...?"
Shaking his head, Ael adjusted his monocle and reached out to the divine prAel beacon that symbolized the Witch King Kalaman…
Southern Continent, Northern Pass Valley
In a city located at the conflict-ridden border between the Byron colonies of Ruen and Intis, deep within a filthy sewer, Witch King Kalaman remained motionless beside a corpse, patiently waiting for its Extraordinary characteristics to manifest.
Suddenly, he lifted his head.
He had heard the voice of a great being—his Lord's recently born Red Moon Child! A true angel!
To Kalaman, this Red Moon Child was no less than the leader of the Rose School, the so-called "Son of God," Suer Acha.
Ignoring the blood flowing around him, Kalaman pressed his hands together and knelt in devout prAel, listening to the divine message.
Ten seconds later, he abruptly stood up, a puzzled expression crossing his aged face as he murmured,
"The Child of God… needs a coffin? One with floral patterns? And it must be sacrificed within ten minutes?"
"Could the Child of God have come into contact with the Spiritual Order?"
His thoughts raced. Kalaman sighed before his eyes suddenly gleamed with clarity. A soft crimson glow radiated from his body, drifting over the corpse beside him.
Within twenty seconds, a blocky, iron-gray gemstone floated up from the corpse.
"At last, I've secured the Lucky One's Extraordinary characteristic. Now, with the Audience characteristic from before, I only need those of a Jester and an Artisan to complete the set."
"Those from the School of Life are ridiculously difficult to find. If it weren't for the recent rebellion among their followers, I wouldn't have even gained the little information I have.
Unfortunately, most of them have defected to the Rose School and now worship the Mother Tree of Desire."
Sealing the Lucky One's characteristic in a tin box with a spiritual wall, Kalaman pondered how he could acquire the Jester and Artisan characteristics in the Southern Continent.
Why was a demigod like him personally hunting down a Sequence 7?
Part of it was respect for the Child of God. The other reason? He simply had no one else to send!
Among the followers of the Original Moon, only three demigods led the faith, with fewer than twenty Extraordinary individuals overall. Barely half of them had even reached the mid-Sequences.
Between supporting the rebel priests and those on missions abroad, their main base barely had three low-Sequence Beyonders left.
Sending them out? There was no telling who would kill whom!
And he certainly couldn't use the Rose School's people, leaving Kalaman—a demigod—with no competent mid-Sequence subordinates at all.
In the Southern Continent, the major Beyonder factions were divided into three main groups:
Beyonders from the Northern Continent – Representing major churches and colonial kingdoms.Remnants of the Byron Empire – Including organizations like the Spiritual Order and Restoration Society, led by death-bloodline descendants of the Aegis Family.The Rose School – Once rooted in the Highland Kingdom, its influence now spanned the entire continent.
Under the pressure of these three factions, it was almost laughable that faith in the Original Moon, the Old One's fallen avatar, had barely survived in a few indigenous tribes.
Even Kalaman himself—once a devout believer—had joined the Rose School.
But the arrival of the Child of God changed everything.
For the first time, Kalaman saw a chance to spread the Original Moon's faith worldwide. Yet, to his shock, after just one meeting with him… the Child of God left.
"Intis is sending even more colonial troops. This time, they've dispatched a Shadowless One and an Iron-Blooded Knight—specifically targeting me and Dean.
They're trying to wipe out the rebel forces we've nurtured in the Star Highlands. Greedy bastards.
Aren't their spices and minerals enough to fill their stomachs?
On top of that, I must be wary of Palanca, the Rose School's other angel—he's been scheming to swallow the resistance we've built for years.
But no matter. Once the Child of God returns, everything will change.
Yes, once we repel the Intis colonial forces, I must make a trip to Fusac to stock up on weapons…"
Tingen City Cemetery, Ruen Kingdom
In the graveyard on the outskirts of Tingen City, Ael squatted idly on the ground, watching ants carry food when his spiritual senses suddenly tingled.
With a wave of his hand, he opened a sacrificial gate.
With a thud, a heavy, black coffin—engraved with floral patterns—came flying out and landed right in front of George with a dull crash.
Snapping his fingers, Ael closed the gate and smirked at the coffin.
"A specialty from Northern Pass Valley in the Southern Continent—highly recommended!"
"Uh… huh?"
Still slumped on the ground, George stared blankly.
A coffin… is something for the dead. How could anyone recommend it?
Ignoring George's dumbfounded look, Ael adjusted his monocle and, with an invisible hand, lifted the two corpses from their broken coffin, placing them into the new one.
As the lid shut, the coffin's nails flew into place on their own, fastening it tightly.
The heavy black coffin floated midair, then descended into the grave. The soil piled to the sides moved on its own, swiftly refilling the pit and restoring the ground to its previous state.
Dusting off his hands, Ael pulled George to his feet and grinned.
"It's done. Problem solved. You won't have nightmares anymore."
Then, he led George back into the Spirit World.
Using his "Roaming" ability to lock onto a location, Ael stepped out of the Spirit World with George—only to find themselves inside a public restroom stall at the Ruen Royal Bank's main branch in Tingen.
"Seriously? What bad luck. I was aiming for the private conference room on the second floor—how did we end up in the Fool's Divine Kingdom instead?"
Frowning, Ael swung open the stall door.
Under the awkward stares of other restroom users, he and George stepped out and quickly left the embarrassing scene behind.