stjorthotic Chapter 104 Information about Mr. "The Fool"
Chapter 104 Information about Mr. "The Fool"
Chapter 104 Information about Mr. "The Fool"
Noticing Derrick's gaze, Klein, manipulating the dummy "The World," responded:
"I don't have a suitable weapon for you at the moment; it will take some time to search for one."
"No problem." Derrick nodded slightly, then looked at Sirion:
"Mr. Fate, can I make a decision later?"
"Of course." Sirion smiled and nodded.
"However, I suggest you choose the clown mask or the 'Sun Priest's' potion recipe. They are of similar value and are more suitable for you."
"After all, wearing a mask doesn't prevent you from using weapons, does it?"
"And you don't seem to be very good at lying. A mask can help you in that regard; a necessary lie can cover up some secrets."
"As for the negative effects, as long as a 'psychologist' intervenes regularly, they won't be too serious. Furthermore, you can seek help from Mr. 'The Fool,' who is the absolute authority on this avenue."
Cyril's calm words elicited a strong response from everyone present, especially "Justice" Audrey and "The Hanged Man" Alger, who were even more agitated than Derrick himself.
Klein, the "Fool," who sat at the head of the mottled long table, was equally excited, but because of the gray fog and everyone's attention being drawn to Cyril, he went unnoticed.
Mr. Fool is the absolute authority on this path—no, it is Fool; I am just an ordinary clown.
Is "The Fool"... a name for the "Diviner" pathway sequence 0?
So it seems that my initial choice of the "fortune teller" path was not a coincidence. It was also a law of convergence of extraordinary characteristics, an attraction of fate.
The reason I chose the title "The Fool" was because of the card I drew during the day, and the reason I turned over the Fool card was because I have a close connection with the space above this gray fog. Behind all the coincidences are traces of fate, which are actually all inevitable.
He paused, then turned to look at Sirion, his mind racing:
...How did he know all this, and why did he say it at this time? Was he testing me?
As expected of someone who has come into contact with multiple evil gods and survived, he knows quite a few secrets. Perhaps it was a mistake to bring him up to the gray fog in the first place.
As he pondered, he noticed Miss "Justice" glancing at him curiously. Seeing that he didn't react, she looked at Cyril and asked curiously:
"Mr. Destiny, what did you mean by that just now?"
"Does the path of the 'Clown,' no, the 'Diviner,' ultimately fall under the control of Mr. 'The Fool'?"
Alger, the "Hanged Man," remained silent, his head bowed. As a member of the Church of Storms, he had a deeper understanding of extraordinary paths and deities, and thus, he pondered even more.
...What Mr. "Fate" meant was that Mr. "Fool" belongs to the "Diviner" path and has a complete grasp of this path, just like the gods worshipped by the seven major orthodox churches.
Alger was startled by the blasphemous thought that popped into his mind, but he couldn't help but let his thoughts wander and think about more.
Why does "Mr. Destiny" know all this, and what is his identity?
As his thoughts drifted, he heard Sirion's calm reply, tinged with a slight chuckle:
"Sequence 0 of the 'Diviner' pathway is called 'The Fool'."
Sequence 0?
Everyone except Klein, who had just learned of the existence of Sequence 0 from Russell's diary, was stunned.
Without giving them a chance to think, Cyril leaned back in his chair and continued:
"The being who came closest to 'The Fool' was one of the gods worshipped in the Kingdom of Night, an ancestor of the Antigonus family, and the son of the ancient god 'The Destroyer Wolf'."
"In the Fourth Age, the Kingdom of Night was destroyed by the Church of the Goddess of Night. Antigonus and the Mother of Heaven disappeared one after another. Only a small number of survivors from the Kingdom of Night escaped and scattered among the countries of the Northern Continent, where they lived under different appearances. This was not difficult for the Faceless Men."
In the end, Cyril subtly revealed a hint of sadness, making it unclear whether he was expressing sympathy or lament.
This was something he had planned long ago: to fabricate a background and identity for himself to explain why he knew so much about the secrets of the mysterious world. Anyway, the Kingdom of Night was gone, so no one would be able to discover anything.
...and only this identity can explain his reaction when he first met "The Fool".
As he pondered, he glanced around. None of the figures on either side of the mottled long table spoke. Even "The Sun" Derrick was surprised to hear the ancient god "Destroyer Wolf" mentioned.
Their gazes were more or less subtly directed at the head of the table, Mr. Fool, wanting to ask questions but not daring to.
...This may be the closest we've ever come to understanding Mr. Fool's true identity. I'm really curious, but is it inappropriate to ask directly?
Audrey's thoughts were scattered and she was deeply conflicted about "justice."
Directly opposite her, Alger, the "Hanged Man," was equally agitated, forgetting even to conceal his expression:
...Antigonus, the being who was once closest to "The Fool," was just mentioned by "Fate" as having disappeared. This means that this being who was once closest to "The Fool" is likely still alive, or has even become "The Fool," but has fallen into some bad state, which is why he has not appeared.
This... seems to match Mr. Fool's current state. Could it be...?
Compared to the contemplation and hesitation of "Justice" and "The Hanged Man," "The Sun" Derrick was more worried. In the records of Silver City, "Destroyer Wolf" Fregra was not a positive figure.
...If Mr. Fool is related to the Destroyer Wolf, will I bring danger to Silver City?
No, Mr. Fool is a benevolent being. He may be related to the Destroyer Wolf, but that does not mean he is as terrifying and dangerous as the Destroyer Wolf.
Klein, the "Fool," was also quite unsettled, though he was shrouded in gray mist. As a result, he appeared to be sitting there quietly and calmly, without making any comment or reaction to what "Fate" had just said.
...The Kingdom of Night...This country did exist during the Fourth Age, but it mysteriously disappeared. It was later destroyed by the Church of the Goddess, and perhaps the Goddess herself was involved.
Only one true God can destroy a nation protected by Antigonus, who is close to the "Fool".
Moreover, the Night Kingdom is located in the Hornachis Mountains, which matches the language I heard after coming into contact with the Antigonus family's notebook. As these thoughts raced through his mind, he turned to look at Cyril, one guess after another flashing through his mind:
...He is a descendant of the Night Kingdom or the Antigonus family, so upon hearing the title "Fool," he suspected that I was Antigonus breaking free from his seal, which matches his strange reaction when he was first pulled above the gray fog.
Or perhaps he learned about the Kingdom of Night and Antigonus from some evil god, and therefore wanted to test me?
The first guess is more likely, but what's more important now is how I should respond.
We can't admit it, but we don't need to completely deny it either. It's best to leave some room for them to guess. In any case, the final interpretation is in the hands of the "fools." As long as I don't agree, none of their guesses are correct.
Composing himself, he chuckled softly, leaned back in his chair, tapped the edge of the table twice with his fingers, and then, as if recalling something, said in a lingering tone:
"Antigonus did not die, but he also did not become the 'Fool,' nor could he become the 'Fool.'"
...The reason why Antigonus cannot become "The Fool" is because Mr. "The Fool" already existed, or even long ago, so Antigonus cannot truly enter that position, but can only become the closest being to "The Fool".
Alger, the "Hanged Man," had a moment of inspiration, then was startled by his own thoughts and lowered his head respectfully and humbly.
He had just been speculating whether Mr. Fool was Antigonus, who was gradually breaking free from his seal, but now it seemed that his guess was only correct in the first part.
Mr. Fool is not Antigonus, nor is he the son of the Destroyer Wolf!
Having reached this conclusion in his mind, "Sun" Derrick suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.
"Justice!" Audrey patted her chest slightly. This brief conversation was the most exciting news she had heard since entering the mysterious world.
...The Destroyer Wolf, Mr. Fool, and Antigonus, who was once closest to the Fool, are all great figures who have reached or are close to the level of the Seven Gods. Just hearing about this is exciting.
But why couldn't Antigonus become the "Fool"? Was it because of the existence of Mr. "Fool"?
Audrey looked with a hint of doubt at the figure at the head of the mottled long table. She had originally thought that she would be able to get closer to or even understand the identity of Mr. Fool today, but now not only had she failed to find the answer, she felt that Mr. Fool had become even more mysterious.
While everyone was lost in thought, Sirion raised his hand, maintaining his persona, and posed a question to Mr. Fool:
"Honorable 'Fool,' do you know what state Antigonus is in now, and where he is?"
Upon hearing Sirion's question, everyone present perked up their ears; they were also very curious about the matter.