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Chapter 1363: Witness

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As a remarkable one joining the Intesis External Security Directorate in the capacity of a member of the Mithraic Order, Antoine was no stranger to such occurrences. In certain past scenarios, each time he had been promoted, he had heard the murmured refrain of "Hornachis... Freglar... Hornachis... Freglar..."—on several occasions nearly losing control as a result. This time, however, the murmured content seemed to have changed. When the whispering finally subsided and his vision returned to normal, Antoine furrowed his brows, silently murmuring to himself: "My mental state has been stable recently, and I haven't taken any magical potions. How then could I hear these murmurs of something hidden? This seems different from before... What does 'Ouvrier' represent?" I lack sufficient information to make sense of it at all... "Dilan, Dilan, yes—within the higher echelons, they've mentioned that our enigmatic and formidable leader once concealed a castle known as Dilan..." "Ah, just thinking of that being sends shivers down my spine. Though He has recently recovered and stabilized, the terrifying legends and tangible devastation He left behind are enough to haunt someone for a lifetime..." Antoine steadied himself, temporarily suppressing his questions and proceeding to assign tasks to his subordinates. At the time, he relied on hierarchy, personhood, and authority to forcibly prevent Zarathustra's resurrection, remaining unaware of any anomalies. Yet upon later reflection, he noticed a discrepancy: the sequence of extraordinary traits he had drawn from Zarathustra's essence were complete, spanning from Sequence 9 to Sequence 1. That is, they contained only one instance of the "Miracle-Worker" trait. However, as Wille昂赛汀, the "Snake of Fate," had previously stated, both Zarathustra and the ancestral figure of the Antigonos family possessed an additional "Miracle-Worker" trait. Thus, the reality clearly indicated that one instance of the "Miracle-Worker" trait had vanished from Zarathustra. As for whether other traits—such as "Ancient Scholar" or "Sorcerer"—were also missing, Caine, lacking deep familiarity with Zarathustra, could not determine. Based on this, Caine had long suspected that Zarathustra had not truly perished. Certainly, for the other side to be revived, it would certainly not be simple, as any overly straightforward method would inevitably lack secrecy and thus be detected by the high-ranking figures within this path, leading to effective countermeasures. — When Zarathustra was able to separate the extraordinary ability of Sequence 2, he was undoubtedly already a Sequence 1 "Mysterious Servant," facing only a few adversaries capable of countering him; each of these required the utmost caution and careful handling. Therefore, Caine believed that Zarathustra should make use of the severed portion of the extraordinary ability, but not immediately employ it for revival—rather, he should carry out a series of layered preparations, requiring a specific opportunity or certain intermediaries to activate the arrangements. "It seems He has concealed the extraordinary traits involving the 'Miracle Master' in a specific manner, layering multiple veils—otherwise, when I was promoted to 'Mysterious Servant,' I could have directly observed them through the 'Source Citadel.' Ah, then, He must guide specific individuals to revive Him through prearranged, secret means. Hm, He never possesses singularity—He can't conduct a 'broadcast to all channels.' Moreover, He must guard against me or Amun hearing the relevant information after my promotion and potentially disrupting it. Thus, the pool of individuals He can effectively guide remains quite limited—perhaps the entire Monastic Congregation, or only a subset of them?" Kieran nodded thoughtfully, kneeling slightly on one knee. He then exhaled, openly expressing his frustration: "How difficult it is to completely eliminate the high-ranking 'Seer' path members!" They always seem to have contingency plans and reserve cards. This truly explained why the goddess hadn't simply eliminated the ancestral figure of the Antigonid family outright: For a half-"Fool," death might very well mean rebirth! "Still, intricate and elaborate secret arrangements often indicate a weaker capacity for risk-taking. Perhaps the restoration of Chalatu will end up benefiting some fortunate member of the Monastery—this possibility might even outweigh the chance that He miraculously reappears from the historical haze. And there's always the risk of external deities interfering, influencing, or exploiting the situation..." Klein chuckled mentally, then slowly rose to his feet. He had no immediate intention of seeking out that extraordinary "miraculous" trait, under the immense pressure caused by Amun's "mistake." Instead, he had to urgently strengthen his humanity and stabilize his mental state, rushing to the deep heart of the spiritual city of Caldrón to draw water from the "River of Eternal Darkness," in order to accommodate the "Fool's" unique essence—simply out of time to waste on unrelated matters. Once he successfully elevated himself and restored balance to the situation, he wasn't averse to heading to Intis, beginning with the members of the Convent, to uncover Charathus's hidden "treasure" and finally bring the fourth-century angel to a peaceful rest. Composing himself, he gazed steadily at the tomb before him, then slowly stepped back, inserted his hand into his coat pocket, and turned aside, entering the realm of the spirit. Over this period, he had functioned much like a mystic traveler—occasionally returning to places where he had once resided, and at other times wandering freely through the spirit realm, following the course of fate, arriving at various realities to witness unfolding scenes. As a result, his own sense of self and awareness had gradually returned and strengthened, now able to better align with the anchor, effectively containing the resurgence of the "Supreme Deity's" will to a certain extent. This had significantly improved his mental stability compared to when he first encountered the "Night Goddess." The color blocks were rich and layered, as if a series of abstract oil paintings composed the spirit realm. Klein wandered aimlessly, moving up, down, left, right, and forward without direction. Then, following the guidance of fate and spirit, he stepped away from this place and returned to the real world. The first thing that came into view was a small square and a church dedicated to the "Goddess of Night." At that moment, many people were entering the church, their expressions joyful. Had he returned to Bekland? Klein looked up at the sun piercing through the thin clouds and joined the crowd, heading toward the church doors. As he stepped through the entrance, his gaze suddenly froze. He saw Bensen Moretti. Bensen Moretti—the man with dark hair and brown eyes, somewhat resembling Klein, though noticeably older—had combed his hair neatly, revealing a broad forehead. He stood beside the altar, dressed in a well-tailored suit, appearing slightly nervous. Klein stared at him for two seconds, then quickly shifted his gaze and turned toward the side. Then his gaze swept across the front row and landed on Melissa, dressed in a conservative off-white dress. Compared to before, the young woman no longer looked childlike; she had gained some weight and no longer appeared so thin. She was constantly engaging in conversations with others, skillfully managing various tasks and interpersonal interactions. "Still so conventional—good thing she didn’t opt for black..." Klein murmured, a slight smile playing at the corner of his mouth, and walked to a corner of the church, finding a seat. Fifteen or twenty minutes later, Melissa finished her busy schedule and took her seat. The festive, lively music began to swell, gradually becoming more solemn. A woman in a holy wedding gown walked in, one arm held by her father and the other by her mother, making her way down the aisle toward the altar. Benson, seated near the altar, subtly swallowed his breath and could not help but smile. It was his wedding. Klein, standing in the corner, leaned back slightly, lowered his head, and murmured, "Smiling like a shaggy baboon..." After the bride was escorted to the altar by her parents, she first inclined her body slightly toward Bensen, then turned toward the saintly emblem and the priest. Bensen returned the gesture and turned to face her. Once the bride's parents had taken their seats, the priest began, "Under the watchful gaze of the Divine Mercy, I shall witness a sacred marriage." "Hail the goddess," said the guests present who were devotees of the 'Night Goddess,' all raising their right hands in a clockwise motion, tapping four times on their chests to form a constellation. This included Klein. When the assembly settled, the priest turned to the bride and said, "Ms. Ruth Brook, do you wish to make this gentleman your husband, and enter into marriage with him?" Would you, throughout the long years of your life, love and honor him, respect him, accompany him, care for him, no matter whether he is poor or wealthy, sick or healthy, until the very end of his life? The lady named Ruth, gazing at the holy emblem of the "Goddess of Night," nodded firmly. "I will." A smile once again spread across Bensen's face. The priest then turned to him and said: "Mr. Bensen Moretti, would you be willing to make this lady your wife, to enter into marriage with her? Would you, throughout the long years of your life, love and honor her, respect her, accompany her, care for her, no matter whether she is poor or wealthy, sick or healthy, until the very end of her life?" Bensen immediately nodded. "I will!" At this moment, hearing the words, Melissa's vision blurred, and her heart swelled with both tenderness and joy—after all the trials, a new member had finally been welcomed into the family. Suddenly, she instinctively turned her head toward the corner and saw an empty seat, no one seated there. Melissa then pressed her lips together and gave a slight shake of her head. Her gaze swept back and forth across that area for several seconds before slowly returning to the altar. Only when the priest officially announced the union of Benson and Ruth, making them husband and wife, did Melissa's face break into a smile. ... In Holm Manor, East Chestershire, Klein stepped out of the void. His mental stability had improved somewhat, allowing him to seek treatment from a psychologist, yet he still had one issue to resolve.