Edmond Tide

Arthur withdrew from the Secret Sect Long Table and took out the flintlock pistol he had bought last time.

He placed four candles at the corners of the table and set the flintlock pistol in the center.

"Burn my passion. By the Moth Principle, I offer this item to the great Mansus!"

A small knife passed over the candle flame and cut off a lock of golden hair.

The golden hair fell onto the tabletop and instantly burned to ashes. Once the candle flames went out, the flintlock pistol vanished.

Arthur put away the candles, collected the ashes in an empty jewelry box, then lay down on his bed and fell asleep.

Secret Sect Long Table.

Arthur toyed with the flintlock pistol and placed "Dread" and "Flintlock Pistol" into [Research].

[Countdown: 168 hours.]

Physical objects could also be taken in for Research, producing wondrous supernatural reactions.

"I wonder whether the item produced by Research will be a forbidden item or a supernatural artifact."

Forbidden items were rather dangerous. For example, Moon Bone possessed the power to beguile people's hearts.

Supernatural artifacts carried almost no danger. For example, the Sun Medal, an item blessed for a short time, could cleanse negative conditions.

Having developed a new ability for [Research], Arthur turned his gaze toward [Exploration]. His current abilities were enough to pull in a second acquaintance.

"I should make a few simple modifications to the Secret Sect Long Table. It won't look solemn enough once there are more people."

He tapped the Secret Sect Long Table, and dark mist descended, solidifying into a long table.

There were four tables and chairs on each side of the long table, with another set directly opposite Arthur. With a slight movement of his finger, he widened the distance between them.

He moved his finger again, and mist curled around the long table, lending it a hazy air.

"From now on, my Society of Hours is officially on the right track."

His consciousness entered [Exploration], and Arthur saw the map again. Ignoring the dazzling giant light bulb, he searched for a suitable soul.

Near the Tudor Dynasty, among several smuggler islands, there was no one special.

His gaze gradually shifted from the Old Continent to the vast Mist Sea, where the waters were pitch-black save for scattered specks of light.

Those few glimmers were churches established by the major Orthodox Churches along the Grand Route, dispersing the mist along the way.

Arthur's gaze covered the first half of the Grand Route. The latter half was completely dark, and nothing could be seen.

"Ah—"

A heart-rending howl rose from the darkness below, drawing his attention.

Arthur looked carefully, continuously enlarging the map until he found the source of the sound.

It was a modified carrack, with triangular sails in front and square sails behind. Its prow ram bore the image of a vicious, fanged fish.

The howls came from that pirate ship. Looking closer, there was also a hazy barrier that prevented the cries from spreading.

"You're the one!"

The pirate ship Piranha.

Edmond Tide howled inside the captain's cabin as blue ripples of seawater blocked the sound from spreading.

His hands clutched tightly at his legs, which had turned into a fish tail. Fish scales had grown over them, violently fusing them together. The pain drove him to Despair.

Many times, he had wanted to leap overboard and lose himself completely in the ocean.

"The mermaid bloodline from the previous era flows through me like a curse. Damn it!"

"How can I rid myself of this misfortune?!"

Enduring the pain, Edmond Tide dragged himself across the floor to the long table. He opened a drawer and took out an ancient book made of fish skin parchment.

Ancient writing covered the fish skin book. It was neither the Latin of this era nor Old Latin, but a special symbolic script.

Stroking the fish skin book, Edmond Tide let out a long sigh before crying out in pain again.

The Mermaid Book, passed down through generations, had lost its means of decipherment with the changing of eras.

Suddenly!

Layered whispers sounded beside Edmond Tide's ears, and an invisible force tugged at his soul.

His pupils contracted sharply. A mysterious existence had answered his prayer!

It had passed through the Water Veil he had set up, tugging at his soul from afar across the vast sea.

It was absolutely an existence that could not be resisted!

As the irresistible force descended, Edmond Tide's pain faded. His fish tail separated painlessly and turned back into legs.

Whenever his mermaid bloodline boiled, the agony of his legs becoming a fish tail was far less despairing than the tearing pain of that fish tail changing back into legs.

He collapsed where he stood and saw a pure white door in his dream. He pushed it open with both hands.

Edmond Tide saw a long table shrouded in faint mist, its outlines barely visible.

At the far end of the long table, a great existence looked down upon everything.

What a great hidden existence. What role did it play in mythology?

He racked his brains, trying to glean even a hint from the arrangement, but neither the gods of this era nor those of the previous or ancient eras had ever included such a great existence.

At least, Edmond's experience and the rumors he knew contained no related divine miracles.

Arthur's gaze fell upon the Moth seat, and Arina Stuart was immediately pulled to the Secret Sect Long Table to take part in the new Society of Hours.

Arina saw a blurry figure standing at one side of the long table and instinctively looked toward Mr. Mansus.

The Society of Hours had gained a new member.

"Moth greets Mr. Mansus."

Arina dipped slightly, took the seat representing Moth, and waited for Mr. Mansus to speak.

Arthur looked at the helpless Edmond Tide and lightly tapped the tabletop. "Choose a seat. It will represent your symbol in the Society of Hours."

The patterns on the eight seats glowed in Edmond Tide's eyes, conveying different meanings to him.

He stepped forward twice and stopped behind the seat of [Grail].

Recalling Miss Moth's phrasing, Edmond Tide imitated her. "Mr. Mansus, I choose the seat of [Grail]."

"Mr. Red Grail, please take your seat."

Arthur spoke in a relaxed tone. "Welcome to the Society of Hours. This is a simple gathering. You may communicate freely here."

Edmond Tide suddenly wondered whether this great hidden existence could understand the meaning of the Mermaid Book.

If it could decipher the ancient Mermaid Book, he might have a chance to control the mermaid bloodline within him.

"Mr. Mansus, could I ask you to decipher an ancient secret tome?"

Arthur raised an eyebrow slightly and gently tapped the tabletop.

A small portion of [Research] split off and appeared in the center of the Secret Sect Long Table, a function solely for the followers.

"Place the secret tome within it. Time will provide the answer."

Edmond Tide's eyes lit up. Having truly found a way to decipher the Mermaid Book, he rose excitedly and gave a deep bow.

"Thank you for your generosity!"

After his excitement subsided, Edmond Tide frowned slightly. "May I ask how I should... bring the secret tome in here?"

Arthur smiled faintly. "A simple Rite."

The discarding of unnecessary things under the [Moth Principle] manifested in the domain of barbers and extended into forgetfulness.

The "Hair-Cutting Ritual" was the sacrificial Rite he had researched, directed toward Mr. Mansus.

Edmond Tide's actions drew Arina's attention.

Mr. Mansus could even help decipher ancient texts. It seemed this gentleman's identity was far from simple.

Arina suddenly spoke.

"Mr. Red Grail, do you have any precious materials related to the night? I can trade gold coins or other materials."