Raphael used the White Jade Orb to investigate. The man who had scrutinized him earlier was a Sequence 7, and his abilities gave off a somewhat sinister feeling, unlike those of pathways adept at observation.
Raphael soon realized that the man was probably a "Shadow Ascetic." At Sequence 8, "Listener," of the "Secrets Suppliant" pathway, there was a considerable chance of hearing about all sorts of bizarre powers from hidden existences.
Wagner's ability to become somewhat bull-like, for instance, was something he had acquired through "listening."
However, there was also a considerable chance of losing control during the process of "listening."
Raphael further reasoned that the ability this "Shadow Ascetic" had used to scrutinize him earlier was most likely something he had acquired at Sequence 8.
As these thoughts churned through his mind, Raphael followed them into the basement and met Mr. C.
Mr. C was a thin man with a pale complexion who looked very unhealthy. Yet a hint of madness frequently flashed in his eyes, as though a beast lurked beneath his listless exterior.
At that moment, Mr. C wore an archaic bishop's robe and stood before a small cross, lending the entire basement a strong religious atmosphere.
Raphael noticed that Mr. C's bishop's robe differed from the vestments he had seen in the Church of the Evernight Goddess, the Church of Storms, and the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery. Its left and right sides appeared slightly asymmetrical.
Once they were in the basement, Mr. C said to Raphael, "Under the Lord's guidance, you have come here.
"You will be able to place your faith in the true Creator, see through the lies woven together by the seven evil gods, and receive true salvation."
The "Shadow Ascetic" and Wagner said together, "Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord that Created Everything."
Raphael immediately caught on and echoed them half a beat later, "Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord that Created Everything."
Mr. C extended a hand, motioning for Raphael to step forward and kneel before the cross.
Following his instructions, Raphael stepped forward and knelt before the cross, looking utterly devout.
Then Mr. C began recounting the Lord's glorious deeds. When Raphael heard him say that "the Lord that Created Everything" had shouldered all of humanity's sins after the Great Cataclysm, he paused briefly and "recalled" some important information about the Great Cataclysm.
It was a strange sensation, as though this information had always been in his mind but he had kept overlooking it. Only now, under an external influence, did he "recall" it.
He remembered that the "Great Cataclysm" had been a series of consequences triggered by the attempts of the "Ancient Sun God," the sole orthodox god of the Third Epoch, to save Himself after something went wrong with His condition.
At a crucial point in the "Ancient Sun God's" plan, He had been betrayed by three "Kings of Angels" who had sworn allegiance to Him.
Through the deeds Mr. C recited, Raphael immediately realized that the god worshipped by the Aurora Order was the "True Creator." This god had ultimately taken form when the "Ancient Sun God's" humanity reclaimed the Uniqueness and Sequence 1 characteristics of the "Hanged Man" pathway.
After giving a broad account of the stories in the "Holy Bible," Mr. C began reciting the doctrine.
The doctrine sounded quite good, with teachings such as saving humanity and spreading the Lord's radiance throughout the Northern and Southern Continents.
But... yes, there was even a "but" in the doctrine!
But when facing believers of those evil gods, wicked people, and those who did not believe in the Lord's radiance, they also had to show a forceful side. They could send those people's souls straight before the Lord to repent.
Raphael found this rather amusing. Nowadays, nine and a half out of every ten people on the Northern Continent believed in the Seven Gods, and the remaining half pretended to believe in them as well. In theory, they were all believers of evil gods! That put them among those who could be sent to meet the "True Creator" at any time.
As for spreading the Lord's radiance across the Northern and Southern Continents, there were two methods: preaching and creating attention-grabbing incidents. They could even attempt to bring the Lord into the mortal world and ask Him to spread His sacred radiance in person.
With orthodox gods already present, the "Aurora Order's" missionary efforts were bound to be extremely difficult. It took no thought at all to realize that relying on clandestine preaching might not make everyone aware of the "True Creator's" existence even by the end of time.
Finally, Mr. C told Raphael the Lord's honorific name: the Lord that Created Everything;
The Lord who Reigns Behind the Curtain of Shadows;
The Degenerate Nature of all Living Things.
He also told Raphael that whenever he encountered difficulties or felt lost, he could pray to the Lord for salvation and guidance.
Raphael immediately recited the honorific name once in Ancient Hermes: "The Lord that Created Everything..."
The instant he finished reciting the honorific name, Raphael felt an immensely oppressive gaze turn toward him from the cross. Immediately afterward, maddening whispers rang in his ears, and depraved, insane thoughts began surfacing in his mind.
Somewhat startled, Mr. C hurriedly knelt before the cross. "The Lord that Created Everything, this living being before the cross has received Your salvation! You are the one and only Lord, You are..."
The gaze soon vanished. Clutching his faintly throbbing head, Raphael smiled with a touch of mania. "It feels wonderful to be watched by the Lord! I feel even better mentally than before!"
On that point, he was telling the truth. That sense of madness felt utterly exquisite, as though something wondrous had stirred within his mind.
Moreover, he felt he could try out the insane ideas that had just appeared in his mind. They should help him digest the "Werewolf" potion further.
Mr. C and the others beside him were all taken aback by Raphael's words. Mr. C was the first to recover. "I was right about you. You truly are someone favored by the Lord!"
Even he experienced tremendous mental pressure under the Lord's gaze. He had never expected Raphael to look as though he enjoyed it.
Moreover, this was the first time Mr. C had seen the Lord cast His gaze upon an initiation ceremony. All of this showed that the Lord was paying attention to Raphael.
This made Mr. C treat Raphael with a little more courtesy. "There are still two vacant Oracle positions. Perhaps you can fill one of them."
Raphael rose and smiled. "Thank you for your blessing."
Mr. C continued, "As is customary, once you complete a task I assign you or provide assistance to another member, I will introduce you to the other members.
"At that point, you can also join the high-level Beyonder gathering we established in Backlund. Hmm, only mid-sequence Beyonders are eligible to attend that gathering."
Raphael readily agreed. "All right."
"I believe that day will come very soon." Mr. C smiled. "As it happens, a member needs your help. He should be coming to see you in the next few days."
Raphael nodded. "No problem."
Before you continue