Alger the Mentor

Once that discussion was over, Fors the Magician also shared her impressions:

"The Great Smog has put Backlund on high alert. All Beyonder gatherings have been suspended. Unless you're an official Beyonder, it's best not to risk coming here for now."

"Have you gone to collect my bounty notice?" Neph interjected.

"No." Fors shook her head. "I plan to wait a while longer."

"That's the right decision," Alger agreed. "But be careful. Whoever is behind it may simply want to find someone who stays in contact with Miss Pure White."

Fors gave a startled jolt, and relief showed on her face.

Neph glanced at him, then turned to Derrick and asked, "After you returned, did your Chief say anything to you? Anything that hinted at something?"

"Hinted?" Derrick repeated in confusion.

"There wasn't much power left in the portrait. Your Chief has already become a demigod, so he should have been able to retain his memories through the cycle of fate." Neph tilted her head. "In that case, he should have noticed your unusual behavior in the later loops."

"Then what should I do?" Derrick immediately looked flustered. "There's no need to worry," Alger reassured him. "Since your Chief hasn't brought it up directly, he probably has something else in mind. You can act as usual and pretend you don't know that he knows."

"Your Chief probably just wants to keep observing," Neph added. "Objectively speaking, a god is your best option for escaping your current circumstances. But your Chief's decision carries the lives of thousands of people. He can't make it lightly. And unlike you, he hasn't actually come into contact with Mr. Fool and learned what kind of god he is."

Derrick accepted this explanation and nodded with a resolute expression, though no one knew what he was