Ademisaul swallowed, feeling as though he stood before a fork in the road of fate.
Others had nicknamed him "Monster," believing him to be a freak who could see misfortune. Even the Church's clergymen had told him about things that would cause him to bring bad luck, keeping watch over his life.
Of course he was unwilling to believe the "Oracle of the Aurora Order" before him. He was a believer in an orthodox deity. Poor though he was, he still walked a safe and healthy path.
But, but...
What if he was right?
Ademisaul swallowed again. Beside his ear, words quietly chipped away at his defenses:
"There is a saying in our doctrine: all things possess divinity."
"Every member of the Aurora Order is a lamb of the Creator, a brother or sister bound by ties thicker than blood. For we ourselves are part of the Creator. Even without blood ties, the bonds of faith are enough for us to care for one another."
-This narrowed the distance between Beyonders and ordinary people, encouraging Ademisaul, a "monster," to identify with the members of the Aurora Order.
"The world calls the Aurora Order the greatest terrorist organization. We have killed countless powerful figures and politicians, disregarded the law, and disrupted order. But who knows what crimes those powerful figures and politicians committed?"
"If the law could punish them, they would be in prison rather than dying at our hands. If we did not fight violence with violence, who would hear the cries of a poor young girl beaten to death by a noble?"
-This reinforced the legitimacy of the Aurora Order's actions, using the example of the girl to stir anger at the nobles' crimes in Ademisaul, who was both poor and young.
"I will not force you to believe in the Creator. If you are unwilling to believe in the Lord, then that is our fault-we have failed to let you feel the Lord's grace, leaving you mired in the embrace of a foreign god."
"But I hope you can believe in the Creator's 'Angel of Fate,' because the potion you will receive comes from Him."
-Finally, he stressed freedom of belief and emphasized his "own" fault, reducing Ademisaul's resistance.
Nimrod's gaze was calm.
"I have seen your soul. You are pure and clear, and a foreign god should not be allowed to wear away your precious youth. Stay here, and you will escape this... madness and confusion that have plagued you all your life."
As Nimrod's words faded, silence fell over the room. He did not press him, merely waiting calmly for Ademisaul to answer.
After a long while, Ademisaul lowered his head and stammered, "I'm willing to stay here, Mr. L. It's just, it's just that I'm still a little afraid..."
"Of course you can stay here. Don't worry, you have plenty of time to adjust," Nimrod said gently.
"Mr. Z, take this new brother to meet our existing brothers and sisters."
Nimrod guessed that Mr. Z was probably nearby.
Sure enough, as Nimrod spoke those words, Mr. Z pushed open the door. His eyes were slightly red, and he addressed Nimrod in a solemn voice:
"Your words put me to shame. If you have time, I hope you will hear my confession."
"No problem, as long as I have time." Nimrod did not refuse, but added, "By the way, Ademisaul has very high spiritual perception. He cannot listen to the Lord's grace yet."
"Understood."
With that, Mr. Z extended a hand toward Ademisaul and spoke as gently as he could:
"Come, follow me. The Oracle has chosen you. Don't disappoint him."
Ademisaul followed Mr. Z in a daze, his head filled with everything Nimrod had just said. Only after Mr. Z had led him through several corridors did he ask, still bewildered:
"What, what should I do for the Oracle?"
"I'll first take you to hear the Lord's teachings." After listening to Nimrod's "preaching," Mr. Z seemed exceptionally patient.
"The Oracle said that your spiritual perception is very high, and you cannot listen to the Lord's grace yet. So read our doctrine first. I'll have our brothers and sisters prepare a holy meal for you."
At the words "holy meal," Ademisaul's Adam's apple bobbed despite himself.
He had not eaten that day.
"Huh?"
Having arrived at the Blackthorn Security Company, Klein looked at the report Dunn Smith handed him.
"Tris was spotted yesterday, but the attempt to arrest him failed?"
"That's right," Dunn said.
"You had already finished work, and we had no shortage of trackers. Even so, the trail of Tris, the 'Instigator,' went cold on Iron Cross Street. He disappeared there as though he had suddenly evaporated."
Klein remembered Mountbatten, the policeman Benson had seen the previous night, and the unease he himself had felt that evening. A sense of urgency suddenly welled up inside him, and he spoke with a strong sense of personal responsibility:
"Do you need my help?"
Dunn glanced at Klein. "Divination? No, the Machinery Hivemind has a Mystery Pryer, an experienced Beyonder not much less capable than Old Neil..."
As Dunn spoke, his voice suddenly trailed off.
Klein knew that mentioning Old Neil had made Dunn fall quiet, and he felt the same pang himself. Soon, however, Klein shook his head and spoke to Dunn in a lowered voice.
Once he realized what Klein was talking about, Dunn raised his head and glanced at Rozanne nearby, making her guiltily duck her head back out of sight.
"Let's go downstairs to talk."
Klein nodded as well and entered Dunn's office with him. Sitting in front of Dunn's desk, he ventured:
"Didn't I get to know Mr. L of the Aurora Order a while ago? I thought that cults like theirs might have different sources of information from ours. Perhaps they would know something about this sort of thing."
Dunn watched Klein for several seconds before slowly tapping the desk in front of him and saying:
"You seem to trust that friend of yours a great deal. But an evil god's cult is still an evil god's cult, Klein."
Dunn's voice grew stern.
"Even among the various cults of evil gods, the Aurora Order ranks among those responsible for the most bloodshed. Klein, I must remind you that your friend is an Oracle of the Aurora Order. His hands are bound to be covered in blood."
But he's a transmigrator... And I can't tell you that... Feeling somewhat wronged, Klein muttered furtively to himself like a sneaky little cat, then took a deep breath.
"Captain, I'm willing to swear an oath before the Goddess. As you said, I dare not gamble on the conscience of an evil god's follower, but I want even more to capture the 'Instigator' as soon as possible."
Meeting Dunn's gaze, Klein gave a bitter laugh.
"After all, my family is in Tingen too. They could also be threatened by a vicious criminal like him."
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