In this era, in this world, belief in gods is widespread. The only difference lies in which god is worshipped. Therefore, even if Roy, Pasha, and others do not understand the meaning of the term "Angel" in mysticism, they have more or less heard legends about Angel from priests, bishops, and elders around them. They know that angels are attendants of gods, powerful beings qualified to be called "He," and that their every move can create miracles, far beyond the reach of ordinary people.
In the minds of these four Beyonder, Angel are Holy Spirit from another level and another world, living in God's Kingdom under normal circumstances and not descending into reality. They can be treated as true legends, without needing to consider their practical significance. Just like in the wars they had experienced before, although there were occasionally Beyonder still terrified them to this day, it was absolutely not enough to make them associate them with Angel.
The two are not even on the same level!
But today, a wandering, mysterious " The Magician " told them that the Grand Patriarch of the Church of the God of Combat is an Angel walking on earth.
Phil and the others genuinely believed in the man who had displayed so many wonders. Firstly, he had fulfilled their Wishes and was quite friendly. Secondly, they did not believe they had the right to be deceived in this matter. To them, whether the Patriarch was Angel or an exceptionally powerful Beyonder, there was essentially no difference.
The reality of this world far exceeds our imagination... Pasha's mind once again flashed back to that phrase she often said.
Roy, however, thought of even more things.
He remembered that the woman the " The Magician " had summoned from thin air said she was tracking the Grand Patriarch of the Church of the God of Combat, and that she seemed qualified to see the oracle of the " Evernight Goddess."
The only one capable of tracking an Angel could be another Angel... Judging from the way "Mr. The Magician " acted in front of that lady, his status couldn't be much different... Roy quickly withdrew his gaze from Klein's back, not daring to look directly at him.
He glanced to his left and right and noticed that Phil seemed to have a similar suspicion. A complex emotion welled up on his pale face, which was pale from blood loss.
Byers held her breath for several seconds before speaking:
"No wonder Beldan underwent such an inexplicable transformation..."
"This isn't the time for sentimentality. Let's go, the curfew is about to take effect," Klein reminded him with a nonchalant smile.
Pasha quickly glanced at the notice board again, memorizing the full details of the curfew order:
"... From 8 PM to 8 AM, walking or gathering outdoors is strictly prohibited..."
"Where should we go?" she blurted out.
Under the dual constraints of the curfew and trespassing, it seems they have no choice but to accept punishment.
Klein smiled and said:
"Walking and gathering outdoors are strictly prohibited."
As he spoke, he tapped the manhole cover next to him with his foot.
Byers' eyes lit up and he said:
"Yes, it didn't say you can't walk inside the sewers!"
"In areas where curfews were previously in effect, homeless people would hide in sewers or abandoned buildings."
Without further hesitation, Roy and the others stepped forward, using their superior strength to push open the manhole cover and climb into the sewer.
In the pitch black, a dim yellow light appeared, and Klein held a lantern in his hand.
As they followed this mysterious " The Magician," Phil remarked thoughtfully:
"Next, we can go to the hotel."
" Byers is a local, so we won't be attacked. We can book a suite, and then we can climb in through the window from the outside. Since we have the owner's permission, it won't be considered trespassing."
"That way, we can stay until dawn and wait for the curfew to be lifted automatically."
"A very interesting idea, but our goal isn't to survive until dawn," Klein replied with a smile as he walked ahead carrying a lantern.
Roy nodded and said:
"If we do nothing and just stay in the hotel, the Edict will keep piling up, becoming so detailed that hotel rooms can't accommodate outsiders overnight."
"Actually, the most interesting part of that suggestion wasn't finding a loophole in the restrictions, but rather reminding me of something," Klein said, turning slightly to look at Byers. "As a native of Beldan, he didn't even try to arrest outsiders."
In other words, they were not affected by the order on the yellow paper.
This... Pasha and the others looked at Byers with slight wariness, their expressions revealing undisguised doubt.
Their recent experience convinced them that the citizens of Beldan had lost their minds in arresting outsiders.
"I don't know why either..." Byers murmured, equally puzzled.
"Are you still a citizen of Beldan?" Klein asked casually as he walked slowly through the damp, foul-smelling sewers.
Byers followed behind him and answered with considerable certainty:
"Certainly."
Klein said thoughtfully:
"You are both a citizen of Beldan and a typical outsider. These two attributes overlap, creating a contradiction that allows you to remain unaffected by the order, neither attacked nor influenced by your rationality."
"If we can create this 'contradiction,' can we escape the constraints of the rules?" Phil asked, his spirits lifting.
Pasha shook her head:
"But this kind of 'contradiction' is hard to create; at least I can't think of any possibility right now..."
She paused here, hesitated for a moment, and then said:
"Most importantly, we're far from the bulletin boards, completely unaware of what Edict will follow, and have no way to avoid them."
At that point, I won't dare to do anything!
Klein smiled and said:
"Don't worry, this mirror will help us see the new additions to the bulletin board."
He casually showed off a " Magic Mirror " that had slid into his left palm.
Pasha breathed a sigh of relief, then asked in confusion:
Isn't this a crime of voyeurism?
On the surface of the silver mirror, words that seemed to be dripping blood appeared one by one:
"I look at the bulletin board like I look at the Sun during the day; I don't need to peek."
Klein retrieved the " Magic Mirror " and added with a smile:
"Besides, it's just an object, how could that be a crime?"
That makes sense... Byers and Phil couldn't help but nod.
After Roy figured it out, he let out a breath and then asked:
"Our most important task now is to find that item, but we have absolutely no clues. As a 'book,' it could be anywhere. We can only conduct a city-wide search, but that's clearly too late."
"Indeed, we have absolutely no idea where '0-02' is, not a single clue, but there is one entity that is very clear," Klein replied leisurely, listening to the footsteps echoing in the sewers.
Pasha's heart skipped a beat:
"You mean that Patriarch?"
Klein smiled and nodded:
"'0-02' is either in His possession or hidden somewhere by Him, and a 'book' obviously cannot move on its own, nor is it something that the current rules can help it accomplish."
"But how do we find that Patriarch?" Byers blurted out.
Perhaps because the mysterious " The Magician " was right beside him, he wasn't so afraid of searching for that Angel on Earth.
Klein calmly held up the lantern and said:
"As long as '0-02' does not grant the Patriarch exemption, He must also obey the Edict in the proclamation."
"He was originally Feysac, and was undoubtedly not a citizen of Beldan, so he could not enjoy the treatment of a local. Similarly, although he is Angel from elsewhere, not a stranger in the strictest sense, he will still be hunted down by the citizens, that much is certain."
"In short, the High Patriarch must abide by the curfew, cannot trespass on private property, and cannot hide in public areas that are not open to the public at night. Also, He, who is being tracked, should not have a companion like Byers who possesses dual attributes. Where do you think He might be?"
Roy's eyes flickered slightly, and he gave several answers:
"Sewers, cemeteries, a church before midnight, abandoned buildings..."
"You can't enter the cemetery at night. The abandoned buildings themselves are owned by a person or group," Pasha hurriedly reminded her.
"Well, once the sewers are also restricted, we'll either go to the church to find the Patriarch or wait for Him," Klein said casually, as if making a minor decision.
Roy, Phil, and the others were a little stunned; they hadn't expected to lock onto the target so easily.
In just a few words of discussion, the whereabouts of an Angel were revealed!
"However, there are several churches in Beldan, so we need to split up to save time. Also, that High Patriarch might use his Angel status and power to forcefully resist punishment." Klein said, then looked down at the " Magic Mirror " in his palm and said, " Arrodes, you monitor the entire city and watch for any unusual situations."
After instructing the Magic Mirror, Klein once again pulled Lady Arianna out of the Fog of History, asking her to take charge of the churches of the Church of Evernight.
After finishing these tasks, he turned halfway around and said to Roy, Pasha, and the others:
"If we still can't find the High Patriarch this way, it means that either He has already left Beldan, leaving only '0-02' to hold off the enemy, or He has already gained some control over '0-02'. In short, for now, we can only use the process of elimination."
Roy and the others nodded in unison and continued following Klein through the sewers.
Several minutes later, the ancient silver mirror shimmered with water, reflecting a scene:
Another sheet of white paper appeared on the notice board, with new rules written on it:
"... Due to municipal maintenance needs, from this moment forward, no living being may enter the sewers."
"The rate of new content additions has increased..." Klein frowned almost imperceptibly, muttered to himself, and pulled a human skin glove out of thin air.
He then gestured for Pasha and the others to hold hands.
Then, he grabbed one of them by the shoulder and led them out of the sewers, " Teleportation " to the nearest Storm Church.
During this process, the four Beyonder first saw rats and cockroaches in the sewers convulsing and dying one after another, and were then drawn to the bizarre and abstract Spirit World, as if they had undergone some kind of spiritual baptism.