Additional Chapter! Thank Nawaf_R779, Karfin2422, vcut, and Slesk for this additional chapter.
Enjoy!
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At that moment, Leonard was sitting at the dining table, eating. When he noticed the uninvited guest, he merely glanced over before resuming his meal.
No helping it—humans are creatures of habit, and Leonard had grown used to Evah's sporadic visits over time.
"Traveler?" The shadowy figure of Pallez appeared beside the table. As an angel of the Marauder pathway, Pallez instantly recognized the ability Evah was using, which reminded him of Mr. Door from the previous day. He spoke tentatively.
"Indeed, a little gift from Mr. Door," Evah said with a smile, not lying. In this world, it wasn't uncommon for high-ranking beings to "lend" certain abilities to lower ones.
"It seems you've indeed struck a deal with Bethel," Pallez said, unsurprised. He looked at Evah, asking, "But I don't understand… how did you pull it off?"
"All thanks to my Lord's greatness," Evah said, smoothly shifting the blame to his Chaos Sovereign alias, smiling.
"The Reverser of Time right?" Pallez probed. As someone with a mind sharp enough for eight hundred schemes, and with Bethel's hints, he'd pieced together some clues.
"Perhaps the Bethel I met yesterday didn't belong to this era."
With this hypothesis, Pallez reviewed his meeting with Bethel and spotted several oddities—like the words Bethel used or his attire.
"Time is one of my Lord's domains," Evah said, not denying it. He nodded, his expression briefly distant, as if recalling something. "My Lord can bring people from the past back into this world…"
Even with his suspicions, Pallez felt a jolt of shock when they were confirmed.
The authority was staggering. Pallez knew that if the Chaos Sovereign could truly summon the past, it would be a temptation few could resist.
Even Pallez himself, in that moment, couldn't help but think of his long-dead descendants, those he'd lost… The chance for even a brief reunion would be a sweet lure worth any price for many.
And if the Chaos Sovereign could summon not just ordinary people but someone like Mr. Door from the past, what about true gods? And beyond true gods?
"So that's it. No wonder the True Creator is willing to work with you…" Pallez said, feeling he'd grasped it all. Though not intimately familiar with the Third Epoch's Creator, he wasn't ignorant of their existence.
Pallez understood that if that Creator could be brought back, it would reshuffle the world's power dynamics.
"Chaos Sovereign, the Embodiment of Joy…" Pallez mulled over the titles that had puzzled him, finally grasping a sliver of their motives.
Perhaps everything else was secondary. That being's true aim might be to plunge the world into chaos, deriving pleasure from it.
"I'm suddenly afraid for this world's future," Pallez said, closing his eyes briefly before giving Evah a wry smile.
"You should trust Them…" Evah said, reading Pallez's thoughts, smiling. "Whether it's Mr. Door or the Creator, They would never push this world into ruin."
The subtext was clear: You may not trust the Chaos Sovereign, but you can always trust those guardians!
Pallez paused, then laughed. "You're right. I should trust Them."
He then turned toEvah with a teasing grin. "But that doesn't sound like something a devout follower would say…"
Evah blinked. "Old man, don't slander me. I didn't say anything."
It didn't break character. Evah Zoroast wasn't meant to be a devout follower. He'd pledged loyalty to the Chaos Sovereign for revenge, family revival, and loved ones—not out of blind faith.
Pallez, well aware this man wasn't a true zealot, chuckled at his own jab, then fell into thought. Finally, as if resolving himself, he said, "Two months from now, I can launch my first hunt for Amon. But I'll need your help pinpointing Amon's location."
With a great era of conflict looming, Pallez felt he couldn't keep coasting. He had to step up.
The two-month delay was, of course, because Pallez needed time to prepare—his injuries were too severe.
"I'll report your needs to my Lord. I'm sure a response will come soon," Evah said, unsurprised. Part of his visit was to nudge Pallez into action.
He then glanced at Leonard.
Leonard, who'd been eating and eavesdropping, jolted, looking up warily. "Why're you staring at me?"
"Leonard, interested in joining the Trickster Club?" Evah asked bluntly.
"What?" Leonard froze, then gave an incredulous look, pointing at himself, half-laughing in exasperation. "Me? Let's get this straight—I'm a Nighthawk. I serve the Goddess."
Though Luo Lin's tales of ancient history had shaken him before, Leonard, raised in the Church of Evernight's monastery, chose to remain loyal to the Evernight Goddess.
At least the Goddess and Her Church were genuinely helping the world.
"The club doesn't require members to change their faith. You can still serve the Evernight Goddess," Evah said, smiling, unperturbed by Leonard's reaction. He continued calmly, "You don't have to see it as betraying the Church. The club has no intention of opposing them. Think of it as just a casual, secret gathering."
Leonard's expression shifted, his eyes darting as his rarely-used brain kicked into gear. "Why me? Because of the old man?"
"No, if I wanted him in the club, I'd invite him separately," Evah said, shaking his head and grinning at the spectating Pallez.
"I'd have to think it over," Pallez said with a chuckle, neither agreeing nor refusing.
Evah wasn't surprised, turning back to Leonard. "I'm inviting you because of fate."
(End of Chapter)