Lord of Mysteries 2: Circle of Inevitability

At the Auberge du Coq Doré's basement bar.

Leon, wearing a light blue shirt, walked in, and every patron he passed greeted him warmly from the bottom of their hearts.

Leon sat at the bar and smiled at the owner and bartender, Pavard Neeson. "One La Fée Verte."

Pavard Neeson, who wore a ponytail and had an artistic air about him, asked curiously while pouring the drink, "Why do you always order La Fée Verte?"

"It has sacred meaning for me," Leon said, resting his elbow on the bar counter while surveying the other patrons.

Pavard didn't ask further.

This Monsieur Leon, who looked more like a scholar than a laborer, had become the most respected figure in Rue Anarchie over the past few months.

He arrived in April and gained widespread support in just over three months.

He would help those who were bullied get justice, prepare medicines and treat serious illnesses for free, tell stories to the children of the Rue Anarchie, help willing vagrants, dancers, and streetwalkers find jobs that met their basic needs. He never looked down on the residents here and didn't dress flashily.

And somehow both the market district gangs and police seemed to ignore him.
How could such a person not be beloved?

Leon paid for his drink, took the dreamlike green- colored glass, and took a small sip.

At that moment, he saw a young man in a white shirt and open black vest, holding a beer, jump onto a small round table.

"Everyone, look at me!

"I announce that Madame Fors has published The Great Adventurer 8-two volumes in less than half a year, how incredible!

"And by the way. I'm getting promoted with a raise!

"This will be my last time drinking here for the next two years, can you believe it? I've truly mastered ancient Feysac, the language that only truly civilized people understand!

"What excellent talent! I passed the exam and got assigned overseas-I'm going to take up an important position in Suhit.

"Congratulate me! The Auberge du Coq Doré is about to produce a truly civilized person!"

Leon watched with a smile, enjoying the chaotic yet strangely harmonious atmosphere.

He stayed until 10 pm, when he finally left the bar amid everyone's farewells, went up to the third floor, and entered Room 302.

Someone was already waiting for him there.

It was Lugano, a man with thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a very upright bearing.

"Your Grace, what brings you here?" Leon asked, both surprised and delighted yet somewhat fearful.

Lugano glanced at his subordinate and raised both hands, making an outward pushing gesture. "Disease be gone!"

Leon finally understood and returned the same gesture. "Disease be gone! Praise the great God of Plague, praise the great God of Disease!"

Lugano finally showed a satisfied expression. "How many followers have you developed recently?"

Leon respectfully answered, "Following the revelations and your instructions, I haven't preached directly. Instead, by helping the residents here and utilizing their fear of disease, I've gradually developed a group of willing followers, forming the embryo of a congregation.

"Next, I will share my faith with the followers, speak of the greatness of the two Malady Gods, and of Your Grace's mercy and grace."

Lugano nodded. "Well done.

"I've walked around Rue Anarchie and several nearby streets, hearing about your deeds from many people.

"Remember, you must follow the Church's precepts: first, no public preaching; second, followers are allowed to also believe in the Eternal Blazing Sun or the God of Steam and Machinery or other orthodox gods."

"Yes, Your Grace," Leon bowed his head and sincerely responded.

Lugano took out a small jewelry box Inlaid with silver patterns and what appeared to be an ordinary vanity mirror, saying with a smile, "No need to address me as Your Grace anymore. From today on, you will become the bishop of this area, reporting directly to Her Holiness the Pope and receiving orders from him."

"I…" Leon's eyes lit up, unsure how to react in front of Bishop Lugano.

"You deserve this." Lugano handed the small jewelry box and mirror to Leon, "The mirror is for communicating with Her Holiness The jewelry box contains the Warlock Sequence's potion formula and all ingredients-this is a blessing from the God of Plague and the God of Disease. Once you're ready, you can consume the potion and advance to Warlock."

Thinking of the Beyonder powers and miraculous spells he had witnessed from Bishop Lugano and other bishops, Leon became excited and hastily thrust out his right palm. "Praise the God of Plague, praise the God of Disease!"

Lugano joined in praising the two Malady Gods, then said, "The jewelry box also contains some spell documents that will let you master several spells for treatment and medicine preparation, without needing help from me and other bishops.

"These can be used to treat common illnesses. For truly serious cases, recite the honorific names of the God of Plague or God of Disease."

"Understood." Leon accepted the small jewelry box and mirror.

Thinking about how he would soon become a Sequence 7 Warlock and master true supernatural powers, he trembled with excitement, believing even more devoutly in the two Malady Gods and revering Her Holiness the Pope.

Just over three months ago, he had been a pitiful man who was scammed by islanders, impoverished, desperate about life, and wanting to end his own existence.

After leaving Room 302 of the Auberge du Coq Doré, Lugano returned to his previously rented apartment.

Then, he took out a mirror and placed it solemnly and ceremoniously on the table. "The Lady more ancient than the times, Servant of Calamity, Child of Plague and Disease, Destroyer who walks in Shadows, Guide of all lost lambs in Trier, the great God of Plague, I beseech you, beseech your gaze..." After saying his prayers, Lugano placed the already organized church affairs documents before the mirror on the table. watching them pass through the veil and disappear into the mirror's surface like ripples in water.

Soon, text appeared on the mirror's surface: "Before long, you will become an archbishop, overseeing multiple dioceses."

This message came from the Pope of the Sick Church.

After receiving the reply, Lugano became elated once again.

Although he regretted no longer being a Blessed who could report directly to the great God of Plague Lumian Lee, and could only follow Her Holiness the Pope's instructions, over these past few months, he had not only acquired the acting method but also obtained the Sequence 6 Biologist potion formula and corresponding ingredients from the Planter pathway, and was now already a Sequence 6 Beyonder.

From Her Holiness the Pope's words just now, after accumulating achievements for another year or so, he would have the chance to advance another Sequence, becoming a Druid and an archbishop.

With anticipation, Lugano looked at the mirror and respectfully bowed his head. "Yes, Your Holiness."

…

In the luxurious villa where Lumian and others resided.

Her Holiness the Pope of the Sick Church, Jenna, sat on a long sofa leaning against the great God of Disease Franca Roland, reviewing Lugano's work report.

After discussion, Lumian and Franca decided to let Jenna first be recognized by the Sick Church followers as Pope, which could also obtain anchors and well explain changes in doctrine.

In the future, if Jenna could advance to Sequence 3, they could use the method of both the God of Plague and God of Disease jointly issuing divine edicts to promote the meritorious Pope to a subsidiary god. Her related deeds would naturally become part of the church catechism, and no one would question it.

After that, they would gradually elevate her status.

After hearing Jenna's narration, Franca looked toward Lumian, who was curled up reading on another sofa.

"I think our anchors are sufficient to support our advancement to Sequence 2; besides, we can't preach on a large scale in Trier anyway."

Not preaching publicly but being able to develop some followers was the tacit understanding between Lumian's group and the God of Steam and Machinery Church.

In this aspect, the God of Steam and Machinery was quite accommodating to them.

Previously, during the Holy Day in May, the Church of Steam held a large mass attended by tens of thousands in front of Trier's patriarchal cathedral. The participants' emotions were exceptionally high, becoming very devout and fervent as they were influenced by the mass itself and the surrounding atmosphere during the ritual.

Anthony, as a believer of the God of Steam and Machinery, also attended this mass and secretly consumed the potion amid the emotional resonance of tens of thousands, becoming a Sequence 4 Manipulator.

This was using the Church of Steam's grand mass to simplify the ritual's execution.

Other Spectators didn't do this because it would be considered blasphemy and would be noticed by the corresponding true god due to the influence of the mass ritual and fervent emotions, bringing down terrible divine punishment.

But the God of Steam and Machinery allowed Anthony to do this.

Lumian and Anthony had prayed at the Church of Steam's patriarchal cathedral in Trier beforehand and received a permissive revelation,

Lumian put down his book and said with a smile, "The current problem is that we cannot obtain the Beyonder characteristics of either Weather Warlock or Demoness of Catastrophe."

According to information Franca gathered from within the Demoness Sect, they could confirm that the Demoness Sect possessed at least five Demoness of Catastrophe Beyonder characteristics-four Angels (Gray, Yellow, Blue, Purple) and one Grade 0 Sealed Artifact.

Lumian's group had further learned that if a pathway had three Sequence 1 Angels, the corresponding Sequence 2 Angels could only number six to eight, with the specific amount varying by pathway.

In other words, with the existence of the true god-the Primordial Demoness-there were only one to three Demoness of Catastrophe Beyonder characteristics outside the Demoness Sect, all currently unaccounted for, at least not among the Church of The Fool's allied forces.

Similarly, the distribution of Weather Warlock Beyonder characteristics was: the Einhorn family had two Sequence 2 Angels, the Sauron family had one Sequence 2 Angel, the Intis military had one Sequence 2 Angel (this seemed to come from the outflow of Beyonder characteristics after the Sauron family's decline), the Iron and Blood Cross Order had at least one Sequence 2 Angel, and there was one corresponding Beyonder characteristic in the Blue Avenger vault.

In other words, at most two Weather Warlock Beyonder characteristics remained unaccounted for, perhaps none at all, and Lumian currently had no leads.

Before Franca and Jenna could respond, Lumian thoughtfully said, "I plan to make a trip to Bansy Harbor soon."