"Traveler from a distant space-time,"
"Paradoxical Spiral of logic and wisdom,"
"Reflection of knowledge, Reverse side of truth."
The honorific name, recited in Ancient Hermes, echoed within the spiritually sealed room. A single candle flickered with a faint, crackling sound.
Snow let two drops of men's cologne fall onto the flame. Instantly, bluish-white light flared up, merging with the fragrance into a vortex that hungrily siphoned Snow's spirituality.
"I pray to You;"
"I pray for Your power;"
"Grant me the power to complete the Paradox Charms."
"Cardamom, transmit power to my charms. Ambergris, transmit power to my incantations..."
As Snow chanted his incantations, layered whispers began to echo in his ears. Simultaneously, with the infusion of his spirituality, the image of a stallion made of white clouds began to gallop within his mind.
Without hesitation, Snow picked up an engraving tool. On a one-penny coin--whose original head and text had been ground away and replaced with intricate patterns--he carved the '∞' symbol. A unique, twisted power, seemingly contradictory to all logic, surged into the coin.
The sustained spiritual drain was negligible for Snow, who was essentially a 'Uniqueness come to life'. As his spirituality flowed away like water, charms made from converted one-penny coins began to line up before him.
"Phew. That went smoother than I expected." Snow played with the coins, feeling the lingering spirituality within them. A slight smirk touched his lips. Whether it was due to his higher authority over the sefirot, or because 'A White Horse is Not a Horse' was inherently anchored to his soul, the process of 'responding to himself' was far easier than it was for Klein.
He didn't need to summon himself, didn't need to push open a door of summoning, and he had even substituted the usual extracts and herbs with a bottle of men's cologne--
By the way, the 'ambergris' and 'cardamom' mentioned in his incantation were actually ingredients in that cologne.
After all, when praying to oneself, one could be a bit casual. With his massive spiritual reserves, he didn't need expensive materials to lower the cost.
However, everything had its pros and cons. For instance, he couldn't store physical items within 'A White Horse is Not a Horse'.
Tucking the 'Paradox Charms'--which cost exactly one penny each if one ignored the labor--into his pocket, Snow felt a sudden urge to find a place to test their power.
Unfortunately, he couldn't be certain that he was currently free from Nighthawk surveillance. Moreover, as someone who had stayed in an inn for half a month without leaving, a sudden outing would undoubtedly attract attention.
Briefly suppressing his 'inner child' excitement over a new toy, Snow returned to his bedside to tease 'Lily'--the name he had given to his Ruen short-haired kitten (Ruri).
In fact, he had planned a perfect daily routine for himself:
Wake up and pray to Mr. Fool, then start writing. After lunch, study the ritualistic knowledge gained from the potion. In the afternoon, use the 'Respondent' ability to project his consciousness into Lily for a 'walk'. Finally, go to bed promptly by 9 PM.
He had even decided that before bed, he would drink a glass of warm milk and perform thirty minutes of physical training. Once in bed, he would fall asleep immediately, never carrying fatigue or stress into the next day.
But like most routines, this plan didn't last long. Not because Snow lacked willpower, but because the very next day, a distorted spirit with a massive vertical mouth appeared in his room.
'It seems Mr. A's messenger is even slower than the train...' Snow grumbled inwardly. He immediately took the envelope from the creature's hand. Watching the spirit--which definitely didn't meet the Aurora Order's typical recruitment standards--vanish once more, he tore open the envelope and shook out the brief letter inside:
"Mr. Pandrax:"
"I have received your letter. Given the foolish actions of those two Secret Supplicants, you need not feel guilt or trepidation for your decisiveness. The Lord will not blame a devout believer."
"Even for devout believers like us, the Lord's summoning ritual requires extensive preparation. A swindler who isn't even a 'lamb' does not require excessive focus."
"The notebook you intercepted is of high value, enough to exchange for a Listener potion."
"I presume your potion digestion is also nearing its end. I look forward to your return."
"Your friend, Mr. A."
'Friend? Mr. A is actually quite polite when the True Creator isn't involved!' Snow looked at the elegant and graceful handwriting on the paper, a grin spreading across his face. At the same time, he breathed a small sigh of relief. It was a good thing he had already established a connection with the Great Mr. Fool; otherwise, he would be thinking about packing his bags and running right now.
After all, he was a 'seedling' that Mr. A had high hopes for!
As mentioned before, once one drank the Secret Supplicant potion, their personality would inevitably be twisted. Thus, the Beyonders of the Aurora Order were either lunatics or very well-hidden lunatics.
But even among lunatics, there were tiers of status within the Aurora Order.
Ordinary lunatics were at the bottom. These individuals, who completely lacked self-control, served only as cannon fodder in battle. They were never allowed to come into contact with anything involving schemes or conspiracies.
Next were the lunatics who appeared normal. These people could often maintain a relatively reliable identity, hiding among the public to slowly develop 'lambs' and expand the Order's influence. They were the backbone of the Aurora Order.
Snow, however, belonged to the third tier: a rational lunatic with an elite identity.
As a veterinarian, Snow had long moved through high society, possessing a significant network and maintaining contact with the wives and daughters of many noble families.
Such an identity allowed him to easily enter the upper circles of the Kingdom of Loen. To the Aurora Order, such a position was undoubtedly rare and valuable.
More importantly, he had a handsome face that fit the Order's 'corporate aesthetic' perfectly!
Because of this, and to allow him to pray more frequently to the Lord--thereby advancing as quickly as possible to a 'Listener' who could better utilize this identity--Mr. A had transferred him from Backlund (where you could hit a demigod by throwing a stone) to Tingen, a 'peaceful' city where even Sequence 7s were rare.
Judging by Mr. A's letter, once he finished digesting his potion, he could immediately return to Backlund, be promoted to Listener, and begin preaching the glory of 'the Lord of Rap' to various noble ladies and heiresses.
Snow held the letter to a candle flame until it ignited, then turned his gaze toward the calendar on his nightstand. Seeing the red circle marked upon it, a somewhat sinister smile appeared on his face--
"Perhaps Mr. A will have to visit Tingen before I return to Backlund..."
...
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika Kagura]
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A/N: The idea of 'Listeners' having enhanced preaching abilities is an adaptation based on original lore.
First, as known from the original work, 'Listener' was anciently called 'Whisperer', suggesting a possible ability to 'transmit whispers' to others.
Second, in the battle against the Evil God's spawn, Megose exhibited the ability 'Profane Words'.
While the exact level of an Evil God's spawn isn't known, it certainly doesn't reach the level of an Angel. At most, it's an incomplete demigod (since it could be suppressed by Saint Selena's ashes). Therefore, this ability shouldn't originate from the Angel-level 'Dirty Word Elder' [Notary/Arbiter equivalent?].
So, what sequence is 'Profane Words'?
It's impossible for a Secret Supplicant and unlikely for an Inquisitor [Shadow/Flesh and Blood focus?]. A Rose Bishop's core is flesh magic, and a Shepherd's focus is pasturing. All things considered, 'Listener' is the most likely to possess such an ability.
Hearing the Lord's teachings and then transmitting them to others should be the acting principle for a 'Whisperer'. However, because the 'Lord of Rap' went mad, the 'Whisperers' became 'Listeners'.
As for why the Evil God's spawn's Profane Words were so powerful... ever heard of a 'Great Old One' level air-straw?