"That place — so much less extraordinary than this world, yet somehow so much more alive. If it weren't for the crossing, I'd probably still be getting up at nine and clocking off at six, every day either gaming or scrolling through short videos, squandering this one life I've been given."
"But — who's to say that isn't its own kind of joy?"
January 18th. Yesterday's dream had more staying power than I expected. Two full days and I still can't find my stride. Need to do something to lift the spirits... Hmm. The Baroness of Cole does seem rather charming.
April 2nd. My daughter is brilliant — not yet one year old and already speaking...
April 3rd. To teach or not to teach Bernadette Chinese — that is the question. If she reads the diaries I've written before now, this father of hers would have nowhere to hide. In my daughter's eyes, her father must be radiant. She must never, ever, have the chance to understand her old father's diary. Never!
April 6th. After several days' consideration, I've decided to teach Bernadette two Chinese characters as if they were a special symbol — telling her it is a charm of protection her father has given her. She needn't understand the meaning. She only needs to remember it.
Those two characters are: 故乡. Homeland.
Homeland.
Klein closed his eyes for a moment, deeply moved.
Unlike the Emperor, who had been in this world for years when he wrote those words, Klein was still fresh from the crossing. His friends, his family — the life he'd left — were vivid, immediate. He had no attachment whatsoever to his current existence. If it were possible, he would go back this instant.
He opened the second diary page.
April 16th. I never expected the three-part honorific to be real.
I'd heard it by chance. They say it points toward a mysterious existence — one that is remarkably benevolent to ordinary people. Simply recite these words, and you might establish contact with this existence, perhaps even receive help.
I naturally assumed it was bait set out by some evil god, and kept my distance. But yesterday — in the middle of a sudden ambush — I found myself in desperate straits. The honorific was the only thing I could think of.
So with nothing to lose, I recited it... and to my astonishment, I received a response. And protection.
Even so, I am not letting my guard down. If something happens to me in the days ahead, this existence is almost certainly involved.
Klein felt a jolt, and read on quickly.
April 23rd. A full week has passed, and nothing has happened. After granting me protection, this existence has not contacted me again, as though it doesn't exist. Now I find myself hesitating — wondering whether to reach out on my own initiative. Not because I'm inviting trouble. But when I made contact and received that protection, I was told the price: I must, every so often, recount to this existence the events of the world. If I wait too long to initiate contact, will it grow angry and punish me?
April 24th. I reached out. The existence calls itself the Lord of Chaos, claiming to have been adrift in the turbulence between time and space for a thousand years, cut off from reality — which is why it wishes to hear of the world's changes through me. I talked for half an hour about "the news," and was dismissed.
I honestly don't know if what I'm doing is right. But it's done now. No more second-guessing. Same as always: if something happens to me in the future, it will be connected to this "Lord of Chaos."
May 1st. Splendid! Another pleasant week survived! After telling it another round of "stories," it suddenly expressed the wish for me to assist in an experiment. I was terrified — I thought the evil god had finally revealed its true nature. But then, after a rather unexpected sequence of events, a new pathway's Beyonder abilities appeared in me, alongside the ones I already had. A pathway called "Broker." It is a pathway I'd never heard of — belonging exclusively to this "Lord of Chaos," which bestowed it upon me through something called a "Gift."
What I must do is simply use the Broker abilities properly.
The diary ended there. Neither the specific nature of the Broker abilities nor what the Lord of Chaos wanted him to do with them was recorded.
Hmm?
Klein noticed something — there was writing on the back of the page. He turned it over. Three sentences in Hermes were inscribed there:
"Ruler of the Realm of Chaos, Restorer of the Unbalanced Scale, Shadow of Order and Regulation."
"!!!"
He immediately recognised them. These were the three-part honorific mentioned in the diary — the true name of the "Lord of Chaos."
Roselle, you absolute menace.
Thank goodness I'm above the grey fog. If I were reading this in reality and had accidentally murmured those words aloud...
"Though — given that the Emperor went on to live for so long afterward, eventually becoming the Caesar of Intis... the Lord of Chaos probably isn't a murderous evil god, at least."
No. That kind of thinking was exactly what evil gods preyed on. Not every evil god was like the True Creator or the Hidden Sage — not every one drove people to immediate madness. The more dangerous variety was the kind that wore a harmless, even benevolent, face.
Unlike himself — surely the most straightforwardly good god in the business.
Vincent turned to Klein and said: "In keeping with our earlier arrangement, I'd like to ask a favour of you, Mr Fool."
Earlier arrangement?
Klein blinked, then remembered: the exchange of the diary for an answer. But why had the Lovers emphasised it so pointedly?
He had a feeling something was odd, but couldn't place it. He let it go.
"Go ahead."
Vincent manifested the two Chinese characters — 故乡 — in the air. "I would like you to tell me what these two symbols mean."
Audrey and Alger both looked over with curiosity.
Klein said quietly, with a small sigh: "Together they mean 'hometown' — the place where the heart and spirit belong." He looked at the thoughtful expression on the Lovers's face and asked: "Mr Lovers, why this particular interest in these two characters?"
Vincent told a version of the truth: "The person genuinely interested in them is not me, but the Lady of the Lovers. I told her at our first meeting that I was studying the Emperor's writings — but that wasn't quite accurate. The interest was always hers."
"Oh?"
Klein wanted to follow up with why, but felt the question was unsuited to the Fool's dignity. He held it back and announced: "You may begin."
Before he could, Justice struck with a perfectly timed assist: "Mr Lovers — why is the Lady of the Lovers so fascinated with the Emperor's writings? It goes well beyond the level of a collector or devotee. After all, she's using a divine being's assistance — the chance to have a question answered — just to find out what two characters mean."
Vincent said: "Perhaps it has something to do with her identity. In any case — when she eventually comes to a meeting in person, you can ask her directly. Sharing someone else's secrets behind their back isn't a habit I'd recommend."
"I see."
Audrey nodded — and then, on an impulse, asked: "Mr Lovers — I'm actually quite curious about... you and the Lady of the Lovers. Sharing one body the way you do. It means you're always together — no privacy whatsoever—"
"Justice," Vincent said evenly, "this is a curse."
"Oh — I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry."
Audrey rushed to apologise.
Alger shook his head. "Justice, about the Aurora Order's Mr A you mentioned last week — what came of it afterward?"
"Oh! I... I sought a friend's help afterward, and she introduced me to a bodyguard. As of now I haven't encountered any danger."
Then something occurred to her. "On that subject — has anyone heard of a Sequence called 'Broker'?"
To be continued…
Advacne 100 Chapters are up on my Patreon!
pat reon.com/AlphaSenatus