At the top of the Round Tower, inside the room belonging to the chief elder of the "Six-member Council".
Colin Iliad had a stature that was considered tall even by City of Silver standards. He had messy, unkempt white hair, deep nasolabial folds on his face, but no other wrinkles, only some distorted or deep old scars.
He wore a linen shirt, a brown coat, and a belt with many small compartments around his waist. His light blue eyes were weathered and deep, as if they held many stories.
When Derrick finished his bow, this "Demon Hunter" nodded slightly and pointed at the items on the table in front of him:
"Remember them?"
Derrick glanced over, and his gaze suddenly froze. In his eyes reflected two semi-transparent little worms as thick as a child's finger.
"Time Worms!"
"Time Worms" with transparent rings!
"Time Worms" that originated from the avatar of the "Blasphemer" Amon!
"I remember," Derrick replied after a second of silence. "Remnants of Amon."
Colin Iliad nodded almost imperceptibly and said:
"One of them came out when you coughed."
Before Derrick could speak, he continued in a low, slow voice:
"You said before that when Amon possessed you, you were mostly in a daze, like in a dream, only occasionally lucid."
Facing the Chief's gaze, Derrick nodded repeatedly, indicating that he had indeed described it like that.
Colin Iliad shifted his gaze out the window, looking down at the buildings not far away:
"I don't think I've told you what you did during that time. You performed two rituals, one with mystical elements and one that seemed like a sacrifice, and both received some response. Do you still remember anything about that situation?"
Indeed, when I sought help from Mr. Fool and used the mystical ritual to purify Amon's avatar, I was being monitored... Derrick wasn't surprised by the Chief's words. Under the guidance of "The Hanged Man", he had already concluded that since the elders of the City of Silver were all experienced, they wouldn't just let an anomaly go, and he must have been monitored after leaving the dungeon. And during the sacrifice ritual, someone had emerged from the shadows to intervene, which preliminarily confirmed his speculation.
"... I don't remember much." Derrick assumed a contemplative expression and shook his head.
Seeing this from the corner of his eye, Colin turned back, sighed, and said:
"Think again carefully. These two Amon-leaving worms are very valuable materials. I've been looking for a way to use them. If they can be secretly made into something, it will be a trump card that no one else knows about and can play a key role at a critical moment. Those two rituals you experienced might have reference symbols, ancient incantations, and mystical elements. Think hard."
In the past, Derrick would have only understood the surface meaning of the Chief's words, but at this moment, he could, after a few seconds, "translate" the corresponding words into hidden sentences not directly expressed:
"I know you still have some connection with Amon. The tomb of the former Chief is about to be opened. I must prepare extra measures to prevent accidents and not let Lovia and others harm the City of Silver. Quickly try to make contact and see if you can get help, or give me the details of the previous rituals so I can figure them out."
"Mr. Hanged Man" was right: the higher one's position, the more experienced and the more dangers one has faced, the more one habitually expresses meaning through hints, leaving room for both parties... Derrick suddenly felt that he had truly mastered some skill.
Thinking that the Chief's purpose was to restrict Elder Lovia and the "Fallen Creator" she represented, he felt the need to do something, but he had no idea how to use the "Time Worms". He could only consider praying to Mr. Fool to see if he could get help.
"I will try, to recall. I need, a quiet room." Derrick responded with pauses, choosing his words.
Colin Iliad seemed prepared. He pointed to the corridor:
"Many rooms with open doors across are empty. Choose one yourself."
"Yes, Chief." Derrick bowed and left. He randomly chose an empty room, locked the wooden door, and sat down in the dark corner. With his eyes glinting slightly, he began to pray in a low voice.
Meanwhile, in the Dithy Bay, Port of Esconson.
Klein carried his luggage and exited the airship via the gangway, preparing to take a carriage from the military base to the city.
As for Daly Simone, Leonard Mitchell, and other "Red Gloves", they were among the first to get off the airship. Klein was in the last group and didn't meet them.
After entering the city and finding a lodging, he was about to lie down again to recover from the lethargy caused by a sleepless night due to various issues when suddenly a layered, illusory prayer sound echoed in his ears.