Lord of the Mysteries:Voice of the Stars

Sunlight streamed down, and a gentle breeze rustled through the air. Besides the occasional chirping of insects and birds, the suburban cemetery was eerily silent. In front of the iron gate, two figures—Ael and George—gradually materialized from the ethereal realm, stepping out of the spirit world.

Seeing George's dazed expression, Ael released his grip on the man's hand and chuckled.

"As far as traveling goes, wasn't that fast?"

With a dull thud, the paper bag filled with bread slipped from George's hands and landed on the ground. His face twisted in fear as he stammered,

"Sir... what just happened? What were those things?"

The sights he had witnessed moments ago had utterly shattered his previous understanding of the world.

That swirling, abstract, oil-painting-like dimension... those grotesque, terrifying creatures... it was as if each one had hammered a crack into his very soul.

"Ah, just some occult matters. Even if I explained, you wouldn't understand. It's probably better that way." Ael shook his head, searching for an appropriate analogy before casually saying,

"You can think of me as one of those superpowered individuals you read about in novels."

"S-Superpowered?" George's eyes lit up with recognition. "I know about those! They're in the comics and novels from Intis! Some can breathe fire, others have steel bodies that even high-pressure steam rifles can't pierce. Some control hurricanes, while others move objects with their minds!"

He hesitated before continuing, his excitement growing.

"I always thought those were just stories. But after seeing you, Sir, I finally understand—they really exist! Oh! Do you know Bat Man and Steel Man? I love them! They were my childhood heroes!"

Hearing those names, Ael forced an awkward smile. His mind conjured the image of a handsome middle-aged man with wavy chestnut hair, dressed in the attire of a statesman, grinning as he said,

"Yes, it's me again!"

"Wait... weren't all those characters created by Emperor Roselle?"

"Sir, do you like Emperor Roselle's superhero stories too?"

"Uh… sort of. I like their female companions."

In the remote northwest corner of the Cecil Cemetery, in front of an old and worn gravestone...

George gripped an iron shovel he had retrieved from the abandoned caretaker's hut. His gaze fell upon a patch of soil, overgrown with wildflowers and weeds—its state distinct from the surrounding graves. Hesitating, he asked,

"Sir, do we really have to do this? Wouldn't it be... desecration of Winona and the child's souls?"

Seeing George's pained expression as he hesitated with the shovel, Ael gave him a reassuring glance and smiled.

"Don't worry. Once a person dies, unless subjected to great disturbances or special influences, their souls don't linger in this world for long.

Most souls return to the Underworld, which exists somewhere within that peculiar realm we just passed through.

If the deceased was a devout believer of a deity, their soul might ascend to their god's divine kingdom instead."

Ael paused for a moment, then casually asked,

"What about you and your wife's faith?"

"We... we worship the Goddess of the Night," George answered before instinctively beginning a prayer ritual.

"Praise be to You, You who stand higher than the stars, more eternal than eternity, O Goddess of the—"

"Shit—shut up!"

Ael's eye twitched as he interrupted George with a sharp curse, immediately cutting off the prayer.

"Just start digging. Once we deal with your nightmares, I have another task for you."

"...Understood, Sir."

Taking a deep breath, George tightened his grip on the shovel and began digging.

An hour later, the grave's soil had been cleared away, revealing a wooden coffin. A putrid stench of decay seeped from the cracks, making George retch on the spot.

Frowning at the foul odor, Ael waved a hand. A sudden gust of wind, mixed with fine droplets of rain, swept through the cemetery, dispersing the stench.

This was the ability of a Trickmaster—a power that had undergone a qualitative transformation upon reaching the rank of an Apprentice Path Angel.

Now, Ael could summon fog, stir up gales, create flashes of light, conjure lightning, and manipulate fire and ice within a limited area.

He wasn't sure of the exact range, but it likely didn't exceed five kilometers. After all, he wasn't an angel holding dominion over weather itself. If he wanted true control over nature, he'd have to acquire the abilities of "Weather Warlocks" or "Calamity Bringers"—angels whose powers could drastically alter the environment.

Using an invisible hand, Ael lifted both George and the coffin from the grave. He turned to George, whose face was contorted with grief, and sighed.

"This was your wife… You should be the one to open it."

"...Alright."

George's voice was hoarse as he pushed the shovel between the coffin's cracks. With a slight effort, the fragile wooden planks, held together by only a few nails, gave way—revealing the rotting remains of two bodies inside.

An even stronger wave of decay filled the air.

"Ugh—"

Another gust of wind swept through, carrying the foul stench away. Ael stretched out his left hand, activating the invisible hand to extract a green, transparent gemstone from within the coffin. Holding it up to the light, he examined it with curiosity.

Then, looking at the broken casket and the two decomposed bodies inside—one large, one small—Ael turned to George and smiled.

"The most important part of the problem is now solved. We no longer need their help. Go ahead and bury them again.

Hmm… judging by their condition, they haven't been dead for long. See how quickly they've decayed? Clearly, the coffin's materials were subpar."

George's eyes welled with tears as he looked at the broken coffin. His voice trembled.

"I… I had no money. I could only afford this burial and coffin thanks to the charity fund set up by Sir Dewell."

"Dewell? That famous philanthropist?" Ael let out a peculiar chuckle and adjusted his monocle.

"If you're short on money, don't worry. I'll take care of it.

Think of it as repaying a favor—this green gemstone alone is worth enough to buy a three-story house in Tingen City.

So, in addition to providing you with a new coffin, I'll compensate you with 2,600 pounds. That should be fair, don't you think?"

"This… this thing is worth that much?" George was stunned. He could hardly believe a single green gemstone could be worth over 3,000 pounds.

"It seems you had no idea what you were holding. But that makes sense—if you had, things wouldn't have turned out like this.

Let me guess… your wife and child died because of this gem, didn't they?"

Ael pocketed the gemstone, then turned to George with a curious expression.

"Tell me… how did you get it?"