Chapter 92: The Jesters of Fate

"Where's the Professor? Where's the Captain? And the other Nightblades? Why is it just us?" Wang Yu sprinted through the Gap, racing toward the location Edward had given him.

If possible, Wang Yu would have preferred to bring along Avia or a few followers of the Church of Nightfall. After all, strength lay in numbers, and overwhelming an enemy would be far more effective than going solo. But he was the only one who could traverse the Gap, so bringing others wasn't an option.

He could also understand not involving Charles—after all, Charles was from the Ryder family himself. However, given Edward's description, the situation seemed incredibly serious. So where were the Professor and Captain Hugin?

They had already returned to the capital. The vampire incident had been assigned to Wang Yu's group because the two were away, but they were now back. Why had only he and Edward been dispatched? If the situation were unfolding within the capital, surely they should have reinforcements.

"Wang Yu, you probably don't know the secrets of the Ryder family. I'll give you a brief explanation," Edward's slightly breathless voice could be heard over the transmission. He sounded like he was running too.

"Go ahead."

There was always a reason behind an anomaly. The unreasonable nature of this situation surely had an explanation as well. Wang Yu, a commoner among commoners, knew little about the secrets of noble families. Aside from some scraps of knowledge he had gleaned from the library in the forest cabin, he was practically clueless. Listening to Edward explain wouldn't hurt.

"First, most of the Nightblades were summoned by the royal family today. It's the annual inspection and awards day, held on a random date every year, so nearly all active Nightblade teams are currently at the palace. To ensure the inspection proceeds without any hiccups, the palace is sealed off from the outside.

"Our special ops team doesn't participate in inspections, but the Professor and Hugin were last sent to handle something akin to the 'Font of Life'—a being known as the 'Warlord.' They're currently at the Abyssal Depths researching and dealing with its derivatives.

"In other words, through a series of unfortunate coincidences, the only ones available right now are us." Edward's voice was grim, even more so than when they faced the absurdly powerful blessed vampire.

"Coincidence?" Wang Yu frowned. This was too convenient. Just the two of them? The Nightblades had at least a few hundred members. The fact that this was happening when everyone was occupied...

Moreover, the Nightblades' inspection day was deliberately randomized to prevent enemies from exploiting it. Only someone like Edward, with his status as the Duke's son, would know the date. Wang Yu, on the other hand, was entirely unqualified. Was it really a coincidence that this was occurring today?

"Hold on. If the Ryder family can catch glimpses of fate..." Wang Yu pondered the implications of his revelation.

"Exactly. The Ryders are known as jesters of fate. They have exceptional talent in wizardry, and a bloodline that allows them to glimpse and alter fate.

"Charles is an anomaly. His talent in wizardry isn't outstanding relative to others in his family, and he refuses to peer into his own fate. As a result, his family severed ties with him and cast him out.

"The Ryder family's powers are both unique and invaluable. As one of the kingdom's most prestigious families, they've used their abilities to accomplish much for the realm, and they've even averted numerous disasters. That's why they maintain such an elevated status. But their abilities are also classified—it's no surprise you wouldn't know about them.

"The title of 'Fatewatcher' is reserved for the most powerful seer of the family. The fact that only the two of us can act right now likely stems from this Fatewatcher having foreseen the potential outcomes."

Edward sighed. Facing an opponent who could glimpse the future was daunting, to say the least. If given a choice, he'd rather not deal with such a foe. But there was no choice—they had to go.

"Peering into fate...?" Wang Yu wasn't particularly interested in the secrets of the Ryder family. After all, they had little to do with a commoner like him. But the implications of the ability to glimpse fate intrigued him far more.

Since arriving in this world, the most powerful force Wang Yu had encountered was the colossal entity he saw that afternoon in the forest cabin—the Ossuary. Its overwhelming power and presence felt almost divine.

But the Ossuary merely possessed raw strength and oppressive might. It didn't invoke esoteric concepts like causality or fate. So far, he hadn't encountered any powers related to prophecy or fate, except for abilities like time-stopping.

Now, however, Wang Yu was learning that powers involving prophecy and even the manipulation of fate existed in this world. The thought left him a bit uneasy. Things at this level of complexity always became troublesome.

"Wait... am I overthinking this?" Wang Yu suddenly blinked.

As he sprinted, his mind worked at full speed. The ability to glimpse fate—a terrifying and seemingly invincible power—meant being able to foresee the future, avoid countless errors, and thread the needle to achieve one's goal.

But was that truly impossible or purely fantastical? Perhaps not. Changes in the world were interconnected. Under certain conditions, outcomes could easily be predicted.

If a rock were to smash into an egg, the egg would surely break.

Would that count as foreseeing fate? In some sense, it would. With a simulation encompassing the entire world, theoretically, the future could be predicted.

Of course, doing so would require immense computational power. Simulating the entire world was a challenge beyond even the capacity of supercomputers. But in this world, there might just be entities capable of doing so—skipping the process and jumping straight to the result. Wang Yu could think of one: the void.

"No wonder the Ryders are all powerful wizards. They must use the void's properties to predict the future. They might be geniuses, but they're likely overly dependent on the void..."

Wang Yu had a rough idea of what was going on. Given what he knew, he was almost certain that it was close to the truth.

Avia had a similar spell, the Celestial Eye, which allowed her to predict future weather. Wang Yu had used it to foresee the storm over Villa Mayene and orchestrate his massacre in the rain.

That spell had only been a vague prediction based on humidity and other factors.

The Ryders could pinpoint something far more specific, an event involving just two Nightblades. The gap in their capabilities was staggering. Without invoking the void, such abilities didn't seem plausible.

"The void spawns lunatics. Wizards are all potential madmen," Wang Yu muttered to himself. He didn't know the full extent of the Fatewatcher's insanity—but he supposed he would find out soon enough.

Edward's labored breaths echoed clearly in the alley. The narrow streets were too cramped for carriages, leaving Edward with no choice but to run.

The dilapidated and chaotic surroundings, littered with trash, indicated where they were: the district by the outer walls. This area wasn't even covered by the Gap, meaning Edward couldn't use it to facilitate his travel.

The farther he ran, the more powerless Edward felt. Already, he had been thwarted thrice—when he tried to summon other Nightblade members, when he attempted to ride a horse here, and when he tried to re-enter the Gap.

All these failures seemed to tell Edward that everything was part of the Fatewatcher's plan. He was failing because the Fatewatcher had already foreseen these outcomes. It was a deeply unsettling experience.

Edward frowned. He couldn't fathom what the Fatewatcher wanted. The Ryder family crest on the letter had been genuine, as were the events along the way that confirmed the identity of the sender.

In that case, it was likely that there really was a plan to summon a demon—but why?

Edward kicked apart a wooden board blocking his path, breaking out of the congested alleyway into a slightly more open space.

Edward observed his surroundings. He was near the area by the city walls where the poor tended to set up stalls for trade. Small, makeshift stalls were still scattered on the ground, but there wasn't a single person in sight. Where had they all gone?

He turned to a nearby building next to the open space. The clearing was empty, so this multi-story warehouse-like structure was the most likely hiding spot for the Ryders' Fatewatcher.

The magical marker from the letter had pointed to this exact location. As Edward stepped into the clearing, the guiding force from the letter faded away.

Staying vigilant, Edward pulled a Wheel of Fortune tarot card from his pocket. This was one of Charles' tarot spells, and it was perfect for tracking in situations like this.

The tarot card disintegrated into specks of light. Glowing footprints extended from the entrance of the stone building, leading inside. It seemed the target was indeed here.

Edward checked his pocket watch. It was around 1:00 PM. Wang Yu, coming from the capital's shadow, would arrive in about five minutes. But he couldn't afford to wait—when he was up against a demon summoning ritual, even a minute's delay could lead to lasting consequences.

Edward carefully entered the stone building, shield in one hand and sword in the other, following the glowing footprints deeper inside. The guidance from the Wheel of Fortune card helped him avoid potential dangers.

"Hm?" Just as Edward was cautiously following the footprints, the glow suddenly disappeared, replaced by a section of shattered floor. The area where the footprints had been was now destroyed, rendering the tarot's guidance ineffective.

"Damn it..." A vein throbbed on Edward's forehead. The feeling of being stymied at every step was infuriating. The Fatewatcher had even accounted for Charles' Wheel of Fortune card.

"Ah, is that Charles' magic? I must say, his spells are quite intriguing. It's a pity, though—for someone bearing the Ryder name to lack control over their own fate is truly pathetic."

The voice came from an unknown direction, but an ominous sensation prickled at Edward's back—a knight's sixth sense.

Edward spun around abruptly, only to find that the way he came in had somehow been sealed off by a wall. There had been no sound or warning—a solid stone wall now blocked the hallway.

Turning back, he saw a figure suddenly standing in the center of the floor. The woman smiled faintly. She regarded Edward with an air of amusement.

"Fate compels me to introduce myself. Greetings, I am Pernia Ryder, Fatewatcher. Fate has decreed that you alone will meet me today."

She was stunningly beautiful, with flawless skin, a graceful figure, and an elegant silk gown with translucent accents. Pernia looked more like a socialite entering a grand ballroom than a foe about to face Edward. Then again, as a Ryder, her status and position were undoubtedly lofty.

Raising his shield, Edward narrowed his eyes. Was there really someone like her among the Ryders? He didn't recall seeing her name on any records. Could she be one of the hidden ancients?

"Did you write that letter? Where are the residents of the city walls? And where is this demon summoning circle you mentioned?"

Edward couldn't afford to act rashly. Judging by her calm demeanor, it was clear that Pernia was no fool. She must be confident if she were standing openly before him.

"How rude. Fate has brought you here yet withheld from you a glimpse of the dreadful future."

Pernia lightly patted her chest, sighing with a hint of exasperation. Her beauty was enough to unsettle anyone's thoughts, but Edward hardly had the leisure to indulge in such distractions.

"Exactly what are you trying to do?" Edward frowned. Her cryptic words were testing his patience.

"The Lord of Fear will inevitably descend. Even the angels of the abyss cannot prevent it. I needed to introduce uncertainty into the equation—and demons from hell were an excellent choice. All they require is a small offering."

Pernia flicked her delicate finger. A crimson flame blossomed at its tip.

"You're insane. Did those demons devour your mind?" Edward lifted his blade. He couldn't afford to wait any longer. There was no reasoning with someone like her. The hellfire on her finger was proof enough—this lunatic had truly allied with the demons of hell.

Shield raised, Edward dashed forward, his fighting spirit surging. He charged toward Pernia, who stood motionless, seemingly unprepared. The impact of his footfalls cracked the floor, scattering stone fragments. Whether or not there were traps in the vicinity, a knight had the best chance of killing a wizard at close range.

"If you were a grand knight, I might have find you troublesome. But with you, there's no problem at all..."

The next moment, Edward's foot struck an unexpected bump on the ground. His momentum magnified the impact, throwing him off balance.

"Damn it, how could I make such a rookie mistake?" Frustration flashed through Edward's mind as he gritted his teeth, trying to adjust his posture mid-air to regain balance.

Clang! His shield struck something—a pillar that had appeared out of nowhere. The rebound disrupted his balance once again, sending him tumbling.

Thud! His head and back slammed into something hard—a stone block, perhaps. The impact left him dazed, his mind ringing.

Damn it, this wizard had to be using her latent ability! Warning bells rang in Edward's head.

"You alone will be insufficient. Fate allowed none but you to arrive here. You cannot stop me." Pernia's voice sounded in his ear as a chunk of stone dislodged from above, seemingly due to wear and tear. It fell directly toward Edward's head.

Without a word, Edward activated Steel Sunlight, summoning a protective barrier that deflected the falling debris. He remained on high alert.

"Wait—only I would come here?" A sudden realization flashed through Edward's mind. Something was terribly wrong.