The statement from the old man made Daneel remember that this was a reward that was among the pool in which many impressive Godbeast weapons that he had always dreamt about were also present. The only reason he had chosen it was that he needed a few questions to be answered at the moment, and the rest were still things that he could target later on. If those questions were answered now, it would give him some clarity regarding how he could go ahead in the Order, and he had deemed that to be more important at the moment.
So, putting aside all the bewilderment he felt at suddenly finding himself here, he put forward the first question.
"How is the Big Four related to the Order? If people are taken from the Big 4 to enter the Order, wouldn't everyone start asking questions, if the Order has to be kept secret? How is that circumvented?"
The question made the old man raise both his eyebrows and use his right hand to smoothen his beard as he looked at Daneel pensively.
Daneel had no idea who this guy was, but it was clear that he was very powerful. It was a different kind of power from Cain- mainly because of the fact that it was visible, and was making him feel a slight bit of pressure which he found easy to ignore.
His gaze seemed to increase the pressure, though, but just as Daneel was about to feel a bit of pain, it stopped.
"Forgive me. Puzzles that I cannot solve always make me like this. We have limited time, so I should focus on answering your questions, first. It's not like I'll remember all this later, anyway. Coming to your question. The Order almost always picks people from seeds, and seeds are special individuals whose existence is only known to a very few people, anyway. These individuals are all honorary members of the Order, and some of them only swear to keep the secrecy regarding the Order and do nothing else. Hence, when seeds are taken, no questions are raised, and when the matter comes to other individuals from the Big Four whose talent might not have been spotted, it is the same people who intervene. They are the actual leaders of the Big Four, and they have influence and command over the entire high Council. They might not be able to sway everyone, but they can definitely get a majority if absolutely needed. They use multiple reasons such as that they are taking those people under their own wing, or that they are selecting them as seeds, but the secrecy is maintained."
After hearing the answer, Daneel slipped into deep thought for a few seconds.
It did make sense, because when he had been to the mountain where that whole incident surrounding the seeds had happened, he had been told that very, very few people even knew about the existence of the seed program. What they had done was that they had created a subset of individuals who did not need to know about the Order, and these people could be lied to by giving multiple reasons. There were a different set of people who had all been inducted into the Order, and it was them that made sure that secrecy was maintained while the top talent kept entering this organization and being bound to protect Angaria no matter what may come.
On the surface, it looked perfect, but of course, it didn't take anything away from the fact that the Overseer was completely rotten.
Ignoring his emotions regarding that being for the moment, though, Daneel asked his next question, and this was the main one. It was why he had chosen this reward, and he hoped to get a good answer.
"If I get something that can be implemented in the Central Continent here, and then proceed to do so, is there any way that I am not targeted by the Big Four on suspicion that I might have obtained them from the Church? Of course, I mean to protect the secrecy about my identity, too."
This question made the old man sit back and once again look at Daneel deeply.
After a few moments, he answered, "This seems like a different kind of question, and I can only offer my opinion. This reward includes my professional opinion, too, so you can avail it if you wish. But remember that I'm not giving you facts, and that it is not guaranteed that what I say will work."
Daneel nodded, following which the man said, "What you can do is try to obtain a different Five-star mission reward known as the 'Order's Favour'. If you have looked around, you will have noticed that there is no system of credit in the Order. The truth is that something like this exists, but it is only open to Heroes. In the Hero realm, there are a lot of things that are very enticing which can be obtained from the Order, but the price to get them is very steep, as most of these things are in limited quantity which have been preserved since the age before the apocalypse. If something is needed urgently, Heroes can avail Favour from the Order, which is to be repaid whenever the Order wishes. Now, coming to this reward - if you obtain it, it will allow you to ask of something from an individual who has taken Favour from the Order. What you ask is bound by a few rules, but in this case, all you will have to ask is that they will cover for you in the Big Four. Of course, it is in the matter of your identity that things get tricky. Off the top of my head, I can only think of one way. You will have to expose in the outside world that you are someone who has entered the Order, but you can still keep your identity inside the Order secret. Most of the things that can be implemented in the Central Continent are rewards which can be obtained from quite low-level missions, so your power- the one you used to obtain this Four-star reward, will remain hidden. Whoever finds out that you are a member of the Order will think that you are simply in the lower tiers, and have obtained the rewards by working very hard, and they might not pay too much attention to you. Of course, they will still be very interested regarding just how someone from the Central Continent even entered the Order, but it is not entirely unprecedented. There have been people before who have done so, and they revealed that in the later stages of their lives. With the Favour, you can also ask that the individual you choose will protect you or at least inform you in case someone is targeting you, and they will also take active measures to ensure that you do not attract too much attention. It can be done in another way, too - where that person covers up the entire thing for you, but this is a bit more risky as if you are found out, it will become obvious that you obtained the Favour of that person, meaning that you are powerful enough to get a Five-star award. I know, it's all complex, but it is my job to look at the situation empirically and give you all of the options available, no matter how tricky they are. It is for you to choose."
Daneel had felt like his head was whirling from all of the information he had just gotten, but he had just realized that there could be a way to go about this.
The Order's Favour- he hadn't heard anything about this, and he expected that it might be something secret which would only be exposed if one finished a Five-star Mission, which was no easy thing to do.
So… This reward had already shown its worth, but he still went ahead and asked a few more questions as he had five minutes left.
After his time period was up, the old man just waved his hand, shattering Daneel's expectations that he might give some or the other wise advice like Cain before he lost his memories about Daneel.
He found himself back in the obelisk, and what greeted him was a message saying that his other reward was ready.
Shaking his head and widening his eyes, he immediately pressed the button which indicated that he was prepared to receive it, while remembering the drunken face of the man whom he had once called master.
He was one of the first people that Daneel had built a rapport with, and he could still remember just how angry he had been when it had seemed as if his master had gone against his authority. Looking back on it now, it almost seemed a bit childish, and he also felt that he probably should have known that there was some valid reason behind his master's actions. Still, he had just been a naïve, newly crowned king, then, so it was slightly justified.
Daneel was teleported away for the third time in one day, and this time, he found himself in a familiar place.
It was the dark room with the face-filled sun that was the Overseer looking down on him, and just as he appeared, he saw his own face with closed eyes on its body.
Daneel almost gritted his teeth with anger, but he controlled himself with great difficulty.
It was best if his emotions were kept secret, so he just waited for the Overseer to speak.
"You are a man of talent. You have finished a Four-star Mission so quickly, and it is something rare even among those who are considered to be the hope of this continent. You have earned your reward, and it is in the form of some information, and a conversation that you can have with your Master."
Daneel mind went blank as he heard this.
A-a conversation? With his master? But how?!
Before he could ask, the Overseer answered.
"Your Master- the one known was Jonah was inducted into the Order secretly before his decision to enter the Church as a spy. He was approached after we found out what he was going to do, and he accepted gladly and took a relic from an age long gone which allows us to contact him for brief moments even though he is in the Mainland, which is far, far away. What he has revealed is still kept secret until you swear further oaths, but because of your relationship with him, his request before he left was that if you ever enter the Order, you will be allowed to converse with him. The Order is keeping that promise, now."
Daneel had no time to think about what he had been just told before he found himself knocked out once again.
He entered a dream world, and in it, he found a room where a display trinket was present.
"Go to the trinket. You can converse with your Master through it."
Hearing the Overseer's voice, Daneel did so, and as soon as he sat down, the trinket lit up.
It showed such a shocking sight that Daneel stood up with a horrified expression on his face, while blinking and hoping that there had been some mistake.
A man hung from upside-down from his ankles, and he was so emaciated that his skin clung to his bones. Bleeding lashes were visible all over his body, but as Daneel's eyes wandered to his face, what he found was a smiling man who said, "Daneel! You made it! Finally! Oh, don't worry about me, this is just a normal day in the Church. You-"
SHHHRRRRPPPTTT
Suddenly, the image flickered, and it was as if there was some kind of interference.
"Something is stopping the signal. Please wait while I sort it out."
Daneel heard the Overseer's voice, but he ignored it, as a different one had just reached his ears.
It was from his Master, and it was spoken so quickly that Daneel had to use the Basilisks's Breath to listen to it.
When he did understand it, though...he felt as if someone had squeezed his heart, and he had to try extremely hard to not look as if he had just been electrocuted to death.
"Daneel, I'm sending this secretly so that the Overseer doesn't listen. Listen carefully. The Overseer died during the Apocalypse. Yes, it died! There are records I found in the Church from the enemy who attacked us then which state that they found the Overseer, and killed it discreetly to make sure it wouldn't interfere! Whoever I talked to before I left, it was someone else. Be careful. Be very careful, Daneel, as it is possible that you really are the last hope of Angaria."