Eldritch Horror Theatre

"Our full name is the Gregor Folklore Research Club. Currently, there are nineteen of us."

Living up to Fu Qian's expectations, Layton proved shockingly cooperative, answering with almost no hesitation.

That name didn't seem to fit the concept of an Ancient King at all, however.

"We aren't called that because Gregor founded the club, but because we borrowed the name of a certain local scholar."

As he explained, Layton shifted his angle, stepping into a spot where he wouldn't be easily seen from the window.

"He was born in Lanphilai but left at a very young age. He only returned to his hometown in his later years to teach at a nearby school. That was when he conducted extensive research on folklore—such as the Inviolable."

Moving his fingers, Layton traced out the familiar 3rd Circle pattern.

"Even though he was just an ordinary person himself, Gregor firmly believed there was no need for a Deity's enlightenment. He believed mortal wisdom inherently contained power... and that finding it was actually quite simple. Thousands of years of transmission served as proof of that power, and its development mirrored biological evolution."

His voice was low, his respect for the man palpable.

"But Your Excellency should understand—when there are no other paths forward, even the slimmest sliver of hope becomes tempting."

So their guiding theorist had already passed away?

Fu Qian wasn't particularly surprised. After all, the pile of materials Old Man Sanhao had been flipping through clearly looked ancient at a glance.

"Unable to find a path to advance, I endured a long period of stagnation until the day I came across Gregor's research notes. They opened a surreal door for me... and then, taking it a step further, I found a specific address in the margin notes left by later generations."

Layton's subsequent account carried a strong sense of déjà vu; it was a complete recreation of Old Man Sanhao's experience.

"When I hurried to that place, I realized others had arrived before me. They had even formed an enthusiast group.

"I naturally joined them, though even now, I still haven't made any substantial gains."

Taking a deep breath after quickly finishing the story of how he joined, Layton pointed at his head with a peculiar smile.

"But to be honest, I've had quite a bit of fun over these past few years. I don't regret it at all."

...

Gregor's folklore research... supernatural power contained purely within humanity's collective consciousness?

It really is quite an interesting topic.

Even though Mister Layton's tone carried the self-deprecation of a loser, Fu Qian listened carefully and rated the theory rather highly.

As someone who had witnessed all sorts of abstract entities, how could his thinking be so narrow?

Fu Qian believed the Night Watchers shared this sentiment.

If they really thought it posed no threat at all, why bother keeping such a close eye on it?

Taking a step back, even if it really was just the ravings of a mad scholar, this sheer pride—asking nothing of Divine Entities and envying no natural talent—was enough to serve as a spiritual lighthouse for humanity.

"An interesting idea. So how exactly does folklore connect to the Ancient Kings?"

Without deliberately putting on airs, Fu Qian gave a slight nod and continued his questioning naturally.

"Because many folk traditions originated from them."

Looking at Fu Qian, Layton clearly felt a bit awkward using the word "them."

"Gods and humans are fundamentally different, but Kings are not. Furthermore, whether they were despised or revered, they undoubtedly carved far deeper marks into the human consciousness than any ordinary person could.

"Even when Gregor was still alive, he proposed analyzing various symbols from this angle. We merely borrowed his idea."

...

Searching for the symbols carved into the collective consciousness by Kings who evolved from humans, and drawing a fundamental distinction between them and those originating from higher entities...

It really is a valid approach, though differentiating between them will probably be somewhat difficult.

Also, I wonder if this Excellency Gregor ever considered whether the Kings actually wanted to be viewed this way.

Listening to Mister Layton's study notes, Fu Qian strongly agreed with Excellency Gregor's keen insight.

Although, out of the Kings he currently knew of, most of them no longer wished to be mentioned in the same breath as ordinary humans.

Take the Laria Family, for example—they directly called themselves God-Men.

However, as abstract as Gregor's theory was, how much one gained from it often depended on the listener.

At least in Fu Qian's eyes, it actually hit the nail on the head regarding a few things.

Collective consciousness... unlike other people, I just so happen to have conducted a series of tests in this exact area.

If we treat the Mind World that Classmate Su Gao has entered multiple times as the supernatural manifestation of the collective consciousness, then during the third test in there, there was theoretically a comparison between Gods and humans—

As the Dragon King's minion, Sunny could enter the Mind World, but there was always a barrier present. She was fundamentally different from Su Gao.

To a certain extent, this seems like it could serve as a piece of evidence for Excellency Gregor's theory.

Though, as an ordinary person, he might never have had the chance to wander through the Mind World.

Never underestimate anyone willing to think.

"A decent line of thought. For instance, the Inviolable—what have you gained from that symbol?"

Amidst his musings, Fu Qian reached into his pocket and tossed out one of the Blue Eyes he had bought along with his clothes.

"It's useless."

Seeing the other man toss out such an object undoubtedly weirded Layton out even more.

But after catching it and staring down at it for a long moment, he ultimately shook his head, giving the exact same answer as the Dancer.

"Oh? You're that sure?"

Fu Qian looked at the "breakpoints" appearing on Layton's body within his field of vision, remaining noncommittal.

"Although Gregor often used it as an example, and the Vinland Family firmly believed for a long time that it could offer protection, it's a pity that after studying it for so many years, there really doesn't seem to be any special meaning to it. Actually, this is also a question I wanted to ask Your Excellency."

Layton didn't change his mind under the pressure. On the contrary, as he met Fu Qian's gaze head-on, a glimmer of sheer thirst for knowledge flashed in his eyes.

"I won't ask Your Excellency's identity, nor will I ask about Your Excellency's intentions here. The Night Watchers won't know about this conversation, either... I just want to satisfy my curiosity a little bit.

"Could Your Excellency give me the answer to one question? Is Gregor's theory right or wrong?"

With the Blue Eyes wrapped around his hand, Layton solemnly held it up.

"Is there really power contained within a symbol like this?"

"There is."

Feeling the other man's obsession—one that faintly transcended the very concept of advancement—Fu Qian nodded.

"However, tracking them down is likely beyond your capabilities."

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