68 LOTM

Prince Edessak Augustus? What connection does he have with the danger that might lead to tragedy? Moreover, this matter seems to have received the attention of Mr. Fool! Audrey instantly matched the name with a face, giving rise to great worry and doubt in her.

In her opinion, things that caught the attention of Mr. Fool were either very dangerous, extremely secretive, or had far-reaching importance, and were by no means simple. For example, the True Creator had attempted to descend upon Backlund with the help of Lanevus and the harsh conditions of East Borough's factory district, Emperor Roselle's Dark Emperor card, or the death of the Duke Negan, and the Twilight Hermit Order.

Taking these examples into account, Audrey had good reason to believe that, if not handled well, or given too little attention, the major event involving Prince Edessak would inevitably lead to a very, very terrible storm!

Yes... Prince Edessak hasn't bothered me for quite some time, and I was only relieved by that and didn't think too much about it. Now, it does seem a little problematic... At the previous ball, he still warmly kept me back to discuss some boring topics, trying his hand at pompous bad humor. But just two or three days after that, he turned rather cold and had even deliberately avoided me... I have to find a chance to ask Father about him, but I can't show too much curiosity, or else it might be very possible that he would agree to the royal family's marriage request... Audrey recalled some details, and she suddenly felt her shoulders sink from the weight.

She had never liked Prince Edessak, including his two elder brothers, and she had no intention of becoming a princess consort. As for the reason, it was very simple. The followers of the Evernight Goddess couldn't accept that the Augustus family had believed in the Lord of Storms for generations, which meant their arrogance, pomposity, contempt, and eccentricity against women had penetrated deep into their bones. It was hard to change them which was the one thing Audrey couldn't tolerate the most.

When she thought of the strict, ancient, and extremely conservative environment she would find herself in after becoming a princess consort, Audrey felt that she would surely go crazy and flee, disregarding everything else. So, she wasn't moved at all by the rather solicitous flattery of the princes; she was even very repulsed.

Edessak Augustus... The last name implies that he's a member of the royal family. I vaguely remember that he's a prince? What dangerous matter is he going to do? I have no way of coming into contact with him... Right, I can ask Miss Audrey and Viscount Glaint for help, but I have to think of a reason ahead of time to prevent any suspicion from them... Fors frowned slightly as she interpreted Mr. Fool's words.

Alger was very interested in the matter, but he didn't dare to ask Mr. Fool, who was obviously just providing a hint. He could only ponder to himself for two seconds before saying to Justice, The Magician, and The World, "The atmosphere over the sea isn't calm either. It might have a connection with Backlund, just like those machines."

His words were completely baseless. He simply wanted to exaggerate the degree of the danger and let the three Tarot Club members in Backlund investigate it diligently.

... I have to say that Mr. Hanged Man has acted in concert so well... Klein, who was watching from the sidelines, gave up on the idea of having The World say something similar.

He only mentioned Prince Edessak, but not the lady with the sapphire ring who was suspected of having a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact. He didn't even mention the possibility that the matter Prince Edessak might be involved in had to do with 0-08 and Ince Zangwill because he didn't know the circumstances of the top Sealed Artifact that could even destroy a country. All he could rely on were minute clues to make guesses that he wasn't completely sure of. He was afraid that if he directly told the key points to Justice and Miss Magician, their investigations would be detected by the target the moment they honed in on the target.

This was also why Klein didn't try to find an opportunity to inform the Machinery Hivemind. Based on his guesses about Sealed Artifact 0-08, he suspected that if he left Minsk Street and rode a horse carriage to the Lever Cathedral or the Steam Cathedral, he would encounter an unexpected and absolutely unstoppable attack, such as the eruption of a Sealed Artifact hidden underground or a fatal strike of a High-Sequence Beyonder.

Only the screening of the gray fog allowed Klein to not worry about such problems. To a certain extent, he could inform Justice and The Magician about this through a more gentle, more roundabout, and more veiled manner.

In addition, Klein had other plans. It was to "leave" Backlund by bowing out the stage as a side character among side characters and changing his appearance without anyone noticing. He would then secretly return and contact the Machinery Hivemind in a manner beyond the Grade 0 Sealed Artifact's senses!

Let's hope this will succeed. I hope there's a chance of finding Ince Zangwill! Yes, the premise is that he is indeed involved in this matter... Wait a minute, while Mr. Azik was after Ince Zangwill, he had a conflict with MI9. He became secretly wanted, and MI9 has always been considered to be a pro-royal faction in the military... A series of coincidences revolving Prince Edessak is rather similar to the features displayed by Sealed Artifact 0-08 in the past... This seems to indirectly confirm Ince Zangwill's existence...

Klein closed his eyes, and the bright boots and pale hand flashed back to him.

He leaned back in his chair, his lips curving upward.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we shall meet next week."

...

In Empress Borough, the opulent villa of Earl Hall.

Audrey stood in front of the full-length mirror, staring blankly at her reflection.

There were good news and bad news for her at this Tarot Gathering.

The good news was that she was about to receive one of the Psychiatrist potion's main ingredients.

Although she was no longer the ignorant girl who had bought some basic general knowledge from The Hanged Man for a thousand pounds and knew the approximate price of a lot of Beyonder ingredients, she didn't mind paying a premium for the eyes of a Mirror Dragon.

After Duke Negan's assassination, she gained the desire and motivation to raise her Sequence to receive the corresponding combat strength. For this, she didn't want to wait any longer and was willing to pay a price—as long as the ingredients appeared, she would immediately accept the offer as long as the price wasn't too outrageous, in case something unexpected happened.

It's like a precious piece of jewelry that many noble ladies have set their eyes on. It's also like the purebred houses with unique bloodlines that men like. The corresponding premium is inevitable and unavoidable. At times, it's not impossible to have the price double or triple... Besides, with Fors busying herself in the process of contacting her teacher, she definitely shouldn't be left wasting her time while taking on risks. Yes... She also doesn't know that I'm Justice... Audrey thought indifferently.

As for the bad news, it was no doubt related to the matter of Prince Edessak. It left her concerned and worried.

Fortunately, Mr. World received the news, and Mr. Fool had provided a warning. Otherwise, who knows how things would've turned out... Audrey, with such excellent conditions, you could certainly solve this problem! Come on! The girl drew the sign of the crimson moon against the reflection in the mirror and tried hard to be optimistic.

Then, she restrained her emotions and headed out to the piano room, preparing to participate in her scheduled piano lesson as if nothing had happened.

This was because Earl Hall and his wife, as well as Hibbert Hall wouldn't be home until dinner, and she had no one to ask for information now. She could only tell herself to be calm, to be composed, and to be patient.

Before the tutor arrived, Audrey casually played the piano, using the beautiful melody to cleanse her mind and soul.

When she finished playing, she noticed that Susie had opened the door at some point and was sitting beside her. She still had a pair of gold-rimmed glasses hanging around her neck.

"Audrey, what problems did you encounter? The sound of your piano tells me that you're frustrated over something," Susie said suddenly.

Uh... Audrey froze, not knowing how to reply.

She suddenly felt that having a "mind-reading dog" at home wasn't necessarily a good thing...

...

Within the campsite that had a lit bonfire.

With his eyes closed, Derrick Berg thought back quietly to what had happened at the Tarot Gathering and made sure that he hadn't forgotten the memories of his repeated experiences.

After an unknown period of time, he opened his eyes, which were brimming with anticipation, and looked around. However, what entered into his eyes were flames and his teammates, who were exactly the same as in his memories.

At that moment, the cross-legged Demon Hunter Colin, who was leaning against a stone pillar, said, "We will set off after 50 rounds of lightning."

At this moment, Derrick was sure that everything that had happened before wasn't a dream or a hallucination.

...

Cherwood Borough. 15 Minsk Street.

Klein went down to the first floor and sat in the activity room, feeling the warmth of the fireplace.

He quietly rocked in the reclining chair without reading the newspapers, magazines, or even books.

It was all so peaceful and silent until he heard the ringing of his doorbell.

Klein, who was wearing a house shirt and cashmere vest, got up and walked towards the door. The visitor took him by surprise.

He opened the door and chuckled.

"Good afternoon, Emlyn. Aren't you supposed to be helping at the Harvest Church at this hour?"

It was the handsome, somewhat effeminate, Vampire Emlyn White, whose hair was combed back at an angle.

The arrogant man's expression froze when he heard Klein's greeting. It took him a bit of effort to recover his composure.

"I have something to consult with you, Detective. Sherlock. Moriarty!" Emlyn enunciated one word at a time.

After inviting him into the activity room, Klein returned to his reclining chair and asked with a smile, "What is it? The fee for a consultation is one pound, but the consultation cannot exceed an hour."

Emlyn White didn't pay attention to his words, and he said while deep in thought, "A big shot wants me to do something... Although that matter can help me solve my problem indirectly, it also contains a great amount of risk.

"I don't have any friends, and I'm afraid my parents will be worried, and you're a very knowledgeable Beyonder detective... What do you suggest? Reject or accept?"

Solve your problem? Clearing the psychological cue? Klein said thoughtfully, "I can't give you any advice with just the word 'something.'"

Emlyn White fell silent for a few seconds before he clenched his teeth and said in a low voice, "It has something to do with that Fool..."

"Huh?" Klein almost lifted his hand to his ear.

-x-X-x-

After a second of confirmation, Klein clasped his hands together and leaned forward.

"What exactly is this something?"

"No, I can't say any further." Emlyn White shook his head firmly.

Afraid of being probed, Klein didn't pursue the matter. He simply analyzed the situation based on the information that the vampire had just revealed.

Something to do with The Fool... It can help Emlyn White resolve his problem... Contains a high risk... Combined with his previous ideas, this seems to indicate that he intended to hold an appropriate ritual to pray to The Fool, which is also me, so as to eliminate the psychological cue and gain his long-awaited freedom... However, this is no longer a ritual that Emlyn will be holding himself. It's a result of a particular big shot's instructions, and with this vampire's pride, for him to address the person that way, it most likely means that the person is a powerhouse among the Sanguine... Why would a Sanguine big shot send a descendant to pray to The Fool? Have they started working with the Aurora Order?

Confused, Klein looked up at the expectant Emlyn and scoffed to himself.

Try guessing if I'll respond to your prayers.

He hesitated for two seconds and didn't make a suggestion. Instead, he said, "Statistically speaking, when praying to a hidden existence without understanding the situation, 30 out of 100 cases would not receive any response. 68 cases will end up encountering all sorts of terrible things and cause them to lose their lives, or live a life worse than death. Only two cases have the possibility of success, allowing them to get what they want, but the price they pay might not be what they want."

As a former keyboard warrior, Klein had always believed that when it came to proving something or reinforcing a point of view, anyone who just gave an example, an exception, without mentioning the entire sample and overall statistics was being an asshole. It was merely a trick of concept, and in these cases, there were usually similar companion words, such as "I have a friend," "a girl I know," or "someone around me."

Therefore, to convince Emlyn White, he deliberately fabricated some data.

Of course, this wasn't entirely baseless. At least, many of the files which Klein had read while he was a member of a Nighthawks team had described similar situations.

"Only two cases of success? Problems happen to 68 cases?" Startled, Emlyn couldn't help but lift his hand to smooth his hair.

"Basically, that is the level of danger over the matter you're going to do. If you have malicious intentions, the risk is even higher than this," Klein replied sincerely.

Emlyn shook his head subconsciously.

"No, there's no malice. B-besides, the big shot will protect me in the process."

No malice? Uh, even if you have malice, you might not know since you're just cannon fodder who has been pushed to the front lines... Klein raised his right palm and strengthened his tone with a gesture.

"This will reduce the risk by a lot, but it definitely won't reduce it to zero. Does that big shot really have the means to resist a hidden existence?"

"... Probably, not," Emlyn answered haltingly.

"So." Klein spread his hands.

He suddenly revealed a smile and said, "Emlyn, there is no need for you to take this risk. Even if you completely believe in Earth Mother, it will not affect your life in any way. Look at the citizens of Feynapotter; don't they eat, dress, and do whatever they want? When the time comes, there's a high chance that Father Utravsky will no longer force you to do volunteer work at the Harvest Church. You will regain your original freedom.

"Furthermore, I believe that you have adapted well to the teachings of Earth Mother without any contradictions."

Emlyn White remained silent for a while and said, "Being a believer because I like 'Her' beliefs is completely different from being forcefully turned into a believer through a psychological cue. Even if I do abandon the moon one day and believe in Earth Mother, I also hope that it is a choice that I freely made. It has nothing to do with others; this is the last pride of a Sanguine."

Klein looked at Emlyn with some surprise. He hadn't expected him to be so insistent.

He considered for two seconds and didn't try to persuade him again by giving a terse acknowledgment.

"The problem is actually very simple, that is, do you have the courage to face a certain degree of danger because of the orders of the big shot and the temptation to get rid of the cue. If you're willing to sacrifice your life for this, then the answer is extremely simple.

"In short, this matter will ultimately be left to you to decide."

Emlyn listened with a heavy expression, and he instinctively retorted, "If I really choose to make the attempt, it's definitely not for myself, but for all Sanguine! Resolving this problem is just an additional perk!"

For all Sanguine? What matter of mine involves all Sanguine? That big shot was lying to you, right? Klein sneered.

"Do you believe that a weak vampire has the chance to save an entire race?"

"Sanguine, Sanguine!" Emlyn emphasized. "Moreover, my strength isn't bad either. It's equivalent to Sequence 7 of you humans. By the way, it's the kind that specializes in combat!

"As for whether you believe it or not, you wouldn't understand." He stood up and said, "Although your analysis and suggestions are meaningless, I still have to thank you. Uh, the consultation fee will be deducted from the previous suitcase and tin box."

"Huh?" Klein wasn't able to react for a moment to what he was talking about.

It was only when Emlyn had left that he suddenly realized what he meant.

Aren't the vessels in large transactions usually free?

That petty and stingy vampire! @@novelbin@@

...

In the darkness, in which the frequency of lightning had yet to resume, the exploratory team from the City of Silver "punctually" arrived at the periphery of the abandoned temple.

Derrick remembered that during their first operation, all the animal hide lanterns had been extinguished here. The entire team fell into pure darkness, and he had also heard the creepy "cry for help" coming from the depths of the temple.

According to the conjectures from Mr. Hanged Man and Miss Justice, this might be the starting point for our repeated cycles. But why would we wake up in the campsite outside the city and not directly here? Remembering the discussion at the Tarot meeting, Derrick raised his arm and prayed secretly, as suggested.

A pure light suddenly burst out from his body, causing Joshua and the other members of the exploratory team to quickly assume battle positions.

"What happened?" Demon Hunter Colin drew his sword and asked in a deep voice.

Derrick looked left and right in "horror" and said, "Your Excellency, I just heard a child crying 'save me... save me...'"

He wanted to test if this was a key point!

"And now?" Colin asked warily.

"I don't hear it anymore." Derrick listened carefully.

Demon Hunter Colin glanced at Joshua and the others from the corner of his eye. "Did any of you hear it?"

"No." The exploratory team members shook their heads.

After pondering for a few seconds, Colin came to a decision. He took out a dark blue metal bottle from the secret compartment in his belt and smeared the colorless, viscous liquid on his sword.

Then, he stabbed upwards with his sword.

Suddenly, the sky lit up. Streaks of silver, snake-like beams started to surge upwards, quickly spreading in all directions.

The silver-white light instantly enveloped all the members of the exploratory team, as if illuminating the darkest "corner" of every single one of them.

With a sizzling sound, the silver serpents drilled into the void, heading off into the unknown.

Everything calmed down very quickly, leaving only the dim light of the animal hide lanterns scattered in silence.

Colin narrowed his eyes, whatever he attempted had sensed something unknown. After a full five seconds, he raised his hand and pointed forward.

"From now on, we can't afford to be careless. We have to be on full alert."

Such familiar words... This isn't the key to breaking out of this predicament...Derrick calmed his heart and followed the team into the half-deserted temple without any delay.

This time, he learned his lesson and didn't look at the face of the Fallen Creator. In the process of inspecting the ground, he managed to get himself to investigate the area where the mural was by being proactive.

He held onto the animal hide lantern and the Axe of Hurricane in his hands as he and one of his teammates began to take action as a small team.

He finally reached his destination after passing through a series of mottled and crumbling walls.

As the light from the animal hide lantern grew closer, the mural on the wall gradually became clearer.

Derrick first looked towards the corner and found the strange, memorable line of words.

Rose Redemption... he silently chanted the name, raised the animal hide lantern, and carefully examined the details of the mural.

On the highest area of the mottled wall was a huge, blurry, pitch-black cross. A shadow that was difficult to discern was hanging upside down on it.

Against such a backdrop, there was a desolate plain.

In the plains, there was a long line of people. Their destination was a distant mountain—the cross on top of the mountain, and the figure hanging upside down.

Within the line, some of the people were kneeling on the ground, praying devoutly. Others had already stood up and were walking forward while facing a raging wind.

Their faces were simple sketches, as though it was trying to highlight their tattered clothing. Only the leader at the front was relatively clearer.

It was a tall and thin man with long, silver hair reaching his back.

This man had soft facial features; his head was lowered, and his eyes were tightly shut. There were layers upon layers of wings of light on his back.

Angel! A legendary angel! Derrick observed the situation around the leader with excitement.

Soon, he discovered a meandering, rippling river beneath the feet of the seemingly angelic man.

The river kept twisting and turning, and it led back into itself, becoming the source!

A cycle! This creates a cycle! Derrick felt that he had caught on to something important.

In the cycles of experiences, there was actually a circular river in the mural on the wall!

The latter was obviously hinting or revealing something!

Derrick looked up and saw the silver-haired angel with an uncountable number of wings. There was a touch of indifference in the gentleness of his face, as though he was looking down at a river, looking down at fate.

Is this the true meaning behind Mr. Fool's hint? Derrick thought for a moment and decided to give it a try—if he succeeded, he planned on blaming all his anomalies on the boy, Jack. If he failed, no one would remember what he had done!

Under the stunned gaze of his teammates, Derrick raised the Axe of Hurricane and viciously slashed at the river in the mural.

The lightning that had just flashed by was triggered, and the silver light fell onto the axe.

-x-X-x-

Bam!

Derrick's axe, wrapped in streaks of silver, struck the river in the mural, causing the wall to cave in and stone chips to fly everywhere.

With one strike, the river that had its source connected to its mouth completely disintegrated.

Just as he was looking forward to having the cycle broken, resulting in the members of the exploratory team escaping the temple, Demon Hunter Colin's figure phased away and appeared before him, his face grim.

"What were you doing?"

The tip of the demigod's sword was still pointed downwards, but the grip on his hilt was clearly tighter than before.

Thinking back to the collective wisdom of the Tarot Club members, Derrick said, half 'doubtfully' and half 'fearfully,' "Your Excellency, a black shadow flashed past here just now. It's true! It looked like the figure of a child!"

Without looking away, Colin Iliad asked another team member, "Haim, did you see it?"

The exploratory team member named Haim subconsciously moved closer to the Chief, firmly shook his head, and said, "No, I didn't see anything."

Colin's light blue eyes immediately glowed, revealing two complex dark green symbols.

He watched Derrick in this state for four to five seconds.

Finally, he withdrew his gaze and said in a normal tone, "This is your first exploration mission; hallucinations due to being nervous is normal.

"Subsequently, you are to stay by my side. I think you'll be calmer this way."

"Yes, Your Excellency," Derrick agreed without any hesitation.

Having just made an attempt, he confirmed that the mural wasn't critical.

The Rose Redemption that Mr. Fool suggested likely hides a deeper meaning; it's not that simple... Derrick walked silently beside Chief Colin with the Axe of Hurricane in hand.

What happened afterward wasn't much different from the explorations he remembered from his previous explorations. Everyone repeated the events in the past and arrived at the final hall with an altar for the sixth time. There, they found the yellow-haired boy, Jack, curled up in the shadows.

Upon hearing "save me... save me..." and seeing the silhouette of the child, Demon Hunter Colin nodded his head indiscernibly and retracted most of the attention he had placed on Derrick Berg.

Just as he was deliberating his words, Derrick suddenly asked, "How can we save you?"

Jack revealed an excited expression.

"Save me, save me, send me home! Send me home! "

"Where is your home?" Derrick asked, curious and frightened.

Seeing this, Colin shut his mouth and tightened his grip.

Jack raised his hand weakly and said, "My home, my home is at Enmat Harbor!"

Enmat Harbor... Although Mr. Hanged Man never mentioned it, from the word "harbor", Jack really doesn't belong to this place of ours. It's very likely that he comes from the outside world, from the Loen Kingdom where Miss Justice and the others are located! Derrick was overjoyed, unable to hide his excitement.

His reaction didn't arouse any suspicion from Demon Hunter Colin, because this powerful chief of the six-member council had also never seen the sea. He could only read from the preserved books that this body of water was many times larger than a lake, as well as the term "harbor."

The words that came out of the strange boy's mouth presented itself like a painting of a new world in front of Colin. This made him, who was desperately searching for the future of the City of Silver, forget about anything else as he blurted out, "How did you, or you and your companions, get here?"

Jack showed a reminiscing expression.

"My father and I first traveled by boat, then we met up with his companions and continued on the voyage. After a huge storm, the rest of us touched ground and followed the direction of the Lord's gaze and came all the way here."

"Followed the direction of the Lord's gaze?" Demon Hunter Colin and the others looked at the deity statue in unison, trying to determine where he was staring at.

Soon, Colin was able to determine some general information.

They had proceeded in the direction of where the statue was looking at. That is to say, as soon as we reverse the process, we can find the shore and the place where they landed... The opposite direction of his gaze is... The map around the City of Silver, which was gradually being perfected through continuous explorations, appeared in Colin's mind, allowing him to come up with a preliminary sketch of the route of the boy's "journey."

If there are no other temples in the middle and no corresponding statues, extrapolating it all the way would pass through the ruins of the Giant King's Court!Colin's pupils suddenly contracted.

That was the palace that once housed the ancient god, Giant King Aurmir. It wasn't too far away from the City of Silver!

The descendants of the Kingdom of Silver, who had been ruled by the giants for generations, knew exactly where the ruins were located, but they were still unable to complete their exploration of the area because it was extremely dangerous, even more dangerous than the pure darkness!

According to Colin's extrapolations, the unfamiliar boy and his party had passed through the ruins of the Giant King's Court before arriving here.

How did they do it? Perhaps they didn't take a completely direct path, and they circled around the Giant King's Court... Regardless, there's a path that leads to the sea behind the Giant King's Court. And on the other end of the sea might be a human kingdom... Is that the hope of the City of Silver? Colin couldn't help resisting the thought.

At this moment, Derrick acutely noticed that the clothes on the boy's chest and abdomen were dyed dark red, as though some kind of liquid was slowly seeping out.

"Are you hurt?" he cautiously asked.

Jack lowered his head and replied in an erratic tone, "Something ugly is growing there..."

As he spoke, he took off his clothes, revealing his bare chest.

It was inlaid with two eyes, a nose, and a mouth!

It wasn't painted nor was it made of gems. They were real eyes, a real nose, and a real mouth in the purest sense of the word. Furthermore, they didn't seem to belong to one particular face but that of three people.

All of a sudden, Derrick imagined a scene in which Jack had used the remnants of his companions after eating them—their eyes, nose, and mouth—to form a strange face on his chest.

The face was gentle and indifferent, giving Derrick an inexplicable feeling of familiarity.

It took only a second or two for Derrick to figure out the reason for the familiarity.

The face was very much like the angel in the mural above them—the silver-haired angel with his feet over the circular river!

Sure enough, the reason we keep repeating the exploration is because of 'Him!' A thought struck Derrick, and he blurted out a single word, as though he was going to blurt the incantation to extricate himself from the predicament.

"Rose Redemption!" he solemnly shouted.

Jack raised his head and stared at him, his mouth slowly grinning wide before reaching his ears.

"I'm so hungry...

"So hungry..."

... Derrick froze as he saw a fierce battle ensue.

When he regained consciousness, he found himself sitting by the bonfire in the campsite again.

Rose Redemption isn't the incantation...

He began to reflect deeply. @@novelbin@@

The seventh exploration soon began. Derrick, who had made an attempt, no longer behaved strangely, but he proactively sought to investigate the Rose Redemption mural.

As usual, the exploratory team entered the underground hall with the altar and the deity statue. They found the obviously strange little boy, Jack.

After a similar conversation, Derrick once again saw the human face that had been pieced together with the facial features of other people.

Now experienced, he didn't take any actions which could agitate the boy. He lowered his voice and said to Demon Hunter Colin, "Your Excellency, the face on his chest is very similar to the angel in the mural above us. It's the angel with silver hair whose feet are above a river that is connected from mouth to source. Yes, the mural which is labeled 'Rose Redemption' at the corner."

Colin was taken aback at first before he frowned.

As he paid attention and consoled Jack, he sized up Derrick from the corner of his eye.

After a few seconds of silence, he said with a suppressed voice, "Due to you mentioning this matter, you made me think of certain things."

Without waiting for Derrick to ask, he continued, "We've been studying this mural for a very long period of time and only believe that it depicts an angel leading a group of ascetics on a pilgrimage. And perhaps this group's name is Rose Redemption.

"The river, that runs from source to mouth, represents a cycle, and our interpretation of it is that this pilgrimage takes place over and over again.

"And now it may be that it is used to identify the angel.

"That's the idea you gave me, as Amon used to hide in your body."

"Why?" Derrick was at a loss.

Demon Hunter Colin stared at Jack and said, "The worm left behind by Amon had the symbol of time, and a circular river is often related to fate. Putting the two together, it reminded me of a few books that mentioned something that I'm unsure of their credibility.

"When the Lord that created everything, the omnipotent and omniscient God, cast his attention on this world, 'He' had many angels around him. Among them were leaders of the angels, 'Kings of Angels' that were closest to being a god. There were a total of eight of them, and some of 'Their' names have already been lost to history. There are still records of others, perhaps simple or detailed.

"Legend has it that the sons of god were among these eight Kings of Angels.

"Among them, two Kings of Angels had the titles 'Angel of Time' and 'Angel of Fate.'"

Derrick was immediately enlightened as he asked for confirmation, "You believe that Amon is the Angel of Time and that the mural is depicting the Angel of Fate?"

"I can't be sure for now. Only the title Angel of Time has been passed down. As for the Angel of Fate, the records are relatively detailed..." Colin suddenly took a deep breath.

Immediately, he solemnly said, "Angel of Fate, Tail-devourer Ouroboros."

...

In the evening, within the Odora family's underground structure.

Emlyn White looked at the iron-black coffin and said to the ancient Sanguine inside, "Lord Nibbs, I accept the Ancestor's mission!"

Nibbs replied in his aged voice, "Very good.

"When do you want to begin? Do you have any wishes that remain unfulfilled?"

"..."

Upon hearing Lord Nibbs asking about his last wishes, Emlyn White's calves went limp, and he almost regretted it.

He stiffened his neck and said, "There's no need!

"We can begin now."

-x-X-x-

The iron-black coffin with its strange patterns lay quietly in the center, and there seemed to be hidden shockwaves in the air that seemed to be silently colliding.

Emlyn White stood in the corner and lit the candles according to the normal ritual procedures, burning the essential oils and corresponding herbal powders.

A dense and unsteady atmosphere emanated, and after recalling the requirements of "artificial sleepwalking," Emlyn lowered his head, began to enter Cogitation, and repeated the honorific name of The Fool.

"The Fool that doesn't belong to this era.

"The mysterious ruler above the gray fog.

"The King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck."

...

Amidst his monotone voice, Emlyn gradually entered a magical state. His body felt relaxed and reserved. It felt like he was in deep sleep, but his spirituality was light and energetic as it constantly spread outwards.

At this moment, he had a feeling that he was continuously drifting upwards.

In the ancient palace above the gray fog, Klein was sitting at the end of the long bronze table, tapping his fingers on the rippling light screen to his side. He was expressionlessly watching the praying figure in amusement.

Although it was vague, Klein could tell at a glance that it was Vampire Emlyn White.

Very courageous, having the drive akin to buying a doll... Klein sighed and didn't respond.

He had previously tried to divine the purpose of the Sanguines, but he was unable to obtain any effective revelations. The only thing he was sure of was that it had nothing to do with the Aurora Order.

This piqued Klein's curiosity, but he wouldn't take the risk of responding to Emlyn White when a lofty Sanguine was beside Emlyn.

He didn't know if he could grasp traces of the mysterious space above the gray fog and threaten it like Blasphemer Amon. He had no intention to confirm it since he was dealing with an avatar of Amon back then. Yet, he was now facing a powerful Sanguine's true body.

There's no need to take risks on matters of no importance, even if I want to know the real purpose of the Sanguines... And it's not like there's no other way... Klein looked at Emlyn White in his state of "artificial sleepwalking." He said to himself with a smile, "I can delay my response..."

He planned to wait until tomorrow or the day after. He would suddenly respond when Emlyn White was without protection and when the Sanguine had given up!

However, there was a premise, which was to first use divination to confirm the degree of danger.

...

"Tail Devourer... Just like that river?" Derrick Berg suddenly thought of something.

Demon Hunter Colin solemnly nodded.

"Yes.

"It means that we may have stepped into a river that runs from its mouth to source, preventing our departure.

"Fortunately, this should only be remnants of that Angel of Fate's power. 'He' isn't hiding here."

No, it's definitely certain, and it has long since been the case... Derrick silently said to himself.

At this moment, Colin took out a dark red metal tube. He unscrewed the cap and gulped it down.

His light blue eyes quickly turned lighter, tinged with silver. In the end, his pupils seemed to turn vertical, reflecting Jack's figure.

A few sparks of silver light lit up in his eyes. They circled or collided at random in an extremely intense manner.

Ding!

Demon Hunter Colin first stabbed his sword into the ground, and with a flip of his hand, he pulled out his other sword, smearing it with golden, sun-like oil.

Noticing this action, Jack's expression immediately changed, as if he was shrouded in a thick shadow.

Before he could open his mouth, Demon Hunter Colin moved. He pulled out his sword from the ground, leaving behind a blurry figure.

The golden and silver light shone brightly, illuminating the entire underground hall. The light before the little boy was the most intense.

After a mournful scream, the darkness once again shrouded the altar.

Jack stood in his original spot, without taking even a step. However, the face on his chest had disappeared, leaving behind only a hole where his pulsating internal organs could be seen.

A few meters to Jack's side, Demon Hunter Colin genuflected, his two swords hanging down at an angle.

In front of him, the face was torn apart, reduced to scattered eyes, a nose, and a mouth.

These organs spasmed and bounced like electric shocks, and soon they were still, rotting rapidly like they were supposed to.

In an instant, Derrick felt an invisible, aqueous barrier around him silently shatter.

Almost at the same time, he seemed to have left the swift river and returned to the bank.

Looking at the gloomy underground hall and the upside-down deity statue, and at Jack, who had a distorted expression and had fainted due to the pain, Derrick felt a sense of joy and relief.

He knew that he and the others had finally escaped the cycle of repeating their lives.

Derrick was well aware that although the final solution didn't seem complicated, it might've taken dozens or hundreds of repeated attempts to find the clues and solution, without knowing any clues or the problem beforehand.

In the process, the slightest carelessness could lead to death, and Derrick had no way of knowing if a life that was lost could experience a redo, or if they would still "revive" by the bonfire but would end up dead after escaping this predicament.

What's even more serious is that people would always repeat the same choice, which was to say that they wouldn't be able to discover the problem in the first place. Without the corresponding memories and experience, they wouldn't detect any abnormalities even if it was the thousandth time, and they would completely lose themselves in the circular river until they reach the end of their lives due to the normal flow of time in the outside world.

At the thought of such a possibility, Derrick thanked Mr. Fool wholeheartedly for restoring his memory and giving him a hint.

Turning his head to the side, he saw that Joshua and the other members of the exploratory team didn't show any abnormal reactions as they checked the surrounding area in a way that was similar to the sixth exploration.

Perhaps it will only be after returning to the City of Silver that they would realize that they've lost a part of their lives from the difference in dates... Derrick thought silently.

At this moment, Demon Hunter Colin stood up, walked back to the boy's side, and took out another small metal bottle. He then poured the thick black liquid inside onto the boy's empty chest.

The liquid quickly condensed into a translucent membrane, sticking to the wound and stopping the flow of blood.

"Haim, Joshua, the both of you are in charge of him," Colin suppressed his throbbing hand and ordered in a low voice.

To him, this was the City of Silver's hope for ridding the curse and defeating the prophecy of the apocalypse!

Phew... Derrick wanted to covertly thank The Fool, but he realized that there was no corresponding prayer gesture. @@novelbin@@

...

In Empress Borough, the opulent villa of Earl Hall.

The sumptuous dinner glistened under the light of the candles in an alluring manner.

Unlike what was imagined in the newspapers and magazines, the dinner for a great aristocratic family wasn't serious, and there was no need for silence.

This was a rare occasion for family members to gather together. While eating, they would casually chat about a variety of relaxed topics in order to communicate and solidify their relationship.

Audrey sliced a piece a steak which was produced from her ranch, observed Earl Hall's expression, and, without hiding her curiosity, she asked, "Father, did something happen to Prince Edessak recently?"

If nothing had happened, then her plan was to pretend that she had heard irresponsible rumors that didn't correspond to reality. It wasn't uncommon for this to happen among the aristocracy.

Earl Hall paused, raised his eyebrows, and asked, "What did you hear?"

There really is something! Gleaning information from her father's reaction, Audrey replied with a faint smile, "Some rumors, but they seem to be true?"

Earl Hall rubbed his temples and said, "It's not a very serious matter.

"Audrey, I know what you're thinking, so I don't have to hide it from you. This involves a relatively ordinary scandal of the royal family. To put it simply, Prince Edessak has fallen in love with a commoner girl.

"This led to the death of an aristocratic descendant. The royal family has blocked the spread of this matter, not wanting to cause too much of a commotion."

His wife took a sip of champagne and said, "It seems he isn't mature enough."

Mother is being very tactful with her criticism... It does sound suspicious... Has Prince Edessak really gotten himself involved in a dangerous situation that would bring about terrible changes to Backlund? Audrey put on a look of sudden understanding and said with a smile, "This makes me wonder, why would the story of freedom and love involve the death of an aristocratic descendant?"

Hibbert Hall kept his head lowered while slicing the tender steak and guessed with great interest, "It reminds me of the complicated love stories that are so common among the believers of the Lord of Storms. It's very common to fight for honor and for a lady."

"It's a tradition that has been placed into a museum," Earl Hall denied his eldest son's statement.

Audrey seized the opportunity and thoughtfully said, "I don't think Prince Edessak is that kind of person, and rumors have already proliferated... Maybe that's not what they really want to cover up."

"Perhaps not..." Earl Hall ruminated over these words, unconsciously frowning.

Knowing when to stop, Audrey didn't say anything else, and she naturally led the conversation in a different direction.

She planned on "probing" her other noble friends about the matter. As a girl that Prince Edessak had once courted, it was absolutely normal for her to want to know the details of the matter. Whether it was curiosity or indignation, they were enough to motivate people to make such an attempt.

...

Being unable to maintain a state of "artificial sleepwalking" for long, Emlyn White returned to reality in exhaustion. Opening his eyes, he stared at the iron-black coffin, then he said with a mixture of relief and disappointment, "Lord Nibbs, there's no response."

After a long moment of silence, Nibbs finally said in a rather hoarse voice, "Okay.

"Stay here tonight to prevent any accidents from happening."

"Alright!" Emlyn didn't try to insist otherwise.

He spent the night in worry and trepidation, but the night was so serene and unremarkable. It silently faded only when Backlund's rare winter sunshine scattered across the window.

"What bad weather," Emlyn left Odora's villa, lowered his hat, and mumbled while he got onto a rental carriage.

His destination was the Harvest Church south of the bridge.

After the carriage continued steadily for some time, Emlyn's vision suddenly blurred and he saw an endless gray fog.

Then, to his amazement, he found himself in a mysterious and majestic palace, sitting at a long, mottled bronze table.

At the very end of the long table, there was a figure shrouded in a thick gray fog, looking down at him from above.

-x-X-x-

For a moment, Emlyn White was stiff and his mind was blank, like a marble statue sitting there.

Then, he heard the figure leisurely sitting in the thick gray fog indifferently ask, "Why did you pray to me?"

Emlyn's mind buzzed and he blurted out, "It's a revelation from my Ancestor. 'She' told us through a dream that the apocalypse is approaching and that we need to make preparations. And I am key in this matter. My mission was to pray to The Fool!"

Hearing the undisguised and detailed response, Klein, who had prepared his answers, was at quite a loss on where to begin. This vampire, Emlyn White, had explained everything he wanted to know.

A revelation from the Ancestor... Didn't the ancient goddess Lilith perish in the Second Epoch, long before the Cataclysm, and have her authority taken back by the Creator? It was precisely because of this that quite a number of vampires tried to pray to the Primordial Moon, resulting in an extremely tragic outcome... Moreover, Mr. Door had also mentioned that the "The Moon" card is empty, indicating that, on the one hand, the Primordial Moon is most likely the embodiment of some other deity or powerful devil, while on the other hand, it indirectly proves that the ancient goddess Lilith has lost her Sequence 0 position, which is generally equivalent to dying... Klein instantly connected the dots.

He originally imagined that "Lilith," who responded to the Sanguine's prayers on particular matters, was a relic from the ancient goddess, such as the "Uniqueness" of "The Moon" pathway. Thus, it would be rigid, passive, and extremely restrictive, but now, its initiative of providing a revelation had overturned his guess.

Two possibilities. One is that Lilith is being impersonated by another deity who has occupied a key point ahead of time, preventing any opponents from reaching Sequence 0 of The Moon's pathway. In essence, the entity doesn't care about the Sanguine, and the provided revelation is a kind of test. The greatest suspect is the Goddess who had snatched the title of Lady of Crimson, but "She's" already Sequence 0, corresponding to "The Star" in the Cards of Blasphemy. Why would she covet "The Moon?" Is it to foil the plans of her enemy?

The second possibility is that the ancient goddess hasn't fully perished. As long as no other powerhouse has become Sequence 0 in the Moon pathway, "She" is able to use a unique and incomprehensible method to continue surviving, waiting for a chance to make her return, just like the Dark Emperor card's description. And perhaps the Goddess had taken the title of Lady of Crimson to foil this situation to a certain extent...

Going by this logic, Lilith's recent apocalyptic revelation is "Her" struggle to revive after years of preparation. And The Fool plays a key role in "Her" revelation. If that's true, then in a certain way, it's an invitation for "cooperation"... But I'm just a Sequence 6 Beyonder, so how am I to cooperate with a yet-to-disappear ancient goddess?

Let Emlyn White join the Tarot Club? The Sanguine are a race with a long lifespan. They have existed since the Second Epoch and must know quite a number of secrets... However, that would be me taking quite a risk. Yes, it would be possible to divine whether or not to pull Emlyn into each gathering ahead of time... @@novelbin@@

Yes, there was a similar apocalyptic prophecy in the Sights in the Spirit World from Yellow Light Venithan. "He" also pointed out that the Abraham family's curse would be removed by an Apprentice who has the help of a hidden existence. This matches Miss Magician's present stage. She is an Apprentice who has received the help of me, The Fool... That's rather interesting. Has every high-level being that's good at prophecies realized that the apocalypse is unavoidable and have seen The Fool's existence and his possible effects?

One thought after another flashed through Klein's mind, but his expression didn't change at all.

He leaned back in his chair and smiled leisurely.

"What did your Ancestor ask you to pray to me for?"

The calm voice pulled Emlyn out of his stupor, and he shook his head in a slightly dazed manner.

"I don't know..."

At this moment, Klein saw the stars behind Emlyn's chair shift quickly, turning into the symbol of the crimson moon.

As expected, the Beyonder pathway of the descendants of the ancient goddess, Lilith, points towards the "Moon"... Klein chuckled and said, "In a situation with the seven orthodox gods and so many secret existences, why would your Ancestor think that I would be the key to the apocalypse?"

The Fool's attitude finally made Emlyn White calm down, realizing that he had encountered an incredible event. He had been forcefully pulled into a magical place by a hidden existence!

"He" is The Fool..."He" isn't actually angry... Is it because I represent the Ancestor? I, Emlyn White, am indeed special. I was mentioned by the Ancestor, and I received a response from The Fool... With this in mind, Emlyn couldn't help but sit up straighter before saying in deliberation, "Honorable Mr. Fool, the revelation provided by the Ancestor is this. I, Emlyn White, will become the key in saving the Sanguine and clinching victory against the apocalypse. And all of this will begin from my praying to you."

The meaning behind his words was: the key to the apocalypse isn't you, but me!

This fellow has such a "eighth-grader syndrome 1 " side to him... That's right. He has always been very arrogant and feels self-important... Klein lampooned silently with a popular phrase from the past.

Amused, he said, "The same question, why me and not the seven orthodox gods or the other hidden entities?"

"... I don't know." Emlyn shook his head honestly.

Klein thought for a moment, then he deliberately said, "Actually, I think I understand your ancestor's intentions. 'She' wishes that, with my help, you're able to grow into a true high-level entity and save the Sanguine when the apocalypse happens."

"Grow?" Emlyn said in puzzlement, "As you know, us Sanguine have no way of growing on our own. Only through special ceremonies will we gain the bestowment of our elders and relics of the Ancestor that allow our advancement."

Indeed, it has to be in accordance with the Law of Beyonder Characteristics Conservation... In other words, there have to be other ways as long as the basic law is abided to... Klein chuckled.

"Your knowledge has blinded you, making you unable to see the wider world.

"Of course, this question will not be answered by me. The answer must be found by you. I will only provide you with an opportunity."

He paused for a second, then he said in a condescending manner, "Do you wish for such an opportunity?"

Without any hesitation, Emlyn got up and bowed.

"That is what I wish for!"

Heh, where did your arrogance go when facing a hidden existence? Why is there only humility? Klein secretly lampooned as he tapped the edge of the mottled long table and said, "But you have to adhere to certain matters."

"Please speak." Emlyn held back his excitement.

Klein smiled and replied, "You cannot reveal anything related to me to anyone unless you gain my permission.

"This includes the Sanguine who were previously present at the ritual."

"But..." Emlyn was somewhat unable to accept the request.

Klein asked warmly in a very certain manner, "It's likely that Lilith didn't get you to report to anyone afterward?"

This could be inferred from the fact that there was no prayer content in the revelation!

Li..."He" directly called the Ancestor by "Her" name... It sounds like they're old friends...

Emlyn's heart trembled. He lowered his head and replied, "No."

Klein said with an unperturbed smile, "This is a secret deal, which is why I responded after you were free from surveillance. Similarly, you don't need to report this to Lilith as it will let certain people notice it."

Seeing Emlyn nod in understanding, Klein added, "If you want to be the key to saving the Sanguine, you must suffer the pain of the corresponding thorns. For example, you will not be understood by others, be slandered, and looked down upon. You can only silently proceed forward in the darkness while being burdened by your heavy mission."

The words that were aimed at him made Emlyn White imagine a corresponding scenario.

He, who was always mocked by his kinsmen because of his fondness of dolls, had gotten lost and entered the Harvest Church. Stained with traces of shame, he, who had never been valued and thought highly of by his elders, would silently guard his race from the corner, protecting everyone without anyone knowing...

Very soon, Emlyn, who had moved himself, respectfully replied, "Your will will pass through the earth."

Klein leaned back and said very lightly, "I tacitly consented to the establishment of a secret gathering, and it is held right here.

"Are you willing to join this gathering in search for the method to become powerful to save the Sanguine?"

"I am!" Emlyn replied without any hesitation.

Klein nodded in satisfaction.

"Do you have any other requests?"

Emlyn was overjoyed. He said in a hurry, "Honorable Mr. Fool, I would like you to help me dispel the psychological cue in me. A bishop of the Church of Earth Mother..."

"I know." Klein calmly interrupted him.

He knows... As expected of a hidden existence... Emlyn's head lowered again.

Klein let out a soft chuckle.

"I can help you, but what price are you willing to pay for this?"

Above the gray fog, he had a very potent Spirit Vision, and he had previously discovered that the dark-colored psychological cue within Emlyn White's Spirit Body had at some point mostly dissipated, thinning out to the point of frailty.

Klein had intended to resolve the problem by referring to the ritual used to resolve similar problems in the Book of Secrets, but the situation now led him to believe that a secret deed ritual with the Dark Emperor card and the purification of the Sun Brooch would thoroughly disperse Emlyn White's psychological cue.

Price? Emlyn thought about it for a moment, but he couldn't think of anything that would interest a secret existence like The Fool.

Seeing this, Klein took the initiative to say, "I'm very interested in some of your Sanguine history. You can use that in exchange."

The Sanguine's history? After a moment's thought, Emlyn agreed.

"You can think about what you would like to describe first. Heh heh. Before that, you need to choose a code name from them." Klein conjured the unselected Major Arcana tarot cards on the surface of the long bronze table.

Emlyn White scrutinized the cards with interest and said, "The Moon.

"I choose 'The Moon' card!"

-x-X-x-

Above the gray fog, inside the palace that looked like a giant's residence.

The Moon Emlyn thought hard about what part of the Sanguine's history that he should tell The Fool.

He and the Ancestor are old friends, so "He" must know what happened before the Cataclysm, so I don't need to repeat it... In the Fourth and Fifth Epoch, the glory of the Sanguine wasn't rare, and there was a lot of history to talk about, but there was only one most important point... Emlyn quickly came up with an idea.

From what he knew, The Fool was likely an ancient god before the Cataclysm. Due to certain reasons, he didn't perish and had slept till today, gradually in the process of recovering.

This explained why no such secret existence had appeared in the Sanguine records, that had a history spanning millennia, until 'His' honorific name suddenly spread.

After some deliberation, Emlyn straightened his back and said, "After the Cataclysm, the Sanguine left the center of the historical stage of the Northern and Southern Continents and became nobles of different empires and dynasties as individuals instead of as a race. They either governed a territory or guarded a castle in a key area.

"This continued until our queen, Blood Moon Queen, Auernia, who led us out of the era of darkness, became the wife of the Trunsoest Dynasty's Night Emperor. She gathered all of the Sanguine together and the Sanguine became important supporters of the dynasty. At that time, Loen's Augustus and Feysac's Einhorn had to politely address our queen as 'Her Majesty.'

"In that era, Queen Auernia was the symbol of beauty. If there was a magic mirror that could answer questions, then the answer to 'who is the most beautiful of them all' would be her..."

The more Emlyn spoke, the prouder he became. He went from being reserved and serious to becoming extremely talkative.

A magic mirror that can answer questions; isn't that Arrodes? I wonder if there are any members of the Machinery Hivemind who were so bored out of their minds to ask the question, 'Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all'... I wonder how Arrodes will answer. Klein sat in the same posture, smiling as his thoughts wandered.

After droning on and on, Emlyn's expression turned serious.

"All of this shattered in the War of the Four Emperors. The Night Emperor perished, along with the queen. The Sanguine suffered a terrible blow, and while trying to reap the final fruits of victory, the four noble families—Augustus, Einhorn, Sauron, and Castiya⁠—split the empire, destroying the royal family which was lacking in high-level beings. The Sanguine had no choice but to retreat to an uninhabited mountain to hide in the shadows so as to maintain the continuation of our race."

Just as I expected... The seven gods were already the seven gods during the War of the Four Emperors... Klein thought of the statue of the six gods in the Tudor ruins.

"Fortunately, the seven gods were fractured back then and the four countries attacked each other. After paying a certain price, we finally escaped the disaster." At this moment, Emlyn was in a rare state of being roused.

He looked at Klein and said, "Honorable Mr. Fool, do you have the time to listen to my description of Blood Moon Queen's deeds and the glory the Sanguine used to have? That will be a heavy tome formed by pages of glorious expositions. I can repeat everything in them."

It looks like you can continue on indefinitely... I used to think that you were a vampire who liked puppets and didn't know much history. I didn't expect you to be so professional and academic... No wonder you always believed the Sanguine to be noble and are proud of it... This kind of guy who doesn't like going out really will delve into deep research into a topic he's interested in. Furthermore, vampires have a sufficiently long lifespan... Klein hesitated, prepared to decline Emlyn's offer in a euphemistic manner.

Although he had no lack of interest in the history, time didn't allow him to listen to them all.

"It's enough." Klein smiled and said, "I like a fair and equal exchange, so I won't let you say anything without reaping rewards. In the future, when you have the chance, you can use your relevant history to trade for what you want from me."

"... Alright." Emlyn felt lost for a moment.

This was the first time he had the opportunity to tell someone else about the glory of the Sanguine.

Normally, in order to hide his identity, he wouldn't be able to show off to the humans. As for the members of the Sanguine, all of them knew what needed to be known, and he wasn't in charge of educating the newborns.

Klein didn't say anything else and resumed his supercilious attitude.

"Alright, you can go back now."

A dark red light immediately lit up in front of Emlyn White's eyes, quickly devouring him.

After a short period of dizziness, he found that he was still sitting in the rental carriage.

Soon after, he saw an illusory goatskin parchment and gained the knowledge of how to request help from The Fool via a secret deed ritual.

When I'm free in the afternoon, I'll immediately hold the ritual at home and ask Mr. Fool to dispel my psychological cue... Emlyn was suddenly excited.

He waited until the carriage arrived at the Harvest Church before calming down and paying for the ride.

After entering the cathedral, he was relieved to see that Bishop Utravsky was there preaching to the few believers of the Church. He no longer felt as vexed as he usually felt and felt rather relaxed.

In this state, he suddenly thought of something.

Father Utravsky has never seemed to stop me from finding a way to dispel the psychological cues... What exactly is on his mind...

...

East Borough, in a greasy coffee shop.

Klein, who arrived at the scheduled time, was enjoying wheat bread with fresh pea lamb stew while he listened to Old Kohler's report of the information he had gathered over the past week.

It was a pity that there was no valuable information inside.

When Old Kohler was done, Klein thought for a moment, then he pulled out two pounds worth of bills and pushed them over.

"You already paid me just now!" Old Kohler jumped in shock and waved his hands in front of him.

Klein chuckled and said, "Within this week, I'll be heading south for a holiday. After a year of hard work, it's time to rest for a while.

"I might take two to three weeks before I return, so I'll pay you in advance. Heh heh, don't forget to help me gather information."

"Okay, okay!" Old Kohler accepted the notes with a mixture of joy and gratitude.

At this moment, he had already thought of how to spend the New Year. @@novelbin@@

He planned to buy the cured ham he had been reluctant to buy and match it with his bread.

I really can't stand the wait... Thank you, Detective Moriarty! He swallowed his saliva without realizing it.

Klein picked up his hat, hesitated for a moment, and said, "You should've noticed that East Borough has been a bit chaotic recently.

"Don't take risks just to find out more information. If you notice anything wrong, immediately hide and avoid getting yourself involved."

He was rather worried about the matter surrounding Prince Edessak, so he wanted to give Old Kohler a reminder.

"I understand." Old Kohler patted his chest and said, "I'm very timid. I won't take the risk."

"Very good," Klein praised.

Then he remembered the laundry maid, Liv, and her two daughters, Freja and Daisy, who loved to read, and wanted to change their fates before he said whilst in thought, "Watch out for Liv's family. Don't let them be bullied. If there are any outbreaks in East Borough, take them to a safe place."

"Outbreaks... You mean the workers' resistance?" Old Kohler asked, puzzled.

"More or less," Klein answered vaguely.

This was the limit of what he could reveal; otherwise, it would be very easy for him to be suspected by others or the Sealed Artifact itself.

...

In a room with large and small dolls, Emlyn White came home at noon and sat in his chair, enjoying the gloom created by the curtains.

He looked around and clenched his fists.

"I'll cheer for myself!"

With that, he rummaged for materials with spirituality and began to write the honorific name of The Fool, as well as the corresponding symbols and magic labels.

After some hustling and bustling, he tried the secret deed ritual. His spirituality gradually dissipated, as if he had arrived at an immeasurably high place.

Vaguely, he saw countless shadows of ineffable shapes, seven colors of light that seemed to contain immense knowledge, and the grayish-white fog that stood above everything.

Above the boundless gray fog, there was an ancient palace that was impossible to see clearly. Seated inside the palace was a person shrouded in gray fog.

Then, Emlyn saw a figure of golden majesty and holiness, as well as black wings that blotted out the sky behind it.

He didn't even have time to count the number of pairs of mysterious wings before he felt himself quickly floating upwards, making contact with that golden figure.

"Ah!"

He screamed miserably as he held his head and rolled on the ground, emitting green smoke from his body.

It took a while for Emlyn to calm down, and then he heard the deep voice of The Fool echo in his ears.

"Your psychological cue has been lifted."

Is this what it feels like to dispel a psychological cue? It's really painful... Emlyn sat on the floor, panting, his neatly combed hair falling in disarray.

Atop the gray fog, Klein thoughtfully nodded and said to himself, "Indeed, the Sun Brooch's purifying and dispelling effects can also harm vampires."

He had calculated in advance that the "sunlight" needed to remove the weakened psychological cue wouldn't severely damage Emlyn, so he couldn't be bothered switching to a more complicated approach. And now, the result was indeed consistent with his expectations.

After taking care of this matter, Klein took off the topaz pendant on his left wrist and planned to perform a divination.

"It is suitable to head to the Red Rose Manor this afternoon."

After chanting seven times in his mind, he opened his eyes and saw the spirit pendulum standing still and not spinning.

The difficulty of divining something that involves a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact or a corresponding powerhouse is too high. I'm unable to obtain any effective revelations... Klein sighed, knowing the gist of the matter.

Then, he started to divine if it would be suitable to head to Red Rose Manor tomorrow afternoon, but he received the same signs of failure as an outcome.

It's always said that divination isn't omnipotent, and it has now been proven... I have to decide on my own... I have to take this step; otherwise, there's no way for me to leave the stage unnoticed so as to go behind the scenes... The earlier the better, I can't delay it; otherwise, this matter might become completely impossible to recover from... As his thoughts churned, Klein came to a decision.

He immediately returned to the real world, put on his double-breasted frock coat and half top hat, and he walked out of 15 Minsk Street, heading for Prince Edessak's Red Rose Manor.

-x-X-x-