71 LOTM (Third Volume)
The sky was dark outside the window, but it wasn't the dark fog which Klein was used to. The sea waves rolled in, blowing away all the smog and making the clouds line up in various shapes, reflecting the reddish-gold sunlight.
This was Pritz Harbor, the largest and busiest port in the Loen Kingdom.
Wearing a light vest and white shirt, Klein stood by the window and watched the outside world for a while until his pocket watch urged him to return to the mahogany table.
In the warmth of the fireplace, he picked up a black, round fountain pen, unfolded a letter, and slowly wrote:
Dear Mr. Azik,
Forgive me for not writing to you until today, but for the past few days, I've been wandering in Backlund, immersed in the devastation that has been inflicted on this great city by the events of the past few days. If we were ordinary people, perhaps we would've been covered with white cloth and carried to the crematorium, eventually settling in a tiny niche...
I've waited for quite a while and finally found an opportunity to retrieve what belongs to me. This includes the Card of Blasphemy I promised you. In addition, there's another item which I will get the messenger to bring to you as well; it's a copper whistle that can summon a messenger. It comes from a chance encounter of mine, regarding an elder who crawled out of his coffin. I'm sure you're puzzled having read this, as the description I used similarly points to you. This is what puzzles me.
... This is exactly what happened. I suspect that the original owner of the copper whistle is a member of the Numinous Episcopate that tries to revive Death. Furthermore, his level isn't low. Perhaps you'll be able to tell something from this copper whistle...
Before leaving Backlund, I will write to the Machinery Hivemind to describe the massive underground ruin where you fought Ince Zangwill. I hope that they will be able to figure out the truth with the help of this information.
After going through a roundabout and indirect test, I've confirmed that they do not have any enmity towards you and me for the time being. If you're in trouble, perhaps you can try seeking their help.
Finally, I have one more question. Is there any way to remove the residual mental corruption of a Beyonder characteristic that has already solidified?
... I am about to set sail. I wish you a smooth journey in finding your memories and a safe journey for myself as well. @@novelbin@@
Your student and friend,
Klein Moretti.
Putting down the pen and reading it once more, Klein folded the letter and stuffed it into the envelope along with the Dark Emperor card and the copper whistle left behind by the suspected Numinous Episcopate member.
When he was done, he picked up the copper whistle Mr. Azik had given him and summoned the messenger by blowing into it.
The messenger was still nearly four meters tall, made purely of white bones, its eye sockets burning with black fire. However, Klein's spiritual intuition told him that this was another messenger.
Sighing secretly, Klein raised his arm and placed the letter into the messenger's lowered palm.
The messenger lowered his head to take a look, before quickly disintegrating into bones and drilled into the ground like a torrential downpour.
Seeing this, Klein lightly tapped his right molar and deactivated his Spirit Vision.
He returned his gaze to the table, where there was a pale yellow identification card. This was a necessary item required for official purchases of any voyage tickets.
For this, he had specially gone to Sharron and obtained a new identity through her circle.
This identity was that of a bounty hunter, a lunatic who was eager to go on an adventure at sea to get rich. In accordance with Klein's wishes, his name was Gehrman Sparrow.
"A hunter of evil..." Klein whispered, putting away a series of documents for his new identity.
Shortly after, he drew the curtains, took four steps counterclockwise, and went above the fog.
There was still some time before the Tarot Gathering, so Klein quickly retrieved Creeping Hunger and wore it on his hand.
Closing his eyes, he tried to sense each and every twisted, illusory soul. He attempted to release the Faceless.
In the real world, Creeping Hunger would happily consume this gift and spit out the corresponding Beyonder characteristic, but above the fog, it didn't dare to act rashly. It allowed the soul of the Faceless to leave the glove and appear to the side of the long bronze table.
It was a middle-aged man with a blurry face. His twisted and painful feelings seemed to dissipate quite a bit.
With difficulty, he bowed at Klein, who was leaning back in his chair. His figure gradually turned dim, almost plummeting beneath the gray fog at any moment.
In the majestic palace, Klein could directly "communicate" without any additional rituals prepared; thus, he extended his spirituality and stabilized the man before saying in a low voice, "Do you know where there are live mermaids?"
The man answered in an adrift manner, "Apart from those kept by the Church of the Evernight Goddess, they can only be found by sailing from the Gargas Archipelago towards the Sonia Sea for at least a week. That was my destination."
So he's also a Faceless seeking to advance... In order to seek out mermaids, he had taken the risk to go out to sea. However, he somehow died at the hands of Rear Admiral Hurricane Qilangos in the end... The Church of the Goddess rears quite a number of mermaids? Klein suddenly asked in realization, "Which organization did you belong to? Or should I say, where did your potion formula come from?"
The blurry-faced middle-aged man's body suddenly trembled. It was only two seconds later that he spoke up.
"The Secret Order. I belong to the Secret Order."
Secret Order? Doesn't the Secret Order rear their own mermaids? Klein hesitated for a moment before asking, "Have you ever seen your leader, Zaratul?"
The illusory and transparent Faceless was silent at first, but then he shouted with a sharp voice, "I have!
"H-he's abnormal! He's an undying monster!"
As he spoke, his figure became increasingly thin, almost on the verge of dissipating.
As expected, Zaratul is still alive! Just what had happened for a Secret Order member to be so afraid of him? More accurately, I should use "Him"... Klein quickly asked about another key issue, "Apart from the treasures left behind by the Antigonus family and what your Secret Order has, is there anywhere I can get the High-Sequence Beyonder formulas for the Seer pathway?"
The Faceless turned increasingly transparent and more illusory. He finally left the words: "The Church of the Evernight Goddess... Cathedral of Serenity..."
The Holy Cathedral... Klein silently watched as the Faceless's Spirit Body achieved complete liberation as he repeated the words. The Cathedral of Serenity was the headquarters of the Church of the Evernight Goddess, also known as the Holy Cathedral according to the Nighthawks.
There really are high Sequence potion formulas of the Seer pathway hidden there... I wonder how many secrets the various Churches have kept buried and hidden...Sighing, Klein let the dark green glue-like substance, that had formed on the surface of his glove, slide onto the surface of the long bronze table.
The Faceless Beyonder characteristic eventually formed a jelly-like translucent object. In the dark green background, from time to time, there were different faces emerging, like shadows hidden behind dark curtains.
Klein took a few looks before nodding indiscernibly. He muttered to himself, "I'll use The World later to get Mr. Hanged Man to sell this Beyonder characteristic either to Artisans or Beyonders who need it."
Although he had found a flaw in the official Beyonders' surveillance of 15 Minsk Street by means of divination above the gray fog, he didn't return there so as to not provoke them or expose the secrets of his Spirit Body. Instead, he spent extra money to buy a change of clothing and other daily necessities. All of that amounted to twelve pounds.
Together with the eight pounds paid for the documents of his new identity, his wallet was so empty that there was almost no need for it to exist.
As for the 10 percent stake in the bike company, Klein found an opportunity to meet with Isengard Stanton and signed a legal agreement to entrust the matter to him. After all, their relationship wasn't a secret in the eyes of the Nighthawks or the Machinery Hivemind.
I still have five pounds in cash and five gold coins... It will cost four pounds to head for the Rorsted Archipelago, and that's for a third-class ticket at the lower deck... It would take at least four pounds to go from the Rorsted Archipelago to the Gargas Archipelago... I have to quickly sell off the Faceless Beyonder characteristic... This way, I would be able to afford a second-class cabin and eat decent food... Thanks to Emlyn's suitcase being placed above the gray fog all this time, I've had to buy another one... Klein silently went through his financial situation, feeling as if he had returned to the time when he had just transmigrated, relying on the salary of the Nighthawks before he could even buy a suit.
A Sequence 6 Beyonder characteristic varies between 3,000 to 4,000 pounds. If I encounter someone in desperate need for it, then it can be sold at a premium... But apart from maintaining my living expenses, I have to consider the cost of the Nimblewright Master's supplementary ingredients. I also have to consider the cost of the ritual needed to eliminate the mental corruption. Klein sighed and took out his pocket watch to take a look at it.
Seeing that it was about time, he sent a message to Little Sun to prepare for the gathering.
...
Fors's vision turned clear as she saw three figures sitting across the long, mottled table.
A new member? With a thought, she quickly settled down.
At this moment, she didn't care if the Tarot Club had any new members. Her mind was filled with the incident of the smog and plague from last week.
She vividly remembered that The World had warned herself and Miss Justice at the last gathering that something huge was brewing in Backlund, which could likely bring about a tragedy. Mr. Fool had confirmed that conjecture, and he had further pointed out that the person at the heart of the problem was Prince Edessak.
She didn't doubt Mr. Fool's abilities and felt that the tragedy needed time to brew, giving her plenty of time to investigate. Who knew that it would come so quickly and so suddenly!
Prince Edessak was also reported to have been infected in the haze and unfortunately died... It really happened. It really happened... Thinking back to the contents of the newspapers from a few days ago, she seemed to understand something, but she wasn't sure of it. For a moment, she felt terrified and uneasy.
As a Sequence 9, I seemed to have become involved with terrifying matters that involved a huge city, a prince, and tens of thousands of lives just because I'm a member of the Tarot Club! It was only at this moment that The Magician, Fors, realized the importance of being a member of the Tarot Club.
Then, she heard Miss Justice's usual greeting that lacked her exuberance.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Fool.
"You saved Backlund again!"
Ah? What? When was I saved again? The Moon Emlyn listened blankly.
-x-X-x-
As he thought back to the recent events, The Moon, Emlyn, was quick to associate it with the great smog and the plague outbreak, guessing that this was what the lady opposite him was referring to.
But I heard that it was the work of a Demoness of Despair who was trying to advance herself... Furthermore, the Church of the Lord of Storms responded quickly, creating a hurricane to blow everything away. How could it be said that The Fool saved Backlund? Emlyn, who had an entire clan behind him, was quite well-informed. Upon doing the comparison, it was hard for him not to be surprised and confused.
Although he had always been proud and didn't wish to spend time on social interactions, he still felt an instinctive fear when faced with a hidden existence that he had to address with "He." He didn't dare to open his mouth to ask and decided to listen for a while.
Alger, even though he was drifting out at sea, had received news of the great smog in Backlund. He was interested in the secrets and the truth behind it, confident in the belief that this was definitely a struggle between deities. After all, it had attracted the attention of Mr. Fool!
I'll ask Miss Justice when we exchange information. However, she might not be too sure of the details. It's rather impossible for her to know too many details based on her standing. Heh heh, she has great curiosity. To open up with such a greeting, she would definitely attempt to get an answer from Mr. Fool, hoping to get an answer. I hope that I have the opportunity to listen in from the side... With this in mind, Alger turned his head to look at The Sun. Seeing how he wasn't anxious but calm and reserved, he knew that the City of Silver's exploratory team had already broken out from the fate of repeating their lives.
Similarly, Audrey, who had figured out that the operation was successful from reading Little Sun's reaction, heaved a secret sigh of relief. She prepared herself to understand what had happened later in detail.
After a solemn bow towards Mr. Fool, she thanked the seemingly unkind Tarot Club member, The World, for his advance warning.
"... Mr. World, if it wasn't for your advance warning, then perhaps tens of thousands of people would've died in Backlund during this great smog."
"In truth, I was also doing it to save myself." Klein controlled The World to give a hoarse laugh.
He said it with sincerity and without any trace of acting, because if it wasn't for Miss Justice who was notified in advance and warned the Church of the Evernight Goddess, then the powerful existence who erased Mr. A wouldn't have arrived in time, and he himself might not have been able to hold on for long.
If Mr. A had disintegrated me and ate me, then perhaps I might not have a chance of reviving... Klein thought in appreciation.
Mr. A's feasting would literally be feasting!
Immediately after, as The Fool, he leaned back in his chair and responded with a smile, "All I did was provide some trivial help."
"No, your adorer really helped save Backlund. His contribution is the greatest amongst everyone," Audrey praised from the bottom of her heart. "His warning allowed the Goddess, the Church of the Evernight Goddess to make preparations, wiping out the Demoness of Despair in a timely manner and preventing the Primordial Demoness from awakening. It allowed the contamination of the great smog to be kept under control. Furthermore, he even destroyed the Aurora Order's ritual, preventing the attempted descent of the True Creator's once again, keeping him at bay from the real world."
Audrey received unanimous praise by Earl Hall and his wife for providing the most important information. They hadn't concealed the results of the investigation and some of the details they had gathered from her.
Of course, they also raised their wish as parents that their daughter wasn't to get too involved with that secret organization. It would be enough if she stayed in the outer circle and gathered some information, then maintained her strength below that of Sequence 7.
The Primordial Demoness's awakening... The True Creator's attempted descent. What exactly happened in Backlund? At the same time, Alger and Emlyn had the same reaction, but their expressions were different. The former only slightly raised his eyelids as his pupils contracted, unconsciously sitting to the side a bit, while the latter gave the illusion that he was about to jump up.
Mother, no, Esteemed Moon, when did Backlund become so dangerous? Two evil gods had actually made "Their" appearance during the great smog! Is that young lady lying? Even though Mr. Fool is an existence suspected of being a deity, it's also impossible that "He" would simultaneously offend two entities of the same level, right... Could it be that "He" is actually the incarnation of a true god? Or is there an alliance of deities behind "Him?" Is that why the Ancestor asked me to pray to "Him?" The more Emlyn thought about it, the faster his heart beat, but it was impossible for him to receive verification.
The fact that Sanguine had the nickname "vampire" didn't mean that they didn't have a heartbeat. It was just that they were relatively slow, and the heart itself was one of the Sanguine's fatal weaknesses.
Indeed! Indeed it's an event that had attracted the attention of Mr. Fool... But, what benefits could "He" gain from sabotaging the evil gods' plans? Alger sighed inwardly.
Fors was surprised and frightened. She didn't expect that the horrible great smog that had taken the lives of tens of thousands of people would conceal an even more horrifying truth.
If it hadn't been stopped in time, the whole of Backlund would've been destroyed, and Xio and I wouldn't have survived... Fors swallowed a mouthful of saliva hard.
Her feelings were similar to Audrey's feelings as well. Through this matter, this young noble lady clearly understood one thing, which was that the life she believed to be peaceful and calm was like a soap bubble amidst a clash between deities. Just a slight perturbation could immediately pop it into nothingness. @@novelbin@@
Or it could be said that the entire kingdom, the entire human society, exists only because of the balance between the deities, and this balance is extremely fragile...
Every time a similar thought gushed to her mind, Audrey felt a wave of grief wash over her.
Klein was pleased when he saw that someone knew and remembered his contribution. He smiled and said, "Unfortunately, he has to stay away from Backlund as a result."
Mr. Fool's adorer has to temporarily leave Backlund? Audrey stood up again and sincerely bowed.
"Please convey my gratitude to him."
Klein maintained his image without giving a reply other than nodding his head.
At this moment, Audrey added, "I'm very sorry, as the three Churches and the military are cleaning up Backlund, I was unable to get the follow-up pages to Roselle's diary. Please wait one more week."
"Sure," Klein said in a flat tone.
Hearing their conversation, Fors was startled as she hurriedly looked to the end of the long bronze table and said, "Dear Mr. Fool, I received three pages of Roselle's diary."
Not bad. More members mean more channels, and many things snowball quickly...Klein gently nodded.
"Very good."
Roselle's diary? Emlyn felt as if he had heard something extraordinary again.
Under his puzzled gaze, Fors conjured three pages of the diary and passed them on to Mr. Fool.
Only then did Klein remember that he had missed introducing a particular vampire. Smiling, he introduced, "This is a new member, Mr. Moon.
"This gathering is called the Tarot Club. They are..."
Mr. Moon, I thought it would be a lady who would choose the Moon... Audrey greeted politely while her thoughts scattered.
Similarly, Emlyn wondered whether the members such as The Hanged Man and Justice were humans or transcendent creatures, which pathways they were from, at which Sequences, from which organizations, or if they were friendly to the Sanguine.
Klein didn't care about them sizing each other up as he cast his gaze to the diary entries in his hands.
"11th February. Today, I found out about a secret of the Sauron family. Hahaha! I'm going to die from laughter! Hahaha!
"So it turns out that the Hunter pathway that they possess will change gender at Sequence 4. Men wouldn't change, but women will change into men! It's no wonder that none of the High-Sequence Beyonders of the Sauron family that I'm aware of are female. The Iron-blooded Knight is indeed a true man!
"Hahaha, if it wasn't for how sensitive this secret was, then I would even feel like ridiculing Floren next time. The Sauron family ancestor that he looks like might've been a woman!
"This potion is way too much of a trap, isn't it? I hope the Savant pathway wouldn't have any strange changes upon reaching the high Sequences. I don't want to one day suddenly realize that I either don't advance, or I have to change into a woman."
The first thought that flashed through Klein's mind at the sight of this diary entry was: Emperor, you won't become a woman, but you will do it with a Demoness, perhaps more than one...
Indeed, there's a pathway that changes women to men. Furthermore, it's within the ones I expected... Hunter represents war, causing women to change genders at Sequence 4... This is a little odd. The Demoness pathway changes at Sequence 7 Witch. It doesn't actually strictly correspond... Klein felt the warped and feeling of madness even more acutely. It was a result of the extreme asymmetry.
Could it be that the underlying logic of this world is chaos, distortion, madness, and asymmetry? He tried his hardest not to frown.
"12th February. This won't do. I want to laugh whenever I see Floren.
"Hahahaha!
"15th February, the modified artillery I designed and supervised was completed. The effect was worse than I expected, but the problem isn't that great. With it and mass production, I'll be able to show the world what true advanced tactics are!
"In order to celebrate, I decided to hold a banquet to invite those fellows who looked down on me. Just wait to be slapped in the face!"
The Emperor truly doesn't let a grudge go... While sighing, Klein turned to the second page of the diary.
"5th May, that unspeakable organization called for another gathering.
"I'm struck by the way they gather their members every time. It's phenomenal, no—a miracle.
"With my earlier observations, I raised some problems at this gathering. For example, all the Sequence 0 names have a high-enough level on the Blasphemy Slate. Only Red Priest appears rather unique. It doesn't sound strong enough. The old gentleman sitting beside me told me that 'red' represents the red of war. And priest can be understood as the ritualist of strength at its core.
"Someone objected, believing that the 'priest' in Red Priest represents being a priest of that Creator.
"I leaned towards the former and asked for the name of the old gentleman in a low voice. I didn't know the identity of every member. To put it in an extreme manner, I only know a portion of them.
"The old gentleman answered me with a smile. He said his name was Hermes.
"Hermes? The Hermes who created the language of ancient Hermes? Hermes, the founder of humanity's mysticism?"
-x-X-x-
Hermes? That's an ancient powerhouse... Klein frowned slightly.
With his solid knowledge of mysticism, he was well aware of the era in which the old gentleman who had created the language of ancient Hermes had been active.
That is during the Second Epoch when the giants ruled the land and the dragons soared through the skies. In a particular sense, he appeared before the God of Combat and the Earth Mother in human history. In other words, even Little Sun, who didn't know the seven gods before joining the Tarot Club, would likely know of the name Hermes. Yes, I should find a chance to confirm this using The World...
That old gentleman had personally experienced the period when early humans tested the potions themselves, slowly seeking the thorny path of the powers of a Beyonder, one step at a time. He had used Jotun and Dragonese as blueprints, and standing on the shoulders of the pioneers, he created a Beyonder language that belongs to humans. He probably saw the first Blasphemy Slate!
He actually survived until the time of Emperor Roselle, and he might even be alive until now! This is a living fossil of human mysticism! Klein felt a surge of emotions. On the other hand, he felt the terror of the Twilight Hermit Order.
It even had Hermes as one of its members! @@novelbin@@
As for the other secret organizations, or even internally to the seven Churches, they will often use ancient Hermes to perform sacrificial rites and rituals!
The Twilight Hermit Order is really high-end, grand, and of a high level... Klein couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
What he envied most wasn't the existence of Hermes, a legend who lived throughout human history, among the Twilight Hermit Order, but the fact that they possessed the second Blasphemy Slate.
This is simply cheating! Klein sighed at the thought of how the Tarot Club only had one out of the twenty-one Cards of Blasphemy.
He turned his focus back to the paper and continued to read the remaining entries of the diary.
"Heavens! The old man sitting next to me who looks so ordinary and nothing special was actually Hermes. He lived from the dark Second Epoch all the way to the Beyonder decline of the Fifth Epoch!
"I made the right choice joining this organization!
"I can see my bright future, not using three exclamation marks to describe my feelings right now just isn't enough!!!
"This bunch of big shots, these undying old bastards, are all gathered together because they believe in the opinion that twilight is approaching? No, it's definitely not the case. At least, I'm not!
"There must be people among them who passionately believe in those ideals, purely waiting for the original Creator to awaken, hoping for the progress of history to develop to that node as predicted. Heh heh, according to my understanding, it's most likely not an awakening, but a resurrection.
"But there can't be more than half of those people. The rest are people having their own goals; either they're ambitious like me, or they're just lurking snitches. Wait a minute, I thought of a problem; I quickly joined the gathering after I agreed to the secret invitation, but I didn't undergo any scrutiny, and although the person who called for the gathering said that the members of this gathering had their differences and had to vote for me to join, barely allowing me to join after a majority vote of two-thirds, but that's not the point. The point is that they don't care if I believe in the idea that twilight is coming, nor do they mind me having all sorts of thoughts.
"What are they relying on to determine that I won't bring harm to this organization? Could there be a High-Sequence Beyonder of the Spectator pathway among them, one that reaches the level of an angel? 'He' had created a secret psychological cue in me through my verbal promise without me realizing it. And that they're confident enough to discover the hidden malice of its members?
"That might be possible, but thinking about it makes me shudder.
"In addition, without permission, once the name of that organization is mentioned to the outside world, it will be immediately noticed. They even gave me a few examples of former members who were eliminated... Writing on paper or in a newly created language wouldn't do as well!
"Let me think. Let me think. Sequence 2 of the Spectator pathway is Discerner while Sequence 1 is Author. Who among them fulfills the corresponding traits1 ?
"Yes, I have a preliminary suspect, the person who convenes the gathering.
"Yes, there's also Sequence 0 of the Spectator pathway. Its name is Visionary!
"But I don't believe anyone here has reached the level of a true god. Otherwise, there's no need to hide behind the scenes. Of course, they might have divine items at the Sequence 0 level or the Uniqueness of a particular pathway. Perhaps it's what creates this realistic dreamscape that can connect the east and west shores of the continent while having the ability to react the moment its name is mentioned.
"I didn't think too much into it back then. Amidst my shock, I asked about a few other matters, such as why the term 'authority' is used in the description of deities. Old Mister Hermes gave an interesting answer."
When he saw this, Klein realized that the diary page had already reached its end.
He quickly turned to the next page, but he quickly turned back because the following page didn't connect to the previous page at all.
Where's the answer? Is it on the next page of the original diary, or was he too lazy to write it because it's too long? Or he felt that there's no need to jot it down in the diary? Klein was so frantic that he wanted to transmigrate and grab Roselle by the neck to get him to tell him what Hermes had said!
Of course, he didn't show any signs of emotion on the surface, nor did he make any additional body language.
So the Spectator pathway's Sequence 0 is called Visionary. This corresponds well with the Dragon of Imagination. I thought it would be Dragon... Visionary adheres more to what humans know, which also means that consuming the corresponding Sequence 0 potion wouldn't necessarily change one into a dragon...
Sequence 1 Author. Just from the name of the potion, I find it quite similar to that quill, 0-08's traits...
The Twilight Hermit Order's method of summoning members is a realistic dreamscape that connects the eastern and western ends of the continent? The "miracle" description at the beginning of the diary gave me a fright. I thought they had the gray fog or the mysterious space above the gray fog as well... Klein calmed his emotions and discovered that the single diary page provided a lot of important information.
First of all, he knew that the ancient sage, Hermes, had at least lived to Roselle's era which was about a hundred or two hundred years ago, and he was a member of that mysterious organization.
Second, from Roselle's description of how the organization's name couldn't be spoken, he basically confirmed that the mysterious organization was equal to the Twilight Hermit Order.
Finally, he learned the Sequence 0, Sequence 1, and Sequence 2 names of the Spectator pathway. Although they wouldn't be needed anytime soon, they enriched his accumulated knowledge of mysticism.
Perhaps Miss Justice would ask the relevant question at any time... Her curiosity had always been strong... Forcing himself to forget the missing answers, Klein turned to the last page.
As he read, Audrey habitually observed the details, and she acutely noticed that the Dark Emperor card, which Mr. Fool had placed face down on the long mottled table, was missing!
He gave it to an adorer to provide the appropriate help, or he exchanged items with some existence? Audrey blinked, trying to guess the reason.
She was more inclined to the first theory, because without the help of Mr. Fool, "His" adorers wouldn't necessarily be able to destroy the ritual for the descent of the True Creator.
It's a pity that Father is unable to see the detailed file; otherwise, I would know who Mr. Fool's adorer is, hmm... He's a man of medium height, dressed in Loen's most popular double-breasted frock coat, and he had been near Red Rose Manor at the time. I should be able to lock onto a target by using this information as a basis for investigation... But that might anger Mr. Fool. "He" hasn't permitted me to expose the identity of his adorer... Audrey, don't think too much. Don't be curious. Perhaps you'll meet in the future... Audrey retracted her gaze.
At this moment, Klein felt like laughing because of the contents of the last page.
"16th March, my first time attending a noble ball in this world.
"The young ladies and madams are a lot better than I imagined. In the novels I read, they didn't bathe in the middle ages and relied on perfume to mask their disgusting body odor. They would frequently step on feces when they were out, and easily smeared their faces with things that are laced with poisonous heavy metals.
"But it's different here. They love to take baths. They have charming perfumes, fair skin, and tight waists. Most of them have pretty good figures.
"I overcame my nervousness and had a nice chat with the young daughter of Viscount Derilose. We talked about the meritorious deeds of my ancestors, talked about my family's estate, and my present aristocratic title. Then, she politely mentioned that she wanted to get something to eat.
"I didn't pay much attention to it at the time since hitting on chicks needed to be taken slow, but when I went downstairs to take a walk in the garden, I found her in an empty study f**king with the eldest son of Earl Florais. F**k! This is their first time meeting each! Is it me, Huang Tao, Roselle, who isn't good-looking enough? Or am I not entertaining enough?
"How realistic! Fortunately, the madams have treated me quite well. I can sense the hidden passion within them, hehe. "
Roselle really wasn't used to the Intis style at first. According to historical records, the Gustav family had been on the decline for several generations, with only their aristocratic title of baron and a little property estate to their names. This lasted until Roselle made his fortune... I didn't expect the Emperor to have a woman snatched away. Wait, I remember Roselle mentioning in his diary that he had done it with Countess Florais... Impressive. Impressive... Klein looked down at the two remaining diary entries.
They were of no value and were accounts of Roselle's life in the manor. The entire content was him wanting to hunt, his missing of delicacies, as well as his hopes of obtaining Beyonder powers and beautiful maidservants.
Klein leaned back a little, allowed the diary pages to disappear from his hands, and said with a smile, "You may begin."
Audrey immediately looked at The Sun diagonally across from her.
"Have you extricated yourself from the cycle?"
Derrick nodded honestly first before bowing towards the end of the bronze table.
"Honorable Mr. Fool, thank you for your guidance. It allowed me to find the key point of the Angel of Fate on the mural with the words 'Rose Redemption.' It aided the Chief in destroying the repeated cycle of fate."
What Angel of Fate... I don't know anything... The very puzzled Fool, Klein, replied with a smile, "Not bad."
-x-X-x-
Emlyn was similarly confused. Words like "Rose Redemption,""Angel of Fate," and "destroying the repeated cycle of fate" were beyond his understanding. He only felt that he could understand every word, but had no idea what they meant when placed together.
Could it be that the young Sun had just escaped the pursuit of an angel? Emlyn guessed from the small amount of information he could understand.
After Derrick thanked Mr. Fool, The Hanged Man shifted his position slightly, leaned slightly towards him, and kicked off from Miss Justice's question. He said in a normal tone, "What was the exact sequence of events?"
Derrick didn't hide anything and honestly replied, "Miss Justice, Mr. Hanged Man, Miss Magician, and Mr. World, thank you for your concern, and thank you for the suggestions you previously gave me. In my sixth exploration, I tried..."
He described his actions and the corresponding results, highlighting the matter that the little boy, Jack, came from Enmat Harbor and the details of the Rose Redemption murals.
Enmat Harbor... That strange little boy, Jack, is really from the Loen Kingdom. In other words, the Forsaken Land of the Gods, where the City of Silver is, is somehow connected to the Northern and Southern continents in some way. As long as one finds the right place, they'll be able to enter... Klein seemed to be listening leisurely, but he had made a judgment in his mind.
Enmat Harbor was located to the east of Tingen City and was one of the most famous seaports in the central region of the Loen Kingdom. Together with Pritz Harbor to the south, they supported the resupply of more than half of Backlund's goods.
The Spirit Medium, Ma'am Daly, had once "settled" there, and Mr. Z of the Aurora Order seems to be there as well... Klein recalled something from the past.
The same judgment also appeared in the minds of Alger, Audrey, and Fors. Towards this, some of them had pure excitement, others filled with curiosity and worry, fearing that the all-consuming darkness around the City of Silver would continue to spread, eventually enveloping both the Northern and Southern Continent and the five seas.
"The Chief told me that he recalled some unverified content recorded in some ancient books, based on matters that had happened and my warning. Rumor has it that when the Lord that created everything, the omnipotent and omniscient God had 'His' attention on this piece of land, he had several angels surrounding him. And there were eight leaders of the angels, powerful beings that were closest to god's throne. Among them included the son of God." Derrick recalled Demon Hunter Colin's words and slowly said, "He suspected that Amon is the Angel of Time among the Kings of Angels, and the mural depicted the Angel of Fate, Tail Devourer Ouroboros.
Eight Kings of Angels? The eight Kings of Angels who are closest to the Creator's throne?
Audrey was inexplicably excited when she heard this.
She couldn't help but curiously ask, "Mr. Sun, what are the titles of the other six Kings of Angels and their names?"
"The Chief didn't say, nor did I dare to ask..." Derrick replied, ashamed.
I really want to know the answer... Audrey subconsciously looked towards the end of the long bronze table, looking longingly at Mr. Fool who was shrouded in gray fog, hoping to get the appropriate answer.
She had already decided on the price she was willing to pay.
Why are you looking at me... I don't know either... Klein controlled the twitching of the corners of his mouth.
Of course, he wasn't completely clueless. He could barely guess who two of the Kings of Angels were.
The evil spirit in the underground ruin had described the Medici family as one of the founders of Rose Redemption. According to that mural, the Angel of Fate, Ouroboros, is likely one of the leaders of Rose Redemption. Both basically have equivalent standing, which is to say that the Medici family possesses a King of Angels, but it cannot be determined if "He" has already perished...
The Medici family is suspected to be in control of the Hunter pathway, which is the Red Priest pathway. That King of Angels' title should be Red Angel or Angel of War... @@novelbin@@
Since the son of God is a King of Angels, Amon is one of them, being Angel of Time. Then Adam might not be one, but I can't confirm "His" title... As for the other four Kings of Angels, I can't guess who they are... Perhaps, there might be one or a few of them inside the Twilight Hermit Order...
It's possible! The Twilight Hermit Order views the Fallen Creator as its enemy, making it at odds against Rose Redemption which worships that evil god. Perhaps, its true origin comes from those few Kings of Angels...
Right, there's indirect evidence which isn't substantial enough. According to the legends of the City of Silver, the authority of the Dragon of Imagination, Ankewelt, was taken back by the Creator. Logically speaking, it's not impossible for the Lord that created everything to give a portion of the authority to a King of Angels by "His" throne. And from the description and guesses from Roselle's diary, the Twilight Hermit Order likely has a Spectator, which has the strength at the level of an angel in the Visionary pathway or even higher. The two can form a correspondence... Hermes is a person who had experienced that piece of history... As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Klein smiled and said, "You will come into contact with it in the future."
When I figure it out, I'll sell you the appropriate information... he added inwardly.
Seeing that Mr. Fool had no intention of answering, Audrey looked away with a slight sense of loss, motioning Little Sun to continue his story.
Alger had a bold idea.
The history before the Cataclysm can no longer be referenced. At the end of the Third Epoch and the beginning of the Fourth Epoch, there were only the six orthodox gods. Together with Amon and the Tail Devourer, aren't there eight? 'They' had benefited from the death of the Creator and succeeded in advancing to Sequence 0?
For a moment, Alger felt that his thoughts were blasphemous actions that could be punished by fire, but he was also unable to contain his excitement. He finally calmed down and concentrated on listening to Little Sun tell his story.
Towards all of this, Emlyn could only respond with a blank look.
For all this, Emlyn, could only respond with a blank expression. Although the Sanguine had a long history and life span, so they knew quite a bit about the history before the Cataclysm, they were all concentrated before the Ancestor fell asleep, and it didn't involve the so-called "Kings of Angels."
While Derrick was recounting the details of how the City of Silver, Chief Colin, destroyed the repeated cycles of fate, Klein was thinking of another matter.
It can be roughly confirmed that the Tail Devourer, Ouroboros, is the Sequence 1 Snake of Mercury of the Monster pathway. All the Kings of Angels correspond to Sequence 1's?
Could that Angel of Fate be the one pursuing Will Auceptin? If he is, that means that the True Creator's forces in Backlund aren't limited to Mr. A and his subordinates. However, the two Snakes of Mercury are fighting for the position of Sequence 0, to the point of draining all of the Tail Devourer's strength. He should be fully occupied and cannot spare time for this...
Of course, I can't eliminate the possibility that Will Auceptin is equivalent to Ouroboros. However, the chances aren't high. Rose Redemption has quite a number of demigods and even angels. There's no need to let the Tail Devourer restart his life as an ordinary person without protection.
There's another possibility. The two Snakes of Mercury in Backlund aren't the Angel of Fate. The latter is still active in the Forsaken Land of the Gods. That way, all three Snakes of Mercury are accounted for.
After finishing his recount of how they escaped the cycle, Derrick expressed his gratitude once again. As for Audrey and company, despite listening to the repeated events a second time, it still left them shivering down to their bones, filling them with curiosity and fear.
This is beyond my knowledge of Beyonder powers. It's all thanks to the help Mr. Fool gave! Audrey sincerely praised the Tarot Club's master from the bottom of her heart, feeling full of confidence.
Alger and the others had similar thoughts as her. They all thought that the repeated cycles of life were close to a miracle that could only be destroyed by a deity. Fortunately, the master of the Tarot Club was a deity. Mr. Fool was a deity!
At that moment, Derrick looked opposite him and sincerely said, "Miss Magician, due to some unexpected circumstances on our return to the City of Silver, despite it having been resolved, we have slowed down. It will prevent us from returning to the City of Silver on time. Your Spirit Eater's stomach pouch will require another day or two. Yes, I believe I'm no longer under surveillance."
"No problem, I can wait. I've prepared enough gold," Fors said as she let out a sigh.
She had sold the Mirror Dragon's eyes to Miss Justice and had received 1,000 pounds in cash.
After informing her teacher, Dorian, of the exact results, her honesty had been praised and approved. Dorian told her that the 800 pounds offer had been made in order to give her about 100 pounds in "labor fees." As such, the extra 200 pounds would be a bonus for her. In other words, she had earned 300 pounds. Together with her original savings, she now had a total of 650 pounds, which was enough to buy the stomach pouch of a Spirit Eater.
With this, Dorian trusted her a lot and revealed a lot of information regarding ingredients.
It will take me at least two weeks to digest the rest of the potion. I'm not in a hurry...Looking diagonally across the table, Fors said, "Mr. Hanged Man, there's news of the Dragon-Eyed Sea Condor you require. 2,200 pounds."
Dorian had given a reference price of 2,000 pounds. On the one hand, Fors had allowed room for bargaining, and on the other hand, wished to earn a little more.
2,200 pounds... Alger couldn't help but frown.
His financial situation wasn't looking good after he purchased the Wind-blessed potion formula. Although he still had some secret savings, they were either of use elsewhere, or he hadn't been able to find a buyer for a long time.
Phew. He secretly let out a sigh and calmly said, "Very well, but I'll need some time to collect the funds. In addition, yours is too expensive, I have many channels to get cheaper ones. 1,900 pounds. That's the highest price I can accept."
"No, 2,000 pounds. That's the bottom line!" Fors replied without hesitation.
She was afraid that if she made too high an offer, then the other party would give up the deal.
Alger immediately nodded.
"Deal!
This... Fors was somewhat stunned.
After listening by the side and witnessing the conclusion of a deal, Emlyn thought and eagerly asked, "Ladies and gentlemen, does anyone know how a Sanguine can improve their strength without relying on the bestowment of their elders?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he felt numerous gazes land on him.
Sanguine? Is that the vampires of legends? Audrey's eyes sparkled as she studied Mr. Moon.
And as a novelist, Fors no doubt had all sorts of beautiful or exotic fantasies of the Sanguine, and her eyes were just as bright.
Sanguine? Alger was taken aback at first, but he soon relaxed his brows.
A vampire hiding in the darkness, covered in pus, while moving like the wind?Derrick couldn't help but look sideways to size up Emlyn.
Sanguine? The World was late by a second before giving a normal, necessary response.
-x-X-x-
The moment he was being stared at, Emlyn was momentarily at a loss, vaguely aware that he had asked something he shouldn't have.
Why are you looking at me like that. Can't I have a Sanguine friend? Should I try to explain... No, what's wrong with being a Sanguine? I'm a Sanguine; there's wrong with admitting that! Us Sanguine have a long history, long lives, and rich heritage. It's a lofty race! None of you are especially amazing either. What was just traded was only a Sequence 6 item at best! After a few thoughts, Emlyn White raised his chin and proudly added, "Yes, I am a pure Sanguine."
No one asked him if he was... Mr. Moon is lacking some self-confidence, which resulted in him reacting a little excessively... Audrey read Emlyn's performance.
He's really a Sanguine... Fors asked out of curiosity, "Mr. Moon, do you Sanguine mimic humans and give aristocratic titles like duke, viscount, earl, and baron to label different powerhouses of different standing?"
"No, it's you humans who mimicked us Sanguine!" Emlyn sat up straight. "Long before the Cataclysm, long before the Second Epoch, our Sanguine already had these aristocratic titles. Those who have yet to fully control their strength are underage Sanguine, and as for me, I'm considered an adult. Going one step further, one will gain the title of baron and the progression leads all the way to duke. Above duke would be positions such as queen and prince. Back then, you humans were still under the rule of the Giant King's Court, so it's impossible for you to invent aristocratic titles!"
The moment his voice fell, the nearby Derrick blurted out, "There are no such records in the history of our City of Silver.
"The categorization of the Sanguine was determined by the appearance of the Blasphemy Slate. Prior to that, it was very vague and ambiguous. There were only titles such as the different family clans' head or leaders of a territory. Standing atop all is the Ancestor, Lilith. After that, it strictly followed the potion system, named after the different Sequence names."
Emlyn replied scornfully, "The history of our Sanguine was written with our long lives. It's not something that can be overturned by the random records of some small, ordinary City of Silver."
Wait, they keep mentioning the City of Silver. Where exactly is it? Why haven't I heard of it... After the retort, Emlyn realized that he had apparently overlooked something important.
"Our City of Silver doesn't make up history. Our records come from ancient books that can be verified or from the ruins of other cities," Derrick emphasized, somewhat aggrieved. @@novelbin@@
If no one stops them, then I think they can argue about this matter until the end of the gathering... Although Little Sun is honest, sincere and reserved, he has a very stubborn and persistent personality. On the other hand, Mr. Moon seems to care especially about the history of the Sanguine... Audrey did her daily observations as a Telepathist with piqued interest.
At this moment, Alger interrupted the discussion between The Sun and The Moon.
"I know how to raise the strength of a Sanguine."
Emlyn's attention was diverted.
"Uh, Mr. Hanged Man, what payment do you need? I can use some of the lost history our Sanguine has in exchange."
Alger revealed a smile.
"No, we're all members of the Tarot Club. This kind of information exchange is free of charge."
Mr. Hanged Man sure is a generous, noble man... Emlyn inwardly made a preliminary assessment.
"Thank you for your goodwill."
After thinking for two seconds, Alger said, "The Sanguine can also consume potions to advance, but it has be in correspondence—the correct type. The various Churches have done a certain amount of experimentation, and the results have proven that this method is feasible. However, I am unable to find out the exact details."
"But the main ingredient for those potions are from my kinsmen!" Emlyn denied such a method.
The Hanged Man laughed and said, "Never deal with absolutes. For example, I have a clue about the characteristics left behind by a Sanguine baron. He died in a sudden conflict and didn't have time to find his successor. As for you, you can use the potion method to receive this inheritance and prevent the power of the Sanguine from being lost."
This item was owned by a great pirate that Alger knew. As he didn't know what Sequence the potion corresponded to, he hadn't been able to sell it. Even his newly established Artisan source wasn't that interested either.
Use potions to inherit an inheritance to prevent the Sanguine's powers from being lost... Emlyn suddenly felt that Mr. Hanged Man was very reasonable. Hence, he asked, "What's the price?"
Alger chuckled and said, "Between 4,000 and 5,000 pounds. I won't know for sure until I find the owner of it."
He had never communicated with the great pirate before, but he believed that as long as the price wasn't outrageous, the pirate would accept it. To a pirate, selling something would mean profit as it didn't take much capital.
"5,000 pounds?" Emlyn exclaimed.
With such a large sum of money, I can buy a few puppets that I've been eyeing for a long time, and I can even get some new clothes for all my dolls!
Emlyn's first reaction was to give up such a transaction. However, he thought of the Ancestor's favor in him, the glory of the Sanguine, and the identity of him being the race's savior. He was momentarily put in a difficult position.
Alger didn't rush him as he said indifferently with a smile, "I know this is a difficult decision. You can take your time and think about it."
"Alright." Emlyn breathed a sigh of relief.
Mr. Hanged Man is really... Audrey muttered to herself inwardly, turned to The Moon, and said to all the members, "Lady and gentlemen, do you have any news regarding the fruit of the Tree of Elders and the blood of a Mirror Dragon?"
"Yes," Emlyn answered without hesitation.
He had previously made a fortune due to a particular detective's purchase of Beyonder ingredients; therefore, at every Sanguine gathering, he would pay attention to such information.
Without waiting for Miss Justice's exuberant pressing, he continued on, "The price of the fruit of the Tree of Elders is between 600 and 700 pounds, and the blood of a Mirror Dragon doesn't exceed 100 pounds. I don't remember the exact amount."
He quoted her the original price and frankly added, "But you'll have to pay me an extra fifty, no—one hundred pounds. As you know, I'll have to take on a risk and waste my time."
This was what Emlyn learned from Sherlock Moriarty. He felt that this was very good and reasonable, because a middleman needed to be paid!
"Deal!" Audrey happily chose to accept as soon as he finished speaking.
She knew such matters could still be negotiable, but she didn't think it was necessary. She was afraid that the deal was off if she angered the other party.
To me, the most important thing is to advance to Sequence 7... Emperor Roselle once said that any problem that can be solved with money isn't a problem... Audrey's recently heavy mood improved.
After the New Year Ball, she had received control of her fortune worth 40,000 pounds. She just needed to hire some accountants and management staff sent by her father.
At the same time, she received gifts of more than 20,000 pounds in jewelry, horses, hounds, paintings, etc. Most of them came from her mother, two elder brothers, and other members of the Hall family.
As for the cash, she didn't have much. It was only 5,000 pounds.
Her contribution to the Backlund's great haze had been turned into Earl Hall's political resources by her own request to be kept anonymous, so there was no reward. For this, the great aristocratic banker offered to pay for any expenses his little angel had in the field of mysticism.
Of course, Audrey didn't dare reveal her intention to aim for Sequence 7. She could still only use her pocket money and savings.
Well, I'll be able to pay off my debt to Glaint by this month. Next month, I can pay 2,000 pounds to Mr. Fool's adorer... I won't be tight at all... Audrey thought in a good mood.
... Very rich... Emlyn almost failed to react before asking, puzzled, "How do we complete the deal?"
Audrey explained with a faint smile, "By making a sacrifice to Mr. Fool."
She was very proactive in obtaining The Fool's consent, conjuring the corresponding ritual requirements.
When Emlyn received the two goatskin parchments, he stared at them in a daze. The way they traded was beyond his imagination.
Only then did he deeply understand how the Tarot Club was different from a normal secret organization.
Watching the transactions between the members, Klein was very pleased. This was because with the passage of time, the channels and resources that were open to the Tarot Club would continue to increase. Everyone's goals and items that they wanted would be much simpler to obtain than in the past. It would no longer be in a state of having no response when making requests.
Miss Justice represents the Psychology Alchemists, the Loen aristocrats, and the power of money... Mr. Hanged Man represents the Church of Storms and the resources at sea. Mr. Sun represents the Forsaken Land of the Gods and the City of Silver. Miss Magician represents the Low- and Mid-Sequence Beyonders in Backlund and the Abraham family. The Moon represents the Sanguine. All of them will perfect the Tarot Club's trading resources and news gathering capabilities... They're all about to advance... While he was thinking, Klein controlled The World and said in a hoarse voice, "I have a clue to a characteristic left behind by a Psychiatrist. Miss Justice, would you have any need for it?"
Klein hadn't chosen to snatch Emlyn's business because he knew Miss Justice also reared a pet of the same pathway. He wasn't afraid that there wouldn't be any demand.
"Of course." Audrey hardly hesitated.
Her idea was very simple. If met with an enemy attack, it might not be enough to just rely on herself to provide a surprise. Adding on Susie, who would be even more surprising, it would make things more assuring.
"This will take a certain amount of time, perhaps a month, or even two months," The World added in a low voice.
"No problem." Audrey was under no psychological pressure.
She knew that Susie hadn't finished digesting the Telepathist potion.
Phew, as long as this deal is closed. I hope I can release the Psychiatrist as soon as possible... Miss Justice didn't seem to ask about the price. To her, with The Fool's supervision, the price wouldn't be too outrageous. She would accept it as long as it isn't too outrageous? Her finances have improved a lot recently... Klein made The World look at The Hanged Man and give a low chuckle.
"Are you interested in helping me sell an item?
"The price isn't less than 3,500 pounds. You'll be given a 15% commission fee."
"Pleasure to work with you," Alger first agreed to it before asking with interest, "What is the item?"
He was rather curious about The World. He felt that the other party knew a lot and had no lack of good things.
"A characteristic left behind by a Beyonder and is equal to a Sequence 6. The main purpose is to allow a person to change their appearance and build. There's the addition of powers such as close combat and control over fire. Of course, the effects that can be produced will depend on the Artisan's ideas and standard." The World chuckled.
Changing appearance and build... I really want it... Audrey and Fors had the same idea at the same time.
The only difference was that the latter was only entertaining the thought, but Audrey opened her mouth and asked with sparkling eyes, "Mr. Hanged Man, can I preorder the mystical item produced by the Artisan using this characteristic? As long as the effect of changing one's appearance remains!"
Father will definitely agree to me buying a mystical item that doesn't have any negative side effects! Audrey added, in an exceptionally relaxed manner, in her heart.
-x-X-x-
Preordering a mystical item? Alger was stunned for a second before he realized what Miss Justice was talking about.
The limits of his mind were widened, and he felt that there was room for exploitation.
In a particular sense, the Beyonder characteristic The World has entrusted to me has been sold. There is a definite destination to the item... I can easily simplify the process and make things benefit me more easily. That is to say, I don't have to sell it to the Artisan again. Instead, I should choose to entrust the work. This way, I don't have to worry about whether the characteristic can be sold. I can receive the commission from The World and also obtain more profit from Miss Justice's side. The only capital I need to put up is the fabrication fees for entrusting the job. Of course, I have to consider if the Artisan will be willing to promise to take the risk...
Many thoughts flashed through his mind as he quickly weighed the pros and cons and finally came to a decision.
"No problem, I'll take care of this matter." He looked at Miss Justice and felt that she was emitting a blinding light of gold.
Even after joining the Church of Storms and drifting out at sea for so many years, he had never encountered someone like that anywhere else.
There were plenty of sea merchants, and even more wealthy people, but none of them really didn't care about money.
Has Miss Justice's financial situation improved to this extent? Klein was shocked too.
For a moment, he wanted to speak out to urge her to pay the 2,000 pounds she owed to his adorer as soon as possible, but, considering that he had already agreed to Miss Justice postponing her repayment until February or March, he could only keep silent and not ruin his image as The Fool.
At the very least, the money for the Faceless Beyonder characteristic would be available soon. The speed only depends on how Mr. Hanged Man contacts that particular Artisan and the speed at which the Artisan can produce the mystical item... Unfortunately, I can only rely on Mr. Hanged Man to contact an Artisan for the time being. Otherwise, I can directly sell the special characteristic to Miss Justice without having to pay a commission...
With this in mind, Klein's mood became mixed.
After finalizing a big deal, Alger heaved a silent sigh of relief, feeling his financial situation slowly improve.
After thinking for a few seconds, he asked, "Ladies and gentlemen, which one of you has a way or item to make everyone on board a ship sleep at the same time?"
The reason why Alger still hasn't gone to that primitive island to hunt down the Blue Shadow Falcon was that he hadn't thought of a method of leaving the Blue Avenger, as well as the ten or so sailors and crew members of the Church without garnering any suspicion.
Let everyone on a boat fall into a deep sleep? The first thing Klein thought of was the Biological Poison Bottle, but the effect of this thing was completely uncontrollable, so he was afraid that the outcome wouldn't look too good.
Then, he remembered the Nightmare soul in Creeping Hunger. Making people fall into a deep sleep and dragging them into dreams were specialties of this Beyonder job.
But the problem lies in the fact that a Nightmare is unable to make that many people fall asleep at the same time. The limit to its influence doesn't exceed ten. To satisfy Mr. Hanged Man's request, it needs to be a Sequence 5 of the corresponding pathway or even that of a demigod... Klein struck down the thought and didn't let The World speak.
At the same time, Audrey, Fors, and Derrick either shook their heads in response or answered with "no."
Emlyn tried to recall and said, "I can help you ask. Perhaps us Sanguine have some mystical items that have a similar effect in the clan."
Always saying "us Sanguine"... In the future, I can convince him by targeting this angle... Alger noticed this and nodded with a smile.
"I'll have to trouble you."
Seeing that the transactions were coming to an end, Klein quickly got The World to bring up his latest necessities.
"Everyone, help me keep an eye out on the remnant spirituality of ancient wraiths and a pair of eyes from a six-winged gargoyle."
Other than that, the supplementary ingredients weren't too hard to purchase. He didn't think it was necessary to go through the Tarot Club.
"Alright." Derrick was the first to respond. Then, he added, feeling somewhat embarrassed, "Mr. World, the method for removing the mental corruption of a Beyonder characteristic will still require some time. I should be able to advance to Sequence 7 soon."
With that said, he looked to his side.
"Mr. Hanged Man, once I return to the City of Silver, I'll make a list of the commonly seen monsters in the vicinity."
He had kept everything he owed others and every promise he made without fulfilling them in mind. These plagued him to the point that he couldn't even sleep in peace.
"No problem," the gloomy World indifferently said.
Klein really wasn't in a hurry. He hadn't finished concluding his Faceless principles, and his digestion of the potion had only just begun. It would still take several months.
Therefore, his plan wasn't to head straight for the Gargas Archipelago. Instead, he would act as an adventurer and a traveler as he worked his way through the colonial islands. From time to time, he would change his identity and experience life in order to extract the Faceless principles.
During this process, he would inquire more about mermaids in detail. After knowing that the Church of the Goddess reared such spiritual creatures and that they possessed High-Sequence potion formulas of the Seer pathway, Klein kept feeling worried about traps placed against every Faceless in the Gargas Archipelago who sought advancement.
In other words, Klein had to spend two to three months or more time traveling and adventuring on the Sonia Sea. This long period of time was long enough for The Sun to obtain a potion formula, gather the corresponding ingredients, and ascend to the Sequence 7 Solar High Priest.
With the conclusion of the transaction portion of the gathering, the Tarot Club members entered the period for free communication.
Audrey didn't disappoint The Hanged Man's expectations by standing up first and raising the ends of her skirt, bowing towards the very end of the long bronze table.
"Honorable Mr. Fool, I would like to know the hidden truth behind Backlund's Great Smog. Is it purely a result of those cultists' bid to awaken the Primordial Demoness and to allow the True Creator's descent? Why did Prince Edessak choose to cooperate with them?
"According to your principle of equivalent exchange that was set by you, what do I need to pay in order to obtain the relevant information?"
If I knew, things would've been completely resolved now... The experienced Klein maintained his relaxed posture, chuckled and said, "There's no need.
"The root of the problem hasn't been discovered yet, but there are enough clues. I hope the members of the three Churches aren't too stupid."
The root of the problem hasn't been discovered yet? Mr. Fool has made his adorer give the Churches and the military a certain amount of clues? Audrey was rather shocked when she heard this, but she felt that this wasn't too surprising within her previous concerns and worries.
"Thank you for your answer." She sincerely bowed once more.
"Is Backlund still in danger?" Fors suddenly felt uneasy.
After Miss Justice sat down, Klein controlled The World to chuckle and say, "Mr. Hanged Man, I discovered the Baelen person you mentioned."
"The Baelen who was involved in the escape of many slaves from the colonial islands?" The Hanged Man replied with disbelief.
"Yes, reddish-brown skin, of Southern Continent descent, Backlund accent, and the third tooth on his left fake," The World answered hoarsely.
"... It should be him." Alger recalled for two seconds before saying, "Where is he? What's his present identity? Also, Mr. World, do you wish to receive 100 pounds in cash directly or an item of equivalent worth."
This was the mission of the Church of Storms, and purchasing clues was a reimbursable act; therefore, The Hanged Man wasn't pressured at all.
Of course money! Klein, who was vexing over his living expenses, controlled The World to say, "100 pounds in cash.
"Baelen is in Backlund. He was seen meeting a member of MI9 who was loyal to the royal family. I don't know who it was exactly, because he was wearing a mask."
A member of MI9 who was loyal to the royal family... The Hanged Man ruminated over the words, and then he remembered Miss Justice's question: Why did Prince Edessak work with the Aurora Order and the Demoness Sect?
It also points to the royal family... Can the two cases be one and the same? The truth behind all this involves the disappearance of the slaves? Alger felt that he could vaguely see some key points.
"You really are a well-informed and well-connected person. The 100 pounds in cash will be paid tomorrow," Alger calmly said his thanks.
"Heh." The World laughed and turned to look at The Sun.
"Kid, do you know ancient Hermes?"
Derrick didn't try to hide anything as he replied honestly, "I've heard of the Hermes language, but the City of Silver doesn't have that kind of knowledge."
During the Second Epoch, there was no distinction between Hermes and ancient Hermes. It was only some time during the Fourth Epoch that ancient Hermes was simplified accordingly, making it easier to be used, taught, and disseminated for daily use. However, it no longer had such a strong and direct effect on rituals. That is to say, the Hermes spoken by Little Sun is equal to ancient Hermes... There really is a person known as Hermes in the history of the City of Silver... Klein secretly nodded and said, "A pity; I wanted to ask you for a favor."
At this moment, Audrey remembered something from their conversation. It was something that originated from the Psychology Alchemists.
She had intended to communicate directly, but after looking at the new member, Mr. Moon, she felt that she didn't understand him too well, so she raised her hand slightly and said, "Honorable Mr. Fool, I have something to report to you."
Klein nodded slightly and isolated the senses of everyone else.
"What is it?" he asked in a calm manner.
Audrey said, honestly, "I got some information from the Psychology Alchemists. The most important thing is that they were founded after excavating the ruins of Hermes, who was the master who created ancient Hermes."
The ruins of Hermes? This old gentleman was still alive a hundred or two hundred years ago... Had he deliberately guided the Psychology Alchemists to discover the relics, or had he perished in the Roselle incident? Klein was stunned for a moment. After deliberating for a moment, he smiled and reminded her, "Hermes is a member of the Twilight Hermit Order."
He didn't mention that Hermes could still be alive, because it was impossible to confirm.
Hermes is a member of the Twilight Hermit Order? The Psychology Alchemists might have something to do with this mysterious organization? Audrey was stunned before she let out a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, I have the Tarot Club and Mr. Fool backing me. Otherwise, I would have no way of knowing and no way to guard against... Once again, she gratefully praised The Fool.
At this point, Klein wanted to comfort Miss Justice, so that she wouldn't be too distressed and worried about the Backlund incident. Maturing didn't mean that she had to give up positive moods and smiles. It wouldn't affect her ability to take things seriously and would instead help her persevere for a longer period of time. However, after consideration, in order to maintain his image as The Fool, he had to give up this advice he gained from being a former Clown.
He then removed the isolation barriers around the other members, waiting for the end of the exchange and for the end of this Tarot Gathering.