143 LOTM

Klein didn't directly teleport back to 160 Böklund Street. Instead, he went to sea with Enuni, found a secluded spot, and chanted the honorific name of The Fool.

Then, he took four steps counterclockwise and went above the gray fog. With a beckon, he summoned a paper figurine.

Immediately after that, he picked up one of the Cards of Blasphemy on the long bronze table in front of him, and he placed it inside his body.

Klein suddenly had an additional dark red robe. This appearance seemed to look like rust and settled gunpowder that had been stained by copious amounts of blood. As for his face, it was covered by a dark gold mask. The patterns on its were ancient and set off a contrasting appearance with the crown he wore that was embedded with gems that sparkled red, blue, and green.

This was a change that the Red Priest card brought about.

After repeated experiments, Klein had confirmed that certain traits of the Red Angel card were very compatible with the Paper Angel's interference effect with fate. It allowed the relevant powers of the mysterious space above the gray fog to be further enhanced. Therefore, he had chosen it instead of the Black Emperor or Tyrant cards.

After completing this, Klein, in the form of the Red Priest, picked up a paper figurine and shook it. He then fused it with the gray fog that surged over, throwing it at the rippling blob of light that represented him offering a prayer.

The paper figurine quickly burgeoned, turning into an angel bathed in golden light. Flames crisscrossed behind it, taking on the form of twelve pairs of wings.

This War Angel then used the secret connection that was generated from a prayer to descend upon the world and enveloped Klein and Enuni with its fiery wings.

Only with this done did Klein relax. Putting down the Red Priest card, he returned to the real world.

He first sought out food for Creeping Hunger before returning to 160 Böklund Street with Enuni. One transformed back into Dwayne Dantès, while the other turned into a young man with mixed-blood.

After combing his hair, Klein walked to the balcony of his master bedroom, looking far into the distance where Macht's residence stood. He discovered that the place remained brightly lit, a clear indication that the ball hadn't truly ended.

Typically, a ball continued until midnight, and of course, people were permitted to leave before then. After all, most people that were willing to dance late into the night were young adults.

Phew... Amon is truly terrifying. Just a battle involving a Marauder pathway's demigod was enough to garner his attention, even if one was in the city and the other was in the suburbs... At "His" level, the law of Beyonder characteristic convergence should be extremely substantial. Yes, I can't eliminate the possibility that the demigod's mutation while being on the brink of losing control had caught Amon's notice... Klein couldn't help but recall everything that had happened, afraid that he would find a thin, monocle-wearing young, refined man sitting in the reclining chair behind him while sipping from a glass of red wine when he turned around.

He felt lucky that he had already become a demigod and could converge the aura of the gray fog to prevent Beyonders of particular pathways from detecting it. Otherwise, with the interest Amon had shown in the past, "His" focus definitely would've been placed on Gehrman Sparrow instead of the Marauder pathway demigod. If that had been the case, he might not have left so successfully by teleporting As the Amon in Backlund was likely only an avatar, Klein was still rather confident of the Paper Angel's interference. He believed that this King of Angels had no means to trace him all the way to 160 Böklund Street from a trail of breadcrumbs and also determine that he was Dwayne Dantès.

But this still didn't ease his mind. This was because the Marauder pathway demigod was involved in Böklund Street as well!

She had encountered Admiral of Blood here and had been forced to trigger the explosives, finally parasitizing a rat... Here, she had been warned by a mirror, learning about the Marauder pathway angel who was in need of replenishments and that Blasphemer Amon was on the way... As she had refused to answer the mirror's question, she was struck by lightning, and had to move to Moose Manor... In addition, Hazel—the target she attempted to parasitize but was her student on the surface—was influenced by a powerful illusion tonight, exposing her teacher's condition... All of these factors combined might make Amon pay a visit... The more Klein thought about it, the more unsafe he found Böklund Street.

From his point of view, just the warning about a Marauder pathway angel in desperate need for replenishments was enough for Amon to take up "residence" in Böklund Street for a period of time!

Of course, there was an extremely small chance that the Marauder pathway demigod escaped and that nothing was divulged. However, Klein believed it was impossible. After all, even he had the confidence of handling the matter himself, much less Amon who had a certain level of control over Marauder pathway existences!

Sigh, I shouldn't have been wary against the grandpa in Leonard. If I wasn't worried that "He" would achieve another stage of recovery and cause Leonard harm, everything would've been settled rather quickly. I wouldn't be in this situation of attracting Amon... What do I do next? Regardless, I need to do something. Otherwise, not only will my identity as Dwayne Dantès be at risk, I might even implicate Leonard on Pinster Street and the ordinary people on Böklund Street. Who knows if Amon will suddenly parasitize them or not... As Klein's thoughts whirled, his expression grew heavy as he began seriously considering eliminating Amon's avatar.

His first idea was to establish contact with Leonard and come up with a plan with the grandpa in him, Pallez Zoroast. With this Marauder angel's knowledge of Amon who shared the same pathway, it was likely that "He" could come up with a good plan.

Klein immediately took out his pen and paper in preparation to write. But after making a few scribbles with the fountain pen, he paused.

He found the confidentiality lacking because describing in detail might result in having an effect on fate, allowing Amon to notice it ahead of time!

The more secure method would be to pull Leonard above the gray fog. The discussion can be held there and have him relay it and discuss it with Pallez Zoroast... Apart from this, what else can be done? Report it to the Church and get them to "disinfect" all of Backlund? Klein put down his fountain pen and muttered silently as he considered other proposals.

He soon gave up the thought of reporting Amon, because Leonard hadn't done so previously. With the understanding that the grandpa in him had of Blasphemer Amon, it implied that this method was useless. Either there was a huge flaw, or it might end up affecting oneself.

It's better to ask Leonard first and gain a better situation of the exact situation before coming to a decision... Klein quickly made up his mind.

He temporarily suppressed the urge to draw the symbol to ask Arrodes or use the paper crane to contact Snake of Fate Will Auceptin. After dismissing Enuni, he entered the master bedroom's bathroom, took four steps counterclockwise, and arrived above the gray fog.

Sitting at the seat of The Fool, Klein conjured The World Gehrman Sparrow and made the fake person pray piously:

"Honorable Mr. Fool, please inform Leonard Mitchell that I've discovered traces of Blasphemer Amon. I hope that he can head to your kingdom as soon as possible to discuss the subsequent actions. The time will be up to him to decide."

After throwing the prayer's content into the crimson star representing Leonard, Klein added as The Fool, "There's no need to hide it from Pallez Zoroast."

In the outskirts of North Borough, in a sparse forest.

Leonard extended his right hand and held down a blurry wild wolf's figure.

The wolf whimpered as the flames burning in its eyes dissipated, returning to normal.

Its body faded away and vanished into the wind. However, it no longer had the bloodthirsty feeling it previously exuded. All was calm and serene.

In the Northern Continent, after the Pale Era, the seven orthodox Churches, along with the various nations, jointly pushed for a Cemetery Burial act which had been strictly carried out to this day. As the number of humans that turned into ghosts were rare, the only exception involved the difficult-to-detect deaths in the slums or drowning victims that couldn't be fished out in time. However, the spirits of the deceased weren't only limited to humans. All kinds of wild animals and all kinds of creatures with spirituality could become specters under certain conditions. Furthermore, it was impossible for them to head to human cemeteries to have themselves interred.

This often resulted in rumors of ghost sightings in the wild.

Just as he put the wild wolf to rest, Leonard suddenly saw a boundless grayish-white fog appear before his eyes as The World Gehrman Sparrow's prayers resounded in his ears.

Traces of Blasphemer Amon. "He" is still in Backlund... Leonard's eyelids twitched as he tensed up immediately.

As he had received Mr. Fool's instructions, he didn't hesitate to speak with a suppressed voice:

"Old Man, did you see it? Did you hear it?"

Pallez Zoroast's slightly-aged voice resounded once again:

"No.

"Although I sensed an anomaly, I didn't see or hear anything. It will only happen if I deepen my parasitization of you, allowing me to directly control your Astral Projection."

Do you think I'm a fool? Hmm, from the looks of it, Mr. Fool's response is done through the Astral Projection... Leonard thought before he said in deliberation, "Old Man, Klein informed me via Mr. Fool that he has discovered traces of Amon. He wants me to head over to Mr. Fool's kingdom to discuss this matter.

"Do you have any suggestions?"

Pallez Zoroast fell silent for a few seconds before he let out a long sigh.

"If he wishes to deal with Amon's avatar in Backlund, tell him that unless he has the blessings of concealment, the outcome will be as you expect it to

be."

By saying this, Old Man is giving preconditions. "He" means that "He" will only be willing to cooperate with the blessings of concealment? Leonard's mind raced as he immediately found a dark corner and informed The World Klein via prayer that he could do it immediately.

As for the danger that resulted from losing control of his body in the wilderness, Leonard wasn't worried since he still had a Marauder pathway angel in his

body.

Before long, he saw a crimson tide surge towards him and inundate him.

-x-X-x-

Above the boundless grayish-white, inside the magnificent palace.

Just as Leonard Mitchell's figure appeared to the side of the long bronze table, he subconsciously stood up and wanted to bow to Mr. Fool.

However, when he looked over, he found the seat empty. No one was sitting there.

Doesn't Mr. Fool usually sit there? A thought flashed through Leonard's mind as he cast his gaze to the other end of the long mottled table.

The World was sitting there silently as though he was fused with the gray fog in an indistinct blur.

"... There's only the two of us. There's no need to deliberately use Gehrman Sparrow's appearance," Leonard casually said to The World as he sat back down.

After discovering Mr. Fool's absence, he instantly became relaxed. He wasn't as reserved as he was in the previous Tarot Gathering—just short of throwing his leg up on the table.

"It's a habit," Klein replied succinctly.

Leonard nodded in thought.

"I heard that Gehrman Sparrow's persona at sea is a cold, reserved, refined, and polite person. Your current performance matches that description very well. However, you wasn't like this in the past, Klein. You have to remember that you're only acting. Do not be affected by your persona as Gehrman Sparrow."

Hey, I pulled you up here to discuss Amon, not to have a chat! Why do you show so little concern towards your grandpa's matters? Klein had indeed made it a habit to use The World's persona in such situations. But when this was pointed out by Leonard, he was a little embarrassed to change back into his original appearance. He tersely acknowledged that he would keep it in mind.

"Did Pallez Zoroast teach you about the part that 'you're only acting?"

"Yes," Leonard answered frankly.

This grandpa seems pretty good. He mentioned such crucial information to Leonard... Compared to "Him," the rat demigod from before was really up to no good. She didn't teach Hazel any of the most common knowledge. Even if she did, she distorted some of it. Heh heh, no matter how unaffiliated you are, how could they not know anything at the level of a demigod? Even that half-crazy sea serpent, Kalvetua, knew how to respond to rituals or obtain sacrificial items. It even knew some theurgy and how to perform bestowments... Klein established a first impression of Pallez Zoroast.

However, he wasn't hasty to make a judgment. After all, fishing was an activity that required bait. Just one instance didn't prove much. Seeing Klein being silent, Leonard cut the small talk and got down to business.

"Where did you discover traces of Blasphemer Amon?"

Klein went straight to the point.

"I was pursuing a demigod of the Marauder pathway who was on the brink of losing control. However, I ended up encountering Amon in the outskirts of Backlund. All I could do was use Mr. Fool's powers to directly escape."

"Amon's avatar really is still in Backlund..." Leonard sighed before he asked in a rather curious and desultory manner, "Why were you pursuing a Marauder pathway demigod who's on the brink of losing control?"

After he asked the question, he realized something and swiftly added, "If it involves some plans of Mr. Fool, pretend as though I never asked."

Why? Isn't dealing with Beyonders on the brink of losing control or those who have lost control the duty of a Nighthawk? Klein sighed when he heard Leonard's question.

It stirred up memories of his time in Tingen City.

In that short two plus months, he had handled many similar matters. It included the Mandated Punisher of the Church of Storms who turned into a monster, Hood Eugen's loss of control, and Old Neil's corruption by the Hidden Sage. Although they were only a handful, they left a deep impression on him. It drilled certain actions deep to the bone. @@novelbin@@

Therefore, after taking into account everything that he knew, and coming to the conclusion that the Marauder pathway demigod was on the brink of losing control after rabidly biting someone, he didn't hesitate and used his illusion from downstairs. From that, he gained confirmation from Hazel and didn't even wait a day or two to make preparations. All he did was do a divination above the gray fog and came up with a rough plan before taking action.

Such matters were emergencies for him!

In addition, Klein had long had the intention of getting rid of the Marauder pathway demigod because the malintent she had shown when dealing with Hazel was obvious. Furthermore, she had tried to entice Miss Magician to seek out treasure that was in actual fact a trap. If he wasn't a demigod back then, which meant a great difference in strength, he would've taken action back then. Besides, he was also afraid that he would trigger unnecessary accidents.

It was precisely because of this that he followed his predetermined plan to eliminate her once he confirmed the Marauder pathway demigod's condition.

The first stage of his plan was to lure the enemy out of Moose Manor to prevent her from producing her incomplete Mythical Creature form before dying, as that would've affected the ordinary people. The result was pretty satisfactory. With himself as the bait, he achieved his goal, but he failed to use the Air Cannon bombardment to finish the battle. This made the Marauder pathway demigod flee into the woods and parasitize a tree.

Klein actually had a second stage to his plan and had even prepared contingencies in the event he failed to eliminate her. To his surprise, Amon suddenly appeared, making him terminate all his plans and flee without any hesitation. Klein's contingency was to let a marionette escape the battlefield and write to the experimental demigod byproduct of the Numinous Episcopate, Patrick Bryan, to get his help. This Undying likely possessed the ability to traverse the spirit world after all. And if there were any additional unforeseen circumstances, he could summon Miss Messenger and make payment after the deed.

As his memories surfaced, Klein replied to Leonard with a sighing tone, "A secret."

After pausing for a second, he asked, "Why didn't you find an opportunity to inform the Church of Evernight about the arrival of Amon's avatar in Backlund?"

Leonard hurriedly gave an explanation, indicating that if Amon's actual body were to arrive, a deity's descent was almost certain. He also explained that Amon could use the death of "His" avatar to see the corresponding changes in destiny; thus, finding the source of the stir and figuring out the activity range of the mastermind. It was also Amon's style to circle about a superficial avatar but hide a dozen, dozens, or hundreds of avatars. Amon's avatars could parasitize all kinds of creatures with spirituality. If one wasn't a demigod, they wouldn't even notice the parasite.

Towards the end, Leonard informed Klein in detail about the example Old Man had raised of how Amon would steal one's destiny.

This sent a chill running down Klein's back, thankful that he hadn't been rash in dealing with Amon. Otherwise, Mr. Fool might've been replaced.

It's no wonder Leonard didn't report the matter... For Amon to appear so openly, "He" is actually fishing. Furthermore, he has even more avatars hiding in secret, and "He" can parasitize the microbes in the air... This alone sends my scalp tingling. The creatures I can control at the moment can't even reach that state. The smaller the creature, the harder it is to see the Spirit Body Threads. It's quite a special case... Sigh, I can't use the Church's power, unless it's done by someone who is without any problems in every aspect... Klein commiserated as he gained a deeper understanding of Amon's terror. It left him a deeper impression.

From his point of view, Leonard was an excellent candidate to report the matter to the Church of Evernight, but with Pallez Zoroast parasitizing him, he didn't dare expose his existence to Amon.

In addition, The Hanged Man could also shoulder this responsibility, but he was unable to provide the source of the news. This meant problems that deserved deeper investigations into.

One choice after another flashed across Klein's mind. Finally, he paused on himself-his identities as Klein Moretti and Gehrman Sparrow!

As a Blessed of Evernight, it's entirely reasonable for me to inform the Church about Amon's appearance in Backlund. Amon won't be able to pick faults with that.

And having involved myself with the battle with the Marauder pathway demigod tonight, as the Bizarro Sorcerer who witnessed Amon and is now in possession of the knowledge that the Angel of Time's avatar is here in Backlund, it's also very normal and not something that will garner Amon's suspicion. At the same time, as I'm a Blessed of Evernight, just the loss of an avatar likely won't incur "His" full wrath for revenge. After all, "He" might be facing a very possible trap-a deity's descent! Having a backer really feels good... However, a price is always exacted for what fate bestows... Klein quickly came to a conclusion over the matter.

Then, he habitually changed his point of view and began considering this matter from Amon's point of view.

Amon is definitely no stranger to Bizarro Sorcerers. "He" can determine my pathway from my control of the marionettes and my swapping of locations.

Since Amon allowed a Bizarro Sorcerer to flee, "He" must've made preparations to be exposed. "He" might even be hoping to attract the target "He" is looking for.

I was using Gehrman Sparrow's face, but that doesn't imply anything. A Faceless's appearance is the least of one's concern... Hmm, then how would Amon determine my identity? A powerhouse that lurks in the dark and a demigod of the Seer pathway... As the Church of Evernight and the Secret Order are in control of the formulas, ingredients, and a mermaid, there are almost no unaffiliated Bizarro Sorcerers. The descendants of the Antigonus family have all been wiped out. Therefore, a Bizarro Sorcerer is either from the Secret Order or a secret proxy that the Church of Evernight secretly nurtures...

Together with me being in Backlund, the answer is almost obvious...

Due to these reasons, Amon wouldn't find it difficult to determine that the Church of Evernight is aware of "His" whereabouts and will begin an operation to wipe "Him" out. My reporting of "Him" will be within expectations. Not doing so would be abnormal...

Yes, "He" will definitely be hiding. Even if "He" replaces the identity of that Marauder pathway demigod, "He" wouldn't come to Böklund Street anytime soon!

Having made this judgment, Klein immediately felt a little more relieved because it meant that he would have plenty of time to prepare!

"What ideas do you have?" Seeing Klein's prolonged silence after he finished his description, Leonard couldn't help but ask.

Klein reined in his thoughts and asked without answering him, "What suggestions does Pallez Zoroast have regarding this?"

"He' said that if you wish to deal with Amon's avatar in Backlund, you have to first obtain the blessings of Concealment," Leonard replied truthfully.

Blessings of Concealment... Pallez Zoroast is openly trying to test me. Half the symbol behind The Fool's seat represents concealment... Using Paper Angels and the Red Priest card, I can stir the powers of the mysterious space above the gray fog, making it possible for me to disrupt Amon's avatar. However, it's probably unable to prevent "Him" from prying into fate itself... However, I still have another identity as Evernight's Blessed, and another title of the Goddess is the Mother of Concealment... Is eliminating Amon's avatar considered paying the price or receiving a bestowment? Seems like both... Klein thought before replying in a deep voice:

"Tell Pallez Zoroast that I'm a Blessed of Concealment. I will attempt to pray for help."

He was referring to being the Blessed of the Mother of Concealment, but it was certain that Pallez Zoroast would understand it as being The Fool's Blessed.

-x-X-x-

So Mr. Fool also has authority in the aspect of concealment... Leonard came to a realization as he understood why Old Man had specially mentioned the need for the blessings of concealment.

Without waiting for his reply, Klein added, "In addition, tell Pallez Zoroast that Amon might very well know that there's a Marauder pathway angel in the vicinity of Böklund Street."

This... Leonard's pupils dilated as he blurted out, "How would 'He' know that?"

It's not convenient to tell you why... Klein mumbled inwardly before replying rather sternly, "It's not like I'm Amon."

"Which of 'His' actions or words made you come to this conclusion?" Leonard asked subconsciously.

No, it's me who "told" "Him"... Klein chuckled as a response.

Indeed... Leonard nodded and said, "No problem. I'll inform Old Man of this."

He paused for a moment before asking, "Are you waiting for 'Him' to give a detailed plan?"

Klein tersely acknowledged.

"When it comes to the knowledge of Amon and the Marauder pathway, few are better than 'Him.""

Having said that, Klein, who had determined that Amon wouldn't come to Böklund Street any time soon, calmly added, "There's no need to be in a rush to respond. Give me the feedback at tomorrow's Tarot Gathering."

From the looks of it, things haven't reached a critical stage yet... Leonard figured out the most important information from Klein's words. He nodded slightly and said, "Alright, we will discuss this in detail at tomorrow's Tarot Gathering."

After settling this matter, Klein immediately got up and bowed in the direction of the "door of light."

"Mr. Fool, we are done."

Leonard stood up, but before he could do anything, his vision became a blur as the crimson stellar light inundated him.

When he snapped awake, he found himself in the sparse forest on the outskirts of North Borough.

"Is there anything you wish to tell me?" Pallez Zoroast's slightly-aged voice sounded.

Leonard cleared his throat and said, "Klein told me that he's a Blessed of Concealment. He can attempt to pray for help."

"Blessed of Concealment. Indeed..." Pallez sighed and said, "Tell him that as long as he can really gain the blessings of Concealment, I'm willing to provide help when it comes to dealing with Amon and finding all 'His' avatars hiding in Backlund."

Leonard wasn't surprised by this answer as he chuckled.

"Old Man, you don't sound as weak as you make yourself out to be!"

Pallez Zoroast chuckled without a hint of anger in his tone.

"Didn't you read through Roselle's Quotes? I recall that there's a saying that a starving camel is still bigger than a horse." @@novelbin@@

"That will depend on the breed of horse and camel," Leonard retorted habitually before asking, "Old Man, how should we deal with Amon? Do you plan on using yourself as bait?"

"Ahem!" Pallez snapped back, "If that were the case, what we'll be facing will be Amon's actual body and not 'His' avatars. When that happens, there's a high chance that it will instigate a deity's battle. I might still have a chance of escaping. As for you, perhaps you will return to Evernight's Tenebrous Heaven."

"..." Leonard could only reply with a chortle.

Pallez Zoroast continued, "Unlike the similar powers of other pathways, Amon's avatars can rapidly strengthen 'Himself' by absorbing the Beyonder characteristics of the Marauder pathway, thereby splitting even more Worms of Time, allowing him to parasitize different creatures. As long as there's enough Beyonder characteristics, this process can keep happening..."

"I-isn't this like the spread of a plague?" Leonard felt a chill run down his back once again.

If one had enough Beyonder characteristics of the Marauder pathway, Amon's avatars could go from parasitizing one person to the entire city!

"Pretty much." Pallez Zoroast affirmed Leonard's guess and sighed. "To deal with Amon, this is the only way to take action. Using Marauder pathway Beyonder characteristics at the demigod level to bait 'Him' out. As long as you successfully finish off one of his avatars, there are ways to seek out and eliminate the rest. However, Amon is a master of deceit. We need to be careful; otherwise, it might appear like we are baiting 'Him,' but in actual fact, 'He' is baiting you. On this matter, concealment is of utmost importance!"

"I understand." Leonard sighed and turned to ask, "How strong can Amon's avatar be?"

Pallez Zoroast fell silent for a few seconds as though in recollection. Finally, he said, "In theory, 'His' strongest avatar can reach the equivalent of a Sequence 1, but it's almost impossible for 'Him' to do so. This will make his mental state unstable and show signs of losing control.

"Typically, one of 'His' avatars is a Worm of Time, each starting off as a weak Sequence 4. However, each possesses the trait of an angel capable of shattering Beyonder characteristics. By absorbing sufficient amounts of Marauder pathway Beyonder characteristics, such an avatar can reach a level equivalent to a Sequence 2. However, Amon seldom does so. 'His' avatars will automatically fracture and create even more avatars.

"Furthermore, with the actual situation in Backlund, it's very difficult for 'Him' to gather enough Beyonder characteristics that can raise 'His' avatar to Sequence 2."

Leonard thought carefully for a moment before asking, 'So, we will be facing a group of Amons. Amongst them, a majority have the strength of a weak Sequence 4, with a minority having the normal standards of a Sequence 4, while an extremely small minority reaches Sequence 3?"

"With Amon's style, it's likely the case. However, you have to remember that Amon is good at deceit," Pallez Zoroast warned. "In addition, based on the time since Amon's avatar arrived in Backlund, the number of Marauder pathway Beyonder characteristics 'He' has gathered to date can't be too much. After all, this is Backlund. Also, if the situation isn't right, 'His' avatars will use the strongest one as the center and automatically gather together to achieve an elevation in strength. The most important matter when dealing with Amon is to not let matters develop to this stage. Otherwise, there's no stopping Amon from escaping even if an angel of the Concealment domain arrives."

"It's truly difficult to deal with 'Him." Besides, it's just an avatar 'He' randomly threw out to develop themselves. As expected of a King of Angels..." After Leonard made a poignant sigh, he suddenly recalled Klein's reminder and hurriedly said, "The Angel of Time has apparently already locked onto a Marauder pathway demigod. Klein said that he encountered Amon while pursuing the demigod. Also, Amon seems to know that there might be a Marauder pathway angel hidden in the region around Böklund Street..."

Pallez Zoroast fell silent once again, remaining that way for a pretty long period of time.

After a while, with Leonard unable to stop himself from prodding for a response, "He" lamented with a sigh, "Why is your former colleague as troublesome as you?"

"What?" Leonard wore a blank look.

Palle Zoroast said in a peeved manner, "The reason why Amon knows that there's a Marauder pathway angel around Böklund Street is likely due to him!"

"Old Man, y-you have the ability to decrypt?" Leonard asked in puzzlement.

Pallez harrumphed.

"I was using my brain!

"Otherwise, why do you think there's the prefix of Böklund Street?"

... That's true. Anything that has to do with Böklund Street can't avoid Dwayne Dantès... Could it be some problem that fellow, Klein, created? Only then did Leonard come to a realization.

At this moment, Pallez sighed.

"Thankfully, he only said an angel and not my name. Otherwise, I suggest that we immediately leave Backlund.

"Tell him that there are currently two solutions:

"First, it's to seek out a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact of the Marauder pathway or find a demigod of the Marauder pathway. Using them, we design a trap. This entire process requires the blessings of Concealment. Furthermore, it needs to be natural, reasonable, normal, and in no way incur suspicion.

"Second, wait for Amon to enter Böklund Street. He might do a combination of 'replacing someone's identity' and 'infiltrating through the air.' Therefore, your former colleague needs to see through the grafting of fate or notice the abnormalities in the microbes. Otherwise, no matter what plans are employed, it will simply be feeding Amon."

Leonard's eyelid twitched when he heard that as he solemnly nodded.

"I'll discuss these matters with him tomorrow afternoon."

"Alright." Pallez Zoroast sighed and said, "Also, if all the Amon avatars in Backlund can be eliminated, most of the Worms of Time left behind will belong to

me."

As a form of replenishing himself? It's no wonder Old Man is willing to take the risk... Leonard asked in enlightenment, "Do those Worms of Time have the Beyonder characteristics of the Marauder pathway?"

"It might be the case in my hands, but not necessarily for others," Pallez explained simply. "The Worms of Time left when Amon's avatars die will indeed contain a sufficient amount of Beyonder characteristics in the beginning, but they will quickly deplete and return to the main body. The corresponding power is needed to prevent this phenomenon from happening." Leonard first nodded before asking in confusion, "Why was the Luck Siphon charms made from the Worms of Time so powerful?"

Pallez instantly scoffed.

"Have you forgotten what the essence of the charm

is?

"Its essence is the power obtained from a high-level existence. It then uses a material that can handle this power, as well as the powers obtained from the corresponding symbols, to stabilize it. The Worm of Time's role is to be a unique vessel. If the level is high enough, its essence is compatible, and there is sufficient spirituality, the requirements will be met."

"Therefore, the power of the Luck Siphon charm actually comes from Mr. Fool?" Leonard asked in thought.

Pallez Zoroast chuckled and said, "Yes, you can try praying to Amon as well and use 'His' power to create Luck Siphon charms.

"Of course, the uniqueness of the vessel material will also affect the effects of the final product. In other words, different special materials will lead to different characteristics in power based on the response. Sigh, charms are a very profound and complicated piece of knowledge. It's not something that can be completely grasped by having some cursory education. You have to put more effort into

it."

Leonard immediately felt somewhat ashamed.

On Monday afternoon, using the powers of the mysterious space above the gray fog to check on Hazel's family to confirm that there weren't any problems in the meantime, Klein patiently waited for the convening of the Tarot Gathering.

Dark red beams shot up in the ancient palace before gradually calming down.

Without a pause, Audrey got up and bowed towards the end of the long mottled table.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Fool~"

-x-X-x-

After the greetings, everyone took their seats. Audrey swept her gaze across the third Card of Blasphemy placed beside Mr. Fool's right hand. She suddenly came to a realization that she had forgotten to obtain Roselle's diary entries from the Psychology Alchemists this week.

I've been caught up with the problem with Hvin Rambis all week... Audrey, who felt that she had already brightened up, instantly felt a little melancholic.

At this moment, Cattleya had looked towards the seat of honor at the end of the long mottled table. She bowed her head and said, "Honorable Mr. Fool. I haven't received any Roselle diary entries this week as well."

Queen Mystic hasn't provided any of the emperor's diary entries for two consecutive weeks. Did something happen? Leisurely sitting in his high-back chair, The Fool Klein felt somewhat puzzled as he couldn't help but have pessimistic thoughts.

However, he swiftly denied this possibility because Ma'am Hermit didn't show any anxiety or concern!

With the way Admiral of Stars presents herself as a fledgling in need of her mother in the dream world in the ruins of the battle of god, she definitely wouldn't be this calm if Queen Mystic doesn't reply to her for two consecutive weeks. Her anxiety might even prompt her to seek The Fool's help... That also means that she has received a reply from Bernadette in the past two weeks, but none of Roselle's diary entries were provided... Klein nodded gently and replied Cattleya calmly, "No hurry."

After saying that, his thoughts raced as he began analyzing the reason for Bernadette's actions.

First, Klein eliminated the possibility that she no longer had any more Roselle diary entries. Combining the frequency at which the emperor wrote diary entries, he surmised that the compiled diary would exceed ten standard books. Even if Bernadette only had a third of that, she was definitely capable of producing one or two books. In addition, the diary entries she had previously provided were just a tiny minority which touched on crucial intelligence.

Second, Klein didn't believe that Queen Mystic had gained the entire truth from the answers he had given.

Finally, he was also certain that she couldn't decipher the simplified Chinese she had in hand from the tidbits of feedback she received. After all, he didn't give a detailed translation, but vague answers comprising of a few words.

Combining all three points, he suspected if the diary entries Bernadette planned on providing next would be even more important. They were more key and pointed to a certain secret or extremely special, questions that made one unsure if they wanted to know the answer. Thus, this Queen Mystic was presently in a dilemma!

It's likely the case... I wonder what the emperor will write about. Besides, how is Bernadette able to know the importance of the entry... I should remember to get Ma'am Hermit to pass on my requests... While in thought, Alger had already turned to look at Leonard.

"I apologize. There's still no news of mystical items that meet your request at the moment."

"That's very normal. That's right. Uh, mystical items from Sequence 5 and 6 aren't common to begin with." Leonard nodded in understanding.

He was originally sitting very straight, but when he found that The Moon and The Magician weren't so uptight, he also relaxed, relieving the straightening of his back.

Upon seeing this, Klein controlled The World Gehrman Sparrow and said with a hoarse voice, "I have a mystical item that suits your requests in various aspects. It's just that it has quite a number of negative effects that make it difficult to avoid. Do you want to consider it?"

He was referring to the Word of the Sea.

Klein had never had the intention of selling this item that almost required sealing to Leonard, as he felt that his dear poet friend couldn't withstand the negative effects of Word of the Sea. The belting of songs that didn't discriminate between ally or foe, the trait of tripping the wielder, or the flaw of being prone to lightning strikes weren't easily avoided. Klein was only able to use it by teaching the Word of the Sea above the gray fog a good lesson, and having Winner Enuni wield it to not be affected. He had even converted the flaws into something that could aid him.

However, after considering how Leonard had a Sequence 1 Marauder pathway angel parasitizing him, Klein had the feeling that Leonard might have the means to resolve the problem. Therefore, he ultimately made an inquiry.

"Oh, tell me about it." Leonard believed that Klein wouldn't scam him, so he expressed his intentions of getting to know the exact situation.

The World Gehrman Sparrow glanced at The Hanged Man and said slowly, "It can release lightning on a target..."

He roughly described the Beyonder powers of the Word of the Sea and the negative effects, leaving Leonard somewhat enticed despite frowning.

It can actually be used as a staff to allow me to fly... Even at Sequence 5 Spirit Warlock, I'll need to seek out a suitable spirit before I can fly... Besides, the offensive strength really is formidable. There are quite a number of traits... But the three negative effects are quite terrifying... I'll return to ask Old Man to see if "He" has any means to reduce the negative effects... Leonard pondered for a few seconds before saying:

"I'll take some time to consider it. How about I give you an answer next week?"

"No problem," The World Gehrman Sparrow replied without any hint of surprise.

As for the other members, even if they were interested in the beginning, all of them gave up the thought of inquiring about the price once they heard the negative effects that the Word of the Sea possessed.

At this moment, The Fool Klein's mind was focused on another matter. He was wondering if he should take this opportunity to do a "warehouse clearance sale."

He had advanced to Sequence 4, and after becoming a demigod, many of the items and characteristics he had before were no longer of much use.

I can keep Creeping Hunger. I should keep it just for Traveling alone. In addition, it can Graze one Sequence 4 saint. It has room for further growth. Furthermore, the combination of the various Beyonder powers it has is pretty good... The value of Death Knell is no longer that great, but after activating Lethal Attack mode, the damage it does on a fixed target exceeds that of Air Cannon. At the very least, I can still use it at Sequence 4. Yes, it also has room for growth... The first two items that surfaced in Klein's mind were the two items he frequently used.

From his point of view, as long as he obtained more powerful bullets, he could produce terrifying effects with Death Knell. The only problem was that such bullets were equivalent to high-level charms, nothing that could be easily found. Even if he sought out the materials to make them himself, he had to consider the chances of success when praying to some high-level existence or if it was possible for there to be a backlash.

On this aspect, Klein came up with a few planspray to the Goddess; request Snake of Mercury Will Auceptin to provide help; go through Leonard to get Pallez Zoroast's help; use the powers of the mysterious space above the gray fog and also get Leonard to make a trip back to Tingen under the guise of a mission, so as to steal some of the powers of the Eternal Blazing Sun's divine blood from 3-0782, the Mutated Sun Sacred Emblem.

Flaring Sun Bullets are definitely the nemesis of creatures like evil spirits... I have some idea on how to use the materials via borrowing the power of the mysterious space above the gray fog. Amon's Worms of Time can be used to make Luck Siphon charms. My Worms of Spirit can also be made into Beyonder bullets. As for how it can be done, I'll need to ask Pallez Zoroast... Klein began anticipating the upcoming chat with Leonard.

Worm of Spirit was the name he gave to those transparent maggots.

Following that, he began considering the other items and characteristics.

Sun Brooch? I currently lack such powers and items... Although I can use the control over Spirit Body Threads to deal with evil spirits, I can keep it and allow my Paper Angel to have one more additional change. Besides, I can also lend it to Danitz from time to time.

Flower of Blood? I can't sell it. The Tarot Club doesn't have any Aurora Order members. I'll continue letting my marionette use it. Having one additional life is one additional hope.

Green Essence? I can sell this. I can transfer my ailments already. Creeping Hunger also has a Doctor grazed.

Murloc Cufflink? There's no need for this either. If I have a sudden need for its powers, I can transform into a huge fish. And in the long term, I can just head above the gray fog to use Sea God Scepter to augment myself with the effects.

Broken Finger? I wonder if anyone would want it. Besides, I haven't fully investigated why the rat demigod was sealed. It might be of use.

I have 1 purifying bullet, 6 demon-hunting bullets, and 2 exorcism bullets left. I'll just randomly use them. There's no need for me to sell them.

Biological Poison Bottle? Sigh, I haven't been able to sell it all this time.

Blatherer's aura? This can be used to make charms or bullets. I'll temporarily not sell it. But herein lies the problem, am I to pray to the Dark Side of the Universe? That can be struck off the list of options. I'll see if there are any replacement plans in the future.

An Interrogator Beyonder characteristic, a Lunatic Beyonder characteristic, 15 ml of a Thousand-faced Hunter's blood, 40 grams of Spirit World Plunderer powder, an eyeball of a six-winged gargoyle... Tarot Club members have no need for these. I might be able to reward the believers of Sea God or the Resistance in Rorsted Archipelago... As these thoughts flashed across his mind, Klein quickly made a decision.

As for items which were at least at the demigod level such as the Sea God Scepter, Groselle's Travels, the Giant King's Court key, he didn't consider selling them.

Then, he made The World Gehrman Sparrow say, "I have two mystical items for sale. Their levels are relatively low.

Cattleya immediately replied, "A low level doesn't mean it's useless. Many Low-Sequence Beyonders powers can even turn the tides of battles involving Sequence 5 Beyonders. I'm rather interested in knowing the detailed situation of those two mystical items.

Klein nodded gently and described the uses and flaws of Murloc Cufflink and Green Essence. After he was done, he said, "Murloc Cufflink for 500 pounds, Green Essence for 1,000 pounds."

Just as he said that, Audrey raised her arm.

"I wish to buy the Murloc Cufflink."

She actually wished to say that she wanted both. After all, the two mystical items have extremely minor negative side effects. However, considering how others might have their needs, she found it inappropriate for her to take them all. Audrey finally decided to only take Murloc Cufflink.

This could provide her a layer of illusory scales, preventing her from being easily caught. And more importantly, she didn't know how to swim. This could effectively make up for her weakness. As for the heat and the dry weather easily causing fatigue, she wasn't too worried about it. This was because, be it in East Chester County or Backlund, the temperature seldom exceeded 300C. The humidity was also rather high.

Seeing Miss Justice having her eyes on Murloc Cufflink, the other members wisely gave up without raising the price, allowing the trade to quickly come to an end.

Following that, Alger bought the Green Essence ring. To him, although the water domain had certain restorative spells, they were inferior to a dedicated item. As a Beyonder who often had to engage in melee battles, it was of great importance.

As for attracting mosquitoes, Alger wasn't bothered. This was because he had illusory scales beneath his skin, preventing him from being afraid of bites.

After the transaction segment came to an end, Emlyn cleared his throat and asked a question.

-x-X-x-

Emlyn couldn't help but clasp his hands together, lift up his chin, and say to Miss Magician diagonally opposite him, "I've already confirmed that the ancient abandoned castle in Delaire Forest is an internal test that the Sanguine had given me, having hidden the key situation."

With that said, he felt as though a weight had been lifted off his chest. He no longer felt as hesitant, embarrassed due to the difficult situation he was in.

He surveyed the area and looked for Ma'am Hermit's and Mr. Hanged Man's reaction. He realized that they appeared to have expected it, showing no signs of surprise.

From the looks of it, they had already an idea when Miss Magician mentioned the problem with the intel... Emlyn nodded his head in secret and added before Miss Magician replied, "I'm very sorry. I will refund you the 300 pounds for the intel fee. In addition, I'll pay you another 300 pounds. Also, I will punish the Sanguine who deliberately omitted information."

Although Mr. Moon always wears a proud demeanor, he's rather sincere when a mistake has been made. He didn't find an excuse to push the blame onto... However, I've already obtained the ancient wraith's cursed item and remnant spirituality, so the matter is already over. He didn't deliberately wish to cause harm to me and Xio. There's no need for me to get so much compensation... Fors remembered Xio's exhortations. Without looking at her, she said, "It's only a matter of oversight. There's no need for compensation. Just refunding me for the intel fee is sufficient."

Just as she said that, she suddenly thought of something. Since the ancient abandoned castle was a test of the Sanguine, didn't that mean that Xio and herself had been targeted by the Sanguine?

Fors finally couldn't hold back as she turned to glance at Xio. She found Miss Judgment shaking her head slightly, indicating that she hadn't discovered anyone monitoring them.

This... Fors felt puzzled and found it inexplicable.

She then allowed her thoughts to wander as she recalled the situation back then.

We did the exploration only after quite a while. The Sanguine had already lost their patience by then?

The boss of the town's inn knew of the ancient abandoned castle. He was a Sanguine in disguise? That's not right. Many of the locals knew of this matter. However, that place was too far away and there wasn't anything of value left inside. That's why, unless one was out hunting, people usually wouldn't head in that direction...

That's not right. If the ancient abandoned castle were that dangerous, why are the people who use it for shelter from the rain completely fine? They only describe it as creepy and a little scary? Yes, the Sanguine would usually seal off the passage that heads underground. They opened it for the test? This means that there was some form of monitoring...

Uh, because the ancient castle is too dangerous, the monitoring was done outside the forest and not inside? As Xio and I got lost, we circled around the monitors and weren't detected?

Mr. Fool didn't mention anything about it. It's probably not a huge problem... More attention needs to be taken when I return!

As Fors's thoughts raced, Emlyn said after some pondering, "...Okay."

He didn't insist on additional compensation, because he believed that the best form of compensation was to punish Ernes Boyar instead of giving money.

Then, he waited for Miss Magician to ask about the punishment, hoping that he could take the opportunity to make an inquiry to the other Tarot Club members. He wanted to see if he could get any good suggestions.

As for Fors, upon considering that it was an internal matter for the Sanguine and that although she was a victim, Mr. Moon hadn't offered a plan for action, she decided not to press further in consideration for his feelings. Instead, she decided to wait for the conclusion to see if it was satisfactory.

The palace that looked like a giant's residence turned silent as the mood turned odd.

Audrey looked opposite her and glanced to the side. Pursing her lips, she "curiously" asked, "Mr. Moon, how do you plan on punishing that Sanguine?"

Phew... Emlyn silently exhaled as he subconsciously looked at The World.

"He did so because of orders from the higher-ups. I believe that this mistake isn't something that deserves payment with his life."

In between the lines, Emlyn was implying that Mr. World didn't need to intervene in this matter. There was no need to escalate the matter.

Seeing The World having no objections, Emlyn cast his gaze forward.

"I plan on leading that Sanguine to a particular cathedral of the Church of Earth Mother in Backlund."

Having participated in so many Tarot Gatherings, even if he couldn't be concerned about certain details, he knew the requirement of hiding matters regarding himself in the real world. Therefore, he didn't mention the Harvest Church.

The Church of Earth Mother only has one cathedral in all of Backlund. That's the Harvest Church! The rest are all in the outskirts and surroundings villages... Leonard held back his laughter as he looked up at the dome above.

"You wish to have the Beyonders of the Church of Earth Mother purify that Sanguine?" Fors blurted out in surprise.

From her point of view, this was no different from directly killing the person in question!

"Uh..." Emlyn was momentarily at a loss for words.

At that moment, Cattleya interrupted:

"The Church of Earth Mother has the habit of inducting the Sanguine into the church, converting their faith and making them priests or bishops."

I see... With thoughts in mind, Audrey glanced at Mr. Moon without letting him notice it.

Getting that Sanguine to become a member of the clergyman, to pray daily at the cathedral and do voluntary work, so as to cleanse the heart. He would be stuck doing this for a very long period of time... Mr. Moon's plan for punishment is really vicious... However, I like it! That fellow nearly made me and Xio turn into ancient wraiths due to the corruptive powers behind the door... Fors instantly felt her interest piqued as she asked, "Mr. Moon, how do you plan on luring the Sanguine into the cathedral of Earth Mother? Have you worked out a plan? Perhaps I can provide some help. Uh, you have to be careful. You mustn't enter the cathedral of Earth Mother in order to punish him. Th-that way, the only thing you can do is to request Mr. Fool for help."

Of course, that might be something Mr. Fool wishes to happen, allowing "Him" to have someone on the inside of the Church of Earth Mother... After saying that, Fors silently added. Upon hearing that, Leonard nearly laughed out. He was extremely certain that Mr. Moon was the Harvest Church's Emlyn White. Clearly, this Sanguine was already a priest of Earth Mother!

This is slightly akin to a drowning person pulling others in... Leonard held back his laughter, glanced at The World, and he found that his former colleague didn't seem perturbed. He appeared extremely somber.

He couldn't help but think, Is this the power of a Clown, or is it a state that Klein is accustomed to?

At the end of the long mottled table, The Fool Klein nearly covered his mouth.

He never expected Emlyn to be so creative!

This was a little like multi-level marketing, yet it's a little different. After all, it's not necessarily a good thing for Emlyn to know of that... Klein leaned back into his chair as he awaited the development with piqued interest.

He had always kept in mind Miss Justice's advice during his last treatment session about not always wearing a thick mask. He tried his best to do so when opportunities arose so as to maintain a healthy mental state.

Upon hearing Miss Magician's words of concern, Emlyn felt even more awkward because he went to the cathedral of Earth Mother several times a day on a daily basis. He felt uncomfortable even if he skipped the weekends.

He cleared his throat and said, "I temporarily do not have a thought-out plan. I wish to get some suggestions from all of you. Yes, I hope that we do not have too intense a battle. It's difficult to ensure that the matter doesn't escalate, and I also do not wish for my identity to be directly exposed.

"Miss Magician, there are no problems regarding your participation, but we will absolutely not be meeting each other."

His idea of not directly exposing his identity meant that he didn't mind that Ernes Boyar and the other Sanguine could guess that he did it. It was a way to instill shock and awe in them, but it was best that there wasn't any obvious evidence.

Fors tersely answered as she mimicked the other experienced members of the Tarot Club.

"First, you need to tell us what Sequence that Sanguine is roughly at and what he's good at." @@novelbin@@

Emlyn was already prepared as he answered, "It's equivalent to Sequence 5. He's quite experienced and is good at creating the effects of the full moon..."

Effects of the full moon? Fors was taken aback as she turned agape but was unable to say a word.

After Emlyn finished the introduction, Fors said with a hollow chuckle, "I recall that I have other matters to tend to. It might not be convenient for me to participate in this matter."

When in a state similar to the full moon, she would hear Mr. Door's ravings!

And this meant that she would instantly be heavily injured by the target, losing all her combat strength! Emlyn frowned slightly, displeased with Miss Magician's sudden change in attitude.

At this moment, Xio, who had been listening silently, said, "I can participate. I just need a portion of the spoils."

Miss Judgment's tone is very firm. It's like she wants to exact vengeance... Emlyn mumbled silently to himself and glanced at Ma'am Hermit and Mr. Hanged Man, only to discover that they temporarily had no intention of speaking. It appeared as though they wished to observe what kind of plan the Backlund members of the Tarot Club could come up with.

As this involved her friends and how it could be the first mission that the Tarot Club members would participate in at the same time, Audrey was rather intrigued. After some observation, she said in deliberation, "I can hypnotize that Sanguine, allowing him to enter the cathedral of Earth Mother himself.

"However, to not expose ourselves and to ensure a high chance of success, it's best that he's in a lost or half-dazed state while I hypnotize him. Mr. Moon, can you do that?"

Emlyn was summarizing his powers and items to consider a solution when Leonard suddenly laughed.

"That's simple, but I'll only be responsible for making that Sanguine unconscious.

"Of course, the premise is that there's sufficient intel, and it depends on how we go about taking action."

Just as he said that, Xio nodded and said, "I'm good at tracking and investigation. You can leave intel matters to me.

"Alright. First, Mr. Moon will have to inform me of that Sanguine's name, address, and appearance."

"Alright." Emlyn heaved a sigh of relief before saying in a somewhat lost manner, "Then what's my part in all of this? Also, what kind of payment do you want?"

-x-X-x-

Upon hearing The Moon's question, the rest of the Tarot Club members realized that the main instigator for the punishment had ended up with nothing to do!

According to the established plan, all he needed to do was provide the name, address, and appearance before waiting for the outcome. Miss Judgment was in charge of tracking and investigations to figure out the target's patterns. Miss Justice and Mr. Star would then choose a suitable location based on the feedback before Mr. Star threw the Sanguine into an unconscious state without attracting any attention. Miss Justice would then take this opportunity to complete a hypnotism act and make the target proceed to the predetermined location.

In this entire process, there was nothing for The Moon.

Uh... Audrey deliberated and said, "Mr. Moon, what you need to do is to ensure that the hypnotized Sanguine doesn't encounter any accidents on the way to the cathedral, without him struggling or being rescued..."

Upon saying that, Audrey suddenly realized a problem in the plan as she hurriedly added, "If that Sanguine is extremely resistant towards the Church of Mother Earth, the hypnotic effects wouldn't be as effective. Therefore, I plan on avoiding this point if possible. I will imbue in him the thought of nabbing some target he hates so that he wouldn't realize that he's entering the intended cathedral during the pursuit. Uh, how about letting you be the target of his hatred? This will require you to be able to ensure your own safety while maintaining a distance without being caught." "...It's not a problem," Emlyn answered after some thought

With Duke Olmer removing the mental corruption of the Sequence 5 Artificial Vampire Beyonder characteristic, Emlyn just needed to wait till a full moon to become a viscount. That would place him equal to Ernes Boyar. And this opportunity was available next week. When that happened, he didn't believe that he would be caught up to by a viscount just like him when he was equipped with the Ancestor's ring

If it really won't work, I can borrow Miss Magician's spellbook. I recall that there are powers in the wind domain... Emlyn was rather confident.

By the side, Leonard felt a baffling sense of horror when he heard the conversation between Miss Justice and Mr. Moon.

To him, no matter how terrifying a head-on battle was, it was nothing compared to the horror of doing something that went against his own will without him realizing it.

He paused for a moment and replied to the second problem that Emlyn had raised.

"My payment is the same as Miss Judgment. I want a portion of the spoils."

To Leonard, this entire matter required him to determine the time and location to pull the target into a dream before he left. He didn't need to care if the operation was successful or if any accidents cropped up. It was as simple as heading to a coffee shop to order a cup of Desi coffee. The only thing that needed him to take into account was to not expose himself. Therefore, he couldn't bring himself to ask for an advanced payment, planning to obtain a cut from the final spoils of war.

In addition, he believed that this was a necessary thing to do in order to fully blend in with the Tarot Club. He didn't need to nitpick on such matters.

Audrey turned her head and glanced at Xio before retracting her gaze. Revealing a smile, she said, "My request is the same as Mr. Star and Miss Judgment. I'll take a quarter of the spoils of war."

In fact, she wasn't insistent on getting payment, because she believed that the Sanguine had bullied a Tarot Club member and her two friends. Punishing him was something she expected of herself. The reason why she took a portion of the spoils of war was to take into account Mr. Moon's feelings. She was afraid that her voluntary help would leave the prideful Sanguine embarrassed and angry.

Furthermore, Mr. Moon doesn't have any money, so the payment can only be the spoils of war... Audrey added silently.

Although she didn't deliberately keep count, based on her ability to take note of details and the memory of a Spectator, she believed that Mr. Moon, who had spent 5,000 pounds to purchase the Sequence 5 Artificial Vampire Beyonder characteristic, wasn't in the best financial state. Furthermore, he had to refund the intel fee that he earned.

Four participants, with each obtaining a piece of the spoils of war... That's very fair... Emlyn nodded and surveyed the area.

"Any other suggestions?"

Fors asked in disbelief, "It's that simple?

"That's a Sanguine equivalent to a Sequence 5. The plan you came up with sounds like it would succeed very easily..."

In her mind, Sequence 5 Beyonders were the strongest among unaffiliated Beyonders. Some were even the host of gatherings. Even the powerful pirate admirals were of that Sequence, but now, in the conversation of The Star and the others, such a Sequence 5 was to be finished so simply. There didn't seem to be any difficulties!

Upon hearing her question, Leonard thought and said, "As long as that Sanguine doesn't have any items that resist my powers, even if he's equivalent to a Sequence 5, I'll definitely be able to throw him into an unconscious state for some time. It will just depend on Miss Justice to grasp this opportunity."

"If I arrange the location and make preparations ahead of time, I'll be fine," Audrey replied in a confirmatory tone.

She was actually a little uneasy. After all, this was her first time in battle, but her confidence over her Beyonder powers and knowledge in psychological mysticism allowed her to say those words with confidence.

After Fors heard the response, she suddenly felt her mind a little adrift.

Without realizing it, apart from Mr. World, the rest of the Tarot Club members have the ability to finish off Sequence 5 Beyonders as well...

That's right. Miss Justice is already a Sequence 6 Hypnotist. With the cooperation of a Beyonder of the same level, there really is a relatively high chance of hypnotizing a Sequence 5 Beyonder...

Just as Emlyn felt that this matter had been settled without needing any more questions to be raised, Alger, who had been observing from the side, spoke:

"As members of a secret organization, I believe that everything needs to be considered at a deeper level."

"Ah?" Emlyn and Leonard cast their gaze at Mr. Hanged Man with a puzzled look.

Audrey and Xio were taken aback before they realized something

Alger cleared his throat and looked at Derrick.

"Since Delaire Forest's abandoned ancient castle was a test, why isn't the obvious Sanguine a test as well?"

Exactly... I knew that Mr. Hanged Man would've given a warning... The Fool Klein controlled The World Gehrman Sparrow to nod. Cattleya then looked at The Hanged Man with a look of approval and agreement.

This... Emlyn's pupils constricted, at a loss for a retort.

In an instant, he found himself too careless!

Leonard was taken aback. Immediately, he realized that he was too desultory. He had involved himself without fully understanding the details and without consideration of any latent risks.

Of course, this style had to do with his identity as an official Beyonder and its thought processes.

As expected of Mr. Hanged Man. He considers all the details with such meticulousness... Audrey, you need to build up more experience! Audrey focused on something else as she asked, "So we need to abandon the punishment and take action when the Sanguine are unable to maintain the secret surveillance?"

Alger chuckled and said, "There's no need to. Just a few acts of misdirection would do."

He then looked at Emlyn and said, "First, hand the investigation of the Sanguine to bounty hunters in Backlund. Use their existence to hide Miss Judgment's actions. Second, when determining the location, try to do it near an orthodox deity's cathedral. This will effectively disrupt any subsequent divinations. Third, before Miss Justice and the others take action, you have to do something that leaves one suspicious but is nothing eye-catching. Make it seem like you will be exacting revenge somewhere else so as to attract the 'eyeballs' of the secret monitor away; thus, creating the desired opportunity. This is combined with the first point. Fourth, only after the Sanguine is successfully hypnotized do you become the bait."

Having said that, Alger paused.

"If there's the addition of anti-divination and anti-prophecy at the demigod level, this entire matter will be flawless.

"Of course, Miss Justice, Mr. Star, you must be disguised during the operation, without leaving behind any traces."

This speech left most of the members taken aback, especially Derrick. He couldn't help show his respect and amazement.

Although he had no means of participating in this punishment operation, as a member of the Tarot Club, he couldn't help but be concerned and pensive about such matters that required a clear line of thought. He hadn't noticed any problems with the original plan of Mr. Moon and company, so now, he couldn't help but be impressed by Mr. Hanged Man's ability in such matters!

Emlyn thought and said, "You mean that I should use a superficial form of punishment to hide Miss Justice's and Mr. Star's secret operation? "It's like... It's like I would make it appear that I'll take action in a particular corner of a square after the target leaves a coffee shop, attracting all the attention, but in actual fact, Miss Justice and company would have already completed the hypnosis inside the coffee shop without anyone realizing it?"

Alger nodded gently.

"That's right."

I learned something new! Mr. Hanged Man really is an experienced Beyonder! Audrey felt overjoyed receiving an epiphany.

"The problem now is where are we to find an item or charm with anti-divination and anti-prophecy effects at the demigod level?" Leonard also felt that he had enriched himself greatly as he asked.

He wasn't too worried about himself since he had an angel grandpa in him.

Fors made an utterance before saying, "I can lend out Leymano's Travels. On it there's Angel's Embrace. I can also take one portion of the spoils of

war."

As she said that, she secretly glanced at The World Gehrman Sparrow, heaving a sigh of relief when he saw the gentleman silent.

Unbeknownst to her, The Fool Klein had a very simple thought: Angel's Embrace... That sounds so much better than Paper Angel...

With the punishment operation finally confirmed, Audrey didn't hesitate as she surveyed the area.

"I met the Psychology Alchemists's councilor, Hvin Rambis, last week."

What? Hvin Rambis is a councilor of the Psychology Alchemists? Leonard sat up in surprise. He had the urge to immediately report it to the archbishop and gather a team to arrest him.

It was an occupation hazard.

-x-X-x-

Almost instinctively, Leonard looked around the table and realized that none of the other Tarot Club members showed any hint of surprise. Instead, they were listening attentively.

They knew of it long ago? That's right. This is only my second gathering. I haven't had the chance to learn about many things... The secrets that get exchanged here sure are plentiful... Leonard retracted his gaze and returned to his original sitting posture.

After a slight pause, Audrey glanced at Xio, who sat two seats away from her, before casting her gaze at Mr. Hanged Man. She continued, "He attempted to cue me to interact with different nobles and understand their true attitude over different matters. I would then inform him of them. Thankfully, Mr. Fool had provided me with the blessings of an angel. So I wasn't influenced in any way. Uh, what should I do next?"

You can even get blessings from an angel? Leonard looked around in surprise once more, only to see no reaction from the other members of the Tarot Club.

Obviously, he wasn't surprised that Mr. Fool had a few angels in existence under "Him." After all, the name and title corresponding to Death Consul was one that he had heard numerous times.

He was just surprised that the Tarot Club members were able to pray for assistance at that level. He viewed this secret organization in a new light, finding it more impressive.

Meanwhile, Xio keenly caught onto a few keywords:

Noble... Psychology Alchemists...

Combining it with the blonde hair, emerald-green eyes of Miss Justice's blurry figure, she began to connect it to a particular friend: Audrey Hall!

However, she couldn't be sure because blonde hair, black hair, blue eyes, and green eyes were common among the Loen nobles. People just had different combinations. Besides, no one knew how many members the Psychology Alchemists had developed in the noble circles. Therefore, Xio couldn't directly point it at Miss Audrey from the traits she noticed.

As she tried to do a deeper level of observation, Alger had said, "There's no need to pay too much attention to this. The various orthodox Churches will provide protective measures to their believers with a rather important status. They will prevent them from being assassinated or hypnotized. This comes from experience that has been built up over a thousand years of history. It wouldn't be that easily overcome. From another angle, if the Psychology Alchemists really can control the nobles that simply by hypnotizing them, the ones ruling the country wouldn't be the royal family and the three Churches. Clearly, reality is in conflict with that.

"Yes, just as you said, Hvin Rambis only gave you a cue to observe the true attitudes of the different nobles on different matters. This means that he's holding himself back greatly, afraid of doing anything too overboard. It's to prevent himself from leaving behind any clues. In addition, your true status among the nobles should just be in the periphery. You have no way of directly involving yourself in various political matters. Therefore, in contrast, the protection and monitoring over you wouldn't be too strict. This is also why Hvin Rambis targeted you."

Mr. Hanged Man's analysis is really detailed... Although he often taught Little Sun and the others, he would secretly gain something during the process, wishing that he could get more useful information from the feedback. However, there's none of that this time. Hmm, it's the same for the suggestions for the punishment operation from before as well... On careful thought, his change has been happening for quite some time. It just wasn't too obvious in the past. I even missed out on it... Audrey's professionalism stirred up as she quickly did a mental analysis of The Hanged Man.

She quickly had a theory, suspecting that Mr. Hanged Man was trying to transform his standing within the Tarot Club!

Ever since Ma'am Hermit joined the Tarot Club and showcased her resources and channels at sea, Mr. Hanged Man has been unknowingly been searching to transform himself in a bid to distinguish himself from her... Before problems cropped up with the Artisan, this transformation wasn't that obvious. Even Mr. Hanged Man didn't realize it himself. It was only recently that he seemed to finally come to a realization and thought it to be true... Indeed, to maintain one's standing in the Tarot Club, the raising of one's strength is one aspect, but providing help to the entire group is another aspect... Audrey's mind raced as she turned her attention back to the topic at hand.

She pondered for a moment and subconsciously, her tone turned heavy.

"Does this also mean that the orthodox Churches will have certain levels of surveillance, control, and guidance for the important nobles?" @@novelbin@@

This was something that she had thought about while in the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation's office.

She had subconsciously drawn a scene that represented her concerns on this matter!

In psychology, elements she drew out in such a state often didn't point to something particular. It was more like an abstract expression. The "cold eyes" mostly represented her fear for people monitoring and controlling her and her family.

Combining it with her subconscious drawing, her worry of Hvin Rambis's cueing, and the celebrant of the Mass at the Church of Evernight her parents attended being Backlund's archbishop, Audrey's interpretation was that not only was she afraid of the hypnosis and cues of the Psychology Alchemists, but she had also become fearful of the othordox Churches. She couldn't be sure if they would directly use their Beyonder powers to imbue thoughts into aristocratic believers with high standings, so as to guide them into doing actions that violated their true will.

This was sacrilegious and rebellious to Audrey, who had received an orthodox education from a young age. Therefore, she had tensed up back then, immediately burning that drawing.

After hearing Miss Justice's question, Alger scoffed.

"Isn't that very normal? When living in human society, one has to accept a certain level of surveillance, control, and guidance.

"I know what you're afraid of, but think about it. Compare someone using their power conferred from their standing, using money and weapons to control and guide others, to using Beyonder powers to do something similar. In essence, is there any difference?

"The difference is that one knows that they don't wish to do it but ends up having to do it; the other is that they do not even have the thoughts of being unwilling to do it."

Audrey nodded and said, "Yes, this means the loss of freedom of one's mind and thoughts. It's the most terrifying."

Alger chuckled once more.

"How can there be a completely free mind and thoughts? By choosing your faith and beliefs, you're naturally bound by your faith and beliefs. Yes, let's focus only on the Loen Kingdom. The three Churches are equal, and together with the royal family, this creates a balance between each other. If the Church of Storms goes overboard towards its believers, that believer can easily convert their faith to the Church of Evernight. Therefore, under most situations, the orthodox Churches will tend to use their standing and beliefs as a religion to guide important believers instead of using Beyonder powers."

Balance... Audrey pondered over this term. She came to a new realization of the kingdom's upper circles and the entire world. This was something she had come into contact with before but had never deeply understood the word.

At this moment, many of her thoughts matured.

"Thank you for your explanation, Mr. Hanged Man." Audrey sincerely addressed him with an honorary title. "Then, how should I deal with Hvin Rambis?"

Alger calmly said, "The problem with him isn't anything to panic about. You fully have the ability to run circles around him. You can provide him unimportant information while keeping the core secrets to heart. You can seek this opportunity to obtain potion formulas and even their Beyonder ingredients.

"After some time, when there are corresponding changes, you can consider switching strategies. Of course, you can't be too careless. Duke Negan is an example of this mistake."

Just as he said that, sitting at the bottom of the long mottled table, The World Gehrman Sparrow glanced at Miss Justice. He said with a hoarse smile, "When the time comes, even if Hvin Rambis were to die, no one will suspect you."

Even if Hvin Rambis were to die... die... He's a demigod... Mr. World has plans of attacking Hvin Rambis? Uh, it's possible. He has always been investigating Cuarón's suicide case. He was even the one who informed me of Hvin Rambis's true identity... Audrey's eyes widened slightly as she felt perturbed.

Even when she hated and felt the most fear towards Hvin Rambis, she had never had thoughts of killing this Psychology Alchemists councilor. All she considered was the means to avoid being guided. On the one hand, it was because she didn't have such thoughts, and on the other hand, it was because he was a demigod.

This meant the top-ranking power in the kingdom and Churches!

"I understand what needs to be done. Thank you, all of you." Audrey drew a breath and politely thanked them.

...Klein sure sounds bombastic these days. Yes, he even wishes to get rid of Amon's avatars in Backlund. Hvin Rambis is really nothing... Leonard looked at The World Gehrman Sparrow with mixed feelings.

Cattleya and company also remained silent.

With the topic of the Psychology Alchemists coming to an end, Klein controlled The World Gehrman Sparrow to make him look towards himself.

"Honorable Mr. Fool, I wish to communicate privately with Mr. Star."

Klein temporarily didn't wish to let the other members of the Tarot Club learn about the eradication of Amon's avatars. It wouldn't be good for keeping the matter confidential, and it might lead them to be targeted by Amon.

"Sure." The Fool Klein naturally didn't deny his own request.

As Leonard was feeling poignant at the possibility of private communication, he informed Klein of the main points in Pallez Zoroast's reply. It also included the problem of the Worm of Time Beyonder characteristics loss.

This made Klein suddenly realize how he could use his Worms of Spirit to create charms and bullets.

Split off a few and kill them. When the characteristic contained in them return to my body, the remaining material can also be used like a Worm of Time!

The only problem is that killing Worms of Spirit deals a certain level of damage to myself. After all, each Worm of Spirit contains a part of my Spirit Body. Yes, I have to limit the number each time. Only after I fully recover can I do it again... In thought, Klein got The World Gehrman Sparrow to reply, "I will try my best to confirm if a blessing of Concealment is possible before I give you an answer.

"If there's no problem, we can attempt to seek out Sealed Artifacts of the Marauder pathway at the demigod level. Of course, I will try to think of the means to identify the grafting of fate."

Klein wasn't sure if "observation" from above the gray fog would allow him to see the truth of fate, just like how he was able to see his believers being parasitized. Hence, he planned on using the Paper crane to contact Snake of Mercury Will Auceptin and gain his expert opinion.

"Alright." As Leonard grumbled about how Old Man would've recovered further if demigod-level Sealed Artifacts at the Marauder pathway were that easy to find, he nodded slightly in response.