Amon?

Silence. Silence enveloped the great hall again for the umpteenth time. 

Alger's gaze lingered on The High Priestess, a thoughtful frown subtly tugging at the corner of his lips. Despite the gentle and slightly mischievous tone the man often used, what he had just described was far too detailed and precise to be speculation. This isn't the kind of thing you hear in passing. This is insider knowledge… or experience. 

Alger's expression didn't change much on the surface, but inwardly, unease stirred. He carefully replayed every word spoken by The High Priestess, analyzing the phrasing, the detail, the confidence. "He will whisper knowledge into their ears constantly… Knowledge Injection… correct and orthodox, without deception…" These weren't the idle speculations of a man who had simply heard rumors.

Could he be a member of the Moses Ascetic Order? Alger's thoughts sharpened like a dagger drawn in the dark. No… more likely, a defector. Or someone with close ties to them. Otherwise, he wouldn't speak so freely.

He suppressed the instinct to glance toward The Fool. It wasn't time to bring this up, no, not yet. If his suspicion was right, confronting the man here could turn this peaceful gathering into something else entirely. Alger tucked the thought away, expression calm. I'll verify it later. Perhaps send someone to shadow his contacts since he did know his real name as well. Wouldn't that risk offending The Fool? He contemplated.

Audrey, meanwhile, had sat up straight, her earlier amused state all but forgotten. Her blue eyes blinked several times, disbelief and horror struggling for dominance. "That… that sounds awful," she muttered quietly, almost to herself. "Constant whispering, knowledge being forced into your mind…" She shivered unconsciously, unaware of Alger's brewing suspicion

The Spectator in her was already dissecting the implications: how many had fallen to madness trying to walk this path? How many had lost their sense of self under the weight of 'truth'? Didn't Mr Priestess also want to be a beyonder from this pathway? Why would he want to go through all this? Then another thought crossed her mind.

Audrey furrowed her brow slightly, her gaze drifting thoughtfully through the gray fog. "Wait… you said the Hidden Sage might be a King of Angels?" she repeated, the unfamiliar term sounding both sacred and dangerous. 

"What does that mean? I don't think I've ever heard of such a thing before. Is it… a type of god? Or something else entirely?" Her voice was curious, yet laced with a subtle wariness, as though she sensed the answer might reveal something far darker than she was prepared for. She turned her bright gaze toward The High Priestess, clearly expecting an explanation.

Arthus's smile didn't waver, but behind his composed exterior, a flicker of restraint passed through his mind. Damn… I said too much, didn't I? I shouldn't have tried to farm aura points. It had slipped out too naturally, too easily. Still, there was no panic. He had time to choose his words.

Alger's stomach turned slightly. King of Angels? The phrase struck him like cold seawater to the face. Alien. Wrong. That's not a title anyone should utter lightly. He'd never heard it before, not in church doctrine, not in any of the ancient pirate logs, nor in the clandestine gatherings he'd attended over the years. But that only made it more unsettling.

What arrogance. What blasphemy. His thoughts sharpened, nearly spitting the words internally. There are gods, there are angels. The order is divine, hierarchical. To suggest a "King" among Angels… as if angels could rule one another? As if one could stand above the rest without being a god? His instincts, molded by years of revering the Lord of Storms and fearing the deep mysteries of the sea, recoiled.

He kept his face still, but deep down, he felt as though something sacred had been toyed with. This man speaks of such things without reverence. No fear in his voice. No hesitation. Either he doesn't understand what he's saying… or worse, he does, and says it anyway.

A part of him wanted to cut in, to rebuke the idea outright, to say it was heresy born from madmen who'd stared too long into the void. But another part, cooler, more calculating, held him back. Not here. Not yet. If he truly believes in such a thing… I'll find out where he learned it. And who he serves.

Alger glanced once more at The Fool, cloaked in silence, and felt a strange sense of pressure in his chest.

Just what kind of gathering am I sitting in?

Audrey waited with bated breath, her bright eyes locked onto The High Priestess. The term King of Angels had shaken her, but not with fear, no, it had stirred the desire to understand, to know something hidden from even the most elite circles. She leaned forward slightly, expectant, lips parting to ask more but instead of a solemn explanation, Arthus suddenly let out a soft, musical laugh.

It wasn't mocking, but it wasn't entirely kind either. It rang through the gray fog like the chime of a bell in an empty temple, playful, deliberate, and just faintly unsettling.

"Haha… you're all so serious," he said, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "But no, I won't answer that"

Audrey blinked, taken aback. A part of her wanted to pout in protest, but she held her tongue. There was something offbeat and unreadable in his smile, like he was balancing on a line between oracle and trickster.

"It involves the secrets of gods," Mr Priestess added lightly, almost as if it were gossip. "And you… none of you can afford the answer yet"

Then he gave a careless shrug, as though brushing dust from his shoulder.

"I only brought it up because I felt ignored," he said, lips quirking upward. "Everyone was talking and I was just sitting there like furniture. I thought I'd say something interesting so I could join in too"

Audrey's eyes widened a touch. That wasn't what she expected at all. He'd dropped a revelation heavy enough to change a person's worldview, just because he was feeling left out?

Alger, meanwhile, was watching in silence, his expression hard to read but his thoughts anything but calm.

You… you laugh in the middle of a sacred discussion. You toss around the phrase "secrets of gods" like it's a card in a bar game… and now you say you did it just to be included?

The irreverence scraped against every fiber of discipline the Church had hammered into him. Blasphemer, he thought coldly. But the word didn't feel sufficient. No, 'The High Priestess' wasn't just a heretic. He was something worse, someone who wore knowledge like jewelry, not armor. Someone who could speak truths too dangerous for ordinary ears, and do so with a smirk.

Soon silence again enveloped the mysterious great hall. Leaving everyone to ponder on their thoughts.

It was soon broken by 'The High Priestess' who turned towards Alger and asked,

"Mr. Hanged Man, how is the matter regarding my request I made in the last meeting?"

Alger had forgotten about mentioning this due to what 'The High Priestess' had blurted out so casually. He collected himself and answered,

"I have gathered all the potion materials and you can expect to receive your package in the next few days before the next 'Tarot Club' meeting. I haven't forgotten your instructions regarding the letter for your servant as well" 

"I see. Thank you Mr. Hanged Man for troubling yourself with my request" said 'The High Priestess' with genuine gratitude as Alger saw her shoulders visibly relax in confirmation.

"It was nothing to me" replied Alger. Of course it wasn't anything to him, with the amount of money he had amassed, he would have done anything for 'The High Priestess'.

Soon after confirming that their conversation had ended. Audrey gently reminded Mr. Hanged Man that their transaction had not ended yet,

"Mr. Hanged Man, you still haven't answered my questions regarding the many mysterious organisations too, of course Mr. Priestess is welcome to join our conversation if he has anything to share as well" hopeful to gain any more information from the mysterious knowledgeable man.

"Sure Miss Justice, though this time I'll try not to mention stuff that's way above our current sequences to know about. Heh, I'm not even a beyonder yet. I also apologies to Mr. Fool if I've overstepped my bounds and said something offensive" said Mr Priestess while turning to look at the main seat.

Mr Fool replied casually with a small chuckle "It's nothing"

Alger then began again describing all the secret organisations with his own speculation of his understanding of how they worked. When he mentioned the Demoness Sect, 'The High Priestess' joined in the conversation. Algers main points were, 

The Demoness Sect was also known as the Demoness Family in the Fourth Epoch. Back then, they had very few members, and their beliefs were passed down through their bloodlines. Plus, they would kill the fathers of their children and abandon the baby boys.

Hence, all the members were female.

"As you know from my own experience, the Demoness Sect member who had tried to initiate me into their organisation was a man before taking the Witch potion. What Mr. Hanged Man relayed is true to some extent but not quite true. The members were all female yes but all of them were men at one point. 

There are no female Demonesses, not that they are not female when they transition after the Witch potion, no, but the fact that there are no female Demonesses who were female before taking the Witch potion. 

As for why this is the case, it involves the secrets of the gods so I will not elaborate.

As for the case with the baby boys. They don't kill them or abandon them, in fact it's the opposite, female babies are the ones who are given away or abandoned. As for killing their babies I doubt it actually happens but I cannot confirm.

Yes as you might have guessed by now, the male babies are groomed and then initiated in their organisation. Regardless, this should paint a vivid picture in your mind regarding how this organisation works" said 'The High Priestess' providing more context to Alger's opinions and correcting his beliefs.

Everyone was left in a contemplating silence which again was broken by Alger who explained all the other secret organisations he knew about. This time 'The High Priestess' didn't join their conversation, much to his relief. There was a limit on how much stress his mind could bear if he started blaspheming casually.

After a further exchange of information, Mr Fool announced the end of the Gathering.

" " " By your will" " " Audrey, Alger and Arthus stood up together.