Chapter Text
Backlund, inside an ordinary house.
Despite being morning, the curtains were tightly shut, preventing any sliver of light from entering the room.
Ince Zangwill woke from his slumber and the first thing he did was to check his body.
This was something he had to repeat every day since he had no idea what kind of story 0-08 would compose after he slept.
After confirming that he wasn’t injured, Ince Zangwill wore a pair of leather boots and stood up. Without any surprises, he saw 0-08 silently sitting on his desk as though it was an ordinary quill. However, just last night it had been locked in a metal box covered with symbols and magic labels.
Ince Zangwill walked over with a heavy heart and grabbed 0-08. He flipped open the notebook beside him and discovered that there was another page of text.
“Ince Zangwill couldn’t recall what he had done last night, but he acutely sensed some problems. He looked into the mirror and found his reflection somewhat unfamiliar, as though his body had given birth to another Ince Zangwill.
“He looked down and saw there were obvious abnormalities under his fingernails, but he couldn’t recall what he had done the previous night no matter how hard he tried…”
After seeing this description, Ince Zangwill instinctively looked at the full-body mirror in the room. He saw that he was still blind in one eye. His classic chiseled face didn’t have a single wrinkle, but there was a smile lingering at the corners of his mouth. It formed a stark contrast with his heavy gaze.
At this moment, Ince felt that his face was a little livid. He had eye bags, and it was matched with the smile he couldn’t understand. He appeared sinister, vicious, and strange.
He lifted his hands and saw black stains underneath his fingernails, as though he had spent half the night digging up roots in the garden.
Scowling fiercely, he immediately planned to communicate with the spirits inside and outside the house to figure out what had happened last night.
At this point, he saw the final passage in the notebook through the corner of his eye.
“Ince Zangwill attempted to channel spirits, but sadly he realized that it was to no avail. It was as though a person of a similar profession had wiped out all clues. He was very worried, unaware of what he had embroiled himself with the previous night.”
Ince Zangwill’s expression turned heavy as he attempted to channel the nearby spirits. Within his expectations, he didn’t receive any outcome.
…
After returning to 15 Minsk Street and passing the day peacefully, on Monday afternoon, Klein had just finished a late lunch and was washing the dishes in the sink when the sudden sound of the doorbell alerted him.
Ding dong!
Drying his hands, Klein glanced at the front door, which was visible from the kitchen. Immediately, an image of the visitor appeared in his mind.
It was a man in his forties who was rather fat, and he appeared to have difficulty even standing. His eyes were tiny from the copious amounts of flesh on his face. His skin was rough but very white, and he held a gentleman’s cane in his head. On his head, a very tall and large hat was framed by sparse hair.
Even though Backlund was extremely cold at this time, to the point where fewer people walked outside on the streets, his forehead was sweaty.
Beside him were two attendants in bright red coats, supporting him from both sides.
This is…He seems a bit familiar…Klein frowned and searched his memory before he suddenly remembered who the man was.
That’s Rogo Colloman, the jewelry businessman whose son was possessed by an evil spirit! Why is he knocking on my door? It must be for a commission, the same one as before…But I’ve already dealt with Kapusky Reid, who was the catalyst for his son’s possession! And that was quite some time ago as well…Unless Colloman’s son was already possessed by then? That’s not right.
The only explanation is either his son found some other way to get possessed, or Kapusky Reid hasn’t listened to my warning!
Klein immediately became serious but placed a genial smile on his face as he walked towards the door and opened it. “Good afternoon. Is there anything I can help you with?”
“Good afternoon. You are Detective Sherlock Moriarty?” Rogo Colloman forced a smile and said, “I have something I want to entrust to you. I’m Rogo Colloman, a jewelry businessman.”
“Please, come in.” Klein smiled and made way.
Rogo Colloman stepped in with heavy footsteps and sat down on the sofa, causing the old furniture to emit a resistant groan.
“What is it exactly?” Klein asked once the heavyset businessman was settled.
Rogo sighed. “It’s a bit of a sensitive matter. I wish for you to protect my son for a day, from Tuesday morning to Wednesday afternoon. He…has encountered some trouble, and I can’t go to the police. It’s nothing serious, but he got into some bad company and was led to do bad things.
“He recently had a falling out with those bad friends of his. As a result, he suddenly broke down and kept yelling that those people wanted to kill him. Not only that, but…” The businessman suddenly stopped speaking and sighed again, heavily.
Klein’s brows furrowed slightly. There’s definitely something abnormal here…
Rogo Colloman continued speaking. “I was very worried, so I hired quite a few bodyguards from a security company. However, one of them suddenly had an accident at home and will only be able to return Wednesday afternoon. Therefore, I can only hire another detective at the last minute. I’m sorry, I can only hire you for the day, but the reward will be ten pounds, and if you encounter danger, I will add more.”
It’s a short commission and won’t take too much of my time…Klein took out a copper penny and rolled it between his fingers as if it was a natural part of his thinking process. The details mostly match up with what I experienced before I went back in time, except it looks like the situation is more severe, and the obvious– I already dealt with Kapusky Reid! Was it a bad decision to not turn him in to the police? But at the time, he was genuinely frightened and swore not to do anything risky like that again…
Something must have changed…I need to investigate the situation, and also exorcise the evil spirit in Rogo Colloman’s son. As a plus, I’ll earn ten pounds from it…
Klein flicked the copper coin into the air, then caught it in his hand. Opening his palm, he saw that it had landed on heads.
He smiled up at Rogo Colloman and said, “Deal.”
After discussing a few more details, the still-sweating man stood up and shook his hand, then left satisfied.
Tuesday to Wednesday afternoon…That’s not too bad. Klein contemplated silently. After wrapping this up and talking to Leonard, I’ll find an opportunity to quietly leave Backlund. Best case scenario, my departure isn’t noticed by 0-08 or Ince Zangwill doesn’t attempt to stop me. However, just in case, I should have a few contingency plans…
He returned to the kitchen and finished cleaning up, rinsing off the dirty plates he used and then drying them. It’s too bad a dishwasher hasn’t been invented yet…Klein lamented inwardly. I seem to recall that in Roselle’s museum, in his book of ‘invention ideas,’ there was something resembling a modern dishwasher…Sigh, Emperor, couldn’t you have invented it for real?
Wrapped up in his thoughts, Klein didn’t notice as a plate slipped out of his hands and fell to the floor.
Crash!
The porcelain plate smashed against the ground and broke into dozens of different pieces, scattering against the hardwood floor.
Klein froze in shock.
…What just happened? He frowned at the ruined plate and went to get a broom and dustpan. Since he was wearing long pants and socks, none of the sharp pieces cut him.
After cleaning up the shards, Klein sighed to himself. A perfectly good plate, ruined for no reason…And it was porcelain, too. That’s almost two soli!
Then, glancing at his silver pocket watch, he walked upstairs to his bedroom and closed the door behind him.
It’s almost three…Klein familiarly set up a wall of spirituality, sealing the room.
He took four steps counterclockwise, chanting to himself quietly, and soon found himself in Sefirah Castle.
Looking around, he settled into The Fool’s chair and conjured up an image of The World in the opposite chair, smoothly controlling the marionette’s movements and manners. Meanwhile, the grayish-white fog behind him surged, covering up the makeshift theater in which he kept Harras and his slowly growing trash pile.
As he notified The Sun to get prepared for the upcoming Tarot meeting, Klein suddenly froze as he thought of something.
Wait, something’s wrong!
As a Marionettist and a Clown, how could I randomly drop a plate? Even if I wasn’t paying attention, my reflexes are definitely fast enough to catch it before it fell to the ground. There had to be some outer influence at work…
…What happened before that? Yes, I was offered a job by Rogo Colloman, and I took it. Is this an indirect manifestation of my spiritual intuition? Is it warning me about the commission? I should divine the circ*mstances a few times…
As he analyzed the situation, Klein suddenly felt cold. Divine…Divination! How could I not realize? I actually forgot to divine the situation in Sefirah Castle! I coincidentally received a commission just as I’m planning on leaving Backlund, and it’s related to something I already resolved! Yet, despite knowing that Ince Zangwill has become a demigod and is out for revenge, I actually didn’t find it strange at all and only performed a perfunctory divination in the real world!
Whew, it’s a good thing the Tarot meeting is today…Otherwise, I wouldn’t have noticed anything and would’ve walked right into a trap, under 0-08’s arrangements! Yes, that commission is definitely a trap!
That quill is extremely terrifying…Even knowing its qualities and being guarded against it, I didn’t realize I was being arranged by it until I entered Sefirah Castle…
In the few minutes before the Tarot meeting started, Klein shook his sleeve slightly, letting the citrine pendant inside fall out. He closed his eyes and recited, “I should have taken Rogo Colloman’s commission.”
After repeating the words seven times, he opened his eyes and looked down.
The citrine pendant slowly began turning counter-clockwise. Then, it suddenly trembled violently and reversed its direction, spinning clockwise faster and faster in a strong positive response.
Klein’s eyes narrowed. Interference from 0-08!
Seeing the results confirmed his conjectures. The request from Rogo Colloman is a setup! No matter what, I absolutely can’t go! Well, it would suck for his son, but once I’m out of Backlund I can find a way to discreetly inform the Nighthawks…They’re very familiar with evil spirits and the like.
More than that, this confirms another thing– Ince Zangwill has promoted to Sequence 4! I suspect the reason he’s been lying low so far is to secretly promote without anyone taking notice…
…Well, at least I’ve managed to make contact with Medici already. Can ‘He’ hurry up and possess Ince Zangwill already? I’m a bit scared to go back with 0-08 active in Backlund…
Klein sighed again and rubbed his temples, then prepared for the start of the Tarot meeting.
…
Click.
A red-gloved hand reached out and closed the door with a quiet sound.
A thin beam of sunlight streamed into the messy office at 7 Pinster Street. Leonard Mitchell, with messy black hair tied in a green ribbon and the first two buttons of his white dress shirt open, locked the door and sat down behind his desk.
He laced his fingers together and tilted back, the prime posture for putting his feet on the table. However, he didn’t do so, only tipping his head back and closing his eyes as if waiting for something.
After a moment, he suddenly sat up and took off his red gloves, stuffing them into a drawer before resuming his previous position.
“Thanks for the reminder, Old Man,” Leonard muttered quietly to himself.
His eyes roved over the familiar study restlessly as he waited for the Tarot meeting to start. After five years of meeting only once a month, the frequency of once a week was somewhat startling, and Leonard almost forgot that there was a meeting today.
His gaze suddenly snagged on a small piece of paper with a convoluted symbol drawn neatly on it.
“You won’t summon that magic mirror?” A hoarse and old voice entered his mind.
Leonard hesitated, recalling the question Arrodes posed him: “What is the blasphemous act you committed?”
“You probably…know the answer, right?” He slowly asked Pallez. Otherwise, He wouldn’t have stolen Arrodes’ words after…
Pallez grunted noncommittally.
Leonard reached out and took the small piece of paper, eyeing the symbol Klein had drawn on it. It would be easy to walk over to the bathroom and draw the symbol on the mirror, but…
The Red Glove sighed. “For some reason, I don’t really want to ask it what I did.”
“Oh?” Pallez sounded both surprised and amused at the same time.
“I feel like I’d be better off not knowing,” Leonard admitted. “Anyway, it’s not anything dangerous or important, right?”
He neatly put away the paper in another drawer, a stark contrast from his otherwise messy desk.
“Sure…” Pallez replied flatly, suspiciously drawing out the sound.
Leonard didn’t say anything else and waited in silence until a familiar crimson light flooded his vision.
When it cleared, he found himself above a grayish-white fog, seated at an ancient mottled table.
Eight other blurry figures were seated around the table, each with a distinct appearance. One figure with blonde hair and a beautiful dress, Miss Justice, stood up and brightly greeted everyone in turn, then abruptly stopped.
Wait, eight figures…? Leonard looked to his side and, sure enough, there was a new yet familiar figure sitting next to him. Through the blurry gray fog, Leonard could see that he had black hair and pale skin, and was wearing rather complicated and fancy attire.
Emlyn…Leonard’s eyebrows pricked upwards in interest. Has hefinally joined the Tarot Club?
The other Tarot members had also noticed a new member amongst them and were inspecting him with interest, each forming their own preliminary impressions of him.
Wide-eyed, Emlyn looked around him at the mysterious people seated next to and across from them. A man with blue hair and bronze skin…A noble lady with blonde hair…A rather short woman, and another woman with long, brown hair, neither with any special characteristics or temperaments…A man with a dark and gloomy aura…A surprisingly young man with blonde hair and a sunny temperament…There’s a man seated next to me, but I can’t discern his characteristics at all, the fog around him is much thicker than the other members’...A-and, of course, The Fool!
Emlyn was still lost in thought when suddenly, The Fool rapped the table lightly and said, “Our newest member, Mr. Moon.”
“Good afternoon, Mr. Moon!” Audrey finished her routine greetings happily.
“...Good afternoon, Miss Justice,” Emlyn hesitantly replied, having heard everyone’s code names from her earlier greetings.
Klein didn’t care about the Tarot members sizing up their new member and chuckled to himself. Emlyn White, where did your normal arrogance go? You’re uncharacteristically subdued…
A light voice interrupted his thoughts. “Honorable Mr. Fool, I’ve acquired three pages of Roselle’s diary.” Fors glanced at the head of the table eagerly.
Xio had mentioned to her that Mr. Fool was collecting the indecipherable manuscripts of Roselle and that they were actually the late Emperor’s diary. After a while, Fors had finally managed to gather a few pages to offer up to Mr. Fool.
I can finally find out more about the curse that afflicts me!
Klein glanced at the author in surprise. Recently, the flow of diary pages has been somewhat slow…Miss Magician, I didn’t expect you to be the first to turn in diary pages today! Well, I’ll take a cursory look and see if I’ve already read the pages…
Klein nodded gently. “Very good. What would you like in return?”
“I want to know the origin of my curse,” Fors answered without hesitation.
Curse? What curse? Audrey looked at her friend in surprise. Fors is under a curse? What kind of curse? Is it dangerous? It looks like Mr. Fool is aware of it…It wouldn’t be too big of an issue, then…Although she was set at ease that Fors wouldn’t be in any immediate danger, Audrey resolved to question her about it in the real world.
Miss Magician has a curse on her? Sure enough, every Tarot Club member isn’t simple…Alger observed with a keen eye. I wonder what kind of affliction it is. Her physical appearance and behavior appear normal…
The other Tarot members reacted similarly to Fors’ words.
“Alright,” Klein agreed readily.
Great! Fors felt a rush of excitement run through her. Under Emlyn’s puzzled gaze, Fors conjured three pages of the diary and passed them on to The Fool.
Klein looked through the pages and quickly confirmed that he had seen them already. Then, he set the pages aside and turned in Miss Magician’s direction.
“Would you like to hear the answer privately or out loud?”
Fors pondered for a few seconds, then caught Audrey and the others by surprise with her answer. “Out here is fine.”
Klein was also a bit surprised. Miss Magician, your curse is a sensitive issue, and the truth behind it delves into the secrets of the Gods…Well, if you want everyone else to know, that’s fine with me too…
He looked at the blurry author and said in a calm tone, “The Abraham family is under a unique bloodline curse. Every full moon, they hear the voice of their ancestor, Mr. Door.”
Abraham…Ancestor…Fors was stunned. It’s a curse belonging to the Abraham family’s bloodline? Mrs. Aulisa’s husband belonged to the Abraham family, and Mr. Lawrence and Dorian Gray are also a part of the Abraham family? Is that why Mrs. Aulisa said that as long as one isn’t a member of the family clan, they wouldn’t suffer the curse. However, I used the bracelet, and it belongs to the Abraham family?
But why would hearing the voice of their ancestor cause such terrible ravings? Fors recalled what The Fool had told her before. Yes, our life order is probably so vastly different that simply hearing his voice can make me lose control…But surely such a great existence would be aware of that?
“Thank you, Mr. Fool.” Fors stood up and bowed respectfully towards the head of the bronze table. Once again, she felt sincere worship and admiration towards the mysterious figure. ‘He’ has not only saved me before but continues to do so, shielding me from the horrors of the full moon! ‘He’ has also answered the biggest question I have! Praise the Fool!
She wanted to instinctively draw a symbol on her chest, but was stumped as she realized no such symbol existed yet.
The Magician is a descendant of the Abraham family? The Hanged Man resisted looking at Fors in curiosity. She likely possesses a corresponding mystical item…I wonder who ‘Mr. Door’ is. For Mr. Fool to address him as such, he must be an incredibly powerful figure…
Fors is a member of the Abraham family? She was born in an ancient family dating back to the Fourth Epoch? Audrey nodded as if she was thinking about something.
Abraham family? What’s that? Emlyn only felt more confused as the meeting went on. I feel like I heard of them before…Maybe…
With Fors being the only member with new diary pages, the Tarot Club tacitly moved on to the normal transaction segment.
Alger looked around the table and asked in a low voice, “I’m looking for dragon-eyed sea condor eyeballs.”
…The Hanged Man is still looking for potion ingredients for Windblessed…Klein noted.
After receiving no response, The Hanged Man sat back and was silent.
Fors once again asked for the Trickmaster potion, but no members of the Tarot Club had any clues to it.
So this is how they exchange and request items? Emlyn observed the proceedings with interest. Maybe I can ask about the psychological hint on me…No, Mr. Fool already said he would help me, in exchange for a few of those diary pages. Before was a perfect demonstration of how to provide him with those pages…Uh, does that mean I have to memorize everything on those papers? But they’re strange and unreadable symbols! How do I memorize that?!
Suddenly, Audrey turned to look at The Sun and asked with a gentle voice, “Mr. Sun, is our agreement still on? I haven’t heard from you to confirm the details during the past week. Did something happen?”
Ah? What agreement? Derrick snapped to attention and looked at Miss Justice with surprise. What agreement did I make last week? That’s…
Klein was also a bit confused. Agreement…Wait, that’s right! During the last Tarot meeting, Miss Audrey arranged to purchase a couple dozen glass lanterns and send them to Derrick…However, right after the Tarot meeting, Amon showed up, and both Derrick and I forgot about this matter…
After searching his memories, Derrick quickly remembered what Miss Justice meant. “My apologies, Miss Justice, some things happened and I forgot to contact you. Do you still have those… um, glass lanterns?” Derrick slightly stumbled as he said the unfamiliar word.
He suddenly turned to Leonard and said in an apologetic tone, “Likewise, Mr. Star, I haven’t had the opportunity to go to the library yet and gather information about Amon. Could I give you the information in two days?”
Leonard had been spacing out for most of the meeting and startled slightly as his name was mentioned. Luckily for him, the thicker gray fog obscured his small movements from the other Tarot members.
However, Klein still saw it and had to suppress a laugh.
The Star hurriedly replied, “Yes, no problem.”
Audrey responded brightly to Derrick’s words. “No worries! And yes, I have the lanterns. When is it convenient for you to receive them?”
Derrick paused and thought for a while. “After the meeting is fine.”
As Derrick and Audrey continued discussing the details of their deal, Emlyn was baffled. Glass lanterns? Why would The Sun need glass lanterns, and so many of them? And why does he seem like he doesn’t know what they are? Everyone knows what lanterns are!
However, his questions weren’t answered as The Sun and Justice finished conversing and none of the other Tarot club members seemed to find their exchange strange.
“Then, that’s settled!” Audrey sent a beaming smile at The Sun.
Derrick dipped his head at Miss Justice. “Thank you very much, Miss Justice. You…You’re truly a very generous and good person.” He clumsily praised her.
Yes, especially since Miss Justice is giving those lanterns to the City of Silver for free…Klein secretly agreed with Derrick. Even though lanterns aren’t particularly expensive, she bought at least thirty! That’s at least twenty pounds! Klein lamented in his head, instinctively calculating the price.
After a brief period of silence, Audrey glanced at the head of the table and questioned, “Mr. Fool, can I talk privately to Mr. Star?”
…Miss Audrey and Leonard? It’s probably about the commission that Leonard gave her…Klein replied in a regal tone, “Yes.”
The gently rolling gray fog around them swelled up to surround each member, separating them from the others.
Emlyn jumped slightly in his seat at the sudden change but quickly relaxed once he realized the gray fog wasn’t harming him. This place is really strange…He gave a weird look to the grayish walls surrounding him that blocked his vision and hearing.
Meanwhile, isolated from the other members, Leonard and Audrey looked at each other.
“Mr. Star,” Audrey started, “I’d like to update you on the status of the commission you gave me.
“Since you initially made your request, I’ve donated to and set up several charities and welfare organizations dedicated to helping the lower class in East Borough and the Dock area. I can say with confidence that the lives of many people have been significantly improved…”
As she continued speaking, her tone became softer and sadder.
…Something happened? Leonard immediately deduced. He nodded gently and said, “Your work so far is very admirable. I wasn’t expecting this much progress so early on.”
The beautiful noble lady sighed and continued, “Mr. Star, your expectations are correct…As I’ve mentioned before, I have been making contact with the Psychology Alchemists and attempting to join them.
“Recently, I passed their test and officially joined their organization. However, they asked me– no, rather they cued me– to stop my charity work and stop influencing other nobles to do so as well. To avoid attracting suspicion, I agreed.”
Leonard sat up straighter as his expression became serious. “The Psychology Alchemists?”
The Psychology Alchemists? Klein echoed Leonard’s words in his thoughts as he eavesdropped on Leonard and Audrey’s conversation. Why would they get involved in this…No, the abysmal situation of the lower class in Backlund and across Loen is essential for many events to occur– the descent of evil gods as well as the beginning of a world war. It’s not surprising that someone behind the scenes is paying attention to this, and noticed Audrey’s actions…
Miss Audrey has been unintentionally caught in a conspiracy between powerful forces? Klein rapidly deduced.
Leonard instinctively glanced at the place where Klein was sitting but found that The Fool had been hidden by the grayish-white walls of fog. He thought for a few seconds before replying to Audrey.
“Miss Justice, I believe that’s the best course of action that you could have taken. Your safety and maintaining secrecy are most important. It’s not realistic to expect one person to change the situation of an entire country, or even a city, in such a short time. Your efforts so far and the effects of the articles are much better than we expected…”
Mr. Star used the word ‘we’...There’s a faction or a group of people with the same goals? P-perhaps it’s Mr. Fool ‘Himself?’ And sure enough, those articles that were mass-released a while ago were the doing of Mr. Star and the faction that he’s in…Audrey continued listening attentively to the blurry figure’s words.
“But it’s still risky for you to continue my commission for now, with the attention of the Psychology Alchemists.” Leonard seemed slightly stumped. “Uh, I suppose for now you can focus on increasing your Sequence. If you find a good opportunity, then take it. If you need assistance, you can contact the Ever…uh, me or Mr. Fool.”
…Poet classmate, you almost said ‘Evernight Church,’ right? Klein chuckled to himself inwardly. And you’re using my name again…Well, it’s not like you said anything wrong. I’d definitely help Miss Justice in this respect…
For now, just focus on increasing my Sequence? Audrey was stunned by The Star’s casual words. To her, this was something that she was already striving for. It was as if she had been commissioned to ‘make more money’ or ‘become more knowledgeable.’
“Thank you, Mr. Star!” Audrey said cheerfully. “I’ll do my best!”
Leonard couldn’t help smiling at Audrey’s optimism. “Sure. Also, those three requests that I promised as a reward still stand, even if my commission isn’t fulfilled fully.”
Audrey smiled elegantly and thanked Leonard again. Then, she turned to face the direction of where The Fool was sitting and said politely, “Thank you, Mr. Fool. We’re done discussing now.”
As he heard this, Klein waved his hand and returned Sefirah Castle to its normal state, dispersing the walls of gray fog.
With no more transactions to discuss, the Tarot Club naturally entered the free exchange segment.
Derrick glanced at each of the Tarot members, his gaze lingering on the newest member, Mr. Moon, before he cleared his throat quietly.
“Everyone, something involving Amon happened recently in the City of Silver.”
Amon? Audrey straightened up in her chair. Last meeting we just learned of the existence named Amon, the ancestor to the noble Amon family…And now, something happens? Isn’t this too coincidental? Audrey looked at The Sun with obvious interest in her eyes.
Amon? The King of Angels? Alger immediately grew alert and narrowed his eyes. He instinctively tensed but relaxed once he remembered that Derrick was sitting at the Tarot meeting safely, which meant nothing too serious had happened.
Fors resisted exchanging glances with Xio and also grew serious as she gave all her attention to the young boy sitting across the table. Xio followed suit.
Only Emlyn was left confused. Amon? Who’s that? Why does everyone look so serious? Also, what’s the City of Silver? It must be where The Sun lives, but I’ve never heard of such a place before…
Once Derrick saw that everyone was looking at him, he continued, “After our last meeting, I returned to find Darc Regence looking for me. He was a teammate during my last expedition to the ruined temple, and was quarantined at the Spire with a few other people afterwards because they all had their spirituality drained…”
Derrick explained the existence of the person who had been imprisoned in the Spire for over forty years after encountering Amon during an expedition.
The Hanged Man instantly frowned and said, “There’s definitely something wrong with that man. For everyone else in his team to lose control, except him, it must be a design of that Amon.”
Amon…That figure from thousands of years ago is actually still alive! Audrey, Fors, and Xio were shocked.
Unless that man was a descendant of Amon…Xio pursed her lips slightly.
Derrick dipped his head in response to The Hanged Man. “Darc told me that before he was released, that man had been taken care of by the Chief.”
Alger nodded like this was to be expected. “Yes, it’s possible that that man had been possessed by Amon. I would be wary of your friend as well, although it might be uncomfortable to do so. If Darc was in such close contact with that man yet was released as if nothing had happened, it’s highly likely something is also off with him.”
Derrick hesitated for a second and honestly said, “Darc really was possessed by Amon. I was too.”
“What?” Alger blurted out, almost entering a combat stance to fend off any accidents.
Everyone else, save for The Fool and The Star, immediately tensed up as well.
What the–? Emlyn almost fled his seat, trying to maintain as much distance between himself and the blurry Mr. Sun. Weren’t we just talking normally? Why is someone suddenly possessed?!
Startled by everyone’s reactions, Derrick quickly realized how his words might have caused alarm.
He hurriedly remedied, “I prayed to Mr. Fool, and He resolved the issue.” Derrick went on to explain the whole sequence of events, from talking to Darc to praying to The Fool, then using a strange object to draw out Darc’s abnormalities which led to Darc’s eventual imprisonment.
Fors found it difficult to close her gaping mouth from The Sun’s descriptions. Possession? Parasitization? What’s going on in the City of Silver?! N-not even the most creative and wild author could write something like this!
Audrey similarly couldn’t hide her shock, one hand delicately covering her mouth. She shivered at The Sun’s descriptions of Darc after he lost control. Poor Darc…It looks like he was already losing control when he went to talk to Little Sun. It was only because of Amon’s ‘Possession’ that he could maintain a normal appearance…
…The ability to control someone outside of their will or without them knowing is truly terrifying…Audrey felt slightly cold as she thought about the strange abilities that Amon demonstrated.
Alger fixated on another point. Amon truly is incredibly powerful…Yet, Mr. Fool eliminated ‘His’ Parasitization of The Sun so easily, and even orchestrated the capture of Amon’s other ‘host!’ However, ‘He’ had utilized such a roundabout method…That confirms that this great existence has certain limitations and restrictions. Mr. Fool can only exert a certain amount of power in the real world!
Emlyn looked at The Sun differently after his tale. I didn’t expect this young boy to have gone through such a dangerous experience…You really can’t judge someone based on their appearance. He suddenly gained a newfound respect for the mysterious Tarot club and their enigmatic host, Mr. Fool.
I was right—this truly is a meeting for the future saviors of the apocalypse! I’ve never heard of Amon before, but he must be pretty powerful…Emlyn mused to himself.
“What happened to Darc—no, Amon’s Avatar— afterward?” Xio asked, sharply noticing that although ‘Darc’ had been exposed, he had only been imprisoned.
Derrick nodded and continued explaining how a few days had passed before he was called by the Chief to the underground prison at the bottom of the Spire. As precisely and detailed as he could, he recounted how he was questioned and how he somewhat truthfully responded.
“…After I showed the Chief and Elder Lovia the translucent worm, they seemed to believe me and let me leave. I’m not sure what happened to Darc afterward…”
“If they believed you instead of him, he likely didn’t meet a good end,” Alger said grimly.
The space above the gray fog fell silent for a moment.
Audrey looked at the blonde teenager and said gently with a smile, “Mr. Sun, I’m glad you’re safe. That sounded like a very harrowing experience.”
The Tarot members suddenly realized that, if something had gone wrong, The Sun might not be sitting there at this moment.
Fors sighed to herself. Living in the City of Silver is full of hidden dangers…It sounds like something out of a novel, but real people are living there, in those conditions…
Fors smiled and followed Audrey’s example as she said sincerely, “Yes, it’s good that you’re unharmed, Mr. Sun.”
A few other Tarot members echoed their sentiment as well.
Derrick was touched. “Thank you, everyone, for your concern. It was all thanks to Mr. Fool that nothing serious happened. Praise the Fool!”
“Praise the Fool!” Fors was quick to repeat The Sun’s words.
With varying degrees of hesitance, the members of the Tarot Club followed suit.
From their perspective, The Fool only nodded his head slightly in acknowledgment.
However, inwardly, Klein was burning with embarrassment.
Embarrassing! Goddess, this is so embarrassing! If it wasn’t for the fact that he was currently a Spirit Body, Klein would have guessed that if he touched his face it would be burning hot.
He had to resist squirming uncomfortably and only nodded coolly. I know the Tarot Club is technically an organization headed by an ‘evil god,’ but why are we seeming more and more like a cult?! I didn’t expect Fors to be such a devoted believer!
Klein suddenly had a chilling thought. …The Tarot Club won’t turn out like the Aurora Order and become a bunch of fanatical lunatics right?! No! Absolutely not! No matter what, I won’t let that happen!
Thankfully, the Tarot Club continued calmly discussing The Sun’s experiences afterward.
“What does the worm that you spat out look like?” Alger asked with curiosity.
With The Fool’s permission, Derrick created a projection of what the translucent worm with twelve rings looked like.
“Everyone, do you know what this is? It seems to have died once Mr. Fool sent His Angel down. Does anyone know of its uses?”
As the Tarot members looked at the image with a sense of awe and confusion, The Sun didn’t receive an affirmative response.
I’ve never seen such a thing before…It’s very different from a regular worm. There’s a sense of mystique and strangeness to it…Maybe I can ask the Sanguine Elders when I’m back…Emlyn pondered.
At this moment, Klein lightly tapped the table.
The sound, although quiet, immediately gathered the attention of everyone at the table.
Klein smiled and said calmly, “A Worm of Time. It is a part of Amon’s form and can be used to create certain charms.”
The Sun Derrick blinked in surprise. A…Part of Amon’s form?
Amon’s form? Alger was shocked. A segment of an extremely powerful King of Angels? This…A worm can be part of a body?
The other Tarot members had similar thoughts but didn’t say anything.
“Thank you, Mr. Fool!” After thinking for a while, The Sun immediately became happy. It can be used to create charms…Those charms would definitely be extremely strong!
After the Tarot members saw that The Fool wasn’t saying anything else, they continued discussing The Sun’s situation for a while before naturally changing topics.
Xio briefly mentioned that the Aurora Order was searching for followers of The Fool and possessed The Fool’s full honorific name, warning the other Tarot Club members to be careful.
Aurora Order…The Fool Klein mused to himself. Of course, due to Emlyn running to me in a panic like a headless chicken, I know they’re looking for me. Ha, but my only believer is me!
Wait, no…Klein stopped before he found the situation funny. I do have a believer in Backlund! Fors! He almost looked in her direction before he controlled himself.
Uh, poor Miss Magician…She, a Sequence 9, is being hunted by a whole evil organization…I wonder how she’s able to sleep at night.
Well, at this moment, she’s my one and only believer. I’ll definitely take good care of her! At that moment, Klein felt a bit like a single father raising a child.
No, this comparison is a bit strange…He quickly rejected the wayward thought.
As he was musing to himself, the Tarot Club continued conversing with each other.
“Yes, they mentioned that a man named Azik Eggers was a found devotee of Mr. Fool,” Xio added.
Even with Klein’s Clown abilities, he couldn’t stop snapping his head towards Xio in shock.
Immediately after, he cursed himself. F*ck, that movement was too big…
As expected, everyone seated around the table stopped speaking and looked at Mr. Fool in surprised and awed silence.
At that moment, Klein sincerely wished he was still a deity so he could throw a Blind Stupidity at everyone and pretend the past two seconds hadn’t occurred.
Quick, quick, think of something to say…
Klein resisted the urge to clear his throat and said calmly in a regal tone, “The Aurora Order is a bunch of lunatics that follow an even madder deity. There’s no need to pay too much attention to their words.”
This…
Almost everyone sitting around the ancient mottled table was shocked.
Mr. Fool is clearly being derisive of and looking down on the True– no, Fallen–Creator! Audrey was stunned and almost raised her hand to cover her mouth.
To refer to a deity in such a tone…Alger’s pupils trembled slightly. I already knew, but this is more confirmation! Mr. Fool is on the level of deities, or very close to it! It’s only that ‘His’ influence in the real world is limited…He strongly dislikes the True Creator? Yes, just because they are both unorthodox existences doesn’t mean they like each other…Even the seven orthodox deities despise each other!
While everyone was reeling with shock, Fors was cheering inwardly.
Yes! Praise The Fool! They’re a bunch of lunatics who I shouldn’t worry about! With Mr. Fool’s attitude toward the Aurora Order, He’ll surely help me escape their notice! Yes! Fors was giddy with excitement. She had been nervous all week about having her door broken down by Mr. A in the middle of the night.
That’s someone who assassinated an Intis Ambassador in a few days! Hehe, but Mr. Fool isn’t lacking compared to the True Creator at all! Fors thought happily to herself.
The Sequence 5 Klein suddenly had an urge to sneeze and suppressed it with his Clown abilities.
Please change the subject soon…Klein wished silently. Frankly, although I didn’t say anything incorrect, my current status isn’t really suitable for this kind of thing…The True Creator might strike me down on the spot if He knew…
Thankfully, the conversation soon diverged from the topic. The Hanged Man discussed a few interesting things at sea while Xio mentioned the emergence of a few criminals with high bounties.
When Klein felt that it was around time to end the meeting, he controlled the reticent Mr. World to look around and speak in a hoarse voice.
“Everyone, I have recently received information that a major event is brewing in Backlund. This will bring about a great deal of unrest and may lead to a tragedy.”
Leonard suddenly raised his head and looked at Klein. What is he trying to do…? Have the Tarot members investigate?
The World continued without emotion, “I’d like to warn everyone to stay away from East Borough and the Dock area in the future. If possible, for the next two weeks, remain at home or somewhere safe as much as possible.”
East Borough and the Dock area? But I frequently go there to help with charity organizations and welfare! I was just forced to stop my activities there, and now Mr. World is warning us that something might happen? That’s definitely not a coincidence! Fear clutched at Audrey’s heart. She seemed to catch the whiff of a great conspiracy.
“What’s the major event? Will the people in East Borough be alright?” The blonde noble quickly asked in concern.
“I don’t know.” The blurry figure of The World shook his head. “There is contradictory information and I can’t give a definite answer. However, the Evernight Church is most likely aware of what’s going on. I believe they have outlined a plan of action, but it is extremely secretive. I can’t find out anything.”
The Evernight Church? Audrey and Xio, believers of the Goddess, perked up.
Emlyn focused on another part and became anxious. My parents sometimes treat a few people from East Borough and the Dock area…Is it that dangerous?
He nervously asked The World, “Is it very dangerous? Should we leave Backlund?”
At that, the other members of the Tarot Club keenly noticed a detail–The Moon was in Backlund!
I think The World is also in Backlund at the moment…Audrey suddenly realized something. Then, excluding The Sun, The Hanged Man, and probably Mr. Star, everyone else in the Tarot Club is in Backlund! There’s me, Fors, Xio, and the new Mr. Moon…
Did Mr. Fool do this intentionally? Audrey wondered to herself.
Surprisingly, The World shook his head. “Trying to leave Backlund suddenly could draw unwanted attention. It’s safest to continue your life as usual, but avoid certain places.”
“I see…” Xio frowned as she took in this information. She looked earnestly at the end of the table and said, “Thank you, Mr. World.”
At this, Emlyn finally realized a few other members were in Backlund. It looks like a lot of other members of the Tarot Club are also in Backlund…Ah! That’s why the Aurora Order is looking for followers of The Fool in Backlund!
Alger was a bit surprised. Something is stirring in Backlund? I haven’t heard anything about it…Well, at sea, news travels slower. The Tarot Club, comprised of members from different places, is much faster…Although The Hanged Man was very interested in the matter, he didn’t dare to ask The Fool for a hint or clarification on this matter.
The Evernight Church is aware of it…? He continued analyzing the situation. The Evernight Church is discussed somewhat frequently here. At least, we’ve never talked about the Church of Steam and Machinery or the Church of the Lord of Storms…Alger frowned instinctively.
However, we frequently discuss evil deities like the True Creator. Mr. Fool seems to dislike ‘Him’…
Perhaps…Mr. Fool and the Evernight Church are enemies? He suddenly thought. The more he considered the theory, the more he thought it might be true!
A silent clash between deities…Alger shivered and drew into himself, not saying anything or contributing to the conversation.
Strange…Audrey keenly noticed his change. With The Hanged Man’s love for conspiracies, I thought he would jump in and say something to goad the other members into investigating or something…
He must have discovered something! But what…? Audrey burned with curiosity but had no way to know what The Hanged Man was thinking.
Fors was slightly worried by The World’s news but quickly became unconcerned. Stay at home and avoid going out? Easy! I, an author, rarely go out anyway! …Although, I still need to get things like groceries…She mused to herself.
Xio subtly glanced at her best friend. I should reduce the amount of commissions I take on every week, and take care to avoid those places. In her view, The World was an enigmatic but experienced and reliable member of the Tarot Club.
After The World’s startling revelation, The Fool soon announced the end of the Tarot meeting.
“By your will.” Every Tarot member stood up together and bowed or curtsied to The Fool as crimson light washed over their vision.
Normally, Fors would close her eyes at this time or stare at the table in front of her. However, this time she happened to look directly in front of her, at the blurry Mr. Star seated across the table.
As her vision was obstructed and she disappeared from the mysterious space covered in grey fog, Fors’ eyes widened.
While everyone else was covered in red light and disappearing, The Star remained where he was, staying behind at the ancient bronze table with The Fool.
