The four pages of the diary that Ebner handed over were, of course, not the "Thousand Character Classic" found in that valley meant to fool people. Instead, they were "authentic goods" collected by "Sea Serpent" Weaver under his orders—though the content wasn't exactly serious. Since it had been agreed upon with Xio the previous Monday before they parted ways, "Judgment" wasn't surprised. She had been following Lady Vera in pursuit of Baron Larry all week and indeed had no time to gather diary pages herself.
"Justice" Audrey blinked, feeling both moved and envious as she thought, Mr. "Tower" is really good to Miss "Judgment"… Hmm, just like Miss "Temperance" is to "World"…
"Magician" Fors glanced at one person, then another, before finally casting a discreet look at "Justice," feeling a mix of emotions.
After a week of reflection, she had sorted out some of her suspicions from the last Tarot Meeting. Having ruled out Viscount Glaint, all the "questionable" aspects of Audrey Hall became glaringly obvious.
After all, among those who could slip the name of "The Fool" into Glaint's study, Miss Audrey was the most likely candidate! Moreover, the feeling Fors got from "Justice" was strikingly similar to the one she had about Audrey, making it highly probable that they were the same person.
But Fors had no proof, and she hadn't had the opportunity to test her theory, so it remained just a suspicion.
However, the thought of the markup she had added when selling the "Apothecary" formula to Glaint, as well as the excuse she had used to go to the washroom and perform the "sacrifice" and "bestowal" rituals—something Audrey had likely seen through—made her feel incredibly embarrassed, almost like an ostrich wanting to bury its head in the sand.
At least that little "performance" wasn't entirely useless—I still managed to keep it from Xio… Though by now, I'm almost certain that "The Fool" is a benevolent god, I should still keep this from her to avoid worrying her… She'd never believe me anyway, she'd just think I'd been brainwashed by an evil god. Fors secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"Why is Fors looking at me like that?" "Justice" Audrey noticed the complexity in Fors's gaze and was a little puzzled. But thanks to her "Mind Reader" ability, she quickly realized, Did she figure out my identity? Did I slip up somewhere?
Ugh… whatever. Even if she did, it's not a big deal. I only kept it from her because arranging things without her consent felt wrong. But now that she must have realized "The Fool" is benevolent and tolerant, she shouldn't blame me.
While "Justice" Audrey was reassuring herself, "The Hanged Man" Alger once again felt his solitude within the Tarot Club. His expression turned grim…
Unfortunately, he still had no suitable candidates to recommend.
Either they couldn't be trusted, or they weren't valuable enough. Even he felt they weren't worth presenting to "The Fool" for evaluation.
Seated below Ebner, "The Sun" Derrick was much calmer this time, no longer as restless as in the last meeting. It was clear that his past seven days had been uneventful and that nothing major had happened in the City of Silver.
As for "The World," he was likely "AFK," as "The Fool" had already manifested and transmitted the four pages of yellowed parchment submitted by "Temperance" and "Tower."
Klein first picked up the two pages handed in by Miss "Temperance," leaned back into a relaxed posture, and focused his gaze on them.
"June 9th. I participated once again in the gathering of that most ancient and secretive organization.
"Through our discussions, I discovered something quite interesting—compared to the other orthodox churches, the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun suffered the highest frequency of angelic deaths in the latter half of the Fourth Epoch.
"Although, due to the 'War of the Four Emperors,' the death of high-sequence Beyonders was not uncommon during that era, the situation within the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun was still extreme. After all, even demigods are incredibly difficult to truly kill. A genuine angel shouldn't fall so easily.
"And yet, as a fact, after the start of the Fifth Epoch, every other church, even the youngest Church of the Artisan, retained at least one angel from the previous era. Only the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun had none.
"Every angel of the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun that exists today ascended in the Fifth Epoch."
"I brought up this question to that old gentleman Hermes, but he simply told me that it was 'just bad luck' for the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun.
"Then, he recounted the stories of how two of those angels perished, and indeed, the explanations were reasonable…
"But could it really be just bad luck? I find that hard to believe…"
The page ended there. Klein read it over several times, subconsciously tapping the edge of the long bronze table with his fingers as he pondered,
"Was the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun being targeted? Who did it? The Lord of Storms? The God of Knowledge and Wisdom?"
"Probably not… Otherwise, Hermes would have just told Roselle directly instead of dismissing it as 'bad luck'…"
"So, either he genuinely didn't know and believed those angel deaths were 'natural,' or he knew the truth but, for some reason, didn't want to tell the Emperor…
"Which one is it? And if it's the latter, what was he concerned about?"
"Hmm… right, Liu Bo—who became the Blood Clan Duke, Rhine Kalendia—died in the latter half of the Fourth Epoch. According to Roselle's diary, the 'Calamity Seal' itself stated that he was slain by a divine descent of the Eternal Blazing Sun…"
Could there be a connection between these two events?
Let's make a bold assumption… Did Liu Bo seek revenge on the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun every time he transmigrated?
That doesn't seem right. According to his own words, he wouldn't regain memories of his past lives until reaching the angel level…
Besides, to bring down an angel, even with careful scheming, one would still need to be an angel themselves… But Liu Bo, as the "Death Consul," lived at the very end of the Fourth Epoch. It probably wasn't him…
Then was it his friends? He once boasted about having many female friends, and even the ancient god Lilith was said to have deeply favored him, shedding tears at his death…
Could it be that his friends worked together to trap the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun? And they did it so discreetly that even Hermes didn't notice?
As these thoughts swirled in Klein's mind, he picked up the second page of the diary submitted by Miss "Temperance":
"September 9th. I have decided to personally travel to the Southern Continent and seal 'Three Light' in Daniel Valley, leaving it to guard the 'Arbiter' card…
"At the same time, this will keep it away from me so that it won't be implicated by my troubles…
"September 10th. I informed Isabella of my decision when she visited today. Although she was reluctant, she still supported my choice.
"Afterward, I entrusted the 'Sun' card to her, telling her never to seek me out again, no matter what happens…
"Among the women I truly care about, Bruna is under the protection of the Secret Order. Even though she's not the brightest, I'm not too worried about her…
"But Isabella, despite being a princess of Lenburg and possessing great wisdom, she and her family are simply not equipped to be involved in what I am about to do…
"That's why staying away from me is the best way to protect her!
"Just like Bernadette, who has already turned against me!"
Klein could sense a tragic undertone in the emperor's words, making him frown in thought.
What exactly was the emperor planning? Who was he up against? The gods? Why?
Was it because of the so-called "corruption"? Could that thing even threaten deities?
"Three Light"… I remember this name from the "Roselle's Ramblings" I obtained in the Dream Labyrinth Tower. The emperor even said to convey an apology to "Three Light" on his behalf…
And in this diary entry, he refers to "Three Light" as "it"… So, is "Three Light" the name of some creature or object? It was sealed in Daniel Valley… No wonder the emperor apologized. More than a hundred years have passed—who knows if "Three Light" is still alive?
Additionally, "Three Light" was assigned to guard the "Arbiter" card… And I recall that around ten days ago, Mr. "Tower" and Miss "Judgment" were both inside the mirrored labyrinth of that valley. It was Sharon who helped "Judgment" figure out the correct path…
Hmm… Later, I'll have "World" ask about the results of that "expedition"—whether the "Arbiter" card and the things in Daniel's labyrinth ended up in anyone's hands.
With that decision made, Klein turned his focus to the name "Isabella."
Since the previous Tarot Meeting had mentioned a Princess of Lenburg who had "drained" Roselle, Klein had specifically gone to the library to research her. He even asked Talim for help, and in the end, he confirmed through a memoir written by a Loen diplomat that the Lenburg crown princess of that time was indeed Isabella.
So, in the end, this genius princess didn't escape Roselle's clutches?
And from the looks of it, Roselle didn't just have his way with her—he actually won her heart? Tsk, I don't see what's so great about him…
Klein grumbled inwardly but didn't dwell on it, shifting his thoughts instead.
But this doesn't concern me… Hmm, I wonder if the "Sun" card given to Princess Isabella is still in Lenburg, in her possession or that of her descendants…
This diary entry is quite valuable… It reveals the whereabouts of two "Blasphemy" cards.
But why entrust the "Sun" card to Princess Isabella? Wasn't she on the "Reader" pathway? Did she later switch to the "Sun" pathway?
With these questions in mind, Klein put down the two pages of parchment and picked up the ones submitted by Mr. "Tower."
"April 13th. Today, under Yaldabaoth's introduction, I finally got to witness what a 'Succubus' really is.
"Turns out that back in the distant Second Epoch, before the Blasphemy Slates appeared, various races had little understanding of Beyonder characteristics. Many beings would attempt to merge compatible traits, and the 'Succubus' race emerged from some 'Demons' integrating 'Witch' traits.
"These creatures stir 'Desire,' indulge in 'Pleasure,' and afterward, inflict 'Pain' and 'Despair.' This race is truly the pinnacle of temptation. In fact, I even think that, when dealing with people like me, this 'chaotic' species is even more effective than pureblood Demons!
"I need to be extra cautious around them!"
"April 14th. Last night, I experienced a 'Succubus' firsthand, and I have to say, it was completely different from a 'Witch'…"