Seeing "The Tower" meticulously noting down the characters from "Inscription of a Humble Abode," Klein was about to manipulate "The World" to request "The Fool" to end the private conversation. However, at that moment, he heard "The Tower's" steady voice again: "Wait a moment, Mr. World, I still have some things to discuss with you."
"What is it?" Although Klein was somewhat surprised, he still had "The World" ask in a hoarse voice.
"The question that Hero Bandit Black Emperor entrusted me to ask 'Iron Man' has been answered."
Although during the last Tarot Club meeting, everyone almost guessed that Hero Bandit Black Emperor was likely Mr. World, the latter did not admit it, so Ebner simply did not reveal it here.
The question asked to "Iron Man"... Klein recalled this matter after a brief thought. He had previously speculated that "Iron Man" was an enemy of Ince, possibly related to the person behind the scenes who gave Lena the ability to counter "0-08." Therefore, he used the extraordinary characteristic of "Judge" as a reward to have "The Tower" ask "Iron Man" about the entity behind the witch Lena and detailed information about "0-08"...
But times had changed. He had now developed Lena's follower, Shoko, into a "Gourmet" believer, and naturally, he had already obtained detailed information from Lena herself. He even obtained a counterfeit version of "0-08" in the "Dream Labyrinth Tower"... His understanding of it was already sufficient... so sufficient that he had to ask Mr. Tower to hint at him to forget it! Thus, he no longer held any expectations for getting answers from "Iron Man."
Additionally, it was worth mentioning that his "Gourmet" believer, Shoko, had recently been dedicated to "instigating" female customers in coffee shops to eat delicious sweets, causing them to unknowingly gain weight and regret not fitting into their custom-made dresses before the ball...
"Instigating others to act on their desires and do things they regret..." This was the acting guideline Klein helped Shoko summarize for the "Instigator" role...
It turned out that when some noble ladies and misses tore their dresses due to weight gain, their regret provided feedback no less than those instigated to commit murder!
Even Klein was shocked by Shoko's "genius" idea. Initially, he had suggested instigating some to become "sweet fans" and others "savory fans," then stirring up a "sweet vs. savory" debate...
But since this might actually lead to physical conflicts, Shoko did not adopt it, instead "acting" out the previously mentioned "sweet troubles" type of "acting method"...
Under the cover of the gray fog, Klein shook his head slightly, dismissing the chaotic thoughts in his mind, and pondered on what reason to give "The Tower" to settle the account for the "Judge" characteristic directly.
Unaware of Klein's thoughts, Ebner, seeing that "The World" did not speak further, thought the other was maintaining his "persona" by pretending to be deep, so he organized his words and continued: "The entity behind the 'arrangement' of Lena is likely a 'Mind Dragon,' possibly even an ancient dragon. Additionally, one of the members of the Psychology Alchemists review committee might also be involved."
This was not Ebner speaking nonsense, but information told to him by Ms. Closfia after he intentionally inquired.
Thinking of Miss Sloth, Ebner added, "There is also a member of the Psychology Alchemists review committee supporting 'Iron Man.'"
Ancient dragon... So, its purpose in using Lena must be for "0-08" itself... But as an ancient dragon, it must at least be an angel or a very powerful saint. Why doesn't it or He directly seize "0-08" from Ince? What is it wary of? Or is it waiting for the right moment? And the purpose of the Psychology Alchemists might be the same as the ancient dragon? Instantly, several thoughts crossed Klein's mind, completely dismissing his earlier idea of "asking for money," and he further inquired, "Is there any information about '0-08' that I didn't know before?"
He had previously asked Ebner to "hint" at forgetting several times about "0-08," so the other knew exactly how much he understood about it.
"Yes... '0-08' is a sealed artifact formed after the death of the ancient dragon 'Alzuhod,' also known as 'Alzuhod's Pen'!" Ebner stated.
This piece of information was not provided by Ms. Closfia but was added by Ebner himself to educate Klein.
"Alzuhod... that 'Nightmare Dragon'? According to the information provided by little 'Sun' and a certain diary entry from the Emperor... it, no, He, could dominate the minds of every living being, making them act according to His will, while these beings would hardly notice, believing it to be their own true thoughts. He could also weave real nightmares in reality, drawing countless lives into them unconsciously, only to deliver the most cruel and horrifying endings...
"Indeed, now that I think about it, it's very similar to the abilities of '0-08'!"
As his thoughts raced, Klein suddenly understood why that ancient dragon and the members of the Psychology Alchemists had been scheming all along. Since this pen was a remnant of the "Nightmare Dragon," it must contain extraordinary characteristics!
Their goal was to use it as material for advancement!
Thinking this, Klein hesitated for a moment before controlling "The World" to ask, "Mr. Tower, do you know which sequence '0-08' corresponds to?"
Then, he added, "If this exceeds the scope of the 'answer,' I can provide additional payment."
"No need, the answer to this question was also mentioned by 'Iron Man'..." This was naturally a lie, but Ebner felt that Dunn and Klein wouldn't meet anytime soon, and even if they did, they wouldn't discuss this topic. So, he used "Iron Man" as a cover to reveal the details of '0-08':
"'0-08' corresponds to Sequence 1 of the 'Spectator' pathway, the 'Author.'"
"Author"... this potion name is quite fitting... Recalling his experience with '0-08' on the fifth floor of the "Dream Labyrinth Tower," Klein sighed inwardly.
However, their private conversation had clearly gone on for too long, and this wasn't the best time to ponder questions. So, after confirming that Mr. Tower had relayed all the "answers" clearly, Klein lifted the "block" on the others, allowing the Tarot Club to return to its normal proceedings.
Although "Justice" Audrey and the others were very interested in the secret conversation between "The Tower" and "The World," they ultimately did not pry and instead began seeking the items they needed.
Unfortunately, whether it was the "Mirror Dragon's Eye" or the "Fruit of the Elder Tree" that "Justice" needed, or the potion formula for "Ocean Songster" that "The Hanged Man" wanted, there was still no news...
Only "The Magician" Fors expressed her gratitude to "The Hanged Man" for helping her find the "Blood of the Deep-Sea Spearfish."
"Fors has collected all her materials, and she has likely already advanced to Sequence 8... She's already caught up to me... I need to work harder, Audrey, I can't let my friend surpass me!"
After silently cheering herself on, "Justice" noticed that the gathering had naturally entered the "free discussion" phase, so she took the lead and said:
"Recently, the royal family suddenly stripped Baron Larry of his title and transferred it to a branch member of the Larry family...
"As for Baron Larry himself, he has been wanted, but so far, he hasn't been caught."
Hearing her mention of Baron Larry, "The Hanged Man" wasn't particularly interested at first, as the royal family revoking noble titles, while rare, wasn't unusual and didn't warrant much attention.
He was about to share a major event he had heard about happening on Sonia Island when he heard "The Judgement" chime in:
"I am currently pursuing Baron Larry...
"Besides MI9, many other forces are also tracking him...
"He likely carries an important secret hidden by a saint before their death."
Her words immediately drew everyone's attention, and "Justice" Audrey asked with great interest:
"What secret?"
"It's said... to involve clues about the 'Ghost Empire'..."
(End of Chapter)