Cattleya suppressed all her suspicions, adjusted her expression, and said, "Thank you for your warning, Miss 'Destiny'."
Alice frowned slightly, looking at her with a hint of confusion.
Somewhere deep in her subconscious, Alice felt that something was off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
At the same time, Klein and Alger were both wondering whether Alice could truly unleash power at the angelic level—after all, the Fool certainly couldn't, at least not at the moment.
Ignoring what the others were thinking, Cattleya turned to "The World" and asked,
"I wonder if any of the methods you mentioned are ones I am familiar with.
"I can offer a hint for free: the 'Light Supplicant' from the 'Sun' pathway can directly purify the spiritual corruption within extraordinary characteristics."
Alice furrowed her brows and glanced at Cattleya, puzzled by her sudden willingness to speak so much.
Klein was slightly surprised but, unable to immediately find a 'Light Supplicant' for assistance, merely had "The World" chuckle and say,
"Thank you for your generosity, Lady 'Hermit'."
Then, "The World" turned to Derrick and asked,
"Have you ever heard of a book called Groselle's Travels?"
Alice perked up her ears.
Derrick thought seriously for a moment before replying, "No."
Without changing his expression, "The World" muttered to himself,
"It is a mystical book originating from the dragon race, and many of its past owners have mysteriously disappeared."
"Originating from the dragon race?" Audrey quickly caught onto the key point and asked with interest.
"A travelogue? And its owners disappear?" Alice, influenced by modern internet culture, frowned upon hearing those words.
Audrey curiously looked toward Alice.
Sensing her gaze, Alice pondered for a moment before saying,
"In the stories I've read, travelogues that cause their owners to vanish usually have only one ending.
"People will eventually find the missing owners inside the travelogue itself."
"Find them inside the book…" Audrey's smile faded, and a shiver of unease ran through her. "That's just a story, right?"
"But," Alice half-turned to face her, her expression puzzled, "isn't your life also just a story to me?"
Audrey was at a loss for words. She couldn't refute it. Even to her, other people's experiences and past events were merely fascinating stories.
"Miss 'Destiny'," Fors, showcasing the keen instinct of a bestselling author, asked,
"The stories you mentioned—are they fictional or real? Why have I never heard of anything like them before…?"
Alice chuckled softly and answered,
"Perhaps they are fictional, born from the boundless imagination of a creator.
"Perhaps they are real, witnessed firsthand, and merely recorded and retold by the creator.
"Or perhaps they are real, but no one has ever known about them. The creator, influenced by some unknown force, believes them to be their own original work.
"Who can say?"
Who indeed? Even the creator themselves might not know. Fors, for instance, was now nervously recalling how her own stories had come into being.
Alice's words left Audrey still curious, but now much more cautious. She looked at "The World" and asked,
"What makes it so mystical?"
"That remains to be studied." "The World" offered a deliberately vague answer.
Audrey nodded, choosing not to inquire about the price but instead asking,
"Mr. 'World,' have you made any progress regarding the 'Psychologist' pathway's extraordinary characteristics you mentioned last week?"
"The World" remained expressionless as he replied,
"It will take a few more days."
After that, the Tarot Club fell into a brief silence.
After a moment of contemplation, Cattleya tentatively asked,
"Miss 'Destiny,' can you… obtain the blood of a mythical creature?"
Alice was momentarily taken aback before she asked thoughtfully,
"Do you need the blood of a complete mythical creature, like an angel? Or would a demigod suffice?
"Or… are you asking for the blood of a true god?"
Cattleya was startled by Alice's last question and hurriedly clarified, "An angel! An angel will do!"
Alice mused for a moment before replying,
"I can keep an eye out for you, but I can't guarantee anything."
After a short pause, she added,
"If I do get it, what would you be willing to trade in return?"
This wasn't an unreasonable response. Setting aside the possibility of her getting something from Amon—whom she wouldn't dare accept from—or that other "Stealer" angel who was too shy to show their face… Well, wasn't there still Will Auceptin?
Of course, acquiring it from Will Auceptin wouldn't exactly be a normal transaction…
No one found it odd that Alice might be able to obtain mythical creature blood, nor did they question why Cattleya needed it. Instead, they were more curious—what exactly did Miss 'Destiny' want in return?
Compared to the Fool, who seemed to be breaking through some kind of seal, Miss 'Destiny's' intentions were both clear and ambiguous at the same time.
Unlike an ancient god meticulously planning his resurrection, Alice's actions were far too capricious—so much so that no one could discern what she truly desired. Surely, it wasn't just different flavors of ice cream, was it?
Cattleya remained silent for a long moment. She suddenly realized—she had no idea what Alice wanted. After a brief hesitation, she asked,
"…What do you need?"
Alice stared at her for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said,
"Next week—if nothing unexpected happens, it'll be next week. Wait until then… Just wait."
There was something prophetic about her words. Everyone became aware that something significant would happen this week—at least, something important to Miss 'Destiny.'
And for a recently awakened deity, what could be more significant than reclaiming more of her authority and power?
This line of thought emerged naturally. Coupled with Alice's display of the "Red Theater," each person formed their own speculations.
Amidst the silence, "The World's" voice broke through,
"Does anyone have, or can anyone obtain, a highly offensive mystical item?"
The question had a clear target. Unless the Goddess of the Night decided to personally deliver one, the only person with access to such an item was Cattleya.
As the "Admiral of the Stars," who had navigated the seas for years, Cattleya had extensive connections. However, after recalling her current collection of mystical items, she responded without hesitation,
"If something fitting appears at one of the gatherings I attend, I'll keep an eye out."
Alice glanced at Cattleya thoughtfully before suddenly asking,
"Do you know if the Earth Mother Church's Beyonders have the ability to make one type of food taste like another? For example, making fish taste like beef…"
Cattleya's face instantly turned pale.