If he really was still alive, Klein truly didn't know how he'd face that "fellow countryman" when the time came.
The rest of the diary recounted how Emperor Roselle created the first Card of Blasphemy, disguising it as a bookmark and placing it inside a highly valuable book. Unfortunately, it didn't mention which book it was, or what the bookmark looked like.
Hmm, wasn't there a Roselle Memorial Exhibition tomorrow?
Maybe something could be discovered there…
Klein leaned back slightly with a faint smile.
"You're free to converse as you wish."
Surprisingly, Little Sun Derrick was the first to speak, turning to the World:
"Mr. World, the mystical weapon you gave me was far better than I expected. I've already saved enough merit to exchange for materials—I'm ready to advance to Sequence 8."
Klein was pleased and, through the World, gave a small nod. "Good. And thank you for the true roots and sap of the Mist Treants."
Derrick then turned to Edward. "Mr. Tower, the Chief has made initial progress in researching the Hand of Glory. It might be of great help to us in the City of Silver."
The Hanged Man silently shook his head at that.
You gave away something of such high value right at the start? Aren't you just begging to be ripped off later?
"That's good to hear."
Derrick continued, "As for the Brain of Azmann you requested, I've confirmed it does exist in the City of Silver's archives. But with my current merit, it may take a while to exchange for it…" He hesitated, then added, "But a few days ago, Elder Lovia came to see me. She said that, to thank me for bringing back the Hand of Glory, she'd personally reward me with an item."
In her 'Spectator' state, Audrey caught his anxious expression and curiously asked, "That sounds like a good thing, Mr. Sun. Why do you seem worried instead?"
Derrick bit his lip. "I…I suspect that Elder Lovia might have discovered something and is testing me."
The Hanged Man immediately asked, "Did you do anything after the last Tarot meeting?"
"I didn't do anything!" Derrick quickly defended. "I haven't even seen Elder Lovia these past few days. That's why I'm still wondering…maybe I'm just overthinking it."
Edward thought for a moment and said, "Mr. Sun, could you describe in detail how Elder Lovia approached you?"
"Alright."
Derrick recalled and recounted the entire process of how Elder Lovia had come to find him.
By the time he finished, he was even more anxious. "...That's what happened."
Could it be that Elder Lovia began suspecting Derrick simply because of the Hand of Glory?
"Did your Chief have any particular reaction to you bringing back the Hand of Glory?"
Derrick pondered a moment, then shook his head. "He was definitely surprised at first, but he didn't say much, nor did he ask many questions."
"Then it's possible Elder Lovia was sent by the Chief to test you," Alger suggested, stroking his chin.
Derrick was puzzled. "Why test me?"
"Hmm…sometimes, saying things directly can leave no room for retreat," Edward muttered. He suddenly had another thought—could it be that the True Creator had instructed Lovia to probe him?
The Hand of Glory originated from the Harry Potter world. Even though it had been 'cleansed' by the Sefirah Castle before reaching the City of Silver, it wouldn't be surprising if a True Creator-aligned individual in the City of Silver could still sense something unusual about it.
Priscilla sat quietly at the side, resting her chin on her hands.
Whenever someone spoke, she turned to look at them. When the speaker changed, she turned again.
Clearly, she was following along, sometimes showing signs of confusion—but she never interrupted or asked questions.
This little girl…Edward thought. She's far more composed than expected. This really isn't how a child her age should behave—
Is it due to the influence of a Beyonder characteristic?
At that moment, the World spoke, his tone cold, but the meaning comforting, "I think no matter what, the fact that you brought back the Hand of Glory benefits the City of Silver. You acted out of genuine concern for your people—therefore, you can withstand any suspicion."
"But what about the Tarot Club…"
The Fool finally spoke in a calm and lofty voice, "If the situation becomes urgent and you have no other choice, I permit you to reveal the existence of the Tarot Club—within limits."
"Within limits?" Derrick didn't quite understand.
The Hanged Man immediately stepped in with advice. Derrick nodded repeatedly as he listened.
After Alger finished teaching him the "trick of telling the truth to deceive," the World scanned the group and asked:
"Ladies and gentlemen, do any of you have leads on the spinal fluid of a Dark Patterned Black Panther or the Spring of the Elves marrow crystals?"
Alger pondered for a few seconds before saying, "Those two items aren't particularly rare. I believe both should be available at this week's Pirate Conference. The problem is…what can you offer in exchange?"
He paused, then added, "I doubt you have the potion formula for 'Wind Blessed' yet. And it'll likely be hard for you to get in the future."
The two then began a round of bargaining—trading the materials, a partial Sequence 4 formula and some high-level secrets. With the Fool as witness, they reached an agreement.
The Hanged Man then looked toward Edward.
"Mr. Tower, the buyer for the mystical storage item has paid the deposit. Once the Tarot meeting ends, you can hand it over to me."
Edward smiled. "Thank you, Mr. Hanged Man."
Alger gave a polite smile in return, though inwardly he thought: No, thank you. I just made over a thousand pounds by contacting a few people.
Only then did Audrey raise her hand and speak, "Mr. Sun, Mr. Hanged Man, and Mr. World—if any of you come across the formula for Sequence 6 of the Spectator pathway, please let me know."
Alger was stunned for a moment before realization hit: Miss Justice has advanced to Sequence 7 already? That was fast!
From an ordinary person when she first joined the Tarot Club to Sequence 7 now—how long had it been?
This pace is outrageous…Wait. There's someone here who's even more absurd than her.
"Congratulations!"
The Fool was the first to offer his congratulations, and the others quickly followed suit.
Audrey wore a modest expression, but inwardly, she couldn't help but feel a touch of pride: Thank you, Malfoy. Without you, I wouldn't have digested the Telepathist potion so quickly.
At that moment, Edward also raised a request.
"Hmm, I'm looking to acquire another mystical item—one with the ability of a psychiatrist's 'placate' ability. Ideally, it should be something I can wear and that will automatically soothe me when needed."
His Animagus form was a powerful but destructive Obscurus. The trouble was, he tended to lose control too easily. He was hoping that a calming effect akin to a psychiatrist's therapy might help.
Audrey immediately chimed in, "Mr. Tower, I'm already a Psychiatrist now~ I can help you anytime."
But I'm worried that if I transform into an Obsurus, I might hurt you...
He thought it over and nodded. "Alright."
At this point in past meetings, if no one else raised any trade requests, the exchange segment would wrap up.
But this time, everyone's gaze shifted in unison toward Miss Death—Priscilla.
After a moment of thought, Audrey asked gently, "Miss Death, I'm not sure if Mr. Fool has mentioned this, but during the Tarot Club, we often engage in the exchange of materials, requests, information, or knowledge. Payment can be in gold pounds or through barter. Is there anything you need?"
Priscilla blinked in surprise at being called on.
Things I need? But whatever I need, Mr. Azik always gives me...
So she shook her head. "No..."
But then something occurred to her. "Do any of you know how to quickly digest low-sequence potions that haven't been fully absorbed yet?"
Her question made the others pause. It took them a moment to process what she meant.
Priscilla grew anxious and began gesturing along with her explanation. "Like, say you're already Sequence 5, but you haven't actually digested the potions from Sequence 9 to Sequence 6—what do you do then?"
The Hanged Man frowned. "That situation...shouldn't even be possible. If it were, that person would've long since lost control."
He caught himself mid-thought, suddenly remembering he was speaking to a child. He spread his hands. "Your question...I'm not sure I have an answer for it."
Audrey asked softly, "Did a friend of yours encounter this problem?"
Priscilla nodded and shook her head at the same time. "Yes. Umm…if no one knows, then never mind. Ah…"
Off to the side, Edward's eyelid twitched violently. He finally understood why Priscilla had changed so drastically.
So Mr. Azik actually made a Sequence 5 potion using a Sequence 5 Beyonder characteristic and gave it to Priscilla directly? Letting her jump straight up to Sequence 5 in one go?
That's…kind of against the rules of the mystical world, isn't it?
Then again, maybe not. In the world of mysticism, anything could happen.
After all, Sea God Kalvetua had once risen to demigod status directly from a sea serpent—at the cost of descending into madness.
And Cattleya's second mate, Heath Doyle, had once survived being doused in a potion from the Rose Bishop without going insane or losing control.
If Priscilla really is Sequence 5…then right now, in the Tarot Club, she's actually the strongest among us? That's…rather absurd.
The trading segment concluded.
The Hanged Man, Alger, was the first to speak again:
"Vice Admiral Hurricane Qilangos' fleet has been subdued. A new pirate admiral has risen."
He then described how Vice Admiral Ailment had taken control of Qilangos' ships and gave a brief lecture on the Seven Admirals and Four Kings of the seas.
Klein's immediate reaction was—Isn't this just like the Shichibukai and Four Emperors from One Piece? Another creation of Emperor Roselle?
"…As for the fourth King, the one who commands the Dawn, we only know that she is a beautiful woman. She was once an infamous Warlock and has now stepped into the realm of the demigods. Her title is the 'Queen Mystic.'"
At this point, Edward raised his hand. "I've heard a rumour about this Queen Mystic."
"Oh?" The Fool propped his chin with one hand.
"Some say that the Queen Mystic is actually Roselle Gustav's eldest daughter—the former Intis Princess, Bernadette Gustav."
Everyone was taken aback.
Klein quickly sifted through his memories of the Emperor's diary. The leader of the Secret Order, Zaratul, had once predicted that the Emperor's daughter would become a major figure in the mystical world.
One of the Four Kings of the sea, commands a vast fleet, and is a powerhouse at the demigod level—yeah, that probably counts as a "major figure."
It definitely does!
He then recalled Edward once mentioning that the Emperor's daughter believed her father wasn't really dead and had been searching for his whereabouts all this time.
Did she form her fleet just to search for Roselle Gustav?
Unfortunately, no one had the answers to these speculations.
After the topic of the sea ended, Derrick spoke up, "Recently, the City of Silver organised an exploration into the depths of darkness and discovered a half-destroyed temple. Inside, there was a statue of a naked man nailed upside down to a cross, with blood smeared all over him. Do you know which deity that might be?"
"Oh, and besides the statue, there were many damaged murals and terrifying evil spirits wandering about. But they were all cleared out by two Elders from the Elder Council. In the corner of one mural, there were some peculiar symbols evolved from the Ancient Jotun. After a rough translation, the Elders believed they meant:"
'Rose Redemption.'
Audrey, the Hanged Man, and the World exchanged glances and shook their heads. "We don't know."
The Fool tapped lightly on the bronze table and said calmly, "That is the Fallen Creator."
Alger and Audrey, who both knew of the True Creator, were shocked.
Wasn't the True Creator the evil god worshipped by the Aurora Order? But the Aurora Order has only existed for a few hundred years!
Yet the Forsaken Land of the Gods disappeared thousands of years ago! Why would a statue of the True Creator be there?
Klein paused for two seconds, then deliberately said, "We also have another name for the Fallen Creator—'The True Creator.'"
"The factions that worship "Him" hold the Apprentice, Secret Suppliants, and Hermit pathways, which eventually lead to the one you mentioned earlier—'Shepherd'."
"Shepherd?"
Derrick sat bolt upright, stunned. That…that's the Sequence Elder Lovia currently holds, isn't it?!
So she also worships this evil god called the Fallen Creator? Is that why she's been acting so strangely? Then… her approaching me out of nowhere—could that also be related to this evil god?
At that moment, the Hanged Man turned to Edward and asked, "Mr. Tower, after you escaped from the True—er, Fallen Creator's Saint last time, what happened afterwards? Did you encounter them again?"
Edward smiled.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you—I've temporarily joined the Aurora Order and become one of them."
"…???"
The Hanged Man nearly blurted out, "Are you kidding me?"
But he quickly sobered. If the Fool still allows Tower to attend the Tarot Club, then clearly there's something deeper going on here that I don't yet understand…So he held back and waited for Edward's explanation.
But right now, Klein was just as stunned—Wait, this is the first I'm hearing of it too!
———
[Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.