[Empress Borough—Inside a Small Villa]
As soon as Edward returned home, Lilith—who had been lying sprawled across the sofa, curled around the pouch—perked up and darted toward him with a soft whoosh, the pouch dangling from her mouth. She leapt into Edward's arms.
"Edward, you're back~ I kept all your things safe. Miss Lilith has been watching over them the whole time!"
"Mmm~ Thank you, Miss Lilith!"
"You're welcome!"
She sniffed at him with her little nose, her expression scrunching in curiosity. "Huh? Did you go digging again? You smell like dirt."
Edward had just been about to deny it, but then he remembered—after escaping the underground palace, he had come out through the tunnel Rafter Pound had dug. So he simply chuckled. "Sort of."
"Did you catch any rats then?"
"No, but I did get something far better than rats."
With a flip of his palm, the Red Priest card appeared in his hand.
Medici's tri-soul had been too arrogant. After possessing Edward, they hadn't even bothered to retrieve the Card of Blasphemy. So once Edward managed to break free and escape, the card had naturally fallen into his hands.
But now came the real problem: could Medici track him through the card?
Even if they couldn't, according to the Law of Beyonder Characteristics Convergence, holding onto such a high-sequence Red Priest card would undoubtedly draw attention from Beyonders of both the Hunter and Witch pathways. That meant endless trouble.
"Tch. Guess I'll have to ask for Mr. Fool's help."
The Fool's card repository—everyone who used it swore by its quality, and still had to say "thank you" afterwards.
Just as the thought crossed his mind, he saw Lilith lean in to sniff the Card of Blasphemy. Then, without warning, she opened her mouth and tried to take a bite.
Edward quickly pulled the card away. "Lilith! This thing's not for chewing!"
"Hmm."
She sat with her tail wrapped around her hind legs, looking up in puzzlement. "What is it? Miss Lilith thinks it smells delicious."
"…"
Lilith was on the Witch pathway. It wasn't strange for her to be attracted to the Red Priest card.
Edward thought for a moment, then decided to play it up with a warning: "Miss Lilith, you must stay away from this thing. Otherwise, you might accidentally turn into a male cat!"
"Male cat?"
She tilted her head, intrigued. "That's so strange! I want to try it!"
"…"
Edward immediately reached out and pressed a palm to her face, pushing her away. "Go play somewhere else!"
Holding the Red Priest card with both hands, he began chanting softly:
"The Fool that doesn't belong to this era;
The Mysterious Ruler above the Gray Fog;
The King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck."
———
[15 Minsk Street]
Klein had just collapsed onto his soft bed after several days of running around. He was drifting off into blissful sleep when he heard a man's voice praying in his ears.
"Why do the members of the Tarot Club always like to pray in the middle of the night or at the crack of dawn…" he muttered, rubbing his face and sitting up, groggy with fatigue.
Your Great Mr. Fool has been working hard for days trying to earn that lady's 500 pounds. Let me sleep already…
Though full of grumbles, he didn't dare ignore the summons. Who knew if it was something urgent?
He got out of bed and took four clockwise steps, arriving above the grey fog. The crimson star representing "The Tower" was pulsing and expanding, flashing in a steady rhythm.
"Edward?"
Klein sat on the bronze throne and didn't delay another moment. He reached out and tapped the position of the star lightly. Edward's figure soon appeared within the mist.
"Honourable Mr. Fool, I've just obtained a Card of Blasphemy, and I wish to offer it to you."
???
Did he just say…he got a Card of Blasphemy?
Seriously, Edward, you're amazing.
Klein waved his hand, pulling Edward fully into the space above the grey fog.
"Good evening, Mr. Fool."
Edward took his seat and offered a polite nod.
"Mhm. You said you've acquired a Card of Blasphemy?"
"That's right! A Red Priest card."
He materialised the card as he spoke.
Red Priest?
Klein's heart gave a start. Wasn't that the card held by that evil spirit in the underground palace?
How had Edward ended up with it?
Knocking lightly on the table, Klein asked, "Where did you get it?"
"Hmm…from an evil spirit in an underground palace. I think the palace was built during the Fourth Epoch. It had several divine statues and what looked like sacrificial altars."
Bingo. That was the same evil spirit.
So, how exactly did Edward obtain the Red Priest card?
Did he snatch it directly? Unlikely.
Then perhaps he helped remove a seal, as promised? But was that evil spirit really that trustworthy?
Mr. Fool was filled with questions, but couldn't very well ask outright. Instead, he nodded calmly.
"Very well. What do you wish to exchange for it?"
Edward scratched his head. "Actually, this card is quite useful to me, too. But knowing how interested you are in Cards of Blasphemy, I decided to offer it to you anyway."
Mr. Fool: …You're going to make me feel bad at this rate.
"So I'd like to occasionally…'borrow' it from you in the future. Just like the Black Emperor card."
"That won't be a problem at all," Klein replied. Then, after a slight pause, he added, "From now on, you may freely borrow these two Cards of Blasphemy from me at any time."
Saying 'borrow' made him wince inside—after all, these were clearly Edward's cards, and yet here he was, pretending they were his to lend out. Truly shameless.
No, he told himself. He had to find a way to properly repay Edward one day!
Edward placed a hand over his heart and said earnestly, "Thank you, Mr. Fool."
"Alright. You may return."
Edward's figure vanished from the ancient palace above the fog.
A few minutes later, a Red Priest card illustrated in Roselle's style appeared on the bronze table. Klein picked it up and unfolded it, scanning the sequences one by one.
After a long while, he gently placed it beside the Black Emperor card.
Folding his arms, Klein leaned back in his chair.
"From now on, our Tarot Club holds two complete pathways to godhood."
This little "cult of the evil god"…was starting to show real potential.
——
On the other side of things.
After offering up the Red Priest card to the Sefirah Castle, Edward suddenly remembered something he had long neglected:
The reason he went to 'rescue' Medici in the first place—while it was indeed to get his hands on the Blasphemy Card—this path had actually been pointed out by the people from the Twilight Hermit Order.
Now that the mission was complete… shouldn't the Twilight Hermit Order show some kind of acknowledgement?
Like, maybe…inviting him to join or something?
He wasn't expecting to latch onto any big shot's coattails. He simply hoped Adam wouldn't treat him as an enemy or use him as a pawn. And if possible, he'd really love to get a glimpse of the second Blasphemy Slate.
"Mm, I'll find a spot tomorrow to send a 'message' to the Twilight Hermit Order."
He stood up and stretched, only to notice Lilith sitting on the desk, using her soft pink paw pads to flip through a book, muttering to herself as she read.
Edward tiptoed over and sneaked a peek:
"Forget not one another in wealth and rank?"
"While your parents are alive, do not travel far; if you must, travel with purpose?"
Wait...aren't those my Chinese books?
He couldn't help but ask, "Lilith, are you studying Classical Chinese now?"
"Eh?" She turned around, puzzled. "What's Classical Chinese?"
"This thing you're reading."
Lilith shook her head. "No idea~ I just found it in your pouch."
"Can you understand it?"
She thought for a moment and used her little paw to gesture, "A little bit."
"How much?"
She pointed to two characters. "...'are'...and 'not'...?"
"..."
Textbook example of a socially awkward guy trying to start a conversation…
Edward rubbed his brow. "Alright, if you don't understand something, feel free to ask me."
Lilith instantly looked wary and declared seriously, "Miss Lilith is very smart! I don't need to ask you—I…I'll learn it by tomorrow!"
"…Good luck with that."
———
Somewhere unknown, a cathedral rose from the earth.
Every pillar, arch, and vault surface within the church was inlaid with the bones of various races—densely packed and crowding around a crucifix over a hundred meters tall.
This was a church made up of bones—yet not the least bit eerie. Rather, it radiated an almost sacred atmosphere.
In front of the cross stood a man in a simple white robe, with light golden beard covering the lower half of his face. He looked like an utterly ordinary priest, quietly gazing out as if in compassion.
One by one, over a dozen figures appeared in the church. They didn't disguise themselves in any way, yet each of their faces and bodies remained strangely blurred.
An older person stepped forward and began:
"Jason Beria will likely attempt to assassinate Duke Negan soon."
"We will use the opportunity to push George III to implement reforms."
"Internal tensions within the Feysac Empire continue to rise. They're eager to trigger an external war to divert attention."
"Next month, George III will meet with the Church of the Evernight Goddess…"
The figures stepped out in turn, each reporting their latest actions to the priest.
His expression remained gentle and calm, his eyes betraying not the slightest ripple of emotion.
Until—
"Gehrman Sparrow has released Medici."
The priest spoke for the first time: "I know."
"He wants to know what else he must do…to join us."
The priest paused for a moment. Then, in a warm voice, said:
"Free Mr. Door."
The speaker was briefly stunned. "Mr. Door?"
Though confused, he asked no further questions. "Understood."
Half an hour later, the figures left one by one, leaving only the golden-haired priest standing silently before the cross, slowly merging with his surroundings.
Suddenly, he lifted a hand and placed a crystal-carved monocle over his right eye. His previously gentle expression gained a touch of amusement.
"How interesting."
The next second—crack!
The monocle shattered.
A worm with twelve transparent rings emerged from within the priest's body, writhing as it fell to the ground. It squirmed for a while before going completely still.
The priest looked down at it, expressionless, then slowly closed his eyes.
Several kilometres away from the Corpse Cathedral, a scholarly-looking man with slightly curly black hair, a broad forehead, and a monocle was strolling leisurely.
He paused mid-step, an odd gleam flashing through his eyes.
"The Zealot left behind nothing but an imagined projection? Where did his true body go?"
"What could be more important than the tide of his own era? Truly intriguing…"
"...Should I try to track him down?"
"So then—what do you all think?"
In an instant, every living thing in the surroundings was wearing a monocle.
"Come now—let's have a democratic vote."
———
[Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.