Chapter 155 - 155: The Salon

Edward smiled and said, "Actually, it's not that complicated. As I mentioned before, I managed to escape the Saint's pursuit because of internal conflicts within the Aurora Order. My so-called 'joining' of the Order was merely a stopgap measure—I wanted to use their infighting to eliminate that particular Saint once and for all." "But let me make it clear: my so-called joining is no more than acting as an undercover agent. Please don't change your views on the Aurora Order or the True Creator because of this—the former is a cult, and the latter is an evil god. If you ever encounter them, you must be extremely cautious!" Derrick's expression darkened further. Klein was instantly relieved. To him, Edward was not just a fellow Tarot Club member, but also a close friend in the real world. He didn't want to see his friend actually join a cult. But...what Edward was doing now was just as dangerous. The Hanged Man—Alger, himself an infiltrator within the Church of Storms—glanced deeply at Edward and said, "Mr. Tower, you really are quite bold." Edward then looked over at the Little Sun and added, "Mr. Sun, I don't think you should burden yourself too much or assume the worst. Although Elder Lovia has become a Shepherd, it doesn't necessarily mean she'll do anything to harm the City of Silver." In truth, Lovia's story in the original novel had been quite tragic. Though she worshipped the True Creator, she had never truly betrayed the City of Silver. Even in death, she had fought with everything she had for its sake. Unfortunately, before that, she was always viewed with suspicion and guarded against. Derrick nodded. "I…I understand." After a moment of quiet, Alger suddenly recalled something. "Mr. Tower, the Pirate Conference is scheduled for this Saturday. Have you decided where you'll board the ship?" Edward smiled. "When the time comes, I'll offer something to Mr. Fool—through that item, I'll be able to instantly appear on your ship." He planned to place the Vanishing Cabinet inside a magical item with the Undetectable Extension Charm and offer it to Klein, who would then pass it to Alger. Edward would travel through the cabinet from Audrey's side. Alger raised an eyebrow slightly. "Got it. Looking forward to meeting you." At that moment, Klein, using The World's voice, spoke again, "I want information on the 'Criminal' and 'Prisoner' pathways." Just a few days ago, he'd accepted Detective Isengard's invitation to help investigate a serial murder case. After piecing together clues from recent killings, they suspected the culprit might be a Beyonder of the Criminal pathway. Alger interjected, "If it's just the Criminal pathway, I do know a few things." Little Sun Derrick Berg looked over at him, straightened up, and declared, "I know both pathways well. In exchange, I want information on the 'Fallen Creator.' Whether the two are of equal value shall be determined by Mr. Fool." There was nothing for Mr. Fool to say. In his usual calm tone, he simply replied: "Approved." The two then entered a private exchange. After a brief period, both obtained what they wanted. The difference was that Klein now had solid confirmation of his suspicions, while Derrick seemed more confused: Could it be…the Lord hasn't abandoned us? Just…gone mad? Seeing their exchange end, Audrey turned once again to Priscilla. "Miss Death, this next segment is for sharing recent experiences and information. There are no limits on topics—anything is fine. Is there anything you'd like to share with us?" "Um…" Priscilla lowered her head, seeming hesitant. "Not really…it's just that lately, I've been having this uneasy feeling, like something terrible is going to happen in Backlund." Several members who were currently in Backlund froze for a moment. Even though she was just a little girl, none of them dared to take her words lightly. Priscilla scratched her cheek in embarrassment. "Maybe I'm just imagining things…" A moment of silence followed. Amid the thick grey fog, Klein gently knocked on the bronze table and smiled faintly: "This gathering ends here." "By your will," Audrey immediately stood up, lifted her imaginary skirt, and gave a formal curtsy. The others rose one after another. Klein waved his hand, severing the connections as he watched everyone's blurred figures dissolve into light and vanish. He let out a long sigh. "Haah—Even Miss Justice has advanced to Sequence 7. I really need to hurry up! If this goes on, the rest of the Tarot Club will all be demigods, and I'll still be hanging around the mid-to-low Sequences like a background character." As the grand palace and the grey fog faded from view, Klein returned to his bedroom. He glanced at the three rough paper figurines in front of him and sighed, muttering, "Didn't think I'd be this old and still have to relearn paper cutting…Good thing all it needs is a human shape." He folded the paper figurines and tucked them into a stack of sticky notes, then slid them into his pocket. Just then, the doorbell rang, the sound of its chime clear and pleasant. Klein walked to the door, grasped the handle, and as he did, the image of his visitor appeared naturally in his mind: A man approaching forty, extremely overweight, standing there as though merely staying upright was exhausting. Don't recognise him. A client? Klein muttered inwardly. Since his intuition sensed no danger, he opened the door. The portly middle-aged man took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Good afternoon. It's really hot today." Klein nodded politely. "Good afternoon. How can I help you?" "You're Detective Sherlock Moriarty, right? I'd like to hire you." The man forced a smile. "Ah, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Rogo Colloman, a jeweller. I need you to protect my child until tomorrow afternoon. He's gotten himself into trouble with some lunatics." ——— [City of Silver] Inside Derrick Berg's little cabin. After returning from the Tarot Club gathering, he simply lay on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, lost in confusion. Derrick had always been a simple and straightforward person, not one who was particularly skilled at thinking things through. So when he suddenly learned that Elder Lovia believed in an evil god, naturally, he felt deeply unsettled—especially since that god might actually be the fallen version of the very God the City of Silver once worshipped. But then he recalled what Mr. Tower had said: though Elder Lovia believed in an evil god, she had, until now, been dutifully leading expeditions, tirelessly working for the benefit of the City of Silver. She hadn't done anything that directly harmed the city. Taking a deep breath at the thought, Derrick leapt from his bed, stepped outside, and made his way straight to the City of Silver's library. He knew that Elder Lovia could usually be found either in the Council Hall or at the library, conducting research. Since he couldn't enter the Council Hall without a very important reason, the library was his only option. And sure enough, the moment he stepped through the doors, he spotted Elder Lovia wearing a black robe embroidered with numerous mysterious violet patterns, flipping through a thick book on mythology. Sensing his gaze, she looked up and gave him a small nod in greeting. "Elder Lovia…" Derrick walked over. "About what you mentioned last time—the Brain of Asmann." Lovia's expression shifted subtly. She closed the book and asked, "You've made up your mind?" "I have," Derrick said, avoiding her eyes. "Come with me then. I'll make the exchange for you now." She stood up, tucked the book back onto the shelf, and led Derrick toward the City of Silver's storage facility. They walked in silence, the occasional boom of thunder echoing through the air. Just before they reached the warehouse's massive doors, Lovia suddenly turned and looked at him. "You seem like you have something you want to say?" Startled, Derrick mustered his courage and met her gaze, asking seriously, "Elder Lovia…You won't ever betray the City of Silver, will you?" Lovia froze for a moment, then gave a firm nod. Her voice was resolute, "Of course not. I swear on the name of my deceased husband—Lovia Tiffany will never betray the City of Silver." Not even the god she now served could change that. ——— [Backlund—A small villa in Empress Borough] Not long after the Tarot meeting ended, Lilith finally relaxed when she saw Edward's 'soul' safely return. "Edward, I'm off to play with Susie~!" You're clearly just going to show off your new little red flower… "When will you be back?" "Hmm…not sure. Miss Lilith is super busy today! Gotta play with Susie, pretend to be an Instigator, catch some mice, and learn—" "Learn what?" She quickly slapped her little paw over her mouth. "Mmm, nothing! I'm off!" With a flick of her tail, she leapt onto the windowsill and disappeared into the night. "…Little rascal." Not long after, a misty grey door appeared before him—Derrick had just sacrificed a box to him, inside of which was the Brain of Asman! With the most difficult ingredient secured, the next step was to retrieve the cursed item of the Ancient Wrath from the Sanguine's castle. Once he had that, he'd have all the materials for the Sequence 6 Scribe potion. The only thing left would be a Beyonder characteristic of a Polymath. He sacrificed two small leather pouches to The Fool for Alger, then flicked a gold coin lightly into the air. "Is tonight a good time to go to the Sanguine's castle?" As expected, the coin landed with the symbol facing up. "Tsk, so the Sanguines really do have someone keeping watch 24/7?" Fine, fine, if that's how you want to play it… Are you trying to force me to complete the acting and collect the material all in one go? …Wait, I already finished digesting this potion. Tsk, guess I've just gotten too used to it. Without further hesitation, he used [Madman to the Right] to reverse the divination result, then calmly waited for nightfall. ——— At 6 p.m., Audrey arrived at the salon venue in a luxurious carriage. The moment she stepped down, she was greeted by Helena. Audrey's expression shifted almost imperceptibly—she had always remembered Edward's advice: to stay away from Helena and Prince Edessak as much as possible. So recently, she'd limited their communication to just a few letters. But now that Helena had approached with such a bright and friendly smile, Audrey couldn't simply pretend not to see her. She quickly donned a cheerful facade. "Good evening, Helena." "Good evening, Audrey." The two beautiful girls linked arms and walked into the villa together. Helena whispered, "Audrey, it was such a pity you missed the last gathering." "Oh? Did something interesting happen?" "Madam Norma invited a psychology teacher. He performed hypnosis for us—just a few words and the person was completely obedient." She lowered her voice. "I suspect he used some kind of mystic power." Was it a Psychological Cue from a Psychiatrist? Or was it a higher Sequence hypnotic ability? But more importantly, Audrey picked up on the key phrase in her words. "Us? Who else was there?" "Oh, quite a few people." Helena replied, "There were several new faces last time—mostly people we often see at balls and parties." "Huh?" Audrey blinked in surprise. So the Psychology Alchemists aren't just targeting Helena and me, but the children of Loen's nobility as a whole? ——— [Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.