Chapter 183 - 183: Another Tarot Gathering

[15 Minsk Street] Klein set down two cups of coffee on the table and smiled at the man sitting across from him, Talim Dumont. "Apologies, this is just some rather cheap coffee." Talim picked up his cup and took a small sip. "I'm not particular about the taste of coffee." "I didn't expect you to come all the way to my place for a visit." As he spoke, Klein added a few sugar cubes to his own cup. "Is there something you need my help with?" The 'acquaintance' between the two of them was limited to the occasional casual chat at the Quelaag Club. Klein hadn't been back there in days—ever since he ran into Dr. Aaron's adopted son at the shooting range. His intuition had screamed that there was something very wrong with that boy named Will. And his reason had warned him: Don't be curious. Don't investigate. Stay as far away from that child as possible. Klein felt his 'reason' was absolutely right. Talim cradled the coffee cup in both hands, absentmindedly turning it slightly. "Do you remember the friend I mentioned to you last time?" "Of course. A noble gentleman, romantic yet deeply sentimental." "He seems to have fallen ill recently." Talim sighed. "But when I tried to visit him, I was turned away. Right now, I know nothing about his condition." "Well…" Recalling the joke he had made about Talim's 'friend' last time, Klein said, "With his noble status, I'm sure he's receiving proper care even while ill. Perhaps he turned you away to avoid passing on anything contagious." "My relationship with him isn't that distant." Talim downed the rest of his coffee in one gulp, as if he had finally made up his mind. "I want…to commission you to check on him for me." "Uh, when you say 'check on'…you mean sneak in, that sort of thing?" "However you want to do it is up to you. I just want to know the truth." As he spoke, Talim pulled out several pound notes and laid them on the table. "Here's thirty pounds. If you succeed, I'll pay you another one hundred seventy—two hundred pounds in total." Tsk. Two hundred pounds—not a small amount. If it was simply about investigating someone's condition…maybe it was worth considering? Klein furrowed his brows and thought for a long moment. "Who exactly is this friend of yours?" "His name is Edessak. His surname is Augustus. He's the fifth child of His Majesty the King of Loen." A prince, huh? Wait a second… "Hold on, did you say his name is…?" "Edessak." Klein froze for a second. Could it really be that much of a coincidence? In Klein's experience, 'coincidence' was never a good word. He thought carefully for a few moments, then shook his head. "Sorry. I'm afraid I won't be able to help. I'm sure you know better than I do just how well-guarded a prince's residence is. I'm just an ordinary private detective." "…Is that so?" Talim set down his empty cup. "I suppose it was just wishful thinking on my part." He stood up. "Sorry to have disturbed you, Mr. Moriarty." Klein quickly picked up the money on the table. "Your payment." Talim smiled faintly. "Consider it a fee for troubling you today. Goodbye." Klein didn't insist. He wasn't about to turn down free money. After seeing Talim out, he hesitated for a moment, then took out his yellow crystal and performed a divination on the commission Talim had proposed. The result was similar to the last time—not without risk, but not terribly dangerous either. "Phew…I'll think about this later. Time to prepare for the afternoon's Tarot Gathering." ——— 3 PM, that afternoon. Within the majestic and towering palace, at the ancient and weathered bronze table, vague and mist-shrouded figures began to appear one by one in their respective seats. "Good afternoon, Mr. Fool." Audrey was once again the first to speak. Then, in order, she greeted the others: "Good afternoon, Mr. Tower. Good afternoon, Mr. World…Good afternoon, Miss Death." Once she had finished her greetings, she didn't bother to hide her curiosity. Glancing toward the newly arrived member sitting in the same row, she smiled and asked: "And this is…?" Klein sat leisurely in the seat belonging to The Fool, scanning the table before speaking, "This is Miss Magician, our new member." Then, he turned toward Fors and introduced each member one by one: "This is Miss Justice, and this is Mr. Tower…" As Fors nodded politely and matched the aliases to the people seated around the table, she silently observed them all, mentally profiling these future 'colleagues'. When her gaze landed on Miss Death, who was even shorter than Xio, she couldn't help but think—If Xio could participate in this gathering, she'd definitely be thrilled. But she quickly realised she was mistaken. The reason Miss Death was so short…was because she was only six or seven years old! Fors was stunned. What kind of gathering have I gotten myself into? Why is there such a small child here?! While she was secretly observing everyone else, the others were also observing her. The moment Edward heard her codename—"Magician"—he knew she was Fors, the "Salted Fish Lady." Audrey, through her hair colour, attire, pronunciation, aura, and emotional hues, had also guessed her identity. The Hanged Man, on the other hand, felt that the development speed of the Tarot Club seemed to be getting a bit out of hand. If new members kept joining like this, he'd have to find a way to maintain his "veteran status." The Sun remained as disinterested as ever. Miss Death, little Priscilla, rested her chin in her hands and stared curiously at Fors, making no attempt to hide her interest. A moment later— The Hanged Man turned to the Fool and said, "Apologies, Mr. Fool, I have no new diary entries this week." Diary? Fors was confused. What diary? Is this mysterious Mr. Fool collecting someone's diary entries? Edward then projected the three pages he had obtained from Bernadette that morning. "Mr. Fool, I've collected three pages this week." Audrey blinked in surprise, puffing up her cheeks in mild annoyance. That guy didn't even tell me he got diary pages! Still, she quickly projected the two pages she had memorised from the Roselle Commemorative Exhibition. "I also remembered two pages of Roselle's diary." "Mhm." Klein gave a slight nod and accepted the pages from both of them. He looked down and began reading: "March 6th—Damn it, the food here is making me constipated!" Klein's smile gradually stiffened. He had already seen these entries at the exhibition, so he quickly skimmed through and turned to Edward's submission: "May 13th—I once again found a page of that suspected transmigrator predecessor's diary…" The very first line made Klein's heart jolt. So Emperor Roselle had also encountered the diary of another transmigrator? Well, that makes sense. If even I can collect them, how could someone as powerful as the Consul—and later Emperor—of Intis not be able to? He continued reading, finding Roselle's speculation that the mysterious diary's owner must have been extremely cautious, never leaving any traces behind. Klein couldn't help but question inwardly: Is it really possible for someone who transmigrates to do absolutely nothing? As Mr. Fool read the diaries attentively, Audrey's gaze drifted to the right-hand side of the bronze table where two tarot cards with intricate, luxurious back designs sat quietly. They lay there so casually, as if they were ordinary objects. Those must be the "Cards of Blasphemy," she realised instantly. Cards that hold the path to godhood! She quickly put the pieces together. One was obtained by me in cooperation with Mr. Fool's blessed subordinate, and the other was from Edward! That means…both Cards of Blasphemy are related to me! A flicker of pride rose in her heart, and the corners of her lips lifted ever so slightly. Her subtle expression didn't escape Alger's notice. Following Audrey's line of sight, he too saw the two cards lying on the bronze surface. Though Mr. Fool seemed nonchalant about them, Alger was sure that anything placed so close to such a mysterious and lofty being couldn't possibly be ordinary. I must find a way to ask about them. Soon, Klein finished reading the three pages. He leaned back slightly with a faint smile and said: "You may now speak freely." Alger was the first to act. His gaze fixed on the two Cards of Blasphemy as he asked, "Respected Mr. Fool, may I ask what those two cards are?" Klein casually picked them up and said evenly, "These are two Cards of Blasphemy." Cards of Blasphemy?! Alger was instantly shaken. As one of the few Tarot members who understood the true nature of the Cards of Blasphemy, he knew that the mysterious deck once created by Emperor Roselle held the secrets of divine paths—of becoming a god. And now, just one week later, Mr. Fool already had two of them in his possession. His mind raced. Could one of them be from the Sailor Pathway? Miss Justice immediately voiced the question he had in mind: "Mr. Fool, may I ask which divine pathways these two Cards of Blasphemy represent?" "This one is the Black Emperor card. It's Sequence 9 is the 'Lawyer'—offered to me by the World." "This one is the Red Priest card. It's Sequence 9 is the 'Hunter'—offered to me by the Tower." Even though she already knew the answer, Audrey still gasped appropriately to show her amazement. Alger was slightly disappointed, but still deeply astonished. Where in the world did the World and the Tower get such valuable items? And to think they offered them directly to Mr. Fool! If it were me…would I do the same? Meanwhile, Fors's head was full of question marks. Cards of Blasphemy? Divine pathways? Sequence 9? What on earth is going on? Seeing her confusion, Audrey immediately switched into class-rep mode to explain, "The so-called Cards of Blasphemy…each represents a complete divine pathway. In other words, possessing one means…" By the time Audrey finished each sentence, Fors was already in full-on "shocked reaction" mode. She finally got a rough idea of the Tarot Club's true strength—Any organisation that possesses two divine pathways definitely isn't simple! "Also," Audrey added, "the diaries we mentioned earlier are Roselle's diary entries. And you guessed right—our great Mr. Fool can read the Roselle script." Fors, still in awe, suddenly froze. She recalled how both Audrey and Edward had once commissioned her and Xio to help acquire Roselle's diary entries. She subtly glanced around the table. Could there be more connections among these people than I thought? Just then, Audrey smiled and said, "Miss Magician, since this is your first time attending a Tarot meeting, the knowledge I shared was free. But next time, any occult knowledge you wish to learn will have to be paid for—or exchanged with knowledge of equal value." "Understood," Fors nodded seriously. Audrey's tone suddenly shifted with a playful smile. "Very well, Miss Magician. Do you know about the 'acting method'?" ——— [Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.