Chapter 21 - 21: The First Tarot Meeting

Words : 2391 Updated : Sep 19th, 2025

Chapter 21 of "HPxLOTM: A Wizard's Path to Divinity" starts revealing surprises: August 20, 1349, Monday 3:00 PM As Edward emerged from the deep crimson and hazy state, he... Read on!

August 20, 1349, Monday 3:00 PM As Edward emerged from the deep crimson and hazy state, he once again found himself in the grand palace that resembled a giant's abode—the Sefirah Castle. Seated at the ancient and weathered bronze long table, he noticed three misty figures around him, with The Fool, shrouded in thick fog, presiding at the head seat. The moment Audrey arrived at the Tarot Meeting, she immediately looked around for Edward's position. However, she was surprised to find that two new people had appeared across from her. One of them, judging by his physique and hair colour, was undoubtedly Edward. Instinctively, she took a few more glances at him. As for the other person… Switching to Spectator Mode, Audrey carefully observed the tall newcomer. "He doesn't seem too old…His body language suggests that he is slightly nervous and uneasy…Yet, despite that, he maintains a certain level of silence, giving off a sense of—hmm—a lone wolf, yes, a lone wolf vibe…" Her subtle movements did not escape Klein's notice, and he was momentarily surprised. "Miss Justice's reaction just now…It's as if she had already expected that new members would join today's Tarot Meeting. Moreover, when she observed 'Tower,' she only paused for a few seconds, but I couldn't shake the feeling that she recognized him. Meanwhile, her actions towards 'Sun' were much more like evaluating a complete stranger…" "Could it be that…Justice and Tower are acquaintances in reality?" Memorizing this observation, Klein calmly introduced: "These two are the new members. Their titles are 'Tower' and 'Sun.'" "Here, we have Miss Justice and Mr. Hanged Man." Alger frowned slightly, feeling a bit displeased that The Fool had suddenly recruited two new members. However, he quickly dismissed his own dissatisfaction with a self-mocking thought: "Why would someone as powerful as Mr. Fool ever care about our opinions?" Adjusting his mood, Alger greeted everyone, "Good afternoon, Miss Justice, Mr. Tower, Mr. Sun." Edward stood up, removed his hat, and returned the greeting, "Good afternoon, everyone." Compared to him, Derrick the Sun seemed much more nervous and reserved. At that moment, Audrey turned her gaze towards the head of the bronze long table, addressing The Fool, "Mr. Fool, I have collected three more pages of Emperor Roselle's diary." Originally, she could only recall two pages, but after studying the notebook's contents and with Edward's assistance, she managed to memorize all three. Klein, maintaining his composed demeanour, asked, "Miss Justice, what would you like in exchange?" Audrey feigned restraint and responded, "You already know that I am about to fully digest the 'Spectator' potion. I hope to obtain the formula for the 'Telepathist' potion in advance so that I can prepare the materials ahead of time. Hmm…The Sequence 8 formula for the Apprentice Pathway would also be acceptable, as my friend happens to need it. If these three pages aren't valuable enough, I…hmm…I can pay an additional amount…" Midway through her sentence, she suddenly panicked and hastily corrected herself, "S-Sorry, Mr. Fool! What I meant was—you may specify the compensation you desire! Yes, that's what I meant!" "I think the great Mr. Fool would probably prefer it if you just gave him some money outright." Edward silently ridiculed her in his mind. Honestly, he hadn't expected Audrey to remember to help him request a potion formula as well. This unexpected kindness warmed his heart. "I owe her more and more favours now…" He stole a glance at Audrey, just in time to meet her gaze. Her eyes sparkled slightly as if silently saying, "This is just a senior looking out for you." Meanwhile, Klein, who had been observing all of this, couldn't help but internally exclaim, "They definitely know each other!" At that moment, Derrick suddenly spoke up, "'Telepathist' potion formula? You mean the 'Telepathist' that leads to 'Psyche Analyst'?" Audrey turned to him in surprise. "You know about it?" "Huh? He just referred to 'Psychiatrist' using the ancient term 'Psyche Analyst.' But why would someone from this era use an archaic name? That's strange…This guy…" Completely unaware that he had revealed something unusual, Derrick earnestly replied, "I can help you obtain this formula!" After saying that, he quickly added, "This Sequence originates from the Dragon race. Since our City of Silver was once under the rule of the Giant King's Court, and because giants and dragons are sworn enemies, the City of Silver has always had access to Sequences 9, 8, and 7 of this pathway. I can find a way to get it." Edward couldn't help but sigh. "As expected of one of the three fools of the Tarot Club—completely unguarded, spilling all the secrets." Klein had initially wanted to stop Derrick, but after reconsidering, he decided to let it be. "Well, I am The Fool, after all. Having members share their knowledge only serves to reinforce my mysterious and omniscient image." Meanwhile, Audrey looked confused, while Alger was outright shocked. Curious, Audrey asked, "City of Silver? I've never heard of such a place…Where is it?" Derrick, in turn, looked puzzled. "You're not from the City of Silver? Then which city-state do you belong to?" Seeing the conversation veer into a dead-end, Klein internally sighed. Just then, Edward raised his hand and spoke, "I recall reading about the Kingdom of Silver in ancient texts. I wonder if it has any connection to your City of Silver." "Huh?" Among everyone present, Audrey was the most surprised. She turned to Edward in disbelief, nearly blurting out, "Why didn't you share this information with me earlier?!" "After I even helped you request a potion formula?!" But then, she became momentarily puzzled. "Wait, no…He isn't from this world…So where did he read those ancient texts?" Edward noticed her dissatisfaction, but his response had been an impromptu decision. He could only explain things to her later, since it involved the original novel's plot. "The City of Silver can be traced back to the Second Epoch, originating from the Kingdom of Silver under the rule of the Giant King's Court. During the Third Epoch, after the Giant King's Court fell, the Silver Kingdom converted to worshipping 'The Lord that Created Everything, The Omniscient and Omnipotent God.' Later, during the Cataclysm, the Kingdom of Silver vanished." Edward looked at everyone. "That's all I know." Right after he finished speaking, he realized—"Wait, shouldn't this kind of secret knowledge be considered valuable information? Should I have charged for it?" "I really need to adjust my mindset to fit the rules of the Mysteries World." Klein glanced at Edward, his face concealed by the fog, but his surprise was undeniable. "The information he shared was brief, but it matches the general framework of what Little Sun described…What kind of family does he come from, that he possesses records of the Second and Third Epochs?" Audrey, on the other hand, was utterly stunned. "Neither Mr. Fool nor Mr. Sun refuted his words, which means he was telling the truth. But how could he possibly know something so ancient?" "This guy…is definitely hiding a lot from me!" Derrick hesitated and said, "I don't know much about what you mentioned regarding the Second Epoch, but what happened in the Third Epoch did indeed happen to us in the City of Silver. Back then, we were indeed called the Kingdom of Silver. However, you mentioned that the Kingdom of Silver disappeared after the Cataclysm—what do you mean? While we were indeed abandoned by our Lord, we have still existed for thousands of years." Edward shrugged. "I'm merely repeating what was recorded in that ancient text. I don't know anything beyond that." Audrey pressed her lips together. This guy could lie without even blinking! Meanwhile, Alger caught onto a crucial word—abandoned. A storm raged within his mind. Abandoned by their Lord…their deity? Isn't this referring to the legendary Forsaken Land of the Gods?! The Fool actually knows the whereabouts of the Land Abandoned by the Gods…and he can even bring people from there into the Tarot Club! Thud, thud. Klein lightly tapped the table and said in a calm tone, "That's enough discussion about City of Silver. Let's continue with your trade." "Yes, Mr. Fool." Audrey nodded slightly and then turned to Derrick. "So, you're saying you can acquire the Telepathist potion formula?" "Yes, but…but I'll need some time," Derrick admitted somewhat sheepishly before quickly adding, "But I can definitely get it." "And what does Mr. Sun need in return?" Derrick responded firmly, "I'd like to exchange it for the initial sequence formula of the Sun pathway." "The Sun pathway? Sequence 9's 'Bard'?" Alger asked. Audrey naturally didn't have the formula for Bard, so she attempted a different approach. "I can help you search for it or pay you the equivalent amount in gold pounds." Before Derrick could figure out what gold pounds were, Klein interjected. "I can provide Sun with the Bard formula. In return, Sun will obtain the Telepathist formula for Miss Justice as soon as possible—preferably within two gatherings. Meanwhile, Miss Justice will hand over the new pages of Emperor Roselle's diary to me, completing the transaction." "Hmm…Based on the principle of equal exchange, Sun is at a disadvantage here. However, he has only promised to obtain the formula. Once he actually delivers it, Miss Justice can consider how to compensate him further. Alternatively, I can compensate him myself, and Miss Justice can provide money to one of my Blessed. He needs funds for certain matters at the moment. Heh, this is because Sun may not be able to receive cash or material compensation directly from Miss Justice." No one objected to Mr. Fool's proposal. Alger, however, felt a pang of disappointment—he had initially wanted to obtain more information about City of Silver by offering the Bard formula himself. Following this, Klein handed the Bard formula to Derrick, successfully acquiring the three pages of Roselle's diary in return. He then began reading the entries. So Roselle later created tarot cards based on the Blasphemy Slate? Tut…An organization that possesses an entire Blasphemy Slate—which means they have the formulas for all 22 pathways—compared to them, the Tarot Club, which can't even produce a single Sequence 8 formula, is just…pitiful. Klein shifted his gaze from the diary pages and looked at the four quietly waiting members, smiling slightly. "You don't actually have to wait for me." "It is our honour to do so," Alger responded humbly. Audrey, meanwhile, suppressed the fluttering excitement in her heart and couldn't help but glance at Edward. This time, I knew what was in Roselle's diary before Mr. Fool read it. In a way, I'm ahead of him! At that thought, she immediately felt guilty. Audrey, how could you think like that? ——— "Esteemed seniors of the mysticism world," Edward suddenly spoke up. "In truth, I have only been a Beyonder for one day, so I still have many questions about this realm. There is one particular question I would like to ask all of you." He swept his gaze across the room before continuing, "What exactly is spirituality? And why does using supernatural abilities consume it?" Then, recalling the principle of equal exchange, he quickly added, "I'm willing to pay for the answer." Alger responded, "From what I know, everyone possesses spirituality, but for Beyonders, most of it originates from the residual properties of the Beyonder materials in their potion. The supernatural abilities they gain also come from those Beyonder creatures. This is one of the key elements in successfully formulating a potion—and also the fundamental cause of losing control." He further explained, "Humans obtain supernatural abilities by consuming potions and seizing the spirituality and power of Beyonder creatures. As for why using supernatural abilities depletes spirituality—well, that's simply how it works for Beyonder creatures. Since we derive our powers from them, the same principle applies to us." "So, would it be accurate to say that a Beyonder creature is like a gun, and spirituality is its ammunition? Humans are simply the ones using the gun?" Edward asked. Alger thought for a moment and nodded. "Roughly speaking, yes." "In that case, would it be possible to fire the ammunition through other means? Or, say… could we load revolver bullets into a rifle and fire them?" Alger was momentarily dumbfounded. What kind of strange question is that? Bullets need to be fired from a gun, of course. Otherwise, what—are you going to throw them at people? And revolver bullets don't even fit into a rifle… Despite his initial confusion, he carefully considered the question and eventually nodded slightly. "If we're talking about actual bullets and firearms, then probably not. But if it's spirituality, then it should be possible. Different pathways can use the same kind of spirituality to activate supernatural abilities. I suppose the difference between pathways could be likened to what you described—revolvers and rifles." Edward's eyes lit up as a realization struck him. "I see! Thank you, Mr. Hanged Man. Your answer has resolved my doubts. How much gold should I pay you for this information?" Alger hesitated briefly before saying, "This is actually basic knowledge in the Beyonder world…but if I must name a price, then…100 pounds? Mr. Fool, what do you think?" At this moment, even the great Mr. Fool needed to use the fog to conceal the look of confusion on his face. Having been suddenly dragged into the conversation, he could only feign calmness and say, "That sounds reasonable." "Thank you, Mr. Fool." ——— Audrey finally understood what Edward was really getting at. Previously, Edward had complained to her that magic in this world was greatly weakened, and they had speculated that it was due to the difference in rank between worlds. If higher-rank spirituality were used instead of lower-rank magic power to cast spells, what would happen? ——— [Note]: Here's the promised Extra Chapter! And, don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated. [P.S.] - Let me clarify one thing. The pathway of our MC will be semi-original. I won't spoil anything beyond that.

Chapter 21 - 21: The First Tarot Meeting

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