While Mr. Fool was lost in idle reverie, Leonard—attending the Tarot Club for the first time—was simultaneously astonished that Mr. Fool could actually read Roselle's script, while also observing the members seated on both sides of the long table and silently assigning them preliminary labels:
Miss Justice: clearly a young woman. Her temperament seemed optimistic and outgoing. Though the details of her attire were blurred, her taste appeared refined—most likely a noble lady.
Mr. Hanged Man: rough and taciturn, giving off the air of someone irritable and impulsive at heart. Perhaps a pirate?
Mr. Tower: That resurrected old monster, Ebner Bryan. And even He behaved with such reverence toward Mr. Fool? Then who exactly was Mr. Fool? The Black Emperor of Solomon?
Miss Magician: she kept giving me strange looks, occasionally glancing at that old monster as well… although I couldn't see her face clearly, her figure and bearing closely resembled that bestselling author living in his house…
Surely not? That old monster even dragged his lover into this place? Does he trust Mr. Fool that much—or is he simply that confident in himself?
Mr. Sun: very tall, his voice sounded like it hadn't quite finished changing yet. Though quiet, he seemed friendly enough…
Miss Hermit: mature and steady. There was a strong likelihood she was an experienced Beyonder. Among all the Tarot Club members, she was the only one still able to produce Roselle's diaries—either she had joined recently, or her connections were extraordinarily broad…
Mr. Moon: rather young, somewhat reserved… wait, he resembled that Earth Mother Church priest who was famous among Backlund's high-society ladies… Emlyn White, wasn't it? Right, he was also friends with Klein's "Great Detective Sherlock" persona.
Miss Judgement: she gave me the distinct impression of an MI9 operative… the height didn't match, but judging from her interactions with Miss Magician, could she be Miss Xio Derecha, who lived in the old monster's house?
Miss Temperance: more like a doll than a real person… the feeling she gave off was somewhat similar to Klein's… probably also disguised.
Finally, the World: without a doubt, that was Klein himself, using the identity of Gehrman Sparrow as a disguise…
I remember intelligence reports saying Gehrman Sparrow had withdrawn unscathed from an angel-level battle and even killed the Admiral of Blood. Still only Sequence 5, yet already top-tier… and that was less than a year ago. How on earth did he manage that?
And I don't even know what Sequences the others are at. Am I going to be the weakest one here?
As Leonard's thoughts wandered, Mr. Fool finally emerged from his "reverie."
He made the diary page in his hand disappear and turned his gaze toward Hermit Cattleya.
Cattleya immediately caught the cue. Recalling the contents of the Queen's letter, she asked respectfully, "What is the relationship between Giuseppe Castia and the hidden existence I asked about last time?"
The question instantly drew everyone's attention.
Castia was the royal surname of Feynapotter… from the way Hermit phrased it, she was clearly certain that this Giuseppe was connected to the hidden existence that even Mr. Fool treated with caution…
Could the Castia family, like Loen's Augustus family, be secretly trading with some evil god behind their Church's back?
Alger, the resident master of wild speculation, instantly spun countless theories.
Ebner was not surprised by Hermit's question. When Bernadette had recklessly attempted to pry information about Liu Bo from the "Pale Death," she had already obtained clues concerning Giuseppe and Lamia. The deeper one delved, the more severe the contamination became. Bernadette still hadn't noticed anything amiss, only because the main body of "the Unknown" was asleep, and its current agent—Ebner—had made no attempt to control her. Furthermore, she lacked any knowledge of Outer Deities, leaving her completely undefended.
In the original course of events, Klein had even dispatched "Orange Light" Hilaryan to educate her about Outer Gods and Great Old Ones.
While Ebner was lost in thought, Klein—faced with Hermit's question—first cast a subtle glance at Tower before replying calmly:
"The value of that diary page does not match the answer you seek."
He knew the truth, but it was someone else's secret. Permission had to be obtained first. There was no harm in delaying until next week.
"I apologize, Mr. Fool. I was presumptuous," Hermit said hurriedly. After confirming that Mr. Fool was not displeased, she continued cautiously, "Then I will record this page as a contribution for now."
"That will do," Klein nodded lightly. Leaning back against the chair, he said casually, "Let's begin the transactions."
Before the words had fully faded, he had the World turn toward Miss Magician and say in a hoarse voice, "I need information on Calderón City—most importantly, its location. I hope the Abraham family can provide it."
Through Sharron and Miss Messenger, Klein knew that the main ingredient for a Marionettist, the Spirit World Plunderer, could only be found near that Spirit World city. He had already consulted Tower, but Ebner—aware this involved the Goddess's broader plans and concerned about interfering—had told him to ask Fors, Azik, and others himself.
Calderón City… why was the World suddenly searching for this legendary place? Was this a new step in Mr. Fool's revival plan? Hermit, who knew a little about Calderón, was visibly startled.
Leonard's focus, however, shifted elsewhere: Miss Magician was actually from the Abraham family?
No wonder that old monster favored her… and during last night's battle, the Abraham family's newly promoted angel had stepped in to assist the monster. They must have been connected long ago, with Miss Magician serving as the link.
As expected, no one in this gathering is simple… a so-called "protagonists' club," huh?
Leonard mocked himself inwardly, then heard Miss Magician reply with slight hesitation, "No problem. I'll help you ask."
—Her hesitation stemmed from uncertainty over whether to consult her teacher or approach Ebner directly, as well as curiosity over why the World hadn't gone straight to Tower.
"What's your price?" World–Gehrman asked evenly.
"One thousand pounds." Fors was no longer short on money, but she had no intention of working for free.
"Done!" Klein, freshly enriched from his exploits in the Nation of Evernight, answered without hesitation.
(End of Chapter)