Outside the "Loreto Cinema" in Feynapotter City, which had only been built a month earlier.
Miss Judy held onto Miss "Plant," who looked exactly the same as her, and licked the cinema's complimentary "exit ice cream" while excitedly saying to her mother, Closfia, who was walking on the other side:
"Mom… Ebner is amazing. How exactly did he calculate the precise data of the whirlpool and then work out the minimum escape speed and the most suitable angle?"
Closfia was a little speechless when she heard this. Ebner had indeed thought of making such a calculation at the time, but he quickly gave up, feeling that it was unnecessary…
But since this might have been related to the success or failure of the ritual, Closfia didn't expose the lie. She simply gave a vague answer:
"Ebner relied on some tools…" (Such as me.)
"Used some methods…" (For example, twisting the weight of the ship.)
"And that's how the 'Laurel' was pulled out of the whirlpool. It's just that, in the movie, in order to emphasize his 'wisdom,' that part wasn't shown."
Judy suddenly understood, but she still admired him greatly. "Even so, he's still incredible. If it had been me, I probably would have asked you to turn into a dragon and drag the ship out."
Good, it seems you and Ebner should have a lot in common… Closfia muttered inwardly. She was about to say something when her expression suddenly shifted, and she drew a letter from the void.
Seeing this, Judy immediately opened her "spiritual vision," but only saw an eight-legged demonic wolf enter the spirit world and disappear.
Judy recognized this wolf phantom. She knew it was Ebner's messenger, the same one her mother had used to deliver the "Blue Serrated Grass" to him earlier.
"What did Ebner say in the letter?" Judy asked curiously as her mother put it down.
"He said he has successfully advanced to demigod… so to thank us for our help, he has invited us to a banquet at his home in Backlund on Thursday evening." Closfia answered with a smile.
"He's really a demigod now…" Although she had already expected it, Judy was still astonished. After all, it hadn't been that long since their parting on Blue Mountain Island… back then, he had still been at Sequence 6.
But she then asked in puzzlement, "Why Thursday?"
Such a thank-you banquet should have been held the next day. And if it was for a more grand and formal atmosphere, it should have been on the weekend.
"Based on my understanding of him, and of some Beyonders on the 'Cognizer' pathway… it's probably because he needed to stagger the invitations. We were simply arranged for Thursday." Closfia thought for a moment before replying with certainty.
Judy blinked, not quite understanding what her mother meant, but she didn't press further. Instead, she asked, "Then should we head to Backlund now?"
"No need. When Thursday comes, he will come fetch us."
...
Meanwhile, in Trier, Intis, Fanny, who had just left the cinema as well, received a letter from the "demonic wolf."
"A banquet on Wednesday evening? Wonderful. It's been so long since I went back to Backlund. I miss my friends there… I wonder how Emma is doing now… and the 'Eye of Wisdom' grandpa…
"And I'll get to see Ebner again…"
As she was daydreaming, the voices of a few citizens who had just watched the film drifted into her ears.
"What a stunning movie… and so enviable. It makes me want to go treasure hunting at sea and find a great fortune." One man spoke with longing.
"Stop dreaming… Without Ebner Bryan's experience and wisdom, you'd only die trapped in that giant whirlpool!" his friend mocked.
"I'd naturally prepare thoroughly before going…" the first man snorted in dissatisfaction before sighing regretfully. "But why would Ebner Bryan, when he's settled in our Intis, donate such a fortune to Loen?"
"He was aiming for a noble title… we don't even have that here!" his friend said helplessly.
"Exactly… Why did our country abolish the monarchy? Even Emperor Roselle explored and realized that the path without a king doesn't work, which is why he crowned himself! Looking back at the era of Emperor Roselle Gustav, our nation was the strongest. Loen, Feysac, Feynapotter… they all had to beg us for peace. And look at us now… sigh!" the man grumbled.
His words immediately resonated with those around him, who chimed in:
"They always say our system now is the best, but how are those great families any different from the nobles of old? And without the king's restraint, they're even more unscrupulous."
"Exactly. Especially the current prime minister, who even wants to restrict press freedom. That's worse than when we had kings!"
"Right. Maybe we should restore Emperor Roselle's system. Whether it's the Sauron family, the Gustav family, or some other family qualified to be king, let them compete fairly… In short, maybe we could elect a king."
Surprisingly, this whimsical suggestion received much praise. Soon, the crowd, still heated from watching the film, gathered into a marching procession, dragging many passersby with them as they surged toward the Parliament building.
At first, Fanny, who was caught in the crowd, was worried. But then, a thought struck her. She revealed her identity as a Member of Parliament and, using the persuasion and charm of the "Lawyer" pathway, managed to gain the leadership of the march.
...
In Lenburg, "Vice Admiral Iceberg" Edwina unfolded the letter delivered by the demonic wolf, her eyes lighting up instantly. Ebner had invited her to explore the ruins beneath Bayam's "Aromatic Manor" on Saturday.
This was something they had agreed upon months ago. Ebner knew Edwina loved fine food but didn't enjoy formal banquets, so he used the ruin exploration as his way of showing gratitude.
And Edwina was indeed more interested in that. She immediately returned to her home in Lenburg to pack, then used secret techniques to inform her first mate to sail the "Golden Dream" to the designated location.
...
On Monday, at 2:30 in the afternoon.
Ebner sealed his room with spirituality and kept adjusting the shadowy eyes in his "Incomplete Mythical Form"—the divine spirit bodies he had named "Eyes of Wisdom."
Moments later, using his previous experience exploring the "Unknown Land," he successfully separated one "Eye of Wisdom" and changed its appearance to look like himself.
"With this, the 'Eye of Wisdom' is like a divine spirit body clone of mine, though carrying very little power. If it attends the Tarot Gathering in my place, not only will it let me share what it sees and hears in real time, it'll also spare Klein from too much burden…
"Of course, this requires the cooperation of Mr. Fool. If the 'Sefirah Castle' isolates it, this technique won't work.
"Sigh, I said I'd settle accounts with him, but in matters like this I still have to be considerate… After all, Mr. Fool doesn't have it easy either…"
After sighing for a while, Ebner casually made up an excuse, then recited the honorific name to request letting the "Eye of Wisdom" attend the Tarot Gathering on his behalf.
As expected, Mr. Fool readily agreed.
...
At exactly three o'clock, in the ancient hall above the gray fog.
On both sides of the mottled, ancient bronze long table, nine blurry figures—"Justice," "Magician," "Judgment," "Hermit," "Hanged Man," "Tower," "Sun," "Moon," and "World"—stretched and solidified in the embrace of the crimson light. The surroundings were as quiet and vast as ever, solemn and sacred like a temple.
No, this was a temple! A temple of the gods!
"Good afternoon, Mr. Fool~" "Justice" Audrey led the others to stand up, her bright and cheerful voice quickly echoing through the grand hall upheld by rows of stone pillars.
Klein nodded in response, watching as the members, with Miss "Justice's" liveliness, exchanged simple greetings with one another.
Among them, "Temperance" Sharon's seat remained empty. This young lady had been absent from the Tarot Gathering for nearly three months.
This worried the kind Audrey, who suspected that her promotion ritual might have encountered some trouble.
When the voices subsided and everyone was seated, "Fool" Klein once again glanced at Miss "Justice."
Having had similar experiences before, Audrey immediately understood and did not raise her hand to ask a question.
"Fool" Klein then looked toward "Tower" Ebner and chuckled lightly, as if in passing:
"Congratulations on taking another step forward on the extraordinary path."
(The End of This Chapter)