After finalizing the three-way exchange with Emlyn and Derrick, Ebner looked around the table once more and said with a smile,
"I have a commission.
"I wish to obtain information about any surviving elves. As for payment, I can promise to forge a free Mid-Sequence beyonder item.
"Of course, the grade of the item will depend on the value of the information provided."
Elves? Could it be that Mr. "Tower" made some kind of deal with the "Queen of Calamity" in Kabas Town? The moment "Justice" Audrey heard that "Tower" was searching for elves, she immediately recalled Ebner's previous secret meeting with Goshinham and drew her own connections.
The "Hanged Man" Alger also thought of that possibility. He glanced deeply at "Tower," his mind likely spinning with all sorts of assumptions.
"Hermit" Cattleya pondered for a moment before speaking. "After the Great Cataclysm, the elves were originally trapped on Sonia Island… But as time passed, that ancient race of Beyonders suffered under various factors and gradually declined, leaving only occasional, fleeting appearances to prove they weren't completely extinct.
"What I can confirm is that there are no elves left on Sonia Island now. They are most likely hiding somewhere on an uncharted island, outside the regular sea routes.
"I can help you keep an eye out."
Ebner understood that by "keep an eye out," she meant asking the "Queen of Mysteries" or using the information network of the "Moses Ascetic Order." He nodded slightly and expressed his thanks to Cattleya.
At that moment, "Temperance" Sharon suddenly turned her head toward Ebner and said in her ethereal, dreamlike voice, "I know of an elven settlement."
"Where?" Ebner's spirit lifted immediately as he asked.
"Temperance" Sharon didn't answer right away. Instead, she looked around at the others.
That gesture was clear enough—Ebner didn't even need "World" to translate. Smiling, he said, "You can speak openly. There's no need for a private exchange."
"Temperance" Sharon met his gaze and said calmly, without a ripple of emotion,
"About five hundred nautical miles west of Bairnes Port in West Balam, beneath the sea…
"That place exists independently of the physical world. You need a special method to enter."
Beneath the sea west of West Balam? Hiding deep indeed! Ebner sighed inwardly before asking, "What method?"
"Every year on the seventh day of the seventh month, a bridge forms between the settlement and reality…" She paused for a moment, then, after requesting permission from Mr. Fool, manifested the image of a wooden sailing ship. In her emotionless tone, she continued, "Seven hundred years ago, one had to ride this ship—which could travel beneath the sea—to cross the bridge… Now, I'm not sure."
The seventh day of the seventh month… a bridge… Could it be a place I created in one of my past lives? Over seven hundred years ago? Is this the handiwork of Dannit Tinekerr?
Before Ebner could think further, the "Hanged Man" Alger, staring intently at the projected image, murmured softly, "The Trident?"
Though quiet, every Tarot Club member present had at least Sequence 7-level perception and heard him clearly. All eyes turned toward him.
Seeing this, Alger explained, "The 'Trident' is a ship the Church of Storms often uses for covert missions. It can dive into the deep sea and cross the 'Raging Sea' without following regular routes… and its appearance is identical to that image.
"Rumor has it that the 'Trident' surfaced from the depths of the sea after the Twenty-Year War and appeared near Pasu Island. But originally, this ghost ship wasn't called the 'Trident.' Its true name was never recorded in history."
So it's the Trident… I remember a passage in Roselle's diary mentioning that Dannit had used the "Trident" to escape from the Southern Continent to the Northern one. After his "death," the sealed item formed from his characteristics had also been delivered to the "Church of Storms" by this very ship.
It seemed likely, then, that the elven settlement was indeed his creation. Ebner nodded inwardly, then looked at Miss "Temperance" and said with a smile, "Your information is extremely helpful to me. What kind of item would you like in return?"
"One that can transform into others for long periods," Sharon replied succinctly.
Ebner rubbed his chin thoughtfully. For an item meant to be worn long-term and capable of transformation, simply 'infusing' spirituality into materials wouldn't suffice—the residual power within the materials would be used up too quickly, and the item would soon degrade.
So at least the main material must come from a 'Faceless.' That would cost around two to four thousand pounds.
Hmm, an elven settlement's exact location, along with the time and method of entry and exit… such information is easily worth several thousand pounds.
After considering for a moment, Ebner nodded. "Alright, I'll craft it as soon as possible."
The "Prophet" Taylor of the Church of Knowledge had already risen to the upper ranks of the "Secret Order," so tricking him into providing a "Faceless" material shouldn't be difficult.
If that didn't work, he could always reclaim the "Bizarro Sorcerer" characteristic he'd lent to Taylor and use the "Unshadowed" ability to extract the relevant components.
"Temperance" Sharon gave a slight nod, then reverted to her puppet-like stillness, ceasing all movement.
After a brief silence, "The Fool" Klein tapped lightly on the mottled bronze table, signaling the start of the free discussion phase.
Inside the grand, mist-shrouded palace above the gray fog, the "Hanged Man" Alger turned his head toward the "Sun" beside him and asked,
"Are you still stationed in Afternoon Town?"
Derrick nodded honestly and answered in great detail. He described setting up their camp, clearing the roads, and other specifics—so vividly that "Magician," "Justice," "Judgment," and even "Hermit" listened with great interest.
"Justice" Audrey raised her hand slightly and asked,
"You've been in Afternoon Town for so long—what are you using for food? Is there black-faced grass nearby? Or perhaps the provisions Miss 'Temperance' once supplied us with?"
"Our main food comes from the monsters we hunt," Derrick replied seriously. "Most of them, once their Beyonder characteristics are extracted and their hides burned away with flame, are safe to eat… Oh, and thanks to the secret technique Mr. Tower taught us, the residual spiritual pollution in their meat no longer poses any risk, so we can eat with confidence."
After answering Audrey's question, he turned to thank "Tower," then nodded to "Temperance" Sharon and added,
"Of course, we also brought some of Miss 'Temperance's' 'wolf-fish cans' and Silver City's black-faced grass powder, though we can only afford to eat them once every day or two."
Wolf-fish cans?
At those words, "Hermit" Cattleya, "Judgment" Xio, "Hanged Man" Alger, and even "The Fool" himself all showed the slightest flicker of expression, exchanging subtle glances filled with newfound respect for "Sun."
Simultaneously, several of them turned their gazes toward the doll-like "Temperance," as if seeing her in a whole new light.
"Temperance" Sharon ignored their looks, merely turning toward the "World" and explaining simply, "Long shelf life. Cheap."
At that, "Justice" Audrey recalled Islant's miserable experience, as well as Mr. Tower's previous description of the "wolf-fish can's" dreadful flavor. Comparing that with how casually "Sun" spoke about eating them, she became convinced that Mr. Tower had exaggerated on purpose.
After thinking it over, she asked again for confirmation, "I heard that 'wolf-fish cans' taste terrible—that some people vomit the moment they open them… You didn't have that problem?"
Derrick fell silent for two seconds before replying,
"The 'wolf-fish cans' do have a strong smell… but it's clean meat—meat that doesn't need purification rituals to be safe!"
He paused, instinctively glancing toward "Moon" Emlyn before continuing,
"For survival, we've eaten all sorts of things—even the pus-covered, hideous monsters of the deep darkness, like vampires… We don't really have a choice. If it's edible, we eat it.
"Compared to those, the 'wolf-fish' doesn't taste bad at all… Some people even like it."
His voice grew low, as though weighed down once more by the cursed tragedy enveloping all of Silver City.
Emlyn, meanwhile, completely forgot to correct him—it was "Blood Clan," not "vampires." His face turned pale green as an indescribable shudder ran through him.
The massive, cathedral-like palace fell silent again, until "World" broke the stillness by bringing up "Mad Captain" Connors Victor and the clues linking that pirate to the "Great Smog" incident and a certain royal faction.
From "World's" words, everyone inferred that Mr. Fool had been having him investigate the true cause behind the "Great Smog."
"Judgment" Xio straightened up instantly upon hearing this. After glancing at Ebner and seeing him shake his head, she pressed her lips together and refrained from asking Mr. Fool about her father.
Later, Ebner and Audrey held another brief "private chat," finalizing the time and location for their meeting after the Tarot gathering. He also asked if she would mind having the "Queen of Mysteries" accompany her.
Audrey thought for a moment. With her "Mask of Lies," Mr. Tower's protection, and Mr. Fool's blessing, there was nothing to fear from Emperor Roselle's eldest daughter. She nodded her agreement.
When their conversation ended, the free discussion continued for a while longer before concluding completely.
As the others departed, Klein tossed the recent diary pages toward Ebner, officially announcing the start of their "small meeting."
(End of this chapter)