So it turns out the Great Emperor wanted to search for the "Forsaken Land of the Gods," and within that intention was also the desire to help Old Liu and the daughter of the "Elf Queen"—that former Apocalypse Demoness—stabilize her condition…
When he thought of this, "The Fool" Klein cast a strange look at "Mr. Tower," and couldn't help but sigh inwardly about the relationship between Old Huang and Old Liu—it was really fucking chaotic!
As expected of the "twisted" "Black Emperor" and the unknowable, unpredictable "Unknown"!
After muttering inwardly, Klein set aside the two diary pages from "The Hanged Man" and instead picked up the three pages submitted by "Miss Hermit."
Although these three pages recorded Roselle's early experiences, since they had been selected by Bernadette, he still held higher expectations for them.
As he read, Roselle the Great's experiences visiting the Feysac Empire in his youth gradually unfolded before Klein's eyes.
Some of the content was laugh-out-loud ridiculous, such as Roselle competing in drinking with Feysac beauties, getting blackout drunk, and upon waking up being grateful that only his head hurt and not his ass…
Some of it was thought-provoking, such as Roselle's investigations and conjectures about the origin of the Elf King prompted by the issue of "chopsticks"…
And some of it was sorrowful and nostalgic, such as the half-giants of Feysac, whose bloodline-deep longing for the "Giant King's Court" stirred the heart… especially when the bone flute sounded, and Roselle, amid the melodious yet mournful tune, thought of his own "hometown"!
Hometown…
Reading to this point, Klein once again felt a spiritual resonance with the Great Emperor.
And the last time had also been because of a similar Roselle diary…
Moved by the thought, Klein manifested a page of Roselle's diary that he had obtained long ago.
"Without seeing the moonlight bright, how could one miss their hometown?
Passing through neon lights and revelry, where am I heading?
Standing in a noisy square, the bone flute sounds melodiously.
Beside me lies an empty expanse…"
Looking at the lyrics Old Liu had written on the night of the full moon, Klein sighed once more.
Although Roselle ultimately only wrote the three words "Hometown, ah," without elaborating on his inner feelings, Klein fully understood the emotional turbulence of that moment. Because he and Roselle, just like that half-giant Oneg who played the bone flute, both had a homeland of the spirit and the soul.
So that line "the bone flute sounds melodiously" in the lyrics came from here…
This probably wasn't plagiarism—perhaps Old Liu really did write it on the spot… it's just unknown what kind of lyrics the unsung later part contained…
While various thoughts churned in his mind, Klein turned to the final page of this batch of diaries.
There wasn't much useful intelligence on it; it was all about the familial bond between Old Huang and his daughter Huang Beibei. The diary ended with:
"…After several days of consideration, I decided to teach Bernadette two Chinese characters as special symbols, telling her that this was a protective incantation given to her by her father, one she must remember forever.
She doesn't need to understand their meaning, only remember them.
These two characters are:
'Hometown.'"
Hometown…
Klein repeated the word once again. He finally understood why the "Queen of Mystic" Bernadette had chosen these three diary pages—because they contained the protective symbol her father had left for her.
His eyes felt slightly hot, as if he were seeing a river of emotion—calm and steady on the surface, yet beneath it countless undercurrents surged and churned endlessly.
Klein withdrew his gaze, stabilized his emotions a little, and let the diary disappear. Then he looked up at "Hermit" Cattleya and said:
"What is your question this time?"
Although phrased as a question, he had already anticipated what she would ask.
Hearing this, the well-prepared "Hermit" Cattleya immediately said respectfully:
"Honorable 'The Fool,' I wish to know whether these two symbols mean 'a resting place of the soul.'"
As she spoke, after obtaining permission, she manifested the two characters "Hometown."
Eh? Bernadette actually knows the extended meaning of this term?
Did she deduce it herself, or did someone reveal it to her while she couldn't confirm whether it was true?
Klein was slightly surprised, and without hesitation designated "Mr. Tower" as the prime suspect.
Of course, surprise aside, "The Fool's" mystique could not be lost, so he corrected her calmly:
"Not quite accurate… Taken together, they mean one's homeland, the resting place of the soul and spirit."
Taken together… the resting place of the soul and spirit…
"Hermit" Cattleya focused on the latter half of the sentence, because she knew very well where the "Queen of Mystic's" homeland was and didn't think that aspect was particularly special.
"Justice," "The Hanged Man," and the others took the opportunity to learn two more Roselle characters, just in case they might be useful in the future.
Only Ebner wore a somewhat strange expression, as if thinking about something.
Beneath the shroud of gray fog, "The Fool" looked at him deeply, then chuckled softly and said:
"You may begin."
As soon as the words fell, "The Hanged Man" Alger immediately turned to "The World" Gehrman Sparrow at the very bottom of the bronze long table, requesting his understanding, because the "artisan" he knew had encountered some trouble and the commissioned item hadn't been delivered yet.
As expected, something went wrong… If I hadn't made a small fortune in the 'Land of Evernight,' I would probably have gone straight to that 'artisan' already!
Mm, unofficial artisans—or those willing to accept orders of unclear origin—are extremely rare. If I can keep this one, I should try my best to do so…
Klein pondered briefly, then had the dummy "World" respond hoarsely:
"I agree to this delay, but there won't be a next time."
"The Hanged Man" Alger thanked "The World" for his understanding, but this matter drew the attention of "Hermit" Cattleya. On the surface, she offered help, while inwardly planning to bypass "The Hanged Man" and establish direct contact with that "artisan."
"The Hanged Man" easily saw through her intentions and refused vigilantly.
In his view, even if he truly couldn't resolve the artisan's problem, he could still seek out his current nominal superior, Tracy.
The "Admiral of Ailment" was currently bewitched by "Tower," his mind filled entirely with thoughts of "cracking down on slave trading," and had no interest in an "artisan."
"Hermit" Cattleya didn't persist on this matter and instead turned to "Justice" Audrey:
"The 'Dreamwalker' characteristic she promised you is already prepared. You can receive it after the gathering ends."
She?
"Justice" Audrey was momentarily stunned, then quickly realized that this "she" referred to the "Queen of Mystic."
Back then, she, "Mr. Tower," and the "Queen of Mystic" had explored the "City of Miracles" together. As a result, because the "Queen of Mystic" Peeped the Dream Labyrinth Tower, their group encountered extreme danger and had no choice but to abort the expedition.
For that, the "Queen of Mystic" had indeed promised her a "Dreamwalker" characteristic as compensation.
So much time has passed, and she still remembered… she really is someone who keeps her word.
"Justice" Audrey muttered inwardly, while outwardly nodding slightly.
"I understand."
Next, after "Star" and "Moon" each finalized trades of certain Silver City–specific spiritual materials with "Sun," the trading segment came to an end.
Klein had "The World" Gehrman Sparrow seize the initiative before "The Hanged Man" and sweep his gaze around as he said:
"'The Secret Order's' leader, Zaratul, has already arrived in Backlund and has made contact with certain members of the Loen royal family."
Naturally, his attention remained focused on "Mr. Tower."
Although such matters were better discussed privately, Klein had long noticed that in crowded situations—especially when beautiful ladies were present—"Mr. Tower's" desire to talk became stronger, and he revealed more.
Zaratul?!
Although in previous gatherings "The World" had already mentioned that Zaratul, as an angel, had escaped, the Tarot Club members were still far from that level and hadn't paid much attention.
But now it was different.
Among those present, aside from "The Hanged Man," "Hermit," and "Sun," the rest all lived in Backlund. The arrival of an angel from a secret organization was more than enough to put them on high alert.
This time, they all shared the same premonition: a major event was about to occur in Backlund!
Otherwise, it couldn't explain why so many angels were arriving one after another!
"Hermit" Cattleya also connected this to the "Queen of Mystic's" movements over the past few months, feeling that she had spent much of her time in Backlund, never leaving even after becoming an angel.
On the other side, Ebner naturally noticed "The World's" gaze—but what was he supposed to say? Could he really reveal that Zaratul was actually one of his own identities?
The fewer people who know this, the better; otherwise leaks are inevitable… after all, many extraordinary abilities in this world simply don't play by the rules.
Still, saying nothing won't do… Given my 'personality,' if I don't reveal some solid information, it'll just raise suspicion.
It's fine if the Tarot Club members are suspicious, but if someone with ulterior motives uses this to peer through Zaratul's secrets, that would be bad.
As these thoughts turned, Ebner coughed lightly and said with a smile:
"There's no need to pay too much attention to Zaratul. His greatest enemy right now is actually Amon."
Amon?
Hearing this name, "Star" Leonard immediately straightened up.
He was currently in Indo Harbor, an "enemy territory." The Tarot Club had originally planned to take leave, but since they had finally locked onto the location of the "Black Blade" who had murdered the viscount—and it still wasn't convenient to act yet—Captain Soest had given all team members an hour of rest so they could recuperate and prepare for action when the "Dusk Ritual" arrived that evening.
"'Mr. Tower,' has Amon also entered Backlund?" Leonard asked nervously.
If so, after completing the current field mission, he would need to consider fleeing to another city to lie low.
"No, Amon hasn't dared to enter Backlund recently…" Ebner shook his head.
But soon enough. Once the Goddess begins pretending to digest the Death uniqueness, Amon will send an avatar to probe.
After all, He suffered a significant loss in Tingen before—He'll definitely want to find out what happened.
And the clues He 'decrypts' will inevitably point toward Backlund.
Ebner didn't voice these last thoughts, so Leonard relaxed slightly, then moved past the topic and shared his own intelligence instead:
"'The Church of Evernight's' renegade bishop, Ince Zangwill, is currently still staying in Indo Harbor."
As he spoke, he looked toward "The World" Gehrman.
(End of the chapter)