(It's Fix read all you want)
"The Fool that doesn't belong to this era; The Mysterious Ruler above the Gray Fog; The King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck."
Inside the captain's cabin of the Blue Avenger, Alger prayed to the Fool with some apprehension.
He briefly explained the situation— They had hunted a few too many extraordinary creatures, making it difficult to preserve them in time.
Thus, he hoped to offer them as a sacrifice to the Fool so that He could store them on their behalf.
At the same time—
Klein, who was enjoying a meal at Lawyer Jurgen's house, felt a calling. He excused himself to Mrs. Doris, then entered the washroom, where his spirit ascended above the gray mist.
When he received the Hanging Man's prayer, the Fool was momentarily stunned.
"You can do that?"
Klein's expression turned a little strange.
Using the gray mist to store items—he was very familiar with that.
But keeping other people's things for them? That was a first.
Still, since there was no loss to him, he saw no reason to refuse.
After a moment of thought, Klein composed himself and responded in the Fool's calm and soothing voice:
"I understand."
"Phew."
Alger opened his eyes, exhaling deeply. Receiving an affirmative response from the Fool put his heart at ease.
Since the Fool did not reject the request and simply said, "I understand," it meant that He did not mind this minor matter at all.
After all, the Fool was a genuine deity—these mid-sequence extraordinary creatures were nothing in His eyes.
But if they weren't members of the Tarot Club, the Fool might not have been so accommodating…
Alger thought to himself, suddenly feeling fortunate that he had joined the Tarot Club.
"The Fool has agreed to our request."
Adjusting his mindset, Alger stepped out of the captain's cabin and spoke to Ashes, who stood by the ship's side.
"Then let's proceed with the sacrifice as soon as possible."
Ashes suddenly turned and walked toward the ship's hold, not looking back.
"Alright."
Alger nodded, finding nothing suspicious about Ashes' behavior.
Meanwhile—
Back inside the ship, Ashes halted and extended his hand.
A pool of silver liquid slid from his body, gathering into a shape in his palm.
"Now then,"
Ashes murmured softly, "What did you see?"
Having learned from the exploration of the Painted World, Ashes did not personally investigate the island.
Instead, he had sent his Simulacrum Tear.
Sensing his intent, the Simulacrum Tear extended two long tendrils toward the sides of Ashes' head.
In an instant, memories flooded his mind like a film projection.
From when the Simulacrum Tear quietly disembarked, to when it traversed the jungle and reached an ancient ruin—
Until finally, the vision froze on a massive painting.
The painting's colors were dark, its background filled with shadowy, indistinct figures. At its center was a long table.
On the table lay a figure bearing a radiant cross, surrounded by three shadow-cloaked individuals.
One was youthful and handsome. One was dignified and imposing. One had a white beard, exuding wisdom.
Yet all three pairs of eyes carried an indescribable wickedness, reflected in their actions:
Opposite them sat a sinister, jet-black infant in a meditative pose.
The scene was eerie, and in truth, deeply unsettling.
But Ashes' gaze bypassed them and locked onto the least conspicuous figure in the corner.
A girl with long, white hair.
She sat on a tall stool, her small, fair feet swinging in the air.
Before her was a massive, unfinished oil painting.
By her side stood a nun wielding a large scythe, guarding her.
Although the nun's figure was hidden beneath her robe, her graceful and alluring silhouette was still discernible.
However—
The nun's actions starkly contrasted with her attire.
She held a red headscarf, one end of which was connected to the figure being devoured by the other four.
Like a living thing, the headscarf greedily drained blood from the corpse.
"Milady? Friede?" (Milady is our dear painter)
Ashes opened his eyes, his expression slightly stunned.
For he recognized those two figures.
And he understood what they were doing—
The lady was painting. Friede was collecting the blood of the radiant-cross-bearing figure as pigment.
As for the four consuming the corpse, Ashes did not recognize them.
But they were likely the natives of this world.
And the one being devoured was, without a doubt, a deity.
The only question was—
Who had killed Him?
The painting depicted only the dismemberment, suggesting that those within had worked together to slay the divine being.
Not just the four eating the corpse—even the shadowy figures in the background seemed to have participated.
But something felt off.
For instance—
Ashes recalled the painting.
Among the vague silhouettes in the background, one figure was noticeably clearer than the rest.
Though shrouded in a black robe, revealing only a back view, the Simulacrum Tear had failed to discern her face.
Yet, from her graceful figure, it was clear—she was a woman.
Moreover—
For some reason—
Her black robe felt strangely familiar, as though he had seen it before.
But his memory was hazy, unable to recall where…
Ashes decisively dismissed the cluttered thoughts in his mind.
If he couldn't remember, then there was no point in worrying about it. He'd recall it sooner or later.
Yes.
With that, his mood lightened considerably.
He turned and walked toward the deck, wondering how far Alger had progressed.
Meanwhile, Alger had completed the sacrificial ritual and was solemnly chanting in ancient Hermes:
"The Fool that doesn't belong to this era The Mysterious Ruler above the Gray Fog The King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck."
"Your faithful servant beseeches Your gaze;" "Beseeches You to accept this offering;" "Beseeches You to open the gates of Your kingdom."
Ancient incantations reverberated through the spiritual wall, stirring the wind into a howling gale imbued with natural power.
Alger skillfully retrieved a small, dark brown glass bottle from his pocket, opened the cap, and poured out numerous sesame-like grains.
These grains shimmered with metallic luster, possessing an indescribable beauty.
Then, he scattered them into the wind.
Whoosh!
The gale intensified, now swirling with silver and deep black hues.
As they merged and collided, the twin-colored winds surged into the candle flame representing the Fool—
A phantom door of normal size expanded and tore open.
"Phew."
Even though it wasn't his first time, Alger couldn't suppress his trembling.
It was deep fear, yet also an inexplicable excitement.
The Silver Knights wasted no time.
As soon as the phantom door appeared, they began tossing the extraordinary creature corpses through it.
Though the door seemed small, each massive corpse was instantly absorbed, vanishing completely.
Their efficiency was staggering.
Within mere minutes, the once-mountainous pile of corpses had disappeared.
Alger sighed in relief.
At least he no longer had to worry about preserving them.
"Thank You for Your generosity, Mr Fool."
He bowed his head in reverence.
The Fool did not respond this time, simply severing the connection after a brief silence.
Alger looked up.
The phantom door was gone. The wind had ceased. The candle flame had returned to normal.
As though nothing had ever happened.
Above the gray mist, within the grand palace—
Klein stared at the mountain of corpses before him, his eye twitching.
Even though Alger had warned him in advance—
But isn't this amount a bit too exaggerated?
Did you just wipe out the entire nest of these extraordinary creatures?
And—
"How much money would all these extraordinary creatures sell for?!"
"Even if I got just one-tenth of this, I could pay off my debt to Ashes and still have plenty left over."
Klein suddenly felt his eyes redden, a sour feeling rising in his heart.
He originally thought agreeing to this was no big deal!
But now, seeing all these things, he felt like a complete clown!
Working himself to death, risking his life time and time again—yet he still didn't make as much as Ashes' pocket change!
After all, in his eyes, these extraordinary creatures were walking piles of gold pounds!
Even dead, they were still heavy gold pounds!
Even though the most valuable extraordinary characteristics had already been extracted, the remaining parts were still worth at least a hundred thousand gold pounds!
And with such a huge pile of materials, even if he secretly took a little blood or something, it probably wouldn't be noticed.
But those things belonged to Ashes.
Klein may be poor, but he had his pride!
However.
Right now, he really did feel like a clown!
Klein's expression was on the verge of tears. Why had he agreed to Alger's request?!
Facing a mountain of gold every day—this was torture, okay?!
Suddenly.
Klein felt that his potion digestion must have progressed a bit.
Because right now, he truly did resemble a clown!
"Well, that's a good thing too."
Klein took a deep breath, forcibly calming his emotions.
Even if he couldn't touch this mountain of gold, as long as it helped him digest his potion, it was worth it.
Yes.
That's right!
That's how it is!
Klein made a huge profit today!
However...
Recalling his recent predicament, Klein's eye twitched.
To be honest.
He really wanted to borrow another Sacrificial Ring from Ashes, but his pride wouldn't allow it.
After all, he hadn't even repaid his previous debt yet.
But if he didn't borrow one, he couldn't help but feel uneasy.
Even though he had asked Miss Justice to hire an assassin for the ambassador, it would take time.
And before the ambassador was assassinated, he might come after Klein first.
A Sacrificial Ring alone wasn't the safest option.
After all, the other party might just camp his corpse and kill him again.
So the safest method was to find himself a bodyguard.
At least someone at Sequence 6, or even Sequence 5.
But.
For now, the situation wasn't that urgent.
After all, the ambassador's main focus was still on finding Ian Wright and that "important item."
In other words.
Until that item was found, he was relatively safe.
But regardless.
Right now, he could only hope that Mr. A would be reliable this time.
Klein rubbed his temples and waved his hand, making the gray fog conceal the corpses of the extraordinary creatures.
In an instant, his figure disappeared into the towering palace above the gray fog.
At the same time.
Backlund, Hillsdon District, 117 Birmingham Road.
"Maybe we should just forget about this?"
Fors hugged a pillow, sitting on the sofa, hesitantly whispering, "I just feel like this is a bit unreliable."
"What's unreliable about it?"
The petite Xio dismissed her concerns. "We're just acting as middlemen, publishing the commission. Whatever happens after that has nothing to do with us—it's an easy job."
"But…"
Fors shrank her shoulders and whispered, "Did you forget what you did last time?"
Mr. A had "disappeared" for half a month, only recently reappearing to host another extraordinary gathering.
And that was because Xio had sold his information to Ashes.
Although Mr. A had survived by sheer luck, judging from his recent state, he had definitely suffered a huge loss.
Now Xio wanted to approach Mr. A again, to hire him to assassinate a foreign ambassador.
Wasn't she just throwing herself into the fire?
"It'll be fine."
Xio confidently patted her chest. "Last time, it was Ashes who went after him. What does that have to do with me, Xio Derecha? Besides, didn't we attend the last extraordinary gathering just fine? He didn't even notice us."
"And this commission offers a full 1,000 gold pounds as a reward! Fors, can you really bear to watch 1,000 pounds slip away?"
"…Alright."
Fors hesitated for a moment, gritting her teeth. "Then I'll go with you."
"No need… Ugh, fine, let's go together."
Xio had intended to refuse, but seeing Fors' determined gaze, she could only sigh and nod.
Fors touched the stone bracelet on her wrist.
Even if they encountered danger, they could still escape.
"Xio."
Fors suddenly whispered, "What do you think happened to Ashes?"
"Eh?"
Xio looked at Fors in confusion. "Didn't Miss Audrey say he went on a business trip?"
"There's no way that's true."
Fors sighed, doubting her friend's intelligence.
One moment, Ashes was messing with Mr. A; the next, he was "on a business trip."
Fors wouldn't believe for a second that those two things were unrelated.
"If it's not a business trip, then what is it?"
Xio looked at Fors strangely. "Didn't we ask the Church of Evernight? His captain, Mr. Aiur Harson, personally confirmed it." ( T/LN : for those wondering thats the caps actual name I just call him Al cause I keep forgetting)
"That's exactly why I'm worried."
Fors sighed helplessly. "Mr. A was severely injured and disappeared for half a month. Ashes might be stronger than Mr. A, but he was probably seriously hurt too. They say he's on a business trip, but I think he's actually recovering in some church…"
"And that boy."
Fors hesitated for a moment.
"Will Auceptin?"
Xio's expression changed. "You dreamed about him again?"
"Mm."
Fors whispered, "He told me again— that Ashes he's already dead. Stop looking for him."
That afternoon.
Hillsdon District, Mr. A's new residence.
"4,000 gold pounds?"
Mr. A glanced between the two women in front of him, chuckling. "Do you have any idea what assassinating a foreign ambassador entails? This could start a war between the Loen Kingdom and the Intis Republic."
"And someone like you cares about that?"
Xio met his gaze fearlessly.
"True."
Mr. A leaned back against the sofa and said leisurely, "I'll take the job, but 4,000 pounds isn't enough. The price needs to go up."
"10,000 pounds. Heh, that's the bounty on Admiral Hurricane Qilangos. Bakerland ambassador might not be as strong as him, but the difficulty of assassination isn't low. Trust me, he's worth this price."
"Deal!"
Xio and Fors exchanged glances and nodded but added their own conditions. "We can pay a 2,000-pound deposit upfront, but the rest will be paid after the job is done. Also—"
Xio paused before continuing, "According to our intel, Bakerland is about to step down as ambassador and return home, so this must be completed within three days."
Considering the danger and urgency, Audrey had given them significant leeway.
4,000 pounds was just a test—her actual limit was 12,000 pounds.
As long as it didn't exceed 12,000, they could decide on their own.
"Three days?"
Mr. A chuckled.
Killing an ambassador wouldn't take three days.
"Alright."
He nodded, dismissing them.
But once they left, his relaxed smile instantly darkened.
Half a month ago, Ashes had stormed his home, wiped out all his subordinates, and even destroyed the vessel for his god's descent!
Although he was lucky enough to survive, his years of efforts in Backlund were completely ruined.
Not only did the intruder break into his home and kill people, but they even informed the Church of the EverNight Goddess in advance! As a result, the surviving believers, who had barely escaped, were later hunted down by the Church of the EverNight Goddess.
This left him, nominally still the head of operations in Backlund, with only a few peripheral members whose identities remained undiscovered. However, almost all of his Beyonder subordinates had perished.
Now, he was nothing but a lone commander! If it weren't for the Dark Saint's protection, he might not have even been able to keep this empty title.
That was why he had to quickly convene a Beyonder gathering.
First, to recruit some new believers among the wild Beyonder individuals.
Second, to gather funds to rebuild the Aurora Order's organizational structure as soon as possible.
The 10,000 pounds that had come knocking on his door was certainly a great opportunity—but what if it was another trap?
"No, they wouldn't dare."
Mr. A's tightly furrowed brow slightly relaxed.
Assassinating an ambassador was no big deal for him.
Even if there was a conspiracy, so what?
The person who stormed into his home was at least a demigod—surely, an ambassador wouldn't have a demigod as a bodyguard, right?
...
That night.
At the Brave Bar, Klein once again saw Maric, who had rejected him last time.
But this time, Maric got straight to the point.
"Is your request still valid?"
"Huh?"
Klein was momentarily taken aback.
"A friend of mine is short on money recently and is willing to take the job. However, she'll only protect you for three days, for 1,000 pounds."
"Deal!"
Klein agreed without hesitation, then asked, "When does it start?"
"Right now."
Maric gave him a slightly surprised look. "But 1,000 pounds isn't a small sum. Don't you need some time to prepare?"
"No need."
Klein remained calm.
Money wasn't the issue—his life was! Besides, did he look like someone who was short on cash?
Holding onto dozens of Beyonder creatures' corpses, he was practically swimming in wealth! Even though those mountains of gold weren't technically his, they were still in his possession!
Just like how a bank's money doesn't belong to the bank, but no one doubts that a bank has money, right? Otherwise, why would people rob banks?
"Oh, by the way."
After a brief pause, Klein added, "Since the protection lasts three days, let's pay in installments over three days. No problem, right?"
"No problem."
Maric nodded. If the protection failed, the remaining payment wouldn't need to be made—fair enough.
With a bodyguard now in place, Klein let out a sigh of relief, but he couldn't help but wonder in his heart.
Three days should be enough, right? No matter how incompetent that Mr. A was, he was still a Sequence 5—killing an ambassador should be easy.
Unless he took the money and did nothing.
Klein's eyelid twitched as he considered the worst-case scenario.
If Mr. A really took the money and failed to act, Klein would have to make sure the three-day protection period was timed just right—
Just in time for the Backlund ambassador's people to come after him.
As for determining the exact timing...
Hmm, he would need to divine it carefully.
"I'll be right back, just heading to the washroom," Klein said to Maric.
...
Alger watched as the Blue Avenger smoothly returned to the safe route and, while sighing in relief, explained, "From here, we just follow the main route westward. It should take about five days to reach Bayam."
"Aren't you bringing your sailors along?"
Ashes asked with some surprise.
"No need."
Alger shrugged. "I gave them a month's leave—they're thrilled."
That wasn't the full truth.
If it were his own ship, it wouldn't matter whether he brought them along or not.
But as a follower of the Church of Storms, the Blue Avenger technically belonged to the church as well.
Those sailors were not only his crew but also a form of surveillance.
If he disappeared for over a month without reason, explaining it afterward would be quite a hassle.
But compared to reporting to the Church of Storms, Alger didn't want to waste Ashes' time over such trivial matters.
After all, no matter what, Ashes had helped him a great deal—it was only right to return the favor.
Of course, there was no need to let Ashes know about these details.
He could handle them himself.
Alger added, "My craftsman friend is in Bayam. He can help modify those mystical items you have."
"Of course, any unnecessary Beyonder materials can also be sold on Bayam's black market."
"Forget it."
Ashes shook his head slightly. "I'll hold onto those things—they might be useful."
"Alright."
Alger nodded in agreement.
They were Ashes' possessions, after all—he could do whatever he wanted with them. It wasn't Alger's place to comment.
Ashes thought for a moment and casually added, "As for the corpses of the Extraordinary creatures, do as you see fit. Sell as many as you can and split the profits fifty-fifty."
"Fifty-fifty?"
Alger was a bit tempted.
Those corpses could fetch at least 100,000 pounds—if they split it evenly, he'd get at least 80,000! (LOL I don't know why the OA said 80K it should be 50K)
For Alger, that was a significant fortune.
"No need."
Alger took a deep breath and said solemnly, "Those creatures were your spoils of war—I barely contributed. Taking fifty percent would be undeserved. I'll just take ten percent as a fee for finding buyers."
If anyone else had asked him to sell such goods, he would have taken at least a 20% commission.
But given the sheer volume of Ashes' needs—and the fact that he had helped Alger tremendously—
It was only right to offer a friendly discount.
"Fair enough."
Ashes didn't insist and simply nodded nonchalantly.
(End of Chapter)