Around three in the afternoon, within the Gray Fog, in the ancient palace that seemed to be a giant's dwelling and remained eternally unchanged, Klein was already seated in his usual spot. To the left of the mottled long table sat the projections of Leyton and Roselle, which he had retrieved from the historical void.
Klein looked at Roselle, somewhat speechless. Roselle smiled at him, wearing an expression that said, "I like to join in the fun."
"I was once a core member of the Twilight Hermit Order, after all. Now that I've switched to your Tarot Club, shouldn't I be your honored guest?"
"You just want to play."
Klein expressionlessly exposed Roselle's excuse, but he didn't refuse. After all, there was already one fellow who regularly sat there as a Spectator, so one more wouldn't hurt.
"Mind your image; don't scare them."
After cautioning Roselle, Klein extended his spirituality and, through the illusory Stars above the Gray Fog, pulled the members of the Tarot Club up together.
Crimson rays of light ascended on both sides of the mottled long table, quickly contracting and condensing into blurred figures.
Appearing with them was The World, who sat at the very end of the mottled long table. He appeared silently, sitting there in a quiet, reserved manner, easily overlooked if one wasn't paying attention.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Fool~"
"Justice" Audrey, as always, was the first to rise and bow to The Fool at the head of the table. During this process, she noticed some changes in the seating arrangement at the Tarot Club and an additional new member.
Mr. Tower and the new member were moved to the very edge, to the right of Mr. World. Was there any deeper meaning to this? This was the first time the seating had changed at the Tarot Club. Also, the new member's posture was very relaxed, even a bit casual, giving the impression of a lack of necessary reverence and respect.
The other members of the Tarot Club also noticed the changes in seating and the new member. Moon, Sun, Star, and other members merely glanced, then dismissed the seating changes from their minds, focusing on observing the new member. The remaining members, Hermit, Hanged Man, and Magician, thought more deeply.
A new member? Why do I feel a bit familiar, and my Clairvoyant's intuition has produced a certain degree of warning. The other party is extremely dangerous, even just observing them… "The Hermit" Cattleya lowered her head, only glancing at the new member from the corner of her eye.
Noticing the gazes of the members of the Tarot Club, Klein leaned back leisurely in his chair and raised a hand in Roselle's direction, saying, "This is 'Emperor'."
The members of the Tarot Club nodded in greeting to the new member, "Emperor" Roselle. After greeting Mr. Fool, they greeted each other and stated their respective code names before moving into the formal session of the Tarot Club.
The members of the Tarot Club exchanged glances. No one spoke first, as if with the elevation of their Sequences, everyone had fewer major demands.
After a brief silence, "Justice" Audrey raised a hand and said, "Everyone, does anyone know the Dream Weaver potion formula, or have any relevant clues? Hmm, this isn't urgent."
"I also need a Dream Catcher's heart, a Crystal of Mind Phantom, or a complete brain of an adult Mind Dragon."
The latter were the main ingredients for the Dreamwalker, which she was preparing for Susie. Of course, she wasn't in a hurry for this; Susie's Hypnotist potion hadn't been fully digested yet, and as a dog, it lacked necessary opportunities for acting.
Leyton raised a hand, responding to "Justice" Audrey's request:
"I can help you inquire, if He is willing to separate out the extra Beyonder characteristics."
He? Mr. Tower knows an Angel in the Mind domain. As this thought flickered, "Justice" Audrey smiled politely and nodded, saying, "Okay, thank you."
As "Justice" Audrey's request concluded, the Tarot Club fell into a brief silence again. Then, Klein manipulated his alternate account, The World, to raise a hand and say, "Everyone, I have a commission, a commission for everyone."
"Judgement" Xio, who was a bit short on money recently, immediately asked, "What commission?"
"Gather information from your vicinity. Help me pay attention to whether there are large-scale disappearances or deaths of normally unnoticed creatures such as insects, crows, or even vagrants in any particular area."
"Once discovered, do not investigate. Immediately distance yourselves and pray to Mr. Fool, relaying the specific situation to me."
"You can also delegate this task to your subordinate forces, but be careful not to make a fuss or leak any information."
The World Gehrman Sparrow meticulously described his request. After hearing his explanation, everyone except Leyton and Roselle fell into a brief state of confusion.
"The Hermit" Cattleya and Chariot Anderson, who had some understanding of the Seer Pathway, simultaneously thought of something. They almost simultaneously looked at The World at the very end of the mottled long table, exclaiming in synchronized astonishment:
"Are you tracking Zaratul? Or other high-ranking members of the Secret Order?"
The World Gehrman Sparrow slowly shook his head and said, "Neither. Zaratul has already fallen. Although He most likely has a contingency plan for resurrection, He won't be appearing again anytime soon."
"I am searching for Antigonus. This King of Angels, active in the Fourth Epoch, has broken free from the seal and, after dying once, has escaped madness. Now He has left the Nation of the Evernight and is hidden somewhere unknown."
"This commission might be very dangerous. Antigonus is a Sequence 1 of the Seer Pathway. He has exceptionally keen intuition. If you are concerned about safety, you can abandon this commission."
Zaratul is dead? If I remember correctly, Zaratul was already a Sequence 1 Angel, right? He actually died without a sound… "The Hermit" Cattleya widened her eyes slightly, feeling somewhat caught off guard by this news.
Calming her emotions, she began to let her thoughts wander, pondering the truth about Zaratul's death:
Perhaps the battle took place in a domain I couldn't observe, or perhaps Mr. Fool personally intervened and ended the battle quickly, so much so that not a single sound was made, and no one detected it.
If that's truly the case, does this mean Mr. Fool has recovered to the level of a True God?
As thoughts flickered, "The Hermit" Cattleya buried her head even lower, yet couldn't resist wanting to glance at Mr. Fool's reaction at the head of the table.
"Justice" Audrey noticed "The Hermit" Cattleya's reaction. Following her gaze, she thoughtfully looked at Mr. Fool, who was enveloped in the Gray Fog. Thoughts spread in her mind, finally looking at The World at the very end of the table, and gently nodded, saying, "I can try. I can use the Sea of Collective Subconscious to indirectly observe if there are any abnormalities in my surrounding area."
"Sun" Derrick nodded in quick succession, saying, "I will also try to search for such abnormalities around me."
Moon Emlyn pondered and said, "I can also try. As darlings of the Moon, we Sanguine are relatively sensitive to changes in surrounding life."
"Even if that King of Angels who survived from the Fourth Epoch discovers something, He will only silently leave and not do anything to me. Life belongs to the 'Mother Goddess's' domain; it's perfectly normal for me to observe these things."
As Moon Emlyn's words fell, the other members of the Tarot Club also accepted this task for their respective reasons.
After a brief silence, "The Fool" Klein announced the start of the free exchange session.
Chariot Anderson spoke with some eagerness, "Everyone, if I want to hunt a War Bishop, do you have any suggestions?"
Suggestions? My suggestion is to shut their mouths, otherwise, before you start fighting, you might have to engage in an uncivilized cursing match… Klein leaned back in the high-backed chair at the head of the table, internally retorting in his mind. His rich mental activity helped him maintain a subtle mental balance.
The new member, "Emperor" Roselle, who had been silent, interjected with great interest in this topic:
"You can go hunt those Lunatics from the Iron-Blooded Knight Order. Coincidentally, Intis's defeat a while ago dealt them a considerable blow."
"Under the instigation and influence of Sauron Einhorn Medici, they have already abandoned their faith in the True Creator. You won't be in any danger hunting them, provided, of course, that you can defeat them."
"Sauron Einhorn Medici" Anderson chewed on the cumbersome name, his expression momentarily odd.
A King of Angels active on the surface. Many times, they are more dangerous than the high and mighty Gods, because provoking them will truly result in them appearing before you to deal with you. However, I am only a Sequence 4 Iron-Blooded Knight; it shouldn't be enough to warrant a King of Angels personally intervening.
As thoughts flickered, he turned his head to look at "Emperor" Roselle and asked in a deep voice, "Are there any enemies or people you dislike in the Iron-Blooded Knight Order?"
"They are not worthy." Roselle snorted disdainfully.
Confidence, or arrogance? This "Emperor's" identity seems quite unusual… "Hanged Man" Alger heard this and once again turned to look at "Emperor" Roselle, who was several seats away from him.
Roselle's answer made Anderson pause slightly. He had originally thought that if the other party could give a specific answer, he could reach some cooperation with them, adding some extra helpers for himself.
Since Chariot Anderson didn't have much information at the moment, after a brief discussion, everyone ended the topic.