In the space above the gray fog.
Towering mast of pillars encapsulates the entirety of the bronze table, forming a large dome that depicts the residence governs by ancient giants.
Seated at the seat of honor. Klein, who earlier managed to finally tracked the whereabouts of the Antigonus Book and gave the report to Dunn Smith, was now anticipating a raise in salary.
But on his way to return from purchasing necessities such as condiments, meat and vegetables, an errand given to him by his sister, Melissa.
He came across a silver-haired woman, who's visage was concealed by a sun hat.
She wore a dress sewn with bodice, followed by a shrug that draped around her shoulder, inducing a sense of modesty and reservation.
Though the encounter seemed like an ordinary passing by a pedestrian. To him, he felt an unusual familiarity with the woman, a sort of connection out of normalcy.
Every familiarity can produce an effect through divination!
With this in mind, Klein held his topaz pendulum over a piece of goatskin parchment with written contents that reads:
"The silver-haired lady, I encountered from the streets is someone I've crossed-paths before."
He murmured and repeated this seven times, then glanced at the pendulum, now turning clockwise, indicating that his assumption is correct.
So I've crossed paths or encountered her before...
Miss Seeka Tron is the only woman I know of who have silver hair. Other than that, another person is... He recalled the mysterious lady who was one of the members of the gathering.
Ms. Lovers!?
That can't be... Right? I didn't expect to encounter a member of the Tarot Club so early! Klein was at a lost on what face he should show.
But for confirmation, he did another divination, this time he intends to use dream divination.
Just like before he produced a goatskin parchment, he thought deeply for a moment, then wrote the words: "The origin of the silver-haired woman I've encountered."
The process was identical with seven repeated question, now with added cogitation, leading him to fall into a deep sleep.
The world grew vivid and darkness surged. And from darkness arrived a divine light.
At that moment, he saw the gray fog, the castle, and himself sitting at the seat of honor. Fear suddenly surfaced within Klein as he saw himself with eyes closed, holding the goatskin parchment by his hand.
From that, the divination concluded.
Klein abruptly woke up from his stupor. The gray fog remained quiet and mysterious. Nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.
His mind racing. What's the meaning of that dream? Me? As the woman's origin?
Due to confusion, Klein reattempt the dream divination with varied words, yet it remained pointed to him and the castle.
Seemingly at a lost, he tried a different approach. This time, he divined the woman's birthplace.
The world turned vivid once more, then shifted onto a large manor around a meadow not far from a town. From there he saw an infant, with silvery-white hair and gorgeous blue eyes. She was held by another woman with the same colored hair.
The divination ended by the next.
Klein felt utterly conflicted. How could such a revelation be interpreted if he doesn't even know the location?
First it was her origin and now where she came from...? Klein subconsciously slumped his head over his shoulder on the armrest.
I'm being rude by divining a complete stranger. He couldn't help but add in a jester as his mouth curled to reveal a dry smile. But coincidences are often produced by fate. By this, seers both try their best to find this and decrypt, yet also pose reverence towards it.
Klein fixed his poise and thought deeply. Let's simply add this as a pinch of salt... That woman and Ms. Lovers are one. If that's the case then that place should be the town of Milo.
At that moment, he suddenly felt a pang of need to divine for confirmation. And from that, curiosity persevered. Resulting in the same divination pointing to him previously.
Klein sighed. "Everything about her origin points to me and the gray fog... Does she also have a connection with this space?"
His fingers rapped the surface of the armrest, seemingly lost in thought.
"Her connection could stem from being a member of the Tarot Club... But I specifically pointed her origin." He muttered.
"Origin... She originated from this space? An ordinary citizen?"
After a moment, he reconsidered. "If the silver-haired woman wasn't Ms. Lovers. Then what is she?"
"An ally of hers?" Klein recalled the message Ms. Lovers had added to her tone during her exchange with The Hanged Man.
It can refer to connections who'll do the delivery of five-hundred pounds. Allies backing her from the dark and an organization that can do her bidding.
Klein pondered. "This can also be the case. To test this is to wait until the next gathering arrives and confirm Ms. Lover's situation. Only by doing this can I be certain of my assumption regardless of divination."
"After all... Divination isn't all-powerful."
...
"Milo disaster ends! Church of Storms took possession!"
Audrey took her time reading the headline. With it ending in parenthesis: "The town have purged of sinister groups of people by the Church of Storms. Listing as another incident driven by crazy desire from an organized group of misfits!"
They're trying hard to cover the report... Audrey sighed. This is likely because of the sudden train inspection that happened in Tingen...
Her hand rolled the newspaper before setting it aside.
Seated at the sofa. Audrey still couldn't believe that her dog had intake her first concocted potion. With wariness she turned toward the golden retriever slumped on the floor before her. "You're not turning into something are you?"
The dog tilt its head.
Audrey furrowed her brows. "Tell me if you're turning into something! At least wag your tail...!"
The dog wagged its tail in excitement.
Eeek! Audrey quickly retracted her body from the dog, cradled her feet, safeguarding herself to the sofa.
Seeing how the dog proceeds in a circle. Audrey forced herself to ease as she said. "You're playing tricks! Susie, you know what you just drank?"
The dog paused. Turned to her with a puzzled face and again tilted its head.
"You drank a beyonder potion! A beyonder! And now you're going to turn into a monster if you don't respond!" Audrey exclaimed.
Audrey didn't mind the noise she makes, as beforehand, she instructed the servants to leave her and the room alone.
The dog still gave a puzzled look.
"Ugh..." Audrey grumbled in exhaustion and muttered inwardly. I will have to consult Mr. Fool or the rest of the Tarot Club about this...
She then fixed herself from the couch, turned towards the dog with a glaring eye and said. "Don't turn into anything by then!"
...
In Pritz Harbor. Warrior & Sea bar. Pelican Street. White Borough.
Alger who had arrived here by the Blue Avengers. Had come to restock in necessities for the voyage, also came with an added motive.
That is to collect the Loen pound he have required from trading the Spectator formula with not one but two ladies.
With the ghost shark blood obtained followed by a five-hundred pounds, this feeling of hitting two birds with one stone gave a sense of accomplishment to Alger.
This also gave him a chance to pry into one of the members of the Tarot Club. Ms. Lovers.
If his assumptions is correct, then the person who had delivered the pounds will be the woman with silver-hair and through William's memory, he can use a crewmate who excels at divination to pinpoint the actual identity of the woman, thus revealing her.
But upon asking the bar's manager. Williams. The bar owner responded with. "It wasn't a lady."
Alger paused for a moment, then proceeded to press. "If It wasn't lady, then who was it?"
"A man, obviously. With a skin of a typical Loenesian. Pale skin, brown eyes, and dark hair." Williams described.
Alger went silent. Although he's doubting how a vessel trapped in a rural town with no possible contacts with the outside could even establish connections, he also didn't disregard any possibilities.
Yet it still shock him upon confirmation.
Williams then pointed at the room where the man had left the suitcase. "The cash is in the lounge. I've counted it beforehand."
This implies that he had already taken his share.
Without any lead, Alger decided to dismiss the matter as he began walking towards the lounge.
...
After lighting the can containing the cloth damped with flammable oil using a match. Selina quickly stored the box of match and separated the can from the rope of the rocket with the lid before slowly retracting herself from the string.
It's done... If the Rose School of Thought members hadn't arrived, we'll re-add the cloth and ignite again until Monday arrives.
With her tasks done. Selina raised an arm and stretched, before taking the stairs to the second floor. Since she had already finished her routine, she planned to rest early in order to recover from the last days she pull an all-nighter.
Just before she could reach the bed, she saw a book laying on top of the dresser. It was the herbal encyclopedia she purchased.
...Since the trial ends by this week, I can just make an advance reading about herbal plants right? It will just be for an hour and a half... I promise I won't stay up again.
Selina then took the book nested on the dresser by the bed and immediately walked out of the room and back to the lounge, end of the short hallway.
As usual, she took the seat next to the desk and adjusted the gas lamp attached to the wall onto her.
Crimson moonlight passes through the transparent windows and onto the room. Giving it a mesmerizing ambience under its pallid glow.
Under the course of illumination, a small shadow appeared from the window's railings. It had tail, plump body, and two mildly pointy ears.
The sudden shift in the cast of light. Selina quickly turned toward the source, from there she saw the black cat once more.
"Oh, Falacy... You startled me." Selina heaved a sigh as she gestured for the feline to get on the desk.
"Can you accompany me again?"
The black cat jumped off from the window, then approached and leaped onto the side of her.
The pleasant night resumed. And about an hour had passed and Selina was almost at the book's end with only a few finger's thick pages.
At this moment, Selina raised her right hand and massaged her eyes with two finger. My eyes hurt...
Seeing her discomfort, the cat immediately ran off to the window.
Selina was startled by its sudden action and said. "Did he saw a midnight snack?"
After a moment, since the cat hadn't returned, Selina resumed her reading session.
By then, the cat returned with an item clutched between its fangs and teeth. It had a black rim that extends onto its sides, with a two glass latched onto its holes.
It was a black-rimmed glasses often used by elders!
"H-How did you get these?" Selina was shocked by how the cat managed to bring one.
"Did you stole it?"
The cat remained quiet, now grooming itself with its paws.
"You stole it didn't you?" Selina's eyes narrowed. "You should bring it back to where you left it..."
The cat didn't bother glancing.
From its reaction, the corner of her mouth twitched. How stubborn...
Although she knew it was taken forcefully by the cat, seeing that she needed it at the moment. Selina sighed and said. "Well... let me use it for now, you can return it once I'm done."
With the black-rimmed glass, Selina recalled her days as a secretary, often wearing such vanity in spite of criticism. The little reminisce faded as she resumed her reading.
...
Another half an hour passed. Noticing that the cat was becoming more fatigued. Selina suddenly remembered the leftover Deep-fried Sailfish she had.
Since she haven't gotten the cat any food ever since her transmigration. She stood up from the chair and said. "Falacy, stay there okay? I have something for you."
The cat remained expressionless as it laid there on the desk.
Selina placed down her glasses first, before she briskly walked pass the short corridor, arriving back to the entrance hall.
At that moment, she suddenly heard a soft lullaby, one that is unnatural in the presence of the night.
From the corner, she peaked through the living room where the sound is coming.
She froze at the sight.
Seated at one of the sofa, facing the window, was a man wearing a coat accompanied by a black trouser and white gloves.
He had a groomed short black hair, narrow forehead and jaw, with pale white skin.
His voice carried the times she felt caged. The cries of people tainted in the altar room. And the inevitable grip of fate in her life.
The man sat there, noticed Selina without looking and smiled over the coursing crimson moonlight.
With a soft, almost polite tone, Deimsfel greeted.
"How have you been, my dear Selina?"