My green eyes stared at the card, my pupils immediately widening in shock; the hairs on my neck stood up from seeing the card that read "Sequence 0: Darkness."
This is... a Blasphemy Card, right? That thought emerged immediately after I read the card. I remember Blasphemy Cards clearly because they are truly fascinating in the novel, and this item is now right in front of me. The characteristics of this item also perfectly match the description in the novel, where Emperor Roselle is definitely depicted on the Blasphemy Card, and this card depicts Emperor Roselle pouring a silver liquid into a river with a wolf beside him and many stars on the card.
The card felt hot at my fingertips. Or was that just my imagination? My heartbeat echoed in my ears, drowning out all other sounds. Cold sweat soaked my palms; I almost dropped this treasure and curse. After all, who wouldn't be terrified of a card that can turn you into a god?
After thinking that, I tried to calm down so I wouldn't be suspected and stared at the writing 'Sequence 0: Darkness' again, immediately searching for all the information I knew about the Darkness pathway from the novel. A moment later, I remembered that the Darkness pathway is the same as the Sleepless pathway, which is controlled by the Nighthawks and the Evernight Goddess's church, and Dunn Smith is one example of a user of this pathway. Hey, if I'm not mistaken, Leonard is also a user of this pathway, right?
But wait... how is it possible that Mr. Hobert possesses a Blasphemy Card, and the Blasphemy Card he owns is from a pathway controlled by the Evernight Goddess? How is it possible that the Evernight Goddess or the Evernight Church doesn't know about this?
Could it be that he is actually from the Evernight Church and is undercover here? As I thought that, I unconsciously looked towards Mr. Hobert and saw his red eyes looking back at me, and he smiled as I glanced his way.
No... it's impossible for this person to be from the Evernight Church. His appearance doesn't look like someone from the Evernight Church at all, and his red eyes... are frightening.
Wait! Red eyes? Isn't it abnormal for someone to have red eyes, even by this world's standards? Is it possible for a human to have red eyes? And coupled with Mr. Hobert's appearance being too young for his age.
Is he... a Sanguine? I remember clearly from the novel that Emlyn is a Sanguine and he also has eyes similar to Mr. Hobert's. Does that mean he truly is a Sanguine?
How could a Sanguine possess a Blasphemy Card? Is Mr. Hobert a high-ranking member of the Sanguine? No... I've never heard of a high-ranking Sanguine named 'Hobert Tinker' in the novel.
Hmm... as far as I've read, the high-ranking Sanguine were never mentioned, so I don't know about this. Heh, heh, Emlyn, you foolish Sanguine, why are you such an antisocial that makes it difficult to predict anything!
But even if Mr. Hobert is a high-ranking Sanguine, it doesn't answer why he has a Blasphemy Card from the Sleepless pathway, though it proves that Mr. Hobert is at least a Demigod or at Sequence 4 to 2. How annoying.
Suddenly, I felt my shoulder being touched by someone from behind, which didn't make the hairs on my neck stand up, and I widened my eyes, my heart beating fast. But when I turned around, it was Mr. Hobert who had touched my shoulder.
"Is something wrong, Mr. Lynch?" Hobert said that from behind me. Hobert's gaze, coupled with the touch on my shoulder, was so sharp it made the atmosphere in the room feel more ominous. "Is your 'client' also interested in the 'tarot cards' and asked you to buy them too?" Hobert continued to me.
Unconsciously, I shuddered, startled back to reality after being lost in thought. Then I realized that Hobert had probably said something to me.
When Mr. Hobert uttered the word "tarot cards," his manner of speaking changed as if he was emphasizing the word itself, as if he was trying to threaten whether I understood this or not, which made me swallow my dry saliva. Sweat moistened my head, but I quickly calmed myself.
"No, Mr. Hobert, my client did not ask me to buy any tarot cards. Besides, she probably already has her own deck of tarot cards at home," I said that in a relaxed and somewhat joking tone, while remembering that my fictional 'client,' Audrey, might indeed have tarot cards in her mansion. After all, that girl is a mysticism maniac; maybe she is like John in liking things where John likes to collect strange things related to Roselle.
"However, it's just that while looking at this tarot deck, I somehow feel it's less mystical compared to the other items. Even though tarot cards are used for divination," I immediately lied, looking at Hobert with the best smile I could muster in John's entire life.
After all, it would be dangerous if he knew I recognized this as a Blasphemy Card! He would definitely kill me; he could easily kill me, considering he might be a Demigod or at least possess a sequence powerful enough to eliminate me in an instant.
I immediately got chills thinking about being killed by this red-eyed, strangely tattooed old man in front of me, and I pressed my temples to calm myself down from that thought.
"Is that so...?" Mr. Hobert looked at me, then his hand went to his chin, and he seemed to be thinking very seriously, making the room fall silent.
I'm doomed! He's going to kill me! He must be a Beyonder from a pathway that can read minds, and he's realized that I know he possesses a Blasphemy Card. Damn it! I've only been in this damned world for a few hours! I scratched my wrist slightly as the atmosphere in the room grew increasingly uncomfortable.
Mr. Hobert lowered his hand from his chin, his expression suddenly turning neutral. Then he smiled and looked at me with his red eyes.
"That's just an ordinary 'tarot deck,' Mr. Lynch. I keep it in the mystical section because tarot cards are synonymous with mysticism," he suddenly declared, while staring at me very intently and observing me in great detail.
The air felt heavy under Hobert's gaze. I felt the hairs on my neck stand on end, and I was shivering. That stare wasn't just uncomfortable; it felt threatening. It felt like I was a mouse being observed, its every move watched, waiting to be killed if it stole a piece of cheese. It was a truly unpleasant feeling, even worse than when I first arrived in this world.
"Hoo... Is that so? Of... of course, this card must be involved with mysticism, right. Haha." I tried to smile nonchalantly as best I could, even though my heart was pounding fiercely and my hands were sweating.
"However, do you know why this tarot deck still looks so well-preserved? Shouldn't it be old given its age?" I continued my line of questioning, trying to gather as much information about the tarot cards as possible, even though I was afraid Hobert might take offense or find it strange and then kill me!
"There's a myth that it was used for a specific ritual, which caused the cards to remain preserved until now," Hobert answered my question, his sharp red eyes observing my behavior.
"That's really interesting. What kind of ritual was used on these cards?" I asked and promptly placed the Blasphemy Card back onto the disordered deck.
"You don't need to know that," Hobert said with a relaxed smile on his face. He didn't seem to be staring as intensely as before, and his eyes began to look at the cards themselves.
I didn't understand why he averted his gaze from me! But hey, at least I had done something that made him think he had simply misunderstood. At least I managed to escape a potential murder attempt by a Demigod. A truly joyous achievement.
I mean, I really don't know if Hobert is actually a character from the novel or not, but if he is and his behavior changes because of me, leading to Klein's death and this world's destruction, that would be chaotic. No, I'm not even sure he's truly a villain, considering there are almost no hints of a character like this in the novel.
Hey, wait! Don't Blasphemy Cards have some kind of password created by Roselle before someone can use them? Does that mean this man knows the password to activate the Blasphemy Card?
No, no. According to my memory, after someone reaches Sequence 5 and beyond, activating a Blasphemy Card does not require any specific code prepared by Roselle.
Could it be that this is just my paranoia, and I'm mistakenly assuming this man is a Demigod... Unconsciously, I looked at Hobert, and he just smiled at me with his red eyes, making the hairs on my neck stand up again.
He is a Demigod! I'm sure of it! Otherwise, how could his strange red eyes intimidate me so much?
But shouldn't I try to probe Mr. Hobert's knowledge to test whether he is truly a Demigod or not? Heh, heh, impossible, I don't want to die immediately! But I truly need to find out how a Sanguine could possess a Blasphemy Card from the Sleepless pathway? Shouldn't the Sanguine control the Moon pathway? This really doesn't make sense.
However, this is a Blasphemy Card. I truly need information from Mr. Hobert about why he has such an item so I can be careful. No, on the contrary, I must have this Blasphemy Card. It would be better that way than letting this 'person' hold the card. After all, it's truly illogical for the card to be with this 'person'.
"Mr. Hobert, I want to ask, you said that this 'tarot card' is an ordinary 'tarot deck,' right? However, I observed an anomaly in one of the cards stacked within the deck. There is a card that says 'Sequence 0: The Darkness' with a picture of Emperor Roselle on it. Do you know its meaning?" "What... what is its connection to Emperor Roselle?"
My attempt to sound ordinary ended up as a hoarse whisper. I immediately realized my mistake. That voice wasn't the voice of a curious collector; it was the voice of a frightened young man. And from the corner of my eye, I saw the slight smile on Hobert's face widen a fraction, as if he had just caught something very interesting. My hands were trembling so violently that I had to clench them tightly, hiding them in my trouser pockets. But that didn't stop my heart from pounding wildly and erratically, beating like a bird trapped in the cage of my ribs, trying to escape this cage, this room, this increasingly uncontrollable situation.
Actually... I really don't want to do this for my own safety. After all, who wants to deal with someone who has the ability to kill others as easily as folding a single sheet of paper! But if I don't do this and it turns out Hobert is a villain who causes Klein to lose at the end of the story, it will cause this world to be destroyed because Klein is the main character of this story.
No! I don't intend to do anything to Hobert. Goodness, I just made a rule that I must not interfere in the story, but when I find something extraordinarily powerful, I end up thinking about interfering in the story. Heh, heh, I haven't even read to the end, so I won't take that risk. I'm doing this only to... ensure my own safety.
Hobert did not answer immediately. He simply observed the subtle tremors in John's hands, as if reading every pulse of fear flowing there. His slight smile never faded, but his red eyes, which now seemed deeper than the red moon of this world, held a completely unfriendly impression.
"A picture of Emperor Roselle?" he finally said, his voice as melodious as the tone of a deep bell. "Perhaps the creator of this card added their own illustration to an old tarot deck. An eccentricity... or perhaps a tribute, or maybe this card was created by Emperor Roselle himself." He said that as if all were options I could choose from.
He walked slowly, his long fingers adorned with strange tattoos tracing the back of an old wooden chair. "You know, Mr. Lynch, in the enigmatic world of antiques, sometimes the most dangerous thing is not the monster with a clear form... but an idea. An idea embedded in an object, waiting for the right mind to trigger it."
I swallowed hard. Every word from Hobert was like a scalpel dissecting my defenses. He wasn't answering my question. Instead, he was giving me a warning or bait?
Hah, and again he poses a question to which I already know the answer easily. After all, I already know how Blasphemy Cards are made because I am a reader of the Lord of the Mysteries novel, and my memory of it is still fresh.
Wait... isn't it true that... a lot of information about deities has been erased from my memory since I came to this Lord of the Mysteries world? So why is the information about Blasphemy Cards, which are items that lead to godhood, not forcibly erased as well? What exactly are the specifications for certain memories to be erased or not erased? Who exactly is the one who summoned me to this world?
No, no. Stop thinking about whoever summoned me to this world. Don't try to think about any deities. Heh, I might attract their attention and die because of it, so stop speculating about this. I shook my head, trying to erase my speculations about whoever summoned me.
"Sequence 0: Darkness..." Hobert uttered the word softly, as if it were the name of an old lover. "Interesting words for an 'ordinary tarot deck,' aren't they? As if someone tried to map the divine onto paper and ink." He stopped in front of John, his shadow covering the young man. "Does your 'client's' interest... extend to such lofty realms?"
The emphasis on the word "lofty" felt like a blow. John felt his chest tighten. This was no longer a question about a fictional client. This was a direct question about how much John himself understood what he was holding.
I need to divert this. Now!
"M–my client is just a noble lady interested in spiritual matters," John retorted, trying hard to keep his voice flat. "She would probably consider the writing 'Sequence 0' as... some kind of ultimate power talisman suitable for her collection." He gave a fake smile, trying to mimic the empty arrogance of a rich playboy. "You know how young nobles think, right, Mr. Hobert? It's all about prestige and words that sound mysterious."
Hobert was silent for a moment, and for a second, John was sure he would laugh mockingly. However, what he did was nod slowly, as if accepting that shallow explanation.
"Of course," Hobert murmured. "Prestige. A reason that's always valid in Backlund." He picked up one of the tarot cards from the deck and got the Wheel of Fortune card. "So, is this 'prestige' worth it for you, Mr. Lynch? To bring back this 'talisman' to your client?"
My heart beat fast. This was it, the critical point. Refusing meant losing the Blasphemy Card forever. Accepting meant admitting that he, John Lynch, had a personal reason for wanting this item.
"Every item has its price, Mr. Hobert," I replied, trying to sound like a resolute merchant, not a frightened young man. "As long as the price is reasonable for a... artistic curiosity."
Hobert placed the card on the table, right between us, like a bet in a poker game.
"Quite right," he said. "Everything has its price. And sometimes, the price of a 'curiosity'... can be far higher than we imagine."
"Quite right," he said. "Everything has its price. And sometimes, the price of a 'curiosity'... can be far higher than we imagine."
The air between us felt thick, dusty, and full of everything unspoken. The Wheel of Fortune card lying on the table was like a fate waiting to be decided. My fingers were still trembling in my pockets, damp with cold sweat. I had to end this dangerous guessing game. Now.
"Of course, Mr. Hobert," I said, forcing a voice flatter and more confident than I felt. I took a deep breath, simulating the indifferent attitude of a collector only interested in commercial value. "But as I said, my client is a spoiled noble lady. She's interested in mystical aura, not in... philosophical puzzles."
I stepped back, away from the table and the card, as if losing interest. "She would be more interested in that red revolver and this mask. At least those items have clear functions and stories. Whereas these old cards..." I made a small, empty gesture with my hand, "...are too abstract for her taste."
My green eyes deliberately avoided contact with the stack of tarot cards. I couldn't give him the impression that I was captivated. Survival 101: never look like you want something too badly in front of a cunning merchant, especially a merchant who might be a Demigod.
Hobert was silent for a moment, observing my change. I could feel his sharp red eyes sweeping over every inch of my expression and body language, looking for cracks, looking for inconsistencies. My heart pounded, hoping my mask of indifference was convincing enough.
Finally, the corner of his thin mouth curved again, but this time, it was a different smile—flatter, more... amused, as if he had just watched an interesting performance.
"Very wise, Mr. Lynch," he said, his voice returning to the friendly tone of a merchant, though traces of coldness remained behind it. He casually picked up the Wheel of Fortune card and returned it to the messy pile. "Indeed, the tastes of young nobles are often... more worldly. They want something they can show off, not something they have to ponder."
He averted his gaze from me, and for the first time since the conversation began, the pressure in
the room seemed to ease slightly. I could almost breathe a sigh of relief but held it back. This was not the time to let my guard down.