The heavy scent of blood had been lingering at Silas's nose ever since he took the dagger.
Buzz!
The moment his skin touched the hilt, though it hadn't broken, a sharp pain surged through him.
It felt like phantom blades were slicing into his flesh, stripping the meat from his bones.
Hiss.
Silas couldn't help but draw in a sharp breath, enduring the agony. He almost instinctively threw the crimson dagger away.
But this thing contained a Sequence 5 Beyonder characteristic worth over 10,000 pounds.
He remembered this dagger had three abilities: Disease Aura, Charm Aura, and a special Pain Curse that let others feel the pain he experienced. Perfect for his Sequence.
"Remember this: the more powerful the weapon, the more dangerous it is," the Queen said calmly.
"Don't forget its negative effects. Use it appropriately and reasonably."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Silas replied, carefully sealing the dagger with a spiritual wall before tucking it into his coat.
"Also, one more thing."
The Queen closed the treasury door, then turned to him as if remembering something.
"A 'Wraith' asked me to pass along a message. The plan to explore the Fourth Epoch cemetery has been temporarily canceled.
She has other matters to deal with."
Wraith?
Oh, she means Sharron.
Silas thought for a second, then figured out who the Queen was referring to from her subsequent description.
So Sharron's Sequence 5 is called "Wraith." Makes sense. Her state really does resemble a ghost.
Wonder what happened to her? Or maybe they already have enough people for the exploration team and don't want to split the loot with me.
His thoughts drifted as he nodded to the Queen. "Alright, I understand."
Whatever. It didn't really matter to him whether he went to the Fourth Epoch tomb or not. Besides, that place was genuinely dangerous.
"That's all."
After the Queen finished speaking, she turned her gaze back to the display cases, no longer paying attention to him.
Clearly, she was telling him his business here was done.
Silas gave her a slight bow and left the exhibition hall.
Even after he'd walked some distance away, when he looked back, he could still see the Queen's figure standing before the cases.
Inside the ancient castle, above the eternal gray fog.
Klein, who had successfully advanced to Sequence 7 "Magician," sat at the head of the table, watching the members below converse.
His spirituality had grown considerably, allowing him not only to maintain the gathering for longer but also to pull more people into it.
Perhaps I should consider bringing Silas in now. Klein mulled it over.
A Sequence 5 Shepherd could really elevate this gathering, which currently averaged Sequence 6 and 7.
Come to think of it, if I brought Silas into the gathering, which Tarot card should I use for his codename?
Hmm... The Hanged Man would be most fitting, but it's already taken.
Klein couldn't decide.
But how could he reasonably convey The Fool's honorific name to Silas and get him to accept it, to recite it in Hermes?
Not only that, Silas, just like me, has something extremely peculiar about him.
When I tried to divine information about him before, the gray fog here showed intense rejection and attraction toward him.
It might not be possible to pull him into the gathering, or even if I managed to, the fog's rejection could cause harm.
Klein pondered with some frustration, unsure of what to do.
Faint voices from the others reached his ears.
"Did you manage to get any information from that former exploration team captain?"
"He's dead."
The Tarot Club was proceeding as usual. Mr. Fool's reading time and the transaction phase had passed, and now they'd reached the free exchange segment.
Everyone except Mr. Fool instinctively looked toward The Sun, Derrick.
They were all interested in what Derrick had experienced this week.
At the last gathering, Derrick had introduced them to a mysterious existence named "Amon." Who knew what kind of story he'd bring them today?
Soon enough, everyone was shocked by what The Sun Derrick had experienced.
Amon had possessed The Sun and tried to use that opportunity to come here?
The Hanged Man, Alger, felt a chill run through his entire body. Fortunately, Mr. Fool was powerful enough to casually dispatch an angel who easily eliminated Amon's parasite.
He felt even more strongly that the mysterious existence shrouded in gray fog at the head of the table was incredibly powerful, inspiring both awe and trust.
"...Everyone, there's one more thing. Elder Lovia's exploration team has returned."
After thanking The Fool for his rescue, The Sun Derrick said cautiously, "They completed their exploration of the temple, but I noticed that many team members I knew have undergone personality changes."
"They've been corrupted by the 'True Creator,'" Alger said without hesitation.
As expected, not participating in the exploration was the right choice. Aside from The Sun Derrick, the other team members had been thoroughly corrupted, becoming fanatical believers of that evil god.
The only problem was he didn't know how to raise the City of Silver's vigilance and detect the danger these investigation team members posed as early as possible.
Fortunately, the generous Mr. World had given him a peculiar item that carried the aura of the True Creator, capable of revealing those twisted believers' true forms.
"It's a Sequence 5 Beyonder characteristic. Lose it, and you'll owe me its full worth," Klein said, manipulating The World puppet.
"I will," The Sun Derrick expressed his gratitude.
After that, the gathering continued for a while longer until Klein spoke up. Everyone stood and bowed in respect, bringing it to a close.
I hope Little Sun doesn't lose that thing, or I won't be able to maintain The World's facade...
Leaving the gray fog, Klein rose from the soft bed in the lounge, dressed, tidied himself up a bit, and walked out.
At the moment, he wasn't at his home on 15 Minsk Street but rather at the Cragg Club.
He'd joined this club with its rather high annual fee earlier to catch someone in the act of infidelity.
Of course, the high fee also meant excellent service.
The environment was nice, the meals and desserts were quite appealing, and most of the members had respectable jobs like doctors or mid-level company managers.
"Good afternoon, Sherlock."
Klein came down from the second floor to the main hall. The two friends he'd made at the club were sitting and drinking tea.
Reporter Mike Joseph immediately greeted him. "Have you tried today's Earl Grey? Paired with fresh-baked scones, it's delicious."
"Is that so? I'll definitely have to try it then."
Klein sat down beside them and called for a waiter to prepare the afternoon tea.
After chatting for a bit, Klein noticed something was off. Their other friend, Dr. Alan Kreiss, seemed troubled, looking worried and not saying a word.
"Alan, you seem uneasy."
"Sherlock, can I hire you?"
"Hire me?"
"Yes. A friend of mine has gone missing," Alan said.