Alger spoke with devout reverence, his voice thick with gratitude: "This is all thanks to Mr. Fool dispatching one of His angels, who killed Qilangos without any difficulty whatsoever."
Klein knew perfectly well that what had killed Qilangos was Mr. Azik, who had simply been nearby at the time. And faced with Alger's assumption, he chose to offer a faint smile and say nothing.
Vincent was genuinely startled. So Qilangos still ended up dying at Azik's hands? But even at his absolute peak, Azik couldn't have pulled that off with Adam right there.
Unless Adam deliberately let him do it?
But why?
The answer came quickly: Creeping Hunger.
For Azik, the Beyonder abilities stored inside Creeping Hunger had no value at all — its significance was its power to help him recover his memories.
And as Azik's memories returned, ten to one it would play out just like in the original: he'd find that man-made god of death, and ultimately "fulfil" the Evernight Goddess's purpose.
Bernadette's brow furrowed. She looked up at Klein. "Mr. Fool — did You act personally?"
"Hmm?"
Everyone found this puzzling. Hadn't the Hanged Man just said one of the Fool's angels did it? Why was Ms. Lovers suggesting Mr. Fool acted directly?
Klein asked mildly: "What makes you think that?"
She glanced at Alger. "When I was with Mr. Hanged Man and we'd successfully captured Qilangos, a powerful entity intervened. He looked like an ordinary priest — but in reality was a Sequence 1 King of Angels whose power was only a hair's breadth from true godhood."
"!!!"
Alger's jaw dropped.
He'd guessed that during the moment he'd blacked out, Qilangos's disappearance must have involved something — but he could never have imagined that something involved a Sequence 1 King of Angels. One a hair's breadth from a true god, at that.
I just wanted to kill a Sequence 6 pirate. How did this end up here?
He looked at the Fool with even deeper reverence. "Praise be to Mr. Fool!"
Audrey's eyes went wide in shock. "A mere pirate admiral got caught up in scheming between actual gods?!" That is absolutely incredible!
But Mr. Fool seemed completely unbothered, as if this was nothing worth noting — which of course it wasn't, for a true deity. That Sequence 1 King of Angels might be only a step below godhood, but that step might as well be an impassable chasm, impossible to cross.
The collective awe flooding toward him was making Klein genuinely nervous. I just casually rode Mr. Azik's coattails a little — how did I end up tangled with something this terrifying?
But he also knew clearly: this had nothing to do with him. So how had Mr. Azik managed to kill Qilangos? Could Mr. Azik actually be a Sequence 1 King of Angels?!
Vincent couldn't help pressing his hand to his face inwardly. Without needing to think about it, he knew that Alger and Audrey — the pair of world-class overthinkers — were spinning out elaborate scenarios in their heads right now.
What actually had him curious was why Bernadette would bring up Adam at the Tarot Club meeting at all.
Just as the thought formed, he heard her ask: "Esteemed Mr. Fool — are You acquainted with that 'priest'?" Adam seems to know a great deal about Father's situation, but won't tell me anything. If Mr. Fool knows Adam, perhaps I can get some intelligence from Him.
Klein shook his head slightly. "My apologies. I'm not acquainted with Him."
The more his understanding of mysticism and the Beyonder world had deepened, the more Klein had come to grasp that the gods of this world, though powerful and inscrutable, were absolutely not omniscient and omnipotent.
Gods had limits. Gods could be cornered.
Admitting he simply didn't know one Sequence 1 figure wasn't going to dent Mr. Fool's image of vast and unfathomable strength.
Bernadette hid a flicker of disappointment. "I understand. Thank you, Mr. Fool."
Alger hesitantly asked: "Ms. Lovers — do you happen to know why that… priest saved Qilangos?"
"He only said at the time that Qilangos had come to Backlund on a commission from Him to carry out a certain task."
Audrey asked: "The task that would give him enough confidence to turn the Four Pirate Kings into Five? So there was such a powerful figure backing him all along — no wonder he was so sure of himself."
Alger fell into deep thought, something taking shape at the edges of his speculation.
Klein rested his cheek on his fist, watching Ms. Lovers thoughtfully. He'd suspected for a while that "the Lovers" was something more than she appeared — likely with the highest Sequence among all current members.
But now it seemed like she was even more remarkable than he'd guessed, because most people simply couldn't identify a King of Angels whose power was only a step below godhood.
Either she had relevant intelligence on that particular angel, or she knew him personally, or… she'd deduced it purely from her own level of power.
Klein also noticed that Mr. Hanged Man's demeanour toward Ms. Lovers had distinctly shifted this week — far more careful and respectful. No need to think about why: after their meeting last week, Alger had obviously seen something of her power, and adjusted accordingly.
So what Sequence exactly is "the Lovers"?
Could she actually be a high-Sequence Beyonder?
But the spirituality I have now — there's no way I could have brought in anyone that high-Sequence.
While all this was going on, Little Sun Derrick had been listening with both eyes glazing over from start to finish: he had no idea what the Secret Order was, no idea what Intis was… He only understood that the Fool's angel was very powerful, Mr. Fool was very powerful, and so followed everyone else's lead in praising Mr. Fool and cheering enthusiastically.
But what he actually cared about was how to get the Sequence 8 Lumen Lancer potion formula.
Just as the thought formed, he heard Miss "Justice's" voice: "Mr. Sun, might I trade with you for dragon-related intelligence?"
"Sure. I'd like the Sequence 8 Bard pathway potion formula."
Audrey said readily: "I'll find the Sequence 8 Bard pathway formula for you as soon as possible — not today, but can you accept that?" She glanced toward the head of the bronze table. "We could ask Mr. Fool to act as witness."
Klein smiled: "Miss Justice, perhaps I can cover the Lumen Lancer formula for you."
Audrey's eyes lit up immediately, though a flicker of worry followed. "Of course! But I'm not sure… what I could offer You in exchange."
What on earth can a god want from me?
Surely not gold pounds. That's literally all I have left at this point.
Klein gave a faint smile. "No rush — I'll announce a task in a moment."
Oh?
Audrey's ears pricked up. Her eyes went wide with a mix of surprise, anticipation, and nerves. "What task?"
"Not yet."
Klein pressed a hand down, and on the table before him appeared a yellowish-brown sheepskin laid out with the complete Lumen Lancer formula — substitute materials included, archaic names clarified, all translated into Giant language.
"Miss Justice — we can discuss dragon matters now. Should I block the others out?"
Audrey glanced at Ms. Lovers, hesitated a second, then said: "No need." — Even though "the Lovers" couple had been a little dismissive of her before, which had stung, they also openly shared mysticism knowledge during meetings. If they could be that generous, she certainly wasn't going to be petty.
And honestly, if she shut them out, they might start shutting her out in return. Then she'd lose her free knowledge pass.
"No need, Mr. Sun — please just go ahead."
Alger had some interest in dragon intelligence but wasn't willing to pay to listen. Since Miss Justice was being this generous, why not enjoy a free listen.
Derrick looked around at everyone, collected his thoughts, and began: "Dragons are the mortal enemies of the Giant King's Court. They all look like scaled-up lizards…"
He recited from memory: "…Regarding the Dragon of Imagination, Ankewelt, there is a legend: whatever it imagined would be given form; whatever fantasy realm it conceived would descend upon the material world; whatever future it proclaimed would come to pass and become reality."
"!!!"
Klein's brow creased sharply, and he barely managed to keep his composure from slipping. Why does that description sound so much like Sealed Artifact 0-08?
Derrick continued: "Its son, the Dragon of Nightmare, Alzuhod, was equally terrifying… it would engineer all kinds of coincidences, turning the fates of many living beings toward tragedy."
All kinds of coincidences — that one actually sounds even more like Sealed Artifact 0-08.
Could 0-08 have been crafted from the characteristics of an "angel" like this?
If so, how unimaginably powerful is it?
And how am I supposed to take revenge against Ince Zangwill, who holds an artifact like that?
But hang on…
A sudden incongruity nagged at Klein. An artifact this terrifying had to be guarded by the Church with obsessive care — so how had a mere Sequence 5 like Ince Zangwill managed to steal it from them?
To be continued…
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