"Mr. Lovers, I think you may be overlooking something."
It was the World who spoke — Klein operating his secondary persona. "Given Mr. Sun's current situation, how exactly would he go about praying to Mr. Fool and opening the Gate of Offering?"
The commotion that accompanied opening the Gate of Offering — Klein knew it better than anyone. A full exploration team wasn't blind or stupid. They'd notice.
The others caught on too, looking expectantly at Vincent.
He shook his head. "Under the circumstances, Mr. Sun's only option is to take the risk."
"But — to keep the others from noticing, you should go find Elder Lovia alone, explain the situation to her privately. Tell her…"
Vincent paused for a few seconds, thinking it through. "Tell her that while you were sleeping, you heard a mysterious voice in the temple and followed its guidance to open the Gate of Offering. Combined with the item I'm arranging to have Mr. Fool send you, that might be enough to convince her."
"To minimise unwanted complications, when you pray to Mr. Fool this time, you'll need to do so in ancient Hermes so your Elder can't follow what you're saying. It's only a few sentences — you should be able to force-memorise them without too much trouble."
Audrey looked thoughtful, then said carefully: "If you tell Elder Lovia that in the Fallen Creator's own temple you heard a mysterious voice — she'll think it's the Fallen Creator speaking, won't she? But in reality…"
She glanced, very carefully, at Mr. Fool, and left the rest unspoken: but it's actually Mr. Fool.
Though Mr. Fool didn't seem to mind.
Alger couldn't resist his own curiosity: "Mr. Lovers — what is this item you're having Mr. Fool pass along? Why would it convince a True Creator fanatic?"
"Ah — it's a bracelet I obtained from the Aurora Order that carries a trace of the Fallen Creator's presence."
"I see."
Alger nodded. If Elder Lovia was a true zealot, the 'Master's' presence on that bracelet really might just work.
"One more thought—"
Vincent added: "If Elder Lovia asks what language you were praying in, tell her… Creator of all things, Ruler behind the veil of shadows, the fallen nature within all living beings."
Alger's heart gave a jolt. "That's — that's the True Creator's three-part honorific, isn't it?"
"Yes. In the best case, the moment you speak the Fallen Creator's honorific, your Elder may believe you completely."
He then turned toward the mist concealing Mr. Fool and gave a bow. "Mr. Fool, I apologise for acting without your authorisation — but this is the only way I could think of to help Mr. Sun."
"It's fine," Klein said lightly.
He couldn't offer Derrick any useful direct help himself, so he wasn't about to stop anyone else from trying. His only concern was whether saying the True Creator's honorific would draw that god's attention. But then again — they'd already spent two days inside His temple. If being noticed was going to happen, it already had.
Vincent gave Derrick a few more specific instructions and suggested talking points, mindful that the young man was too honest to be a natural liar.
"That should cover it. Be careful."
Derrick gave a solemn nod. "I understand."
"Oh — Mr. Sun, regarding the Angel of Time. Beyond the portrait in the mural, was there anything else depicted nearby?"
"Not so far."
He shook his head. "Most of the walls on the temple's upper level have collapsed and crumbled. The only two intact murals left are the Angel of Time and the Fallen Creator."
"Though…"
He hesitated. "Elder Lovia did say that if we explored further down, the murals in the deeper sections are mostly well-preserved."
Alger said coolly: "She might be lying. Just trying to lure you deeper into the temple."
Derrick, this time, pushed back: "I don't think so. Every time the exploration team sets out, all members are under absolute obligation to follow the team leader's orders. If she simply wanted us to go deeper, one word from her would be enough."
Vincent stepped in: "Either way — forget the deeper sections for now. Getting out of there is what matters most. As for the later Sun Pathway formulas and materials, if you need them urgently, I can advance them to you now."
"You can collect intelligence on the Angel of Time for me again later, when you have the strength to return safely."
Derrick's expression lit up with surprise and gratitude. "Alright — thank you so much, Mr. Lovers!"
Mr. Lovers really is a good person.
"No need to thank me. We're all Tarot Club companions — helping each other is what we do."
That line landed with a very slight awkwardness for both Alger and Klein. Neither of them had ever quite thought of the Tarot Club that way. For them it was more of a mutual interest exchange — pleasantries fine, but anything involving actual resources needed to be priced properly.
Must be nice to be Mr. Lovers. If I were as loaded as he seems to be, I'd probably be more generous too.
Once the Sun and the Lovers finished, Audrey looked around the group. "Does anyone have leads on the Spectator Pathway formulas this week?"
She'd been tracking the Psychology Alchemists for the past week with no results.
"No."
Alger thought for a moment, then said: "There's going to be a grand Beyonder gathering among pirates in the Sonia Sea soon — Pirate Kings and Admirals both likely attending. An event that big will almost certainly draw a few mid-sequence Spectator Pathway Beyonders. There's a real chance of obtaining the formula there."
Audrey's eyes lit up. "Oh! I'd love to attend something like that — it sounds wonderful."
Klein, operating as the World, spoke in a lower voice: "I wouldn't call it wonderful, Miss Justice. Most pirates are vicious killers — not dashing adventurers like Mr. Hanged Man. They raid merchant ships; blood is on every hand."
Audrey's cheeks puffed slightly. I only said one thing, and this 'World' fellow I just met is already lecturing me.
Alger nodded in agreement: "The World is right. Most pirates are deeply dangerous. The merchant and passenger ships they target rarely come to good ends. Qilangos wouldn't even rank among the worst of them."
"Hmm."
Audrey asked thoughtfully: "And the Pirate Kings and Admirals themselves?"
"Among the four Pirate Kings, the most mysterious is the King of the Black Throne — the outside world knows almost nothing about him. The most powerful is the King of the Five Seas, Nast Solomon. He claims descent from the Solomon Empire, is personally a high-sequence Beyonder, and commands the ghost ship The Black Emperor, a relic of the ancient empire."
"The most feared is the King of Immortality — his ghost ship Death Announcer is the stuff of nightmares. Rumour has it he's drunk from the Fountain of Unaging and cannot die."
"And the most admired…" Alger paused briefly. "…is the Queen Mystic. Owner of the Dawn. A beautiful woman."
He then went through all the Pirate Admirals as well, and concluded: "In short — pirates are pirates. Some hold to a code of not killing wantonly, but they all raid merchant ships. Every one of them has blood on their hands."
Audrey was quiet for a moment, then asked: "And you, Mr. Hanged Man?"
To be continued…
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