Second Tarot Club Meeting

Hobart asked after Hayman's address, but Mr. Robin said, "We only know this gentleman's name. We don't know anything else about him."

Feeling somewhat helpless, Hobart could only investigate it himself. He kept the share authorization letter, and had just seen Mr. Robin off when Barton stopped him. "Are you planning to help?"

"Yes," Hobart said. "At the very least, I'll look into it."

But Barton shook his head. "We're lawyers, not police officers or detectives. We need our clients to provide sufficient evidence. Our role is only to help clients fight lawsuits, not to search for evidence."

Hobart smiled helplessly. "I know you're right, but I still want to lend him a hand. Even if my investigation shows that I'm incapable of helping him, my conscience will feel better."

Barton spread his hands. "All right, then. But the Law Firm won't reimburse any expenses you incur on this case. Of course, if there's any profit, you won't need to turn it over to the Law Firm either. Treat it as a private commission you've accepted."

Hobart nodded. "All right."

Hobart spent the entire morning applying for a Gun License. After returning from the government office, he sorted through materials and consulted documents. He planned to go out in the afternoon under the pretext of visiting a client, then find a hotel and rent a room by the hour to attend the Tarot Club meeting.

Fortunately, he had not gone out. Near noon, he received a letter from the Mercenary Club saying that someone selling common Extraordinary Materials such as Dragon Blood Grass had arranged to trade with him at four in the afternoon at the club.

Someone else was selling Emperor Rosell's Notes and had likewise arranged a transaction for sometime after four.

It seemed he would have no time to visit clients on Monday.

At around two in the afternoon, Hobart left the Law Firm, walked across two streets, then found a hotel and spent 1 Sule to rent a room by the hour.

As soon as three o'clock arrived, the prepared Hobart was pulled Above the Gray Fog.

After the members greeted one another, Hobart sincerely thanked them. "Thank you to Mr. Fool for the idea you provided during the last gathering. After confirming it, I found that my family indeed has a maddening Curse. I am now investigating the source of that Curse.

"If any of you hear of a similar Curse, please remember to tell me. I will pay for the information with Extraordinary knowledge."

Hanged Man gave his assent, while Justice seemed a little restless. "Honorable Mr. Fool, Mr. Hanged Man, who always helps me, and the knowledgeable Mr. Emperor, I have a question I would like to ask: What can a pet with Extraordinary powers do to help its Owner?"

The moment she finished speaking, she noticed that Mr. Fool, Hanged Man, and Emperor had all fallen silent.

Audrey: Hey, hey, hey, say something! Don't look at me like that! Really, I'm asking for a friend!

Hobart's soft chuckle broke the silence. "If that pet possesses the Extraordinary Abilities of a Spectator, it can observe and eavesdrop for you in certain situations. People will be wary of their own kind, but they're unlikely to suspect a pet of listening in."

Audrey: That makes sense! Whenever Father discusses important matters with other people, he avoids me, but they won't chase Susie away.

Wait, Mr. Emperor, why did you directly use a Spectator as an example? She hurriedly moved on to the next topic to ease her embarrassment. "Mr. Fool, I found another page of Emperor Rosell's Notes."

About four or five minutes later, Mr. Fool finished reading the diary. "You may converse now."

Audrey let out a sigh of relief. "I want to know whether there is a Potion called Arbiter, and what kind of Beyonder can pass directly through a wooden door?"

"There is," Hobart said casually. "Beyonders of the Arbiter pathway are very common in the armies of the Loen Kingdom and the Feneport Kingdom. That is because the Royal Families of those two kingdoms—the Augustus Family and the Castile Family—became Beyonder Families of the Arbiter pathway through their loyalty to the Solomon Empire and the Trensoost Empire.

"Furthermore, due to wars and other reasons, the kings of those two kingdoms bestowed Potions of the Arbiter pathway upon some Soldiers as rewards, resulting in some non-Royal Family Arbiter Beyonder Families.

"Generally speaking, Arbiters are widespread among the Nobles, military, and political circles of the two kingdoms. The Fosac Empire should also have some Arbiter Extraordinary Characteristics, given that it has long been the Loen Kingdom's rival."

Audrey was somewhat astonished. She had not expected the Royal Family to be a Beyonder Family, but upon reflection, it made sense. In a world where Beyonders existed, the fact that the Augustus Family had endured for a thousand years without falling was itself enough to explain many things.

Hobart continued, "As for Beyonders who can pass through wooden doors, they are Beyonders of the Apprentice pathway. The Gnostic Society has many Beyonders of this pathway. In addition, the Abraham Family possesses relatively complete Potion Recipes for this pathway.

"However, like my own family, the Abraham Family is deeply afflicted by a Curse. It is said that there are currently no longer any powerful Beyonders of this pathway."

Alger and Klein were both slightly surprised. They knew of the Apprentice Beyonder pathway and the Gnostic Society, but neither had heard of the Abraham Family. This made them once again marvel at Emperor's vast knowledge.

Next, they became quite curious about the Abraham Family's history and current situation.

"Mr. Emperor," Audrey asked, "why have I never heard of the Abraham Family?"

Klein secretly thought, Justice, your question is simply brilliant!

Alger also pricked up his ears, earnestly freeloading on this secret knowledge of the Beyonder World.

Hobart smiled. "That is because this family began declining in the Fourth Epoch. However, aside from the Beyonders of the Gnostic Society, nearly all other Beyonders of the Apprentice pathway are inextricably connected to this family."

Audrey nodded. "Mr. Emperor, your explanation was very thorough. In what form should I pay you?"

Hobart had already made plans. He intended to have Audrey investigate the fallen Nobles of Backlund, which would naturally include Raft Pond.

But when the words reached his lips, Hobart suddenly felt that this scene was very familiar. He racked his brain and finally remembered.

At a Tarot Club meeting several months later, Mr. World would commission Audrey to conduct the same investigation! At the same time, all of Hobart's memories concerning Lafite surfaced in his mind.

The Pound Family were descendants of the Blood Emperor Tudor. After changing their surname and concealing their identities, they began serving the Loen Royal Family. However, their true purpose was to settle in Backlund and attempt to excavate the ruins left behind by the Tudor Empire.

As a result, a large number of the family's powerful members were killed by an evil spirit within the ruins, and from then on, the Pound Family never recovered.