The Aurora Order's Recruitment (Bonus chapter for [Tarot Club Cleaner]'s generous donation)

Raphael had just slipped his letter to Audrey into an envelope when a subordinate reported that a furniture merchant named Svetan Wagner wanted to see him.

Assuming he was another ordinary petitioner, Raphael put the letter in a drawer for the moment and had Wagner shown in.

Wagner was a man at least six feet three inches tall, with a short beard and a somewhat heavy build. He looked like a brown bear wrapped in a trench coat.

After dismissing his subordinate, Raphael said to Wagner, "Please, sit."

Unlike the other petitioners, Wagner showed no signs of unease. Instead of sitting, he took a cigar out of his trench coat and smiled. "My friend, you've landed yourself in serious trouble."

Raphael paused briefly before asking, "What do you mean?"

"Did you break the legs of a grain merchant named Holm a while ago?" Wagner lit his cigar with a long match as he spoke. "You might not know this, but he knows a city councilor with a fair amount of influence.

"They've been getting in touch with one another, planning to have you arrested on charges such as intentional assault and obstructing commercial development."

"Why haven't they acted yet?" Raphael looked entirely untroubled.

Wagner took a puff of his cigar and smiled. "Because you've made quite a name for yourself lately. They have their concerns, too."

Raphael considered this briefly, then said to Wagner, "You didn't come here today just to tell me that, did you?"

"Hmm." Raphael's expression remained unchanged. "Then let's be more direct. What price will I have to pay?"

Wagner's gaze suddenly grew profound. He studied Raphael for a moment before smiling. "Someone admires the way you do things. He thinks you're a fine young man who's mad enough and ruthless enough, yet still has some sense.

"I'm only here to deliver a message for him. He'll help you, but you must join them, contribute your talent for madness, and become one of them."

Raphael found it rather strange. Why had so many organizations been trying to recruit him lately?

Rather than rushing to refuse, he asked, "What sort of organization is it?"

Wagner lowered his cigar, his expression turning solemn. "They believe the Creator is everywhere, and that all things possess divinity.

"The great cause they pursue is to stop people from being deceived by false gods and make everyone aware of the Creator's existence. If the opportunity arises, they will liberate the divinity within all things."

Raphael searched his memory before saying, "Why haven't I heard of this organization before?"

Wagner raised his cigar again and took a puff before replying, "They assassinated the former ambassador of the Republic of Intis to Loen."

The incident involving the former ambassador of the Republic of Intis suddenly surfaced in Raphael's mind. Although the newspapers had blamed the Highlanders, he remembered that the killer was Mr. A of the Aurora Order. "I see."

He had no idea why he knew the inside story of this incident, either. Many of his memories felt vague, and only when he needed them could he "recall" them as he had just done.

Instead of giving an immediate answer, Raphael said, "Could you give me a few days to consider it?"

The Aurora Order is a very mad organization, but it has brains. It seems pretty decent.

"Of course," Wagner said. "But, my friend, you don't have much time. How about three days? I'll come back to see you in three days."

"No problem."

After seeing off the tall, powerfully built furniture merchant, Raphael thought for a moment and took out his letter to Miss Audrey again. At the end, he tentatively asked which organization had assassinated the former Intis ambassador and expressed his hope of learning more about it.

Although he knew the Aurora Order had done it, he knew little about the organization itself.

After sealing the envelope, Raphael called Carter in. "Find someone reliable to deliver this letter to the mailbox at 33 Queen's Road.

"Then find a few sharp subordinates and have them ask Hayes about Councilor Wood's circumstances. What are his hobbies? Who are his family members? Who are his political enemies?

"Visit Beckett's home as well and ask about Deputy Commissioner Isaacs's recent situation.

"Then use other channels to look into Wood, Isaacs, and that grain merchant named Holm.

"Hmm, today is Monday. I want detailed information on them by Wednesday morning."

Wood was the councilor known to Holm, the grain merchant whose legs Raphael had smashed.

Hayes, whom Raphael had just mentioned, had once received help from "His Excellency Raphael." He worked in the councilor's household and was a servant Wood trusted deeply.

Meanwhile, the commissioner of the Backlund Police Department was nearing retirement, and Deputy Commissioner Isaacs was one of the contenders for the position. Beckett had also received Raphael's help before and was now Isaacs's cook.

Raphael wanted to investigate Isaacs because he had realized that he still wasn't investing enough in intelligence gathering. He had actually learned about the plot against him from a furniture merchant.

Carter froze for a moment before saying, "Understood."

Raphael paid no further attention to the matter and continued practicing the Wolf Fang Claw and the Demon Source Scripture as usual.

Since advancing to sequence 7, he no longer worried so much about schemes hatched by ordinary people. At worst, he could simply flee. He certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to let himself be arrested.

In Earl Hall's mansion on Queen's Road.

As soon as Audrey finished reading Raphael's letter, she realized that the organization trying to recruit him was that band of lunatics, the Aurora Order.

But she did not reply immediately. The Tarot Club would be meeting that afternoon, and she hoped to discuss the matter there.

At precisely three in the afternoon, Audrey, who had already told her servants she would be resting for a while, suddenly found her vision covered by gray fog. In the blink of an eye, she was in the gigantic hall, seated along one side of the Bronze Long Table.

Audrey then rose, lightly mimed lifting her skirts, and smiled toward the head of the Bronze Long Table. "Good afternoon, Mr. Fool~"

Klein, the Fool, smiled and nodded in acknowledgment.

Miss Justice's greeting always seemed to raise the curtain on the Tarot Club's gathering.

Afterward, the members first offered pages of Roselle's Diary to Mr. Fool, then conducted two transactions. Since everyone's sequence had risen, their advancement had slowed, and they no longer needed to trade as frequently.

Finally, they began exchanging information. This had now become the most important part of the Tarot Club's gatherings.

After Little Sun recounted the City of Silver's experience establishing a permanent camp in Afternoon Town, Audrey, Justice, smiled and asked to speak privately with the World.

Once a private space had been established, Audrey said, "Mr. World, Raphael Collins just contacted me. He hopes to obtain the Temperance Faction's experience with digesting the Werewolf potion."

Klein, the World, thought briefly before replying, "All right. I'll contact the Temperance Faction, but Raphael will probably need to provide some compensation."

"I'll make that clear in my reply," Audrey said. "Also, the Aurora Order wants to recruit him. Once our private conversation is over, I'd like to discuss this with all the members."

Klein was momentarily taken aback. Those lunatics from the Aurora Order... Why am I not surprised by this news at all?