The sky outside the window was overcast, but there was no fog that Klein was familiar with. Waves came in, blowing away all the haze and letting the clouds in the sky roll and arrange themselves into various shapes, reflecting the golden-red sunlight.
This is Pritz Harbor, the largest and busiest port in the Kingdom of Loen.
Klein, dressed in a light-colored vest and white shirt, stood by the window, gazing outside for a while, until his pocket watch urged him on, before returning to the mahogany table.
By the warm fireplace, he picked up his dark, round-bellied fountain pen, unfolded the letter paper, and slowly wrote:
"Dear Mr. Azik:
Please forgive me for writing to you so late. For the past few days, I have been wandering around Backlund, immersed in the devastation that the previous events have left on this metropolis. If we were all ordinary people, perhaps we would already be covered in white sheets, carried into the crematorium, and placed in a tiny box...
"I waited a long time and finally found the opportunity to retrieve what belonged to me, including the ' Card of Blasphemy ' I promised. In addition, there is another item that I will have a messenger bring to you. It is a bronze whistle that can summon a messenger. It came from a chance encounter with an old man who crawled out of a coffin. Seeing this, you must be very confused, because the description I used can also point to you, which is exactly what I don't understand."
"... That's the gist of what happened. I suspect the original owner of the bronze whistle was a member of the Cult of the Dead, who was attempting to resurrect the Grim Reaper, and someone of considerable standing. Perhaps you can glean something from this bronze whistle..."
Before leaving Backlund, I wrote to the ' Machinery Hivemind ' describing the vast underground ruins where you and Ince Zangwill fought, hoping they could use this information to find out the truth behind everything.
"Through roundabout and indirect probing, I've confirmed that they are not hostile towards me or you for the time being. If you encounter any trouble, you might try asking them for help."
"Finally, I have one more question: what methods are available to remove residual mental pollution from already solidified Beyonder Characteristic?"
"... I am about to embark on a long voyage. I wish you a smooth journey in your search for memories, and I also wish myself a safe trip."
"Your student and friend, Klein Moretti."
After putting down his pen and reading the letter from beginning to end, Klein folded it up and stuffed it, along with the " Black Emperor " plaque and a bronze whistle that appeared to have been left behind by a member of the Spirituality Religion, into the envelope.
Having done all this, he picked up the brass whistle Mr. Azik had given him and summoned the messenger by blowing it.
The messenger was still nearly four meters tall, made entirely of bone, with black flames burning in its eye sockets, but Klein's Spirituality intuition told him that this was a different messenger.
With a silent sigh, Klein raised his arm and placed the letter into the other person's drooping hand.
The messenger glanced down, then rapidly disintegrated into countless white bones, which rained down and burrowed into the ground.
Seeing this, Klein tapped his right teeth and deactivated his Spirit Vision.
He turned his gaze back to the table, where a light yellow identification document lay—a necessary item for purchasing ocean-going tickets through legitimate channels.
To this end, he specifically sought out Sharron and obtained a new identity through her network.
This identity belongs to a bounty Hunter, a Lunatic who wants to go on an adventure at sea in search of riches. According to Klein, his name is Gehrman Sparrow.
"Hunting for evil..." Klein murmured, carefully putting away the series of documents proving his new identity.
Immediately afterwards, he drew the curtains shut, took four steps backward, and entered the Gray Fog.
There was still some time before the Tarot Gathering, so Klein quickly pulled out " Creeping Hunger " and put it on his wrist.
With his eyes closed, he sensed the Distortion and illusory souls one by one, and then attempted to release the " Faceless."
In the real world, " Creeping Hunger " would gladly devour this gift and regurgitate the corresponding Beyonder Characteristic, but being above the Gray Fog, it dared not have any impulse, allowing the soul of " Faceless " to smoothly leave the glove and appear on the side of the bronze table.
It was a middle-aged man with an indistinct face; Distortion pain and contortion had subsided considerably.
He gave a strained bow to Klein, who was leaning back in his chair, and his figure gradually faded, about to disappear into the Gray Fog.
Within the majestic palace, Klein could directly " Spirit Channeling " without needing any additional rituals. He then extended his Spirituality to stabilize the other party and spoke in a low voice:
Do you know where there are live mermaids?
The man answered in a daze:
"Aside from those kept by the Church of the Evernight Goddess, they can only be found by sailing at least a week from the Gargas Archipelago into the depths of the Sonia Sea, which is precisely my destination."
So he was also a " Faceless " seeking promotion... He risked going to sea to chase after a mermaid, but somehow died at the hands of " Admiral Hurricane " Qilangos... The Church of the Goddess keeps quite a few mermaids? Klein asked, as if suddenly realizing something.
"Which organization do you belong to? Or rather, where did you get your Potion recipes from?"
The middle-aged man, whose face was indistinct, suddenly trembled, and after two seconds, he spoke:
" The Secret Order, I belong to the Secret Order."
The Secret Order? Doesn't the Secret Order keep a few mermaids of their own? Klein considered for a moment and said:
Have you met your leader Zaratul?
The illusory, transparent " Faceless " remained silent for a moment, then shouted in a shrill voice:
I've seen it!
"He's not normal! He's an immortal Monster!"
As he spoke, his figure grew thinner and thinner, on the verge of dissipating.
Zaratul was indeed still alive! What had happened to make the Secret Order members so afraid of him? To be precise, it should be said that He... Klein quickly pressed for another crucial question:
"Besides the treasures left by the Antigonus Family and within your Secret Order, where else can one obtain High-Sequence Potion recipes for the ' Seer ' pathway?"
The " Faceless " became increasingly transparent and ethereal, until finally only one sentence could be uttered:
Church of the Evernight Goddess... Serenity Cathedral...
The Holy Cathedral... Klein watched silently as the spirit of the " Faceless " was completely released, repeatedly repeating a single word in his mind— the Serenity Cathedral was the headquarters of the Church of the Evernight Goddess, the " Holy Cathedral " spoken of by the Nighthawks.
There really is High-Sequence Potion recipe for the " Seer " pathway hidden there... The various churches have buried and Concealment countless secrets... Klein sighed as he let the blackish-green gelatinous substance that had condensed on the surface of his glove slide off onto the bronze table.
The Beyonder Characteristic of the " Faceless " eventually formed a jelly-like, translucent object. Against a black and green background, various faces occasionally appeared and disappeared within it, like shadowy figures hidden behind dark curtains.
Klein glanced at it a few times, nodded almost imperceptibly, and muttered to himself:
"Later, with the help of 'The World,' please have Mr. ' The Hanged Man ' sell this Beyonder Characteristic to ' Artisan,' to Beyonder who need it."
Although he discovered a loophole in the official Beyonder's surveillance of 15 Minsk Street through Divination above the Gray Fog, he ultimately did not return there in order not to provoke them or expose the secrets of the spirit. Instead, he spent extra money to buy a change of clothes and other necessities, totaling £12.
With the £8 he paid for the documentation for his new identity, his wallet was practically empty and unnecessary.
As for the 10% stake in the bicycle company, Klein found an opportunity to meet with Detective Isengard Stanton, signed legal documents, and entrusted it to him for safekeeping. In any case, the relationship between the two parties was no secret to the Nighthawks and the Machinery Hivemind.
Five pounds in cash and five gold coins left... Four pounds to the Rorsted Archipelago, and that's for a third-class ticket on the lower deck... Transferring from the Rorsted Archipelago to the Gargas Archipelago will cost at least another four pounds... I must get rid of that " Faceless's" Beyonder Characteristic as soon as possible... That way I can at least travel in second class and eat decent food... Thank goodness Emlyn's suitcase was always kept on the Gray Fog, otherwise I would have to buy another one... Klein calculated his financial situation, as if he had returned to the predicament when he first transmigrated, where he could only afford a formal suit with the advance salary from the Nighthawks.
" The Beyonder Characteristic of Sequence 6 range from 3,000 to 4,000 pounds, and if someone urgently needs them, the price can be even higher... But besides making a living, I also have to consider the cost of auxiliary materials for the ' Marionettist ' and the ritual cost of removing the mental pollution from the main material." Klein sighed, took out his pocket watch, and glanced at it.
Seeing that it was almost time, he first sent the message to Little " The Sun " about preparing for the gathering.
Fors' vision cleared, and he saw three figures sitting across the mottled long table.
Another member? The thought crossed her mind for a moment, then quickly settled down.
At this moment, she didn't care whether there were any new members in the Tarot Club; her mind was filled with the smog and the plague from last week.
She clearly remembered that at the last gathering, "The World" reminded her and Miss " Justice " that something big was brewing in Backlund, which could very well lead to tragedy. Mr. " The Fool " confirmed this guess and further pointed out that the key figure in the matter was Prince Edessak.
She didn't doubt Mr. The Fool's abilities, but thought the tragedy needed time to brew and there was plenty of time to investigate. Who knew it would come so quickly and so suddenly!
It was reported that Prince Edessak also contracted the disease during the heavy smog and unfortunately died... It really happened, it really happened... Fors recalled the contents of the newspapers from the previous days and seemed to understand something, but she couldn't grasp anything, and for a moment she felt a little scared and uneasy.
As a mere Sequence 9, it seems that by Tarot Club, I have prematurely "intervened" in this terrifying event involving a metropolis, a prince, and the lives of tens of thousands of people! Only now does " The Magician " Fors truly understand the weight of being a member of the Tarot Club.
Then she heard Miss Justice's greeting, which was the same as always but lacked its usual lightness:
Good afternoon, Mr. The Fool.
"You have saved Backlund once again!"
"Huh? What? When did I get saved again?" Emlyn, the Moon, was completely bewildered.