5 p. m., Olive Tree Boulevard, Pame's Divination Hut.
Alger Wilson pushed open the brown wooden door with glass panes above it and entered the occult-themed café.
He ordered a cup of Fresher coffee from the Paz Valley on the Star Plateau of the Southern Continent, and took out the tarot deck he had bought earlier, placing it next to him. The top card was the " The Hanged Man " card, depicting an Angel with his hands tied behind his back, hanging upside down.
Unlike in the morning, he had changed his attire, wearing a classic dark robe and a soft hat resembling that of a clergyman, looking like Wizard or the Magician who had stepped out of a folk legend.
Alger took a silent breath and slowly sipped his coffee, showing no impatience in waiting for anyone.
About five or six minutes later, the brown wooden door with thick glass panels opened again, and a young man wearing a black woolen overcoat and a top silk hat entered.
This gentleman, who looks to be under 30, with a thin, angular face and a mature yet melancholic air, is none other than Klein has had his appearance slightly altered and his persona changed a bit.
He wasn't wearing gold-rimmed glasses, but his eyesight wasn't affected at all. His gaze casually swept across the room and landed on Alger's deep blue sideburns.
Klein's gaze then moved down to the " The Hanged Man " card placed at the very top.
Without a word, he walked over, took off his hat, sat down opposite Alger, and said with a sinister smile:
I want my Divination.
As he spoke, he had already taken in the appearance of the veteran member of the Tarot Club:
With deep-set features and a rugged outline, bearing the obvious signs of being weathered by rain and wind, he looks like someone who is good at fighting and often travels around.
His skin was bronze, but it was somewhat different from the local people, like the result of pure Loen people being exposed to the sun and rain all year round. However, his dark blue hair was also quite special, not belonging to Loen, but closer to the colonists in the area of the Raging Sea near Desi Bay.
Mixed-race... Klein made the judgment in his mind.
Alger looked at the man opposite him, slowly conjuring up the image of "the world" in his mind, then presented the tarot deck and said in a low voice:
"You'll need to shuffle and cut the cards yourself."
Klein reached out and picked them up, unfolded them all and glanced at them a few times, then put them together and shuffled them with a clatter.
He cut the cards in succession, drawing three cards and arranging them into past, present, and future spreads.
Klein slowly leaned back, but his right hand flipped over the tarot card in the center. On it was a naked woman wrapped only in a purple silk scarf, surrounded by green wreaths that resembled doors.
This is the "World" card, number 21; the 22nd card returns to 0, symbolizing " The Fool ".
"How should we interpret this?" Klein asked deliberately.
Although the Hanged Man never explicitly stated that the World was the Fool's Blessed, Klein believed there was no need to harbor any illusions about it. Being frank was more conducive to building an image—if the other party hadn't guessed yet, it showed sincerity and confidence; if Alger already knew, it made the World appear composed, as if everything was under its control.
He knew I knew? He believed I could guess before even bringing up that topic above the Gray Fog? Impressive... Alger's heart skipped a beat, and he replied at a measured pace:
"Reversed, this indicates that things will fail due to insufficient preparation."
"What preparations should be made?" Klein nodded thoughtfully and asked in return.
Alger retrieved all the Tarot cards outside of "The World," skillfully reshuffling and cutting them.
Then, he turned over the top card.
This is a "Pope" card!
Alger's voice was still deep:
"You need advice, you need the help of faith and religion to avoid going down the Error path."
Before Klein could speak, he turned over the second card in order, which depicted the " The Moon " looking down at the earth.
You will be confused, you will be bewildered, you will wander in dreams, but this is only temporary.
Following that, Alger presented the third tarot card, which was the " The Sun " card.
"Everything will pass, and the light will eventually shine on the earth," he said, sounding like a charlatan.
Klein paused for a few seconds, then asked as if to confirm:
"Church, dream, the Sun?"
A smile appeared on Alger's face, and he nodded slightly.
That's it.
The tarot Divination just now contained Psychological Suggestion about his future plans.
In fact, given his current situation of not being involved in the game and being completely ignored, there was no need to be so subtle; he could have directly stated the specifics. However, Alger felt it was still worthwhile to test "The World," this Blessed, to see if he possessed sufficient intelligence rather than relying more on brute force.
If both parties are of similar intelligence, Alger believes they can cooperate more in the future, as intelligent people don't need to talk too much. Conversely, he will try to keep "the world" out of his affairs, only asking for help when he needs henchmen, unless Mr. " The Fool " gives other orders.
Now, "World's" response and previous performance confirmed to him that the other party was shrewd, powerful, and experienced.
"Ha, I'm a tarot expert... In this respect, Mr. ' The Hanged Man, ' you're just a beginner..." Klein chuckled inwardly, mentally belittling the other man.
The hidden meaning of " The Hanged Man " in the interpretation is very simple. The "His Holiness" card means that he wants to inform the Church of Storms about " Blazing " Danitz and "Iron" Maviti, and use the power of " The Mandated Punishers " to divide the enemy and reap the benefits.
This is a method Klein often uses, and it's not difficult to understand.
The subsequent " The Moon " and " The Sun " cards represent a reminder from the " The Hanged Man ":
Since the " Mandated Punishers " has been introduced, certain precautions must be taken against it. Based on Alger's experience, when dealing with similar problems, his colleagues in Bayam would definitely use a Sealed Artifact that can forcibly put multiple people in the Dream Divination within range. The characteristics of "Steel" Maviti determine that there must be a targeted item in the " The Sun " field.
I restrain my dreams and am not afraid of the " The Sun "... Klein reached out and turned the reversed "World" card in front of him halfway, turning it upright, meaning that this plan is feasible and I will be prepared.
Alger raised his head, took a breath, and said:
"The owner here is skilled in aromatherapy and can use the scents of different essential oils, hydrosols, incense, and flower essences to treat corresponding emotional issues and soothe anxieties. Would you like to give it a try?"
"Use that contact point on Fragrant Tree Avenue?" Klein smiled and replied:
"Good."
The two looked at each other, neither moving, and neither mentioned aromatherapy again; everything was understood without words.
Klein didn't linger. He took out his pocket watch, glanced at it, and then slowly stood up.
Alger suppressed his smile, placed his hand on his chest, and bowed slightly, saying:
"Let us Goddess of Beauty, for all Divination results originate from the revelation He provides."
"Oh, so you know how to show loyalty now..." Klein suppressed a laugh, mimicking Alger the Hanged Man, and replied seriously.
Let us Goddess of Beauty.
He took two steps outside, then suddenly stopped, turned back to look at Alger, and chuckled softly as he put on his hat:
"To be honest, this kind of outfit doesn't suit you."
Huh? Alger couldn't keep up with Mr. "World's" train of thought.
After Klein pulled open the door and walked out of the themed cafe, Alger looked away, glanced at the mirror in the corner, and carefully examined his current appearance.
He hadn't initially thought there was anything wrong with it, but after "the world" mentioned it, he found it increasingly incongruous and finally understood why the other person had said that:
A man who looks rugged and weathered, who seems capable of summoning a hundred Sailor to gang up on his opponent or wielding an axe to chop down a whole group, certainly shouldn't be wearing such a mysterious, classical Wizard's robe; it's very incongruous with his demeanor.
Sea Waves Cathedral
After changing back into his original clothes, Alger followed the praying congregation into the hall discreetly. Taking advantage of the opportunity for confession, he met with the diocesan bishop, Chogo, through the responsible priest.
After bowing, he said directly:
"I met ' Blazing ' Danitz, who claimed that ' Vice Admiral Iceberg's' key had nothing to do with the Death Treasure and was even willing to sell it."
"He asked me to keep an eye on 'Iron' Maviti's whereabouts. He seemed to have been injured by the ' Admiral of Blood's' second mate and was eager to get rid of him."
"Lord Chogo, I want to leak this information so that 'Iron' Maviti and his men can successfully stop ' Blazing ' Danitz, and we can take this opportunity to capture or kill them all on the spot."
"This will effectively curb the arrogance of the pirates."
Chogo showed an expression of approval:
"Very good, your work efficiency is much better than I expected."
Alger responded with a devout expression:
"This all stems from the Lord's guidance and benefits from your teachings."
"I'll find a suitable person to leak the message by evening. If I come to pray again, it means 'Iron' Maviti is not taking any action for the time being. If I don't show up again, it means I've been taken under his or his subordinates' control to prevent the message from leaking out, which means they'll be caught in the net."
After explaining the specific location and other details, Alger returned to the confessional and left normally.
7:15 PM, Fragrant Leaf Bar.
Wearing wide-legged trousers and with his dark blue hair wrapped in a headscarf, Alger stood beside the boxing ring, holding a glass of " Lerunqi," watching the two bruised and battered fighters with a hint of mockery.
He quickly spotted his target enter and headed straight for the bar.
After a short wait, Alger sat down next to the thin, dark-skinned man and chuckled:
"I heard 'Steel' has arrived in Bayam?"
The man turned his head warily, responding with a forced smile:
How come I didn't know?
"Really? Looks like ' Blazing ' lied to me!" Alger slapped the bar and took a sip of his drink.
" Blazing... Danitz?" The man's eyes lit up, and he asked hesitantly.
"Yes, it's him!" Alger said through gritted teeth. "I ran into him at the Gold Coin Casino this morning. That damn guy claimed 'Steel' was in Bayam, ugh, he dared to lie to me!"
The dark-skinned, thin man's eyes flickered slightly, but he didn't interrupt.
He listened quietly, then stood up and chuckled:
"I forgot, I have something else to do. Let's play cards later."
He patted Alger on the shoulder and left the bar seemingly calmly but actually hastily.
Alger held his wine glass, half-turned to watch his retreating figure, his gaze deep and his lips devoid of a smile.