Cattleya understood that " The Hanged Man " meant that if the problem was serious, they could use " the Moon " to drag the entire Sanguine into the matter, recover losses and seize benefits amidst the chaos.
She then smiled and said:
"If things are that serious, why not just contact 'The World' directly? That seems simpler."
Alger paused for a few seconds and then said:
"I had to prove I was capable of handling the problem, so that was the last resort."
Upon hearing his answer, " Admiral of Stars " Cattleya immediately made some connections:
The " The Hanged Man " seems to value the opinion of "The World," Gehrman Sparrow, perhaps because the latter is Blessed of " The Fool "? Furthermore, his attitude is, in a sense, quite consistent with political jokes popular in places like Backlund and Trier: when faced with a problem or Error, the first reaction is to suppress it, find another way to resolve it, and not let the "boss" or "client" know...
This suggests that the " The Hanged Man " was, and still is, a large, well-organized force, influenced by this culture and possessing the relevant skills... The " Church of Storms "? No, such people would be heretics within it... The fleet of the " King of the Five Seas "?
As his thoughts raced, the pirate general adjusted his heavy glasses and steered the conversation back on track:
Let's continue with the story of that ' Artisan '.
Alger, as if he had prepared a draft beforehand, spoke without hesitation or pause, at a measured pace:
"In order to cover up the identity of that ' Artisan ' and prevent others from controlling this channel, I deliberately portrayed him as an insider of the Church of Steam. In reality, he had long ago defected from the Church of Steam and hid in Bayam because of his love for fine wines, his obsession with beautiful women, and his extravagant lifestyle. He had to make items for wild Beyonder to earn money to make a living."
"This time, he first contracted a strange illness, was monitored by people of unknown origin, and then was controlled by those who seemed to believe in the ' The Moon Primordial,' claiming that he had been reborn..."
Cattleya listened intently, her slightly purple eyes behind her glasses showing intense focus.
After the " The Hanged Man " finished speaking, she paused for a moment and then asked:
"A Artisan will never lack magical items, and they are very knowledgeable about the combination of various extraordinary effects and negative effects, so their strength can definitely reach the Sequence 5 level."
How exactly did those followers of the ' The Moon Primordial ' manage to control the ' Artisan ' without harming him?
"A Demigod intervened?"
Alger slowly shook his head and said:
"There are no leads on this yet, but from my observation, the ' Artisan ' showed some willingness. I suspect that along with the threats and coercion, there was also some enticement targeting his weaknesses."
He indirectly refuted the speculation that Demigod was involved in the matter.
" Admiral of Stars " Cattleya nodded:
How did the followers of the ' The Moon Primordial ' find this ' Artisan '?
"Based on your description, this ' Artisan ' has always only traded with familiar, trustworthy friends, and doesn't particularly like expanding his own channels. He's extremely cautious when it comes to security."
Alger hesitated for a moment and said:
I'm not entirely sure, but I have a guess.
"I once helped 'The World' sell a ' Werewolf ' Beyonder Characteristic to that ' Artisan,' and the ' Werewolf ' path is a ' Mutant ' one. Both the recipe and the trait are firmly controlled by the Rose School of Thought, and rarely leak out."
Similarly, those in the Southern Continent who worship the " The Moon Primordial " basically belong to the Rose School of Thought... Cattleya silently added in her mind, having already figured out what the " The Hanged Man's" speculation was:
He suspected that the " Werewolf " Beyonder Characteristic had some Hidden Existence issues, which led to the " Artisan " being targeted by the Rose School of Thought!
This is also why the Rose School of Thought was able to maintain firm control over the formula and properties of the " Mutant " pathway.
" Admiral of Stars " Cattleya asked a few more questions, all of which received satisfactory answers. Finally, she asked:
"What's that ' Artisan's ' name, and which country is he from?"
"He's from Intis, and he calls himself Sharif," Alger replied without mincing words.
" Sharif..." Cattleya frowned slightly, repeating the name of the " Artisan " in a low voice.
"What's the problem?" Alger asked directly, seeing this.
"Have you heard of him?"
In Alger's view, the " Admiral of Stars " was an experienced, well-connected, and self-controlled strongman. If he didn't want to discuss " Sharif " with anyone, he wouldn't have shown his doubts or anything unusual so obviously. Based on this judgment, he chose to ask without any hesitation.
Cattleya was silent for a moment before saying:
" Emperor Roselle's eldest son was named Charles, a name very similar to this."
Before the " The Hanged Man " could speak, she continued:
"The prince died of fear and anxiety not long after the emperor's assassination. At that time, the Sauron Family wanted to hang and Exile his descendants, but the Church of Steam chose to accept them as clergy."
Alger nodded slightly, as if suddenly realizing something.
"You suspect this is a descendant of that prince?"
In Intis, in Feysac, and in most countries of the Northern Continent, it is not uncommon to use the name of an ancestor or a similar name as one's own name, representing the inheritance of honor. Therefore, the more illustrious a family is, the more often there are "So-and-so Second Generation" and "So-and-so Third Generation".
Of course, it is very common for two completely unrelated people to have the same name, but " Artisan " Sharif is not just a single name. He also comes from the Church of Steam, he is Intis, and he has reached the level of " Artisan ".
Faced with the question about the " The Hanged Man," Admiral of Stars Cattleya nodded slightly and said:
"If I can get his blood, I can confirm it very quickly."
Alger understood the reason, but without saying much, he asked instead:
"Are you going to act now? I can offer assistance."
The surface of Cattleya's glasses reflected the crimson Moonlight streaming in from the window:
No, I plan to observe for a while longer.
"At least we need to figure out why those who believe in the ' The Moon Primordial ' are controlling the ' Artisan ' Sharif."
"If they simply want ' Artisan ' to work for them and create magical items, then things are simple and easy. But if they have other purposes, the problem may be more complicated than we anticipated, requiring more preparation."
As expected of the " Admiral of Stars "... Alger nodded and said:
"I can't stay in Bayam for too long; it will arouse suspicion. If you need my assistance, then do it as soon as possible."
After receiving an affirmative reply, the " The Hanged Man " slowly stood up, pulled up his hood, and left the room.
Knowing where " Artisan " Sharif was currently staying, Cattleya took off her thick glasses, pinched her brow, and clapped her hands, saying:
" Heath, come in."
From the shadows at the crack in the door, darkness suddenly surged, and a tall, thin, pale figure emerged.
His nose was ridiculously high, and his facial skin was almost transparent, giving him the appearance of being ill. He was none other than Heath Doyle, the second mate of the " Future " and " Rose Bishop ".
Cattleya looked at him and said:
"The specifics are... I'll leave the rest to you."
"Yes, Captain." Heath Doyle responded briefly before disappearing back into the shadows.
Cattleya raised her right hand, paused for a few seconds, and said:
"Recently, away from Frank, his mushroom experiments have stalled, and I'm worried he might have some new ideas."
"My second Marionette's location..."
Klein held the two branches and murmured repeatedly, but he didn't see them move.
This means the Divination failed, or that there is no second Marionette in Gurain City that is a good fit for him.
The mystical methods seem to be useless for now. I'll pack up tomorrow and leave... Klein muttered to himself, casually tossing the branch into the trash can.
Although Enzo, the Marionette standing beside him, dared not look directly at his master and could only gaze at the ground, he still skillfully brewed a cup of black tea and handed it to Klein.
Compared to before, this " Winner " has sunburned and his skin is peeling. Once he recovers, he will have a dark complexion.
To disguise his new Marionette and prevent him from being recognized by the Rose School of Thought, Klein took the man on a " Travel " to a sunny beach for an extended period of sun exposure.
At the same time, he Manipulation the Marionette to shave off most of its hair, leaving only a thin layer. Combined with the outlining of its eyebrows, the application of powder on its face, the reconstruction of highlights and shadows, and the wearing of sunglasses, Enzo seemed like a completely different person. Even very familiar friends would find it difficult to tell the difference, unless it was " Faceless ".
In addition to the real-life disguises, Klein also made mystical arrangements, including the embrace of a " Paper Angel " and the constant carrying of the Azik Copper Whistle.
In addition, he has preliminarily confirmed that the passive "luck" and "disaster" of the " Winner " are ineffective, but he does not know whether it is because he became Marionette or because of the Gray Fog.
Klein took the black tea, took a sip, and then turned his gaze to the West Balam map on the coffee table in front of him, considering where to find the second Marionette.
Just then, the colors around him suddenly deepened, as if a painter had redrawn them with ink.
Immediately afterwards, a figure appeared beside the Marionette Enzo. He wore a silk top hat and a black tuxedo, was of medium build, had a bronze complexion, weathered eyes, and soft features. There was a small black mole below his right ear. It was Azik Eggers.
Mr. Azik has finally arrived... Klein was initially surprised, but then noticed that the other man was standing next to the Marionette.
This made a funny image pop into his mind:
Just like last time, Mr. Azik, who relied on the copper whistle for positioning, grabbed the shoulder of the whistle bearer as soon as he arrived, and with the help of the Spirit World, he passed away. He could only watch helplessly, wanting to reach out and stop him, but he was a step too slow and had to freeze in front of him.
Azik seemed a little quieter than last time, and glanced at Klein was also a new face, and said:
Are you ready?
P. S.: Requesting monthly votes and recommendation votes!