Chapter Summaries

Leonard learned that Amon’s many avatars could make confronting Him dangerous, so Pallez advised waiting. Meanwhile, Klein met Maric and Sharron to plan their mission involving Tutankhamun II’s mummy, and they agreed to seek answers through a Magic Mirror Divination.

• Leonard asked Pallez how to respond to Amon’s appearance in Backlund, and Pallez warned that alerting the Churches could help Amon trace them through His avatars.
• Pallez explained that Amon could steal someone’s fate and leave them disconnected from the world, then advised Leonard to wait and see.
• Klein arrived at the Bravehearts Bar, where Maric and Sharron told him Tutankhamun II’s mummy could be bait in a trap set by the Loen military or the Rose School of Thought.
• Klein said the group needed more reliable information and offered to summon a hidden existence for Magic Mirror Divination, warning that refusal to reveal private matters or perform humiliating acts could bring lightning.
• Maric accepted the divination, and Klein began preparing the summoning while Sharron placed a makeup mirror on the table.

Klein used Arrodes to question Sharron about the mummy of Tutanssess II and the Rose School of Thought’s trap, then learned that Sharron had an unusually powerful teacher. When Arrodes could not identify the other High-Sequence figures involved, Sharron chose to abandon the matter, but Klein said he might know a way forward that would not require much risk.

• Sharron asked Arrodes whether the mummy of Tutanssess II was a trap set by the Loen military for the Rose School of Thought, and the mirror answered yes.
• Sharron explained how the Rose School of Thought changed from serving the Chained God to embracing the Mother Tree of Desire, and Arrodes said the mummy was an embodiment of curses that could become a Living Corpse.
• Sharron told Arrodes she sought power to protect herself and her companions, take revenge, and spread temperance; the mirror could not reveal which other High-Sequence powers would appear in the trap.
• Arrodes asked Sharron about her teacher, and she said she admired Him, leading Klein to suspect her teacher had been an Angel who was no longer present.
• Sharron said they should abandon the matter, but Klein urged her and Maric to wait while he considered a less risky possibility.

Klein persuaded Sharron and Maric to let him direct an attempt to take Tutanssess II's mummy, then brought them to Pritz Harbor to assess the guarded dock. After inspecting the defenses, he laid out their roles in a plan to draw the mummy toward them and escape.

• Maric described the ancient Highland Kingdom's process for making pharaoh mummies, and Klein questioned Sharron about the range of her Mirror Blink.
• Klein proposed leading an attempt to take Tutanssess II's mummy, and Sharron and Maric agreed to follow his arrangements while retaining the option to withdraw.
• Klein, Sharron, and Maric teleported to a warehouse in Pritz Harbor and used a telescope to survey soldiers, mechanical war machines, and a crane guarding the dock.
• Klein instructed Maric to drop nine mirrors along an escape route and gave Sharron an iron cigarette case with directions for flying toward the lighthouse and later using Mirror Blink to reach Maric.
• Klein revealed that the Azik Copper Whistle was central to his plan because he intended to make Tutanssess II's mummy come to them.

Klein, Sharron, and Maric watched the Loen military unload Tutanssess II’s coffin, then saw Mahams and another Rose School of Thought demigod attack the dock. As Sharron and Maric began their part of the plan, Klein recorded a demigod-level Tornado to strike at the coffin.

• Klein, Sharron, and Maric watched the military unload strange artifacts and Tutanssess II’s golden coffin at the dock.
• A curse killed one of the armored carriers, and the coffin’s horseless carriage came alive before the military’s steel monster stopped it with a Proclamation.
• Mahams appeared, transformed the steel monster into a sheep, and fought the masked, golden-eyed military demigod while the other soldiers’ weapons failed to hit him.
• A Spirit World creature tried to swallow the coffin, but a surge of light drove it away; a second Rose School of Thought demigod then seized the coffin with a gloved hand.
• Klein ordered Maric to flee and told Sharron to begin, then recorded the demigod-level power Tornado.

A Rose School of Thought operation to seize Tutanssess II’s mummy turned into a battle with Loen’s demigods and soldiers. As the mummy fled toward a lighthouse and the fighters’ powers were weakened, a masked figure stole a clump of ritual-soaked earth and disappeared.

• A Rose School of Thought demigod used a tornado to smash Tutanssess II’s coffin, and the mummy sprang up and ran toward a lighthouse.
• The Rose School of Thought demigod and Silent Disciple Mahams tried to seize the mummy, while the lady in the evening gown and the golden-eyed Loen military demigod attacked them.
• Mahams possessed the mummy, but the rag doll expelled him and stopped the Loen demigod’s execution attempt.
• The lady in the evening gown weakened mysticism and strengthened reality, giving the Loen soldiers and steam tanks a decisive advantage.
• A streak of light drew the fighters’ attention, and a gray-iron-masked figure stole ritual-soaked earth from beside the coffin and vanished.

Sharron and Maric helped Sherlock Moriarty draw the Demigods away from Tutanssess II’s coffin, allowing Klein to take blood-soaked soil and use Groselle's Travels to capture the mummy. After escaping to Backlund, Klein sacrificed the book above the Gray Fog and entered its world with several items.

• Sharron left the warehouse carrying the iron cigarette case and followed Sherlock Moriarty’s instructions, drawing the Demigods’ attention as she made her way to Maric.
• Sherlock Moriarty teleported away with Sharron and Maric after taking soil soaked with liquid from Tutanssess II’s coffin, while the mummy disappeared from the Demigods’ sight.
• Klein returned to Backlund and revealed that Tutanssess II’s mummy had been pulled into Groselle's Travels by blood on its cover.
• Klein explained that he had used the mummy and the Azik Copper Whistle to distract the Demigods while he collected the blood-soaked soil.
• Klein sacrificed Groselle's Travels above the Gray Fog, then entered the world within the book with Creeping Hunger, the Azik Copper Whistle, the Spirit Warlock Beyonder Characteristic, and Sharron’s golden bead.

Klein used the Dowsing Rod Method to find Tutanssess II's mummy in the world within the book, subdued it, and brought it to Sharron and Maric. Sharron took the mummy away as her Living Corpse, while the Loen military began investigating the mysterious thief.

• Klein found Tutanssess II's mummy in a valley and used the Spirit Warlock characteristic and Creeping Hunger to calm and control it.
• Klein suppressed the mummy's curses with Sharron's gold bead, made it his Living Corpse, and returned with it to Sharron and Maric.
• Klein revealed the mummy to Sharron and Maric, warned them about being tracked, and noted that his potion digestion had improved his Marionette abilities.
• Sharron thanked Klein, took the mummy into the Spirit World, and Maric left in disguise.
• A Loen military demigod and a lady in an evening gown discussed investigating the missing mummy and the mysterious thief's methods.

After the Kadavre mummy was stolen, Demigods investigated the Tornadoes used in the theft and the murder of Mr. X, while the Rose School of Thought suspected Sharron was responsible. The chapter ended with Reinette Tinekerr bringing Klein gold coins to repay his debt, leaving him unaware that the money looked familiar for a reason.

• A Loen military Demigod and a lady in an evening gown linked the Tornado at the mummy theft to the Tornado used in Mr. X's murder and planned to investigate with the Church of Storms.
• The Demigods suspected the Temperance defectors from the Rose School of Thought had stolen Tutanssess II's mummy for a ritual or another purpose.
• Mahams and Zatwin concluded that Sharron had likely stolen the Kadavre mummy with help from Reinette Tinekerr, and Mahams prayed to the Mother Tree for revelation.
• A monocled customer entered the Rose School of Thought's restaurant, stole Zatwin's black glove without being noticed, and left Zatwin wary of the danger around him.
• Xio told Fors that Military Intelligence Section 9 suspected the Tornadoes at Mr. X's murder and the mummy theft were connected, prompting Fors to worry about Klein's Lemano's Travel Notes.
• Reinette Tinekerr visited Klein with a thick envelope and a pile of gold coins, and Klein accepted them as the final payment of her debt.

Klein read Miss Sharron's information about Spirit World Plunderers and Calderón City, while Leonard learned that the Spirituality Religion had planted Artificial Death experiments in Backlund. Leonard’s team prepared to leave for the Southern Continent, and Klein began considering how he could leave Backlund as well.

• Reinette Tinekerr delivered Miss Sharron's letter to Klein, who read about Spirit World Plunderers and Calderón City and considered asking Miss Magician to find the city.
• Soest told the Red Gloves that the Spirituality Religion had split over resurrecting Death or creating an Artificial Death, and that its Artificial Death faction had placed experiments in Backlund.
• Soest assigned the team to investigate the faction in the Southern Continent, with Daly preparing to become a Gatekeeper, and ordered them to leave the next night.
• Leonard asked Pallez Zoroast whether the mission would help him avoid Amon, then sent Klein a brief letter saying he would be leaving Backlund.
• Reinette Tinekerr collected Leonard's letter and a gold coin, and Pallez warned Leonard to be careful when dealing with Klein and his organization.
• After Klein received Leonard's letter, he began considering how to leave Backlund soon under the pretext of an arms deal.

Klein prepared to leave Backlund for a military business deal in the Southern Continent, while making arrangements with Audrey, Macht, and Doctor Allen. He also asked Will Auceptin when he planned to be born, but Will had not yet chosen a date.

• Klein sent Walter to tell Macht that he had prepared the initial funds and arranged visits to the Charity Bursary Foundation and Doctor Allen.
• At the foundation, Klein told Audrey he might soon travel to the Southern Continent, and they discussed the hardships faced by poor children and workers.
• Klein received Macht's invitation to the East Balam Veteran Officers Club that evening.
• Klein visited Doctor Allen and asked him to recommend medicines for the Southern Continent.
• In the washroom, Klein contacted Will Auceptin, who said he had picked three possible birthdays but had not decided which one to choose.

Klein arranged for someone to notify him when Will Auceptin was born, learned that Azik Eggers was undergoing an uncertain change, and warned Will about Amon's arrival in Backlund. After arranging a military-assisted trip to West Balam for a weapons deal, Klein recognized a demigod connected to Qonas and suspected royal-family human trafficking at the Veteran Officers Club.

• Klein asked Will Auceptin to have someone report when his baby was born, and Will agreed that the plan could work.
• Will told Klein that Azik Eggers was in a state of change and said Amon's presence in Backlund was good news for him because Amon opposed Ouroboros.
• Klein delivered ten thousand pounds to Colonel Calvin and proposed going to West Balam ahead of the weapons transaction to contact buyers and resolve obstacles.
• Colonel Calvin arranged for Klein to leave the next day aboard a military supply airship bound for Desi Bay and then the Southern Continent.
• At the East Balam Veteran Officers Club, Klein recognized a broad-shouldered man as the demigod who had met Qonas and whom he suspected of directing human trafficking.

Klein encountered a suspected demigod at the East Balam Veteran Officers Club and left without revealing his alarm, reconnecting the man to the investigation into the Great Smog of Backlund. Before preparing to leave for the Southern Continent, he reassigned Richardson to duties in Backlund and learned that Arrodes feared speaking about the Mother Tree of Desire.

• Klein spotted a suspected Black Emperor pathway demigod at the club, concealed his reaction, and departed safely.
• Klein recognized that the encounter connected the broken trail of clues about the Great Smog of Backlund Incident.
• Richardson offered to accompany Klein to the Southern Continent, but Klein instead tasked him with delivering gifts and investigating investments in Backlund.
• Klein summoned Arrodes and learned he could contact it from the Southern Continent through the magical radio transceiver, though the Mother Tree of Desire might sense it.
• When Klein asked about the Mother Tree of Desire, Arrodes said it dared neither to speak nor display what it knew.

Klein questioned Arrodes, learned that Amon’s avatar had arrived in Backlund, and prepared to leave for the Southern Continent. At the Tarot Club, he warned its members about Amon, and Audrey asked whether she could alert the Churches.

• Klein asked Arrodes to watch Doctor Allen Kreis’s household and tell him when Allen’s wife gave birth, then said he and the unborn child were friends.
• Arrodes identified the man Klein had seen as Qonas Kilgor, a major general and deputy director of Military Intelligence Section 9, and revealed that Herabergen Rambis had manipulated Caron’s suicide.
• Arrodes told Klein that Amon’s avatar had arrived in Backlund, and Klein ended the exchange.
• Klein stored most of his money above the Gray Fog, prepared to travel to the Southern Continent, and entered the Gray Fog for the Tarot Club meeting.
• Klein told the Tarot Club that Amon’s avatar had recently arrived in Backlund, alarming the members.
• Audrey asked Klein whether she could find a way to inform the Churches about Amon.

At the Tarot Club, Klein told the members to leave Amon alone after revealing that Amon’s avatars had come to find them, and the gathering then turned to Roselle’s diary. The chapter ended with Roselle questioning the purpose of a secret organization and the identity of its mysterious leader.

• Klein dismissed Justice’s question about reporting Amon to the authorities and told the Tarot Club to leave Him be.
• Fors asked what Amon wanted in Backlund, and Klein replied that He had come to find the Tarot Club members.
• The members reconsidered the danger Amon posed, while Klein reassured them by signaling that the gathering could continue.
• Cattleya presented three new pages from Roselle’s Diary, which Klein read to the group.
• Roselle described a secret organization’s beliefs about the end of the world and wondered who its mysterious leader was.

Klein read Roselle’s diary entries about the Hermits of Fate, Abyss corruption, and a Creator-worshipping church in Bansy, then heard Cattleya ask where Roselle’s heart and spirit belonged. He answered that it was neither the primitive island nor the depths of the starry sky.

• Klein read Roselle’s account of joining the Hermits of Fate and deciding to seek knowledge about earlier epochs.
• Klein read how Roselle suffered corruption after exploring the Abyss and secretly received purification from priests of the Eternal Blazing Sun.
• Klein read Roselle’s description of a strange church in Bansy, where a priest shared a myth about the Creator reclaiming the powers he had bestowed on monsters.
• Klein finished reading and invited Cattleya to speak.
• Cattleya asked whether Emperor Roselle’s heart and spirit belonged on the primitive island or in the depths of the starry sky, and Klein answered, “Neither.”

At the Tarot Club meeting, members discussed Emperor Roselle’s beliefs before arranging several commissions and updates. The chapter ended with Gehrman Sparrow announcing that he had preliminarily investigated Caron’s suicide in Backlund.

• Cattleya, Fors, Audrey, and the other Tarot Club members considered what Mr. Fool meant by saying Emperor Roselle’s heart and mind were headed neither to an island nor to the depths of the starry sky.
• Alger told Gehrman Sparrow that the Artisan had fallen ill and was being watched, delaying the mystical item; Gehrman accepted the postponement but warned there could be no further delay.
• Cattleya offered to help Alger resolve the Artisan’s trouble, then asked Gehrman whether he was satisfied with her West Balam information; he confirmed that he was.
• Gehrman commissioned Fors to obtain information from the Abraham Family about Calderón City’s location in the Spirit World, and she agreed for 350 pounds.
• Emlyn told Fors he had leads on an ancient evil spirit near Backlund for 300 pounds, and she accepted the commission.
• After the trading segment, Gehrman announced that he had completed a preliminary investigation into Caron’s suicide in Backlund.

The Tarot Club learned that Herabergen Rambis was likely manipulating events in Backlund and that Qonas Kilgor was secretly a demigod, while Derrick reported strange hair-like plants growing on the former Chief’s mausoleum. After the gathering, Klein prepared to travel to Desi Bay, and Danitz arrived in Port Pritz only to realize he could not understand the local language.

• The World told the Tarot Club that royal adviser Herabergen Rambis was likely behind Caron’s suicide and belonged to the Psychology Alchemists Council.
• The World warned the members to watch for Qonas Kilgor, a major general who secretly was a demigod of the Black Emperor pathway.
• The Sun reported that thick plants resembling human hair had grown in the cracks of the former Chief’s mausoleum, which the Council of Six still had not opened.
• The Hanged Man urged The Sun to build connections and monitor the mausoleum, while The Sun confirmed that the Chief and three elders were present and no other abnormalities had occurred.
• Klein returned to the real world and waited for nightfall to take a military airship to Desi Bay.
• Danitz reached Port Pritz and discovered that he could not understand the carriage driver speaking Dutanese.

Danitz encountered Anderson Hood in West Balam and found him as hungry and unfamiliar with Dutanese as he was. Meanwhile, Klein boarded an airship and spotted Leonard Mitchell among the approaching passengers, leaving them silently acknowledging each other through a window.

• Danitz struggled to find an Intis-speaking coachman in Port Pritz until he recognized Anderson Hood playing the harmonica on a street corner.
• Anderson told Danitz he could not remember the past two months, then joined him for lunch and ordered pork knuckles through gestures rather than Dutanese.
• Klein boarded the airship numbered 1345 with Colonel Calvin's letter and settled into his assigned lounge.
• Leonard Mitchell arrived at the airship with Daly Simone and other red-gloved people, spotted Klein at a window, and received Klein's warm smile and raised glass.

Klein received a letter from Azik with advice about Spirit World Plunderers and the sealing of Creeping Hunger, while Cattleya sent Bernadette a reply and a warning about trouble brewing in Backlund. The chapter left Danitz heading out to buy a dictionary before he realized the boxing gloves he wore made him reckless.

• Klein boarded a military airship with the Red Gloves and received a letter from Azik's skeletal messenger.
• Azik explained the dangers of Spirit World Plunderers, suggested Klein pray to Red Light Al Moria for information, and offered to help seal Creeping Hunger again.
• Daly asked an officer about Dawn Dantès's dealings with the Ministry of Defense, while Leonard reacted to the conversation.
• Cattleya concluded that neither of the Mystery Queen's proposed answers was correct and warned Bernadette that a storm was brewing in Backlund.
• Danitz went to buy a dictionary in Port Pritz, then admitted that his boxing gloves made him reckless.

The author explained why Tarot Club meetings were often skipped or summarized, addressed readers’ criticisms of recent character interactions, and apologized for the resulting reading experience. The author said there would be no Tarot Club meetings for a long stretch and that other members’ stories could resume when Klein’s plot became more active.

• The author described how weekly meetings could fragment the story, grow repetitive, and leave little room for comedy or new information.
• The author explained that meetings still needed occasional coverage to show changes in members’ thinking and preserve their presence in the story.
• The author defended the Magician’s and the Hanged Man’s reactions to Dawn Dantès and Bernadette, and clarified Audrey’s limited gestures.
• The author apologized for unclear writing and a dull reading experience, and said Tarot Club meetings would be absent for a long stretch.
• The author said other members’ storylines could unfold when Klein’s plot became more exciting, adding that Little Sun’s progress had been held back.