Chapter Summaries

Leon and Klein warned Officer Tolle that Madam Sharon might be a Beyonder, though they had no proof she had used any abilities. Tolle kept them at the manor to rest while he questioned her, and Leon prepared to attend a meeting at Roundtable Hold.

• Leon told Klein that he had once tried to trade with Madam Sharon for a Potion formula and believed she might be a Beyonder.
• Leon and Klein discussed the risks of involving the captain and decided that a warning was still necessary.
• Leon and Klein informed Officer Tolle of their suspicions, and Tolle asked them to stay until Madam Sharon had been questioned.
• Tolle offered them separate rooms, rest, and a lavish lunch, and both Klein and Leon agreed to stay.
• Leon went to his room and waited for his appointed meeting at Roundtable Hold.

Leon read Emperor Roselle’s diary and Church records about the Erdtree Church, finding clues about its beliefs and factions. As the appointed gathering time arrived, two figures emerged from the Greater Grace and Miss Spectator greeted Mr. Stars.

• Leon read Roselle’s diary and learned that Roselle had discovered a being trapped in darkness, discussed his diplomatic enemies, and described the Acting Method for potions.
• Leon set aside the diary, suspecting it might contain deliberate misinformation, and considered contacting the being Roselle had found.
• Leon read the Church’s booklet on the Erdtree Church, learning that it worshiped the Golden Order and operated secretly through members of different Pathways.
• Leon found the Church’s recorded Honorific Name and a note describing factions that either waited for a descent or actively sought one.
• Leon put away the booklet as the appointed time approached, and two figures emerged from the Greater Grace as Miss Spectator greeted Mr. Stars.

At Leon's first gathering, Audrey and Klein joined him after being summoned by starlight, and Audrey shared what she had learned about the Erdtree Church and the Frenzied Flame. The meeting continued with reports of unexplained spontaneous combustions in Backlund's sewers.

• Klein and Audrey were transported by starlight to Leon's roundtable gathering.
• Audrey told Leon that the Erdtree Church had been wiped out and later moved to the Southern Continent.
• Audrey offered to share information about the Frenzied Flame because it might concern Mr. Sailor's brother.
• Audrey reported several recent cases of living creatures spontaneously combusting in Backlund's sewers, which authorities blamed on a gas leak.

Audrey reported evidence linking the sewer deaths to the Frenzied Flame, while Klein withheld information that could expose Leon and offered a note by Roselle Gustav instead. Leon’s reaction to the note led him to ask Klein whether he knew about Earth.

• Audrey told Leon that the corpses had burned from the inside out and that some people had been injured, prompting Leon to identify the cause as the Frenzied Flame.
• Leon offered Audrey a reward for her timely information and asked Klein what he had learned about the Erdtree Church and the Frenzied Flame.
• Klein chose not to reveal information that could betray Leon and instead offered to exchange a note left by Roselle Gustav.
• Klein recalled the note’s symbols onto paper, and Leon read the resulting text.
• Leon reacted with pleasure and asked Klein whether he knew about Earth.

Leon tested Klein by asking whether he knew Earth, but Klein concealed his reaction beneath the Gray Fog and denied recognizing the word. Leon then translated Klein’s diary page and offered him something of equal value or an answer to a question.

• Leon asked Klein whether he knew Earth, and Klein hid his surprise before pretending the word was unfamiliar.
• Leon suspected Klein was testing him but decided not to press the matter, and he offered to take anyone who knew the word home.
• Audrey noticed the tension between Leon and Klein and asked whether Leon meant the same home he was seeking.
• Leon read the diary entries about the emperor’s plans, including sanitation reforms and joining a secret organization, and Klein recognized the page he had chosen as a probe.
• Leon put the page away and offered Klein something of equal value or an answer to a question.

Leon rewarded Audrey and Klein for their information with powerful Beyonder ingredients and promised them money or knowledge in return. He assigned them to test their new Tarnished identities by hunting supernatural creatures and reporting what happened, then ended the meeting.

• Audrey asked Leon for a Sequence 8 Spectator Potion formula or a lead, and he said he would look for one.
• Leon revealed a Sequence 6 Spirit Guide Rune for Audrey and a Sequence 7 Magician Rune for Klein, each usable as a Potion main ingredient.
• Leon explained that he had also arranged anonymous bank accounts and offered Audrey fifty pounds and Klein one pound for each future Roselle diary entry.
• Audrey asked to exchange her payment for knowledge, and Leon agreed to seek the information she needed.
• Leon told Audrey and Klein to hunt supernatural creatures and report their experiences, then set their next meeting for the same time the following week.

Klein divined that supernatural forces had not influenced John Maynard’s death, while Madam Sharon admitted she had been with him before he died. As Klein and Leon left the investigation, Maynard’s wife arrived and accused Sharon, but a frail voice then asked Leon for help.

• Klein divined that John Maynard’s death had not been influenced by supernatural factors.
• Inspector Tolle told Klein and Leon that Madam Sharon had admitted being with Maynard and would be released pending further investigation.
• Tolle explained that Madam Maynard was returning from Backlund and had already pressured the authorities to solve the case quickly.
• Klein and Leon heard Madam Maynard demand that the authorities arrest Sharon and threatened to sue them.
• A frail voice called out to Leon, asking him to help.

Leon restrained Madam Sharon after she threatened him and arranged for the police to take her in, while Klein worried about the danger between them. After returning home, Klein entered the Gray Fog to begin his Tarot Club meeting.

• Madam Sharon asked Leon to investigate Councilor Maynard's death and clear her name, then accused Maynard's wife of wanting him dead.
• Madam Sharon threatened Leon with a reminder of their past, and Leon pinned her against the stairs.
• Leon told Inspector Tolle that Madam Sharon was willing to turn herself in and cooperate with the investigation, and Klein backed up his account.
• Leon told Klein he would report that Madam Sharon might be a Beyonder who had lost control, then went home.
• Klein returned to his home, locked himself in the washroom, and entered the Gray Fog.

At the Tarot Club, Klein accepted Audrey’s report about the Roundtable Hold and learned more about Qilingus and his Mystical Item, Creeping Hunger. Later, Leon noticed Klein’s distraction and told him he would be away on leave, leaving Klein to handle his worries alone.

• Audrey presented two new pages of Emperor Roselle’s Diary, and Klein exchanged them for the Telepathist formula after guessing she wanted it.
• Audrey reported on secret gatherings, including the Roundtable Hold, and the Fool allowed her to keep attending but forbade her from trading her collected notes for information.
• Alger asked Audrey to find clues about Qilingus, who had secretly entered Backlund, and Mr. Sun explained how a Shepherd could wield abilities taken from devoured souls.
• Klein considered whether Leon could help deal with Qilingus, then returned to the Blackthorn Security Company and repeatedly spaced out while thinking about his troubles.
• Leon told Klein that he had received a short leave and would be away, leaving Klein to manage matters himself.

Leon left Tingen for Backlund, where he pursued information from Miss Spectator and traces of the Frenzied Flame in the sewers, while Klein stayed behind with the key to Leon’s home. Leon reached Bravehearts Bar and was greeted by Kaspars, who was surprised to see him alive.

• Leon told Klein he was leaving for Backlund and asked him to look after Martha, giving him his house key and the report about Madam Sharon.
• Klein warned Leon that the great pirate Qilingus, a dangerous Sequence 6 Beyonder, was hiding in Backlund, and Leon promised to be careful.
• After Leon departed, Dunn Smith and Frye arrived and told Klein they were going to resolve the Wraith matter in Lamud Town.
• Leon arrived in Backlund and reflected that he had come for information from Miss Spectator and traces of the Frenzied Flame in the sewers, not for the commission he had claimed.
• Leon went to Bravehearts Bar, asked for Kaspars, and found him in billiard room three; Kaspars exclaimed that Leon was not dead.