Farewell and Another Tarot Meeting

"Name: Heart of Flame

Appearance: A heart-shaped ruby necklace.

Function: Activates the ability "Flame Leap" upon lethal attack, transporting the wearer to the nearest source of fire. If no fire source is nearby, a small flame will ignite within five meters, allowing the wearer to "leap" to that spot.

Whether an attack is deemed 'lethal' is determined by the necklace's 'preemptive judgment' function.

Once 'Flame Leap' is triggered, this item self-destructs.

Effective for ten years."

Reading the Sefirah Castle's analysis, Ebner recalled how, during their exploration of the Baron's Conva dungeon, Fanny had escaped a monster's attack by "leaping" away, only for her necklace to shatter immediately afterward...

This must be the same model as that necklace.

With this in mind, he placed the ruby necklace—still warm from Fanny's touch—around his neck without hesitation and said with a smile, "I really appreciate your gift, Fanny. Thank you for going to the trouble."

An item like this is invaluable in a crisis. Although Ebner could simulate "Flame Leap," it only allowed for short distances and lacked the item's instantaneous activation in danger, making this necklace far superior.

Seeing him accept her gift, Fanny's smile brightened, her gaze lingering on him expectantly. But Ebner, after securing the necklace, offered a polite farewell and climbed into his carriage, waiting by the road.

Watching the carriage disappear into the evening, Fanny bit her lip and stamped her foot.

…

After returning to his villa on Kinster Street, Ebner took a brief shower, then went to his study to examine the Roselle Diaries he'd received from Mr. Sarré.

"This notebook has exactly 22 pages…though there's no evidence, I'm guessing Mr. Sarré was something of a 'juvenile romantic' in his youth, purposely mapping these entries onto the 22 Extraordinary pathways. After all, many believe Roselle's notes conceal divine secrets."

After a quick read-through, Ebner chuckled as he arranged the pages into piles, murmuring to himself:

"Six of these are definitely fake, filled with meaningless scribbles—barely even recognizable as Roselle's language, but simply symbols cobbled together to look similar.

"Another page is a collection of strange excerpts that barely make sense—though it seems important, it's useless without context.

"Of the remaining fifteen, three are duplicates of those in the original story, and two are repeats of pages I previously submitted... Hmm, the three that repeat the original pages could be useful to Klein. 'The Tower' doesn't know he's read them, after all."

Of the ten new pages, five were Roselle's idle complaints or romantic exploits, while only five offered anything truly valuable.

After categorizing the entries, Ebner selected one page of useful notes and one duplicate from the original to present to the Fool, finally clearing his "debt."

As for the rest, Ebner planned to submit them gradually, cautious not to overburden Mr. Fool's capacity to "pay."

In fact, aside from taking advantage of Sefirah Castle, he couldn't think of anything that Klein could offer in exchange right now...

Having mentally reviewed his submission, Ebner returned to his bedroom and entered a meditative sleep. He had no intention of studying The Book of the Zodiac in reality; Mr. Sarré could read it safely, but given his own dubious ties to the "Primordial Moon," Ebner wasn't about to take any risks.

Better to review it in the safety of Sefirah Castle.

…

In the ancient hall above the gray fog, Klein familiarized himself with controlling the dummy "World," recalling his recent exploration of the Fourth Epoch ruins with his bodyguard.

With this "alternate account," he could handle tasks and inquiries that might be unbefitting of the Fool himself. This included commissioning the purchase of the Magician's main ingredients, seeking information on the strange structure of the underground ruins, and gathering data on the Pond family, the previous owners of the manor over the ruins.

Through "World," he could pursue all these questions without compromising the image of "The Fool."

Of course, he had to approach it delicately; Sherlock Moriarty, the detective, was also investigating the Pond family's records, and any information gleaned could be helpful for divination above the gray fog.

Taking a deep breath, Klein sensed his spirituality nearing exhaustion and returned to his room in reality, collapsing into bed.

…

On Monday morning, after breakfast, Ebner went to the steam train station to buy a ticket for Tuesday morning's departure to Pritz Harbor.

Having acquired a Sequence Five-level ability as a trump card, he had also wrapped up most of his affairs in Backlund. It was time to return to Damir and attempt the upper levels of the "Dream Labyrinth Tower."

Most importantly, given the tower's reward mechanism, he had a fair chance of obtaining the subsequent potion formulas for the Reader pathway or even clues to the main ingredients.

Before he left, Ebner had asked Xio if she wanted to join him, but she ultimately declined.

Her reasons were understandable:

First, she was now a formal member of MI9, so without a legitimate excuse, she couldn't just leave Backlund. Furthermore, the Dream Labyrinth Tower was a secret shared only between her, Ebner, and Mr. Gaston, so she had no way to explain herself even if she wanted to go.

Second, Xio recognized that her skills would be of limited use in such a wisdom-based challenge and worried she might end up holding Ebner back. After weighing the situation, she decided to stay behind.

Plus, the tower left her with mixed impressions—the rewards were puzzles she barely understood, and to this day, she hadn't figured out the meaning of "Sherman's love story."

After purchasing his ticket, Ebner headed to Harvest Church to bid farewell to his friends.

He'd already informed his other friends, including his teacher, via letters or telegrams in the past few days. However, he wanted to visit Archbishop Utravsky personally and hear any thoughts he might have on the journey ahead.

Given the attention that great being had shown him, Ebner was confident that she knew about the Dream Labyrinth Tower.

Though Harvest Church had gained many followers over the past month, Monday mornings were still quiet. Besides the half-giant priest who prayed in silence, only Heloise sat in the front row, diligently reading a book.

After exchanging greetings with them both, Ebner glanced at the book's title with curiosity and found it was A Manual on Archery.

Why's she learning archery? Ebner wondered. But with the power of her metal arm, a powerful mystical bow could probably rival cannon fire...

Without disturbing Heloise's study, Ebner approached Archbishop Utravsky.

Before he could speak, the half-giant priest said without turning, "The Mother says: Do not doubt; do what you seek to do."

So, he's already got the oracle ready for me? It's easier for the Mother to send down an oracle than to descend in person… but it doesn't disguise how idle she is…

Still, it sounded like the Mother was encouraging him to proceed.

With these thoughts racing, Ebner dutifully crossed himself in the Earth Mother's symbol and solemnly recited, "Praise to you, Mother of All Things!"

Having received the assurance he sought, Ebner chatted briefly with the half-giant archbishop before preparing to leave, only to be stopped by Heloise, who asked, "Do you know of any good, secure places to practice archery?"

She must have come across some mystical bow. Suspecting as much, Ebner thought for a moment, then answered, "Perhaps you could look into some of the higher-end private clubs? Such places might meet your requirements."

"Do you have any specific recommendations?" Heloise pressed. She couldn't ask her father about this; the parliamentary delegate would never support her interest in archery.

"Maybe… you could try the Cragg Club?" Ebner suggested uncertainly.

…

After returning home that afternoon, Ebner wasn't surprised to find Xio Derecha, once again dressed as a "noblewoman," waiting for him.

Together, they chatted, biding time until the Tarot meeting.

At three o'clock, light beams rose in the colossal hall that resembled a giant's dwelling. "Justice," "The Hanged Man," "The Tower," "Judgment," and "The Sun" each projected their blurry forms.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Fool," Audrey greeted the Fool again, casting a curious glance at the figure seated at the end of the table.

Another new member? Is the Tarot Club growing again? Could it be Fors, or perhaps Xio? No…that doesn't match the height. Or is it someone else?

As Audrey pondered, Klein noticed her curiosity and leaned back, saying leisurely, "This is a new member, Mr. World."

Meanwhile, through the gray fog, Klein observed "The Sun," noticing an increased purity in his starlight. Though not quite Sequence 8, it was clear he'd fully digested the Bard potion.

"Hello." Audrey greeted the newcomer politely, studying him curiously, but found herself unable to "read" any further—similar to her experience with Xio at the Graelingh House. It was as though there was an invisible barrier...

Maybe Xio was wearing a mystical item at that time. But here, in the Fool's Divine Kingdom above the gray fog… Is it because the World pathway resists my ability?

While Audrey pondered, Alger the Hanged Man, Derrick the Sun, Xio as Judgment, and Ebner as the Tower greeted World, who responded tersely, his tone naturally cold.

After maneuvering World to respond minimally, Klein cast a discreet glance at "Judgment" Xio, considering his approach, and turned to Justice Audrey, saying:

"The two candidates you suggested are still under evaluation.

"I'll assign a simple task to you, which you can commission them to complete under your name. This will be part of their evaluation."

Since Miss Judgment wished to keep her identity concealed, "The Fool" would tactfully respect her wishes, and Justice could convey the task as a "test," avoiding any need for direct instruction or compensation.

Fully grasping The Fool's intentions, Miss Judgment felt grateful rather than indignant over the "unpaid work." Determined to complete the so-called evaluation task, she resolved to do her utmost.

Furthermore, it was evident that this evaluation included Fors, offering her a chance to win acceptance by The Fool if she worked hard enough!

Audrey was likewise undaunted, finding the rigor perfectly justified.

Only Ebner, having seen through the ruse, barely resisted the urge to cover his face as he lowered his head.

(End of Chapter)