Tarot Club 26th Meeting

Dec 28th, 1349 of the Fifth Epoch

Time had gradually passed, and so did the Tarot Club meetings. Just the day before, the 26th Tarot Club meeting had taken place…

…

At the beginning of the meeting, Audrey, who was sitting on the other side of the long bronze table, originally wanted to greet Mr. Fool and the others with a cheerful and light voice as usual. However, when she glanced over, she immediately noticed that Little Sun's mood wasn't right.

She immediately asked, "Mr. Sun, did something happen? Has the exploration of the True, uh—Fallen Creator's temple not gone smoothly?"

Derrick seemed to have grabbed onto hope as he hurriedly described the rough situation once. When he was done, he said, "After that little boy was dealt with by His Excellency, we all closed our eyes and woke up in the campsite outside the city in preparation to begin a brand new exploration. We no longer had any memories from before. This process has been repeated five times, with only the details being slightly different. If it wasn't for Mr. Fool's alerting me to this, then I wouldn't have even known that I've been living a recurring life all this time."

He took it for granted that the extra memories from his arrival above the grey fog were the result of Mr. Fool's reminder. He stood up and gave a solemn salute to the blurry figure seated at the head of the long bronze table.

'I only understood the situation after listening to your description,' Klein was still in a daze. He maintained his original posture and lightly nodded his head in response.

Seeing that Mr. Fool seemed to be an imperturbable ancient wall, Derrick felt a lot more at ease and felt that the matter could finally be resolved. He turned to look at The Hanged Man, The World, Justice, The Magician, and hesitantly Mr. Death, and he sincerely asked, "Do you know the root of the problem? How can this be resolved?"

The zealous Audrey instinctively wanted to answer, but she found herself without a clue or even a guess. Fors was in a similar state to her. Filled with rich knowledge from Earth and having read many novels of being stuck in the same day, Klein originally wanted to control The World to give out ideas to give everyone some inspiration to consider regarding the matter, but after thinking about it carefully, he chose to stay low-key and prepared to observe first.

After listening to The Sun's description, Alger remained silent for a long time. At this moment, he said in a measured tone, "I can only think of two possibilities. First, you have encountered a Nightmare or hallucinatory power at a level that exceeds a demigod. After regaining your memories with Mr. Fool's help, you should be able to immediately detect something amiss once you return to the real world. That way, the problem will easily be resolved."

"Second, you were forced to or you proactively entered a strange space or state at a particular node where time is controlled to flow in a certain manner, but the time is fixed within a certain range which is cyclical and the continuation is balanced, that is to say, it is relatively static. In this situation, there aren't many ways to end the cycle. Either there is an external force that can forcefully break the balance, or you find the key point that connects the distortion of time."

An external force that can forcefully break the balance? Upon hearing this, Audrey, Fors, and Derrick all subconsciously glanced at the calm and leisurely Mr. Fool sitting at the end of the long bronze table.

After a moment of thought, he said, "Mr. Hanged Man, let's assume the second situation. In your opinion, what do you think is the key point that connects the distortion of time?"

Without waiting for The Hanged Man to respond, Audrey guessed with interest, "That little boy Jack? You can't kill him when you're facing him?"

Alger nodded, "That's a possibility," he hesitated for a moment before saying, "The Sun's description of Jack and his father reminds me of a particular incident."

He turned to look at Miss Justice. "Didn't I once mention that I was pursuing a Listener of the Aurora Order at sea? The goal for his voyage was to seek the True Creator's holy residence."

Audrey carefully recalled and said without any strong confirmation, "That seems to be the case."

Alger immediately said with a deep voice, "That Listener also brought his son, and the son's age is very close to The Sun's description of Jack."

"Are you saying that Jack went from your world to the vicinity of the City of Silver?"

Derrick asked, stunned. After a short period of settling down, he inwardly felt an indescribable sense of happiness. This meant that the City of Silver hadn't been completely sealed off yet.

"I can only say that it is possible," The Hanged Man couldn't give an affirmative answer. He thought for a moment and suggested, "You can find a chance to bring up the Sonia Sea, the Loen Kingdom, and the port city in front of Jack. Perhaps there will be a different reaction, but of course, try to avoid doing so in front of the Chief of your City of Silver as much as possible. Also, the key point doesn't necessarily lie with Jack. We have to consider other possibilities as well. You should tell us the specifics, such as the details of the mural, and maybe we can find something useful," At this point, Alger began to look forward to receiving information.

Next, Derrick displayed snippets of his memories using Mr. Fool's permission, and Klein immediately associated them with the statues of the six True Gods of the current era. After using the world to make the connections and help Derrick understand that the mural might also be one of the core aspects he might need to destroy in order to escape, Derrick thanked the Fool and Alger.

Max just yawned as he watched the scene. He knew Derrick would be able to escape without any issues, so he did not care about it much and just lazed through this meeting, just like the previous meetings are the 18th one.

Finally, the world warned everyone of a major event happening in Backlund and to be wary, before deciding to end the meeting. However, Max did not leave as he was finally getting his remaining divinations.

After getting what he wanted, he had warned Klein that this was the deadly event he had been talking about. If he successfully resolved it, it would not cause too much death, but if he failed… and with those words, he left the space above the grey fog and returned to his own body, making preparations for the coming plan.

…

And today, on the 28th of December, he would finally be taking action.

Outside Red Rose Manor, Klein walked out of the carriage whilst carrying his cane, while another person watched him from within the darkness of a nearby alley.

Klein closed his eyes and calmed himself as he looked at the red-uniformed soldiers standing guard at the door.

'Since Sealed Artifact 0-08 has been making coincidences to stop the woman with the sapphire ring from meeting me, there shouldn't be any exception today. There's no need for me to worry about running into her. As long as I fool Prince Edessak with my acting, everything would be fine' Klein thought quickly and walked towards the entrance of the manor.

After being searched and handing in the gun holster and revolver, he followed a male servant's lead and walked across the grey slate road, past a fountain spewing clear spring water, and entered the main house.

They arrived at the second floor and arrived outside the room that was supposed to be a solarium according to the layout. During this entire process, Klein had his heart in his mouth, worrying that something unexpected would happen. He was afraid that the situation would develop in the worst possible manner.

*Knock*

*Knock*

*Knock*

After knocking gently on the door, a male servant approached the door and whispered, "Detective Moriarty has arrived."

After a full ten seconds of silence, a heavy voice came from inside the room, "His Highness has invited him in."

The door creaked open and warmth spread outwards, with a temperature that was warmer than the hallway. Under the watchful gaze of the two tall guards, Klein stepped onto the thick, patterned yellow carpet. He took a few steps forward, skirting the cabinet that separated the inside from the outside, and he saw Prince Edessak sitting by the full-length windows, enjoying the rare winter sun of Backlund.

The round, impressionable face didn't have the slightest trace of a smile, and this naturally created a solemn and repressed atmosphere. Because of the combination of the elegant fireplace and the metal pipes, the room was warmer than in late spring.

Prince Edessak wasn't wearing a coat, and his upper body was covered with a white shirt with cuffs which resembled blooming flowers and a pale yellow vest. Seeing this, Klein was actually secretly relieved, because the woman wearing the sapphire ring wasn't accompanying the Prince. Thus, he quickly stepped forward and bowed.

Edessak held a steaming cup of black tea in his hand and didn't invite Klein to take a seat. He maintained his previous expression and asked in a deep voice, "Any results from your investigation?"

"No, my divinations, my spirit channelling, my interviews, my investigations all tell me that Talim died of a heart attack," Klein said with a heavy, painful expression with obvious signs of self-blame, "I'm just too weak in every aspect. Your Highness, you should hire a stronger and more powerful helper."

It was only then that Edessak seemed to clearly notice Detective Sherlock Moriarty's face. He felt as if he had aged considerably, as though he had been unable to sleep at ease for a long time. It wasn't an illusion, because Klein had used his Faceless powers before he left to adjust the state of his face, making his skin look dry and lustreless.

He made his beard appear messy and his eye bags bigger, darker, and more obvious. Edessak was silent for a moment before he put down the white porcelain cup with a golden inlaid rim. "I understand. It's indeed like forcing a square peg into a round hole. I will have someone else follow up on the matter. Prepare an investigation report and don't leave anything out."

'Alright!' Klein inwardly clenched his fist and quickly took out a folded piece of paper from his pocket, "Your Highness, there's no need for you to wait, as I always have the habit of recording things in writing."

After instructing the attendants to take the report, Prince Edessak casually flipped through it and put it aside, "Is there anything else you need?"

"No, Your Royal Highness, please allow me to take my leave. Ah, right, I will be heading south for some time; I want to use the warm sunlight there to melt the pain in my heart," Klein sighed in response.

"It's a New Year's custom of many in Loen," Prince Edessak nodded slightly and turned to Funkel, the old butler, "Send Detective Moriarty out and get him a carriage."

"Yes, Your Highness," the old butler bowed and said politely.

Klein didn't let down his guard and quickly took his leave. He followed the old butler all the way to the entrance of the manor and took back his underarm gun holster and his weapon. Less than a minute later, he was seated in a Red Rose Manor carriage.

He leaned against the carriage wall and watched the manor turn smaller as the distance grew. Klein relaxed and let out a long breath, letting his hanging heart calm back down to its original position. He knew that he had left the centre of the stage.

'After that, it's time to bid farewell to Backlund and head south, a complete curtain call. After that, I'll change my looks and sneak back in secret,' He calmly considered his subsequent plans.

Suddenly, his spirituality stirred as his spirituality tensed up as he saw the door to the carriage quickly open and then silently close! Before he could respond, he saw a figure quickly outline itself. It was wearing a heavy black dress and had a sapphire ring on its hand.

'Sapphire ring!' Upon seeing this scene, Klein, who was at the juncture of a flight or fight response, narrowed his eyes and sat back down, not daring to act rashly. This was a terrifying person who possessed a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact or was a demigod of a similar level!

'This... It's really true that the more afraid you are of something happening, the higher the chances are of it happening... 0-08 or something else, what happened to the coincidences you create?' Klein's spirit and body instantly tensed up, and he could only watch helplessly as the figure appeared in front of him.

'The lady's age was completely different from her dressing style. She looked about eighteen or nineteen and had a round face, slender eyes, and a gentle and refined temperament. Deep down, she was sweet and was an outstandingly gorgeous beauty. She...'

Klein was surprised for a moment, before immediately recognizing her as he blurted out, "Trissy!"

'Isn't this the fellow who had gone from being Instigator Tris to Witch Trissy? How did she go from being wanted to becoming Prince Edessak's woman? How did she, a member of the Demoness Sect, end up by Prince Edessak's side? And she even has a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact or a mystical item of a similar level!'

When he looked again carefully, he saw that there was something different about Trissy. Her facial features, which weren't outstanding alone, were softer and more delicate, but when placed together, they were stunning.

Hearing his surprise, Trissy became happy instead of being alarmed. She revealed a sweet smile and said, "You know me... "I knew you know me! A detective with Beyonder powers definitely pays special attention to the wanted posters!"

'He, eh⁠—she looks very happy,' Klein cautiously asked with doubt and caution, "What do you want?" He clearly remembered that the person before him wasn't a good person. Tris had single-handedly created the tragedy of Alfalfa via instigation, while Trissy had caused the deaths of many innocent civilians in Tingen City.

Trissy pursed her lips into a smile and said, "Very simple. Quickly report me to the Nighthawks, the Mandated Punishers, or the Machinery Hivemind! Get them to come here and capture me!"

'Calling the cops on yourself? Th-this transvestite, eh⁠—this woman must be insane!' Klein was a bit at a loss. He soon figured out the meaning behind her message: Trissy would rather be locked up behind Chanis Gate than stay at Red Rose Manor. She's trying her hardest to get out of here! Simply put, she believes that this place is more dangerous and more despair-inducing than being caught by the Nighthawks and Mandated Punishers.'

Klein tried his best to control his expression and asked in a deep voice, "What are you afraid of?"

Trissy stood dazed for a second before she widened her eyes and said with her unfocused eyes, "There's someone manipulating my life. There are always coincidences that horrify me after they happen. And I'm becoming less and less like myself."

Saying this, the corners of her mouth curled up as she said, "Can you imagine? Being someone who loves those shy and cute maids, can you imagine the pain when I wake up in the morning in the arms of a naked man?"

'I can; that's why it's best to stay away from being an Assassin or Witch,' Klein couldn't help but imagine such a scene and his heart palpitated for a moment.

Trissy continued with a self-deprecating smile, "I thought that by working hard to advance, to become 'Pleasure,' I would be able to free myself from that weird state. Hence, I sought people to help me search for the corresponding Beyonder ingredients, but the outcome only turned worse. Sometimes, I forget a lot of things, but they end up really happening. I endured the disgust, seduced Talim, and tried to get him to help me escape. Who knew that I ended up killing him with a curse without me even realizing it... Do you believe that? Heh heh, they even changed my name. They wanted me to completely abandon my past self. No! Absolutely not!"

"They thought I could only overcome the coincidences for a short period of time and that I would soon get back on track. Humph, it was just an impression I deliberately created for them, so I have managed to meet you, Mr. Detective!"

'Pleasure... Demoness... Ingredients... Klein suddenly remembered that in the Beyonder gathering held by Old Mister Eye of Wisdom, Isengard Stanton, there had been a person who had requested to purchase the main ingredients of the Demoness of Pleasure potion.'

With him being aware of the formula, he instantly noticed it on the spot, but he had chosen to ignore it. He gradually forgot about the matter with time, 'So that was Trissy's helper! Was she already by Prince Edessak's side back then? Why do I somehow feel that her present smile looks so miserable but beautiful? A Demoness of Pleasure is sick,' Klein took a breath, his thoughts in a jumble.

As he was organizing his thoughts, he asked casually, "What did they change your name to?"

Trissy furrowed her beautiful brows as she answered with a somewhat blank look in her eyes, "Trissy Cheek."

'Trissy Cheek... Cheek... Cheek!' Klein suddenly raised his head, his whole body turning numb once again, as stiff as a marble statue. At this very moment, there was only one page of Roselle's diary that was madly reverberating in his mind. "5th June. I obtained an ancient book. It actually mentions the Primordial Demoness's name; 'Her' name is Cheek…"

…

Max watched this scene occur inside the carriage and suddenly felt like writing it in a poem. But since he was on important business, he simply noted down the poem in his mind, and decided to make use of it later in the future.

'A little boy, so lost and afraid,'

'A woman so desperate and unyielding,'

'But the boy knows not the future made,'

'But he, the woman tried remembering.'

'For she was once he.'

Samuel applauded Max at his art, and surprisingly so did the silent Unity, but Max soon returned to focus as his time to act was rapidly approaching.

[Super long chapter]