Klein didn't notice the rich inner world of "The Tower" as he reached out his right hand to place a portrait on the table, depicting a young man with slicked-back black hair, a high forehead, and round glasses. This was Lanevus, one of the masterminds behind the incidents in Tingen.
To Klein, the true culprit behind the deaths of his teammates and his near-eternal slumber was undoubtedly Ince Zangwill, but Lanevus, this lunatic, was a willing accomplice and had to pay in blood.
Ince Zangwill was a demigod in possession of the terrifying Sealed Artifact "0-08." Klein could neither exact vengeance anytime soon nor face him directly. Lanevus, however, though possibly blessed by the descent of the True Creator's offspring, was no higher than Sequence 8 or 7.
After a moment's thought, Klein projected the portrait before "Justice"… slightly angling it so "Judgment" could also see clearly. He knew who had the best chance of locating Lanevus.
"Gather information on this person. He is currently in Backlund," the Fool said, leaning back as if speaking offhandedly.
Audrey gazed at the colorful oil painting, noting the mocking brown eyes of the man depicted and the name "formerly known as Lanevus" noted below.
If Mr. Fool says this is a simple task, the target can't be too powerful… but for Mr. Fool to be aware of him, he must be significant somehow.
Audrey pondered briefly, aware that what seemed like a simple task might mask deeper purposes. Such a high-status figure wouldn't assign a task just for testing… Besides, when Miss Judgment was "tested" previously, she encountered substantial danger, only surviving due to Mr. Tower's intervention.
Lost in thought, she took a few seconds to respond, "I will commission it to them."
As "Judgment" Xio glanced at the oil painting, she felt a strange sense of familiarity. Her eyes widened in realization as she read the description below, barely resisting the urge to slap her forehead. That's a wanted criminal who absconded with more than 10,000 pounds in cash!
Before formally joining MI9, one of Xio's primary sources of income had been reviewing wanted posters and using her connections in East End gangs to track down lucrative targets. She had even obtained one of the main ingredients for her Interrogator potion through such pursuits—thanks to the "luck" brought by Solomon's Coin.
Sitting at the head, Klein noted the changes in "Judgment's" aura, concluding she had recognized Lanevus's identity and nodding subtly to himself. As an MI9 member, Judgment's intelligence reach in Backlund is impressive; finding Lanevus shouldn't be difficult…
Satisfied that his plans for revenge were progressing, Klein briefly considered having his secondary identity, "World," put on a show but dismissed the thought.
Since I plan to have "World" serve as the Fool's chosen, he might meet the Tarot Club members in reality. If he acts too dramatically now, it will only make things more awkward later, should "World's" true identity be revealed…
Though this awkwardness was no concern for the Fool, Klein preferred to avoid it. Therefore, he let "World" remain silent, while the Fool directed his gaze to "The Hanged Man" and "The Tower."
"The Hanged Man" Alger, cautious as always with the arrival of a new member, refrained from speaking until he saw Mr. Fool looking his way. Then he respectfully offered a bow, saying, "This time, I have six pages; the final page will come next time."
"Very well," Klein nodded.
Ebner followed suit, saying, "I found two more pages, so this clears my entire debt."
Eight newly transcribed pages soon vanished, appearing in Klein's hands. He skimmed over the first page's content:
"…A third child has arrived…"
"…I've named him Bonova…"
"…My eldest, Charles, is unfortunate… He inherited incomplete traits… He must repeat my path… destined to hardship."
"…My daughter Bernadette is fortunate… free to choose her own path…"
"…Bonova is in between… born a Sequence 5 Astronomer…"
Recalling the previous diary entry, Klein remembered that the Emperor had asked Van Estin, an archbishop of the Church of Steam, about inheritance issues, receiving a comprehensive answer.
With this entry's context, Klein's understanding deepened further. But what good is this knowledge to me? Am I supposed to do what the Emperor did and relieve myself of excess traits through having children? Or should I pass it on to the Tarot Club as useful trivia? "The Tower" might need it someday, though he's probably aware of this method…
After muttering to himself, Klein examined the second half of the page, which recounted Zaratul's visit to congratulate the Emperor, praising Bonova as an adorable angel. Zaratul also predicted that Charles's death was inevitable, that Bernadette would become an influential figure in the mystical world, and that father and daughter would one day turn against each other.
In keeping with the imperial traditions of his homeland, Roselle believed the good predictions but rejected the unpleasant ones, questioning Zaratul's divination accuracy.
Feels like a soap opera! Still, it's fortunate that Roselle was a compatriot and continued to love his daughter even after hearing the prophecy… In contrast, kings or gods in Greek myths would probably create a tragic family drama out of it.
Also, does "mystical world" mean the world of the Extraordinary? Just how high a level qualifies as a prominent figure…
With these thoughts, Klein flipped to the next page:
"…Floren from the Sauron family actually wants me to serve under him!"
"…Do I look like someone who'd play lackey to anyone?"
"Floren claimed the Sauron family has a history spanning over two thousand years… witnessing all of the Fourth Epoch's conflicts, alliances, light, and darkness… Besides the Augustus family of Loen, the Einhorn family of Feysac, and the Castiya family of Feynapotter, the others… like Antigonus and Zaratul, have either faded into history's dust or become rats in the sewers, hiding from the light."
"He said having me serve him was a privilege—the honor of serving the ancient, illustrious Sauron family."
"Right then and there, I wanted to curse his ancestors ten generations back."
"But the Sauron family's two-thousand-year history is surprising… The Fourth Epoch is known as the Age of Gods. Both the current seven gods and figures like the God of Death, the Primordial Demoness, the Dark Side of the Universe, and the True Creator were still active, frequently displaying miracles. That the Sauron family survived and even prospered must mean they have powerful secrets, perhaps even horrifying Sealed Artifacts."
Indeed, the Sauron family possessed a "living" Grade-0 Sealed Artifact that played a significant role in the fall of the Sauron dynasty.
Considering this, Klein wasn't unfamiliar with Floren Sauron; he'd seen the name in a previous diary submitted by "The Tower." Floren had even informed Roselle of the existence of that "living" Grade-0 Sealed Artifact.
But I'm really curious about what that Sealed Artifact is…
Klein flipped to the third and fourth pages. The third page described Roselle's early days as the Chief Executive of the Intis Republic, implementing the Civil Code, promoting invention, protecting trade, and sparking the Industrial Revolution, which helped improve relations with the Church of the Eternal Sun.
The fourth page continued Floren's story, in which the Emperor mocked him for thinking himself a genius just because he resembled his ancestors.
Having learned of the immutable and persistent traits of high-ranking potions, Klein understood Floren's underlying implication. High-level characteristics retained the former owner's residual spirit. The closer one's disposition was to the original, the less this influence could be felt—a unique form of "acting." The process of "relic binding" worked similarly.
The soft rustle of paper accompanied Klein as he placed the fifth page on top:
"…I once again attended that ancient organization's secret gathering… The members there still leave me speechless… They're all part of this group."
"…I gained insight into the philosophies of this ancient organization…"
"…They preserve secrets that span millennia… They believe the Dusk is inevitable and the Apocalypse unavoidable…"
"…They worship the original Creator… When the end arrives, He will awaken from slumber… creating a new world and a new history."
"…They harbor deep hatred for the True Creator… freely using terms of degradation and evil to describe Him."
"…They possess the second Blasphemy Slate… But members can only select specific pathways, except those who join as Extraordinary."
"Do these pathways hold a particular secret?"
"…'Bard,' 'Sailor,' 'Reader,' and 'Spectator.'"
Klein couldn't help but grin at how closely this all aligned with "Tower's" theory about omniscience and omnipotence, feeling validated in his deductions once again.
That phrasing sounds so formal… Ah, whatever, just a passing thought.
After a brief chuckle, Klein mulled further: It's the same organization "Tower" mentioned… Judging by Roselle's tone, it seems like many prominent figures are members…
Could "Tower" himself be part of this organization? He frowned slightly but quickly reasoned otherwise. If he were, he wouldn't have warned us or deliberately exposed the organization's existence. Instead, he'd let us stumble upon that name on our own.
Although… maybe he doesn't fully trust that organization and is subtly seeking "The Fool's" help to resist them? That's unlikely, though, considering "Tower" has backing from a Church of a True God. He shouldn't be intimidated by that organization.
Klein pondered this possibility yet paid no mind to any additional layers to "Tower's" identity. After all, every Tarot Club member has ties to different organizations… Even I, "The Fool," was a Night Watcher not too long ago.
When everyone's a double agent, there's no fear…
Suppressing the budding grin and the clownish gestures creeping into his body language, Klein flipped to the last page from "The Hanged Man's" submission:
"…The ultimate secrets of the twenty-two divine pathways lie within these various 'Blasphemy Cards'…"
"…'Blasphemy Cards' will possess anti-divination and anti-prophecy properties…"
"…So the 'Blasphemy Slate' does indeed blaspheme against the divine…"
"…Above each pathway's Sequence 1 lies a Sequence 0! Complete with corresponding potion formulas and rituals!"
"…Each pathway has only one Sequence 0!"
"…And Sequence 0 is the level of the true gods!"
"…For example, Sequence 0, the 'Sun'!"
Sequence 0? So there's a Sequence 0 beyond Sequence 1?
Each pathway only has one Sequence 0? Is this the true meaning behind the divine pathways? Sequence 0 is the level of a god?
Does this mean that, by taking the right potion, performing the proper ritual, and mastering the Acting method to digest the Beyonder characteristics, even an ordinary person could ascend to godhood?
Now that's true blasphemy…
In the end, would the main ingredient of the potion be the divinity, divine blood, and even the body of the Evernight Sun?
Stunned by the sheer scope of information on this page, Klein took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down before contemplating further:
"Tower" had always claimed that "The Fool" is the pinnacle of the Seer pathway… I assumed he meant Sequence 1, but it's clear now he was referring to Sequence 0! "Tower" likely knew about the existence of Sequence 0 from the start!
No wonder he identified me as a "god" when I called myself "The Fool." In such a mystically oriented world, divine titles aren't worn lightly.
Even that high-level existence from the Antigonus family only dared to call himself "half a Fool."
The reason I'm still safe must be because this gray fog space has a rank that rivals a god's.
No… that's not entirely right… I already died once, didn't I? That might have been the price of rashly donning the crown of "The Fool"… Well, let's hope one time is enough.
With a wry smile, Klein reviewed the page once more, reining in the storm of thoughts and questions that still lingered:
Did Roselle regret not choosing the Seer, Apprentice, or Thief pathways because their Sequence 0 slots were still open?
Why did the symbolic god "Hidden Sage" suddenly manifest as a personality?
What grand scheme was Roselle plotting? Or had he truly gone mad, standing alone against the world, relying only on that ancient, mysterious organization?
And so, the title "Primordial Demoness" really does represent the Sequence 0 of the Witch pathway?
Finally, the set of cards Roselle made, rumored to hold the secrets of divinity, is actually called the "Blasphemy Cards." That name sounds quite similar to the style of "Tower."
Realizing he had lingered on this page for a while, Klein set aside his questions and picked up one of the two pages from "Tower's" submission.
"…Do I look like someone who would play lackey to anyone?"
With a glance, Klein flipped it aside, recognizing it as a duplicate of a page he had just read—albeit shorter and devoid of any new insights.
Duplicate diaries were inevitable, of course, and he couldn't fault "Tower" for providing him with a redundant entry. Sighing slightly, he turned to the next page:
"June 15th: I've decided to accept the Sauron family's 'benevolence' and become Floren's subordinate.
"It wasn't because of Madam Sally, Madam Nat, and Miss Ravenwood who, as his envoys, tried to 'persuade' me. It was because he agreed to fund my steam laboratory project, my maritime route project, and several other ideas that had stalled due to lack of funds, and even got me a decent post in the military…
"I didn't want to agree, but he offered so much… so I had no choice but to 'bear the indignity,' 'endure the humiliation,' and 'bide my time'…"
"When I gain strength, I will fulfill the promises in my previous diary!"
Emperor, where's your integrity? No matter how you try to justify it, you definitely gave in! And is "enduring humiliation" even appropriate here?
Klein quipped, then read further down:
"After becoming Floren's nominal subordinate, he finally satisfied my curiosity, telling me that the 'living' Grade-0 Sealed Artifact is essentially an Extraordinary characteristic of a 'Conqueror.'
"'Conqueror' should be the title of Sequence 1 in the Hunter pathway… Odd, the Sauron family possesses the Hunter pathway, yet they hold a Sequence 1 characteristic as a Sealed Artifact instead of using it for promotion… Could it be because the Sauron family no longer has any Sequence 2 members?"