Adabaoth? That name sounds familiar—maybe from a novel or anime? Roselle was definitely lazy with naming this one!
Still, Roselle brought an "egg" from the Abyss… and it actually hatched. His courage truly knows no bounds! Didn't he worry about the potential dangers to Intis?
As Klein pondered this, he once again felt the stark differences between himself and Emperor Roselle. Shaking his head, he picked up the last page and continued reading:
"November 12th: Did that little thing that hatched yesterday eat some kind of magical fertilizer? How is it growing so fast?! Overnight, it went from an infant to a toddler about three or four years old.
"I asked him about it, and he replied in a childish tone, 'Isn't this normal?'… Suddenly, I feel like I don't understand the word 'normal' anymore.
"November 13th: Adabaoth is already old enough to attend school, but I haven't arranged for anyone to teach him. After all, he might look like a college graduate by the day after tomorrow…
"November 14th: I inexplicably dreamt of Grimm, the Grimm who died on that unnamed island… What could this signify?"
Dreaming of Grimm? I remember Roselle mentioning him in earlier entries. He was the one Roselle called 'the smartest among us.' After discovering that primordial island, Grimm started acting strangely and eventually died in the Misty Sea…
Could there be a connection between Adabaoth, who comes from the Abyss deep in the Misty Sea, and that island?
Klein stared at the diary page, pondering quietly.
---
In truth, Ebner initially didn't draw any connections from this entry. However, after reviewing the information provided by the God of Knowledge in the "Sea of Origins," he started to form some theories.
Adabaoth might be similar to the Pale Admiral, a contingency left behind by Farbauti. And the corrupted Mother Goddess of Depravity likely noticed this, which is why she made Roselle dream of Grimm—to lure him back to that unnamed island. This would allow her to further control Roselle while disrupting Farbauti's plans and creating trouble for the Mother Tree of Desire.
Farbauti had likely anticipated this move, which is why he ensured Roselle brought the devil egg back from the Abyss in the first place.
This line of reasoning had led Ebner to suspect, after reading the knowledge imparted by the God of Knowledge, that both Farbauti and the later Roselle intended to exploit the rivalry between the Mother Goddess of Depravity and the Mother Tree of Desire. With these two ancient entities embroiled in conflict, they might create an opportunity to escape their control.
---
Lacking such background information, Klein set the diary aside after realizing he couldn't make further progress. He allowed the three pages to vanish and leaned back in his chair, smiling serenely as he said:
"You may begin."
As his words faded, he manipulated the World to speak:
"I wish to know about the Guardian Sequence. Additionally, I want to know which mid-Sequences can perform 'psychological suggestion.'"
In truth, after reading the diary and considering the recent serial killings in Backlund, Klein had initially intended to inquire about detailed information on the Devil pathway.
However, the Tower had already shared some insights about Devils at the last Tarot Meeting. While the information wasn't comprehensive, Klein didn't want to ask again.
Besides, Detective Isengard Stanton seemed somewhat familiar with Devils as well. Klein suspected he could extract additional details from him if needed.
Klein even had a hunch that if the detective confirmed Klein's status as a Beyonder, he might proactively offer a detailed dossier on Devils.
After all, as a Beyonder of the Reader pathway, Isengard shared the Tower's enthusiasm for sharing and flaunting knowledge.
What Klein truly wanted to know, however, was which pathway the abilities of the Puppet Master behind the scenes belonged to. While he suspected the culprit was indeed a Marionettist, he couldn't rule out other possibilities.
More importantly, given the name "Marionettist" and the fact that a Wind-blessed had been turned into a marionette, it was reasonable to assume that Marionettists could manipulate marionettes to perform abilities from other pathways.
He was confident the Tower had the answers, but the World couldn't offer the Tower anything worthwhile in exchange. Thus, Klein aimed his question at Sun, who had a similarly solid foundation in mysticism.
To ensure Sun had the chance to answer, Klein deliberately included a query about the Warrior pathway's Sequence 5 Guardian. This pathway, also known as the Giant pathway, was the mainstream path for Silver City's Beyonders. Sun was bound to know about it.
Regarding the Warrior pathway, Klein already had detailed information on Sequences 9, 8, and 7, and had recently learned about Sequence 6 Dawn Knight from Bishop Utravsky. The Guardian was the only one left that he didn't know much about but could afford to ask about.
Finally, Klein cunningly presented the questions to the group, knowing that as a new member, the World couldn't possibly be aware of Silver City's knowledge of the Giant pathway.
---
Ebner saw through the World's ploy instantly but didn't plan to interfere or expose it. After all, he didn't expect to gain anything valuable from the World—if the Fool had some "juicy tidbits" to share, the World was a bona fide pauper.
Sun Derrick glanced at Ebner and, seeing no intention of him speaking, straightened his back and said:
"I know the answers to both questions.
"My price is information related to the Fallen Creator.
"I'll leave it to Mr. Fool to determine whether the trade is fair."
Realizing he hadn't sought Mr. Fool's permission beforehand, Derrick quickly turned to the head of the table and respectfully sought approval.
Sun, I didn't force this; you asked for it yourself... Klein's lips twitched as he chuckled softly and replied:
"Agreed."
As Sun and the World began their private exchange, both appearing satisfied with the trade, Fors felt her mind whirl. The boy she had assumed to be as clueless as herself had just requested information about the True Creator—a being regarded as one of the oldest and most powerful among the gods. The thought alone was nerve-wracking!
As for the Guardian pathway, Fors didn't know much but had heard Xio mention it in passing. She was aware it was Sequence 5 of the Warrior pathway.
What a pity Ebner has left Backlund. With his encyclopedic knowledge, I could rely on him to barter in this gathering using 'knowledge.' Fors thought wistfully.
---
When the World and Sun finished their exchange, the scene briefly fell silent. Then the World scanned the group and said with a dark chuckle:
"I have no further requests for now."
No sooner had he finished than the Hanged Man turned to the Tower and said:
"I've completed the task you entrusted to me, but the amount might differ slightly from what we initially anticipated."
He deliberately kept his statement vague, making one last test.
Hearing this, the Justice, Judgment, and others turned their attention to the two. Audrey, in particular, couldn't help but speculate:
Judging by the Hanged Man's tone, he and the Tower reached some sort of agreement or arrangement in reality. Could they have met in person?
Meanwhile, Xio and Klein, who had both been involved in delivering Ebner's clothes, speculated that the Tower must have done something significant after that night.
As for Fors and Derrick, they were simply curious.
Ebner knew exactly what Alger was implying and welcomed the outcome. Calmly, he asked, "How much did you manage to obtain?"
"3,900 pounds… after deducting my share." Alger sighed inwardly, feeling disappointed that the amount fell short of his expectations.
From 7,500 pounds down to this? But it's still acceptable. After all, getting the reward this quickly is already unexpected.
Thinking this, Ebner nodded and said, "That works."
"Once the gathering is over, I'll offer the amount via sacrifice to Mr. Fool for transfer to you." Alger breathed a sigh of relief. He had no desire to offend a powerful peer over money, even if he needed some of it to cover his sacrifice.
---
Everyone in the Tarot Club truly is formidable. A transaction nearing 4,000 pounds resolved in just a few words?
And sacrifices? Mr. Fool can accept sacrifices? His existence must be at such a high level. No wonder he spoke about the Owner of Full Moon Cries in that manner...
Fors listened in awe and disbelief until the Tower and Hanged Man fell silent. After careful consideration, she calmly voiced her query:
"I'd like the formulas for Apothecary and Trickmaster, offering gold as payment."
To conceal her true intentions, she deliberately included the Apothecary formula to mislead the others. If someone did have it, she'd buy it and resell it to Viscount Glaint, who had been desperate for it. Fors was confident she wouldn't lose out and might even profit handsomely.
Hearing Fors's inquiry, Xio nearly facepalmed but restrained herself, remembering she was playing the role of a noble lady and couldn't act so ungracefully. Instead, she inwardly sighed:
Fors, you've exposed yourself with your first sentence… Thankfully, I haven't revealed my connection to the Tarot Club yet. Otherwise, you, I, and Ebner would all be unmasked by Audrey.
"She's Fors. The Trickmaster formula is for herself, while the Apothecary formula is for sale to Glaint. She's using this ploy to confuse others and mask her identity..."
Predictably, Audrey immediately deduced Fors's intentions upon hearing her request, though she only reacted with a slight pause before composing herself.