Monday afternoon, Backlund.
As the time for the Tarot Meeting approached, Audrey, having just finished her lunch, practiced the piano for a while. Then, mindful of the time, she planned to return to her bedroom to participate in the upcoming meeting.
On her way back to her bedroom, Audrey unexpectedly noticed that there were some new documents on her father, Earl Hall's desk. This piqued her curiosity, and with Susie's help, Audrey read through them. She discovered that they were investigation reports from the East District.
The reports detailed the living conditions of the lower-class people in the East District, as well as some dark aspects of Beyonders colluding with gangs. Judging by the emblem on the documents, Audrey deduced that it was very likely an investigation commissioned by the Evernight Church.
'But why would they give a copy to father? Hmm, my father is also a follower of the Goddess. Could it be that the Church wants him to provide some support to improve the terrible living conditions of the people in the East District?' Audrey pondered, feeling a bit pleased.
Audrey had actually long wanted to do something similar, but it had always been inconvenient. If her father undertook these tasks under the Church's guidance, Audrey wouldn't need to worry too much and could participate openly to help those unfortunate people.
'Hmm, the Tarot Meeting is about to start...' Audrey glanced at the clock on the study wall and noticed it was nearly three o'clock. She reluctantly decided not to continue reading, neatly rearranged the documents, and casually grabbed a book from the side, pretending that was her purpose for being in the study.
...
In Silver City—
For Derrick, these past few days were probably the most exciting and joyful of his life.
Two angels who served The Fool had descended upon Silver City, bringing with them the sun and news from the outside world.
As a member of the Tarot Club and the only person in Silver City connected to The Fool, Little Sun Derrick naturally accompanied the two angels throughout their activities. He helped them understand Silver City and served as a bridge for communication between Silver City and The Fool's side.
As for the historical records that the Angel of Secrets required, they were naturally being copied, though the process was slow due to Silver City's limited resources. Nevertheless, a considerable amount of information had been copied over the past two days and was gradually being handed over to the Angel of Secrets through Derrick.
The Angel of Secrets also brought various external items, including books that had been handed over to professional scholars for interpretation. Other items, such as food, were distributed among everyone due to their limited shelf life, although the portions were small so that as many people as possible could taste the outside world's delicacies.
As a member of the patrol team, Derrick was also fortunate enough to receive a little—a piece of something called "candy," allowing him to experience the sweet taste only recorded in ancient texts.
To be honest, Derrick had never eaten other candies before, so he couldn't discern its quality. But, as someone who had grown up eating nothing but black-faced grass or the flesh of various bizarre monsters, Derrick sincerely thought that piece of candy was the best thing he had ever tasted.
'It would be great if the Angel of Secrets could bring more candy next time... No, how could I think like this? That's not right...' Derrick shook his head, but his mind couldn't help but drift back to the taste of the candy, making him swallow hard. He looked up to see the Angel of Secrets, who had been quietly reading an ancient book, glance at him with a smile.
The angel smiled warmly and asked, "Hungry?"
"Uh, no..." Derrick quickly shook his head.
"Don't be so quick to deny it. Let me see..." Lynn searched his person, and somehow, he found another piece of candy from some hidden pocket.
"Here, it might not fill you up, but it's good for replenishing some sugar." Lynn handed the candy to Derrick.
"No, I can't take your things..." Derrick instinctively shook his head.
Lynn raised an eyebrow at this and directly unwrapped the candy and popped it into Derrick's mouth. "Just eat it. It's just a piece of candy..."
"Thank you..." With the candy already in his mouth, Derrick had no choice but to thank him through muffled words, his eyes involuntarily narrowing in delight.
It really is delicious.
'He is still just a child...' Lynn couldn't help but shake his head, seeing how easily Derrick could be won over with just a piece of candy. Then, with a smile, he said, "Take your time. Silver City will have plenty of candy eventually; it's only a matter of time."
"Glug..." Although Little Sun Derrick tried to eat slowly, the piece of candy was quickly gone. Nonetheless, he was quite satisfied. He looked at Lynn and couldn't help but ask, "Your Excellency, will Silver City really return to the sunlight soon?"
"Of course, you must have faith in The Fool." Lynn smiled as he subtly promoted The Fool. After a brief pause, he added, "But before that happens, you might get to taste other foods... I mean foods that aren't just samples, but something that could become your regular diet in the future."
Derrick immediately looked intrigued and asked, "What kind of food?"
"A special kind of mushroom. It can grow in the dark and can absorb the taste of the monster's flesh. Its flavor is somewhat like milk, fish, and beef. Whether there are other flavors, I'm not sure yet. Perhaps we can explore that in the future." Lynn recalled the terrifying mushrooms from the original text as he answered.
"Mushrooms?" Derrick recalled the content from his textbooks, his eyes filled with anticipation. "I didn't know mushrooms could have so many flavors. The books never mentioned that..."
"Well, normal mushrooms don't..." Lynn shook his head with a subtle expression. Looking at Derrick, he thought for a moment before deciding against further explanation and instead smiled as he changed the topic, saying, "The Tarot Meeting is about to start. Remember to greet the Pope on my behalf. Tell him that I know what he wants to do, and I will offer the help he desires after I finish my journey in the Forsaken Land."
"Okay, Your Excellency, I understand. I will relay the message to Mr. Pope." Derrick nodded quickly. He wasn't surprised that the Angel of Secrets knew about the Tarot Club. It would have been strange if an angel serving The Fool didn't know.
"Tsk..." Medici, who was rarely reading the same ancient book, clicked his tongue meaningfully.
This made Derrick glance curiously at the Angel of War, but seeing that Medici had no further reactions, he let it go.
Soon, as 3 PM approached, Derrick's vision suddenly filled with gray mist, and a familiar voice echoed in his ears.
"Prepare for the gathering."
Derrick immediately found a place to sit, as he always did, and began to calm his heartbeat, preparing to attend the Tarot Meeting.
(End of Chapter)
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