Although Audrey initially felt a bit emotional and pouted at Ashes, her dissatisfaction quickly melted away as the lesson progressed. She became deeply engrossed in the teachings, a state that lasted until three in the afternoon.
They were interrupted because it was Monday. Lost in their studies, neither noticed the passage of time until the golden retriever guarding the door reminded them.
"I'll go ask Earl Hall for a rest room," Ashes suggested as the clock neared three.
"No, there's not enough time," Audrey replied, blushing slightly. "Um, maybe you could just make do here..."
"Alright," Ashes nodded.
Since Audrey didn't mind, he had no reason to be fussy. With time running short, Audrey quickly lay down on the bed. As the footsteps from Ashes grew louder, her heart pounded faster, betraying her nervousness despite her closed eyes.
However, she waited for a long time without feeling the bed dip. Opening her eyes, she saw Ashes sitting comfortably on a nearby sofa.
"..." Audrey puffed her cheeks, wanting to say something but hesitating. She felt as if her courage had been wasted.
But there was no more time for her to dwell on it. At three o'clock, they were promptly pulled into the gray fog by Mr. Fool.
Audrey Hall glanced around and soon heard Mr. Fool's calm voice:
"This is a new member, codenamed 'The Sun.' This is Miss Justice, this is Mr. Hanged Man, and this is Mr. Lovers."
Audrey habitually scrutinized 'The Sun' before shifting her gaze to the top of the bronze long table, focusing on The Fool.
"Mr. Fool, I've collected two more pages of Emperor Roselle's diary."
During the usual diary segment, 'The Sun' generously revealed that he came from the City of Silver and shared information about the ancient 'Spectator' sequence, which originated from the dragons. Mr. Fool learned from the diary that certain pathways could be interchanged after reaching Sequence 5 and that Emperor Roselle had seen the second Blasphemy Slate and created corresponding god-pathway cards based on it.
Mr. Fool, Klein, lifted his gaze from the diary and smiled at the others, "You don't have to wait for me."
"It is our honor," Mr. Hanged Man, Alger, responded respectfully.
"Lovers," Ashes turned to Hanged Man and spoke first, "I hope you can help me keep an eye out for some information."
"The Black Emperor?"
Alger was initially surprised but quickly recalled that 'Lovers' was only interested in information about the Black Emperor. "I will keep an eye on information regarding the Black Emperor, but you know, gathering such secret information takes time."
"No," Ashes shook his head slowly. "I've confirmed that the Black Emperor is a member of the Ruen Kingdom's royal family. Kapin, the human trafficker from Jowood District, had dealings with the royal family. The transactions might be related to the Black Emperor, though not necessarily."
"In this context, Kapin was just a middleman. The slaves came from the sea and were sent to the royal family."
"I will investigate the royal family myself, but I hope you can find out who is supplying slaves to the royal family. The slaves' destination won't directly point to the royal family, so you only need to investigate who is trafficking slaves to Backlund."
"Of course, I will compensate you accordingly."
'The Sun' looked bewildered, understanding each word but not comprehending the meaning when put together. However, the other three members had varying degrees of surprise.
"Is it confirmed that the Black Emperor is part of the Ruen royal family?" Klein was somewhat surprised but not entirely unprepared. He still couldn't understand the connection between the Black Emperor and the slaves.
"Slave trade?" Alger pondered for a moment. "At sea, it's mainly pirates who deal in the slave trade. I'll help you gather this information, and there should be results soon."
"As for compensation," Alger continued after a pause, "If possible, I hope you can provide me with the potion formula for Sequence 6 'Wind-blessed' of the Sailor pathway."
Alger added, "The theoretical value of a Sequence 6 potion formula doesn't exceed 2000 pounds, but it usually has a premium, generally around 2500 pounds. The information I gather won't be worth that much, so I'll provide corresponding gold pounds or other valuable materials as compensation."
"No need," Ashes shook his head. "I'll ask around for the potion formula, but I can't guarantee getting it. If I do, you won't need to pay extra; you can owe me and repay with information."
"Agreed," Alger nodded, thinking it was a fair deal. If Ashes wanted to delve deeper into the slave trade, he, being on the sea, was the only Tarot Club member who could provide the necessary information.
Of course, the omniscient Mr. Fool was not included. But 'Lovers' probably couldn't afford to ask Mr. Fool directly. For Mr. Fool, Ashes' Beyonder items wouldn't be of interest.
Alger also coveted Ashes' magical items, especially the life-saving 'Sacrifice Ring.' However, he knew he couldn't offer a fair exchange for such high-value items. The ring was worth tens of thousands of pounds, a price he couldn't afford. Thus, Alger wisely didn't propose trading information for magical items, as it would make him appear greedy.
The Sequence 6 'Wind-blessed' potion formula was perfect. It was valuable but within his means, and he genuinely needed it for his promotion. Moreover, it allowed him to gauge Ashes' position within the EverNight Church. Obtaining low-sequence potion formulas wasn't surprising, but if Ashes could acquire a Sequence 6 formula, his status in the EverNight Church would be impressive.
"Alright," Alger took a deep breath, silently thinking, "The only question is, can he get the Sequence 6 potion formula?"
(End of chapter)
50 Power stones = Extra Chapter