"There's one more thing," Alger said gravely. "I've received information that one of the Seven Pirate Admirals, 'Hurricane Lieutenant' Qilangos, has secretly come ashore and infiltrated Backlund. I don't know what he's planning, so I hope you can help investigate his whereabouts. Of course..." Alger hesitated, casting a glance at Ashes, "if you have the capability to approach and investigate his motives, that would be best. But if you don't have enough strength, it's better not to act rashly."
Miss Justice directed her gaze towards Ashes. It was clear that the first part of Alger's words was addressed to them, but the latter part was meant for Ashes. After all, Miss Justice, having only been a Spectator for a month, clearly didn't have enough strength to complete these tasks.
"Qilangos," Ashes pondered for a moment before asking, "What sequence is he?"
"He's a Sequence 6 'Wind-Blessed' of the Sailor pathway," Alger immediately replied, anticipating the question. "But Qilangos, despite being only Sequence 6, possesses a very powerful Beyonder item known as the Creeping Hunger."
"As a side effect of using this Beyonder item, Qilangos must satisfy it with the soul and flesh of a living person every other day, or it will consume him instead."
"At the same time, Qilangos has gained many powerful abilities from this Beyonder item. He can enter others' dreams, summon light to purify the dead, strengthen himself through singing, and change his appearance almost at will."
Alger detailed the Beyonder item's abilities extensively, then added, "We suspect all these abilities are due to the Creeping Hunger."
Alger fixed his gaze on Ashes, knowing that among those present, only Ashes had the hope of investigating this matter thoroughly. He couldn't rely on Mr. Fool, and Miss Justice was clearly a noble lady who had only been a Beyonder for less than two months. Expecting her to handle this was unrealistic. As for the 'Sun' who didn't even know where he came from, he was even less likely to help.
"Shepherd?" The 'Sun' Derrick, who had been quietly listening and felt he couldn't help, suddenly blurted out.
"Shepherd?" Everyone's attention shifted to the 'Sun,' causing Derrick to become flustered. He stammered as he explained that the Creeping Hunger's abilities were very similar to those of a Sequence 5 'Shepherd' in the Secret Supplicant pathway.
"I see," Alger nodded in understanding. He had a feeling he had heard the name before.
Then, he turned his slightly hopeful gaze towards Ashes.
"Okay," Ashes nodded lightly after a moment of thought, "I'm quite interested in that Beyonder item."
"I can provide his portrait," Alger sighed in relief and immediately offered. Although he knew the portrait might not be useful, since Qilangos could change his appearance, having something was better than nothing.
Finally, with the sound of Mr. Fool lightly tapping the table, the Tarot Club meeting ended smoothly.
...
In the Queen's District of Backlund, in the luxurious Hall family villa, a young man and young lady almost simultaneously opened their eyes in Audrey's boudoir near the end of the corridor on the second floor.
"Do you have any questions?" Ashes adjusted his position to sit more comfortably on the sofa and looked at the girl on the bed with a complicated expression.
During the gray fog meeting, Ashes had noticed Audrey hesitating to speak, but she clearly didn't want to discuss these matters in front of others.
"I..." Audrey hesitated for a long time before speaking softly, "Kapin, does he really have ties to the royal family?"
"Yes," Ashes nodded lightly. "Kapin was dealing with MI9, and I think you know who is behind MI9."
Audrey fell silent. Everyone knew that MI9 was the royal family's secret intelligence agency. Without the royal family's approval, how could they dare to openly cooperate with a human trafficker? It was quite obvious. Although Ashes spoke casually, his words shattered Audrey's image of the royal family.
However, her main concern wasn't the royal family, which seemed too distant. Her worry was about the nobility...
"The nobility aren't involved," Ashes said, seeing through Audrey's concern. "The relationship between the royal family and the nobility is far from as close as you imagine. Based on the information I have, even within the royal family, this matter is top secret, known only to a very few, and Earl Hall is clearly not among them."
"Is that so?" Audrey sighed in relief. Although she didn't know how Ashes had analyzed this, she chose to believe him. As long as her father wasn't involved, it had little to do with her.
"Do you need my help with the investigation?" Audrey asked calmly, having regained her composure as a 'spectator.'
"No," Ashes shook his head slightly, then added, "However, you could try to help me get a layout of the palace. Ideally, it should include specifics like which bedroom the king resides in."
For Ashes, it would be best to investigate the Black Emperor's true identity step by step, but he always prepared for contingencies. Familiarizing himself with the palace layout in advance was essential.
"In that case," Audrey blinked, "how about you visit the palace yourself?"
"Hmm?" Ashes raised an eyebrow, looking at Audrey in surprise.
"The New Year's Eve Ball," Audrey explained, seeing Ashes still confused. She added, "Noblewomen over the age of 18 can formally enter the social scene under the queen's lead, declaring their coming of age, usually at the New Year's Eve Ball held at the palace."
"So..." Audrey paused, a sly glint in her eye, "If you want, I can invite you to join the New Year's Eve Ball."
"I see," Ashes stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I probably won't need your invitation."
"Hmm?"
"Although I'm just a declining noble from the border, I'm still a viscount. I should have the right to attend the New Year's Eve Ball, shouldn't I?" Ashes shrugged casually under Audrey's questioning gaze.
As a result, Audrey spent the two hours before dinner sulking and giving him the cold shoulder.
(End of Chapter)
50 Power stones = Extra Chapter