Klein coughed twice and said, "Ahem, when it comes to matters at such a high level, who really knows."
After a brief pause, he continued, "The reason I called you here tonight was to ask about that woman...Queen Mystic. You have no idea—after I escaped from the museum, I ran into her again. Fortunately, she didn't recognise me."
"Hmm, then I suggest," Edward said thoughtfully, "that for the time being, you'd better avoid moving around in today's appearance. She's likely to remain in Backlund for a few more days."
Klein nodded quickly. "Of course."
"Oh, right," Edward seemed to recall something.
"That Card of Blasphemy—did you offer it up to Mr. Fool?"
"I did. Why?" Klein asked.
Edward hesitated, then said, "Well, that means I can only request to borrow it through Mr. Fool."
Klein was slightly surprised. "That card is the Black Emperor card—it belongs to the Lawyer pathway. What do you want it for?"
"You're not planning to copy down formulas and sell them for money, are you?"
"....."
Do you think I'm you, God of Poverty?
"No," Edward replied seriously. "I just want to study it a little. After all, it's a legendary Card of Blasphemy."
At that, his expression grew solemn.
"Do you still remember what Miss Death said during the Tarot meeting yesterday?"
"She said...something terrible would happen in Backlund?"
Edward nodded. "Bernadette is a Sequence 3 Clairvoyant. She just made another prophecy—a disaster is about to befall Backlund. So you must be careful!"
"Disaster..."
Klein repeated the word softly.
"What kind of event could be called a disaster?"
"I'm not sure," Edward admitted. "All I know is that this disaster might be related to the Aurora Order and the Demoness Sect—both evil cults."
"The Aurora Order again..."
Klein stared intently at Edward.
"Didn't you 'join' the Aurora Order? Could you get more information from them? Maybe we can report it to the Church in advance."
"I'll try."
———
After returning to the villa, Edward immediately set up a ritual and prayed to Mr. Fool:
"The Fool that does not belong to this era, the mysterious ruler above the gray fog, the King of Yellow and Black who wields good fortune—I request to borrow the Card of Blasphemy you obtained today, for research purposes. I seek your benevolent grant."
Moments later, Mr. Fool's voice descended:
"You may."
A phantom door composed of wind and light opened before him.
Accompanied by a gust of surreal wind, a single tarot card floated silently into view.
The door vanished soon after.
"Thank you, Mr. Fool. Praise the Fool," Edward said sincerely.
He picked up the card.
On the card's surface was the image of Roselle Gustav, seated upon an ancient stone throne. A black crown adorned with all kinds of gemstones sat atop his head; he wore pitch-black armour and a matching cloak, held a sceptre in one hand, and stared coldly into the distance.
In the upper left corner of the card, sparkling starlight formed a line of text:
"Sequence 0: Black Emperor!"
Edward channelled his spirituality into the card.
Immediately, the card expanded, turning into a miniature book.
The pages turned without wind, displaying a myriad of Roselle's images—corresponding to the names, formulas, and mystical abilities of Sequences 9 through 1.
In preparation for today, Edward had deliberately reserved two empty slots after the cooldown of [Silverfish] had last reset.
The abilities he currently retained were [Theft], [Prohibition], and [Dawn Armour].
He placed a finger on the surface of the Black Emperor card and activated [Silverfish] once more.
Just like when he had devoured someone in Groselle's Travels, a strange feedback surged toward him.
His spirituality also issued a subtle warning: attempting to "ascend straight to godhood" was extremely dangerous.
"Since that's the case...let's be cautious."
He first located the Sequence 3: Frenzied Mage.
After a brief hesitation, he decided to be even safer and instead targeted the Sequence 4: Earl of the Fallen.
He selected the abilities [Magnify] and [Distortion].
At once, a subtle and marvellous sensation washed over him. He knew he had successfully acquired the two abilities.
[Magnify]—The ability to enhance the effects or impacts of certain actions, whether beneficial or harmful.
[Distortion]—The ability to twist the meaning of a target's speech, actions, or intentions to construct a reality advantageous to oneself, thereby restricting or influencing the opponent.
Edward drew his wand and casually cast a Transfiguration spell at the table.
At the same time, he activated [Distort].
Immediately, the direction of the spell twisted in mid-air, striking a nearby sofa and transforming it into a carpet.
Lilith, who had been dozing peacefully on the sofa, plopped onto the floor, blinking in confusion.
Edward took another step forward.
Using Apparition alongside [Magnify], he teleported instantly to Tingen City—something that normally would have required multiple consecutive Apparitions.
CRACK!
Returning to the villa with another snap, Edward frowned slightly.
Good thing I didn't choose a Sequence 3 ability earlier...
Otherwise, my spirituality would have been completely drained.
[Silverfish] was undoubtedly a divine skill, but there was a drawback: the devoured abilities could not have their spiritual consumption freely adjusted according to circumstances.
The upside was that—even with the same [Distortion]—Edward's use of it was significantly more potent than that of a Sequence 6 Baron of Corruption.
The downside was that the stronger the effect, the greater the consumption, and with his Sequence 7 spirituality reserves, it was dangerously easy to burn himself out.
That, perhaps, was the so-called "balance."
"Heh, with [Magnify] strengthening my spells, and [Distortion] magnifying the effects on targets..."
"This should significantly help in hunting down Botis."
———
The next day.
Inside the luxurious villa of the Hall family.
Edward and Audrey were enjoying a hearty breakfast while chatting about the events of the previous day.
After recounting her "adventure," Audrey said happily, "So now, our Tarot Club has gathered a complete pathway to godhood!"
She was generous with her praise. "Impressive~ Quietly pulling off such a grand achievement without a sound." She sipped her sweet iced tea and added, "Though, we still don't know which pathway that card belongs to."
"It's the Black Emperor card," Edward said casually. "It's Sequence 9 is Lawyer."
"The Black Emperor card?" Audrey blinked in surprise. "How do you know?"
"Funny story," Edward smiled. "I happened to be on-site yesterday when Mister World retrieved the Card of Blasphemy."
"Eh???"
Audrey exclaimed, full of curiosity.
"Remember the lady we bumped into during our stroll through the East Borough? The one who gave me 100 pounds after hearing my story?" he reminded her.
She nodded quickly. "Of course! You said she was likely a demigod."
"Exactly. Yesterday, I finally learned her true identity." Edward paused for a few seconds for effect before continuing, "She's Queen Mystic, the one we've discussed several times at the Tarot Club—Bernadette Gustav."
"Queen Mystic...you mean, she's the daughter of Emperor Roselle?!" Audrey was utterly stunned.
"That's right. The reason I stood you up yesterday was because of her..." Edward then recounted the whole sequence of events from the previous day.
When he finished, Audrey was left gaping in astonishment. "You—you're saying Queen Mystic may have mistaken you for her father, Emperor Roselle?!"
"Well, that's just a guess."
"This...this is too ridiculous," she muttered, but then she suddenly narrowed her eyes suspiciously, scrutinising him from head to toe. "You're not actually the Emperor, are you?"
"..."
Edward lightly pinched her soft cheek. "If I were, shouldn't you be kneeling before me?"
"Hmph! You might be the King of Intis, but you can't order around a citizen of Loen!" She scrunched up her nose in mock defiance but quickly became serious, concern flashing across her face. "If she really thinks you're Roselle, and someday realises the truth...wouldn't she get furious and kill you?"
"Hmm, I think as long as I don't actually try to impersonate the Emperor in front of her, and if I help her a bit in her search for him, it shouldn't come to that."
Edward's expression grew solemn. "Later, I'm going to see Mr. A. After that...I'm preparing to hunt the Saint of Secrets!"
"Hunting a demigod!"
Audrey's eyes sparkled with excitement, although she knew she wouldn't be able to help much—she was only Sequence 7 after all.
"Lilith, you'll stay with Audrey for the next couple of days," Edward said, turning to the little cat who was playing with Susie.
Lilith looked at him with her clear, water-blue eyes for a long moment, then nodded slightly.
"Okay~"
Audrey leaned in and whispered, "Edward, be careful."
"Of course! I'm just there to assist—the real heavy lifting will be done by the powerhouses," Edward said with a grin before flashing away in a swirl of light.
After he left, Audrey clapped her hands softly to draw the attention of the two little ones. "Come on, Lilith, Susie. Let's go visit Anna. She's been feeling a bit anxious lately—probably because she hasn't been out in too long."
Susie immediately took a step back. "Ah?"
Lilith, however, cheered, "Yay! Let's go!"
———
"You again?"
That was the first thing Mr. A said upon seeing Edward—his attitude almost identical to last time. It was clear he had no desire to entertain Edward's presence.
Though Mr. A's faith in the True Creator surpassed all else, it was undeniable that the Aurora Order had descended into chaos since Edward's arrival.
Edward, oblivious to the complexities within Mr. A's mind, got straight to the point. "I want to hunt down the Saint of Secrets, Botis!"
"You?" Mr. A glanced him up and down. "You want to hunt a Saint?"
"Of course not me personally." Edward shook his head. "Weren't you eager to get rid of Botis?"
"But I don't know where he is," Mr. A replied, frowning. "Besides, if he decides to flee, it would be very difficult to pin him down."
"Why are you suddenly determined to hunt him?"
Edward shrugged. "He's already trying to kill me. I'm purely acting out of self-defence, alright?" After a pause, he added, "And...I've secured help from a powerful individual. With you and this powerhouse together—two demigod-level figures—dealing with Botis should be feasible, right?"
Mr. A lowered his head, lost in thought for over ten seconds before asking, "How do you plan to lure Botis out?"
Edward pointed at himself. "Didn't Botis want me dead? I'll use myself as bait."
"That's too obvious. Botis isn't an idiot," Mr. A said flatly.
Edward chuckled. "If the Lord sent you to kill me, but for a long time you couldn't find me, and then one day you saw me walking around in broad daylight without a care in the world, what would you think?"
"I wouldn't miss the chance, of course!" Mr. A answered without hesitation. Then he quickly added, "But I would be well-prepared."
"Exactly. So this hunt will come down to who's better prepared!"
———
[Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.