Chapter 36: The “Conversation” of Clever People

Chapter 36: The “Conversation” of Clever People

He requested Mr. Fool’s help? That can be done?

The Hermit Cattleya was momentarily stunned.

She did not doubt Mr. Fool’s status or ability. After having received His punishment and having watched His Blessed, Gehrman Sparrow, become increasingly powerful, she had never held the slightest doubt in that regard. In fact, from the moment Mr. Fool used an ancient object to pull her into this place and help her evade the pursuit of that knowledge, she had already understood that He was at least an existence at the level of the Hidden Sage or the Primordial Moon. Only, for various reasons, He could not directly interfere with the real world and was suspected to be an ancient god in the process of revival.

What stunned her about the Moon’s words was that Mr. Fool would actually provide effective, concrete help to the members of the Tarot Club—not merely teachings in knowledge or conveniently pulling someone in.

On one hand, this means I can also request Mr. Fool’s help directly in a crisis… That is even more exaggerated than any ritual… On the other hand, it faintly reveals that Mr. Fool’s recovery is proceeding faster than I imagined…

Countless thoughts flashed through the Hermit Cattleya’s mind in an instant.

Justice Audrey, the Sun Derrick, and the others found nothing strange in this. They had each, more or less, prayed for Mr. Fool’s help and witnessed the angels under this great existence’s command.

Seeing everyone’s gazes turn toward him, the Moon Emlyn shrank slightly, then lifted his chin.

“I paid compensation.

“This was an equivalent exchange!”

Equivalent exchange… A great existence’s immediate response and effective aid is priceless!

The Hermit Cattleya could not help retorting inwardly.

The reason she did not say it aloud was that she, too, hoped she would someday have the chance to make such an “equivalent exchange”—because that would often mean she had one more life than others.

The Magician Fors, meanwhile, did not understand why Mr. Moon had deliberately emphasized equivalent exchange. Everyone here who had ever requested Mr. Fool’s help had paid corresponding compensation!

Mr. Moon really cares about saving face—not a human face, but a Sanguine face… Justice Audrey carefully appraised the rapid changes in the Moon Emlyn’s emotions.

The exchange continued, and this Tarot Gathering gradually approached its end.

After returning to the City of Silver, the Sun Derrick first carefully memorized Mr. Hanged Man’s explanation of the Notary’s strengths and weaknesses. Only then did he once again head toward the twin towers in the north of the city, preparing to choose a mystical item.

He had not done so earlier because after advancing, his condition had been somewhat unstable, and he was worried that contact with mystical items might lead to him losing control.

Inside the round tower, after completing the necessary procedures, Derrick Berg presented his needs, saw one item after another that had been selected for him, and received the corresponding information files.

After careful reading and observation, he quickly narrowed the range to two choices.

One was Kardi’s Ring. Its appearance was simple and ancient, its entire body iron-black, engraved with dim, complex patterns. It had once belonged to a long-ago resident of the City of Silver. It could help the wearer intimidate a target, causing the other party to stagnate for a certain period. It could also make a normal human briefly lose reason, or awaken the hidden warmth and memories buried within a mad monster, leaving them in a state of self-confusion for a very short time and preventing them from attacking.

The other was Thunder God’s Roar, obtained from a city-state that had turned into ruins. It was extremely heavy, shaped like a massive hammer. Its surface was deep blue and profound, wreathed in silver-white lightning. Its handle was suspected to be the leg bone of some living creature. In battle, it could produce a sound that filled enemies with terror and confusion, like the thunder god descending to the earth and roaring without pause. Each strike possessed powerful destructive force; terrifying lightning was never absent.

The negative effect of Kardi’s Ring was that the wearer would unknowingly develop another “self.” Therefore, they had to regularly receive treatment from a Psychoanalyst. If even one or two sessions were missed, the problem would become extremely serious and very difficult to cure. And the struggle between the two selves would ultimately result in loss of control.

By comparison, Thunder God’s Roar carried no such grave hidden danger. It merely caused its user to gradually accumulate irritable emotions, which would pose no problem so long as they were regularly vented. However, it also had another negative effect: in a lightless environment, the person holding it had a one hundred percent chance of being attacked by terrifying monsters from the depths of the darkness.

A one hundred percent chance of being attacked…

Seeing this figure, Derrick’s expression immediately dimmed, because it meant that many residents of the City of Silver had already disappeared for this reason.

They had all been former owners of Thunder God’s Roar.

Which one should I choose? Developing another “self” is a very frightening thing. Miss Justice seems to have mentioned that it’s called a split personality… Thunder God’s Roar not only affects enemies’ condition, it also has fairly strong offensive power… My Hurricane Axe has been used too frequently and should break earlier than expected… I can produce light myself, so I don’t need to worry too much about absolute darkness…

After thinking for a while, Derrick pointed toward the deep-blue giant hammer.

“I want Thunder God’s Roar.”

…

At 160 Böklund Street, Klein had just walked out of the master bedroom when he saw Butler Walter waiting outside, several invitations in hand.

“Sir, there are three invitations this week: afternoon tea on Wednesday, a literary salon on Friday, and a dinner on Saturday. They come respectively from…”

Klein listened with a gentle expression. When Walter finished, he smiled and said, “Tell these kind inviters that I will attend.”

“Yes, sir.” Walter bowed and left the third floor.

Watching his back disappear at the staircase, Klein could not help sighing inwardly.

After another week of invitations like this, it will be my turn to invite the neighbors nearby to a ball or dinner…

Only after inviting one another several times like this can I truly enter their circle, be introduced by them to higher-level figures, and enter different clubs…

Heh. Such introductions will certainly be built upon sufficiently abundant wealth. A person with no value to make use of will not be introduced…

Interactions in upper society really are troublesome. It will take at least another month before I can come into contact with the peripheral figures connected to the Great Smog of Backlund… The Church side is much better. As long as there are sufficient donations and sufficient piety, I can freely enter, listen to bishops preach, and of course, the prerequisite is passing the review…

If everything goes smoothly, perhaps within a month I can grasp the rotation pattern of the internal caretakers and find an opportunity to enter behind Chanis Gate…

Klein withdrew his thoughts and instructed his personal valet Richardson, who stood nearby, to fetch his coat, hat, and cane.

According to his schedule, he was to go to the Kingdom Theater and watch the recently popular play, The Betrayer’s Ring.

This was not purely for entertainment. Only by understanding popular plays, famous music, and trendy novels would he have topics to discuss with others at various upper-class gatherings.

A widely welcomed gentleman is definitely exhausted in private. One minute on stage, ten years of effort offstage… Social gatherings like this are truly tiring…

As Klein grumbled inwardly, he let Richardson put the coat on him. Then he boarded the high-end four-wheeled carriage and headed to the Kingdom Theater in the West Borough, taking a seat in a luxury box to enjoy The Betrayer’s Ring.

“Unlike movies and television, theatrical performances are more exaggerated and forceful. Mm, that’s determined by the performance environment…

“The story is quite decent, but why does it feel a little familiar? Don’t tell me the original author was Emperor Roselle…

“These should be the famous stage actors. The newspapers have mentioned them. Apparently, they’re very sought-after. They feel a little like celebrities from the internet era back on Earth…

“As long as I attend enough upper-class gatherings, I’ll surely have a chance to meet them…”

Klein watched the performance while habitually making comments in his heart.

…

In the Cherwood Borough, at the ticket office of a large theater.

Melissa, finally reaching the front of the line, took out banknotes and copper coins and pushed them through the window.

“The Betrayer’s Ring. Two tickets for Sunday’s three o’clock afternoon show.”

…

After watching The Betrayer’s Ring, Klein boarded his carriage, took a sip of black tea, and accepted the evening papers Richardson had bought.

He first turned to the theater review section and found several critiques by professionals. Comparing them one by one with his own impressions from the performance, he gradually summarized an experience that was both personally distinctive and reasonably profound.

Mm. At least it will be enough to fool those gentlemen and ladies…

Only after finishing his “homework” did Klein leisurely flip through the newspaper. To his surprise, he discovered a notice:

“Ten percent of the Backlund Bicycle Company’s shares have been sold. Friends, please do not disturb us further!”

It’s settled? Mr. Stanton publishing this notice means he has already received the money…

Klein was first delighted, then his brows creased slightly.

His gaze stopped on the exclamation mark at the very end.

The content of the notice was indeed what he and Isengard Stanton had agreed on in advance, but for some reason, that final exclamation mark seemed glaring.

“The emotion contained in this sentence clearly doesn’t require an exclamation mark… Mr. Stanton is someone who pays great attention to detail. He would never let the newspaper freely make such a change… He deliberately used this exclamation mark. Is he conveying some kind of message?

“Is he giving a warning?”

As he pondered, Klein suddenly gained a measure of understanding.

The ten percent stake in the Backlund Bicycle Company that Isengard Stanton sold had clearly come from Sherlock Moriarty. With Stanton’s moral character, he would not sell it without reason. To a certain extent, this meant Sherlock Moriarty—or his representative—had already returned to Backlund!

Therefore, some faction of the royal family involved in the Great Smog of Backlund had keenly sensed the situation and begun monitoring Detective Isengard Stanton, intending to catch the target who came to collect the cash!

How should I collect the money…

Klein looked at the newspaper as though nothing were wrong and began seriously considering this solemn question.