Chapter 513 Worry
Silent crimson rays of light lit up, and with the exception of Derrick, the "Sun" who had arrived in the gray fog ahead of time, the other Tarot Club members appeared one by one and took their seats in their high-backed chairs.
At the end of the long table is the "world" that Klein controls using the Eye of Black.
"Mr. Fool, ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon~"
Miss Justice, with extraordinary perseverance, insists on greeting each member every week. Inspired by her, even the newest member, Ms. "Hermit", nods and responds with a kind smile.
Klein, who also responded to the greeting, first looked at the "Queen" Angel who was on the first position on his left. The two had not seen each other for a week, and the novelist he played had encountered obstacles in his desire to publish his posthumous work and could not complete it as originally planned, which made him a little anxious.
"Hey, Angel's aura is a bit chaotic, and the inner astral body is dark and complex, which represents melancholy and sadness..."
With the help of the gray fog's "home advantage," Klein could clearly see the Beyonder's hidden astral body and use it to confirm their emotions. Usually, Angel's color was a mixture of blue and white, with occasional yellow, which meant she was generally calm or happy.
But now...
For no apparent reason, a trace of doubt and anxiety emerged in Klein's heart.
What on earth happened to her this week?
Unaware of the myriad thoughts running through Mr. Fool's mind at the head of the long table, Justice and the Moon each materialized a diary of Emperor Roselle and handed it to the Fool. The Hanged Man, having been at sea recently, hadn't been able to obtain a new diary. The Hermit also apologized, but she seemed to realize that finding the diary wasn't a mandatory "mission" and didn't feel overly anxious about it.
After absentmindedly reading the diary, which contained some repetitive content, Klein announced the start of "free communication time."
"Mr. Fool, I request to communicate privately with Ms. Hermit."
As soon as the free time was up, Angel, who showed his inner anxiety and sadness on the surface of his astral body, made a request and looked at the hermit at the end of the "ladies' side". The latter was slightly stunned and nodded to show his agreement.
After the others' vision and hearing were blocked, Angel continued:
"Ms. Hermit, I have a request and would like your assistance," she said in a low voice, without revealing any negative emotion. "But first, I want to confirm one thing. Are you Cattleya, the Admiral of the Stars?"
After a brief moment of surprise, the Hermit responded in an emotionless tone:
"How did you come to that conclusion?"
She didn't deny it.
Although The World, as an ordinary Tarot Club member, also acted as if it was blocked during their private conversation, Klein, as The Fool, could sit in the best viewing seat and watch the two of them communicate. At this moment, in his sight, Cattleya, The Hermit, had her eyes wide open, appearing to be extremely shocked.
I didn't expect Angel to be able to guess the other person's identity. This is a bit... Klein waited for Angel's answer with half anticipation and half anxiety.
"Based on the attitude of a certain member of the Tarot Club towards you, as well as the information and material channels you provided, your likely Sequence Level is located at sea, rather than on the northern and southern continents... I infer that you are a Beyonder as powerful as the Pirate Generals, or even one of them," Angel said slowly, making Klein feel as if she was summarizing her thoughts as she spoke. "And among the female Pirate Generals, I've met all of them, except for the 'Star Admiral'."
"Besides, you have a special interest in me. Is it because of my bounty, my fighting skills, or the battle with Tracy?"
Klein was stunned. He thought to himself that if he were in Angel's position, knowing this information, he would be able to guess about 70% of it. But she was, but Angel...
He wanted to do a divination to see if it was Angel who came above the gray fog this week, or some outsider who used the Faceless Man's ability to disguise himself as her.
The Hermit Cattleya was also surprised. She was silent for a moment and said:
"I thought you were more, um, casual... I didn't expect that my special attention to you would lead you to discover my identity."
After admitting that she was the "Admiral of the Stars," Cattleya continued to ask:
"So, what are you confirming my identity for? Is this the commission you mentioned?"
"Yes, I mean no harm. We're all followers of Mr. Fool and members of the Tarot Club, so getting to know each other isn't a bad thing," Angel replied. "I'd like to hire your ship and take someone to the dangerous waters east of the Sonia Sea to search for wild mermaids."
"Wild?"
Cattleya grasped the point and asked back.
"I know there are mermaid settlements near the eastern waterway of the Gargas Islands, but they belong to the Church of Evernight. What I need to find are the kind that live freely in the sea."
Hearing Angel's request, Klein, who was playing the role of "The Fool" at the head of the long table, pursed his lips, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart.
He didn't expect that Angel asked for a private conversation in order to find the mermaid and prepare for his promotion.
"You should be aware of the dangers of that sea area," Cattleya asked slowly, neither refusing nor agreeing immediately. "Except for 'Admiral Hell' Ludwell, almost no ship would dare to enter there."
"But your 'Future' is an exception."
Angel seemed confident and had already conducted relevant investigations.
"Right. So, how are you going to hire me?"
With a light laugh, Cattleya leaned back in her chair and replied.
"2500 pounds, or I can use magical items to offset the difference if you make up the difference."
"I want 3,500 pounds, or a Sequence 6 magical item. If you have something better, I can make up the difference."
After some bargaining, Angel hired Cattleya's "Future" for 3,000 pounds and headed to the dangerous area in the eastern part of the Sonia Sea to investigate the location of the mermaids.
She originally tried to use the "hypocritical" ring as a bargaining chip, but the bid exceeded Cattleya's expectations, so the deal was not made.
Moreover, the pirate general requested that he would not be able to complete Angel's commission until April.
"The specific time and boarding location will be confirmed through Tarot. I'll designate all of that. Is that okay?"
The Hermit finally confirmed.
"Okay, but I won't be the one boarding the ship then," Angel nodded. "Don't worry, he's also a follower of the Fool."
Klein, hidden behind the gray fog, frowned as he listened, vaguely sensing that something was amiss with this "commission."
After the private conversation ended, Angel seemed no longer interested in anything else and curled up in his high-back chair. Alger, the "Hanged Man" who had been waiting for a long time, glanced at the two women who had just been talking, and finally stopped his gaze on the "Hermit" and said:
"Rumors of the 'Ghost Empire' have been circulating in the Gargas Islands recently. Many sailors in Naas claim to have seen enormous, phosphorescent, pitch-black warships at night. Perhaps this ghost ship, laden with treasures from the Trunsost Empire, has reappeared."
Everyone present, except the Sun, had more or less heard of the rumors about this enormous ship, the size of a city, and the secret treasure of the last empire of the Fourth Epoch, which it carried. They all sat up straight with interest, but Cattleya, who was being stared at by Alger, did not express any other reaction, which disappointed Alger.
Mr. Hanged Man seemed eager to hear the "Admiral of the Stars"'s answer. Was he leaving Bayam for the Gargas Islands to search for the "Ghost Empire"? Was the Church of Storms also interested in these rumors?
Angel slowly looked at Alger across from him, his mind working subconsciously as he analyzed the intelligence.
She had originally planned to commission the Blue Avenger to sail eastward to the Sonia Sea, but the ghost ship's hasty mission disrupted her plans. With the scheduled date fast approaching, she could only test the waters with the less-than-clear Hermit. Fortunately, he was indeed the Admiral of the Stars, and he accepted her commission...
While they were thinking, this rumor, which everyone was interested in but had no clue about, ended after sporadic discussions.
This was followed by a speech by "Justice" Audrey, who shared a "lucid dream" experience she had while on vacation in her hometown.
Guided by a folk song, Zhengyi came to an area where people worshipped dragons. After suggesting to himself that he should "stay awake in the dream", he successfully entered the depths of his own consciousness and arrived at an illusory ocean of "collective subconscious".
There, she saw a giant dragon with gray rock-like scales, and thought of the ancient legends of dragons and the existence of the "City of Miracles" Levished.
That is the floating city imagined by the "Imagination Dragon" Angerwede. According to the legend circulating in the Silver City where Mr. "Sun" lives, the objects imagined by the Imagination Dragon will surely materialize, the kingdom of its fantasy will inevitably appear in the world, and the predictions it makes will surely come true.
"If I continue to explore the 'collective unconscious,' is it possible that I will find the 'City of Miracles' there?"
Finally, Audrey asked expectantly.
"It's best not to do that," the taciturn hermit replied. "It's extremely dangerous. The so-called dragon is also a living creature of flesh and blood. Those who can roam the collective subconscious may have reached the level of demigods. With your strength, even approaching it or even seeing it could cause harm. Furthermore, the 'collective subconscious' itself is extremely dangerous. Like a real ocean, it will corrode and drown anyone who falls into it, causing mental trauma, even preventing you from waking up, or causing changes in your memory or personality."
Audrey, who had a strong interest in the mysterious sea of consciousness and its various legends, sighed in disappointment. However, she also knew that the Hermit's advice was correct. She was only Sequence 7, and was not at the level to face a demigod or enter the "sea of subconsciousness."
Fortunately, I have already bought the main material for the "Hypnotist". Next, as long as I continue to accumulate contributions and digest the "Psychologist" potion, it won't be long before I can be promoted to Sequence 6!
She thought excitedly and looked at the "Queen" lady who sold her the materials, but found that the latter was leaning forward, lying on the long bronze table, with a look of confusion and panic on her face.
Is this still the powerful and confident "Queen"?
Audrey had this question in her mind.
Angel, who was being watched by her, was thinking about all the topics discussed earlier, such as "dreams," "subconscious," and "memory and personality changes." Noticing the brief silence around them, she suddenly asked:
"Everyone, have you ever heard of the name 'Adam'?"
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