In the washroom, behind a locked door, Klein recalled the words that the silver mirror named "Arrodes" had secretly shown him and pondered:
"'Your loyal and humble servant, Arrodes, at your service'?"
"What's going on? That mirror was just coldly toying with the Machinery Hivemind's Deacon, Ikonser… How did it suddenly change its attitude?"
Klein found the situation both amusing and puzzling. It was unclear whether he was speaking to himself or addressing someone unseen.
As soon as he finished his sentence, the image in the half-body mirror above the sink rippled and shifted, transforming into a woman in a black court dress—Miss Sharon.
She rested her chin on her hand and contemplated briefly before simply stating, "You are a Blessed."
So, you're saying that the silver mirror has some connection to the spirit world… and the mysterious space above the gray fog also seems intertwined with the spirit world. Since I am the Blessed of the 'Fool'… I carry the aura of the gray fog, which that mirror, Arrodes, detected?
After "translating" Sharon's words in his mind, Klein found the reasoning quite plausible—and it also served as a convenient excuse…
With that thought, he said to Sharon, "Watch over my body for a moment. I need to… report this matter."
"Alright." Sharon nodded lightly and watched as Sherlock murmured the honorific name of "The Fool" in an almost inaudible voice, then took four steps backward. Moments later, he became motionless.
"Those four steps… are they part of a ritual to please 'The Fool'?" Sharon pondered as she stepped out from the mirror.
In the mysterious space above the gray fog, Klein, seated in the Fool's position, first extended his spirituality to listen to Miss Justice's request.
—The reason he had entered the washroom and ascended to the gray fog was precisely because he had heard Justice's prayers.
As expected, her request was about finally passing the preliminary evaluations of the Psychological Alchemy Society. That very night, she would face the final test and needed the Fool's protection.
Klein was already well-versed in the process of the "Paper Angel's Blessing," so he followed the usual procedure. Before long, he flicked a roughly cut but slightly improved paper figurine forward.
As expected, the paper figurine gathered the power stirred by the "Black Emperor" card above the gray fog and transformed into a giant angel with twelve pairs of black wings. Through the crimson star, it enveloped Miss Justice in its embrace.
After finishing this task, Klein turned his attention to another crimson star that pulsed with expansion and contraction—it belonged to Mr. Tower.
It doesn't seem urgent… just a message?
Hmm, has he found a way to save Talim?
With that thought, Klein tapped the crimson star and read the message. Upon finishing, his brows furrowed.
"Talim is afflicted with a curse that only an angel-level entity can remove?"
"And Mr. Tower actually managed to get an 'angel' to help him?"
"Just what is his true identity…? Could he really be a Blessed of the Earth Mother?"
Sharon had once suggested this possibility, though she herself wasn't entirely certain.
The more Klein thought about it, the more he felt a headache coming on—not because he was worried about Mr. Tower's background. After all, having spent so much time together in the Tarot Club, he trusted this "erudite" gentleman.
However, rescuing Talim was proving to be far more challenging than he had expected. This wasn't something that could be repaid with mere intelligence on Baron Larry…
Although Mr. Tower hadn't mentioned any additional compensation and had even asked him to keep it a secret from Miss Judgment…
"The World" couldn't just play dumb and offer nothing in return. That would go against "The Fool's" principle of equivalent exchange.
The only question now was—what could "The World" offer that would be enough to repay the favor of an angel's intervention?
Sigh, I'll have to ask Mr. Tower privately during the next Tarot Meeting… Hopefully, he needs some high-level knowledge that I possess.
With that thought, Klein exhaled and allowed his spirit body to descend back into reality.
Seeing Sharon's deep blue eyes turn toward him, Klein coughed lightly and said, "'The Fool' says… don't concern yourself with that mirror."
Because worrying about it is pointless…
Sharon nodded slightly, her figure gradually fading until she disappeared completely.
Because it wouldn't make a difference anyway…
Sharon nodded slightly, her figure gradually fading before disappearing altogether.
Klein washed his hands, returned to the living room, and stared at the bullet hole in the wall, lost in thought.
Should I cover them with a cheap oil painting, patch them up, or repaint?
Or ask Mr. Tower's mentor to inquire if the Machinery Hivemind will reimburse renovation costs? After all, this damage technically resulted from their ambush…
…
Hillston Borough, Seventh Avenue, at the home of Escalante, a member of the Psychological Alchemists.
With the "Angel's Blessing" from Mr. Fool, Audrey successfully passed the final assessment of the two men before her and officially became a member of the Psychological Alchemists.
—One of the men was Gilbert Alucard, a psychologist introduced to her by Lady Norma, the sister of Nigen Duchess, Emma's mother. The other was Stephen Humphreys, the convener of the previous psychology seminar.
Both were key members of the Psychological Alchemists.
Afterward, the two men provided Audrey with an overview of the organization's history and ideology, mentioning Hermes and the "Mind Dragon." Finally, they presented her with a potion—Telepathist Potion.
However, no one noticed that when those two names were spoken, something silently infiltrated their mental islands.
Leaving Escalante's house with the potion in hand, Audrey remained quiet along the way, speaking little. It wasn't until she entered her room and briefly dismissed her personal maid, Annie, that she turned to the golden retriever, Susie, and smiled.
"Your potion is ready~"
Susie wagged her tail happily at the sight of the Telepathist Potion.
"When you become a Telepathist, I have another gift for you," Audrey said with a smile, glancing at the gold-rimmed glasses hanging around Susie's neck.
"Audrey, what gift?" Susie tilted her head curiously.
"A pair of earrings called 'Dragon's Eyes.'"
Audrey had worn them a few times after purchasing them from Miss Judgment. However, since they were an outdated design, Annie would never allow her to wear them outside—after all, it might make people suspect that the Hall family was facing financial trouble, leading to misunderstandings.
But what was the use of wearing mystical items at home? After thinking it over, Audrey decided to temporarily entrust them to Susie.
"Earrings? What do they do?" Susie asked in confusion.
Audrey thought for a moment and then answered confidently, "With them, those stray dogs that try to court you won't dare to come near!"
After all, they carried the "Dragon's Might"…
Hearing this, Susie wagged her tail even more joyfully.
…
At 2 AM, inside the lounge of the Dream Labyrinth Tower.
Holding a pair of earrings, Ebner transformed under Xio's gaze into a beautiful woman with jet-black curls and deep blue eyes.
"Tracy?" Xio recognized the Vice Admiral of Ailment from their encounter in the palace at the deepest part of Daniel's Labyrinth.
"Yes… Since Talim's situation involves a Demoness's curse, I might as well take the form of another Demoness with powerful backing to rescue him. Even if the enemy uses special means to investigate, they'll suspect Tracy instead."
"If they start turning on each other, that's a win for us…"
Ebner explained with a faint smile.
This expression made Xio momentarily dazed. She turned her head slightly and asked, "You set up teleportation altars in two locations but only showed me the one outside the city… Is the one inside the city a one-time use?"
"The one in Cherwood Borough is meant to be abandoned. I set it to self-destruct upon activation… Teleporting within Backlund is too dangerous.
"Meanwhile, the one outside the city is necessary for my return and is in a good location for long-term use," Ebner explained while changing into pirate attire.
That was Tracy's style… though it might be a bit chilly outside—Backlund was in the depths of winter.
"Where do you plan to take him?" Xio asked curiously, trying to keep her gaze steady.
"To Edwina's ship… I already spoke to her.
"She's quite satisfied with Talim's academic background."