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Chapter 4 - Unknown

After suddenly 'passing out' and falling into a sea of imaginable dreams, he woke up confused with so many random visions filling his consciousness.

— I can't sleep straight anymore... — Zhou Mingriu muttered as he stood up.

At that moment, someone abruptly entered his room with a calm look on his face.

It was Melissa who was narrowing her eyes with some random and strange doubt emerging in her gaze that seemed to be examining him from head to toe.

After a moment, she asked with a raised eyebrow:

— Klein, are you okay?

What a terrifying intuition. — Zhou Mingriu gave her a slight smile, without a trace of abnormality in his expression.

He placed the book on the desk and simply replied with interest:

— Yes, why wouldn't I be? I slept very well after reading some books of stories from times past.

Melissa leaned against the door frame with a slight frown and said in a disbelieving tone:

— I had a very strange dream last night. In it, there was a man with receding hair and gray eyes, with the rest of his face completely blurred and distorted. I couldn't even tell if he really had a face. Anyway, I also heard the voice of another, younger person with the air of a poet. Goddess, that was very strange. Ah, he was asking someone something... It seemed to be his voice.

— At the end of everything I can remember, there was someone else's voice. He said things in an ancient language that seemed incomprehensible... I think it was Jottun? The stranger left with the other two as the sound of footsteps faded away.

Did she hear everything from last night? But she didn't wake up?

How strange... And all she could see was Officer Dunn Smith, very distorted...

Why did this happen?

And she couldn't make out the voice of the strange boy... There really was something very wrong with this whole story. That shadow superimposed on the poet inspector was also very bizarre...

With some questions running through his mind, Zhou Mingriu looked at Melissa with confusion overflowing in his eyes.

Even though he tried to think of an answer, nothing seemed to make sense.

— Don't worry, it must have just been a meaningless nightmare. — He reassured her even though he knew she was completely calm about the situation.

According to Klein's memories, Melissa is a mature person for her age and even very calm. She likes to study mainly because of her interest in machines and steam-powered inventions that she has always admired since she was still very young.

Actually, I only had one "brother"?

I don't know... My memories are confused. Uh... He was adopted if I'm not mistaken... A foreigner? Or was he a friend? He was very quiet most of the time with other people, but he loved playing games with me... Especially Bloodborne... How can I not remember my own brother's face? Or friend? I even forgot his voice or existence... Yesterday I mistook him for a foreigner...

He was the last person I spoke to...? Speaking of which, I don't remember my father's face either...

What was he like?

Brother... What was his name?

How could I have forgotten this?

Maybe the transmigration affected some of my memories from when I was at home...

Zhou Mingriu looked away imperceptibly, tapping his index finger on his leg, and then looked at the book above his desk.

Melissa looked at him suspiciously and said:

— Klein, can you go buy some bread?

He nodded slightly at the same time.

...

Howes Street, Deweyville Library.

Zhou Mingriu quickly passed through the first row of bookshelves that were filled with hundreds of books, intently searching for any clues about Emperor Roselle or anything related to tarot cards. Any information, no matter how small, would be helpful in a situation like this.

His gaze passed over a few books that had a more worn cover, gracefully engraved with titles related to some mythical tales from ancient history. Others looked newer, as if they had been recently made.

He sighed silently and continued to search through the titles.

"Ancient Arts of Feysac"...

"Dictionary of Study of Poisonous Flowers of the Sea Sonia"...

He even flipped through a few specific pages to see if he could find anything, but there was nothing relevant.

I probably won't find much when the creator of the tarot cards is from so long ago, a fossil of history.

A voice came from beside him in a calm tone:

— Good morning, Klein. What are you looking for?

That voice... — Zhou Mingriu could recognize that voice even when he hadn't yet searched through Klein's memories. It belonged to the professor at Khoy University who was always in the university library reading Balam books, Mr. Azik.

It was impossible that he couldn't recognize it.

Zhou Mingriu quickly came up with an excuse to avoid saying that he was looking for a book of ancient divinations. That would be too strange and random even for a history student and might even raise doubts among the strange investigators if they discovered this conversation at some point.

Before picking up the book of divinations, he would carefully read another study about the early Iron Age to pretend that he had only come because of that and soon after that he only had a mild interest in divinations. That way, if there really was someone watching him, he wouldn't suspect anything.

He suspected that the police officers who knocked on his door yesterday were there precisely because of the strange delusions he was having or some other reason related to that. Any discovery of the visions by the police could lead to his death or worse, madness.

Zhou Mingriu turned around with a smile on his face and greeted politely:

— Good morning, Mr. Azik.

— I was just looking for a book about the new laws of the Iron Age. Uh... About the "Grain Law." I imagine you're looking for something about the Beginning of the Age of Steam and Machinery.

Zhou Mingriu could only remember a few things because of Klein's memory. He only remembered the part where this law protected the domestic price of agricultural products.

After some time, there were several riots and protests because of this law.

Furthermore, he only said the last sentence because Mr. Azik was almost always looking for some study related to past eras even on his days off. Maybe it was some kind of great interest or love for his work as a teacher. 

Azik looked at him kindly with his seemingly tired face and said: — This time I came to look for a specific book with ancient divinations that were famous in ancient times, but I see that there may not be anything related to that here. .

Mr. Azik is also looking for studies related to divinations? What a coincidence. Does Mr. Azik know anything? — Zhou Mingriu wondered inwardly with interest. 

Since Azik had been a teacher for so long, it was not impossible that he knew at least the minimum about the subject. 

— Ancient divinations? Like tarot cards and astrological reading? I heard that the tarot divination system is very old, with vague records in the Solomon Empire and the Trunsoest Empire. — he said without hiding his curiosity. 

Azik had a doubtful expression as he nodded:

— Their origin was swept away by the veil of mysteries of history long ago, as was the identity of their creator. Perhaps it is as old as the creator of the language Hermes.

As old as Ancient Hermes... I will never find anything about it even if I search tirelessly for my entire life! — Zhou Mingriu complained in his heart.

Without waiting for Zhou Mingriu to say anything, Azik asked, his golden eyes visibly filled with life gaining a trace of nostalgia:

— Did you see that gray mist covering Tingen yesterday? It was only for a moment, but it was thick and strange... It was familiar in a way

Gray mist... Like the one in the castle I saw? Mr. Azik saw it and even finds it familiar... How? — Zhou Mingriu suppressed his shocked expression in an instant.

He sighed silently in his mind. He was not crazy or delirious!

— Yes, that was very strange... What was that? — he asked confused, even though it was for another reason he wouldn't talk about.

Even though he had never seen Azik in his memories, he had shown himself to be a bad person, but he could not trust him completely when he saw that he might be involved with some strange things that no one had noticed.

It could be dangerous.

Zhou Mingriu felt a terrifying air spread before his eyes as if death itself was in front of him.

As he looked more closely, he could hear some kind of illusory scream that seemed to come from the depths of the underworld.

After a moment, everything returned to normal.

What was that? — Zhou Mingriu felt dazed by the sight he had seen.

Perhaps he could have been scared, but after going through that bout of delusions that almost tore his sanity apart a day ago and falling into horrifying and dazzling dreams right after, he could no longer feel much fear.

Azik stared at him solemnly with some doubt.

— Is everything okay?

Zhou Mingriu nodded quickly as he looked at Azik and hid his doubts and questions deep in his mind.

 — Yes, I was just thinking about some things. — he hurriedly made up an excuse.

After a few minutes of talking, Zhou Mingriu said goodbye and left to buy bread.

...

After some time thinking about what had happened, Zhou Mingriu came to a part of his conclusion.

Mr. Azik is certainly not a normal person...

He has the characteristics of being from Balam and yet he has never mentioned anything about himself in all these years. Furthermore, in the Southern Continent they worship the God of the Dead with many rituals and sacrifices to Him to this day...

That feeling was like feeling death in the flesh... Does Mr. Azik have connections to extraordinary things and is there something specifically related to the Southern Continent? Even so, he didn't seem to notice that I had felt something strange. Maybe he really doesn't or maybe he does...

Zhou Mingriu suddenly glanced to his side.

In the shadows, there was a woman silently staring at him in the darkness.

She had grayish-blue eyes with a faint, serene glow. Her long hair was a shade of black.

Suddenly, the corners of her mouth curved into an exaggerated smile!

That's it...

Zhou Mingriu quickened his pace towards Miss Symrin's fresh bread shop.

Zhou Mingriu's thoughts were interrupted when he felt someone lightly poke his arm.

When he looked down, he saw a small child with short, pure white hair. He had large, bright red eyes that looked sharp.

His expression seemed to be frowning as he thoughtfully stuffed a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth.

— You...

— Hey... Could you play tarot cards with me for a moment? — the boy asked, staring straight into his eyes. It was as if Zhou Mingriu was some kind of four-headed animal.

The boy took out the Major Arcana from his brown backpack without waiting for an answer.

 When Zhou Mingriu looked over to where the woman was standing, he couldn't see her anywhere. 

He let out a sigh of relief and finally turned to the strange boy. 

Tarot cards? This again? — Zhou Mingriu refrained from frowning slightly as a few thoughts flashed through his mind. 

— Okay, but where are your parents? They must be worried about you.

The boy glanced at him from the corner of his eye.

 — That doesn't matter now.

Chapter 5 - Mist

This kid is really weird... He didn't even wait for my answer... This is the second time I've seen a kid carrying tarot cards... Has this become a trend? Why can't I find a single normal person in this world?

Zhou Mingriu muttered silently. He didn't expect there to be anything revealing in the kid's cards, he was only doing this because the young man was alone.

Besides, it wouldn't hurt to play with a kid who was waiting for his parents to come back, it's better than a stranger trying to kidnap this boy.

The boy turned to him and said, pointing his finger at a staircase near a simple house:

— We'd better sit on the staircase of this house. By the way, my name is Will.

Zhou Mingriu nodded slightly. He stood in front of the young man, concentrating on the cards in his hand.

Will paused for a moment before looking at him again.

— What's wrong? It's not like I have five heads growing on each arm, I just want to do a fortune-telling.

I should be the one saying this! And those words only make you weirder... What kind of kid likes to play fortune teller with someone he doesn't even know? Does this kid have no sense or sense of danger? Where are Will's parents to teach him not to talk to strangers? — Zhou Mingriu couldn't help but feel sorry for the kid, that was a huge neglect for a young man like Will.

However, he continued to be scary...

A small frown appeared on Will's face.

—It would be terrifying if all the ice cream in the world ran out, you're so paranoid. The greatest form of kindness you could express right now would be to at least stop judging me! I'm just a four-year-old kid.

Four years old and you already have strong vibes of a charlatan? I seriously worry about your future. — Zhou Mingriu silently retorted in his thoughts.

At this age, kids should be eating dirt and living happily instead of looking like they came out of a horror movie.

—You must like a particular tarot card? — He quickly changed the subject.

 Without looking away from the cards he was spreading, Will agreed:

— It's the Wheel of Fortune.

Wheel of Fortune... Luck... This kid seems even more of a charlatan than before... — Zhou Mingriu complained in his heart. Will bit his finger and looked at him again as if silently evaluating him.

 — Your destiny is a complete mess that cannot be seen... Well, you really are a true mystery. — He grumbled before handing the tarot cards to Zhou Mingriu.

 Will began to instruct him to shuffle the cards again and position them in front of the two of them so that they were exactly in the middle. After a moment of silence, the strange boy picked up a card and simply placed it in the middle.

 — Alright, you can take the card. — Will said quickly without waiting for Zhou Mingriu to ask anything.

 When he lifted the card, he saw the image of a man wearing dazzling and strange robes with a dog. Beside him was a line that read:

"The Fool"

This... — Zhou Mingriu's eyes widened as horror filled his senses completely.

That was the card he had seen the night he transmigrated into this world!

The card numbered 0, The Fool!

When Zhou Mingriu thought a little deeper about the meaning of this card, he instantly remembered that it signified the beginning of a new cycle for all sorts of possibilities!

The Fool...

— The Fool... — the boy repeated, his expression becoming increasingly frowned, and he stared at Zhou Mingriu with his red eyes after a moment.

Suddenly, a voice rang out in a tone of concern:

— Will! Son! Where are you?

It was a tall, slender man with neatly arranged light brown hair who looked so desperate he might faint. He also wore gold-rimmed glasses that were a little crooked on his face.

 The man was getting more and more desperate, perhaps he would start crying at any moment.

— Will!

The boy raised his head to see his father getting closer and closer and said:

—It seems my father has arrived, so I have to go.

He picked up all his tarot cards that were on the floor and threw them into a small brown backpack.

— Good luck, Klein. — Will said a quick goodbye before running over to his father.

Zhou Mingriu's expression froze.

Klein…

I never told this boy my name! How did he know that?

There's no way he could know that…

I've never seen this boy in my life...

Will...

How did he know?

...

When Zhou Mingriu returned home and closed the bedroom door, he looked around and sighed in pure relief.

This day had been just as bizarre and terrifying as the last!

Today alone I've seen a lot of strange things. I feel like I should just put the things that happened today in the back of my mind. What was all that about?

There are more questions than answers and that margin just keeps getting bigger and bigger...

Who really is Mr. Azik?

Why was that woman following me?

Who is Will and how did he know his name? He even made a fortune about my transmigration!

Come to think of it, who was that boy from yesterday who gave him the letter from the World? It perfectly represents the end!

He pushed these questions to the back of his mind without letting them get in his way and placed the rye breads in four different parts of the room.

 Zhou Mingriu went to the middle of the room where there was some space to move around.

He recited following everything he remembered as he took four steps counterclockwise:

—Blessings Originating from the Immortal Lord of Heaven and Earth.

—Blessings Originating from the Lord of Heaven and Earth.

—Blessings Originating from the Exalted One of Heaven and Earth.

—Blessings Originating from the Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth.

He saw a sea of gray mist swallow him completely amidst exaggerated delusions and his own consciousness spreading. 

Zhou Mingriu felt like he was climbing somewhere, however, everything became blurred as he advanced.

The illusory murmurs entangled his confused thoughts with voices that did not belong to him, they said indecipherable and incomprehensible things, sometimes it was possible to vaguely understand some words in a strange language. 

These delusions drove him more and more crazy, shattering his sanity into thousands of pieces and grinding it down.

 Deep in his soul, he felt an abnormal sensation spread through part of his mind with hazy images covering everything he could discern. 

Suddenly, a vision stretched out before him as if it had come out of an ancient mythical tale that he had heard so often in hazy and fragmented images. It was a boundless gray mist that silently floated everywhere, with countless crimson stars appearing before Zhou Mingriu's vision.

There was a black "curtain" covering him just like a magician's cloak or an ancient fortune teller's.

— Where am I? — He blinked in a daze at the mysterious hazy fog that seemed untouched for many thousands of years.

A flash of clarity struck him at that moment.

This was the place he had seen after transmigrating! The enormous castle with crimson stars from his dreams!

Suddenly, the mist stirred, with huge pillars of pure mist extending up to a colossal dome, revealing crimson stars above a long table of tarnished bronze.

 There were ten chairs on each side with two at the ends of the enormous table. 

Zhou Mingriu sat in the seat of honor and looked at the crimson stars that appeared before him.

 What were these stars? 

He touched a few crimson stars at that moment, and they contracted with a majestic glow.

 ... 

In Backlund, East Borough, Silver Cross Headquarters.

Looking at some documents, Medici frowned slightly in doubt and shifted his gaze to the artifact that lay on his desk. 

He was wearing a black double-breasted suit with some blood red accents that matched his red hair and eyes, and on his black shirt, there was a symbol of black wings embroidered in a deep blue tone.

  It was a kind of black hourglass adorned with a spectral glow, with translucent crystal glass and inside it contained a strange sand that resembled the starry sky.

— Why did I have to analyze this newly found item? They should only send this artifact behind the underground gates. Besides, and this looks familiar… — he muttered before continuing to read.

"Number: XXXXX."

"Name: XXXXXX."

"Danger Level: XXXXXXXX."

"Security Classification: XXXX."

"Sealing Method: XXXXXX."

"Description: This artifact came from the stars..."

"From the cosmos..."

— Cosmos... I remember something about...? What was it? My past memory is still nonexistent... Well, this artifact is dangerous. The best choice is to send it underground to never be used, I should write the report now...

— I would love to stay in Bayam, where I could hunt down some lunatics from the Aurora Order. It's better than being locked up here.

His smile quickly froze as he saw a crimson star explode inside him with a dazzling glow reflected in the black hourglass.

...

City of Generosity, Bayam.

Alger Wilson looked between the bubbling bottle with a blue glow and the papers on the table silently, his thoughts intertwining in guesses.

Why would she try to make a deal like that? — he wondered internally with a dark expression appearing on his face.

Just as he was about to get up, a crimson glow swallowed him whole.

...

In the North Borough, In a normal house.

— How strange... — Solveig Blain saw her short silver hair reflected in the twilight silver sword she was holding, as well as her calm expression.

She was wearing a long, neat gray-black overcoat with a copper weapon in its inner pocket, and she was also wearing a white high-collared shirt with some silver accessories.

She immediately remembered that she had the mission to deliver this item to her superiors, but just as she was about to get up, she saw a magnificent glow on the sword.

— What is this? — Solveig muttered, narrowing her eyes cautiously.

She was immediately drowned by the crimson wave that emerged after the brilliant explosion.

...

Backlund, Empress Borough.

 Audrey Hall touched the strange, translucent mirror filled with a mysterious gray mist with stars from the starry sky visible.

— Uh… This doesn't look like a relic from the Fourth Epoch. Is it a Beyonder artifact? — Her eyes sparkled with excitement, but she suddenly became worried.

From what she had heard from a few people before, sealed artifacts were extremely mysterious and dangerous.

As she wondered what she should do with the artifact in her hands, a crimson explosion erupted from the mirror, engulfing her completely.

...

In a palace covered in gray mist, there were four people sitting in front of a long table of tarnished bronze, on four chairs.

Two of the first ones next to the seat of honor were Alger and Audrey, and next to them were Solveig and Medici.

The four of them looked at each other from their seats, confused, and then turned to the figure in the seat of honor.

There was an imposing figure covered in mist that was silently observing them.

Chapter 6 - Beyonder 

Amidst the fear and horror that covered them in the castle that seemed to have been silent for ages, Audrey gathered a little courage in her heart and asked:

— Sir, why did you bring us here?

I don't know. A castle? Before, it was just gray mist… What happened? — Zhou Mingriu thought about the last two choices he had been thinking about when these four people suddenly appeared in the space above the mist.

Since he was in the seat of honor, he obviously chose the second one that would be more advantageous to him.

Pretend!

He would pretend to be in control of everything to take advantage of the situation he had gotten himself into.

The figure veiled by the gray mist gave a mysterious smile.

— It was an attempt.

— An attempt… — Audrey muttered to herself quietly.

Just one attempt and they were dragged to that dazzling place without any resistance!

An attempt… — To her, something like this was simply surreal and completely unimaginable. Audrey could never have imagined that something like this would happen to her.

An attempt? An attempt to kidnap us to this place? That doesn't even fit into the realm of possibility in the Beyonder world… In fact, it does… And it's a man…? No, it's not a human being at all… — Medici quickly connected all his trains of thought to come to this conclusion. He became cautious, but he didn't look directly at the face of that being that was covered by the thick gray mist.

He didn't say a single word, just silently looking at the people around him as he patiently waited for some reaction.

Alger and Solveig watched silently from their seats, knowing that they should not speak but wait to gather information without trying anything reckless.

Audrey looked again with a doubt growing in her heart and could not help but ask:

— What should we call you?

What should you call me? — Zhou Mingriu thought deeply about this question and something came to his mind.

— You can call me...

— The Fool.

The huge castle fell silent again, with shock and surprise spreading through the minds of the four, who shivered unconsciously in confusion.

The card number 0, The Fool.

A card that represents the beginning with infinite possibilities!

The Fool... — they let out a deep sigh in their hearts.

Audrey smiled gracefully, seeing a possibility in front of her that she probably would not have again.

— Ladies and gentlemen, I am very curious about the supernatural! Do you know how to become a Beyonder? 

Suddenly, all the horror she felt disappeared.

 Alger glanced at Audrey as if he was evaluating her before saying:

— You could start by trying to join an official organization like the Order Hunters or the Church of Midnight. Of course, MI9 wouldn't be an option right now and neither would the Church of Storms, however the Church of Midnight, the Church of Steam and Machinery, the Order of Twilight and the would certainly accept you after some evaluation and judgment. Of course, if you follow this path, know that there is no turning back and it may cause your death in an unimaginable way. Even if you become part of an organization, you will no longer have control over your own life or your own actions.

— You can also become a clandestine Beyonder among the many that exist hidden in Backlund.

— However, if you choose to be a clandestine Beyonder, you may go through many dangers. After all, if an official Beyonder finds out about this, it could even end in your death or imprisonment underground with sealed artifacts used for experiments, depending on the case. Becoming a Beyonder has many hidden dangers such as never being able to be as free as before. — Solveig explained calmly before looking at her carefully as if observing her reaction.

Audrey looked at everyone with knowledge of the words spoken and said:

— I know about all of this, but isn't there another way?

Medici laughed before pushing himself off the bronze seat and said:

— They must have forgotten to tell you, do you know why not everyone was willing to become a Beyonder even though they were in the organizations?

Audrey shook her head in response. Since she wasn't part of any organization, she didn't even have a rough idea of the answer.

Medici leaned back on the bronze seat and said unhurriedly:

— It's because they don't want to go crazy. Madness isn't simply death as others think, it's you and at the same time it will never be you.

— There's no way to become a Beyonder without sacrifices and if you don't agree, it's better not to even try to join the mysterious world. Maybe you can turn to the ancient families of the Fourth Epoch that have potions, the official organizations or the Seven Orthodox Churches, otherwise you should look for the secret organizations.

 — Even so, there is a lot to deal with after this, madness, the unknown and dozens of other hidden dangers. Perhaps a simple key to a ruin will trigger a catastrophe, a single person can become a vortex of problems behind the curtains, even the simplest case has the chance of having thousands of different layers. 

She straightened slightly with a sparkle in her eyes and asked without hiding her curiosity:

— Do the Churches and the official organizations have a partnership? Uh... I can pay a considerable amount for that information.

Medici looked at her for a few seconds before saying:

— No, the Church of Midnight and the Order of Twilight have a mutual hatred for the Church of Combat, which hates them equally, just as the Hunters of the Order have a mortal hatred for MI9. Hehe, there is no need for any of them to like each other, as long as they can coexist together.

 —The Church of Storms, the Church of the Blazing Sun, and the Church of Knowledge and Wisdom can't even maintain a friendly relationship like the Church of Steam and Machinery and the Mentors of Abolition. In fact, the ones who have the most friendly relationship are between the Church of Midnight, the Order of Twilight, and the Hunters of the Order

Audrey smiled with joy overflowing from her face and asked:

— Is 100 pounds enough?

Medici frowned slightly before nodding. 

100 pounds? It was raining money yesterday and I didn't notice? My brother would die of fright if he heard something like that… — Solveig couldn't help but be impressed by the unimaginable amount Audrey was offering as if it seemed like nothing.

 That could sustain someone for a lifetime!

Poor Benson... He wouldn't be able to resist if he heard her talking about it so calmly. — Zhou Mingriu also sighed inwardly after hearing the amount.

 — So, is there more to the relationship and essence of the Churches as well as the official organizations? Like a possible older history? And why do they hate each other or is there a deeper connection? — Audrey curiously asked with a cheerful look.  

With some thoughts in mind, Medici smiled and replied:

— I couldn't tell you much about the Churches or the Order of Twilight, the Order Hunters or MI9 now, since they've been around for so long that there are almost no records that indicate anything concrete. Some would call this hiding history and others blasphemy.

— The Church of Midnight is mainly the great pillar of order in the kingdom when it comes to catastrophes and mysteries. It's existed since before any records so there's no exact age, but it's not as they believe. I must say that they are really very competent in what they do, especially when it comes to secrets.

— It's not known when the Order Hunters began to exist. They serve with their lives the purpose of being the military alongside the Churches without ties to the royal family, the nobles and the king. Its members, the Mentors of Abolition, are the ones who started the trials in the Beyonder world and ended them, but they also investigate cases more deeply.

 — The Church of Storms has a bad habit of being very reckless in anything, so I wouldn't be affiliated with such a place, and besides, there's also that senseless discrimination, they've forgotten about education for everyone, especially for the other churches. Besides their duty as protectors of the sea on the borders, there's not much to be said other than their dominance over the seas and in the colonies or their hatred for the followers of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom and the Eternal Burning Sun. 

— Even though it may seem like it, the Order of Twilight doesn't and never had any belief in the God of Combat, in fact they are very close to the Church of Midnight as partners. The principle of all Guardians of the Dawn is to defend the reality and mysteries of the dawn, but there's no exact definition for that. 

He continued calmly explaining about all the other Churches as well as some details of ancient history, without forgetting to mention some parts of the Age of Steam. 

— I'll add another 500 pounds for all the information you gave me. Where should I deliver this money? — Audrey asked, stunned and excited at having received so much information.

Alger and Solveig stared at her for a moment, stunned.

Medici stared at her for a moment.

— At the Bar of the Brave, Iron Gate Street in the Backlund Bridge area. Ask someone to deliver it to a red-eyed boy named Ian and there's no need to mention anything else, he'll know what it means. —

At that moment, Solveig narrowed her eyes slightly without anyone noticing.

Maybe that could solve her current problem.

— Ladies and gentlemen, do you have any way to deliver an artifact to St. Samuel's Cathedral in the North Borough? — she asked with a calm look.

Alger deliberated for a moment and said:

— Yes, but I won't be able to do that because of some issues I'm dealing with right now, so maybe I can do it in a week or two.

Audrey didn't say anything about it, she couldn't do it without getting a trustworthy person to deliver this artifact that seemed to be something important from the way Solveig had said it.

Maybe she could help if she became a Beyonder, but there was nothing she could do for now.

 Medici smiled before saying:

— I have a way to deliver this artifact, I just need the place where you will deliver it so you can take it. My price will be 60 pounds.

Solveig sighed internally in her heart, with the presence of someone stronger witnessing her exchanges there was nothing to worry about as much as before, but caution was never too much.

She thought for a few seconds and made up her mind.

— Okay, it could be at the Bar of the Brave.

Fortunately, Solveig had already been there some time ago to get some documents, so it could be said that she was familiar with the environment of the Bar of the Brave.

A place where one must be very careful at all times, especially with one's words.

At that moment, Alger turned to Audrey, seeing that the negotiation was over.

— I have the formula for Sequence 9 of the Spectator, Sailor and Reader path. Do you want any? — he asked, apparently without interest.

 Audrey was surprised at first, but soon began to think deeply about this issue.

Alger explained to her in detail about Sequence 9 of each path without rushing, so that there was no confusion in her choice.

After a few seconds of silence, Audrey smiled cheerfully:

— I choose the path of the Spectator. I really liked that description, I think it suits me better.

After a few more conversations, the negotiations ended in a way that was advantageous to all involved.

Audrey smiled graciously at the Fool and asked a question:

— Mr. Fool, could you do a few more of these attempts like this? They could be very useful at some point.

— Mr. Fool, with the knowledge we can gather, it wouldn't be difficult to exchange knowledge to help each other in some situations, we could even exchange it to obtain other important information. — Medici had also been interested in such a proposal for some time.

After a moment, Alger also joined in the attempts of insistence:

— We are all different people from different places with all kinds of connections. We could carry out missions according to your requests that we are capable of completing.

— Mr.... Well, he is right — Solveig quickly nodded, having already reached this conclusion a long time ago — With so much mobility in certain different places, we can certainly carry out missions that are within our capabilities and we still have information on various subjects that could be very useful due to the diversity that each of us has.

After some more insistence, the Fool still seemed indifferent and gave some instructions, indicating that he agreed with what they had asked.

 — Since we'll be meeting every Monday, we'll choose code names like the ones on the tarot cards. — Audrey smiled graciously — My code name will be "Justice."

— The Force — Solveig stated confidently.

— The Hanged Man — Alger glanced at the other members.

— The Chariot — Medici gave a cheeky smile.