Chapter 23: Chapter 23: The Lover of Justice
"Mr. Black," Audrey introduced herself confidently as she sat beside Ashes, "My name is Audrey Hall."
Her earlier observation had reinforced her suspicion that this gentleman was very likely the "Lover." This realization both excited and made Audrey anxious. She was thrilled to encounter a member of the Tarot Club in reality so soon, but also nervous because she wasn't sure of Ashes' true identity. As an Observer, she knew she shouldn't have approached so hastily, as it broke her role and made her the center of attention. However, her strong curiosity had driven her to take the initiative.
By the time she realized her impulsiveness, it was too late to retreat. From Ashes' knowledge about the Church of EverNight discussed at the Tarot Club, he seemed to be an Beyonder affiliated with the church. Even if he wasn't, he must have a significant connection with the church, given that he had "connections" to obtain potion formulas from them.
"Hello, Miss Hall," Ashes responded, giving her a polite nod and inquiring, "How can I help you?"
He recognized her as the girl who had secretly observed him at the racetrack last time.
"No, I was just curious," Audrey said, pointing to the rings on Ashes fingers. "I wanted to know the origin of these rings, or rather, if they have any special significance?"
"I'm sorry," Ashes replied with an apologetic look, "but I know very little about these rings myself, as I'm just a novice in this area."
"Well then, Mr. Black, would you mind explaining a bit about them?" Audrey smiled sweetly, with a hint of teasing and mischief in her eyes. At this moment, she was almost certain that Black was indeed the Lover, as their way of speaking and voice were nearly identical.
"The Lover is as modest as ever," Audrey thought to herself.
"What do you want to know?" Ashes pondered for a moment before spreading his hands in inquiry.
"Well, for example, this one," Audrey eagerly pointed to the ring with a cat motif on his little finger.
"The Silver Cat Ring," Ashes began, "crafted in the likeness of a leaping cat. In the age of gods, or rather when gods still walked the earth, it is said there was an ancient cat that could speak human language, sounding like an old woman, an immortal cat like an illusion."
"Eh?" Audrey blinked, waiting for Ashes to continue, but he didn't. "And then? What happened to the immortal cat?" She had thought this was just the beginning of the story, but it turned out to be the end.
"Like I said," Ashes met her puzzled look, "I know very little about it."
"And what about these two?" Audrey puffed her cheeks, not believing Ashes' words. She thought he was deliberately leaving the story unfinished and pointed to the two rings with snake motifs.
"The Greedy Gold Snake Ring and the Greedy Silver Snake Ring," Ashes continued, "Snakes are degenerate dragons. These gold rings are crafted in the likeness of snakes, known for their ability to swallow prey larger than themselves, infamous for their extreme greed. Sometimes, to compensate for the dissatisfaction with imposed shackles, one must fulfill their desires."
Seeing that Ashes again stopped midway, Audrey's cheeks puffed up even more in protest. Why did he always speak half-truths?
"Then," Audrey shifted her approach and pointed to another ring, "What about this one? What does it do?"
The ring in question had intricate hollow patterns and, because it was hollow and without any ornamental protrusions, it looked the plainest—or rather, the cheapest.
"The Sun Princess Ring, it slowly heals injuries."
"Slowly heals..." Audrey was momentarily stunned. She realized something was amiss. While she was certain that "Ash Black" was the "Lover," to him, she should appear just as a curious, slightly troublesome noble lady. So why was he seriously explaining the ring's function?
Just as she thought this, Audrey had a bad premonition. The next second, she heard Ashes quietly ask, "Any more questions, Miss Justice?"
His voice wasn't loud, just enough for Audrey to hear, but it startled her greatly. Her plan to tease Ashes and pretend to be a "spoiled princess" instantly fell apart.
"Justice...?" Audrey muttered weakly, "Mr. Ash, when did you recognize me?"
"From the beginning," Ashes replied, closing his book and glancing at Audrey's face—or more accurately, the top of her head.
[Justice] Audrey Hall With such a large emblem, it was hard not to recognize.
However, remembering that he was just an apprentice, Ashes humbly added, "I had some suspicions from the start. After all, a noble lady with golden hair is quite distinctive."
"Also, Miss Hall kept observing me, as if she already knew me. But I haven't been in the capital for long, and I pride myself on my memory. I'm certain I hadn't met Miss Hall before."
"And after the racetrack, Viscount Glaint suddenly invited me. Although I had attended his gatherings before, I wasn't particularly popular. He shouldn't have invited me again."
"So, it must have been Miss Hall's doing, trying to approach or test me with some purpose."
"Based on this information, it was natural to link Miss Hall with Justice."
"..." Audrey Hall felt dejected, "Really, Mr. Ash, are you an Spectator too?"
According to Ashes' explanation, hadn't she exposed herself?
"No," Ashes shook his head calmly, "I did have the option to choose the Spectator sequence initially, but I gave it up."
"Give up..." Audrey felt complicated. She didn't have a choice. There was also the Sailor path, but that was out of the question, so she only had the Spectator option from the start.
"May I ask," Audrey cautiously inquired, "Mr. Ash, how many options did you have initially?"
"Sixteen," Ashes glanced at her and answered.
"Sixteen..." Audrey's mouth fell open, her feelings complicated as she lowered her head. She didn't want to talk anymore.
There were only 22 sequences in total, and most people would consider it a great fortune to obtain even one sequence's potion. But Ashes had 16 options! Sixteen in total! And you say you're just an ordinary fallen noble from the border?
PS: The protagonist can't see everyone's name. In other words, not everyone's name qualifies to be shown. Just like in a game, showing a name and health bar at least means a boss, or it could be an invader or important NPC. (Chapter end)