Chapter 64

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After giving Susie her orders, Audrey paced around her room, still a little worried. She, too, was uncertain whether the ritualistic magic she was attempting today would yield any odd results.

“How about this...?” Her eyes grew calm as she reviewed the imagined process from the vantage of a bystander. Soon, she devised a new arrangement.

Audrey unlocked the door to her bedroom and said to Susie, “Susie, stand guard here. If Annie and the rest try to barge in, immediately go to the bathroom and inform me.” To prevent any accidents, her lady’s maid kept the key to unlock the door.

Susie gave her a knowing look and wagged her tail three times.

“Very good. I’ll let you choose anything you want for lunch today!” Audrey pumped her fist gently.

After exhorting Susie, she went into the bathroom. The square bathtub measured three to four meters on each side. Clear water rippled gently within it, with white steam rising to create a hazy scene.

Audrey removed the many bottles and jars from a large rectangular table, then returned to her room to carry in the candles, sacrificial items, and a long white chemise. Once everything was in place, she closed the bathroom door.

She heaved a sigh of relief and picked up a translucent, light-blue vial about the size of her palm, which sat beside the four candles.

The cylindrical bottle shimmered dreamily in the light; it contained the ceremonial oils she had distilled yesterday. As an enthusiast of mysticism, she had no shortage of research on such items—she had made many different extracts, flower essences, solid perfumes, essential oils, and incense herself. Thus, she quickly completed the initial preparations according to The Fool’s instructions.

“Moonflowers, gold mint, slumber flowers, bergamot, and cistus... What a peculiar concoction...,” Audrey mumbled quietly. “Oh, one must cleanse one’s body and calm the mind before engaging in ritualistic magic. This is a form of reverence to the divine—uh, to the target.”

After reviewing the entire process in her mind, she placed the ceremonial elixir beside the bathtub, then reached out and began removing the clothes she’d been wearing. Silk garments fell into the laundry basket one after another. Audrey coiled her hair into a bun and tested the water’s temperature with her hand. Then she carefully stepped into the bathtub, allowing her body to slowly sink into the water’s warm embrace.

“Phew...” She exhaled comfortably, feeling the warmth spread over her. She felt unusually relaxed.

I don't even want to move a single finger...Audrey forcibly summoned her energy as she picked up the translucent, light-blue bottle and dripped a few drops into the water.

A waft of fragrance filled the room, breaking the silence with a refreshing scent. Audrey breathed in deeply several times and nodded in satisfaction.

“Not bad. It’s very pleasant.

“How relaxing. How comfortable...

“I don’t want to move at all. All I wish is to lie here quietly...

“Quietly, quietly... Qui...etly...”

After losing her sense of time, Audrey suddenly heard barking.

She opened her eyes in shock, looking left and right in a daze.

She had no idea when Susie had opened the door and entered. The golden retriever was squatting outside the bathtub, watching her in exasperation.

As Audrey rubbed the corners of her eyes, she realized that the water had cooled considerably.

“Did...did I fall asleep?” she blurted.

Susie regarded her silently, neither barking nor wagging her tail.

“Ha-ha, the effect of that ceremonial elixir is truly remarkable. Mm-hmm, really remarkable!” Audrey chuckled dryly in a cheerful tone as she explained.

She stood up, retrieved a towel, and, while wrapping and drying her body, said to the golden retriever beside her, “Susie, continue keeping watch. Do not let Annie and the rest come in!”

Only when the golden retriever left did she stick out her tongue guiltily, toss her towel aside, and pull on a clean white chemise.

After closing the bathroom door, Audrey recalled the ritual she had memorized.

She picked up the four candles and placed them on the four corners of the table.

A loaf of white bread at the top left corner and a bowl of Feynapotter noodles at the top right corner. Smells great, though it's a little cold now... No! This isn't the time to think about that! Paella at the bottom left and a Desi pie at the bottom right...

Audrey carefully set up the altar according to The Fools descriptions, shaking her head twice during the process. After finishing the preparations, she lit the candles one by one, then picked up a silver knife and stabbed it into a pile of coarse salt. She recited the sacred incantation in Hermes before withdrawing the knife and placing it into a cup filled with clear water.

She then focused her mind, retrieved the silver “sacred blade,” and meditated on the image of her spirituality spreading out and emanating from the tip of the blade.

Invisible energy poured forth as Audrey held the knife and circled the altar once. She felt as though a spiritual wall had been fully erected around her, keeping all uncleanliness and distractions outside.

Maintaining her Spectator state, she did not allow her excitement or joy to interfere with the ritual. She set the silver knife aside and picked up the crystalline vial of light blue liquid, applying one drop to each candle.

Szzzzt!

A faint fragrance emanated as Audrey’s body, mind, and soul reached a state of tranquility. She drew a quiet breath, lowered her head in reverence, and began chanting the incantation in Hermes:

“The Fool not of this era,

“You are the mysterious ruler above the gray fog,

“You are the King of Yellow and Black and the Lord of Good Luck, “I pray for your help.

“I pray for your favor.

“I pray for you to give me a good dream.

“Oh, slumber flower, herb of the crimson moon, please bestow your powers to my incantation.

“Oh, bergamot, herb of the sun, please bestow your powers to my incantation.”

...

After chanting, just as she planned to meditate on the contents of her plea, she felt a stir within the spiritual wall. A dark red star began swirling on the back of her hand. Her heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly closed her eyes, steadying her emotions as she sincerely shaped her plea in her mind. When she opened her eyes again, Audrey surveyed her surroundings but found nothing out of the ordinary.

“Is that all?” she murmured to herself, lightly knitting her eyebrows.

...

The King of Yellow and Black and the Lord of Good Luck... The Fool not of this era...

In the captain’s quarters on theBlue Avenger,Alger Wilson—dressed in his Church of Storms robe—silently recited the three lines of address he had heard that afternoon. He appeared to be searching for clues as to who the entity might be.

He shook his head and stood up, a little agitated, but ultimately did nothing. Alger was not at ease about theBlue Avenger—the ancient relic from the Tudor Dynasty. Although he had already seized control of the ship, he had a feeling it still held many secrets, much like the Blood Emperor had. Therefore, he had used the ship’s protective ability to test The Fool’s powers, yet he wouldn’t attempt any unknown ritualistic magic on board.

After mulling it over for a few minutes, Alger went out onto the deck and said to the handful of crew members, “We will be reaching the Rorsted Archipelago soon. We will anchor there for a day.”

The crew immediately responded in unison, “Thank you, My Lord!”

Because the ghost ship required so few sailors, the crew never had to worry about supplies; they enjoyed fresh food and clean water daily. However, the ceaseless days at sea and the nearly unchanging vistas exhausted them both physically and mentally. It felt as though they were always repressing something, holding back until they eventually lost control.

The Rorsted Archipelago was a famous colony on the Sonia Sea. Its commercial sector was booming, encompassing all kinds of trades.

“I can’t wait!” a crewman exclaimed, thrusting his hips and letting out a knowing laugh that all the men seemed to understand.

...

On the coach heading toward Jutland Street, Klein was reading the newspapers leisurely when he suddenly blinked, as if he’d heard an ethereal voice calling to him from afar. Shapeless murmurs resounded in his mind, making his forehead throb uncontrollably. The indecipherable voices vanished as quickly as they had come—in just ten seconds, they were gone. Klein pinched his forehead, resisting the throbbing pain deep in his brain.

Is this the murmur of unknown entities that Old Neil mentioned? A result of enhanced spiritual perception?Thoughts flashed through

Klein’s mind as he suddenly saw four black dots subtly rise on the back of his right hand. They appeared inconspicuous—as if they were natural moles. Yet these four black dots, a residue of the luck-enhancement ritual, quickly sank back into his skin, fading until they vanished.

Klein looked at his hand in surprise. He now had another theory about what had just happened.

Is Justice or The Hanged Man attempting the ritualistic magic I gave them?

Did my idea work?

Can just reciting those three lines truly pierce the mysterious space above the gray fog and point precisely to me?

But I'm far from powerful enough. I can't hear the contents of their prayers... I wonder if the message is being “stored” above the gray fog...

Hmm, I should go in tonight to confirm.

Klein felt both apprehensive and excited. He quickly raised his newspaper to hide his expression before anyone could see the change on his face.

Soon, he arrived at Jutland Street and entered Blackthorn Security Company. Before he could greet Rosanne, Klein saw Captain Dunn Smith walk out through the partition. He held a piece of paper with a portrait on it.

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“Here, you can take a look at this internal arrest warrant, too. An unusually cruel and ruthless Beyonder has entered Tingen.” Hatless and dressed in his black trench coat, Dunn swept his gaze over and handed the paper to Klein as he passed by.

When Klein glanced at it, the first thing that caught his eye was a portrait sketch. Its subject was a boy with a round, amiable face that had a tiny hint of bashfulness, and he looked no older than nineteen.

“This is Tris, suspected to be a Beyonder. The preliminary estimate is that he’s a Sequence Eight Instigator, but we are not eliminating the possibility that the Theosophy Order is behind it. He caused the bloodbath on theAlfalfa...According to witness testimony, he came to Tingen after leaving Enmat Harbor. His current whereabouts are unknown...”

Tris... TheAlfalfa...So the culprit was a Beyonder?

Klein suddenly recalled yesterday’s dream analysis and what Joyce Meyer had told him. He immediately said, “Captain, I know one of the people involved. He might be an important witness.”

“I know—Joyce Meyer. I was asked to assist the Machinery Hivemind unit last night and saw you in Joyce’s dream. I also confirmed, from many details, that Tris singlehandedly orchestrated the tragedy on theAlfalfa.” Captain Dunn Smith chuckled, his gray eyes calm and untroubled.

Ugh, Captain... Thankfully yesterday was my day off, so he didn't catch me acting as Seer during working hours...

Klein groused internally, the horror of almost being caught slacking by his direct superior still fresh in his mind.

Instead, he asked, “Which Sequence is Instigator? And what kind of organization is the Theosophy Order?”

Was instigating people to kill each other a method Tris used to eliminate the side effects of the potion, or was it a prerequisite for advancement through the Sequence?

Dunn paused for a few seconds before replying, “Actually, it’s about time you learned the relevant information regarding Beyonders and hidden cults. Don’t listen to Old Neil and bury your head in historical literature all the time.”

Captain, weren't you the one who recruited me to be your “history expert''?Klein thought, but he didn’t dare point it out. Instead, he nodded earnestly. “All right.”