Sebastian noticed the movement first, Arthus's left hand twitching, not aimlessly this time, but with effort, reaching toward the slate on the bedside table. The board had become their lifeline. He placed it gently in front of him, voice calm. "Alright, Master. One letter at a time."
He recited the alphabet slowly, evenly. "A… B… C…"
A blink.
"Alright. Next, A… B… P…"
Another blink.
"C… P…" Sebastian's eyes narrowed slightly as he worked it out. Letter by letter, Arthus painstakingly blinked out the word.
"Package," Sebastian read aloud once they'd reached the end. "You're expecting something?"
Arthus blinked once, firmly.
Sebastian nodded. "Do you want me to look for it? Where?"
He began again. "A… B… C…"
It was slower this time. The effort was wearing on Arthus, his fingers trembled slightly, and the muscles along his brow tensed from the concentration. But the word came together nonetheless.
"Church," Sebastian murmured as the letters emerged. "Earth…"
Another pause. The next word took longer. It was unfamiliar, longer than most Arthus had attempted so far.
"…M… O… T… H… E… R."
"Church of the Earth Mother?"
Arthus blinked again, twice. Urgent.
Sebastian swallowed. Whatever this package was, it wasn't just an ordinary delivery. And if it had something to do with the Earth Mother… he would need to be careful. Very careful.
But there was no hesitation in his voice when he said, "I'll find it, Master. I promise"
The last blink came with effort sluggish, almost pained and then his eye slipped shut, not in rest, but something heavier. Final. The tension in his brow eased all at once, like a string pulled too tight finally snapping.
Sebastian leaned forward sharply, watching for the rise and fall of Arthus's chest. It was there steady, shallow but the awareness was gone. He wasn't sleeping. He had fallen unconscious.
The toll of even those few words had drained him completely. Sebastian pressed a hand gently to Arthus's wrist, feeling the pulse beneath his skin, faint but present. Relief mingled with worry.
He picked up the slate with care, reading the chalked words again. Package. Church of the Earth Mother. Whatever it meant, it had cost Arthus more than strength.
…
Sebastian stood silently by the window, one hand resting on the drape, the other still faintly chalk-smudged from the morning's attempt at communication. It had been a week since Master Arthus had blinked out, with immense effort, something about a "package" and the "Church of Mother Earth."
Since then, Sebastian had waited, every day, every hour, expecting a knock, a letter, any sign of a delivery that never came. Monday had returned, cold and dull, yet the front steps remained untouched. Arthus, meanwhile, had grown worse.
Even their painstaking exchanges, Sebastian reciting the alphabet, pausing after each letter, waiting for a blink had become grueling. The last message had left Arthus pale and shaking, a thin sheen of sweat on his brow, his breathing labored as if the effort had drained days from him. Still, Sebastian waited, chalk always at the ready, hope quietly anchored to the name of a church he'd never had reason to visit until now.
…
Backlund, Empress Borough.
Audrey lifted her dress as she quickly walked towards her bedroom.
Suddenly, she felt something and looked sideways at the shadow sitting on the balcony. As expected, she saw her golden retriever, Susie, who was sitting there in silence, observing her as always.
Audrey sighed and drew a crimson moon on her chest.
She then got closer and looked down at her golden retriever from a commanding position.
"Susie, that's not right. This is peeping. A Spectator has to observe in an open manner"
The golden retriever lifted its head to look at its owner and shook its tail.
After nagging her dog, Audrey didn't delay any further and continued walking towards her bedroom again.
In the few seconds of opening and closing the door, she suddenly had a weird idea.
"I wonder if Mr. Fool would allow Susie to enter that mysterious space. Then, there would be four members in the Tarot Gathering! And all of them would be Beyonders!
"No way, Susie can't talk. If they were to let her express her opinion and share her thoughts, what would she do? Woof woof woof? Howl howl? Eww, why am I mimicking a dog's bark here…
Just imagining such a scene feels really strange. A mysterious and solemn gathering with the sudden barking of a dog... Mr. Fool would definitely kick us out of the Tarot Gathering directly…"
Audrey locked the door and sat by the side of her bed.
She took out a piece of old yellowish-brown paper from underneath her pillow.
She read it repeatedly and entered her Spectator state.
…
In a particular area of the Sonia Sea, an old sailboat which was in pursuit of the Listener had already left the Rorsted Archipelago.
Seafarer Alger Wilson was worried that the wall clock's machinery would malfunction, so he entered the captain's cabin about half an hour earlier in case he had misjudged the time which would cause his subordinate to see him getting pulled into the Tarot Gathering.
In front of him was a glass of nearly transparent liquor.
The rich aroma swirled strand after strand into his nostrils.
Alger trembled once again when he thought of the impending Gathering, the boundless fog that presented itself in front of him in the hotel's corridor, and the mysterious Fool who sat in the middle of the gray fog.
…
Arthus was trying his best to stay awake to be pulled into the mysterious hall shrouded by that gray fog. After some ardent waiting, his wish was finally answered.
…
Above the gray fog, gigantic stone columns held up a majestic divine hall.
Three dark red blobs extended out into faint human figures by the side of the ancient mottled bronze table.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Fool" Augmented with a blurry effect, Audrey greeted him with a bow and smiled. "It is unfortunate that there is no wine here; otherwise, we could have a toast to your successful trial"
She was referring to the ritualistic magic.
"You are more powerful than we imagined," Alger Wilson praised as well.
Since Arthus had not played a part in the group task of performing the ritual since he was still bedridden, he remained silent. He was thinking though, if he successfully manages to get cured with the help of the Church of Mother Earth, he will genuinely become 'Her' follower.
Klein was surrounded by the thick fog as usual. He pressed down with his right arm and spoke with his normal tone, replying as though it was natural.
"Great, this means that we are on the path of excellence. If you have any matters to tend to that leave you unable to attend the gathering on Mondays, conduct the ritual and inform me. All you have to do is change the line in the incantation 'I pray for a good dream' with the reason"
"Alright," Audrey quickly agreed. "Mr. Fool, I obtained another page of Emperor Roselle's diary. I believe I still owe you one page"
"I was away from land this week and haven't found any new pages" Alger placed his right hand near his chest and bowed in apology.
"You can also expect more pages from me when I'm cured from my condition Mr. Fool!" said Arthus not apologetic unlike Alger since he was being genuine. He could really not do anything!
To this Mr Fool replied "No matter. I expected my request to take a long time" He then leaned back into his chair and tapped the armrest with his index finger. He looked at Miss Justice and said,
"You can express the contents of the diary now"
Audrey bowed slightly and said, "As you wish"
A pen suddenly appeared before her. She recalled the symbols that she had memorized and tried her best to transcribe them.
In seconds, she saw that the goatskin was already filled with content. The strange symbols neatly covered the entire page.
After checking the contents, she put down the fountain pen and said, "It's done"
Klein raised his hand and the goatskin parchment appeared in his palm.
Shifting his gaze down, he started reading without emotion.
"July 9th. I suddenly thought of an interesting question.
Since the Sequence pathways are also called the 'Blessings of The Divinities' or 'Pathways of The Divinities', then why would the stone slate that records the completed twenty-two Sequence pathways be called the 'Blasphemy Slate'. Blasphemy, what an interesting term... Just who is the one blasphemed?
"And who created the Blasphemy Slate? How could that person hold all of the Sequence pathways? Just what other information was on the stone? I really want to see it…"
Reading this entry, he couldn't help but think of 'The High Priestess' who had claimed to have seen an incomplete version of the Blasphemy Slate'. He continued reading.
While Mr Fool was reading the diary, Audrey looked over and began observing him out of habit.
However, her field of vision was completely obscured by the thick fog.
Momentarily taken aback, Audrey snapped back to her senses and turned her head frantically to look at the other illusory dark red star.
I was too reckless, too insolent, too foolish in trying to observe Mr. Fool... I was lucky, lucky that he isn't angry.
Audrey stuck out her tongue secretly and pretended to admire the scenery. She was just short of humming a lively tune.
Alger sat silently, his gaze never leaving the long bronze table. He knew his place, as if he was in the presence of a true god.
After a while, Mr Fool finished reading and said "Sorry for the wait"
"It is our honor" Audrey was still shocked, forgetting that she was a Spectator.
She looked at The Hanged Man and organized her words.
"Where can I find the Psychology Alchemists?"
The Hanged Man, Alger Wilson shook his head and said, "Miss Justice, firstly, I don't have a clue.
Secondly, I don't think there's any rush in seeking out the Psychology Alchemists. What you should focus on now is completely digesting the Spectator potion"
"Yes Miss Justice, Mr Hanged Man is correct, at the higher sequences of the spectator pathway, you will get the abilities of mind reading, hypnosis, alter memories of someone, make them do things that you want them to do without them knowing.
Your sequence is too low and if you try to actively look for them, you'll attract their attention in a negative way. Remember, every organisation has multiple beyonders of higher sequences, mainly demigods.
The best solution would be to let them approach you naturally, since you are still digesting the spectator pathway" Mr Priestess also added with more context giving his opinion on the matter.