"The Black Emperor"? As the lady of Justice was casually recounting the "Emperor reversed," the man suddenly lifted his gaze, his eyes instinctively sharpening. He had just learned that the card held by the gentleman known as "The Fool" was one of the "Sacred Cards" crafted by Emperor Rossel—the very card named "The Black Emperor!" Was there any connection between this and "The Fool"? "The Hanged Man," Aljé, quickly glanced at the gentleman seated at the very head of the bronze long table, then lowered his head again. If this were indeed a work of the "Fool's" patron, then the matter must be far from ordinary. Aljé listened intently to the lady of Justice's further description. The magician, Fols, who had already learned of this matter from Houx and harbored suspicions, quietly observed the "Fool" with a keen eye, hoping to discern the truth in his subtle reactions. Yet, within the thick gray mist, the "Fool" remained as calm and composed as ever. Audrey, equally unimpressed, paused and continued: "The victim was wealthy Captain Capin, widely rumored to be the largest human trafficker in Beckland. The Robin Hood, 'Black Emperor,' infiltrated his manor, took his life, and rescued the many innocent young women imprisoned in the basement. When Capin's body was discovered, it was covered by a set of Tarot cards—his face bearing the cards 'Judgment' and 'Emperor.'" She omitted the details about the safe, as she considered them unimportant. Covered by Tarot cards? Is that our Tarot Circle's emblem? Hold on—"human trafficker"—that phrase struck Alje, keenly attentive. He turned thoughtfully toward the head of the bronze long table, respectfully asking: "Mr. 'The Fool,' did Captain Capin have any connection to the colonial slave disappearances?" The latter was a task assigned to him by the Church of the Storm. He had previously identified a suspect named Barren and had requested the assistance of the "Justice," "Magician," and "World" factions in Beckland to keep an eye on the matter. Thus, upon hearing the term "human trafficker," Aljer immediately sensed a connection between it and the recent disappearances of several tribes across the southern continent, as well as the growing number of enslaved people fleeing from the islands of Sunya Sea. He believed only something involving hidden secrets would capture the interest of the "Ace of Wands" himself. Of course, it was also possible that the actions of the "Ace of Wands'" followers were independent—after all, he could not possibly wait for every initiative to be orchestrated, like a mere puppet. Aljer thought of himself as the "Hanged Man." Is Capin connected to the recent wave of slave disappearances in the colonies? After all, it's not impossible—there are four extraordinary beings residing within his villa, which is itself highly unusual. For a man of his wealth, even if he manages to secure extraordinary beings as bodyguards, he'd likely have no more than one Sequence 7, plus two Sequence 8s or 9s. At that time, the one named Heralis, including his magical artifacts, was equivalent to a Sequence 5 strength. The "Hanged Man"'s words reminded Kline, and suddenly, several connections came to mind, making him feel that the events were beginning to align. Yet, he couldn't be certain of his hypothesis, so he simply skipped over the "Hanged Man"'s question, smiled lightly and said, "My followers made only a minor contribution to this matter." Indeed! "Justice" Odile's eyes sparkled with quiet delight in her heart. Indeed—this is the first time in reality that I've encountered something directly related to the Tarot Circle. "Magician" Folshe felt both delighted and awed. "Pendragon" Alje believes that the remarks of the "Rider" indirectly confirm his own intuition: Captain Cappin, this merchant of human beings, is far from ordinary—otherwise, why would a hidden, concealed Custodian intervene? An extraordinary merchant of people, likely connected in some way to the equally extraordinary disappearance of slaves. Before "Justice" could speak, the "Rider" Caine lightly tapped the edge of the ancient long table, his tone composed and serene, adding: "He has inherited two remarkable traits from two exceptional figures in this matter—hoping to sell them swiftly. One corresponds to the sequence-8 position of 'Magistrate,' the other to the sequence-7 position of 'Inquisitor.'" Magistrate, Inquisitor—aren't these precisely the traits governed by the "Arbitrators" path of the Augustan family? Only royal members, ancient nobility, and military figures could attain them… So is Cappin connected to one of them? It's not out of the question that the Castile family of the Kingdom of Fennebault might be involved... "The Hanged Man" Aljeu furrowed his brow, growing more convinced that the missing slaves' case was far from simple. "Justice" Odile shared his growing skepticism—she had never expected the extraordinary beings within the Cardin villa to belong to the "Arbitrator" path. How could a power with access to the relevant formulas have colluded with Cardin, a mere slave trader? Odile pursed her lips, feeling both puzzled and bewildered. "The Constable?" "The Magician" Fols knew his friend Hoo was accumulating medicinal materials for this sequence, so he sat up straight and asked curiously, "Mr. The Fool, what are the extraordinary beings' inherited traits?" This wasn't what I anticipated—shouldn't they have asked about the amount in pounds right away? Indeed, I hadn't mentioned the laws of conservation and immortality of extraordinary traits to "The Magician" Miss yet... Klein paused slightly, then carefully adjusted his tone. And at that moment, "Justice" Audrey spoke up: "Mr. The Fool, may I answer this question? The compensation will be directly provided to you by me." She and Folshe were friends, and concerned that Mr. The Fool might refuse to share his knowledge on this matter, she had volunteered. "Certainly," said Caine with a smile. "Always ready to anticipate my needs, Miss Justice..." he thought to himself. Inhale—Audrey silently exhaled, then turned to Folshe, deliberately avoiding the noble pronunciation and specialized terms: "Would you like to know the answer? What would you like to offer in return?" Folshe immediately nodded: "Of course!" She turned to the shadowed figure veiled in gray mist, and respectfully asked: "Mr. The Fool, may I offer another chapter from my book, *The Chronicles of the Spirit Realm*, as compensation?" She specifically emphasized "the other" because she knew that the chapter on the "World" had to be sacrificed first to the " Fool," while knowledge that could be accessed at any time seemed to lack transactional value. This didn't mean she doubted that the "Fool"—such a divine figure—would read it; rather, she felt that dedicating a different chapter would convey greater sincerity. Sometimes, the most important thing a great figure cares about is simply your attitude. Folsen had seen such phrases in many novels. Leaning against the back of her chair, Caine responded with a casually indifferent tone: "Agreed." "Thank you, Mr. Fool." Folsen could hardly contain her smile. She instinctively felt that she would gain access to some hidden, higher-level knowledge! "Justice" Audrey, on the other hand, was completely reassured and smiled gently: "In the transcendent world, there exists such a law—remember, it's a law." Within the same pathway, the total quantity of extraordinary properties remains constant—neither decreasing nor increasing, but merely transferring from one thing to another, or transforming from one form to another. Therefore, after an extraordinary being passes away, their properties separate out, equivalent to the primary ingredient of a potion; as long as the corresponding auxiliary materials are known, the potion of that sequence can be prepared—except for the Unstable Ones, whose properties carry too many complications and can only be used as vessels. After an extraordinary being passes away, their properties separate out, equivalent to the primary ingredient of a potion? At that very instant, a lightning bolt surged through Folshe's mind, illuminating many things she had previously misunderstood. It was indeed her own extraordinary properties that Lady Anelisa had bequeathed to her—so each extraordinary being, in the eyes of others, is essentially a living ingredient. How dark this all truly is… Folshe's fists clenched tightly, feeling the very essence of the extraordinary world written in madness from the start. Yet, she did not feel any sense of nausea at having ascended due to the extraordinary traits bequeathed by Mrs. Anelisa—on the contrary, it gave her a gentle warmth. After losing her mother and before meeting Hugh, Mrs. Anelisa had been the most important person in her life. To inherit her legacy meant that she remained connected to herself, a bittersweet yet comforting experience. "Ah, so it is the law of conservation and immortality of extraordinary traits—meaning the essence bequeathed by an extraordinary person serving as a 'Constable' is equivalent to the entire primary ingredient of the potion?" Furse asked, seeking confirmation. "Yes," Audrey also thought of Hugh. The magician, Furse, immediately rose and bowed to the mysterious figure observing everything: "Mr. The Fool, could your attendant kindly preserve the extraordinary trait corresponding to the 'Constable' for one more week? I would like to purchase it, though my funds are currently insufficient. Would a week be enough?" "Certainly," Kline maintained an air as if he didn't care one bit about the matter. Furlth exhaled in relief and quickly asked, "How much would your associates expect in gold pounds?" Each item of the extraordinary material corresponding to Sequence 8 is roughly 300 pounds... Kline smiled and said, "Six hundred pounds." Immediately after stating the figure, he shifted the topic, demonstrating his complete indifference to the residual traits of extraordinary beings at the Sequence 8 level. He then glanced around, materializing several sheets of vellum and said, "These are the meanings of certain secret symbols from Rossil—free knowledge, intended to help you gather the diaries more effectively." This includes both the numerical and date components. Kline wanted to teach these insights to the Tarot Circle members to prevent them from falling for counterfeit products. Simply by examining the date component, one could already eliminate the majority of fakes... Kline smiled to himself, quietly. "Justice" Audrey and the others were exceptionally delighted, never expecting to achieve such a rewarding outcome—though they had already noticed that the secret symbols inscribed on the parchment were among the simplest, they all believed this marked a promising beginning, for with the first, there would surely come the second, and then the third! After further conversation, Caine spoke calmly, "Let us conclude our gathering here today." "In accordance with your wishes," Audrey, Alger, and the others rose simultaneously, each offering a bow. One by one, the deep crimson glows faded away, and the ancient palace atop the gray mist once again settled into quiet stillness, leaving only Caine seated alone in the high-backed chair belonging to "The Fool."