touchnovel Chapter 291 borne troubles that this sequence shouldn't have had to bear.
Chapter 291 borne troubles that this sequence shouldn't have had to bear.
Chapter 291 borne troubles that this sequence shouldn't have had to bear.
Klein, the "Fool" at the head of the long, weathered table, glanced down at Cyril sitting below... 45000 pounds, that's quite a sum to test one's heart.
Or should I discuss with him some information that isn't important for the selling point, like how Prince Edsac asked me to investigate myself?
As he drifted off into thought, Alger the Hanged Man continued, "There's another interesting rumor about that 'painter' who's been active at sea lately."
"What rumor?" "Justice" Audrey asked curiously.
Alger looked at Cyril, but the latter did not respond.
After a slight hesitation, he continued, "It is said that any portrait of him that circulates will inexplicably spontaneously combust, turn completely black, or lose all its contents."
"It has been confirmed that his portraits do indeed self-destruct, but the wanted posters in most places are still preserved."
"Therefore, some people suspect that he can monitor the surroundings through the portrait, which is why he deliberately left those wanted posters on the bulletin board."
"Because of this rumor, apart from the wanted posters on bulletin boards, there are almost no other images of him at sea."
"So mysterious?" Audrey looked slightly surprised.
In her mind, she reconnected Randolph, the "painter" wanted by the Storm Church at sea, with the "painter" who had organized the gathering she had attended before.
...The "painter" who gathers parties in Backlund can create worlds within paintings, and Randolph, the "painter" wanted at sea, can destroy his own portraits and perhaps even monitor his surroundings through them. It's hard not to suspect that they are actually the same person.
"The Magician" Fors had also thought of these things, but compared to Audrey's simple curiosity, she was more worried.
After all, his teacher clearly had a close relationship with this "painter" who sounded like a dangerous person.
...Could it be that they are all members of the Abraham family, and everything they have done is an attempt to create a bloodline curse?
She paused, then turned to look at Sirien across from her... She had a feeling that "Fate" knew something, but how could she ask him?
Alger the Hanged Man glanced at Audrey the Justice sitting opposite him, and carefully began, "I want to know about the political changes in Backlund after Duke Negan's death."
Audrey glanced at Mr. "The Hanged Man" with some surprise. She didn't quite understand why this Tarot Club member, who was always active at sea, would pay attention to the political changes in Backlund.
The political changes in Backlund shouldn't affect the seas, right?
Despite some doubts, she shared what she had recently heard, directly or indirectly: "The House of Lords has split since the death of the Duke of Negan, and his eldest son, who inherited his title, is not prestigious enough to quell the conflict."
"The House of Lords has been embroiled in internal strife during this period, with many bills being put on hold. However, the government employee examinations and the Backlund air pollution survey, which were already underway, have not been affected."
"I understand." Alger, the "Hanged Man," nodded slightly.
"There will be no war in the near future..."
Cyril glanced at him sideways and replied, "The war may not have started in Rune."
"The Industrial Revolution brought about by Emperor Russell has lasted for over a century. Whether it is the Ruhnn, or countries like Fussac and Intis, internal class contradictions and external frictions have accumulated to the point of explosion."
Alger paused for a moment, then countered with, "It sounds like you believe war is inevitable, and that it won't be long?"
Cyril chuckled, leaned back in his chair, and said leisurely, "This is an inevitable trend of the times."
"Fool" Klein paused in his leaning back motion... What does that mean? Not only in Rune, but the Twilight Hermits are doing the same thing as assassinating Duke Negan in other countries?
A flicker of doubt crossed Alger's face, then his pupils contracted sharply as he realized, "Is everything that mysterious, unnamed organization is doing to instigate war?"
Although it was a question, he spoke with great certainty.
"Justice" Audrey frowned slightly, her expression not too good. She disliked war, and even more so, she disliked wars driven by others' conspiracies.
Her gaze lingered on Sirion and Alger for a moment before she asked, puzzled, "Why push for war? And why the assassination of Duke Negan? Because he's the leader of the Conservative Party in the House of Lords?"
Upon hearing Miss Justice's question, Alger chuckled and explained, "Duke Nigan is not only the leader of the Conservative Party in the Kingdom of Rune, but also the largest landed noble outside of the King, and the brother of the current Prime Minister."
"His death was a blow to the Conservative Party, and also a provocation to the radical parties."
"As for why we should push for war..."
He turned to look at Sirion: "I don't know what other forces are thinking, but for the country, this is the best way to divert internal conflicts."
Mencius Ryan continued, "Because they need a war."
"Them?"
Alger and Audrey glanced at him in surprise and silence, then simultaneously turned their heads to look at Mr. Fool, who sat at the head of the mottled long table.
Noticing the gaze directed at him, "The Fool" Klein sighed inwardly and said calmly, "To take it a step further."
...Who is aiming for further progress? The Seven Gods, the Evil God, or those angels who are close to the true God?
Alger, the "Hanged Man," frowned deeply, as if he could already see the turbulent undercurrents beneath the calm surface of the real world. All that was needed was a trigger for all the contradictions to burst forth from the sea.
...We must speed up the process of playing and digesting the potion; only by becoming a demigod can we gain enough power to protect ourselves in the war that is about to break out.
"Justice" Audrey was in a similar state of mind to him at this moment, and her originally calm heart was filled with a strong sense of crisis.
...I must advance to a higher rank; only by becoming strong enough can I protect my father in the future.
Mom and brothers.
"The Magician" Fors sat in his seat with a blank and stiff expression, his mind filled with thoughts of who he was, where he was, and how the topic had suddenly shifted to war.
...I feel like I understand this world less and less ever since I joined the Tarot Club.
Even if someone told me that the world was going to end tomorrow, I don't think I would be surprised.
I now deeply understand what it means that sometimes ignorance is bliss. Even though I can't do anything, I bear worries and troubles that I shouldn't have to bear because I know too much truth.
Being able to worry every day, like Hugh, about how to complete more tasks, earn money, and then buy materials to upgrade is also a kind of happiness.
Unlike me, I bear troubles that this sequence shouldn't have to bear, and I inexplicably feel hopeless about life.
"The Sun" Derrick sat quietly in his seat, listening attentively but blankly to everyone's conversation.
He had no concept of war. Although it was taught in the general education courses in Silver City, it was just a story from myths and legends to him.
However, from everyone's conversation, he could roughly understand that the outside world was not as wonderful as he had imagined, but this gap made him feel more real.
...Although the outside world is complex, with conflicts, conspiracies, and wars, at least it is a world with light.
After a moment of silence filled with mixed thoughts, the group ended the somewhat heavy topic and began exchanging knowledge about the occult.
Until "The Fool" Klein, worried that staying in the chapel for too long would arouse suspicion, tapped the table to signal the end of today's tarot reading.
A series of deep red, illusory rays rose up, melting the figures on both sides of the mottled long table.
In the armchair, Sirion suddenly opened his eyes and glanced at the clock on the wall.
"Only 20 minutes..."
"Let's go to the Gargas Islands next. They're colonized by Fussac, so we can use the identity of Randolph Carter without worrying about the Church of Storms' wanted list."
As he muttered to himself, he went to the desk, picked up the leather briefcase on the table, and then a phantom, slowly floating book appeared in his eyes.
"I came, I saw, I recorded."
As the incantation appeared, dazzling starlight shone forth, rapidly weaving before him to outline a phantom door covered with mysterious patterns and symbols.
The moment the illusory gate took shape, he stepped directly inside.
The docks of Bayam, Roside Islands.
Alger left the hotel and headed toward the private dock where the "Azure Avenger" was moored.
He was suddenly summoned by the Church of Storms and given the mission to investigate the organization behind the assassination of Duke Negan and to track down the whereabouts of "King of the Black Sea" Barros Hopkins and "The Painter" Randolph Carter.
"The painter Randolph Carter is very likely to suffer the same fate as the Tarot Club member," so the mission had to be put on hold, and the organization behind Duke Negan's assassination could not be reported.
"The only mission we can undertake is to locate Baros Hopkins, the King of the Black Throne, but that's extremely dangerous. The best option is to abandon it."
"These few tasks are just for show. My focus now is on absorbing the 'Windbringer' potion and figuring out how to save money. The most reliable way to obtain the potion recipes for the next sequence is still through 'Destiny'."
Fors paced back and forth in the room, pondering whether or not to tell his teacher about Randolph Carter, the "painter" wanted by the Storm Church at sea.
"If they were all members of the Abraham family, the teacher would have known long ago."
"However, it's also possible that the teacher is unaware of these things."
After pacing back and forth in the room several times, she finally made up her mind and pulled out the chair in front of the desk.
After finding the letter paper and pen, she pondered for almost a minute before deciding on her words.
She subtly mentioned to her teacher the "painter" wanted by the Storm Church at sea, and then expressed her curiosity about Russell's diary, hoping to obtain some copies for research.
Nas, the capital of the Carcas Islands, is known as the "White City".
In an inconspicuous corner of the alley, fragments of starlight flew out from the void, quickly outlining an illusory double door.
Cyril emerged from behind the "door" carrying a leather briefcase.
On the white stone-paved street, Sirien looked around curiously.
The city's streets and houses are mostly built with a local type of white stone, and when viewed from afar in the sunlight, it appears as a city so white it seems to be glowing.
Almost every household here has dried fish skin, dried fish meat, and fish oil hanging in front of their doors. In some places, you can even see whale bones that are so huge they're almost unbelievable.
This place is far less bustling than the Roseside Islands, but it is very unique, and the culture, which has not been overly influenced or assimilated by Fursak, makes him feel that this place might be more suitable for him to digest the "Recorder's" potion.
As they walked, Cyril suddenly tightened his coat: "I miscalculated. I didn't expect the temperature in this area to be so low. It must be at least below minus ten degrees Celsius, right?"
His body trembled slightly, and he quickly changed direction, heading towards the nearest hotel.