"Attempt?" Justice was instantly thrilled as she nodded her, acting reserved and elegant.
"I'm very willing to cooperate."
As a Spectator, she clearly remembered that Mr. Fool had only used the word "attempt" on two things. The first time involved bringing her and The Hanged Man into this mysterious space, and the second time was when they were given an honorary name so that they could attempt to make a prayer. And the outcome was sufficiently successful, revealing "His" true nature.
What would it be this time? It really is something to look forward to! Audrey restrained her impatience and tried her best to behave as a qualified Spectator.
Attempt... Alger suddenly tensed up, viewing The Fool's proposal with utmost wariness.
What does "He" want to do? What is "His" true purpose? Is this good or bad for me?One by one, thoughts popped up in his mind. The rapidly rotting appearance of Rear Admiral Hurricane Qilangos surfaced in Alger's mind.
Finally, he lowered his head and respectfully replied, "Your wish is my wish."
Beside him, Derrick looked at The Hanged Man, and then at Justice, wondering why they were so sensitive to this so-called "attempt."
Klein lightly tapped his fingers on the edge of the long bronze table and smiled.
"This attempt will make your transaction easier and safer, and it will definitely be sufficiently confidential."
He turned his head to the side and looked at The Hanged Man. He said with a moderate pace, "Do you remember the sacrificial ritual described by The Sun?"
Klein had deliberately mentioned it to show how open he was. It made it difficult for the members of the Tarot Club to imagine that the sacrificial ceremony he was about to provide had actually first been obtained from The Sun and that he had gone through all that time and effort back then to trick The Sun out of a template sacrificial ritual.
"I remember. I do come into contact with such things usually," Alger answered truthfully, but his heart was throbbing.
Since the orthodox gods rarely responded to similar rituals, the word "sacrifice" had often been equated to evil gods and devils in the Fifth Epoch!
Thinking about how this could lead to a terrifying outcome, The Hanged Man felt as if he was walking at the edge of the abyss. If he wasn't careful, he would fall in, only to be eroded and devoured.
Klein followed his plans and didn't provide further explanations. He nodded slightly and said, "My idea is for you to sacrifice the Beyonder material to me through the ritual and I'll bestow them to Miss Justice. A transaction like this will be beneficial for both of you."
That can be done? Audrey was instantly dumbfounded. She felt that this exceeded the limits of her imagination.
But she very quickly came to her senses and understood the advantages of this method and the true nature of a deity hidden behind this simple act!
Mr. Fool is great! As expected, our Tarot Club will be different from the other secret organizations! We'll use the method of deities to exchange for material goods and ingredients! Audrey almost said "Praise the Lady" in her mind out of habit, but in the end, she said, "Praise Mr. Fool" instead.
Alger turned even warier as he entered a state of calm thoughts.
"Honorable Mr. Fool, what do I need to do?"
He tried to figure out the true purpose of The Fool from the process of the sacrificial ritual.
Klein lightly pressed his right hand and said, "Like I said, this is only an attempt. It might not succeed, so it will need your cooperation.
"First of all, prepare an altar. There's no need to make it too complicated; it can be very simple and crude. The only requirement is to engrave or draw this symbol."
As he spoke, a screen of light appeared in front of him. On it was the symbol of the hidden "Pupil-less Eye" and the mysterious symbol of the partial contorted lines; the same symbol on the back of The Fool's chair.
After previous experiments without using materials with spirituality, Klein was certain that the sacrificial ceremony he designed could create an illusory gate above the gray fog, similar to the Door of Summoning. However, his strength alone couldn't construct a stable channel, and he could only use the uniqueness of the mysterious space above the gray fog to complete the sacrifice.
Therefore, he was 90% confident that the ceremony would be successful. The only problem was if an ordinary passageway could be constructed using ordinary materials that contained spirituality or did it need to be Beyonder materials as well as a sufficient number of them.
I'll let Miss Justice and Mr. Hanged Man bear the cost of this experiment... In any case, they knew from the very beginning that the Tarot Club was a product of an attempt. It can be foreseen that there would be other attempts subsequently and failure is inevitable. Even deities are no exception... Klein decided to transfer the costs.
As The Hanged Man, Justice, and the Sun were attempting to memorize the symbol, Klein chuckled.
"If you forget, you can pray to me, and then you can ‘remember.'"
"Alright," Audrey answered happily.
With Mr. Fool, rituals aren't tedious and troublesome! she thought happily.
The Hanged Man nodded in response as Klein continued the description.
"Secondly, follow the normal procedure, but there's no need to burn any more additional herbs or apply the holy oil. There's no restriction on time, just chanting my name is enough.
"Remember, use ancient Hermes or Jotun to recite this piece of prayer.
"Your devoted servant prays for your attention,
"I pray for you to take his offerings.
"I pray for you to open the gates to your Kingdom.
"After you finish chanting, combine the materials that contain spirituality with the natural power created by the incantation, and await my response.
"If you don't succeed in this step, change from materials containing spirituality to Beyonder materials, and try again from the beginning."
After listening quietly to the procedure, Alger felt that his previous guess was very likely to be the truth.
The Fool was in a predicament!
He offered alluring attempts, making attempts one step at a time and planned to use himself, Justice, and The Sun to slowly break free of the restrictions. In the end, he might even descend into the real world!
This was also the true reason why "He" had initially pulled people into this mysterious space, agreeing to the establishment of the Tarot Club!
Even without this previous speculation, Alger believed that he would've come to the same conclusion after hearing of the experimental procedures required after the sacrificial ritual and comparing it with The Fool's previous attempts.
The only thing that stumped him was the possession of a powerful adorer; therefore, there was no need for him to use himself, Justice, and The Sun. His adorer could make similar attempts.
There must be secrets I don't know about yet...
The attempts need to be sufficiently secretive. And perhaps "His" adorer is being watched by certain existences? Alger began connecting the dots.
After Klein finished describing the ritual, he asked in a low but gentle voice, "The sacrificial ritual needs a specific time. Mr. Hanged Man, when do you plan on making the attempt?"
This was different from responding to a request which could have a delayed response. The stable passage created by the sacrificial ritual could only exist for a very short period of time, so Klein had to wait above the gray fog ahead of time.
"The Rainbow Salamander's pituitary gland is the only Beyonder material I have with me for the time being. As for materials with spirituality, I do have quite a lot... Mr. Fool, once the gathering ends, I'll immediately attempt the first scenario. If it fails, I'll seek out other Beyonder materials. Once I obtain anything, I'll inform you by praying to confirm a time," Alger said as he couldn't help but turn his gaze towards Miss Justice.
As a Spectator, Audrey instantly understood what he meant. She answered without the slightest hesitation, "If any additional Beyonder materials are required, I'll compensate you afterward. Well... I can't guarantee the specific type of material you would want."
As expected of the wealthy Miss Justice ... The Fool—Klein—couldn't help but sigh before chuckling.
"We have come to an agreement."
He looked at Justice and said after some thought, "Once Mr. Hanged Man's attempt succeeds, I'll inform you of the bestowment ceremony."
"Alright!" Audrey was entirely confident with Mr. Fool's abilities.
After answering the question, a sudden thought struck her as she realized that the exchange of money could also be done through this method. Of course, this was only if the attempt was a success.
I wonder if items without any spirituality would work or not... I'll ask Mr. Fool again after the attempt is successful... Audrey's lips curled as she thought of the beautiful future.
With the sacrifice and bestowment topic coming to an end, she deliberated for a few seconds before saying, "Mr. Fool, I've found two ladies suitable for our Tarot Club. They're both Beyonders and have their own circle and resources in Backlund. They're also able to keep a secret and have decent personalities. Are you willing to let them join the gathering?"
Does Justice want to strengthen her faction within the Tarot Club? This was the most instinctual thought that Alger had.
Derrick was very interested in this matter as he looked sideways at Mr. Fool, waiting for his answer in anticipation.
Klein appeared to be in a bit of a dilemma. Previously, he had imagined that the members of the Tarot Club wouldn't know each other, and they would then develop their own subordinates, forming a relatively tight and secretive organization.
This way, even if a certain member was exposed, captured, or had their spirit channeled, it wouldn't have much of an impact on the Tarot Club.
But Miss Justice's description just happened to hit his weak spot. He was hoping to find clues regarding the Secret Order and Lanevus by acquainting himself with Beyonders with different circles and resources in Backlund.
If it's done through Justice, the person involved would eventually hold back... However, I'm not sure if it's possible to pull them up above the gray fog simply by reciting my name... In order to maintain his image, Klein didn't think too much and instead procrastinated on it.
He said calmly, "It will require a certain amount of examination.
"Miss Justice, use a clandestine method that wouldn't expose yourself to let them know of my name to garner interest in them."
When Audrey saw that her proposal was about to be accepted, she immediately responded in excitement, "Yes, Mr. Fool!"
After a few more exchanges, the gathering came to an end. The Sun, The Hanged Man, and Justice returned, while Klein remained in the gray fog, waiting for the sacrifice.
