"An attempt?" "Justice" Audrey's excitement immediately showed as she nodded with reserved elegance: "I'd be happy to cooperate."
As a "Spectator," she clearly remembered that "Mr. Fool" had only used the word "attempt" on two occasions—once when pulling her and "The Hanged Man" into this mysterious space, and once when He provided His Honorific Name and had the two of them try praying. Both times had been remarkably successful, revealing glimpses of His true nature.
What kind of attempt would this be? How exciting! Audrey reined in her eagerness and tried her best to be a proper "Spectator."
Attempt... "The Hanged Man" Alger's mind snapped taut, filled with wariness toward "The Fool's" proposal.
What does He want to do? What is His true aim? Is this beneficial or harmful to me? Thought after thought surged and subsided, and in Alger's mind appeared the image of Rear Admiral "Hurricane" Qilingsi rapidly decomposing at the moment of his death.
In the end, he lowered his head and answered submissively: "Your will is my wish."
Beside him, "The Sun" Derrick glanced at "The Hanged Man," then at "Justice," not understanding why they were so sensitive to this so-called "attempt."
Klein's fingers, which had been tapping the edge of the bronze table, paused as he smiled: "This attempt will make your transactions simpler and safer, and perfectly confidential."
He tilted his head slightly toward "The Hanged Man" and said at an unhurried pace: "Do you remember the sacrificial ritual that 'The Sun' described?"
Klein deliberately brought this up to project an air of openness, making it harder for the
"I remember. I've come across this sort of thing before," Alger answered honestly, though a chill kept running through him.
Since orthodox deities rarely responded to such rituals anymore, since the Fifth Era, the word "sacrifice" had virtually become synonymous with evil gods and demons!
The thought that this might lead to some terrifying consequence made "The Hanged Man" feel as though he were walking along the edge of an abyss—one misstep would send him tumbling down, to be corroded and devoured.
Following his predetermined plan, Klein didn't bother offering much explanation. He merely gave a slight nod: "My idea is for you to perform the ritual and offer the Beyonder materials to me, and I will then bestow them upon Miss 'Justice.' This form of transaction benefits both of you."
You can do that? Audrey was momentarily dumbfounded, feeling this far exceeded the limits of her imagination.
But she quickly came to her senses, realizing both the advantages of this method and the divine nature concealed beneath its seemingly simple procedure!
Mr. Fool is amazing! Our Tarot Club really is different from other secret organizations! We use the methods of gods to exchange supplies and materials! Audrey nearly blurted out her habitual inner thought of "Praise the Goddess," but in the end changed it to praise for Mr. Fool.
Alger grew ever more vigilant, slipping into a mode of calm deliberation: "Respected Mr. Fool, what exactly do I need to do?"
He attempted to analyze the ritual's sacrificial procedure to deduce The Fool's true intentions.
Klein lightly pressed down with his right hand and said: "I already said this is just an experiment — it might not succeed. That's why I need your cooperation."
"First, prepare an altar. It doesn't need to be elaborate — a simple one will do. The only requirement is that you inscribe or draw this symbol."
As he spoke, a glowing screen materialized before him, displaying a mysterious pattern formed by the "Pupil-less Eye" representing secrets and the "Twisted Lines" representing change — the same pattern behind The Fool's high-backed chair.
Through the earlier trial without spiritual materials, Klein had confirmed that the sacrificial ritual he designed could create a phantom gateway atop the
Thus, he was ninety percent confident that the ritual would ultimately succeed. The only question was whether the passage could be constructed using ordinary materials imbued with spirituality, or whether extraordinary materials were required — and how much of them.
Let Miss Justice and Mr. Hanged Man bear the cost of this experiment… After all, they had known from the beginning that the Tarot Club itself was born from an experiment, and further experiments were entirely foreseeable. Experiments inevitably involved failure, even gods were no exception… Klein decided to transfer the costs.
As The Hanged Man, Justice, and The Sun tried to memorize the symbol, Klein chuckled softly: "If you forget it, you can pray to me, and then you'll be able to 'recall' it."
"Alright!" Audrey replied in a cheerful tone.
With Mr. Fool around, rituals were no longer exhausting or troublesome! she thought happily.
Seeing The Hanged Man nod along, Klein continued his description: "Second, follow the normal procedure, but there's no need to burn additional herbs, anoint sacred oil, or choose a specific time. Reciting my name will be sufficient."
"Remember, use the Ancient