"Black Emperor?" The Hanged Man, who was nonchalantly listening to Miss Justice's story, suddenly looked up, his gaze instinctively sharpening.
He had just learned that the card in Mr. Fool's hand was one of the Blasphemy Cards created by Emperor Roselle. Its name was "The Black Emperor"!
Could this have something to do with Mr. Fool? Alger, The Hanged Man, quickly glanced at the head of the bronze long table, then lowered his head.
If it was truly one of Mr. Fool's Blessed who did this, things were definitely not simple... Alger intently listened to Justice's subsequent description.
The Magician Fors, who had long known about this from Xio and had her own guesses, also quietly glanced at Mr. Fool, hoping to glimpse the truth from the reaction of this hidden existence. However, the Fool within the dense grey fog was as calm as ever.
Justice Audrey, who had also gained nothing from her observation, paused before continuing.
"The victim was the wealthy merchant Kaping. Many rumors identify him as the largest human trafficker in Backlund. The chivalrous thief 'Black Emperor' infiltrated his villa, took his life, and rescued the many innocent girls locked in the dungeon.
"When Kaping's body was found, a Tarot card was laid upon him. The faces on the card were 'Judgment' and 'The Emperor.'"
She didn't mention the safe, because she felt it was irrelevant.
Covered by a Tarot card? Is this the Tarot Club's calling card? Wait, "human trafficker?" The Hanged Man Alger keenly caught the term.
He thoughtfully turned to the head of the bronze long table and humbly inquired:
"Mr. Fool, is Kaping related to the disappearance of slaves in the colonies?"
The latter was a mission given to him by the Church of Storms. He had once locked onto a suspect named Baren and requested that "Justice," "The Magician," and "The World" in Backlund keep an eye out.
So, upon hearing "human trafficker," Alger intuitively believed there was a connection to the phenomenon of entire tribes vanishing from the Southern Continent and the many slaves escaping from the islands of the Sonia Sea.
He believed that only things that seemed to hide certain secrets could interest Mr. Fool.
Of course, the possibility that it was an independent action by Mr. Fool's Blessed couldn't be ruled out. He couldn't wait for instructions for everything, like a manipulated puppet... thought The Hanged Man Alger.
Is Kaping related to the recent disappearance of slaves in the colonies? Thinking carefully, this isn't impossible. Having four full Beyonders in his villa is abnormal in itself... Even a magnate like him who could hire Beyonder bodyguards would normally have a configuration of one Sequence 7 plus two Sequence 8s or 9s. At the time, Hela, counting her mystical items, was equivalent to a Sequence 5 powerhouse! Klein was awakened by the Hanged Man's words, suddenly thinking of many things, feeling that the pieces of the puzzle were vaguely coming together.
However, he couldn't be certain of his guess, so he simply skipped over the Hanged Man's question, let out a light laugh, and said:
"My Blessed made a minor contribution to this matter."
"As expected!" Justice Audrey cheered inwardly, her eyes sparkling.
"As expected... This is the first thing I've encountered in real life that is related to the Tarot Club..." The Magician Fors was half thrilled, half emotional about it.
The Hanged Man Alger believed that Mr. Fool's words indirectly proved his guess:
Kaping, this human trafficker, was definitely not simple. Otherwise, the Blessed of a hidden existence wouldn't have made a move. And a not-simple human trafficker and a not-simple slave disappearance most likely had some kind of link.
Before Miss Justice could speak, The Fool Klein lightly tapped the edge of the ancient table with his finger and added casually:
"He acquired the Beyonder characteristics of two Beyonders from this matter and hopes to sell them quickly. One of those characteristics corresponds to a Sequence 8 'Sheriff,' and the other to a Sequence 7 'Interrogator.'"
Sheriff and Interrogator... Isn't this the "Arbiter" pathway controlled by the Augustus family? Only members of the royal family, ancient nobility, and the military can obtain it... Was one of them behind Kaping? The Castiya family of the Feynapotter Kingdom can't be ruled out... The Hanged Man Alger creased his brow, increasingly feeling that the slave disappearance case was not so simple.
Justice Audrey's thoughts were similar. She had never expected that the Beyonders in Kaping's villa were from the "Arbiter" pathway.
The forces that held the corresponding formulas couldn't possibly be colluding with a human trafficker like Kaping... Audrey slightly bit her lip, confused and bewildered.
"Sheriff"? The Magician Fors knew her friend Xio was saving up for the potion materials of this Sequence. She hurriedly sat up straight and asked in confusion:
"Mr. Fool, what is a Beyonder characteristic?"
This wasn't the reaction I expected. Shouldn't she have directly asked how many pounds? Ah, I guess I haven't told Miss Magician about the Law of Beyonder Characteristics Conservation and Non-Dispersion... Klein was slightly stunned, then considered his tone.
Just then, Justice Audrey took the initiative to speak:
"Mr. Fool, may I answer this question? She can give you the corresponding compensation directly."
She and Fors were friends, and she was worried that Mr. Fool would be unwilling to share that kind of knowledge again, so she volunteered.
"No problem," Klein replied with a smile.
Miss Justice always has my back when I'm in a tight spot... he silently praised.
Phew, Justice Audrey let out a silent sigh of relief, then turned to face Fors. Deliberately avoiding an aristocratic accent and specialized terms, she said:
"Do you want to know the answer?
"What are you willing to pay as a reward?"