Beams of deep red light soared up and solidified into different humanoid forms on both sides of the long bronze table. The timeless stillness above the Gray Fog was shattered, and the vast, ancient palace was infused with an indescribable vitality.
"Justice" Audrey had just regained her awareness of her surroundings when she prepared to rise from her seat and bow to the head of the bronze table.
At that moment, as a seasoned "Spectator," she keenly sensed something different about the gathering: there were two more members than last week!
One was a man, sitting to the right of Mr. "Moon," and one was a woman, located to the left of "The Hermit."
Audrey initially felt happy about the Tarot Club's growth, but then, following her "professional" instincts, she quickly made an observation.
Given her position, the gentleman diagonally across was easier to observe unobtrusively than the woman two seats away in the same row, so she focused most of her attention there.
Black hair... greenish eyes... no jacket... vest and shirt... sitting a bit awkwardly, seemingly not used to sitting so formally... estimated height around 180... a somewhat relaxed demeanor... a somewhat tense state... With just a glance, "Justice" Audrey "read" a lot of information from that rather blurry figure.
Then she noticed another difference: that gentleman was quickly looking around.
This behavior itself wasn't a problem—anyone coming to such a strange and secretive place would subconsciously size up the other members, trying to grasp their characteristics and get a general sense to put themselves at ease. But the problem was that the gentleman moved his eyes too fast!
His gaze swept over "Moon," "The Hanged Man," and other members without stopping anywhere.
To Audrey, this was a clear sign that the gentleman wasn't observing the environment or scrutinizing the members, but was looking for someone! Looking for someone with a specific target!
"Justice" Audrey became a little excited, convinced that this new gentleman knew one of the members present!
Who could it be? She observed for another second and saw that the gentleman's gaze had stopped on "The World," Gehrman Sparrow.
Audrey rejoiced inwardly as if she had discovered a secret, and realized with understanding:
"This newcomer is friends with Mr. 'World,' at least they know each other in the real world, and he knows he's a member of the Tarot Club... Or maybe Mr. 'World' brought him into the gathering... No, that's not likely. If that were the case, the newcomer would be more assured, wouldn't be so eager to find an acquaintance, and his eyes would linger on other members a bit longer... Moreover, this behavior proves he is not Mr. 'Fool's Blessed. What exactly is his relationship with Mr. 'World'?"
Audrey, intending to continue observing later, stood up and turned to the head of the bronze table.
In the process, she seized the opportunity to naturally glance at the new member next to Lady "Hermit."
She was making eye contact with Miss "Magician"... her height... Has Xio finally passed the assessment and joined the gathering? Audrey recognized her identity and, delighted, lightly lifted her skirt and curtsied to the figure shrouded in Gray Fog:
"Good afternoon, Mr. Fool~"
As her cheerful greeting faded, she noticed another issue:
Mr. "Fool" had changed subtly compared to before.
This great existence seemed more harmonious and unified with the entire palace, the entire space, the entire Gray Fog. His aura grew deeper and more ethereal, like the ocean, like the sky.
This feeling cannot be described in words... Has Mr. "Fool" awakened further, taking back more authority over His divine kingdom? Audrey's eyes shifted, a mix of curiosity, joy, and a hint of pride.
At this time, "The Hanged Man" Alger and "The Hermit" Cattleya also saw the two new members and noticed that the woman was short and had subtle interactions with Miss "Magician," seeming both inexperienced and familiar with the Tarot gathering, at least not like the man in the white shirt and black vest, who only hurriedly stood up when everyone else started to bow.
Additionally, they sensed that the new male member seemed particularly attentive to "The World" Gehrman Sparrow, sparking various guesses.
These thoughts only echoed in their minds without being revealed, and "The Hanged Man" and "The Hermit" followed Miss "Justice" through the first procedure of the gathering without any unusual behavior.
As for "The Sun" Derrick, he felt pure joy that the Tarot Club members had increased again! "The Moon" Emlyn's emotions were more complicated. On one hand, he felt the superiority of a veteran toward the new members; on the other hand, he thought there were too many saviors of the apocalypse.
"The Star" Leonard, after some searching, tentatively judged that the person at the very end of the bronze table should be Klein Moretti, because his physique matched the description of Gehrman Sparrow.
He's hiding his true identity... Even at such a secret gathering, he hasn't relaxed; he's done two layers of disguise. I need to be careful too... Just as this thought flashed through Leonard's mind, he saw the girl sitting in the first seat on Mr. "Fool"'s left stand up, prompting everyone to bow.
He was stunned and didn't react immediately, making him very conspicuous in an environment where everyone else had stood.