"Very well, it seems I won't need to report to my teacher. He's taken good care of you all." Alaric said, listening quietly before breaking into a satisfied smile.
Klein, who had been closely following the matter, let out a sigh of relief, feeling much more at ease.
He had been genuinely worried that Amon might do something to Mr. Sun and his companions. Now, it seemed Amon had no intention of breaking his agreement with Mr. Lucifer, at least for the time being.
"Amon?" Alger hesitated briefly before asking, "A member of the Fourth Epoch's Amon family?"
While the existence of the Blasphemer was a secret, many Beyonder individuals in the Tudor Empire were aware of the Amon family, though few knew it consisted solely of Amon.
Derrick immediately looked puzzled. Despite his efforts to catch up on the outside world's history, this topic was clearly beyond his current knowledge.
Alaric nodded matter-of-factly. "Indeed, that Amon. He has an agreement with my teacher, so he's helping look after the people of the City of Silver."
He? So, he's an angel too?
Alger's heart skipped a beat as he registered Alaric's choice of words, sparking a whirlwind of thoughts.
Could this Amon also serve The Fool? No, not necessarily... perhaps he's just on good terms with His Excellency Lucifer.
"What's the Amon family?" Audrey asked with keen curiosity, her interest in mystical matters always accompanied by a bright mood.
"The Amon family is made up of Amon and his avatars, so it's just Amon." Alaric said with a playful wink, offering a brief explanation. "As for who Amon is? Perhaps you recall the Creator worshipped by the City of Silver?"
Audrey froze for a moment before blurting out, "Is Amon connected to that Creator?"
Derrick couldn't help but turn to Alaric. Even though he had shifted his faith to The Fool and Mr. Lucifer, he still instinctively paid attention to anything related to the Creator, a figure central to the City of Silver's millennia-long beliefs.
Alger momentarily doubted his ears. From the historical records he'd studied, the Amon family was merely a prominent noble lineage in the Tudor Empire. How could it consist of just one person?
But he quickly realized that the "Emperor" Had no reason to lie about this. It could only mean that beings at the level of angels were far too mysterious and unfathomable for a mid-Sequence individual like him to comprehend.
What's this about Amon? The Creator? What are they talking about? It sounds so grand…
Fors felt like she wasn't on the same wavelength as everyone else. This wasn't the first time she'd felt out of place... last time they discussed the Forsaken Land of the Gods and the City of Silver, she'd had the same sense of not belonging.
Is this really a topic for a noob like me?
Fors fell into her usual overthinking.
As for The World, he was just a figurehead, mind empty, with no thoughts to offer.
"Amon is the child of that Creator." Alaric said simply.
The revelation silenced the entire Tarot Club for a few seconds. Even Audrey struggled to maintain her Spectator composure, instinctively raising a hand to cover her mouth.
By the Goddess, Amon is the Creator's child?
She couldn't help but glance at Mr. Sun across from her.
Before their shift in faith, the City of Silver, including Mr. Sun, had worshipped that very Creator. How would they view the Creator's child?
"…Mr. Amon never mentioned this to us." Derrick said, clearly shocked, his words almost reflexive.
"He probably didn't think it was necessary, since the City of Silver's faith in the Creator has ended." Alaric said, looking at Derrick. "You don't need to dwell on it. Amon won't trouble you over this."
After all, despite Amon's mischievous nature, he respected his father's choices.
Derrick pressed his lips together, seemingly conflicted, before saying, "I'm grateful for his help, but no matter what, we won't waver in our faith in The Fool."
He then turned solemnly to The Fool and declared, "Praise the Fool!"
The others quickly followed, saluting in unison, "Praise the. Fool!"
"…"
What? Why the sudden salute?
Though Alaric's presence made things slightly awkward, The Fool maintained his composure with remarkable control, nodding slightly to signal everyone to sit.
The topic concluded there, and Alaric turned to Fors with a smile. "Miss Magician, I'd like to commission you to write a book."
"Huh?" Fors, who had been enjoying the show, was caught off guard. She hadn't expected to be involved today. After a pause, she asked, "What kind of book?"
"Here's the brief." Alaric conjured a sheet of paper filled with text and handed it to her.
Fors took the paper and scanned it. The title read: The Great Detective and the Doll Girl. The protagonist was a man with multiple identities... on the surface, a detective newly arrived in Backlund, but secretly an investigator tasked with a covert mission. By chance, he encounters a doll girl being hunted…
After reading the brief, Fors's eyes lit up. Her writer's instincts kicked in, already spinning a romantic tale of tens of thousands of words. She looked up at Alaric and said, "It's an intriguing concept, but why me? Honestly, I just finished a book and wasn't planning to write again so soon."
Imagining it was fun, but as a flake, actually writing was out of the question.
"Because I trust your professional skills, Miss Magician." Alaric said with a smile, finally revealing his true motive for inviting her to the Tarot Club. "As for payment, I'll offer a 1,000-pound advance. For each submitted draft, you'll receive additional payment at 10 pounds per thousand words. If pounds aren't your preference, I can provide potion formulas or materials instead... say, for the Apprentice or Arbiter pathways."
With Mr. Door's help, obtaining Apprentice pathway potion formulas was no challenge for Alaric, and Arbiter formulas could be acquired through the Loen royal family later.
"!!!"
In that moment, she truly understood the meaning of "I wanted to say no, but the offer was too good."
"I… You're too generous. I'll start planning the opening right away." Fors said, feeling a surge of motivation she'd never experienced before. After advancing to Trickmaster, her savings had dwindled to nothing. With money tight, how could she resist such an offer?
Even flakes need to eat!
***
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