After the private communication between "The World" and "The Sun," the Tarot Gathering entered its free discussion phase. In the mysterious gray fog, time suddenly froze. Audrey, Alger, and Klein all seemed to turn into statues. At that very moment, Miss Assistant emerged through the mist, a hint of cold strictness in her eyes.
"It seems you're having quite a bit of fun," her chilly voice echoed. "I have a task for you. Warn Audrey, and provide Alger with some information about the slave trade."
Miao Miao was slightly startled, but quickly composed herself. "Provide information? What exactly should I say? I don't even have a script right now."
"You can make use of the repeal of the grain law," Miss Assistant replied in a single, simple sentence.
That one line made Miao Miao's eyes widen in shock. "Wait! If I suddenly bring politics into this…" she began, but stopped midway.
Miss Assistant's expression grew even more serious. "Are you trying to disobey the system? If you do, then your—"
"Punishment! Yes, I know. That's what you're going to say," Miao Miao sighed and accepted it.
As Miss Assistant disappeared, time resumed. Leaning back in her gray mist-covered chair, Miao Miao gently tapped the table with her fingers before looking directly at Alger and speaking calmly. "Mr. Hanged Man, I've given your question considerable thought. If you wish to broaden your investigation, you might want to examine the current situation in the Loen Kingdom. Especially after the recent repeal of the 'Grain Law,' take a look at the condition of ordinary farmers—many of them have fallen completely into bankruptcy."
Alger narrowed his eyes. Political economy was not something commonly discussed in the Tarot Club. Miao Miao continued logically, "These bankrupt individuals are now crammed into slums like East Borough. Of course, this is all done in the name of industrial development, but it may take years to compensate for the losses. There is no shortage of labor within the Loen Kingdom now, so there's no need to import new 'slaves.' On the contrary, these helpless people themselves have become the resources ."
She glanced briefly at Audrey before continuing, "I have information that in Backlund, there are certain researchers studying the human mind who have recently been experimenting with 'mass hysteria' and 'mental emptiness.' They believe that all human minds are connected to a vast ocean. I would advise you to secretly inspect the ships in the ports of the Loen Kingdom."
Alger fell silent, trying to digest the information. He had always thought slave trading only involved prisoners of war or kidnappings, but he had never considered that economic collapse and political manipulation could create such a supply. He thought to himself, "Miss Lover… could she be a royal spy? Such intelligence is usually only accessible to highly skilled field agents. I need to investigate the northern routes immediately."
The moment she heard about "research on the human mind," Audrey felt an inexplicable unease. Her face turned pale. That was precisely the domain of certain secret organizations she knew about. The idea that a law within the very system she had grown up in could turn ordinary people into such tools was unbearable to her.
Fors stared at Miao Miao with wide eyes. "Miss Lover sounds young, yet her understanding is astonishing! I never thought someone outside the Beyonder sequences could grasp such deep political truths. Maybe I should incorporate this 'Grain Law' into my next novel," she thought.
As for Derrick, he understood nothing at all. In the City of Silver, there was no money, no such laws, and no concept of slave trade. He could only stare blankly and wonder, "Is the Loen Kingdom some cursed place? Are there things even more terrifying than monsters that drive people away from their land?"
"Thank you for the information, Miss Lover," Alger said, his tone filled with respect. "Your analysis has answered many unresolved questions at sea." He thought, "If I follow this clue, I might uncover not only hidden forces but also the filthy schemes of powerful figures in Backlund."
Audrey clenched her fists unconsciously. "Does this mean the laboratories and seminars I dreamed of might be hiding the suffering of ordinary people? If what Miss Lover said is true… are they using these people as materials?"
"Honorable Mr. Fool," Audrey spoke, her voice still melodious but now tinged with unease, "I request permission for a private discussion."
When Klein raised the gray fog barrier around them, isolating them from the outside world, Audrey poured out all her worries and determination. "Mr. Fool, if Miss Lover's information is true, then I was about to become part of something terrible. I thought they pursued knowledge, but now I realize they might be using the suffering of the destitute as their research material." She paused briefly, then steadied herself. "I've decided not to cut ties with them. Instead, I will infiltrate and monitor their every move."
Klein thought to himself, "Miss Justice is really stepping straight onto the battlefield… and Miss Lover, without invoking any deity, has already pushed us investigation.
_ _ _
At the luxurious villa of the Hall family, Audrey was idly applying oil paint in her art studio when she heard a rhythmic knock on the door. Her mind was still occupied with the things Miss Lover had said. When her maid Annie opened the door, she saw that it was her mother, Countess Caitlin.
Although this lady was nearly fifty years old, she looked to be in her early thirties. She had golden hair, green eyes, and a graceful beauty that was enough to attract the attention of most gentlemen.
"Mother, is something the matter?" Audrey put down what she was holding and stood up in surprise.
The Countess looked at her daughter, who had grown even more beautiful than when she was younger, and smiled. "I just returned from a dinner. Lady Della mentioned that you're very interested in psychology and wish to hire a tutor, is that right?"
"Yes, but I haven't made a decision yet…" Audrey deliberately answered with hesitation, as she usually did.
How could the Countess fail to understand her daughter? She smiled and said, "She mentioned a psychiatrist named Escalante. If you don't mind, I can send someone to invite him to teach you twice a week. What do you think?"
"It's your decision." A gentle smile slowly bloomed on Audrey's face. "Mother, come sit here. I'm lacking a beautiful model!"
As Countess Caitlin sat on the sofa, Audrey slightly adjusted her canvas. While blending colors with her brush, Audrey thought, 'Escalante… if my guess is correct, he might be one of those people who study the human mind. If what Miss Lover said is true, then are they really researching things like mental emptiness and mass hysteria?'
Audrey casually asked, "Mother, did Lady Della mention any special qualities about Escalante?"
The Countess looked a little surprised. "Della said he's quite renowned, especially in understanding the subconscious mind and suppressed desires. Why do you ask?"
"Nothing, just curious," Audrey smiled sweetly, though her 'Spectator' eyes were carefully observing the subtle changes in her mother's expression.
At Minsk Street, No. 13, the sky of Backlund was covered in a hazy gray fog. Sitting lazily by the large window, Miao Miao's sketchbook stood in stark contrast to that dull world. With every stroke of her pencil, it revealed the elegance of the twenty-first century—the gowns of Paris and Milan fashion shows, things far beyond the imagination of people in the Loen Kingdom of the 1880s.
Suddenly, a cold sensation ran down her spine. Her spirituality trembled for a moment, as if some invisible force had brushed against her soul. But soon, that discomfort was replaced by a deep, primal calm that spread throughout her body. The particles in the air before her seemed to tremble, and then the familiar blue system screen appeared:
[System Notification: Sequence 9 — 'Marauder']
[Potion Digestion Update: 20% Completed]
Miao Miao placed her pencil on the table, a mysterious and slightly arrogant smile forming at the corner of her lips. She thought, "I haven't pickpocketed anyone, nor have I broken into any safes. Yet it's already at 20% digestion? That means the definition of 'Marauder' is far deeper than I imagined."
She looked at the modern designs in her sketchbook. This wasn't just drawing—it was a kind of 'chronological theft.' Because she was using others' creativity, stealing designs that did not belong to this era. She had also taken advantage of the loopholes created by the repeal of the grain law to avoid the system's punishment.
Suddenly the system's blue screen trembled before her eyes, and Miss Assistant's cold voice broke the silence of the room.
"It seems you're having quite a lot of fun discovering new ways to steal, Miss Miao Miao. You need to master the true key of this world—the languages."
With a loud thud, several heavy, dust-covered books crashed onto the table. On their covers were twisted, unfamiliar scripts—Ancient Hermes, Intis, Feysac, even Dragonic and Elvish.
"Learning languages? You mean I have to sit for hours with a dictionary and memorize these messy symbols?" Miao Miao let out a long yawn. "Impossible! In my real life, I never had the patience to learn a second language. I should thank my fifth transmigration that English somehow came naturally to me. But this 'Hermes' and 'Dragonic'?"
She flipped open a page of one of the books. Strange, crooked symbols filled it—looking as if living insects were wriggling across the paper.
"Impossible," she said flatly, snapping the book shut.
Miss Assistant's expression grew even more serious. "Do you intend to disobey the system? Remember, if you do not learn these languages, punishment is inevitable. And directly stealing high-level knowledge can be dangerous for your mind. You won't lose control and turn into a monster, but it will put immense pressure on your mental state. So take your time and learn properly."
Miao Miao let out a sigh and adjusted her silver-framed glasses. She knew there were very few shortcuts here. Languages like Hermes or Dragonic were directly connected to divine spiritual power.
"Alright, alright! I give up," she muttered, pulling one of the heavy, dust-covered books toward herself. She decided to start with Hermes first, because she knew that for transactions in the Tarot Club and for understanding the fundamental mysteries of this world, Hermes was the foundation.
She focused and tried to pronounce the first few words of Hermes. A strange, unnatural gravity gradually formed in her voice.
At that moment, that mischievous thought surfaced in her mind once again. She looked at the book through the lenses of her glasses and smiled.
"I might be struggling to read these words now, but my glasses are storing the 'spiritual imprint' within each character into my subconscious."