Bab 352: Chapter 13: The Sun's Great Memory
'This guy...' An imaginary fist clenched, and Klein wanted with all his might to plunge it into the man's face until his whole arm was through his annoying head.
Buff
A single breath came out of his nose and, to his own surprise, he found himself not as annoyed as he had expected.
Frustrated, yes, but not angry.
It only took him a moment to realise why, thanks to the reminder of his spirituality.
'Is this one of those cases where the more you know, the more you get infected? Is that why Chariot hasn't shared all the information he has?'
Alger clenched his fists a little tighter under the bronze table, and for a moment, the edges of his vision turned red. The Seafarer, already experienced in controlling his anger from his time in the Folk of Rage, took several long, slow breaths.
His heart, pounding with rage and sending blood coursing through his veins, calmed and the man felt his temperature return to normal as the light red curtain faded.
'It's fine, it's fine... We deserve this...' His eyes shifted slightly as he looked at the unflappable figure shrouded in the grey mist, who had shown no reaction so far.
'If we were ready to know what happened in Backlund, Mr Chariot would tell us without so much spin, but not yet... We must take his words as the position Mr Fool stands in, we are not yet worthy to know the full truth and we must not probe further...'
Gently biting the inside of her cheek, Audrey Hall could barely contain her frustration and desire to puff out her cheeks. 'Even in this case he doesn't hesitate to annoy us...'
With a little more force, the noblewoman repeated Chariot's advice in her heart and decided to move on to the next topic.
A topic that was just as important as the previous one. Even more so, despite how cold and heartless it sounded.
So, regaining her calm aura. Audrey straightened her back slightly and lifted her head a little higher.
"Mr Chariot, forgive our curiosity, but I have a question. It concerns the information you revealed a few days ago..."
"Oh, you mean that." Adryan interrupted nonchalantly but without continuing what she wanted, his scarlet eyes watching her calmly, but the onlooker's eye could see the gleam of mischief in them.
Taking a few seconds for the vein in her neck to stop throbbing, Audrey continued, "...yes, about that...
"Please, I ask this with the utmost respect..."
The air in the Hall of Giants grew thicker, and the grey mist surrounding the bronze table became even more mysterious.
"Who is the Scarlet Monarch?"
Derrick looked at Justice strangely; what was she talking about?
His gaze moved to the Hanged Man, and the only 'normal' person in the Tarot Club noticed that the man had tensed and looked at the woman, somewhat dazed, as if what she had said was insulting him.
Adryan looked at Justice, a smile still on his face.
A strange shiver ran down the spines of those present, that smile was not the usual one he used when he was about to bully them, no.
This smile was different.
The corners of the lips were slightly raised without showing the teeth and gently pressed together without much pressure. It was both gentle and holy, a saint worthy smile.
This was the holy smile of a fervent believer praying to his god.
'I don't know what I prefer, his true demonic form or his smile...' After a moment's thought, the answer was clear to Klein.
'Demonic form.'
His modern mood aside, Klein looked at the group before him, staring at Chariot, who had not yet answered the question.
Seeing an opportunity, he didn't hesitate to seize it, his finger already in position.
Tap Tap Tap
'I was getting worried. You were a little late with that one, my dear.' Adryan maintained his saintly smile as they all looked at the figure sitting in the place of honor at the end of the bronze table.
'Here it comes,' Alger thought, holding his breath.
Audrey respected the rules of acting she had discovered for herself and stepped out of the audience. Her eyes lost their crystalline look, and she looked somewhat nervously at the figure shrouded in grey mist.
"...What's going on?" Derrick was now at a complete loss, he had been a little confused by the mention of the 'Scarlet Monarch' earlier but now he honestly didn't know what was happening.
Lowering his hand and giving a simple smile, Klein spoke in a calm and mysterious voice.
"The Scarlet Monarch is one of my allies and runs the Tarot Club from behind.
"You could say 'He' is the co-founder of our little gathering."
He raised his hand and pointed calmly at the red-haired man. "Mr. Chariot is 'His' blessed. What happened in East Borough in Backlund was a secret mission we both entrusted to him."
"..."
Heads turned mechanically towards the man in the black robe, like rusty, oil-less gears.
The holy smile had become so holy that it seemed to emanate a golden light, and those present found the image bizarre and disturbing.
Everyone noticed it, the use of 'Him' and Mr Fool's manner of address.
The same thought went through their minds.
If this was someone who Mr. Fool - whom they already suspected to be a god - was using 'He,' and Mr. Fool considered 'Him' to be an ally and co-creator of the Tarot Club...
They all had the same answer.
This could only mean that the Scarlet Monarch was also an Elder God!
But it was not this that froze the majority in their seats, but the final piece of information revealed.
Mr Chariot turned out to be the Blessed of the Scarlet Monarch!
Alger could not suppress a shudder, his eyes unconsciously dropping to the table before lifting them again. He clenched his hands to stop the trembling and released a nervous sigh.
'I hadn't thought of this possibility... He is the blessed of a God... That explains why he knows so much and the missions he is entrusted with...'
The order to 'flee in plain sight' made much more sense. It was not just because of his power but because of his blessed status!
'Hiding such important information... Bastards...' Alger growled, his goal of breaking free from the Church growing stronger.
Audrey clutched the edges of her dress for support, her mouth opening and closing in words never spoken and strangely dry, her body trembling like a leaf on a cold autumn night. 'The blessed... of a... God?'
Though Chariot only smiled, she could only shiver more. Memories of the past Tarot Club whipped through her like a cold reminder of her horrible and terrible offense.
'I provoke the blessed one of a god!!!'
Derrick, for his part, unlike his fellow club members, was ecstatic. He had a huge grin on his face that shone like the sun itself, such a grin that it made his cheeks ache.
'It turns out that not only did Mr Fool answered and have his eye on the Silver City, but also the Scarlet Monarch!
'I can see it! The day when the storms and darkness that shackle us come to an end! And not only that!' His eyes gazed at the holy chariot with awe and wonder.
'The Blessed of one of them is interacting and will lead me to become the sun!'
Is this the favor of the gods so often spoken of in the stories of the elders and the holy books?
A fleeting thought, accompanied by a poisonous fear that dulled her excitement, crossed her mind.
'I hope the information I have is enough for the formula...'
Klein controlled the muscles in his face to keep his smile from turning into a sideways grin and gracefully lowered his hand back to the armrest. Klein smiled inwardly with pleasure.
Glancing at the figure sitting on the throne, Adryan's gentle, saintly smile widened slightly.' You reveal my blessed state as if you were talking about the weather, Ay Klein. That is why I like you so much. An opportunity comes along, and you don't hesitate to grab it, as long as you go to the sacred toilet and divine if it's safe.'
Smiling to the others, Adryan placed a hand on his chest, just above his heart, and gave a slight but graceful bow.
"It is an honor. I have been under the gracious protection of the Scarlet Monarch for so long, to be a part of these meetings with 'His' dearest ally is a blessing beyond what one such as myself is worthy of."
'This is...' Never having seen this side of the man, Audrey couldn't help but mutter in complete bewilderment. Her golden eyebrows touched her hair, and her eyes were as wide as saucers.
Klein nodded at Chariot's words without another word, the corners of his lips tightening for a second.
Alger just glanced at the man, slightly dazed, before slowly looking away, his face somewhat troubled.
Derrick was about to speak when Adryan spoke again.
"Little Sun, did you manage to get what I asked for?"
"Ah-yes, Mr Chariot. I did." Stuttering and stumbling over a few words, the young giant nodded. "But... I'm not quite sure how to show it to you here..."
There were many books in his room on the history of the City of Silver, books he had read several times and copied a decent portion of at least twice.
"It doesn't matter, Little Sun." Adryan shook his head gently, "Did you see how kind Mr. Hanged Man and I 'wrote' the pages?
"All you have to do is project the information you wish to convey, and Mr Fool will do the rest." Turning to the figure in the seat of honor, he rose from his seat, placed a hand on his chest, and bowed.
Klein already resigned to Chariot's doing his thing, just nodded slightly, "It's simple."
'Just like that? You're not going to say anything else?' Audrey watched as a yellowed piece of paper appeared in front of Sun, and after a few seconds, he began to write.
After a few seconds of watching the young man write with admirable concentration like a primary school child, the noblewoman's eyebrow twitched momentarily and then convulsed. The vein she had managed to calm earlier reappeared, an angry boa writhing under her skin in extreme annoyance.
'Is it really over? Just like that?!!!'
Alger closed his eyes, only the sound of typing and slightly agitated breathing reaching his ears, a soft exhalation of air escaping from his nose. His mantra repeated in his mind, the best balm for any discomfort that might try to rear its ugly head: 'Stay out of God's business.'
Practically tasting the anger in the air around Justice, Adryan's smile didn't falter or change. He turned to her and gave her a simple nod.
The boa around the noblewoman's neck grew a little larger and thicker.
'Yes, being able to provoke without saying a single insulting word or something like that is certainly a gift. A most amusing gift!'
Adryan wasn't interested in wasting any more time dancing with them.
His priority now was to get more information about the new history of this world, apart from Lenburg's library, which was the largest in the world... What better place to look for information about history than a town lost in time?
A place where there was probably no time to change it?
After a few tense moments of waiting, Sun Derrick lowered the strange brush onto the table. He looked excitedly at the end and said, "I am ready, Mr Chariot."
Adryan nodded, and in the next instant, the pages disappeared in front of Sun and the red fountain pen, only reappearing in front of The Fool the next second.
Klein calmly grabbed the paper and glanced at it, comparing the information on the paper with the information Sun had revealed when he first brought him here; he noticed there was a lot more this time.
'It's obvious. This time, he has prepared for the test...' Judging the information and its value, he gave a weak nod and lowered the papers.
"The information is equivalent to a Sequence 9 formula. You will make the final decision, Mr Chariot." Klein gave his opinion calmly as the papers disappeared and reappeared before the abovementioned man.
The red-haired man gave a simple nod and, following the paper, thanked The Fool for his opinion, his eyes flicking quickly over the pages.
Whistling to himself, Adryan clutched the thick stack of pages. 'You can see little Sun has studied quite a bit.'
Looking up, Adryn smiled at the young man with satisfaction. "You have my compliments, Little Sun; your memory is to be applauded. Not even Miss Justice, who has an advanced education, and Mr Hanged Man, who is an experienced man, can come close." He finished with a wink, much to the annoyance of the older man and the noblewoman.
Derrick's cheeks suddenly felt a little hot. Unable to hold his gaze, he shifted his focus to the suddenly attractive bronze table. "Thank you, Mr Chariot..."
It felt pretty good to be flattered by the blessed of a god.
Watching Sun's reaction from his seat, Klein almost choked on his saliva.
'Hey, no matter his appearance, he's still a kid. Don't mess with his immature mind!'
'It may not have been a very detailed drawing, but there's no denying that he's someone of great beauty; I'm sure with Mr. Chariot's personality, it wouldn't be hard for him to arouse certain "curiosities" in men!'
'Perhaps even myself-'
As soon as the thought passed and he processed it, his mental laughter stopped, and Klein froze in his seat. His gaze was lost in the endless grey mist.
Glancing at the first page of the large stack Sun had copied, his scarlet eyes were drawn to the title written in ominous red ink.
[History of the City of Silver]
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone