Audrey directly looked towards the seat of honor and said cheerfully, "Good afternoon, Mr. Fool.
"The 'simple' mission you entrusted has been completed."
She had deliberately emphasized the word "simple" to ascertain from Mr. Fool whether Lanevus had been eliminated by his adorer. She wanted to know if the tarot card-covered death scene was a symbol of the Tarot Club.
Klein deliberately acted composed as he said with a smile, "I'm already aware."
After saying that, he sighed.
"In such an age, in such a place like Backlund, in such a place in the East Borough, the dock area, and the factory district, they're the hotbeds for an evil god's descent."
What? Alger was stunned for a moment, wondering if there was something wrong with his ears.
Why would a simple mission involve hotbeds for an evil god's descent?
Before he could begin thinking more deeply about it, something caught his eye. The seat next to Justice wasn't empty. A silhouette sat there. Behind the gray fog, white hair and yellow eyes could be seen. His presence had been hidden, which is why he hadn't been noticed earlier. But the moment Alger noticed him, he realized this person was of a higher Sequence than himself.
Noticing Alger's shifting focus, Audrey snapped out of her thoughts and turned to the seat beside her. After examining the person calmly sitting there, she turned to Mr. Fool and asked, "Mr. Fool, may I ask who the new member is?"
Klein said, "This is Wheel of Fortune. He has newly joined us. Mr. Wheel of Fortune, these are Ms. Justice, Mr. Hanged Man, Mr. Sun, and Mr. World."
After the introductions, the meeting continued as usual. Everyone waited for Klein to read Roselle's diary. Audrey and Alger were both studying Morpheus and pondering the descent of an evil god. No one had expected the poor living conditions in the East Borough of Backlund to be terrible enough to host an evil god.
Once Klein finished reading the diary, he said, "You may continue the meeting."
"Thank you, Mr. Fool. Thank you for saving Backlund. You have made me understand a great deal of the situation I didn't know in the past." Audrey held back her emotions and sincerely thanked Mr. Fool.
"Saved Backlund?" Alger was no stranger to the conditions of East Borough, the factory district, and the dock area. He was more surprised by the description Miss Justice had used.
Just how huge was this matter? he thought with an extremely puzzled frown.
After Audrey's thanks, Morpheus added, "I thank you as well, Mr. Fool. If you hadn't saved me, a fate worse than death would have awaited me." There was genuine gratitude in his voice.
Klein only smiled in response to their gratitude and didn't do anything further. He understood what Morpheus was planning. That's why he decided to remain silent.
Hearing Morpheus' words, Audrey, Alger, and Derrick turned their attention to him. Seeing that they expected an answer, Morpheus smiled. "I'll explain what happened, but in return, you must do something for me. It's nothing difficult — I'm just looking for certain items. If you see them, inform me or purchase them. I'll collect them from you later."
Everyone nodded and waited for the explanation.
"The followers of the True Creator captured me months ago. They said I had a body suitable for their god's descent and subjected me to various rituals. Because of the rituals, I couldn't use my powers. There was no escape, and a god was descending into my body. I heard his voice constantly. We had reached the final ritual. Just as it was about to be completed, one of Mr. Fool's Blessed arrived, disrupted the ritual, and saved me. When the ritual was broken, I regained control of my powers and destroyed the True Creator's followers. I also tried to purify the corruption from my body. But the corruption had stained my soul. While its effects are reduced here, they will persist once I leave. That's why I ask you to seek Beyonder items that affect the soul."
What Morpheus described shocked everyone except Klein, who had already heard it. After a moment of silence, Audrey asked, "Why did they think your body was suitable, Mr. Wheel of Fortune?" Then added, "If it requires extra payment, I can provide it."
Morpheus replied, "If you can do what I asked, it will be enough, Ms. Justice. My body is… special, let's say. I'm a Sequence 5 Beyonder of the Monster pathway. But I didn't become one by drinking a potion like the others. I ate the god of this pathway," he said calmly.
He was laughing inside, waiting for the others' reactions.
On the faces of the others, first came shock, then discomfort, as if they had just heard something extremely inappropriate. Of course, no one believed him. The claim that he ate a god — in the presence of another god — put them in an awkward position.
Seeing their disbelief, Morpheus went on the defensive. "I'm serious. It took me two years to kill "Him". It was really difficult." The listeners' expressions turned to weary disbelief.
"Mr. Wheel of Fortune, this is blasphemy. I don't think you should continue speaking," Audrey said sternly. She believed Morpheus was lying, like any sane person would. After her words, Audrey, Alger, and Derrick looked at Klein. The new member's blasphemous words in the presence of a god had made them uneasy. They were waiting to see what punishment Morpheus would receive.
"He's telling the truth," said The Fool. He watched their changing expressions and continued, "Mr. Wheel of Fortune is someone special. He saved the god of his pathway, just as I saved him. But because he was an ordinary human at the time, he suffered greatly."
Hearing Klein's explanation, the members of the Tarot Club looked at Morpheus in disbelief. "Thank you, Mr. Fool," he said, then turned to the others. "Now that you believe me, I'll tell you something else. If you face something you can't handle in the future, I can resolve it for a fee, as long as innocents aren't involved." Morpheus spoke with his nose in the air.
The other members of the Tarot Club were still staring at him in shock, mouths agape. "H-How? How could you possibly do that?" asked Audrey.
Morpheus replied, "I don't know either. But it doesn't matter anymore. What matters are the items that affect the soul. There's a god inside my head, and in this state, I don't think I can kill "Him"," he said, laughing.
Audrey, Alger, and Derrick could only stare. A little later, they agreed to search for the requested items in their surroundings and to inform him if they found them.
The rest of the Club meeting was not particularly interesting to Morpheus. He had stated his request, and no one had assigned him a task.
The meeting ended when Klein gave his final words. After sending off Audrey, Alger, and Derrick, he looked at Morpheus. "When will you start?" he asked.
"Tonight's the night."